2017 – Page 2

ANOTHER JUICY ‘LITTLE’ 2017 RED BURGUNDY

Right up front, we’ll say that, thus far, the 2017 red Burgundies show the potential to be an exciting source for juicy Pinot Noir. Here’s another one to add to the ‘playlist’ from a proven performer that has upped their game over the last several vintages, most notably since Francois’ son Erwan (the seventh generation to handle the property) took the reins in 2005. We’d love to tell you there was abundant press on this wine given this winery’s relatively high profile. But, as we have alluded to on many occasions, by the time the reviewers got through every single rare and expensive Premier and Grand Cru in a place like Faiveley, they didn’t have the inclination or notepad space to cover ‘little’ wines like this.

We’d love to have a great detailed story for you too. But the Faiveley tech sheets only give you the most general references, “Joseph Faiveley Bourgogne Rouge is is sourced from vineyards spread throughout the terroirs of the Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune and the Côte Chalonnaise…The Bourgogne Rouge is vinified in the cellars of Domaine Faiveley for 12 to 14 months in the same manner as their broad selection of reds from the Côte de Nuits.”

Riveting stuff, huh?

In the end however, it’s the juice that matters and this amalgam of a variety of vineyard sources is a perfectly expressive Pinot Noir with bright, persistent, engaging red fruits, notes of spice, and a hit of earthy minerality. Gregarious in the mouth, varietally pure, extra expressive, there are few Pinots in this price range from anywhere that work at this level. Thanks to a warm 2017 vintage, this effort sports almost New World ripeness, which should make the ‘translation’ a lot easier for a lot of folks.

Hey, we love to tell a good story, but there isn’t anything really out of the ordinary to relay here except for the wine itself. Given the sub-$20 price of the Faiveley Bourgogne Rouge Pinot Noir 2017, that should suffice. It’s just a tasty Pinot from a user-friendly vintage made by folks who are operating at the top of their game right now. A definite candidate for ‘house Pinot’ given the price and performance. Yes, good Burgundy can be expensive, but there are exceptions.

SUPER DOLCETTO

Some folks might not understand getting super excited about a Dolcetto. But that’s because they have probably never had one like this. Frankly, not sure we ever have either. Dolcetto is widely considered a ‘small wine’ of Piedmont, something engaging and bright to wash down lunch from vines that usually occupy the lesser parts of the hillside. Doesn’t mean it can’t be delicious, and we have had many good ones over the years. But in Dogliani, the part of Piedmont that is dedicated to Dolcetto, the bar is higher. In the hands of a conscientious producer like Orlando Pecchenino, higher still. Yet even with that understanding, this bottling raised eyebrows.

We haven’t formed a sweeping opinion of the 2017s in this part of the world as yet. But we do know a couple of things. The vintage was warm and the grapes came in ripe. As this is not the norm, some vintners couldn’t quite handle it and there are still questions about consistency. But the vintage has thus far given rise to some of the most pandering, lushest Italian reds we can recall tasting. For the ‘oldtimers’, think some of the ripe vintages of the 90s like 1990 or 1997, but fresher thanks to better winemaking.

The Pecchenino Dogliani Superiore Siri d’Jermu 2017 is something of a freak. It has all of the classic lines…fine acidity underneath, a little bit of an almond skin nip at the finish. But the wave of gushing, opulent blackberry fruit, the plushness of the palate, and tender edges were unlike any Dolcettos we could recall. The wine had exceptional richness yet stayed uncannily light on its feet.

There are those ads with sports stars about ‘the soup that eats like a meal’. This gorgeous Dolcetto ‘drinks like a meal’, though you can certainly accompany it with actual food like a plate of salami, a meaty pasta, or something from the grill and it will play beautifully. The only problem is that people who aren’t familiar with Doliani Dolcettos might think they all drink like this. They don’t! The James Suckling ’92’ doesn’t even begin to convey our impressions of this Dogliani. A must-try for any fan of reds, this is a one of a kind effort.

DANIEL RION BOURGOGNE 2017

There always seem to be plenty of ‘experts’ willing to pontificate on the status of the rarest and most expensive of the Cote d’Or in any given vintage. Should you need the information on some of the most sought after bottlings that few can afford and even fewer can find, that info is out there. Around here we are much more practical. Our aim is to find exciting wines that reflect the region and offer exciting opportunities for regular folks who just want an exciting bottle of Pinot Noir without having to worry about car payments, etc.. The 2017 vintage will serve our needs quite well.

We have tasted a number of the ‘little’ wines from 2017 and have found the vintage to have a lot in common with the 2015s, which in turn means we will be able to find a lot of those delicious, lower-priced gems to keep Burgundy a viable and delightful choice. The vintage was warm, and there were some weather quirks that made the quantities bit more modest, all of which combine to make for delightful reds. As luck would have it, we just ran across the Bourgogne from the respected house of Daniel Rion, a source that we have worked with many times over the years, but hadn’t seen much of recently. As they say, timing is everything.

Created in 1955 by Daniel Rion, this family-owned estate began with only two hectares of vines located in the commune of Vosne Romanée, left to Daniel by his paternal grandfather. Until 1978, Daniel sold his wine to Burgundian negociants. In the late seventies, his sons joined the business, bringing new parcels of vines with them. A new winery was built with a larger cellar and a tasting room. Today, the domaine consists of eighteen hectares of vineyards with eighteen appellations in six villages of the Côte des Nuits and the Hautes-Côtes: Prémeaux, Nuits Saint Georges, Vosne Romanée, Chambolle Musigny, Vougeot and Marey-les-Fussey.

The vines for Daniel Rion Bourgogne Rouge 2017 are spread over several plots located at the bottom of the hills in the Nuits Saint Georges appellation totaling about 2 hectares. Slightly sloping, on deep brown soil of silt and clay, the vines average 20 years of age and the wine sees time in second and third use barrels.

The color is an inviting mulberry, the nose shows red and black fruits with a whiff of mineral and earth as befits a wine from this part of the world. In the mouth, it is classic Pinot with ample mid-palate weight, dark red fruit prominent, and slightly soily, spicy peripherals as an accent to the fruit core. In other words, red Burgundy as it should be. Like most 2017s, it is pretty user-friendly right out of the gate though it does expand a bit more with a little air. It outperforms its modest appellation and offers a more compelling experience than a lot of domestic Pinots that cost more.

TASTY STAGS LEAP RED FOR UNDER $25? WE GOT THAT

There are a couple of points to cover here. First, while we have not been out protesting at college football games, we do recognize global warming is an issue. We see it in wine. Don’t worry, we aren’t going to go off on some long tirade about greenhouse gases. Wine is supposed to be one of the fun things in life. But changes in the weather will likely affect what you drink because warmer seasons will change the varietal mix, even what gets bottles as a varietal.

What are we getting at? Grapes known as ‘late-ripening varietals’ are changing roles a bit as the growing seasons warm up. We aren’t expecting to see Cabernet in the Mosel any time soon. But a little more sunshine means Mourvedre will more consistently mature, and you’ll likely see more of it in Chateauneufs and Rhone blends. In Bordeaux, many are increasing their percentages of Cabernet Franc in the vineyards. Over a century ago, Carmenere was pretty much kicked out of Bordeaux because it didn’t mature very well. Now it is thriving in the New World. Our point is that the times they are a-changin’. So it is, with perfectly straight faces, we’d like to introduce you to a potential new friend, Petit Verdot.

If you have been around wine a while, you know that Petit Verdot is a bit player in Cabernet and Bordeaux blends in many wine regions. You may have even had a varietal Petit Verdot at some point, typically dark and inky with firm tannins and a cool edge, maybe even a little bite to the fruit. Most folks probably encountered it at some sort of a component tasting or bought a bottle to see what the stuff was about. We’d suspect if you had the experience, you understood why it was mainly a blending varietal, filed it in your memory bank, and got on with your life.

There have been exceptions. We vividly recall the sensational Von Siebenthal Petit Verdot from Chile we sold a few years ago. But by and large, most Petit Verdot bottlings are more novelty than anything else. However the Avid Petit Verdot Napa Valley 2017 kind of changes everything! A little more sunshine, a little more physiological ripeness, and voila, you have a Petit Verdot that can play to a broad audience. You expect the deep purple color with aromas of ripe black fruit, plum, blackberry but the floral notes of violet and lavender come as a welcome surprise. There are also hints of smoked meat and leather, a hint of minerality, and none of the ‘edge’ typically associated with the grape.

The wine itself is 100% Petit Verdot from the Stag’s Leap District that sees 50% American and 50% French oak for six months and additional time in the bottle. This is a delicious mouthful without qualification, and it can play along with grilled meats as well as any Cabernet. It’s actually better than most of the Cabs you could buy for this kind of price, and it’s doubtful you could find much of anything with a Stags Leap designation on it for this kind of tab. Tasty, full-flavored, polished red? Napa Valley bargain? Petit Verdot breakthrough? It’s all of these things.

So who are these guys? The story here is a pretty short one since this is the first release under this label by Avid Wines, itself only founded in 2017. But these are the same folks that brought us the eye-opening Acoya bargain blend sourced from Oakville and Yountville just a few weeks ago. Winemaker Hossen Namdar started his journey with Domaine Chandon back in 1982 and later went on to the successful, occasionally surprising Stephen Vincent negociant lines. Partner Bob Goyette himself was a founder of La Crema Vinera, a serious boutique in the 80s and 90s before financial issues set in and they were purchased by Jess Jackson. Bob also did time at Chalk Hill and Benziger’s Imagery Series.

These guys have definitely been around the block so to speak, and it shows in the fact that this label got off the ground and delivered some impressive juice right off the bat. They aren’t big players yet. There were only 750 cases of this surprising Petit Verdot made. But it is clear this team, thus far anyway, has displayed quite an eye for quality and value.

Both that Acoya blend, and now this ‘next-gen’ Petit Verdot, are a little off the beaten path. But then how often do you see anything from Stags Leap for under $25?! Most important, it over-delivers in the glass. That’s what matters in the end.

A ‘RESOLUTION’ TO THE VALUE CABERNET ISSUE

The search for value Cabernet, specifically from Napa, is never-ending. But thankfully it is not hopeless, though we do have to work through a lot of juice to find a precious few gems. A while back (specifically January 2018) we introduced a new find (for us) that answered the prayers of California Cabernet drinkers. It was clean, varietally true, showed the nuances of its Napa Valley heritage, and cost under $20. A late Christmas miracle? Apparently not as here we are with the latest edition of the Branham Estate Resolution Cabernet Napa Valley that hits the mark again.

Winex has been scouring the countryside for remarkable values for nearly four decades. We have to wonder why we haven’t run across the wines of Gary Branham before. The guy has been in the wine business, by his own account, since 1971, and started the first of his two estates by planting Branham Rockpile Vineyard in 1994. In 1997, Branham purchased Obsidian Vineyard in Napa Valley, located near the Napa River near the Silverado Trail and Bale Lane. This 10-acre estate was planted in 1986 and then 60% was replanted in 2005.

Gary has basically existed as a grower for most of the time but has made numerous small lots of a variety of different things under his own labels, Branham and Resolution, all of which seemed to be priced at very reasonable fares given their pedigrees. Apparently, while Gary makes the majority of his livelihood as a grower, he likes to make wines that express their vineyards and that people can afford to drink. What a concept!

We couldn’t have been more elated when we were presented this Cabernet. In the value game, there are far too many one-hit wonders. This version was every bit as good as the last one, and that’s a big compliment. The Branham Estate Resolution Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2017 comes mainly from Gary’s Obsidian Vineyard with a portion from each of two other vineyards he works, one in Calistoga and one in St. Helena. There are bits of Merlot and Petit Verdot in the mix as well. This is all Napa Valley juice that sees 16 months in 100% used French oak to polish and soften the mid-palate and make something tender and delicious for current applications’ A year or two more in the bottle certainly won’t hurt either.

‘The Res’, as the winery refers to it, is full-bodied, rich, and balanced with aromas of dark berries, cassis, mocha and spice on the nose. You get the same profile on the palate with a touch of coffee in the mix as well. For Cab drinkers, this is a fastball down the middle, delivering all you could ask for in terms of size, richness and nuance, as well as actual notes of Napa Valley terroir. If we told you this was a $30-40 Cab, you would have no reason to question it since even that would be a pretty sensational deal for legit Napa Cabernet in today’s world.

Like its predecessor, perhaps the biggest plus for us is that it actually tastes like good Cabernet. Simply put, this is the ‘resolution’ to all of our Napa value Cabernet needs… at least while it is around. Once again it isn’t going to make a gigantic splash in the marketplace because only 700 cases were produced this time around. So grab this needle-in-a-haystack/holy grail/unicorn Cabernet value while you can. Last year’s version sold out in a flash and we suspect those folks will happily be back for the next round. Wines like this don’t come around all that often, and they usually don’t hang around very long.

BOURGOGNE CHARMER

The title Bourgogne doesn’t give one a lot of information. Basically the wines can come from any legitimate terroir within the entire appellation of Burgundy and quality can vary greatly. We surely like the pricing but value depends ultimately on what’s under the cork. The back story here does a lot to set expectations. This firm was founded as a negocient back in 1865 and for a long period was a respected source of traditional Burgundy.

In 2002, it was acquired by Ann Colgin (yes, that Colgin) and husband Joe Wender. They brought in young winemaker David Croix, hooked up with savvy importer Becky Wassermen, revamped the cellars and replaced a lot of old wood, including the introduction of a wooden press for the red wines, open wooden vats for fermentation. These days they use little or no new oak and little racking. The winemaking pulls from both traditional and modern methodology and the wines these days are much more supple and approachable.

As you might expect, this is quite the ‘little’ Bourgogne. Certainly, the engaging 2017 vintage, ripe like 2015 but a little lighter on its feet, provided the kind of delectable fruit to play nicely into the program. Sourced from Bourgogne parcels in Volnay (climats Long Bois, Mon Poulain), Gevrey-Chambertin and the Côte Chalonnaise (Moroges), all of which have clay-limestone soils, the Camille Giroud Bourgogne 2017 delivers a punchy, bright mouthful of strawberry and cherry fruit laced with spice and lighter framed minerality. It sports deceptively power as Pinots go, and represents a classic expression of Burgundy for a surprisingly modest fare. A must for any Pinot Noir lover, it drinks nicely now with a little bit of air (something of a theme with the better 2017s).

AND THEY KIWI, TOO

First Oregon, and now the world. As we said in a piece not long ago about l’Envoye’s exciting new bottlings from Beaujolais, the folks at Maison L’Envoyé started with a lot of promise and only seem to be broadening their impact and their sphere of influence. Given the players involved, that really wasn’t a big surprise. Their name, Maison L’Envoye, loosely translated means ‘House of the Messenger’. Their mission is a bit wordy, “Minimalist Burgundian winemaking fostered in the Côte d’Or crossing the Pacific to meet generational farming on the diverse and unique soils of Oregon’s Willamette Valley.” Catchy, huh? The ‘message’ itself seems to be much simpler…well conceived, well-made, well priced wines wherever they go.

The ‘dream team’ continues to spread its wings to a number of far flung spots. Mark Tarlov, who created Evening Land, raised a few eyebrows in the northwest when he purchased the vaunted Seven Springs Vineyard, left that enterprise in 2012 to create this project. He partnered with none other than Louis-Michel Liger-Belair, Burgundy winemaker extraordinaire, producer of extremely rare bottlings from the Cote d’Or. Rounding out the group is Max Marriott, certainly the least ‘famous’ of the group, but an Aussie with quite a resume including Louis-Michel in Burgundy as well as top producers in New Zealand, Tasmania, Germany and at Cristom (one of our personal favorites from Oregon).

With this kind of winemaking pedigree, one might expect that the thrust would be yet another high end project, yet the wines are pretty consistently value priced. Apparently with all that time to burn during winter in the Northern Hemisphere, they decided to explore a couple locations far to the south. In both Tasmania and Central Otago, they work with a single vineyard, each family owned and farmed, that are outstanding examples of ‘purely expressed’, coole- climate Pinot Noir. In areas where the wines can sometimes be overtly nervy, their efforts have a pleasing tender edge to the expressive ripe fruit.

Our focus today is the Kiwi version from what we believe is the best spot for Pinot in New Zealand, Central Otago. A little further inland, and a little bit warmer, here Pinot Noir expresses the distinctive character of New Zealand, but with a layer of ripe, glossy fruit up front to give it immediate appeal. Yes the classic notes of tea, laurel, and savory spice are all part of the equation, but the insistent cherry fruit core pulls it all together and the tender edge to the mid-palate gives it a user-friendly feel that makes it a finer, if cooler-edged choice for current consumption.

It walks the line nicely at 13.9% alcohol level, clearly showing there is plenty of ripeness, but still coming in under that 14% ‘hard cap’ that is a point of contention for some wine drinkers. Tasty, bright and light on its feet, this is a deft glassful of Pinot Noir. While we are certainly happy to support our words with a 91 point score from Wine Advocate, we don’t necessarily agree with some of the specific statements in the review.

From erobertparker.com writer Joe Czerwinski, who is also the Rhone reviewer, “The 2017 Central Otago Pinot Noir comes out of the chute a bit green and stemmy (it’s 50% whole cluster). It clearly needs a year or two to settle down and integrate that element with the bold cherry fruit, but I have little doubt that those components will come together in time, resulting in a wine that’s substantially more attractive than it is currently. It’s medium to full-bodied, with ample ripeness, silky tannins and solid length on the finish, all of which augur well for the future. It’s made at Giant Steps in the Yarra Valley (Australia).”

We contend that whatever transformation Czerwinski expected to happen over time, must have happened already (even though the review is only from July, 2019). We experienced none of the ‘kiwi green’ notes described in the first sentence, and found this wine fresh, engaging and pretty darn likeable out of the gate, or we wouldn’t be writing this piece. At $24.98, it is a well performing, food friendly Pinot that should find a receptive audience in general and be particularly appealing to fans of the distinctive New Zealand genre.

Nicely done.

LE ‘HOUSE BLANC’?

A good ‘all-purpose’ white is handy for most folks. Something that is fruit-driven, bright, clean and food-friendly covers most of the applications for this kind of white and value pricing is also part of the equation. Frankly, we have had the most success in that field with White Burgundy but so often wines with the simple Bourgogne label simply don’t deliver.

We usually are able to find a least a couple of wines that will check all the boxes, but this time around the 2017 Faiveley Bourgogne Blanc 2017 convincingly displaced one of our long-running players in that role.It simply had more going on, more verve, and made an impression in the glass. Overall we have been pleased with the 2017 whites from Burgundy, but this multi-appellation blend came off as particularly well built.

Floral aad wild herb notes in the nose, a surprisingly authoritative palate presence of pear and citrus, palate-coating body and a rather long finish, while it didn’t speak of a particular terroir it had loads of personality and performed nicely in the glass. About 30% sees a combination of new and used oak, but its personality is closer to a broader shouldered Chablis than a sappier domestic Chardonnay. It will hold in the bottle for 2-3 seasons for sure if need be.

Certainly, the underlying minerality from the marl, clay and limestone soils defined the wine’s origins and this lively white does not lack for character. Most Bourgognes don’t have this kind of presence and Faiveley winemaker Jerome Flous got all of this one, especially for under $20.

KILLER CAB BUY ‘HECHO EN MEXICO’

There’s a lot to digest here, starting with the fact that this is America’s oldest winery, founded in 1597! The land was granted by King Felipe II for the planting of grapes in that year, establishing Bodegas San Lorenzo, now Casa Madero, as a wine-producing estate. There has been a buzz about the emerging wine culture in the Guadalupe Valley in Baja California, but these folks have a few centuries on them.

Located in the Parras Valley, in north-central Mexico, in the state of Coahuila, the vineyards lie above 4500 feet with sunny days and cool nights during the season. The Casa Madero Cabernet Sauvignon Valle de Parras 2017 was a real surprise to us, not only from a historical perspective but because it was an excellent option for that difficult ‘good Cabernet under $20′ niche.

The grapes were hand-harvested and then sorted. This 100% Cabernet saw 24 months in new French oak and then was bottled unfiltered. Plenty of stuffing here with the alcohols still registering under 14%, both red and black fruits are part of the mix with notes of earth, toast, and a whiff of mint. Closer to the weight of a red Bordeaux than a California Cab, with plenty of ripe character, this got our attention and we suspect it will surprise a lot of you simply on the basis of being a tasty, well-made Cab for a good price. The history is a bonus.

2017 SOUTHERN RHONES: MORE GOOD VALUE STUFF

We’ll take this opportunity to make a couple of points. First is the vintage, 2017. In short, it’s a really smart vintage with plenty of bright fruit and great freshness. If it had come in the middle of the 70s, 80s, or 90s, it would have been hailed as special. These days, with global warming and following one of the best vintages of modern times in 2016, 2017 likely won’t ever get the respect it is due. That will likely have a greater impact on the higher end as collectors tend to focus on ‘the best’, but there will be a consistent source of tasty opportunities in the more moderate price ranges on things like Cotes du Rhones, Rasteaus, et. al..

Moving forward, that discussion is a preface to us talking about a wine that has been something of a staple here since Eric Solomon hooked up with Jean-Francois Nicq at Les Vignerons d’Estézargues to create the Domaine de Andezon label back in 1995. This is one of those rare cooperatives that is dialed into the growers and has the resources, and the flexibility to create some very interesting juice. Ten growers in this network vinify their best lots from which the coop creates the d’Andezon blend using no cultured yeasts, no filtering, no fining and no enzymes during vinification or aging and only add a small amount of SO2 at bottling.

The track record for this wine is pretty remarkable, garnering 90 points or greater many times since its inception, no easy feat for a wine that has never exceeded $12 on our shelves. What is perhaps somewhat kitschy about Andezon is that, even though the cooperative is near Avignon in the south, and sources grapes from the surrounding area, the majority of the wine is Syrah (writers says 100% Syrah, importer notes say there is a small amount of Grenache). Ripe, substantial and character-filled, as always, the 2017 Domaine d’Andezon Cotes du Rhone also has a lift and brightness befitting the vintage. As always, it’s the consummate value at $10.98.

Jeb Dunnuck, former Wine Advocate ‘Rhone guy’ now with his own service, confirms, “Deeply colored, the 100% Syrah 2017 Côtes du Rhône Domaine D’Andézon (brought up all in concrete) reminds me of a Côtes du Rhône from Pierre-Marie Clape with its iron, violets, plums, white pepper, and sappy aromas and flavors. Medium-bodied, supple, and elegant on the palate, it’s a fleshy, delicious Syrah well worth seeking out. Drink it over the coming 4-5 years… 91 Points.”