Outta Gas. Pandemic Fatigue. Only Wine Can Save Us Now.
HOW MUCH PANDEMIC CAN A PERSON TAKE?
EXCUSE ME IF I AM THINKING OF ONLY MYSELF…WHO AM I THE PRESIDENT?
Let’s get political. Trump is a M-O-R-O-N. It is truly amazing that such a dummy could end up the LEADER of a nation…any nation. But the USA? His stupidity is boundless. His narcissism is so transparent it is “beautiful.” Glad I got that out. Let’s talk about wines. I reserve the right to return to this topic.
Mrs tBoW advised I have to slow down with the online wine purchases. There are several plum choices: Woodland Hills Wine is my local go-to. They have pickup out back. I’ve been in that store so often I could walk in blindfolded – with mask and gloves of course – and find my way to their best buys. Besides David Russell is the Burg Whisperer. Quality is his middle name. I bought some Huet sparkling wine from David in the past 6 weeks. Huet is a major Alsatian producer which means this is made with Chenin Blanc. Yeh. No chard or pinot.
2016 Huet Petillant Brut $28: 14% Golden color, thick on sight. Ripe green apples (yes you can have ripe green apples!), clove, viscous. Masculine wine. If Brad Pitt was a sparkling wine…Robert Mitchum for the TMC fans. David Russel of WHW pushed out it out near $20.
2017 Domaine Audebert et fils Bourgeil $20: 100% Cab Franc rose! Yummmeeee. You might think lotta body. Nope. You might think lotta flavors. Nope. Delicate in a masculine way. 12.5%. OMG. Jeff Welburn imported this wine. Hi Jeff!! Jeff is a very decent person who knows his wines and can be trusted. Nuff said. Congrats to Jeff and Wine Agencies Inc.
2018 Ginglinger-Fix Riesling Vielles Vignes 12.5%. $20. The Krisses love Riesling wines including those from Alsace which is the center of every war between Le Bosch and Les Francais. None of which is apparent in the wines. Alsatian Rieslings do seem different than German or Austrian. For tBoW it is about the delicacy. Maybe Viennese (and near regional) Rieslings are operatic even stuffy, while German Rieslings show power and finesse. Or maybe that is too much stereotyping. This wine is delicious, a titanic food wine and a repeat buy.
2012 Il Chiosse Gattinara Terre Vulcaniche 14%. Mrs. tBoW upbraided tBoW with the latest credit card statement. Slow down pal. This Fass selection is another example of what happens when tBoW encounters an importer who is 75% matched in palate. Same is true for Desert Wine Shop…Fass is a direct importer and we like what he likes. This is Alto Piemonte – a region which tBoW personally discovered and uncovered to the world for value and quality. AltoP [ed. cognoscenti wine speak] blends Nebbiolo with native varietals unlike Baroli wines which went to single varietals to sell into the USA market [ed. undrinkable since 2000]. This wine is a monster. Deep and impenetrable [ed. but not like VP Pence cannot be penetrated or would not ever be penetrated – never mind]. Hmmm. I wonder what “vulcaniche” means? Maybe grown in volcanic soil? Ya think? Needs minimum 3 years to round out. Even longer. Hell we cannot wait. That is why we must buy wines that drink on a more human SARS2 timetable. I left this bottle open overnight and it was still brawny and stout. Yeh. Gone now.
Feeling better now. I feel like I can take off my mask and gloves. Be careful and stay healthy. Please.
Bet you haven’t seen this Corona parody song.
Huet is Alsatian?
Also, Barolo being undrinkable since 2000 is an incredibly bad take.
Almost as bad as the idea that wines never need any age (ahem…Il Chiosso Vulcaniche)….
As always thnx for your incisive comments. The song did not cheer you? tBoW does exercise journalistic license in his observations and welcomes readers “opinions.” Barolo “undrinkable since 2000” refers to when I lost my patience with single grape Baroli wines and turned attention north to AltoP. Il Chiosso has had 8 years to show some charm yet is a brute. The volcanic soil is evident and makes for an “interesting profile.” Jmmy Durante had such and remained charming. Not the Il Chiosso. Thnx for the catch on Huet location. This was my first chenin blanc sparkler. The richness was surprising. No “butta” was a plus. As for misplacing Loire in Alsace I have been watching WWII docs and Les Bosche did occupy France for quite a few years. xoxo
You just needed two more years on that Chiosso. Patience young stomphopper
I am holding one other 2012 Chiosso. Two more years makes a decade. Maybe I should read Fass’ notes (which he maintains in tBoW fashion) so I can eval the subtext. Were there signals missed? You know this wine? My preference is arrival time earlier than later. Prefer mid to light weight. I always ask myself – how would this go with quiche?
I had a 2008 after ten years and it was awesome. Great depth of fruity, but tons of acid.Lyle’s note on the 2012 is consistent with I think what you or I would expect. Maybe you just caught it in a dumb phase.
as our Prez would put it…”no reason to cast DISPERSIONS”…I like to drink wines when they are ready AND I have lost my flavor for older wines…I eschew the notion that leathery wines are properly aged wines…such evals are better suited for elder statesmen like Churchill and FDR!
God bless Lyle Fass: [selected excerpts (full revu link below] “Day 1: Deep woodsy…old English bookshop, tar, smoke…finish of chestnut…tannins to burn. Wow. Day 2: smoke, chestnut, leather, tar..so classic.. Fresh and lovely nuttiness on the finish.”
IMO the wine needs mega aeration..triple decant…before putting glass to lips!
http://fassselectionstn.blogspot.com/2020/01/2012-il-chiosso-gattinara-terra.html?q=2012+il+chiosso
One thing you have to keep in mind with him is that he likes to drink his wines pretty young.
…Actually, on second thought that fits with you perfectly!