Latter-day North Rhones are are friendly but deep - fragrant and and lithe, yet with understated seriousness. This is such a wine, its nose redolent with red raspberries, pepper, olives and bacon, the sweet fruit dancing effortlessly across the palate, skewered by rusty tannins and fine acidity. It's deep and complex enough to serve at banquets, clear and transparent enough to drink on weekdays without feeling you've sullied the aristocracy. (Jan. 27, 2021)
Château Sociando-Mallet, Haut-Médoc, 2004
I always fret that my Bordeaux aren't ready or open. That sort of kills the mood at first. Sociando-Mallet was one of the first mature Bordeaux I'd drunk, so it's a meaningful name for me. However, if there is a Bordeaux that somehow punches my buttons in its youth, I don't think Sociando-Mallet is that Bordeaux. Even a mild-mannered vintage like 2004 takes its sweet time to open, never quite eluding the dreaded kiss of oak that makes me stash my clarets until they turn twenty. The nose is just what you want from a Left Bank: red currants, cedar and minerals in judged proportions. The tannins, fruit and acidity are placed just fine, the trouble is they're still strapped together with obvious oak. Conclusion: keep waiting until my Bordeaux turn twenty. (Jan. 22, 2021)
Château Lilian Ladouys, St. Estèphe, 2010
So naturally I tempted fate with an even younger Bordeaux. The 2000 was one of the first Bordeaux I ever bought. I thought it was great when I tasted it circa 2003 and when I finally drank my bottle a few years later realized I had been too inexperienced to place it in context. Trying to juggle impressions across almost two decades it seems to me that by 2010 the winemaking had improved. It's a modern styled wine, but not sleek or anonymous, very much showing the muscular earthiness of St. Estèphe, albeit without the heft of wines from the bigger chateaus. It's savory and balanced the ripe fruit of a warm vintage with suave tannins and juicy acidity. Unlike the older Sociando-Mallet, this is ready to go. (Jan. 29, 2021)
Castello di Verduno, Barbaresco, 2015
Finally opening up after a mute showing last year. A blend of Rabaja and Faset, it's a little shallow, the tea and cherries only hinting at the depths of a serious cru, the complex texture covering for somewhat shallow depths. Nice, thank you, and at 120 NIS, you can't go wrong here. (Jan. 23, 2021)
Domaine Launay-Horiot, Pommard, Les Perrières, 2017
Brilliant for its level, delicious for its fresh picked strawberries and subtle earthiness. Complex and finely textured, it's rather more Volnay or Beaune than Pommard. (Jan. 23, 2021)
Bérêche et Fils, Champagne Brut Réserve, n.v (2017 based, 2019 disgorgement)
If I drank it blind, I'd guess it was a Blanc de Blancs, due to the the copious amounts of chalk on the nose and the fruit being so clear without the vaguely animalistic funk that the Pinots can bring. It's actually a blend of the three major grapes, from the Montagne de Reims and Vallée de la Marne regions. It's pretty good, even lovely, but not doesn't overreach its grasp like the best n.v.'s from the best growers - it's just not complex or textured enough. (Jan. 30, 2021)
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