This is my third encounter with Breton's Perrières. The 1995 was an eye-opener at age seventeen, a softer version of claret than Bordeaux, the tannins somehow crunchier. I loved it and wanted more, which lead to a purchase of the 1996. Opened at age twenty-two, that wine was shut and unrewarding. So, why did I gamble on a twelve year old? Mainly because I didn't want to wait ten more years for another disappointment. In the event, it was no disappointment but rather an enjoyable experience, although we did not catch it at its peak. More in the stage where the fruit is soft and tasty, obscuring the tannins - although not the excellent acidity. Another aspect of its youth is that it plays its hand too quickly and directly, so that after you get the immediate Cabernet Franc character (red fruit, lead pencil, tobacco leaves), the ancillary qualities, such as fine grained minerality, only slowly seep out to the forefront. In short: young, but not so young as to obfuscate judgment of its potential, nor muddy our enjoyment.
Brezza, Bricco Sarmassa, 2006
The wine of the night is another example of a young wine (and a sixteen year old single vineyard Barolo from a muscular vintage like 2006 is the definition of young) that is ultimately enjoyable and exciting. Which is a good thing, as it's the kind of wine I'd rearrange my plans in order to taste. My perception of top tier Nebbiolo is that the unique interplay of fruit and tannins provides not only structure but is part of the flavor set. Take away the tannins, and the flavors are obscured. For me, the Bricco Sarmassa (the highest plots of Brezza's Sarmassa holdings) is at a phase where the fruit buffers the tannins and so deprives the palate of some of its potential nuances. I'm not ruling out that this phase will endure for the next decade, but the balance is very good and there's enough going on for an enjoyable-plus drinking experience. But listen, we're talking about Barolo here and while the palate should be the deal clincher, it's always the nose that seduces you. And the Bricco Sarmassa's nose is a wonder: powerful, complex, dominated by mint, with coffee grains and tar around the fringes.
J. Vidal-Fleury, Côte-Rôtie, Brune et Blonde, 2011
Again, a wine caught at a fruity stage, its tannins in the background - which is not necessarily the best phase for matching with meats, given that it's a softer wine than the two above. The aromatics are typical Côte-Rôtie: black pepper and the sweet musk of bacon.
Leroy, Bourgogne, 2014
Here I think the fruity character is intrinsic and not something the wine will outgrow. For all the awe and respect that the Leroy name commands, this is 'just' a Bourgogne. Maybe the Madame includes declassified grapes in the cuvee and maybe she has some magic touch that inspires her customers' dedication to the brand (and prices), but this is not a wine that would pass muster in a blind tasting. It's delicious, I'll give it that, but one dimensional from beginning to end.
Paternina, Conde de los Andes, Gran Reserva, 2001
The fruit has a reductive character none of us could fathom, given the legal aging requirements for a Gran Reserva. The reduction did not dissipate. I look for a vegetative, musky stink in old Riojas, not a reductive stink. And a certain power, at any age. In its own right, a good wine, it just lacks what one would expect in a Rioja Gran Reserva.
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