Nothing so pressing for a full post, so let's hit it three dot style...
There's another train wreck over on the Robert Parker bulletin board today with unspecified allegations of additives in zinfandel and unreported blending in pinot noir. Of course these things happen, but it gets tiring seeing insinuations that such things are common, without proof, then endlessly beat to a pulp in an alleged defense of one's character. Have the proof but don't feel comfortable divluging online? Don't bring it up online. Especially if you don't want to risk your brand. You can really help yourself by being online, but here's an example of a pretty classic pitfall you need to watch out for...
Found a crazy sale at a local Whole Foods (NE Fremont) this past weekend. Single vineyard Produttori Barbaresco from 1999 and 2001 for $25, half bottles of Dom Ruinart Champagne Blanc de Blancs and Rose for $19, even a few bottles of 1999 Grange for $150, which is ridiculoulsy cheap for that label. I don't play at that level, but the Produttori is gone and most of the Ruinart too. Lots of other things but nothing quite so interesting to my mind, but it's all still there if you're in the area...
Dumpster diving continued...the local Hollywood Grocery Outlet has some Cameron Hughes bottlings for $5 or so. Hughes buys bulk wine around California and bottles them by "Lot" to sell at Costco and the like for $10-$15 usually. People seem to love the wines. The 2006 Cameron Hughes Lodi Petite Sirah Lot 70 wasn't bad, especially for marinating steaks. Typical oak and fruit profile, but for party wine this could be a hit. Then there's the 2002 Mount Langi Ghiran Shiraz "Cliff Edge" from Victoria, Australia, for $8. Not bad, not bad at all for a budget wine from a storied producer. White pepper aromas and mature syrah notes, pretty full bodied and chunky flavors. Call if plonk because it's at the G.O., but bargain hunters should love it...
Finally, do 15% alcohol on the label and Louis/Dressner Imports go together? Apparently so, on the 2000 Clos de Caveau Vacqueyras "Lao Muse" from the southern Rhone. This $50 luxury cuvee (Dressner? really???) from an all organic producer is aging nicely, with broad ripe aromas and flavors, lovely earth and red fruit flavors and some sweet notes of maturity. With the price and ridiculously oversized bottle, I expected the wine to be inky black and over the top, probably sporting lots of new oak. But Dressner doesn't let you down. He picks good stuff and this is translucent and, though aged in barrique, very nicely integrated and "real" tasting. Not sure what happened to this bottling or if Dressner even carries this producer still. But Lao Muse is the real deal...
2 comments:
That is a ridiculous price on the Ruinart, so I'll try to snag some tomorrow, but I should note that the current-vintage Italians I've purchased at that store (e.g. '06 Produttori Langhe Nebbiolo, etc) have had corks soaked 2/3s or more up the length. I'd be very hesitant about purchasing something that I wanted to cellar.
Thanks for the heads up, though.
I wondered about conditions in the store, as I would with any store. Things seem pretty consistent there, in my experience. The bottles all look good. We'll see. One thing though - soaked corks can be a cork issue, not necessarily a storage issue. Sometimes it's bottle shape vs. cork shape. Can even be residue from splashing during bottling. In the same way, heat damaged bottles can have unsoaked corks that just have a seam up one side where wine leaked out and air got in. I appreciate the warning though. I'll report back if I have any issues with these bottles. Please do the same with any you get.
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