Thursday, January 13, 2011

Weekly Tasting Notes


Thursday tastings were a welcome experience after all the snow we dealt with this week. The shining star was clearly Comte Lafon. I was excited to see Dominique Lafon’s wines placed on the barrel. Finding Dominque’s wines is like finding gold. He produces very little and that usually ends up in Manhattan restaurants. But I've been working hard, so access is getting better. I gotta admit I’m also in love with the Turkey Flat. Aussie wines are makin’ a comeback. Did you know they make wines other than Yellowtail? And finally, the Amarone was simply stunning. Bursting with flavor and light on its feet.

2007 Vignalta “Venda” - $14 per bottle
80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet. Close your eyes and you’d swear this is Bordeaux and not from Veneto. Beautiful floral aromas that pop from the glass. Terrific weight, well balanced and a touch of vanilla on the finish.

2006 Turkey Flat ‘Butchers Block’ - $30 per bottle
A blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre from the Barossa Valley in Australia. Look for dark, dense fruit highlighted by cherry cola and enough acidity to carry the wine to a long finish filled with cedar and nutmeg. Aussie wines are on a comeback, look out.

2008 Cadence “Coda” - $33 per bottle
Cabernet, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot from Red Mountain in WA. Wannabe Pomerol with pencil lead, currant, cassis and blackberry on this blockbuster Washington state blend. Serious wine and worth every penny. If you can’t afford Pomerol, this will do (even though it’s Cabernet based).

2009 Comte Lafon Macon Village - $20 per bottle
Dominique Lafon produces coveted white Burgundies from some of the greatest vineyards in the Cote de Beaune. Finding this juice is like finding gold. If you like crisp, clean white burg chardonnay that has terrific balance and beautiful fruit, you’ve found your wine.

2009 Comte Lafon Macon Milly Lamartine  - $33 per bottle
Leave it to me to find a $30 Macon that is AWESOME! Let’s just say that Meursault and Chablis had a child and its name was Comte Lafond Macon. Mineral, apple, pear, saline with round texture and crisp finish. This wine has a tremendous amount of complexity for its price and region. It’s Macon all grown up.

2006 Masi Amarone Costasera - $60 per bottle
I clearly don’t drink enough Amarone. Every time it touches my palate I’m blown away by the complexity and depth it offers. Masi has hit the mark with terrific plum fruit and slight anise notes that lead to a long and soft finish. These age quite nicely as well.

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