McManis Family Vineyards Lodi Pinot Noir, 2022

 

This is an inexpensive ($12) Pinot Noir from Lodi, an area better known for Zinfandel and Petite Sirah than Pinot Noir. Yet it is a thoroughly delicious wine with loads of Pinot personality.

Medium light purple. Beautiful aromas of red berries, cherries, flowers and spice. Silky Pinot texture wirh medium plus acidity. Intense flavors of strawberries, raspberries, orange zest. Long, complex finish.

Paul Jaboulet Crozes-Hermitage Domaine Thalabert, 1985

In more than 40 years of buying and drinking wine, this is the strangest thing that I have ever encountered. This bottle was one of at least a case of 1985 Thalabert I bought in 1987 or 1988, and it has been lying flat in my cellar since that time. Recently, I moved it to a lower shelf where the front of the bottle was tilted more toward the floor.  As a result, the bottle started leaking to the point that the ullage was even below the shoulder. It clearly had to be opened and consumed. When I removed the top of the capsule, however, and prepared to remove the cork, I found no cork to remove. No cork! The capsule had never been removed, and the cork had not fallen into the bottle. Apparently, this was a bottle that had somehow gone through the line without a cork and with only a capsule to seal the bottle. That must mean a totally dead bottle, I thought. But no! The wine that I poured was very dark and showed no visible signs of oxidation. In fact, it was drinkable, although nowhere near the quality of the last bottle I had from this vintage.

Very dark, considerable free floating sediment but no crust on the side of the bottle. Very little, if any, bouquet but flavors are what you would expect from an 8-12-year-old Crozes. Dark fruit and tannin. Has not benefited from the etherial qualities that occur in Thalabert with extended aging but reminds me of the bottles I had of this wine in the early 1990s.The bottle has apparently been sealed pretty well by the capsule but without a cork for extra protection or whatever other benefits a cork may provide in terms of aging. Is this what I might expect from a 40 year old screwtop bottle?
 

Trader Joe's Reserve Rasteau Lot #254, 2022

Rasteau is very good Cotes du Rhone Villages appellation, and Trader Joe's price ($9.99) is less than half what you might pay elsewhere for a Rasteau of this quality.

Bright, medium deep ruby. Looks and smells like a traditionally made Rasteau. Cherry, black raspberries and a black licorice streak that is typical of wines from this CDR Villages. Medium body. A bit bold and tannic in its youth, but I'm sure the red and black berry charm will blossom in a year or two. I bought a stash and will be drinking some now and some later. For my taste, this is one of the best values on the TJ shelves.
 

Paolo Scavino Langhe Nebbiolo, 2017

Some on Cellar Tracker dubbed this as a wine for early drinking. But this bottle was clearly better on the second night, which needs me to think that it may have at least a year or two of development to come.

Medium deep ruby with some Nebbiolo orangeish tones. Nebbiolo nose of dark cherries, rose petals and a hint of cloves--more forthcoming on the second night. Still some firm tannins even on the second night and plenty of acidity. At this stage, it lacks a little ripeness and complexity.
 

Paul Jaboulet Crozes-Hermitage Domaine Thalabert, 1988

 

During the 1980s, I bought at least a case of Domaine Thalabert every vintage and consumed most bottles as delicious week night choices.. Fortunately, I stashed a few away in the cellar, and know now that they are some of the best Syrah wines I have ever had, ranking with more prestigious and expensive Hermitage labels.This 1988 is a prime example.

The color has lightened a bit around the rim but still a deep, bright ruby. Tbe cork was soaked and had leaked a bit after 37 years, but the wine was intact. Classic Thalabert personality. Black and red currants, cassis, black olives, leather and a hint of citrus peel. Enough acidity to produce intense, dancing flavors. And enough tannin to frame those flavors. A powerful wine. Reminds me of the 1983, which was still drinking beautifully at this time last year.

Saltram S2 Southeast Australia Shiraz, 2019

This seemed like the ultimate Aussie Shiraz bargain when I spotted it at Trader Joes for $3.99. The story was that large quantities of this wine were headed to China but cut off by trade restrictions. Trader Joe's bought the lot at a bargain. I appreciated the price but have not been so happy with the product.

Medium dark ruby. Very short cork--the first ominous sign. Forward fruit, blackberries and plums, but the fruit is from Southeast Australia and clearly not from high quality vineyards..Not much concentration or depth of flavor. Medium tannin but not enough acidity to give flavor interest. 

Saltram has a high reputation in Australia, but I don't find this to be one of their best efforts.
 

Ca Rome di Romano Marengo Barbaresco, 1999

 

This is the third bottle of this 1999 Barbaresco we have had over the past five years, and this one is just as superb as the other two, perhaps a bit better.

Medium dark with the orangeish tones around the rim that are typical of traditionally made Nebbiolo. Deep and concentrated smells and flavors oriented toward dark cherry, leather and earth. Plenty of tannins but they are ripe and subtle. Ripe fruit and dry tannins competing for attention. Black licorice and cherries on the finish. Good when first opened but is really singing by the end of the meal.