Louis Latour 06 at Michy's in Miami

Wowee. Well, it WAS nice to taste through the 2006 Louis Latour Burgundies I suppose. I enjoy the wines occasionally, but they don't often rattle my rusty cage or inspire me all that much (except for the 1990 Corton Charlie, which remains to this day my benchmark for Louis Latour whites).

The 2006 Corton Charlemagne, at just this side of $100 per bottle, was pretty darn tasty, albeit young as heck, and peeking it's subtly floral head from behind the wispy veil of clean acidity. It was leaning on the verdant side of citrus, however, and I wonder if that will ripen up and soften out a bit with some years in the bottle.

I still remember my other favorite Louis Latour Corton Charlemagne, the 1995. Almost sublime, it almost whispered with delicate and precise ripe lemony freshness without any of that lemon oil bite, more like citrus essence in its cleanliness. It was a wine that made me stop and savor, and literally contemplate...

Yes, I am getting to the point, hopefully without too much hyperbole and beating around the bush.

Truth be told, Louis Latour wines of late normally bore the hell out of me unless they are unusually delicious. Tasting through the 20 or so wines at Michy's was just shy of a chore. Acrid aromatics here, and a hint of volatile acidity there. The Batard Montrachet not even open at all, the reds were poor except for the Aloxe Corton, and the food pairings were skimpily laid out for the drunks to feed on like seagulls. Don't get me wrong, the FOOD WAS VERY GOOD, but the perpetuation of the ruse that Louis Latour wines need food to taste good has gone too far. Here's the case where the saleperson butts in and proclaims, offended, "They are SUPPOSED to taste that way, they are meant to age, that's the terroir, it's unique." That's complete and utter bullshit. (In a world of Bentleys and BMWs don't oversell the Buick.)

Most of the wines don't have the structure, acidity, or charm to taste good at all... ever. They are boring to me, flat, thin, watery, and vegetal. No amount of aging, no heavenly meal will ever make these wines something special.

For a wine company to be so huge, and wealthy, these wines simply don't deliver. To me, it's disappointing and sad that the ambition for excellence is all but gone for this assumedly well- respected negociant. With all that money, I simply expect a lot more from the wine than what is currently being bottled.

Want a rating? D for DULL, or G for GENERIC. These are not the wines they used to produce. I will not buy them or recommend them. These wines are a waste of money. Period.

a.ferguson

here's a tip: Look for white Burgundies from Verget, or Vincent Girardin, even the most basic wines from them deliver more pleasure than the best from Louis Latour.

Amazing Italian Red Value

Poggio alle Querce “Il Guado” Bolgheri, Tuscany, Italy Located up the road from Tenuta dell’ Ornellaia in Tuscany's famed Bolgheri region, Il Guado is made from 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot, and exibits such qualities as only those from this region can express: power, finesse, grace, and longevity. It has a fantastic nose complete with hints of truffle, blackberry, sage, dried cherry, cedar, cassis, spice box, plum cake, whiffs of vanilla bean, and a split personality between sweet and savory notes that keeps unfolding in waves of chocolate and coffee. Massive amounts of extract and silky tannin, this has fruit to back it up, yet will last effortlessly for a decade or more! We are guessing (betting) that the big publications discover this one soon. Once that happens, prices skyrocket and availability plummets. Get on it, quick! Should run about 20 bucks...

a.ferguson

Old Pinot Noir Article Discovered

These wines continue to get EVEN BETTER with time almost regardless of vintage and represent some of the finest Pinot Noirs EVER...

I post this in remembrance of the 1989 Stonington Vineyards Pinot Noir Southeastern New England... no, really, I do...


Wines to Find
12 best Pinot Noirs of 2003

The best of column contains the wines that really hit the spot for me in the previous month. Forget the ratings, I don’t like to write about wines I think are yucky in a “best of column”, anyway. That wouldn’t make any sense, would it? We do a top twelve, because a case of ten doesn’t get you a discount at the local shop. The wines are listed in no particular order.

This past year has been a sort of renaissance in the world of Pinot Noir, especially in California. It has also been an awakening of sorts in my brain as well when it concerns this grape of such variable successes. Great Pinot is being made in every nook and cranny of California. Regional differences in this state, in a way, mimic the terroirs of Burgundy. Not to say that they taste the same, but I argue that Santa Barbara wines taste like Santa Barbara’s soil and grapes, and the same goes for Russian River, Paso Robles, and everywhere else for that matter (provided the inherent qualities are preserved by the growers and winemakers).

The twelve wines that follow are the finest examples of Pinot Noir that I have tasted in the past year or so. They represent fruit with balanced acidity, oak for aromatic nuances, texturally sound midpalate, and overall bliss factor. Of course price has nothing to do with anything. Availability might be an issue for some wines.

2001 Foley Barrel Select Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara County
Fennel pollen, tea roses, and shy red cherry aromatics do great justice to the palatable characters of deep plum, sour black cherry, and strawberry sauce flavors. Oh baby! This plum scented number teeters on the edge of cherries and cappuccino flavors. I really love this wine, and have a hard time saving a bottle for my buddy Chef Melissa. It is deep and gorgeously textured, like silky velvet. The acidity is just slightly tangy enough to make my mouth water. Okay, I am drooling! This is really delicate Pinot Noir, but not without heaps of flavor in the midpalate. Worth every red scent!

2001 Fort Ross Vineyards Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast
What a wine, so silky and seductive. A jaw dropper of a glass of wine filled with plum and cherry cola. Coffee and roasted nut aromas are subtly waiting in the wings of the starring fruit. Fred Scherrer consulted for this one. Go Fred, go!

2001 Scherrer Winery Fort Ross Vineyard Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast
My friends Dave and Kevin were out here to taste this with me. The incredible fruit and structure of this wine really defined what the Sonoma Coast appellation is all about. Scented with cherry blossoms and deep plum- berry fruit, with perfectly balanced acidity, and a finish that wouldn’t quit, this is one of my all time favorite wines, from anywhere, at any price!

2001 Cobb Coastlands Vineyard Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast
I watched Ross Cobb make this wine and helped with the bottling. The care that he takes with his wines is so intensely attentive, that I just couldn’t believe it. Ross and his parents are among the talented few who not only farm for flavors, but also raise their wines in the cellar as if they were part of the family. The wine world can learn a lot from a winemaker like Ross, I know I did! Check them out: http://www.cobbwines.com/.
The final product could very well be the finest Pinot Noir I have yet tasted from California. Subtle Asian spices tiptoe alongside the utterly seductive black cherry flavors and undulating waves of flavor amongst the texturally harmonious, yet not intrusive, extract and acidity in the midpalate.

1991 Domaine Dujac Aux Combottes Gevrey Chambertin
Frighteningly balanced black fruit and mineral. Stops you in your tracks kind of wine. Makes one realize why Burgundy is great. A “wine epiphany” wine. Utterly complete and seamlessly knit together, without and frayed edges showing. The kind of wine that glides through the mouth.

2002 Spy Valley Marlborough Pinot Noir, New Zealand
A sumptuous Pinot nose with dark berry, juniper, blood orange zest, and cherry cola integrates well with spicy and delicious black fruit and nutty oak. Nice acidity with vanilla on the finish brings this wine to a close. The acidity on this wine makes it appear light and quite young, which it is. With an overnight of air, or a year or two in bottle this wine is supreme. Black coffee, sweet pipe tobacco, and black cherry emerge as the acidity smoothes out over the full silky tannin frame. I open this wine the night before, at this point, and the waiting is the hardest part!

2002 Flowers Andreen Gale Cuvee Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast
Of course I love this wine, silly! I was THERE to help Hugh and Ross that year. (I was knee deep
in the fragrant must, shoveling it into a basket press.) Coffee, violets, cinnamon, cardamom, sage, toasty oak, cherry, all whirling around and around with Asian spice, zingy raspberry, and a memorable, bittersweet finish that leave you glad you were there to taste it. Really friendly at first, but needs time to mature and loosen up.

2001 Annapolis Winery Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
If I wanted to be a Pinot Noir in a Syrah costume… a BIG ONE, with chocolatey oak, hinting at ginseng and graham cracker, I would be from Annapolis Winery. Dark soil, caramel, cocoa, pear and white tea flavors dissipate into a nice coffee finish. Very large for Pinot Noir! Enjoy with very flavorful dishes.

2000 Lynmar Winery Quail Hill "Quail Cuvee" Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley
Mixed berry and spicy vanilla cola knit well with dried fruit to present a Pinot Noir with good varietal character. This is one of my picks for home. For its price, it beats most others. I think it is delicious, with layers and layers of spices and flavors. Blackberry aromatics don’t hurt either. In my book, it’s their best wine.

2001 Peter Michael Le Moulin Rouge Pinot Noir, Calistoga
Beautifully flavored, almost Syrah-like in intensity with its blackberry syrup personality. This is delicious, dark, and extremely rich. If I only had MORE!!! Big and dense, this wine keeps on delivering heaps of full-bodied pleasure.

2001 J Vineyards Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley
12,500 cases produced. Like seeing a child all grown up, J Pinot hits the balance and comes of age with a really nice wine for the dollar. Inviting flavors of cranberry, cola, bright cherry, and pomegranate with touches of mushrooms make this a wine to bring this to our house anytime! Hint, hint…

2002 Sonoma Coast Vineyards Pinot Noir
Winemaker Anthony Austin is the guy I call the $6 million dollar winemaker. Not only does he do magic in the cellar, but he is one of the most hands on, down to earth people in the business. His style is an amalgamation of finesse, balance, and texture. The flavors that emerge from his light hand are true Pinot Noir expressionism. The 2002 SCV Pinot is not unlike slipping into a bed with satin sheets; soft, seductive, and lets the imagination run wild. This is a wine with personality, body, character, and intelligence to fall in love with. It’s what Pinot Noir is all about!

© 2004 theWinepress