Oddero Barolo 2010

               Had a lovely lunch in the village of Neive, Piemonte: a superb Vitello tonnato, with   
               outstanding Barolo Oddero 2010


 

Oddero
Barolo
2010
DOCG
14,5%
40€(45$) Wine-searcher average price

Oddero is one of the oldest and most respected wineries in Barolo denomination and whole of  Langhe, for that matter. It was founded in 1878 and is situated in the village of La Morra. This very traditional house has always made Barolos to "reckon with" amongst the Barolo enthusiasts. But lately it`s name has become more familiar to even wider public, not least because of 2010 Barolo`s appearance as the #39 wine in Wine Spectator`s top100 list of 2014.

This is a Barolo "Classico", so a blended Barolo, with the grapes coming from two vineyards; one
in La Morra, called Santa Maria Bricco Chiesa and the other in Castiglione Falletto, called Bricco Fiasco.
Aromas of sour cherries, strawberries, leather and a bit of "sous bois" elements.
At first quite ethereal on the palate, almost escaping, yet not too far. Red fruits surrounded with earthy notes, leather and tobacco. Strongish tannins, that really doesn`t disturb the fruit. In fact, quite surprising balance here. Although this is quite elegant, would say almost feminine, and at first somewhat shy Barolo, the wine shows a second act, and gains more and more momentum, power and intensity in the finish; proving that it will age beautifully.
Nice build up and a good length. I`d say this is a pretty good value for the money. Great effort from Oddero. Kudos!
92+

Wine tasting in San Marco Square

Venice, ah Venice.. One of my favorite cities in the world. Sure, I admit, it`s pretty touristic, and has become even a bit of a cliche of it`s self, but the uniqueness, and just pure beauty of the place is in a level, that it`s pretty hard not to become touristic. For me, as a history geek, it`s just a mesmerizing place to visit. One of those places in Europe where you can just get totally and beautifully lost, medieval style, and you don`t mind it. Just wandering through the empty, foggy streets and alleys of the Old Town at night, only hearing the echoes of your own footsteps, sounds of the water, maybe a laughter from a distant street; I almost started to see the shadows and shapes of La Bautas and Arlekhinos, disappearing into the night. In such moments one could start to hear the soul of Venice whispering, and telling stories of the ancient, glorious past.. After a sunny and warm day, there was a beautiful sunset hitting San Marco square, a tourist trap I would pretty much recommend avoiding after you`ve seen it (it`s beautiful don`t get me wrong). But, we decided with my travel companion that it would be nice to drink some good wine there, and enjoy the sunset. The problem though is that in San Marco square the restaurants are ridiculously pricey, boring, and with bad wine lists. So what to do? Go to a supermarket, buy a bottle of interesting wine, wine glasses, find a nice place to sit, with a good view; which we found just under the Lion of Venice. And now we had our beautiful sunset and a good wine in San Marco square, without getting ripped of:)

Cecchi
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
2010
DOCG
13,5%
24€(27$) Wine-searcher average price


Pretty dark, ruby red color. A bit tight nose, some sweet dark fruit, earthy notes, with some oak. On the palate dark berries, figs, plums. Quite earthy, and dark. Good mouth feel, full bodied with strongish acidity, but quite weak tannins. Leaves a bit chocolaty and bitter aftertaste with hint of tobacco. Overall, everything felt a bit subdued; should`ve been decanted probably. Not mind blowing stuff, but in fact quite delicious, well made wine, and for the price(8€ in supermarket),
surely a good buy.
87

Bründlmayer - Riesling Steinmassel 2013

Bründlmayer - Riesling Steinmassel
2013
DAC Kamptal
12,0%

I have been lately very impressed by Austrian white wines. The overall quality seems very high, they have stayed reasonably priced, and also when they do become a bit more pricey, they really seem to deliver, or maybe I`ve been just lucky. I`ve been a Riesling enthusiast for years, I live partly in Berlin, where wine bars and shops offer pretty good selection of them. Well, Berlin is pretty amazing wine town, to be honest. Bründlmayer is a producer that I`ve come across many many times, and been never really disapointed. This Riesling I`ve tasted in some party years ago, and it left a good impression, so decided to try it out again. Ok, for an Austrian dry Riesling it`s not maybe the cheapest one, but in it`s price category I would say this is a good value. I`ve tasted many German and Alsatian Rieslings lately(few Grand Crus also), in the same price category, that didn`t come even close to this one. Kudos!

Bouqet has some hay, green peas, overall greenness, cucumber salad, also (surprisingly) tomato peel. Flinty minerality, honey, and biscuits, very nice indeed!
Palate is energetic and zingy, with lemon, green apple, lime peel. Focused and fresh. Sharp acids. Really nice finish, with honey, white pepper, and a haunting, minerally aftertaste.
Pure, focused and delicious Riesling.
Great wine from Bründlmayer!
91+

Alain Graillot Crozes-Hermitage 2012

For me Syrah grapes most interesting and profound expression is to be found in the wines from the Northern Rhone valley. New World, please, don`t be offended, it`s just that my palate is borned and raised in Europe, so it does have sometimes difficulties to understand wines from abroad, so to speak. But I`m all in for learning. So if you, dear reader, have some recommedation for a Syrah wine from the New World that isn`t  a totally and utterly showy, fruit bomb explosion, has some structure, earth, depth, complexity, and is not full of over-the-top ripe, jammy fruit, I`m all ears..

So, northern Rhone Syrah for me, at it`s best, is unpretentious, elegant, strucured and profound. It can be at the same time brutal and earthy, with all the peppery gaminess, and still full of silk and finess. An area I could see myself going fanatic about, to be honest. So many wines, so little time. Oh, well..

Alain Graillot
Crozes-Hermitage
2012
AOC
13,0%
 22€(25$) Wine-searcher average price

Quite nice, and purple color.
Really, really blackpeppery on the nose, classic Syrah of course. Also some toffee, blueberries, and a hint of oak. Quite soily and earthy..
Fresh on the palate, with bright strawberries, blueberries, surrounded with peppery and earthy notes. Lively acidity and some tannins. The amount freshness surprised me; combination of freshness, liveliness and meaty, earthy, peppery notes, really appeals to me. Nice finish and aftertaste with some minerality, strawberries and a bit of grassiness
with some bellpepper.  
Elegant and unpretentious wine. A textbook Northern Rhone Syrah, true to it`s "terroir".
90

Brocard Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre 2013

Jean Marc Brocard
Chablis - Premier Cru
2013
AC Chablis Premier Cru
12,5%
31€ (36$) Wine-searcher average price


I don`t drink Chablis wines that often, I`m not sure actually why, because It`s in most cases The Chardonnay wine that I prefer, and a white wine style that I really like in general, with other not too oaked white Burgundies. Yes, the prices are probably the major problem. I haven`t really found yet many Village level Chablis (one step below Premier cru) that are that exiting, or values. When compared to e.g. Rieslings, let`s say from Alsace or Germany, you can get inspirational quality, with just 10-20 euros. But nevertheless I really adore a good Chablis, it´s just that Burgundy is Burgundy, a hit-and-miss labyrinth, but a labyrinth where you can find also wonderful gems..


I was a bit concerned of the 2013 vintage, as it`s supposedly all over the place. But was plesantly surprised.
Aromas of green apple, hint of honey, some chalkyness, white pepper. Fresh and appealing.
Medium bodied, dry. Nice accidity, but surely not over the top. Elegant structure. Good, and focused fruit. Pear, green apple peel, lemon. Delicious, and focused finish with a crisp, intense green apple, quite chalky and steely. Beautifully lingering aftertaste, with some goût de pierre à fusil...
Excellent Chablis!
91

Produttori del Barbaresco "Classico" 2008

Produttori del Barbaresco
Barbaresco
2008
DOCG
14,5%
28€ (33$) Wine-searcher average price


Produttori del Barbaresco`s history is totally interwoven with the general history of Barbaresco wine. It can trace it`s origins way back to Cantine sociali, one of the first co-operatives in the world, founded in 1894 by Domizio Cavazza. He was the first to recognize that Nebbiolo wines from Barbaresco can match the Nebbiolo wines of the great Barolo.
Produttori del Barbaresco is one of my all time favorites. There`s not many wineries that I respect as much as PdB. The outstanding quality, high scores year after year, great history, pedigree of great vintages, and still they are reasonably priced. One of the great values of wine world. For example this, with 16 euros(Ok, I made a great deal, well below the average price), you get traditionally crafted, earthy, complex, truly age-worthy, world class wine. Not many winerys, or wine styles/regions can match up with that. Kudos!

Nice aromas of raspberries, forest floor with flowers, tar, some leather.
 On the palate bright strawberries and sour cherry, but in restrained manner. The fruit is almost like in a classy suit, smoking pipe and talking about philosophy and arts. Actually almost a clone of many 08 Barbarescos I´ve had recently. Restrained, austere, earthy, delicious. Tannins are firm but polished. Earthy, dry and very savory and salty aftertaste with bright raspberry, liquorice, tobacco, cacao, and ashy tannins. Old world at its best! All the elements of a classic Barbaresco, and the classical 08 vintage highlights that even more. A hallmark of the vintage. I`m actually pretty convinced I would recognize this as a 08 Barbaresco in a blind tasting. This is a wine I would like to drink on a fishing trip, lets say somewhere in north Lapland, at a campfire, with self caught, and grilled trout. And smoke a bowl of pipe after. Very "manly" and dark wine. 
Great showing from the co-operative.

91-93

The wine woke up memories from trips to Lapland and lake Finland, and this piece by Sibelius came to mind. Also quite funny that it was composed in 1895, so one year after the foundation of Cantine sociali. Sibelius would have probably loved this wine..

So, my wine  - music pairing is: Produttori del Barbaresco 08 - Jean Sibelius "Swan of Tuonela"

Ok, Christmas came late for me this year apparently:)
Bartolo Mascarello - Barolo 09, Guido Porro - Barolo 08, Guiseppe Cortese - Barbaresco - Riserva 06(A fantastic wine btw.), Produttori del Barbaresco - Riserva Rabaja 08(I was happy to find couple of these), Produttori del Barbaresco Montefico 08, Guiseppe Rinaldi Barolo(brunate/le coste) 09, Brezza Barolo - Bricco Sarmasa 08, Produttori del Barbaresco"Classico" 08

I was in a Barbaresco tasting a while ago in Torino, where there was about 60 producers present. Guiseppe Cortese - Riserva 06 was showing fantastically, it was maybe the best wine of the tasting, at least for me, e.g. better than Gaja Barbareco 2010, with a fraction of the price. So I`m quite happy to put some in cellar. Also Produttori - Rabaja 08 is a very nice find, truly a fantastic vintage for Rabaja, really seems to be almost impossible to find and is quite sought-after.
I know this a bit random post, sorry:)

Marchese Antinori - Chianti Classico 2010

Marchese Antinori
Chianti Classico - Riserva
2010
DOCG
14%
26€(30$) Wine-searcher average price

Very pretty, dark ruby red color.
Aromas are slightly tight at first, but after 18 hours sitting on the table, started to open up. Quite bit of oak, wet wood also and leather. Ripe boysenberries and bluberries. Some herbs: violets, lavender, nutmeg.
The initial attack is very delicious, makes you gravitate for more.. And without being over the top. Smooth on the palate. Nicely concentrated dark berries, almost some sweetnes
Maybe a tad bit too much oak for my taste. Medium to harsh tannins. Leather, earth, chocolate and espresso.
Wine has a really good bite. Quite intense. Also with nice acidity.
Alcohol is well integrated, with 14,00%.
Longish finish with loads of dark chocolate. In general, very chocolaty wine.
Allthoug I like more Traditional styled CC` s, this is very good.
90

Fontodi - Chianti Classico 2010

Fontodi
Chianti Classico
2010
DOCG
14,0%
23€(27$) Wine-searcher average price

Back in the days, Chianti Classico was very close of being my favorite wine style / region in the world. At one time it was almost the only red wine I drinked. Ok, that was only a brief period of mania, but still I return to it on a regular basis; it`s always nice to visit an old friend. It also doesn`t hurt that, at their best, they can be absolut world class wines, but still somehow manages to be reasonably priced, and almost always, they are fantastic with food.

The bouqet is massive, full of ripe dark berries, bit of oakiness, wet hay, vanilla, hint of honey(strange?), some inkiness.
Palate is covered with strawberries, semi-ripe blueberries, spices, and hints of chocolate.
Intense mouthfeel, nervous accidity, strong but quite smooth tannins. Very nice, firm structure, wine has a good bite at the end, but still is not overpowering the fruit.
Theres lot`s of fresh minerality floating in the background, which gives the wine some extra depth and structure. Medium to long after taste, with chocolate, spices and minerality. Slightly warming, but alcohol is well integrated. Definitely one of my favorite "basic Chianti Classico`s." Simply awesome!
92+

Massolino - Barolo 2010 (Serralunga d`Alba)

Massolino
Barolo
Serralunga d`Alba
2010
14%
40€(47$) Wine-searcher average price


A Barolo "classico" from Massolino, with all the grapes coming from Serralunga d`Alba. So although this is a blend from different vineyards, with the new Barolo labeling regulations, it is actually possible for the winery to put the name of the village on the label. I kind of like this, as also here the village name really means something and differentiates, as this really is a typical Serralunga d`Alba wine. Serralunga d´Alba is a commune and village inside the Barolo denomination. It is famous for its superbly structured wines; the dense clay and chalk soils really produces long-lived, powerfull and maybe "not-for-begginners" kind of Barolos, probably the most structured and tannic of the whole denomination.

Bouqet is just spectacular. It really jumps out from the glass, even without decanting: just beautiful strawberries, rasberries, blueberries, smoke, leather, earth, tar, truffels, wow, really really beautiful. A good reminder why I love Nebbiolo; you just don`t get this kind of bouqet from anywhere else.
Mouthfeel is intense; Massivie tannins, strong accidity. Very dry and smokey wine, but still has intense red and dark fruit core. Deliciously savory finish, and medium to long aftertaste with nice tar/smokiness/earthyness surrounding the fruit. Have to admit this is one of the most tannic wines I`ve drinked in a while, I mean this is just unbeliavable strong in structure, a beast. Serralunga d`Alba all the way! It`s delicious, sure, but come back in 7-15 years and then… this has all the elements of future greatness.
91-93