Jean-Louis Chave Selection Crozes-Hermitage Silene, 2011

Although no backup was really needed, this 2011 Chave Selection Crozes was a good companion to the 1980 Domaine Thalabert described below. It is near or at maturity right now but should keep for several years.

Deep, dark ruby. Similar aromatic profile to the Thalabert: black fruits, olives, cassis, white pepper and herbs. Gushing with fresh fruit when the cork is popped, then offering up more complex nuances within an hour or two. Has probably seen some new oak and the tannins are more prominent than those in the Thalabert. The acidity is comparable, though, and the aromatic profile carries through nicely on the long finish. I wish I had more of this wine so I could follow its development over the next five years.

 

Paul Jaboulet Aine Crozes-Hermitage Domaine Thalabert, 1980

Even though it's a Domaine Thalbert, I didn't have much hope for this wine. The cork had obviously leaked, leaving a stained capsule and considerable ullage. It is 41 years old, for crying out loud, and Robert Parker advised drinking it by 1985 or 1986. For a backup, I opened a bottle of 2011 J. Chave Crozes-Hermitage Silene. It didn't take me long to discover that the Thalabert is alive and kicking, as are most vintages of this wine from the 1980s.

The color has faded compared to the 2011 Silene, of course, but it is still rather dark and deep. Oh yes! The smell of a mature Thalabert always enchants me. Olives, herbs, black fruits, cassis and ash. Incredible nuances of mature Syrah. And these carry over to the flavors. Intense, deep and complex. Medium bodied, fine texture. This is a wine I could sniff and sip for hours without getting tired. For my second glass, I go to the 2011 Silene, along with the rest of the table. While it's a very fine wine, I still perfer the Thalabert, one of my favorite wines in every vintage since I started buying it in 1979.

 

Sokol Blosser Orchard Block Pinot Noir, 2009

This is the top-of-the-line Pinot Noir from Sokol Blosser, with the current vintage selling for $75. I bought this bottle four years ago for $30 at auction. The seller may have feared the bottle was going downhill, but, as far as I'm concerned, it's now drinking at its peak.

Light Pinot color. Intense, concentrated smells and flavors. Blackberries, dark cherries, cassis and lemon peel. Silky texture but there is nothing shy or delicate about this wine. Big in the mouth with intense, grippy tannins and acidity. Flavors that expand and fill the mouth.

On their website, Sokol Blosser is offering a three vintage vertical (2013, 2014 and 2015) for $270. That's too much for me to pay, even for a wine of such quality. But if you have that kind of money to spend on wine and like Oregon Pinot, I don't think you will be disappointed.

Domaine Roger Lassarat Pouilly-Fuisse Racines, 2005

I was very impressed with this wine when I wrote about it in April of 2019--so impressed that I couldn't bring myself to open the last bottle until now. That attitude is a weakness of mine, and it may have caused me to miss a bit of pleasure. The wine is not quite as good tonight...but still better than 99% of Chardonnays at their peak.

Full gold color that gets darker as the night progresses. Entrancing scents of dried apricots, flowers, nuts, grains and minerals. Smells like mature white Burgundy--which it is, of course. The wine comes from three plots of 100-year-old vines in Solutre and Vergisson, and it is still showing loads of depth and complexity. Lemon creme, fruit and more minerals on the palate. Rich and concentrated. Leaves a trail of long-lasting pleasure on the finish. I enjoyed three bottles of this; wish I had three more, even at this stage of its maturity.

Delas Cotes du Rhone St.-Esprit, 2017

For the past several years, this has been one of my favorite Cotes du Rhone wines. At its usual price ($14.99) it is a good value by today's standards. 

Deep ruby. 60% Syrah and 40% Grenache. And it's showing mostly Syrah traits right now. Black raspberrries, cassis, violets. Very aromatic. The winemaker's note mentions "delicate tannins," but I would call them friendly rather than delicate. Tannins are ripe and balanced by acidity. Has a rich, full bodied mouth feel. Pleasantly warm (14%) but no sharp edges. This is a very good wine but I suspect that the 2018 and 2019 vintages will be even better.
 

Giorgio Pelissero Langhe Nebbiolo, 2012

Pelissero has vineyards in Treiso, in the Barbaresco area of the Piedmont. And this Langhe Nebbiolio is more like Barbaresco than Barolo. And it is very good.

Good ruby red color. Has clearly seen some aging in barriques. The bouquet, though, has the Nebbiolo profile: dark cherries, roses, vanilla. Perhaps a bit understated but still beautiful. Tar and licorice show up on the palate along with red raspberries more than cherries. Tannic and acidic, as you might suspect, but not as broad shouldered as Barolo. Nuances that tease and please and just keep coming on the finish. I still have a couple of bottles but will be in no hurry to drink them.

Couloir Roma's Vineyard Anderson Valley Pinot Noir, 2007

This is a fantastic Pinot Noir!

Medium light ruby, getting lighter at the rim. Bright and clear. Berries, berries, berries with a touch of flowers, cinnamon and other spices. The bouquret is worth the price of admission, but the wine gets even better on the tongue. Lovely Pinot texture. Fresh, ripe berries everywhere, blending seamlessly with the acid and tannins. Long, long finish. At a perfect stage of maturity, but I get the feeling that it is going to stay that way for quite some time.

Roma's vineyard is at the deep end of the Anderson Valley on a mountain ridge at 1,850 feet.