31
Jan
2024
- Details
-
Category: On the Road with the Grape Guy
(July 2023) ... Put together by EuroVintage and held at the National Club in Toronto. It's a two producer tasting, both from France: Burgundy and Rhone Valley.
We kicked things off with a little tasting of wine from Bourgogne; Henri de Villamont – a winery established in 1800 and farms 35 hectares of vines in Beaune.
Henri de Villamont 2021 Bourgogne Chardonnay "Prestige" ($23.95) 
- Chardonnay -
Nice texture, with some bruised apple, oxidation / reductive notes and a little burnt butter on the finish. Nice length. (*** ½)
Henri de Villamont 2018 Macon-Villages ($28.95)
- Chardonnay -
Fresh and light, with apple blossom, baked pear, mineral and stony component with floral and pretty pleasing finish. (****)
Henri de Villamont 2020 Pouilly-Fuisse "Grumes D'or" ($52.95)
- Chardonnay -
Nice oaky and smoky notes with deep texture, yellow apple, vanilla oak which leads to butterscotch. Gentle acidity, but well balance - rich and playful; 20 / 30% new oak - this is a real beauty. (****+)
Henri de Villamont 2021 Bourgogne Pinot Noir "Prestige" ($23.95)
Pretty and floral, with spice, sour cherry and good acidity. Gentle oak creates a pleasing and easy finish. (*** ½+)
Henri de Villamont 2017 Santenay "Les Champs-Claude" ($42.95)
- Pinot Noir -
Great nose that lures you right in, with notes of blueberry and spice. Floral, crab apple, sour cherry, cranberry and spice lingers on the long finish. This one is bold and powerful. (****+)
Henri de Villamont 2019 Savigny-Les-Beaune "Le Village" ($58.95)
- Pinot Noir -
Sweet cherry and raspberry, proven to be gentle and easy. There is also violet and blue-cranberry; with some gentle white pepper. This one is pretty and delicate; a real stellar Pinot. (**** ½)
____________________________
Second winery today, Chateau Aigueville, which name means "city of water" referring river under the land where the roots touch the river 38 meters below. The winery sits on a 100-hectare plot where lots of intermixed: Grenache and Clairette are spaced out.
Chateau d'Aigueville 2019 Cotes du Rhone Villages 
Nice spice and dark fruit; this wine is totally sippable and enjoyable – with balanced of acidity.
Chateau d'Aigueville 2021 Cotes du Rhone
- 60% Grenache / 30% Syrah w/ Carignan-Mourvedre -
Floral nose and full of cherry, this is very fruit forward and delicate with nice minerality - really a fruit driven wine full of flavour and enjoyment. (**** ½)
Chateau d'Aigueville 2020 Massif d'Uchaux Rouge
Dark fruit and smoke, mocha, black cherry - lush and fruity. (****+)
Chateau d'Aigueville 2022 Cotes du Rhone - Blanc
- 40% Clairette / 30% Viognier / Grenache Blanc / Bourboulenc / Roussanne (equal parts) -
Fresh and lively, with hints of apple blossom and spice. Good acidity, nice texture along with grapefruit zest and pith on the mid-palate to the finish. (*** ½+)
Chateau d'Aigueville 2022 La Rosee - Vin de France
- 100% Syrah -
Red wine played with like a rose; fresh, fruity and floral, light and playful, white pepper and gentle spice. Meant to serve chilled "I'd drink the shit out of this" – was heard this afternoon – (I’d agree). Lovely cherry and spice; Beaujolais-esque all the way. (****+)
30
Jan
2024
- Details
-
Category: On the Road with the Grape Guy
(November 2023 – TORONTO) ... It's the second annual Brunello Day held in places like Toronto, New York, London as back in Montalcino – all on the same day.
The sommeliers poured over 100 wines; all in the similar fashion they do it in Montalcino, and a list of wines to choose from. I was thankfully able to request and taste them all in the time provided; which is always the challenge.
The vintage in question is the 2019 – which is reported at the event as a beautiful vintage - that fact is reflected in the amount of wines that made this list.
I used my usual Good / Better / Best approach, which I use for young and unfinished wines at Anteprimas. There were quite a lot of Good and Better wines, while only 4 hit the mark for BEST … but I think that’s a pretty good ratio for wines on a best of list.
GOOD
Armilla 2019 Brunello di Montalcino
Banfi 2019 Brunello di Montalcino - Castello Banfi
Canalicchio di Sopra 2019 Brunello di Montalcino
Canalicchio di Sopra 2019 Brunello di Montalcino - Vigna Montosoli
Caprili 2019 Brunello di Montalcino
Carpeneto 2019 Brunello di Montalcino
Celestino Pecci 2019 Brunello di Montalcino - Poggio al Carro
Col D'orcia 2019 Brunello di Montalcino
Corte Pavone Loacker 2018 Brunello di Montalcino - Riserva - Poggio Molino al Vento
Donatella Cinelli Colombini 2019 Brunello di Montalcino
Donatella Cinelli Colombini 2018 Brunello di Montalcino - Riserva
Fanti 2019 Brunello di Montalcino
Franco Pacenti 2019 Brunello di Montalcino
Il Poggione 2019 Brunello di Montalcino
La Casaccia 2019 Brunello di Montalcino
La Fornace 2019 Brunello di Montalcino
La Fortuna 2019 Brunello di Montalcino
Le Gode 2019 Brunello di Montalcino
Ruffino 2019 Brunello di Montalcino - Greppone Mazzi
Salicutti 2019 Brunello di Montalcino
SanPolo 2019 Brunello di Montalcino 
SanPolo 2018 Brunello di Montalcino - Riserva
Tenute Silvio Nardi 2019 Brunello di Montalcino
Tenute Silvio Nardi 2019 Brunello di Montalcino - Poggio Doria
Voliero 2019 Brunello di Montalcino
BETTER
Argiano 2019 Brunello di Montalcino
Banfi 2019 Brunello di Montalcino - Vigna Marrucheto
Banfi 2018 Brunello di Montalcino - Riserva - Poggio Alle Mura
Capanna 2019 Brunello di Montalcino
Caprili 2018 Brunello di Montalcino - Riserva - Adalberto
Cerbaia 2019 Brunello di Montalcino
Col D'orcia 2016 Brunello di Montalcino - Riserva - Poggio al Vento
Corte dei Venti 2019 Brunello di Montalcino
Cortonesi 2019 Brunello di Montalcino - La Mannella
Cortonesi 2019 Brunello di Montalcino - Poggiarelli
Fanti 2019 Brunello di Montalcino - Vallocchio
La Fiorita 2018 Brunello di Montalcino - Riserva
Le Gode 2019 Brunello di Montalcino - Vigna Montosoli
SanPolo 2019 Brunello di Montalcino - Podernovi
SanPolo 2019 Brunello di Montalcino - Vignavecchia 
Talenti 2019 Brunello di Montalcino
Talenti 2019 Brunello di Montalcino - Piero
Val di Suga 2019 Brunello di Montalcino
Val di Suga 2019 Brunello di Montalcino - Poggio al Granchio
Val di Suga 2018 Brunello di Montalcino - Vigna Spuntali
BEST
Banfi 2019 Brunello di Montalcino - Poggio Alle Mura 
Acidity brightens the soft dark fruit while the tannins are silky and approachable. There's some longevity in this bottle and it will shine in years to come.
Collemattoni 2019 Brunello di Montalcino
It's all right here: the fruit, the oak, the acidity, the spice ... it's tasty and well made.
Uccelliera 2019 Brunello di Montalcino
Nice and juicy with a punch of acidity that carries the fruit, while the oak plays an integral part in bringing it all together.
Val di Suga 2019 Brunello di Montalcino - Vigna del Lago
This one shows an elegance of both fruit and acidity; it will age beautifully with all that fruit at its core and all the surrounding players creating a symphony over time.
