I'm rooting for Italy in Euro 2020, just to have an excuse to go through my Piedmont stash. This comes from a vineyard originally labelled Moccagatta by the Produttori, then the label changed to Muncagota, which is the Piedmontese spelling, to avoid confusion with the Moccagatta winery. Either way, the vineyard faces southeast, so the sunlight exposure it gets is during the cooler morning hours, as opposed to the warmer afternoon sun. Which, theoretically at least, should make it the most elegant of the Produttori crus. That is certainly what I get from the initial glasses, a delicate first impression, fragrant without an obvious component sticking out. The elegance remains even as the wine picks up power and nuances and I get black cherries, roses, herbs and drying underbrush in a complex array and powerful, yet fine, tannins that carry the finish a long ways. A delight for the first two hours, before the fruit and acidity recede, allowing strangely bitter flavors to dominate. I don't know if it's the bottle or a phase, but I'm a kind judge of character and will remember the best this wine gave. (July 2, 2021)
Vincent Pinard, Sancerre Rouge, Charlouise, 2017
Last December, I thought this too muscular and extracted to be easily recognized as a Pinot Noir, but the Pinot is out now, in an earthy vein, although I'll admit it's a bit wooden and awkward in mid-palate and a little too dirty all around. I prefer the Pinots made chez Vacheron. (July 3, 2021)
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