What Would Mikey Drink

This is drinking great, right now.  Lovely pale gold.   Delicious aromas of pineapple saffron cloves and fresh vanilla.  Just singing on the palate, with lively acidity, buttery brioche and tropical, candied fruits, and a very long, stinging finish.   I wish I had more.  I bought it on release.  Maybe 5 years is about the right age [...]

Just in case we were still thirsty, my brother Gary opened an awesome half-bottle of this.    Much more forward than the Bocquenet.    Gingerbread cake, amazing pinot sap, and ripe, perfect tannins.    Very, very long finish.  Just wonderful.  Great night.   Gary says A-.  I argue, but he says it is grands-ech, and it is in tough [...]

Why not?  This is a multi-wow wine.    Dark ruby.    Truffly mushroom forest spice aromas.  Medium-full, and incredibly complex palate.  There’s an Asian smoked duck element,  with a lovely earthy, floral component.   Incredibly long finish.  Just great.   Will most likely improve for 5-10 more years.  Too bad I don’t have anymore.  This is why I drink [...]

What a warm up wine!  Pale gold.  Compelling aromas.  Incredible minerals and briny sea salt.  Endless finish.    Riveting, with perfect balance.    Not round and oaky like most California chardonnay.  In fact, showing less oak than most Kistler’s I’ve tried.   A real treat.  Grade: A/A+

Still drinking well this vacation!  Tonight it is from a better vintage (02s are classic), and a controversial producer.   Some critics like it, others don’t. Very dark for a burgundy.   Brooding aromas, like bacon and nutmeg.  Smells rich.  Unlike the woodsy smells of the other burgundies this week.    Dense and spicy palate.  Hearty, delicious pinot, [...]

So we’re on a roll this week with the Lamarche wines.  98 was a challenging vintage (as was 97) but generally these are darker, more concentrated, and more tannic than 97s.  I like this one a little less than its 1997 version. Dark ruby, with interesting huckleberry jam and mushroom aromas.    Somewhat lacking in fruit.  [...]

I’ve wanted to try La Grande Rue for years.  If you look at a map of Vosne Romanee, this vineyard has La Tache on the west, and La Romanee and Romanee Conti on the east.  These are three of the most expensive, and special burgundies (and wines) in the world.    This hasn’t ever been in [...]

My great wine (vacation) week continues.  This is the weakest wine we’ve had so far, but it is quite nice.    Dark and brooding, and hiding most of its stuff.  This is dark.   Muted aromas of menthol and lilacs.    Full evergreen forest palate, and some spicy black pepper black cherry.  Strong, long finish, but not yet [...]

We are having a great vacation!    This is ready to go.   Earthy, mushrooms and lavender nose.  Acidic somewhat astringent palate, but lovely flowers and tart cranberries.  Long finish.  Drink up.  A pleasure now.  I paid $37 (can’t get anymore at this price), and it is a killer deal.  Real grand cru quality!  1997 red burgundies [...]

Pale golden.    Incredible aromatics.  I pull my largest burgundy glass.    Sweet oak, lemon curd, and briny sea salt aromas.    Full, lush, rich, expansive palate.  This just dances and sings.    The flavors really hum through the incredibly long finish, filled with mint, pink grapefruit, banana and lychee.   A knockout.   We drank many bottles [...]