Burgess Cellars Napa Valley Vintage Select Cabernet Sauvignon, 1976

That's right: 1976. The grapes for this wine were picked from Howell Mountain vineyards 50 years ago. I bought the wine from Private Stock wine store in Portage, MI, just about the time the 1978 vintage was released. The owner of the store brought a few bottles of the 1976 out of his own cellar to sell, and I was quick to buy. The price tag says $12.95, which was quite a bit of money for wine at the time. This 1976 has been sold recently at auction for prices ranging from $150 to $200. This was the Golden Age of Napa Cabernet when wines were made to age for decades.

No ullage. The cork is short but amazingly intact with only a slight bit of red at the bottom. Comes out easily with the Durand cork remover. Amazingly deep and dark in the glass. Holding a small pour over a white background reveals amber creeping in slightly from the edges but good saturation in the middle. Not much of a bouquet until the wine has aired for 30 minutes or so. Then blue plums, dark cherries, maybe some cardamon. Flavors are bold, deep, concentrated and delicious--unadorned black fruit. Not a lot of acidity but still well balanced. Full on the mid-palate leading into a luscious, fruit-filled finish.

 

Pelissero Langhe Nebbiolo, 2015

This is truly a baby Barbaresco, sourced from Nebbiolo vineyards in the villages of Barbaresco, Neive and Treiso that are not yet old enough (15 years or less) to produce great Barbaresco.

Medium dark ruby all the way to the rim. None of the orangeish tones characteristic of traditional Barbaresco or Barolo; 20 to 30% has been aged in new oak barriques. Maceraton was shorter than the estate uses for its Barbaresco bottlings, but there is still plenty of tannic grip. Bouquet shows fresh fruit and spice but is a bit light on the floral tones of Nebbiolo. Fuller bodied than I expect from Barbaresco grapes. Red and black raspberry flavors framed by tannin. I expect more complex flavors tomorrow night after these tannins have softened a bit.
 

Willakenzie Willamette Valley Estate Chardonnay, 2018

Dijon Clone #76 Chardonnay sourced mainly from a one acre south facing vineyard on the estate's Willakenzie soil, given partial malolactic fermentation then aged 16 months in a combination of new and used French oak. At eight years, it is giving me everything I expect from a Chardonnay.

Medium light, lighter than I would expect from an eight-year-old wine. Removed from the refrigerator and opened 20 minutes before drinking, it offers up beautiful scents and flavors. Lemon curd on toasted brioche. Pears, ripe apples and minerals on the finish. Medium bodied (13.8% alcohol) and beautifully balanced. Will keep and may improve over the next two or three years. One of my all-time favorites.
 

Curto Marco di Nadia Curto L'Informale, 2024

The label on Nadia Curto's l'Informale does not gives a vintage date because she does not want the wine to be tucked away in the cellar but rather used for current drinking and informal occasions. I bought vintages sold at Saratoga Wine Exchange as 2023 and 2024; the alcohol content (12%) and the lighter body tells me this wine was from 2024 when the weather was cooler than in warm 2023 when the alcohol content was 13.5%. No worries; I have had both years and both are delightful.

Don't be misled by the  light ruby color and light body; there is nothing weak kneed about this wine. Delightfully fresh and vibrant scents and flavors. Like a glistening bowl of fresh red berries. Also flowers, minerals and the complexity of Nebbiolo. About 60% Nebbiolo and 40% Dolcetto vinified separately, both in stainless steel, then blended. Despite the color, this wine has plenty of strength and power and matches up well with rigatoni with oven roasted tomatoes, onions and peppers. I am still tasting the ripe fruit half an hour later.

 

Domaine de Font-Sane Ventoux Vieilles Vignes, 2023

I have a long-standing relationship with Ventoux, and Font-Sane was one of my favorites during the 1990s. I was delighted to find a few bottles of the 2023 through Dick Scheer and Village Corner in Ann Arbor.

Medium deep ruby, brilliant and intense. Needs a half hour or so of aeration to show its best. Violets, black raspberries and a touch of black pepper. Medium bodied, good acidity. Fresh and fruit-oriented but also some tannic structure that I think will carry it beyond the 2 to 3 years advised on the label

J.M. Gerin Syrah La Champine, 2013

The label for this French Syrah says that it will be "easy to drink now and for the next five years. I'm sure it was delicious during that period but it is also very good at 13 years of age tonight; much better, I imagine, for my taste because it has taken on secondary and tertiary notes that are characteristic of Northern Rhone Syrah. It was aged in old oak barrels rather than the new oak that Gerin uses for its very high priced Cote Rotie wines. And only some of the grapes come from young vines on the Gerin estate in Cote Rotie with the majority coming from the less acclaimed Collines Rhodaniennes nearby.

Very deep and dark Syrah color. Aromas were somewhat reduced on bottles we had a few months ago, but they open up nicely tonight: black raspberry, anise and spice. Medium bodied; ripe and supple on the palate.  Yes, very easy to drink. But what I like most are those nuanced notes on the mid-palate and finish: black berries, black pepper, black olives. I say it is easy to drink now and maybe even for the next few years.
 

Willamette Valley Vineyards Estate Chardonnay, 2012

I knew this wine might be past its prime, when I bid on it (at a good price). But I also knew that Oregon Chardonnays have the acidity to age well for 10 years or more, and I wanted to test the outside limits. Yes, it is past its prime, but, in my view, it has much more to offer than 90% of the Chardonnays on the shelves for current drinking.

Deep gold, bright but showing its age. Lemon curd and green apples; similar profile to other WVV Chardonnays I have had but not as lively or fresh as the 2022 Dijon Clone. Develops some nice biscuity tones as it warms and airs.