WTN: Ducru Montiano Terrabianca Pichon Baron Hugel

Notes from an especially enjoyable lunch before the Canadian long weekend.

1993 Dom. du Closel Savennieres Clos du Papillon – this Chenin blanc based wine was a single bottle I found in my cellar after I’d thought I’d drunk it up. Long aged wines, (they need about 7 years after the vintage to mute the aggressive acidity) this turned out to be a winner. A nose of pears with slight oxidative notes, medium ellow colour, dry with good length and balance. Still has time – wish I had more.

1995 Lopez Heredia Vina Tondonia Riserva – this fully mature Rioja showed a medium light colour and some almost pinot notes in the nose, although wood did feature strongly. Some earth and ripe fruit and soft tannins, and good acidity and balance. Nice wine.

1993 Remoissenet Volnay – a recent release here, and a typical fruit based elegant nose from a fairly pale wine, clean and balanced. Nice now, don’t hold.

1985 Ch. Ducru Beaucallou – killer wine! Good colour, classic lead pencil nose, this drinks perfectly now - beautiful claret with ample fruit and long finish. Will hold awhile too.

2009 Famille Perrin Vinsobres – bargain wine of the day – under $20 and will last for several years. Sweet fruit in the nose, good depth of flavour and medium length. Now and for at least 5 years.

1996 Falesco Montiano – I was really pleased with this merlot based wine (and not just because I brought it). A very Bordeaux nose led to guesses about France, and it was sweet and round in the mouth with excellent acidity. Pity the people that drank this up in the first flush of youth – they missed out.

1998 Terrabianca Cepatte – an other excellent IGT, this time cab with the merlot. Dark, with a ripe nose of vanilla with hints of tar, good fruit and lots of stuffing and extraction. No rush.

2008 Giacosa Falletto Dolcetto d’Alba – dark ripe wine with basically no tannins at all, quiet sweet in the mouth and pleasant.

1994 Ch. Pichon Baron – dark with hints of mint in the nose, and blackberries, good structure and length. Hard to spot as a 94 – one of the best, even better than the last Pichon Lalande I opened.

1995 Beaucastel CNduP – a back up wine opened in the holiday spirit and a pleasure to taste. Nose of dark fruit (cherry and plum?) ripe and with hints of road tar, and in the mouth amazingly smooth with softening tannins and excellent length. I haven’t started on my stash of a case and a half, but based on this I’ll probably try a bottle a year from now on until it snaps totally into focus.

2010 AndCo. The Supernatural (New Zealand) – this sauv blanc was interesting – varietal nose, and decent, but lacking acidity and balance.

2001 Hugel Pinot Gris ‘Hugel’ Vendage Tardive - lots of peaches in this fragrant nose, and good weight and acidity, an elegant wine with significant residual sugar. Loved this one.

[Jenise]

Bill, indeed yesterday's lunch was especially delightful. Every wine was worthy of attention--and they usually are--but somehow yesterday was even more so! And--I really like the way David mixed up the wines, there was no implied judgement about quality or specialness implied by the order (though as soon as he saw our Pichon, it was saved for the main course and I can't argue with that).

1993 Dom. du Closel Savennieres Clos du Papillon – Salted caramel, canned pear syrup, lemon oil, very dry on the palate, obviously aged but nothing that suggested almost 20 years--this was a sublime example of mature white wine. And I'll disagree again with you on oxidation, but this time the other direction. I found no sherry flavors on this wine at all.

1995 Lopez Heredia Vina Tondonia Riserva – It seemed so obvious to me that this was pinot that when it turned out not to be, I was so thrown off that I didn't suspect tempranillo. I'll blame that on Cooper talking about it smelling like Ranch dressing. Euw.

1993 Remoissenet Volnay – Stunning big nose of sweet fruit and mild barnyard. Definitely on the back end of its peak, but so delish and reasonably priced ($60!!) that I picked up a few bottles at the LCB on my way home.

1985 Ch. Ducru Beaucallou – Beautifully balanced old school Bordeaux here, in an absolutely PERFECT place for drinking.

2009 Famille Perrin Vinsobres – Raspberry/strawberry/cactus pear, and because of the latter more like a St. Chinian to me than what it is, but I did like it. Also, got my first look at the new Perrin label--very classy.

1996 Falesco Montiano – Warm, Cabbish nose with just enough acidity to read Italian. Excellent wine, one of my favorites of the day.

1998 Terrabianca Cepatte – Big nose, ripe and extracted, dense with black cherries and dirt. Showing a lot better than the 99, which I own. Really nice.

2008 Giacosa Falletto Dolcetto d’Alba – I brought this because, as I explained to Bob, "I've never seen a Dolcetto at one of these lunches--with good reason!--but if a Dolcetto is ever going to be worthy of consideration, then Giacosa's will be the one." The first two guesses--Grenache and California--suggest that, at least as far as stumping the chumps goes, it worked. Dark berry fruit, lively but no tannins, and none of the menthol element that I'm told is typical of the grape.

1994 Ch. Pichon Baron – Also our wine. And I'm so glad it showed so well--I've only started opening my 94's this year and this one is by far the best '94 I've had yet. Loved that when '95, '96 and '98 were ruled out as vintages, guesses went back to the 80's. '94 wasn't even on the radar.

1995 Beaucastel CNduP – Yes, very plum and everything else you say. What a great backup wine.

2010 AndCo. The Supernatural (New Zealand) – Hmmm...I did not find this lacking acidity, just that the acid was overshadowed by the fruit which actually seemed (surprisingly) a bit too sweet for the cheese and fruit plate it was served with.

2001 Hugel Pinot Gris ‘Hugel’ Vendage Tardive - "lots of peaches in this fragrant nose, and good weight and acidity, an elegant wine with significant residual sugar. Loved this one." Ditto. A great gift from the restaurant.