Domaine Tempier Bandol 2004

Red/purple

More refined, "modern" nose than the Bastides. Fruit-driven, with earth/clay character as an intriguing undercurrent. Subtle and nuanced. Strange to say about a Bandol, but this is pretty.

Much less extracted than Bastide wines, but also more suave. Definitely structured, but this seems to be more acid-driven. Cranberry and spice palate is quite intense, and in need of years of bottle age to become more complex.
This seems Burgundian while the Bastide wines seem more like Cornas.


$28

Bastide Blanche Cuvee Estagnol 2001 Bandol

Deep red/purple.

Menthol and melted black licorice aromas, no sign of game/salami. Very ripe, very deep.

Extremely concentrated, grainy/salty impression from extract, but not hard at all. Alcohol shows slightly, but that is overwhelmed by sheer flavor (earthy/treebark, menthol, blackberry). Not as long as the '97, but this needs years, as it is still bound up by tannin. I'm buying more of this.

Absolutely loaded

$20

Bastide Blanche Cuvee Estagnol 1997 Bandol

Deep red,

Aged salami, cigar ash, hint of mint - deep, definitely Bretty nose. Better than it sounds.

Intense middle-weight in the mouth. Black fruit backs up smoky (not from oak) notes. Favor drives all the way thru the wine with no let up. Very long, moderately tannic, smoky cigar finish. This needs lamb stew.



$25

Kongsgaard 55% Viognier, 45% Roussanne 2004 Napa

Yellow-gold.

Deep, idiosyncratic nose of dried pineapple/papaya candy. Reminds me a bit of Guigal's 2001 Ex Voto Blanc.

Sweet entry carries all the way thru mid-palate to the very, very long finish. Wildly concentrated and quite dry, actually. Acid/tannin chew cuts through the sweetness, offering a great textural counterpoint. There is an oak contribution here, but you have to dig deep for it. Did I mention this has an absurdly long finish. Singular wine.


$75

Valdinera Nebbiolo d'Alba Sontuoso 1999

Brick/rust.

Frangelico, charcoal,cherry liqueur nose. It is indeed sumptuous (Sontuoso).

Much more open-knit than the Barolos. As good as its going to get, which is pretty damn good. Fat mid-palate for nebbiolo,
acid/tannin kick in lightly in the finish. Just not as packed or complex as the Barolos. Its also less than 1/2 the price of those wines.


$22

Carretta Barolo Cannubi 1996

Brick red.

More forceful nose than the Cordero - more toasty oak influence. Bottle shape conveys real information here - the Cordero is in a Burgundy bottle, Carretta in a Bordeaux bottle. Charred meat and drippings, cherry liqueur and something balsamic - smells like something I should be eating. There's a sauteed veg note here that adds to the "whole meal" theme.

Richer and fuller than the Cordero. In fact, the structure (almost) flies under the radar. This is packed, really concentrated, chewy wine. I see this improving with several, maybe many, more years in bottle.

Both of these wines are killer,though in quite different styles.


Day 2 - Both wines, especially Carretta, shut down in the mouth, totally dominated by structure. So I'd say these 2 wines have another 6-10 years in them. Certainly no rush to consume.

$60?

Cordero di Montezemolo Barolo Monfalletto 1996

Evolved red/rust.

Incredible nose (even w/o decanting). Amaretto, tea, burnished oak spice, light tar, cherry jam, floral perfume, soy sauce.

Nice mid-palate, especially for Barolo, but not as complex in the mouth. Tannin/acid synergy still strong, but this is enjoyable nonetheless. This is really good action. Finely wrought and pure.

Day 3 - Strawberry jam and caramel. Barolo's driving structure in spades. I think I'm vastly under-estimating this wine's longevity.



$50?