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by Tom Hill

A self-admitted wine geek, Tom lives in Northern New Mexico and works as a computational physicist at Los Alamos National Laboratory doing numerical neutron transport & large scale code development. He has been tasting wines since 1971, participates locally with a couple of large tasting groups in his area, and is practically a fixture at most California wine festivals, such as the Hospice du Rhône, Rhône Rangers, and ZAP. Other interests: Tom is heavily into competitive sport fencing (foil & epee), biking, cooking, basketball, skiing, backpacking, mountain climbing.


Some New Reds - January 15, 2014

We tried last night (1/15/14) Some New Reds:

  1. Burlotto DOC: Verduno Pelaverga (13.5%; 100% Pelaverga) MarinaBurlotto/Verduno 2012: Light color; strong cracked black pepper rather bright/cherry/floral slight earthy/dusty bit Nebb-like quite attractive nose; bit tart/sharp strong cracked black pepper quite pretty cherry/floral light-bodied flavor w/ light/lean tannins; very long cracked black pepper light/delicate cherry/floral/perfumey light-bodied slight earthy/dusty finish w/ light/angular tannins; quite a pretty/perfumed lightweight red some like Schiava. $25.00 (BWM)
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  2. dacapo Majoli DOCG: Ruche di CastagnoleMonferrato (13.5%; www.DaCapo.It; MatchVino) AglianoTerme 2011: Med.dark color; beautiful/aromatic cherry/floral/slight muscatty/Ruche light earthy/ mushroomy/dusty quite attractive/ perfumed nose; fairly tart some earthy/dusty/pungent/mushroomy light/delicate cherry/muscatty/floral slight pungent/tarry w/ light hard/rough tannins; med.long perfumed/ cherry/floral/Ruche some earthy/dusty/mushroomy/tarry bit muscatty/aromatic finish w/ some hard/bitey tannins; loads of fragrant Ruche character w/ some Grignolino-like/rose petal character. $24.00 (DaV)
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  3. Osel DOC: Ruche di Castagnole Monferrato (100% Ruche; 13.5%; www.SiemaWines.com) 2009: Med.color w/ some bricking; very pretty bright/cherry/floral/cherry cola/cough syrup/almost muscatty light earthy/mushroomy quite perfumed nose; fairly tart some earthy/mushroomy light cherry/floral/Ruche/rose petal flavor w/ light/hard tannins; med.long floral/rosepetals/cherry/Ruche some earthy/mushroomy bit old Nebb-like finish w/ some hard/drying tannins; seems to be showing some age and some old LangheNebb character. $16.00 (CR/KC)
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  4. il Cavaliere DOC: Ruche di CastagnoleMonferrato (13%; Tellitalia) Scurzolengo 2009: Med.color w/ much bricking; light cherry/Ruche/floral/rose petal/cherry cola/root beer more earthy/mushroomy less perfumed nose; bit tart/lean somewhat earthy/mushroomy light cherry/rose petal/floral/cherry cola flavor w/ light/smooth tannins; med. tart/lean light cherry/rose petal/floral rather earthy/dusty/mushroomy finish w/ light/smooth tannins; less Ruche aromatics and more earthy character; seems to be drying out a bit. $18.00 (BWM)
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  5. Cascina 'tavijn DOCG: Ruche di CastagnoleMonferrato (14%; NF; Louis/Dressner) NadiaVerrua/ Scurzolengo 2011: Med.color w/ slight bricking; some floral/rose petal/cherry/Ruche/licorice rather bretty/unclean/bit fecal/goat pen slight cracked pepper rather interesting/exotic nose; softer some unclean/bretty/goat pen light cherry/rose petal/floral/Ruche some earthy/mushroomy flavor w/ soft/round tannins; long somewhat unclean/bretty/goat pen slight Ruche/cherry/floral/rose petal bit earthy/ mushroomy finish w/ soft tannins; the bretty/unclean character pretty much beats down the Ruche aromatics. $27.00 (Cured)
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  6. Isolabella della Croce DOC: Monferrato Rosso (Nebbiolo/Barbera/Dolcetto; 13.5%; www.IsolaBelladellaCroce.It; TempleImports/Denver) Loazzolo 2008: Med.dark color; quite fragrant/floral/lilacs bit licorice/tarry/pungent slight earthy/dusty/OV quite attractive/fragrant nose; tart bit tarry/pungent/licorice/lilacs/Nebb-like light earthy/dusty somewhat Grignolino-like flavor w/ some hard/ raspy tannins; long Nebb/floral/lilacs some tarry/licorice/pungent some earthy/dusty slight bretty/unclean finish w/ some hard tannins; a bit hard/tannic/rustic/Nebb-like distinctly Italian red at a very attractive price. $14.00 (BWM)
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  7. Chester'sAnvil Zin MeadRanch/AtlasPeak/NapaVlly (14.9%; 45 cs) 2011: Med.dark color; strong bright/raspberry/Zin/very spicy/your Mother's spice box quite perfumed/aromatic slight leafy/herbal light vanilla/smokey/oak quite lovely nose; fairly tart very bright/zippy/raspberry/Zin very/very spicy some vanilla/smokey/oak quite structured flavor w/ some round/smooth tannins; very long/lingering bit alcoholic bright/perfumed/raspberry/Zin/very spicy light vanilla/smokey/oak slight earthy/leafy finish w/ some smooth tannins; quite a lovely very fragrant Zin in a bit of an old-timey style; quite structured and should go out 7-10 yrs. $39.00
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  8. Ridge Zin LyttonEstate DryCreekVlly/SonomaCnty (25% PS; 14.5%; LyttonEast; Bttld: Jan 2012;
    Drk: 10/11-10/21: JO) 2010
    : Very dark color; rather shy/closed strong vanilla/Am.oak fairly ripe/ blackberry/Zin/peppery light spicy/earthy/pungent nose; soft strong vanilla/Am.oak some blackberry/ boysenberry/Zin/ripe bit earthy/peppery/RCCola flavor w/ some soft tannins; very long some blackberry Zin/boysenberry/ripe slight spicy/earthy/peppery strong vanilla/Am.oak some tannic finish; a fairly big Zin but doesn't have the strong spiciness of the regular Lytton probably because of the PS; rather big/extracted but a bit on the clunky side. $32.00 (ATP)
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  9. Jongieux Mondeuse AC: Vin de Savoie (12.5%; VintageImports/Denver) EugeneCarrel & Fils/ Jongieux 2010: Med. color; lovely floral/lilacs/plummy/licorice/pungent/black cherry cola some earthy/ dusty quite aromatic Mondeuse nose; soft/lush light floral/lilacs/plummy/licorice/black cherry some earthy/ dusty/Savoie flavor w/ light/soft tannins; long soft/lush plummy/licorice/lilacs/floral/Mondeuse slight bretty/ leathery some earthy/dusty finish w/ light/smooth tannins; quite a lovely Beauj-like Mondeuse at a great price. $17.00 (AV)
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  10. Domaine JeanVullien et Fils St.Jean de la Ponte Mondeuse ACL Vin de Savoie (MeBalP; 12.5%;
    JeffWelburnSlctn/WineAgencies) Freterive 2010
    : Med.dark color; lower key bit herbal/rosemary/earthy some licorice/black pepper/plummy/Mondeuse bit tarry/clunky nose; soft attractive spicy/plummy/licorice/ black pepper/Mondeuse some earthy/dusty rather spicy flavor w/ light/smooth tannins; long plummy/black cherry/Mondeuse/black pepper bit earthy/dusty finish w/ light/smooth tannins; a soft/drinkable Mondeuse that lacks the aromatics of #9 but quite attractive at a good price. $16.00 (Cured)
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  11. FamillePeillot Mondeuse AC: Bugey (12%; www.LouisDressner.com) Montagnieu 2010: Med.dark color w/ light bricking; strong herbal/earthy/rosemary light plummy/lilacs/floral slight metallic/ozone/ pungent rather perfumed/spicy exotic nose; bit tart/rough/lean/earthy slight herbal/rosemary/pungent strong floral/lilacs/licorice/black cherry cola exotic flavor w/ light/rough tannins; very long/lingering slight tart/earthy strong plummy/licorice/floral/black cherry cola bit herbal/rosemary finish w/ light/coarse tannins; rather exotic rendition of Mondeuse and one of the best Savoie Mondeuses I can recall. $21.00 (Gomers)
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  12. Lagier-Meredith Mondeuse MtVeeder/NapaVlly (13.5%) 2011: Dark color; quite herbal/rosemary/ pungent strong plummy/lilacs/floral/marigolds light toasty/oak bit earthy/sauvage/Savoie-like/garrigue quite exotic nose; bit tart fairly tannic/extracted somewhat herbal/rosemary/pungent/rustic some plummy/floral/licorice/lilacs light toasty/oak flavor w/ some hard/rough tannins; very long herbal/ rosemary/pungent light toasty/oak some plummy/Mondeuse/lilacs/floral finish w/ some hard tannins; the herbal character suggests a wine that struggled to ripen but not at all a green wine; a very exotic rendition of Mondeuse and very atypical of a NapaVlly red wine. $41.00


Stuff from TheBloodyPulpit:

1. Pelaverga: This is a rather rare grape that is native, as best we can tell, to the Piemonte. I've only had 4-5 over the yrs. It produces a kinda lightish wine, not to different from Schiava, but generally not as earthy/mineral as that AltoAdige wine. The strong black pepper character in this Burlotto is a character I've never picked up before. This was probably the best Pelaverga I've yet tried. Not as profound a Piemonte wine as Freisa or Brachetto; but quite nice in its own way. Probably something the hipster somms will, or have already, glomm onto.
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2. Ruche: This is a variety that most think is indigenous to the Piemonte, though some believe that it is an adaptation of some variety brought from Burgundy many yrs ago. There is no ampelographic data to support that belief. I was first exposed to the grape when DarrellCorti brought in some Scarpa Rouchet in the late '70's and fell in love with it because of its ethereal/delicate floral/berries aromatics. To me, it resembles a bit Marzeminno, a bit Freisa, a bit MoscatoRosa. But it's a grape w/ wonderful aromatics and they should be planting it all up & down the coast of Calif. Alas, not available from FPS.
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3. Mondeuse: Technically known as MondeuseNoire. There is a parent/sibling relation w/ MondeuseBlanche. Syrah is a cross of MondeuseBlanche X Deureza. SteveLagier refers to their MondeuseNoire as the bastard uncle of their Syrah, hence their interest in the variety. Mondeuse was originally (mis-)identified as Refosco dal PeduncoloRosso in Calif. Hence, many of the plantings known as Refosco in Calif are actually Mondeuse. Which is not a bad thing.

Most of the Mondeuse is grown in the Savoie region of France, particularly in Bugey. It's a bit of a trick
to get the grape to ripen there and they tend to be a little spare & lean. The wines, to me, have sort of a plummy/black cherry character w/ a distinct earthiness characteristic of Savoie reds. A variety we should see more of in Calif.
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4. L-M Mondeuse: This is a much different beast from Steve&Carole's previous Mondeuses. It had a very strong herbal/rosemary character that I'd not picked up in their earlier renditions. Yet that plummy/floral character that I like so much in Mondeuse came thru loud&clear. I believe Carole said that Parker gave it a 77 in his NapaVlly review. Given Parker's aversion to wines lacking big fruit and tasting of underripeness, that score doesn't surprise me a bit. This herbal/rosemary character reminded me quite a lot of DarrellCorti's Mondeuse '09 that he made (by Trinchero) from the last crop of Mondeuse/Refosco off Antinori's AtlasPeak vnyd.

This herbal/rosemary character gives the Mondeuse a bit of a rustic/sauvage character that resembles a bit some from the Savoie. I thought this was quite an exotic rendition of Mondeuse that I really loved. But not a wine that would appeal to Monktown attourneys.
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5. Zins: I was quite taken by the strong spiciness and aromatics of the Chester'sAnvil. I generally am not a big fan of the AtlasPeak/MeadRanch Zins, finding them a bit on the quotidian side. Easily the best MeadRanch Zin I've yet had.

I was less taken by the Ridge. Being as it's all from the LyttonEast (old-vine stuff); I was expecting great things from it. But I think the 25% PS sorta dumbs it down a bit and it doesn't have the strong spiciness I usually find in LS. At this point in time, the regular LS seems better. But this LyttonEstate is a big wine and well probably evolve into a very good Zin.

TomHill

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