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Uncorked-Wine and Spirits Appreciation

Discuss beer or anything else that comes to mind in here.

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Belgian
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Post by Belgian »

Schloss Vollrads Riesling Auslese 2010

Must have got this 30% off, fairly expensive half-bottle (hey, it's Germany!) compared to some icewine or Sauternes. Bottle has a glass closure. Pour reveals long aromas of deep maturing pale apricot-peach fruit.

Taste has that fruit, some mineral and a deep richness, hints of attractive brie flor mushroom-umami / bready yeast. Lightly sticky texture, honey, marmalade and ripe mandarins, just enough acidity to carry it.

Kind of flat unless cooled off to 15º C, will improve thusly. Probably not the best at doing anything, but it's still one of those wines worth trying.

Auslese means 'Selection'... 'a white wine of German origin or style made from selected bunches of grapes picked later than the general harvest.'
Auslese (literal meaning: "selected harvest"; plural form is Auslesen) is a German language wine term for a late harvest wine and is a riper category than Spätlese in the Prädikatswein category of the Austrian and German wine classification. The grapes are picked from selected very ripe bunches in the autumn (late November-early December), and have to be hand-picked. Generally Auslese wine can be made in only the best harvest years that have been sufficiently warm. A small proportion of the grapes may be affected by noble rot in some regions although this never dominates the character of the wine...
- WP

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Post by Belgian »

Château Filhot Sauternes 2015 Bordeaux

The note 'Drink now until 2033' is quite literal, this Bordeaux white with sweet and concentrated, botrytis-affected flavours is tasty while it's young and should improve for at least that many years.

Pours a typical young gold look, viscous. Sticky feel, dense, honeyed apricots and subtle mixed citrus marmalade, subtle pineapple. Good balancing acidity for the weight, and lingering trails of spice and vanilla.

Quite a wine for $25.
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Post by Belgian »

Rocca Sveva Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore 2013 Corvina Blend, Veneto Italy

Here is a big rich wine that needs decanting (or leave it for a day) to get some air and balance out, it's very plummy-rich at first, and the Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara grapes together express a deep black & red cherry tone with some nice dryness and acidity once it opens. Hints of faint cranberry, cedar, stone and more than a hint wild blueberry.

Fairly complex and better today than on opening yesterday. Some nice raisiny qualities. Certainly not as much complex character development as the Cadis Amarone Valpolicella but in the tradeoff still has great purity and solid quality, at a good value point so it's an interesting foray into NE Italy's Veneto region.

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Post by Belgian »

J.P. Chenet Pinot Noir Reserve "Vin de France"

There's a place for these light, simple and easy 'bistro wines' and it might be a park bench on a sunny day traveling in Europe. I'm not kidding. This Chenet is priced rather high as the regular price is $14, but right now it's $11 and I need something to cook with. Wish I had instead got the Les Jamelles Merlot also on sale for $12, probably a few notches up - but hey, it's worth trying things just the same, and even basic wines can be great in the pot.

Light berry and cherry, leafy and minty, hints cassis jam. Bit of yeast, but really not too raw. Has a decent acid profile. Pinot Noir is a cool-climate grape but here grown in the hotter South of France so it's what you get - it's not Burgundy style. An OK wine you'd find a .25 liter of in a German discount supermarket for about a buck or two - and I believe I may have.
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Post by Belgian »

San Silvestro Patres Barolo Nebbiolo 2014

A very taut, dry Nebbiolo-based Piedmont red. Has some dry berry and deep cherry, stone and cranberry, mild hints sandalwood-y spice, fresh blackberry compote.

This has been opening up for over a day so it's gotten some air to help relax it, but a bottle of ths 2014 probably still needs at least 3-6 years to begin resolving. Limited thrills for the price at this time yet shows good bones and real character.
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Post by Belgian »

Belgian in early 2015 wrote:Boutari Grande Reserve Naoussa 2008 - nice grippy tannins and acidity, good layers of fruit under the assertive tart-dry palate, herbs and stony mineral. A runaway hit vintage for this winemaker, good to drink or cellar or certainly make a hell of a stew dish with this. I'm gonna sip this one slowly while it puckers my gums, then try it with the beef later on and some old cheddar.
This 2016 'non reserve' (I guess) Naoussa from Boutari utilizes the same Xinomavro grape in a simpler presentation. Quite dry and lean and a bit cedary, lots of dark, tart black fruit, a bit stemmy. This will stand up to any hearty fare.

Same note on stewing or collaring, very structured wine if a rougher example. I'll see if this smooths out in the bottle over a few days (fridge.) An 'in-store exclusive' worth getting at Danforth and Broadview LC at this reasonable price.

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Post by BartOwl »

Clair de Lune Sauternes 2014. 500ml 12 euros
I am drinking this in Bordeaux right now. Notes of mold, honey,and floral notes. Lots of finessse and well balanced with a slight acidic bite. Very good and great value.

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Post by Belgian »

Château Peyros Vieilles Vignes Madiran 2015 Tannat/Cabernet Franc

Here is another Peyros Madiran this time made with Old Vines grapes. Again, nice rounded and dry Bordeaux-like structure, yet including slightly wooly blackcurrant-blackberry / cedar and slightly buttery oak. Carries into some oaky spice and cherry compote.

It's a bold Southwest France red with expected clean lines and few surprises. Drinks well without decanting for air. Tannat wines tend to be quite firm and tannic, often demanding years to decades of cellar ageing but this one has been shaped for the modern market / near-term consumption with its generous and supple black fruit. Beefier than the Peyros wine linked below. The tannins will still cellar for years - WS recommends drinking from 2022.

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Belgian wrote:Château Peyros Tannat/Cabernet Franc 2014
Cabernet Franc is the gentler little sibling of muscular Cabernet Sauvignon, and here it is blended 40% with the beefy, dense and dry 60% Tannat. This makes it come across as more Bordeaux-like. Black cassis / blackberry fruit, and the firm tannins of Tannat are maturing...]
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Post by Belgian »

Château Fortia Cuvée Du Baron Châteauneuf Du Pape 2012

Bought a few years ago, began its maturation cycle last year but still early & if I had a second bottle I'd wait six years. Quality cork is stained black at tip, and wine opens slightly heavy-rich berry and wild herbs and black plum, slightly peppery. Good full body! A top-rated vintage from this vintner, it just needs more sleep but with this bottle I will see if it opens up with some air.

The raisiny-mineral aroma starts to develop after an hour. And the taste gets more attractively acidic, the tannins are firm but enjoyable. I'ts a beefy wine.

This is not yet as developed as a certain Ch. NDP I have properly aged, but I wanted to try it! A perfectly-cellared one should drink with complexity like 'liquid stained glass.'

Grape blend: 45% Grenache, 40% Syrah & 15% Mourvedre

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Post by Belgian »

Château Loumelat Cuvée J.J. Lesgourgues 2015

Nice stuff! Here is classic bordeaux style in a medium body, round like a Merlot-dominated Right bank and yet wooly from some Cabernet signature adding cassis jam. Loads of berry (notably blackberry) and a bit of spicy toasty oak. Extremely good stuff to drink near-term.

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Post by Belgian »

Belgian wrote:Versado Malbec 2014 Mendoza, Argentina

Super nice modern Malbec, very well put together. Defined cherry and dark berry fruit, very powerful yet sleek and well-integrated tannins and great, appropriate acidity. Some beet and herbals.

The Versado Reserva Ancient Malbec 2014 is going for $59.95 and this vintner is kind of a big deal. I don't mind at all paying 19.25 for this simpler, fresher-styled un-oaked red, and it's nearly 5 bucks off (reg $23.95!) on clearance. Treat yourself, thank me later.
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Exactly a year later after this post, this second-last bottle is drinking well with more delicate (black)berry and cherry fruit, crushed wild herbs and florals. Hint of forest mushroom. Question is drink the last one soon, or next year? Maybe better not to wait!
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Post by MatttthewGeorge »

Back from Calgary where the bourbon is more expensive but the scotch is less expensive than the LCBO. So on a totally impulsive buy I bought, and had tonight:

Nikka - From The Barrel
Lovely rich dram with a bit of sweetness, subtitle fruits and almost a creaminess. Would give this to a scotch curious bourbon drinker. Wish I bought two.

Ardbeg - Uigeadail
Almost the opposite of the Nikka, with huge smoke, iodine and campfire. A steal compared to LCBO pricing but if I’m honest it’s quite one-dimensional and a bit of a let down. That said, after letting it sit for 30 minutes with just a bit of water, it’s mellowed to something more enjoyable.
untappd/instacrap/facebitch/snapitychat/etc: @matttthewgeorge

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Post by Belgian »

Belgian wrote:
Belgian wrote:Domaine Saint-Andéol L'Excellence Cairanne Côtes du Rhône Villages 2013

Reduced 20% at my local 'Bo (yes!) this is a very well put-together Grenache/Syrah showing great overall smoothness already and would likely benefit from a few years more to tame the Syrah. Dense berry-cherry fruit, a bit of vanilla and spice and pepper, some meaty character. Likable and solid. The tart cherry overtones balance the big palate with some acid freshness.

Wine Insight Reader
Next bottle opens smooth and bold as well. A lot of power in this 60/40 blend of G-S. Might snag one or two more bottles if they are around. An under-appreciated, new 'Cru' classified vine growing area which was formerly a Cotes-du-Rhone Villages area but it was too good for that.

* update #2 * grabbed last 3 of the three bottles at the Queen & Waverly store. The shelf tag is incorrect, it rings up close to $5.00 off. OK that's 22.4% off. In the cellar they go! Definitely give a wine like this a hard pour into a decanter & let it be for a while.
Still enjoying this fine bottling, two years later... so much well-formed berry and herbs expressed in this Cairanne.

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Post by Belgian »

Belgian wrote:PRODUTTORI DEL BARBARESCO BARBARESCO 2009
VINTAGES 708826 | 750 mL bottle

Price $ 41.95

Saw this disappearing fast so grabbed one on impulse. My first Barbaresco I can recall buying, which is of the same grape (Nebbiolo) and similar region to Barolo (with wines that are less weighty in exchange for more elegance.) Extremely pleasing red with tart plum skin & dark cherry, minty herbals, tar and licorice, and with the kind of mouth feel that tannin and acidity were invented for, thanks to the lime clay soil. Not for everyone but incredible.

Said to be showing more 'aged maturity' than it now has yet with signs of ample cellaring potential. I might be in for a few more, early Santa Present for me. I'm tasting lingering tar and don't know why I love it.
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So this is back 5 years later and the 2014 vintage is 59.95, the extra $18.00 is a thumping 43% price increase (here anyway) but the reviews are OK.

The 2009 is one of the most interesting wines I have ever tasted so I'm still inclined to try the 2014. If it were under $45 I'd buy six.
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Post by Belgian »

Bailly Lapierre Réserve Brut Crémant de Bourgogne

Here is a decent sparkling white from Burgundy in cool Northern France, made from 100% Pinot Noir grapes. These Crémant wines are nothing like Asti Spumante wines because they are bottle-fermented in the same manner as Champagnes. While actual Champagne is renowned for its greater complexity it is usually at least 2-4 times as expensive as Crémant wines from regions like Burgundy and the Alsace, so the Crémants are a good value.

I'm getting ripe green and red apple, pear, gold plum and some brioche sweet yeasty-bready hints. Light lemon acidity, decent body. Some peachy qualities emerge as the bottle opens up.
The Perle D'aurore Rosé might be worth the few bucks also. Here's the link.

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