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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.

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).

TASTY ‘HOUSE’ RHONES FROM FERRATION

We sell all manner of wines great and small, and everything we present here we believe has a good reason to be here. We can launch a treatise on virtually any vinous subject, but don’t think we always should. A quiet word or two should be sufficient for some wines, and just because we didn’t generate a tome doesn’t mean we didn’t like it. If we didn’t like it, we wouldn’t buy it at all. With that in mind here are a few words on the newly released Cotes du Rhones from Ferraton.

There are two key things to know. First, Ferraton is an accomplished house with a long history dating back to 1946. Second is Michel Chapoutier, who started working with the property to convert to organic and ultimately biodynamic viticulture starting in 1998, and buying the place outright in 2004. With Chapoutier at the helm, things are definitely on the upswing. These are both outstanding value performers at their modest fares and both come from excellent vintages for their respective hues.

The Ferraton Cotes du Rhone Samorens Rouge 2016, a half and half blend of Grenache and Syrah that is brought up in concrete, shows an ample, supple core of berry fruit laced with spice and floral notes. Jeb Dunnuck calls it “… Rounded, sexy and even voluptuous, with terrific purity in its black raspberry, violet and incense aromatics, this medium to full-bodied beauty has no hard edges, silky tannin and a great finish…90-92 points’

Perhaps even more of a surprise, because the southern Rhone isn’t necessarily known for crisp, engaging whites, is the Ferraton Cotes du Rhone Samorens Blanc 2017. A blend of Roussanne, Viognier and Clairette, all done in stainless steel to retain the freshness, it shows lovely, subtle tones of citrus and yellow stone fruits. Again from Dunnuck, “…It’s fresh, vibrant, and crisp, yet has plenty of heft in its peach, tangerine, and citrus aromas and flavors. With bright acidity, outstanding balance, and a great finish, drink it over the coming 2-3 years…91 points.” Both play well for their $10.98 tabs and are in a likeable, easy drinking style for the category.

BILA HAUT: AN UNCOMMON VALUE ONCE AGAIN

Not everything in the wine business makes sense (in fact a lot of it doesn’t). Take for example Michel Chapoutier. Here’s a guy that makes some of the most compelling single vineyard wines in the world from iconic sites on Hermitage. Yet we can’t remember the last time we got really excited about one of the other bottlings he presents under the Chapoutier label. You rarely see these on our shelves as they are serviceable but not compelling.

Enigma? You bet. Yet this guys makes some of the best values in the wine world. He just doesn’t do it in the Rhone. His Bila Haut program in the Roussillon has been an iconic source of value since Michel bought the property in 1999. Yeah they have put out a number of memorable specialty bottlings during that time, but it is their bread-and-butter entry level offerings that amaze the most, vintage in and vintage out.

The beautifully appointed Bila-Haut (Chapoutier) Cotes Du Roussillon Villages Les Vignes de Bila-Haut Rouge 2017 hits that mark again. Since it is one of the first 2017 reds to hit the floor we can’t make any sweeping statements about the vintage. But if this wine is any indication, it’s looking good. The fruit component suggests red and black fruits, some white pepper, tea, and a subtle underpinning of slatey minerality. There’s plenty of energy and urgency to the fruit and an underly lift comparable to the 2016.

While we aren’t necessarily in agreement with Jeb Dunnuck’s suggestion that this is a doppelganger for a Saint Joseph, and see more of the higher toned Grenache in the mix, he got the rest right, “The 2017 Côtes du Roussillon Villages Les Vignes de Bila Haut reminds me of an impressive St Joseph (despite having lots of Grenache in the blend) with its black raspberry, white pepper, and leafy herb aromas and flavors. It’s seamless, elegant, and balanced, with both acidity and richness. Put this in a blind lineup of Northern Rhônes and shock your friends. ..92 points.” As always, a fine buy at $12.98.

FRANCOIS LECLERC GEVREY: ANOTHER DELICIOUS, WELL-PRICED 2015

Everybody enjoys a good tale about a wine, and, frankly, we like telling them. But ultimately it is about the juice and sometimes there isn’t always riveting discourse to accompanying the offer. We accept that sometimes, particularly with Burgundy houses which are often the toughest to find info. These are people tied to the land that make small bits of multiple wines, not the easiest fodder for their stories or ours.

But Burgundy in particular isn’t about glossy brochures and state-of-the-art websites. Those things don’t actually fit in with the general vibe of the place. There isn’t a lot of ‘technical’ discussion at most places either as most of the successful domaines these days are reaching back into the less-manipulative past as the game plan for the future. Plowing by horses, harvesting by hand, using the minimal treatment in the vineyards and dialing back the oak are the current trends.

The story on Rene Leclerc is pretty straight-forward. The current generation is the third to run the domain since its inception in 1976. The reins have been quietly passed from father Rene to son Francois who still respects his father’s approach but has instituted a number of changes including lower yields, no new oak in the cellar, and an adherence to the current trend toward non-interventionist protocols. Francois did some time in Oregon and has a clear vision of how he wants to play it here in the home estate.

We tell this rather typical story because we absolutely love this village Gevrey from the juicy 2015 vintage. The Francois Leclerc Gevrey Chambertin 2015 is everything good about both this ripe, round harvest and the classic dark cherry fruit with some earth and mineral elements as dictated by this particular, special terroir. The Rene Leclerc Gevrey Chambertin 2015 comes from 11 different parcels over 5.33 hectares including Pressonier, Croix des Champs, and Clos Prieur. This is why people get hooked on Burgundy…tender edges, subtle, layered dark cherry fruit infused with notes of earth and darker mineral that support but don’t interfere with the fruit. Complete, satisfying, and clearly sure about its origins.

We have had the good fortune to taste this wine on three different occasions, and it has been a consistent crowd-pleaser. The price is at the lesser end of the quality ‘village’ Burgundy choices and the well expressed terroir and tender palate makes it our preference over similarly priced domestic versions. The engaging 2015 vintage is in full array here.

PENFOLDS KOONUNGA HILL: STILL ONE OF THE BEST VALUE REDS

Back when we first discovered Penfolds in the 80s, the wines represented some of the most compelling values in the marketplace. A lot has changed since that time. In fact it would take quite a bit of space to go over all the changes. Perhaps the key points are that Penfolds is not the same entity we sold all those years ago. A purchase by Southcorp some years ago, and subsequent ‘market factors’, changed the brand forever.

Since that time there has been financial intrigue, an explosion of demand in Asia that shot prices of Penfolds Bin 389 and 407 to 2-3 times their norm, and a period where most of the moderately priced Penfolds wines bordered on undrinkable (they were ferociously over-acidified). We won’t even get into some of the bizarre marketing moves that have recently come about. It would be very easy to let this behemoth go the way of the dinosaurs except for one small thing…they still have the ability to make some pretty interesting wines.

The 2016 Penfolds Shiraz/Cabernet Koonunga Hill South Australia is still one of the more compelling and straightforward value reds in the marketplace. It is a blend of 65% Shiraz and 35% Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from a variety of locales (Padthaway, McLaren Vale, Wrattonbully, Barossa Valley and Coonawarra if you want to know) that sees 10 months in American oak. Stylistically it is round, plump, surprising ample for the price but not overdone. No self-respecting critic is going to give this more than an upper-80s type review simply because it is a ‘little wine’. But it is a delicious, engaging little wine and that should always be the point.

The Syrah is the star here imparting a good bit of blackberry fruit and spice, with the Cabernet providing some redder fruit, a touch of olive and a hint of vanilla. Is it a ‘fastball down the middle’? Absolutely, and what’s wrong with that? You would be hard pressed to find a more crowd-pleasing red for this kind of price. Up-front, expressive fruit, straightforward flavors, just enough acidity and laid back tannins, it’s an outstanding, budget-friendly choice for parties, grillin’, and everyday applications. We don’t really need to sell commercial stuff like this, but when it’s this good, why not?

PAGO DE LOS CAPELLANES RIBERA DEL DUERO JOVEN 2015

PAGO DE LOS CAPELLANES RIBERA DEL DUERO JOVEN 2015

Darned if a couple of days before the Jan 31-Feb 28 Wine Spectator showed up, the latest version of the Tinto Joven from Pago de los Capellanes (2015) hit the floor. What was interesting was that, in an article titled “Editor’s Picks: 30 Wineries to Trust”, one of the 30 was Capellanes. Actually we, and you, learned to ‘trust’ these guys a long time ago. If memory serves we started what has been a long relationship with this bodega with the 1998 Joven, and sold their wines for years before Spectator, or anybody else, talked about them at all.

There have been some grand versions over the years, particularly at the Crianza and Reserva levels. But we can’t wait to see what those are like in 2015 because this Joven is more exciting than any of this Joven series that we have tasted since the beginning. It’s that darned 2015 vintage again we suspect. The gushing fruit, telltale juiciness, and gregarious flavors really put this rendition on another level.

The ‘jovens’, for those not familiar with the nomenclature, are a wineries entry level bottling, usually the first to market with a minimum of barrel time (or in some cases ‘none’). This one is 100% Tempranillo from the winery’s proerty in the Pederosa del Duero subsection. The soils here are chalk and clay which infuses all of their wines with a distinctive underpinning of minerality. The fruit component usually ranges from dark cherry to plum and, only in very special vintages, reaches into the blue fruit profiles. Sometimes these can be a little reticent out of the gate, typical of Tempranillo in its youth. But this one already has a juicy demeanor and shows off a surprisingly lush fruit core. It’s only going to get better.

They polish this one in new French oak for five months to smooth the edges and infuse a little vanilla highlight. This is way too easy to drink and one heck of an all-purpose mouthful for this kind of tab. This Joven will be a real eye-opener for those that are trying Capellanes for the first time, like that ’98 was for us so many years ago, only better. A lot of you already know the house, and the 2015 is mas delicioso. . . $16.98