Category Archives: 60 Second Reviews

60 Second Wine Review — 2008 Potensac

Amber LeBeau in 60 Second Reviews, Bordeaux, Wine reviews

Published on February 8, 2018

A few quick thoughts on the 2008 Chateau Potensac from the Médoc.

The Geekery

Chateau Potensac is owned by the Delon family who also own the 2nd Growth St. Julien estate Léoville Las Cases and Chateau Nénin in Pomerol. According to Stephen Brook in The Complete Bordeaux, the estate has been in the hands of the Delon family and their ancestors for over two centuries. The same viticulture and winemaking team at Léoville Las Cases takes care of the wines at Potensac.

The estate is located just 4 miles north of Chateau Calon Segur and the boundaries of St. Estephe. The soils contain a fair amount of clay and limestone that is not that dissimilar to the right bank region of St. Emilion which is why Merlot tends to dominate in plantings.

Since 2002, the estate has produced a second wine known as Chapelle de Potensac with around 40% of the estate’s Grand Vin being declassified down to this level.

The 2008 vintage of Potensac was a blend of 42% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 18% Cabernet Franc. The wine is aged for 15 months in 30% new oak with around 320,000 bottles produced each vintage.

According to the very cool vintage chart on the Domaines Delon site (also available for Léoville Las Cases and Nenin), the 2008 is ready to drink now but can still be held for a few years.

The Wine

This wine has a mix of both cured and green tobacco notes.

Medium intensity nose. Fresh cigar tobacco and cedar dominant. There is a little red fruit underneath–cherry and currant.

Those red fruits carry through to the palate but are quite muted with more earthy and green leafy notes emerging. Medium-plus acidity and firm medium-plus tannins hints that this wine definitely can age for longer. The tobacco notes also come through and linger for the moderate finish.

The Verdict

At around $30-35, this is a solid “old school” style Bordeaux with a firm structure and earthy notes. While I had this wine by itself, I suspect that it will really shine on the table with food.

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60 Second Wine Review — Lloyd Chardonnay

Amber LeBeau in 60 Second Reviews, Wine reviews

Published on February 5, 2018

Some quick thoughts on the 2014 Lloyd Cellars Carneros Chardonnay.

The Geekery

Robert Lloyd is a veteran winemaker with more than two decades of experience working for the top names in California. He started out working in the cellar and tasting room of Cakebread. He then moved to Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars before finishing his Masters of Enology at UC-Davis in 1999 while interning at Kent Rasmussen.

After graduation, he worked at La Crema as a winemaker before leaving for Rombauer in 2001. At Rombauer, he worked his way up from Assistant to Head Winemaker before leaving in 2008 to start his own winery.

The 2014 vintage of the Carneros Chardonnay is sourced from Sangiacomo Vineyards (including the Kiser, Home Ranch and Green Acres blocks) and Truchard Vineyards.

Other wineries that work with Sangiacomo fruit includes: La Follette, Sojourn Cellars, Rombauer, Barnett Vineyards, MacRostie, Sonoma-Loeb, B.R. Cohn, Adobe Road, Neyers, Athair and Saintsbury. From Truchard, outside of their own eponymous label, Nickel & Nickel makes a notable Chardonnay.

The Wine

Julia Child would love this wine and appreciate its balance.

Medium-plus intensity nose that is a mix of ripe tropical fruits like pineapple and citron as well oak baking spice. Not as much sweet vanilla on the nose as I would have expected with his Rombauer pedigree.

On the palate the wine is very full-bodied and creamy–there’s the Rombauer! But the wine also has medium-plus acidity that adds much needed balance and freshness that you usually don’t see in butter bombs. The ripe tropical notes carry through as well as the baking spices with a little bit of floral-ness on the long finish.

The Verdict

The Lloyd Cellars Chard is hedonism in a bottle and is tailor-made for anyone who likes luscious, buttery Chards. It is a very well-made example of its style with more freshness and balance than its Cali cohorts.

At around $40-45, it is priced in line with its peers though with its balance and depth, it probably could go up to the $55 range and still be a compelling bottle.

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60 Second Wine Review — Hatzidakis Santorini

Amber LeBeau in 60 Second Reviews, Wine reviews

Published on February 4, 2018

A few quick thoughts on the 2014 Hatzidakis Santorini.

The Geekery

Haridimos Hatzidakis founded Hatzidakis Wines in 1997. A former winemaker at Boutari Winery, he started his winery outside the village of Pyrgos. Along with taking over 10 acres of 100+ year old vines once owned by a nearby convent, Hatzidakis replanted a second vineyard that was abandoned after an earthquake in 1956.

Hatzidakis’ approach was to emphasize the minerality of native Santorini grape varieties that thrive in the volcanic soils of the island. He farmed all his wines organically, using only native wild yeast for fermentation.

While Hatzidakis was the first winery in Santorini to release a vineyard-designated Assyritko, the 2014 Hatzidakis Santorini is 100% Assyritko blended from vineyards in the villages of Akrotiri, Megalochori, Pyrgoas and Vourvoulos. To enhance the mouthfeel, he kept on the wine on the lees for 40 days before racking.

Jancis Robinson notes in Wine Grapes, that Assyrtiko likely originated on Santorini and today accounts for around 70% of the island’s vineyards. Its extensive plantings in Santorini makes the variety the third most widely planted white grape in all of Greece–behind only Savatiano and Roditis.

Unfortunately, Haridimos Hatzidakis recently passed away in August of 2017 with his daughter, Stella, taking over the winery.

The Wine

The fresh lemon verbena note of this wine is captivating.

Medium-plus intensity nose. A mix of citrus and herbal notes like lemon verbena with some hay straw.

On the palate, those citrus notes carry through and add a pithy component that compliments the medium bodied weight. The racy minerality of Assyritko is quite present and mouthwatering with the high acidity. However, the fruit keeps it balanced. It’s not creamy like a Chardonnay but the weight is not that dissimilar from a Pinot blanc.

The Verdict

The Hatzidakis Santorini is drinking absolutely scrumptious right now. The savory minerality compliments the layers of citrus fruit and herbal notes which makes it a wonderful accompaniment to food.

The wine probably still has another 2-3 years of life before waning and at $20 is well worth picking up a few bottles.

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60 Second Wine Review — Pascal Bouchard Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos

Amber LeBeau in 60 Second Reviews, Burgundy, Wine reviews

Published on February 3, 2018

Some quick thoughts on the 2011 Pascal Bouchard Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos.

The Geekery

Clive Coates notes, in The Wines of Burgundy, that the domaine of Pascal Bouchard was founded in 1979 when Pascal and his wife Joëlle inherited vines that belonged to her father André Tremblay. Today the domaine is ran by their son, Romain, and covers a little over 81 acres–including vines in the Grand Cru climats of Les Clos, Vaudesir and Blanchot.

Pascal Bouchard also owns several choice plots of Premier Cru vineyards including Fourchaume and Mont de Milieu on the Grand Cru side of Chablis and Beauroy, Montmains and Vau de Vey to the west of the Serein river.

The vineyards are farmed sustainably with the avoidance of chemicals and pesticides. The Grand Crus are aged in oak (15% new) for at least 12 months on the lees though they do not see any bâtonnage to ensure freshness.

Les Clos is the largest of the Chablis Grand Crus with the vines facings south between Valmur and Blanchot. The wines are noted for their racy minerality and depth that often require bottle aging. Other notable estates that produce wine from this vineyard includes Francois Raveneau (Wine Searcher Ave $708), Rene et Vincent Dauvissat-Camus (Ave $247) and William Fevre (Ave $108).

The Wine

Chablis’ Grand Crus

Medium-plus intensity nose. Lots of citrus aromas, both the pulp and pith. There are also some floral notes adding depth.

On the palate, those citrus notes carry through and you can feel the weight from the oak. There is distinct minerality, especially on the finish with some salinity wrapping itself around the citrus flavors. Mouthwatering and savory. Medium-plus acidity gives freshness.

The Verdict

Les Clos’ age-worthiness certainly stands out in this wine which was surprisingly fresh for 6+ years.

The noticeable weight of the oak and “pithy” tannins are a bit unique from stereotypical stainless steel Chablis but the terroir’s minerality still shines through and adds savory complexity. It’s a very characterful Chablis Grand Cru that is well worth $90-100 but it’s certainly not a benchmark example.

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60 Second Whiskey Review — Pappy Van Winkle 20yr

Amber LeBeau in 60 Second Reviews, Whiskey, Whiskey reviews

Published on February 2, 2018

Some quick thoughts on the 20 year Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon.

The Geekery

Made in partnership with Buffalo Trace since 2002, Pappy Van Winkle traces its origins to 1874 when Julian Van Winkle moved to Frankfurt, Kentucky. Van Winkle began working as a salesman for W. L. Weller in 1893 before eventually becoming president of the Stitzel-Weller distillery. The Van Winkles continued distilling at Stitzel-Weller for several decades until Julian’s son sold it–with the distillery shuttering its door in 1992.

In his book, Bourbon: The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of an American Whiskey, Fred Minnick notes that the “Pappy Craze” really didn’t start until the mid-1990s when Pappy Van Winkle received 99 points from the Beverage Tasting Institute and was named by Food & Wine as “American Whiskey of the Year”.

To build demand, Julian Van Winkle III instituted a policy of making fewer bottles than what he knew he could sell. Even today only around 6 to 7 thousand cases across the entire Van Winkle line is released each year.

While the exact mash bill is unknown, it is a wheated bourbon.

The Whiskey

High intensity nose. Huge mix of dried fruit–figs, black cherries, raisins. Then comes the spice and floral notes with a little chocolate malt ball action.

On the palate, the dried fruit carries through and brings a butterscotch richness that adds to a creamy mouthfeel. The whiskey holds its 45.2% ABV very well and doesn’t need any water or ice. The one glaring negative is how short the finish is. After around 20 seconds or so it’s gone.

The Verdict

By Alex Proimos from Sydney, Australia - Moroccan Dried Fruit and Nuts, CC BY 2.0, on Wikimedia Commons

Beautiful mix of dried fruit in the bouquet of this whiskey.

Like the Sam Adams’ Utopias and the cult wines of Napa Valley, this is one of those trophy bottles that you have to hunt down and pony up for. Was it worth it?

For the most part, yes. But also no. I’m glad I got to try this and the nose is incredible. While the smoothness and mouthfeel is enjoyable, the whiskey does literally leave you hanging with the abysmally short finish.

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60 Second Wine Review — Emmolo Sauvignon blanc

Amber LeBeau in 60 Second Reviews, Napa Valley, Wine reviews

Published on February 2, 2018

A few quick thoughts on the 2012 Emmolo Sauvignon blanc from Napa Valley.

The Geekery

Emmolo is made by Jenny Wagner, daughter of Chuck Wagner of Caymus fame. The winery was founded by her mother, Cheryl Emmolo, in 1994 where she got the “pick of the litter” from her parent’s vineyard on Mee Lane in Rutherford. For years the Emmolos sold most of this fruit to wineries like The Hess Collection, Robert Mondavi Winery and Villa Mt. Eden.

Emmolo’s roots in Napa Valley date back to the 1920s when Salvatore Emmolo started a rootstock nursery in Rutherford. He built a winery on the property in 1934 which Jenny uses to make Emmolo wines today. The first vintages were made by Cheryl with the help of Ric Forman. Jenny took over in 2014, however, she had been working with her mother for several vintages so the 2011 Merlot and 2012 Sauvignon blanc are considered her first releases.

The Wine

Medium-plus intensity. A bit surprised at how fragrant it is for 5 year California Sauvignon blanc. A mix of floral and tree fruits like apple and peaches.

Apple fruit dominants but the pomelo note on the finish adds complexity

On the palate, those tree fruit notes come through, particularly the apple but you can tell the age as the fruit taste more rich than fresh. The wine has medium acidity with weight on the palate, almost like a Chardonnay that has spent time in a neutral oak barrel. Not quite creamy but heavy. On the finish some citrus notes like pomelo pop out.

The Verdict

It’s clear that this Sauvignon blanc is on the wane of its life but it was still quite enjoyable. As noted in the review above, the aromatics are inviting and impressive.

At around $20, I’m quite satisfied with this Emmolo Sauvignon blanc and would certainly be open to trying newer vintages. If you have a bottle of the 2012, it’s worth opening up and enjoying now but I probably wouldn’t hold onto it for more than another year or two.

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60 Second Wine Review — Titus Napa Cabernet Sauvignon

Amber LeBeau in 60 Second Reviews, Napa Valley, Wine reviews

Published on February 1, 2018

A few quick thoughts on the 2010 Titus Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

The Geekery

Titus Vineyards is a family owned winery located in St. Helena that was founded in 1968 by Lee & Ruth Titus and is ran today by their sons Phillip and Eric.

Early in their history, the Titus family sold their grapes to other Napa Valley wineries, most notably Charles Krug, but in 1990 they started commercial wine production from their own grapes with Phillip as winemaker.

Phillip cut his teeth working at Quail Ridge before joining Chappellet winery on Pritchard Hill in 1981. There he served as an assistant to legendary winemaker Cathy Corison. Eventually Phillip left Chappellet for stints at Stratford and Cartlidge & Brown before returning in 1990 to be head winemaker–joining an esteemed lineage that includes not only Corison but also Phillip Togni and Tony Soter.

Today, Phillip does the winemaking for both Chappellet and their second label, Sonoma Loeb, and his family’s Titus wines.

The 2010 Titus Cabernet Sauvignon was sourced from the family’s estate vineyard in St. Helena and the Ehlers Lane Vineyard located just a few miles north. Around 2370 cases were made.

The Wine

Medium-plus intensity. Rich dark fruit (cassis, blackbery) mixed with tobacco and a little Christmas fruitcake spice.

On the palate the dark fruit carries through. Surprising with how rich it is for a 7+ year Cab. The medium-plus acidity is still fresh with the medium-plus tannins having a velvety texture to them at this point. The spice notes linger on the 30+ second finish.

The blackberry notes on this wine are rich but very fresh.

The Verdict

I’m usually very skeptical of how well high alcohol Cabs age but I would have never guessed this one was a 2010 at 14.9% ABV.

The acidity and freshness, coupled with the seamless elegance balances the full-bodied weight of the ripe fruit very well. In a blind tasting, I would have pegged this as something that was 4 years old at max.

At around $50-55, this is a scrumptious Napa Cab that is punching well above it weight.

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60 Second Wine Review — Pierre Gerbais L’Originale

Amber LeBeau in 60 Second Reviews, Champagne, Wine reviews

Published on January 31, 2018

Some quick thoughts on the Pierre Gerbais L’Originale Extra Brut Champagne that was highlighted in my review of Robert Walters’ Bursting Bubbles.

The Geekery

In Peter Leim’s Champagne, he notes that Aurélien Gerbais is an 8th generation grower in the Côte des Bar and the 4th generation to make wine in this region of the Aube.

The estate of Pierre Gerbais is certainly unique in Champagne. Pinot blanc accounts for nearly a quarter of the domaine’s 43 acres of vines. This includes some old vine plantings in the historic “Les Proies” vineyard that date back to 1904.

In the 20th century, many Champagne estates uprooted their Pinot blanc in favor of the more fashionable Chardonnay and Pinot noir. However, the Gerbais’ value Pinot blanc ability to handle humidity and frost which can often hit their estate in Celles-sur-Ource.

After Aurélien’s grandmother became sick from pesticide residue on the vines after working in the vineyard, the estate converted to organic viticulture in the 1990s.

The L’Originale is 100% Pinot blanc sourced from old vine plantings. It spends 36 months aging on the lees prior to being disgorged with a dosage of 3 g/l. Around 3000 bottles are made every year.

The Wine

The subtle smokiness of the apple adds savory complexity to this Champagne

High intensity nose. The huge apple notes are a mix of both fresh cut apples and grilled apple slices–like something topping a wood-fired white pizza. Some spiced pear as well.

On the palate the apple notes carry through. The notes are amplified with a sense creaminess and weight in the mouthfeel. The subtle smokiness from the nose exhibited by the grilled slices linger and compliments the toasty-leesy flavors of the Champagne. The finish is long with a salty minerality.

The Verdict

There is a tremendous amount of complexity and character in this Champagne. It is well worth its $70-80 price tag and outshines many wines in the $100+ range.

Being a small production grower, this Pierre Gerbais L’Originale won’t be easy to find but if you can get your hands on it, buy multiple bottles.

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60 Second Wine Review — Winderlea Shea Pinot noir

Amber LeBeau in 60 Second Reviews, Wine reviews

Published on January 29, 2018

Some quick thoughts on the 2011 Winderlea Shea Vineyard Pinot noir.

The Geekery

Winderlea was founded by Bill Sweat and Donna Morris in the Dundee Hills in 2006. The name “Winderlea” comes from the Vermont home of the founders and means “wind in the meadow”.

The wines are made by Robert Brittan who previously spent more than 30 years in California working at blockbuster estates in Napa Valley such as Far Niente and Stags’ Leap Winery before pursuing his passion for Pinot noir up in the Willamette Valley.

According to John Winthrop Haeger’s Pacific Pinot Noir, Dick Shea got the inspiration to plant Shea Vineyard in the late 1980s from Mark Benoit, son of the owner of Chateau Benoit that is now Anne Amie Vineyards. Shea and Benoit thought that the sedimentary soils of the Yamhill-Carlton District had just as much potential to produce distinctive Pinot noirs as the volcanic red soils of the Dundee Hills.

It is now considered one of the top vineyards in all of Oregon with a very exclusive list of wineries sourcing fruit from it including Winderlea, Archery Summit, Bergström, Ken Wright, Penner-Ash and St. Innocent.

The 2011 Shea Pinot spent 10 months in French oak barrels (13% new) with around 390 cases produced.

The Wine

Medium plus intensity nose–lots of red berry, cherry and spice notes. With a little air some floral elements come out adding more layers.

The inviting black tea notes I find in this Winderlea Pinot noir I see often in Pinots from Yamhill-Carlton

On the palate, those cherry notes come through but the spice notes become more black tea like. Medium plus acidity gives nice juiciness to the fruit while medium tannins gives grip to the wine. The spice notes lingers for a long finish.

The Verdict

The 2011 vintage was cool but it’s a vintage that showcases a winemaker’s skill in crafting elegant and age worthy Pinots.

This 2011 Winderslea Shea is just starting to come into into its own and at around $65-75 certainly deserves its place as a top shelf Oregon Pinot from one of the Grand Cru vineyards of the state.

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60 Second Wine Review — Capitain-Gagnerot Corton-Renardes

Amber LeBeau in 60 Second Reviews, Burgundy, Wine reviews

Published on January 28, 2018

Some quick thoughts on the 2010 Maison Capitain-Gagnerot Corton-Renardes Grand Cru.

The Geekery

According to Clive Coates’ The Wines of Burgundy, the Capitains’ history in the region dates back to the 17th century. Domaine Gagnerot was established in 1802 with the Capitain family joining it in marriage in 1864.

Today Capitain-Gagnerot is managed by the current generation of Patrice and Michel Capitain who tend to almost 40 acres that includes not only around 0.8 acres in Corton-Renardes but also plantings in the Grand Crus of Corton-Charlemagne, Échezeaux, Clos Vougeot and the greater Corton Grand Cru. They also own the premier cru monopole of La Micaude in Ladoix-Serrigny.

Les Renardes is one of 25 climats on the hill of Corton and is considered one of the more highly regarded climats of the Grand Cru along with Clos du Roi, Les Bressandes, Les Perrières, Les Pougets and Les Grèves.

The Wine

The climat of Les Renardes on the Aloxe-Corton side of the Grand Cru Corton.
Photo courtesy of Atlas Vins from Jacques Michot – Sepia Art & Cartographie.

Medium intensity nose. Some red fruits but mostly earthy forest floor and savory “chicken herbs”–rosemary, thyme, marjoram and sage. It’s not quite define which herbs but smelling this wine makes me think I’m by the rotisserie at Costco.

On the palate, the wine has medium plus acidity and firm medium tannins. The acidity amplifies the red fruit flavors and gives them more precision as cherries and pomegranate. The savoriness from the nose carries through but it is still not very defined.

The Verdict

This is a hefty and very dense Grand Cru Pinot noir that is probably in its awkward adolescence. You can tell that there is a lot of layers of complexity waiting to unfurl but it is not there yet. The hints are there, especially with the intriguing savoriness.

At around $150 for a Grand Cru from a good quality vintage, I can see this eventually living up to its price and is worth squirreling away a couple bottles in the cellar for another 5 to 10 years.