Over the course of a week, I taste a bunch of wine, usually with friends, and almost always with my wife. Here are some of the wines we tasted over the past few weeks. These are wines that were not sent as samples—in most cases, I actually paid for these wines (although a few may have been given as gifts).
2023 Chalk Hill Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, CA: Retail $28. Responsible Bottle (508g; 17.9oz). Under screw cap. I first had this a few months ago for the Eighth Annual Blind Tasting of American Pinot Noir, and I liked it then (90 Points). Not much has changed. One could do a lot worse at this price point (probably around $22 in stores). Initially a bit stinky on the nose, which blows off to reveal very nice black cherry. Medium to dark color. A bit sweet initially, but intense flavors and plenty of fruit. There is a nice acidity as well, but that fruit is big and present. Very Good. 89 Points.
2011 Clos Pepe Estate Pinot Noir, Sta Rita Hills, CA: Retail $50. Heavy Bottle (638g; 22.4oz). Agglomerated stopper. Whoa. After pulling this cork, I have but three bottles of this incredible wine remaining in my cellar. I opened this with my lovely wife as we were watching Drops of God. How à propos. The series, among other themes, is about the magic of wine, how it both accentuates and transcends time and place. And that is what we have here. 2011, Pinot Noir, California, Sta Rita Hills, Clos Pepe, Wes Hagen–all evoque powerful and wonderful memories. It’s wine’s super-power, one that no other commodity possesses, and it is fabulous. As for the wine? If you have some, it is doing fine, even more than fine, it’s stellar, truly remarkable. Lovely, albeit delicately subtle, cherry with just a hint of earth and a touch of red rose petal on the nose. The palate is pure Clos Pepe: rich yet sublime, tart yet sweet, complex yet joyous. To me, Clos Pepe will always be at or near the apex of Central Coast Pinot and this only confirms that stance. If you don’t have this wine, I sincerely hope you find a wine that transforms and transports you soon. And I am sure you will. Outstanding. 97 Points.
2022 Pasqua Passimento, Veneto IGT, Italy: Retail $20. Heavy Bottle (667g; 23.4oz). Dessicated grapes: 40% Merlot, 30% Corvina, 30% Croatina. My wife bought a few of these for an event for her work, and there were a few left over. It was late(-ish), and I wanted one more glass, so I grabbed this. I am a fan of Pasqua, despite its near ubiquity in various grocery stores around the country. Medium to dark in the glass with oodles of black fruit aromas (blackberry, cassis, plum, I could go on) and just a subtle hint of funk (I love the funk). The palate is what I expected: juicy, fruity, tart, and, well, fun, just like all of the Pasqua wines I have tried. They seem to make serious wines that the masses can enjoy. Very Good. 89 Points.
NV Pommery Champagne Brut Royal, Champagne, France: Retail $55. Extremely Heavy Bottle (851g; 30.0oz). 33% Chardonnay, 33% Pinot Noir, 33% Pinot Meunier. For some reason, this bottle is 15 grams heavier than the previous bottles we have popped. Why? No idea. My wife (I think) picked up a few (I think) of these bottles from Total Wine (I think) a few weeks (I think) ago. I can’t believe that it has been five years since I last posted a note about this cuvée. Pale straw with oodles and oodles of tree fruit: yellow apple, ripe pear, and a hint of peach with plenty of yeasty goodness on the nose. The palate is much the same with a jolly sparkle and plenty of depth. There are a lot of “big house” champagnes out there and I would put this Pommery near the top of the list. Excellent. 90 Points.
2010 Remy Massin & Fils Champagne “Special Club” Brut Millésime, Champagne, France: Retail $75. Extremely Heavy Bottle (891g; 31.3oz). I could not find the blend, but I assume it has some of each of the three main varieties in champagne: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier. It was a special day for my wife, and I decided to pull out a Special Club (not trying to be that corny guy, but there you go). Brilliant straw on the verge of yellow in the glass with plenty of ripe peach and pear on the nose, there are hints of citrus, too, along with a white floral aspect that completes the near perfect nose. The palate is initially quite salty, surprisingly so, with more of a citrus vibe than tree fruit, with an off-the-charts acidity. So much so, that I am convinced that this nearly 16-year-old wine might need even more time. It is quite nervous, but the finish is incredible and underscores my previous assertion; I need to wait before opening the other bottles. Outstanding. 94 Points.
NV Val de Mer French Sparkling Non Dosé, Côtes de Provence, France: Retail $26. Extremely Heavy Bottle (826g; 29.1oz). 100% Chardonnay from Chablis. This is the last bottle of the lot that we bought for when my father-in-law insisted of having “real champagne” at the start of nearly every meal that they had at our house (which was a lot…). I had amassed a collection of interesting sparkling wines to share with him, as he was a big fan of the bubbles. I do feel a bit guilty, though, since we stopped serving him champagne a while ago. It was clear he couldn’t tell the difference, and my mother-in-law made him dilute it with water, and then made him pour it out after he had 2-3 sips. Unlike many in-laws, out there, I guess, I feel lucky to have been able to call him “dad”. Some green apple but also considerable tropical fruit (guava) on the nose with touches of salinity and wet rock. The palate is bright, fervent, and quite tart but with plenty of the aforementioned fruit and a salty aspect that really whets the appetite. Overall, I am happy with the six-bottle purchase, but I don’t think I would buy more at full-price (~$25). Very Good. 89 Points.
WINE OF THE WEEK: Yeah, another easy week in choosing the Wine of the Week. I am trying to envision a week when I open a Clos Pepe and it is not the top wine I consume over that seven day period. Which ever wine manages to do that will be one heck of a wine. For now? The 2011 Clos Pepe Pinot Noir is this week’s Wine of the Week.
What was your Wine of the Week?
the drunken cyclist 