thoughts?

The Lobarzan (Mostly Mencia with a minority percentage local Tempranillo clone) was perfectly leafy and red-berried. It wouldn’t have been totally out of place in a Touraine rouge tasting with a great tension between the earthy-savory and fresh sweetness. It developed and fame into focus with some air. A big winner and I wish more could be on hand (Jose Pastor is no longer bringing this in, methinks).

The Jimenez-Landi was exceptionally lusty. In a great way. It held up the 2nd day very well with a sweet pepperiness. The Schlenkerla Helles Lager is just perfect. I want jugs of the stuff around. The Mikkeller Simcoe was solid and expressively grapefruity, but I’m personally not a fan of the style.

Way good. Pure, balanced, 13.5%abv and flat out delicious. Underrated.

Lighter than expected from Pic St. Loup – but in a good, almost Beaujolais-like way. Carbonic and fruity and gluggable. Solid weekday value.

I haven’t had a US Pinot for years. This worked. Enough funk and acid to keep it overblown. Fairly elegant but a bit darker-toned.

Separated at birth. Both so lean and mineral – with the Keller skewing slightly more tropical and peachy and the Arnot-Roberts Chard going into green apple territory. The length on the Chardonnay was really something. These guys are doing fantastic things in Califonria.

Edmunds St. Johns is quickly becoming my go-to American winery. His latest Syrah comes from a young Biodynamic vineyard in Mendocino County and accomplishes a beautiful balance of fruit and savory qualities. It’s a fresh, clean wine with blue fruit — but there is a lusty, sweaty and smokey dimension lurking beyond. The smoke and peaty iodine-like minerality immediately made me think of Ardbeg – which for me, is a good thing – but could definitely be polarizing. This wine felt particularly alive and ‘of the earth’ vs just ‘earthy’ or ‘dirty’. Syrah in California can so easily be blown to smithereens with alcohol, or totally obscured by wood (or both) – but ESJs wines really showcase the other side of the coin – picking at the perfect time and not screwing around with the juice yields an honest and ‘real’ varietal that belongs on the table. The Syrah that Syrah was meant to be.

Domain Leon Barral, Faugeres 2007

Vivid, crystal clean, pure, vibrant and a beautiful 13% ABV. This is benchmark stuff. If I made wines in the Languedoc, drinking this would drive me crazy. It moves effortlessly from sweet red berry fruit – to lavender and thyme and finishes with the unmistakable communication of schiste. Light on its feet, a wine with agility. Like the Chateau Musar that beguiled me – this is a blend, but there is such a unity one-thing-ness at play here. Analysis is moot here – this is made to be enjoyed, and enjoyed it was with short-ribs and boiled potatoes.

Taste and learn about some real Italian wines this weekend in northern Kentucky:

DEPs Covington, Friday 4-8pm
DEPs Ft Thomas, Saturday 2-6pm

Basa Rueda (2007) – a blend of Viura, (macabeo) Verdejo, and Sauvignon Blanc might not be totally awesome, gobsmacking, or have insane concentration, length, or minerality – but when I had it last night, I thought to myself that there wasn’t another wine I’d rather be drinking. This is the kind of wine that you want to do summertime/vacation/holiday with. It tastes like fresh fruit and sunshine. Just right-on. It reminds me that even awesome gets boring eventually – but real never seems to.

VdT: Siete 7, Navarra 2008 (domino label): Blackberries in a glass, with a whiff of smoke, pine and clay. Great freshness and vibrancy. It’s taken a lot of French wine to get me to appreciate the kind of pleasure this offers. This is wine about having fun. Wish it came in magnums.

Benito Santos Albarino Igrexario De Saiar 2008: White peaches, chalk and lime. Lean, Muscadet like, with brine and minerals– but slightly fuller on the palate. Day 2 was even more complete, long and minerally. Serious – I’d love to see how this ages.

Bermejo Lanzarote Rosado 2009: So much fruit! So much soil! This feels like a martian Beaujolais. The vineyards LOOK like Mars. Stunning color. What is this stuff, and how can I get more, methinks. Ever-so-slightly bitter in the finish balanced the fruit and just made me want to take another sip. Probably the most elegant bottle glass I’ve seen – with a tiny spout to pour. More of this nectar is an order this summer – and I can’t wait to try the other wines. Bravo Jose Pastor! Bravo Canary Islands!

Nunci Abocat, 2005, Priorat: Fresh apricot, salt and chalk. Not a heck of a lot of acidity, but still balanced with an almost tannic dryness to the finish. Big-boned with ripe fruit – some alcohol presence starting to push through as it approached room temp but not to a fault. Interesting, this bottle was brought in by Pastor, but I’m not sure it’s still on his roster. We really enjoyed it, and hope to enjoy another bottle or two this summer with some  lobster or crab legs.

Aforado Albarino, 2008: White pear, lime, clean and powerful. The finish shows great breed – long minerality and clean saline. This picked up body and bloomed beautifully with floral and basil notes with airtime. I touch pricey to be a daily drinker, but lovely as an apero or with shellfish, etc. A serious crowd pleaser as well, especially among the Sauv-blanc drinkers.

Senorio de P. Pecina Cosecha Rioja 2007: Loved this – Tempranillo sans make-up. Fresh red berries, leather, tomato skin, and a little horseradish spice. Maybe a touch of VA that made me think mini-Musar – which added complexity and real-ness. The acid balance here is awesome  - I’ve never had Rioja with this kind of freshness and purity. Garlic and tomato dishes here.

Clos de Noi, Monsant – Samso 2007: Blackberries and dry herbal-floral notes, with a core of pure schiste-rock. Sometimes 100% Carignan can get too ashy for me, but these old-vines deliver great fruit concentration with just enough richness to be on the medium-full body end of the spectrum without going all goopy. This wine is crying out for grilled meats. It tripped my memory – not sure how, but something about this reminded me that wine is so much better with someone you love.

–

Also – some non-Spanish standouts:

Puzelat Pouille 2005: This is the closest thing to fresh berries in a bottle I’ve ever tasted. Half a decade old, but perfectly vibrant, ripe, fragrant – Well-resolved tannins. This is Touraine Gamay in a perfect spot.

Nikolaihof  Hefeabzug Grüner Veltliner  2008: Grüner a-la Muscadet. Tons of rocks and bursting with salivating acidity. Versatile and lean – nothing faintly tropical or weighty here. Opening up considerably after 2+ hours.

Selosse Initial (2009 disgorgement): Excitement in a bottle. Powerful chardonnay with mineral depths and a fascinating progression of floral, honeybread, applesauce, rocks and salt. Perfect with oysters. Unforgettable.