Category Archives: 60 Second Reviews

60 Second Wine Review — 2007 Vilmart Coeur de Cuvee

Amber LeBeau in 60 Second Reviews, Champagne

Published on June 26, 2019

A few quick thoughts on the 2007 Vilmart & Cie Coeur de Cuvee Champagne.
Vilmart 2007 Coeur de Cuvee Champagne

The Geekery

Laurent Champs is the 5th generation vigneron running his family’s estate in the premier cru village of Rilly-la-Montagne in the Montagne de Reims. Despite this region being world-renown for Pinot noir, the 11 ha (27 acres) of Vilmart are majority Chardonnay.

While his father, René, experimented with biodynamics, Laurent practices sustainable and organic viticulture with AMPELOS certification.

The Coeur de Cuvee is 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot noir sourced from a single parcel of 55+ year-old vines. Vilmart uses only the first 14 hl of pressing (the “coeur/heart”) instead of the full 20.5 hl allowed. The vin clair is aged in white Burgundy barrels for ten months with no malolactic fermentation taking place.

The wine then spends six years aging on the lees before being disgorged with a 7-9 g/l dosage. For the 2007, only 150 cases were imported into the US.

The Wine

Lots of apple pastry action going on with this Champagne with some almond marzipan making as well.

High-intensity nose–lots of apple pastry and vanilla notes with racy citrus peel. A little air lets a white floral note come out that’s a mix of lilies and acacia.

On the palate, those pastry notes come through and are very creamy with an almond marzipan note. Noticeable oak spice is also present, but it complements the spice pear that emerges adding another layer of depth. Very full-bodied mouthfeel but ample acidity keeps it balanced and fresh. Long finish ends with the oak spice and the creamy marzipan.

The Verdict

This is a bloody gorgeous Champagne that is worth every penny as a prestige cuvee in the $140-150 range. Truthfully, it blows many more expensive bottles out of the water.

However, I do suspect with the strong lingering oak notes–even after 10+ years in the bottle–that younger vintages (like their current 2011 release) will be more overtly oaky. While this 2007 was in a beautiful spot right now, this may be a Champagne worth focusing more on older vintages.

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60 Second Wine Review — Odette SLD Cabernet Sauvignon

Amber LeBeau in 60 Second Reviews, Napa Valley

Published on June 17, 2019

A few quick thoughts on the 2016 Odette Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley.

Odette SLD Cab

Note: This wine was tasted as a sample.

The Geekery

In 2012, the PlumpJack Group acquired 45 acres in the Stags Leap District from Dick Stelzner. Along with Nathan Fay, Stelzner pioneered Cabernet Sauvignon in the area.

In addition to Odette, the PlumpJack Group also own PlumpJack in Oakville and CADE on Howell Mountain. While each property has its own winemakers and style, they all consistently use screw caps for all their wines, even high-end reds.

At Odette, Jeff Owens, previously the assistant winemaker at CADE and a protege of Anthony Biagi, has been with the winery since the beginning. He helped design the new winery to meet LEED Gold specifications and oversees the sustainable and organic farming of the estate.

The 2016 Estate Cab is 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 4% Malbec and 4% Petit Verdot with 75 barrels (about 1875 cases) made.

The Wine

Very rich dark fruit in this Cab.

Medium-plus intensity nose. Ripe dark fruits–black plums, blackberries–and noticeable vanilla. With air, vivid floral notes come out–violets and lavender. Very perfumey.

On the palate, the richness of the dark fruit leads the way. Velvety and very ripe medium-plus tannins hold up the full-bodied fruit. Medium acidity gives some freshness and life to the floral notes, as well as suggest a subtle spiciness underneath. The fruit leads the long finish with creamy vanilla and chocolatey notes lingering.

The Verdict

The Odette wines were by far the most hedonistic and lavishly seductive wines that I tasted on my press tour of the Stags Leap District. They are definitely more velvet glove than an iron fist.

Is that seduction worth $150 a bottle? Depends.

Compared to many of its hedonistic peers that I’ve bought before such as Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red ($170), Bevan Wildfoote Vixen Block ($265), Alpha Omega Beckstoffer Georges III ($200) among others, it holds its own. And, truthfully, I would put the Odette closest to the Bevan–which makes sense given their SLD pedigree.

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60 Second Wine Review — Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Elia Rosé

Amber LeBeau in 60 Second Reviews, Napa Valley

Published on June 8, 2019

Today is apparently National Rosé Day. In the US? Globally? Who knows?, but I figured it was as good as any day to share a few quick thoughts on the 2018 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Elia Rosé from Napa Valley.

Stags Leap Elia

Note: This wine was tasted as a sample.

The Geekery

First released in 2015, the Elia Rosé is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from the legendary Fay Vineyard in the Stags Leap District.

The 2018 vintage is a blend of fruit harvested in early September to make rosé (with six hours of skin contact) and then later fruit harvested in November. Tasting notes don’t clarify if this last batch was made in the saignée style. However, the resulting color of the wine and timing suggest that likely was the case.

Winemaker Marcus Notaro then aged the wine for 5.5 months in combination neutral oak barrels and stainless with 550 cases made.

The Wine

Very ripe cherry notes in this wine.

Medium-plus intensity. A mix of red cherry and ripe raspberries. Around the edges, there is a little mint eucalyptus note that reminds you of its red Fay counterpart.

On the palate, you can definitely feel medium-body weight and phenolics, but the texture is very well done. No bitterness or astringency at all. Again, there is a velvety texture that reminds you of a Stags Leap District Cab. The medium acidity gives some balance of freshness but unfortunately fades with the finish.

The Verdict

This is definitely a unique rosé with a lot of character. It was fun to try as a novelty but, without a doubt, a massive driver of its $44 price is the quality and novelty of its grapes. The Fay Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon averages around $140 a bottle.

You can tell that the SLWC team put a lot of thought and care into crafting a high-end rosé. But, in all honesty, it’s not something that I’d feel compelled to hunt down or pay more than $30 for. There are just too many other great rosés out there for far less.

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60 Second Wine Review — Digby Fine English Brut

Amber LeBeau in 60 Second Reviews, Shopping for Wine

Published on May 29, 2019

It’s English Wine Week, so I’m sharing a few quick thoughts on the non-vintage Digby Fine English Brut sparkling wine.

Digby Fine English Brut

The Geekery

American Trevor Clough and Englishman Jason Humphries founded Digby Fine English in 2013 as a negociant house in the style of many Champagne firms. Purchasing wine (and later fruit) from several sources, they released a 2009 vintage brut and rosé that year.

Clough and Humphries named their venture in honor of the 17th-century philosopher and scientist Sir Kenelm Digby. Also an inventor, Digby pioneered several new techniques in glassmaking–essentially inventing the modern wine bottle.

The wines are made at Wiston Estate Winery by Irish winemaker Dermot Sugrue. Vineyards for the NV Brut were sourced from the North and South Downs region of Kent as well as Sussex and Hampshire.

The non-vintage Brut is 40% Pinot noir, 35% Chardonnay and 25% Pinot Meunier with the Chardonnay seeing an additional 18 months of lees contact before being used in the blend. The finished wine was aged 24 months in the bottle and then disgorged with a 12 g/l dosage. Around 25,000 bottles were produced.

The Wine

Some apple tart pastry flavors but not much more.

Medium intensity nose. Appley with some toasted tart pastry.

On the palate, the apple pastry notes carry through with a little subtle earthiness as well. Lively mousse and acidity complement the weighty feel of the wine. However, the flavors and the finish quickly fade.

The Verdict

In general, I’m a huge fan of English sparklers and have had several that go toe-to-toe with quality Champagne. Chapel Down is probably my favorite. But they haven’t been the easiest to find in the US and I will admit that this one (which I got at a Seattle wine shop for $50 USD) was rather underwhelming.

In the UK, this is direct from the producer at £30.99 (about $40 USD) with some merchants selling it closer to $30 USD. That is a much better price point for this quality level. Without a doubt, US consumers are paying a premium for the novelty.

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60 Second Wine Review — Arthur Metz Cuvee Prestige

Amber LeBeau in 60 Second Reviews

Published on May 17, 2019

A few quick thoughts on the Arthur Metz Cuvee Prestige Cremant d’Alsace.

Arthur Metz Cremant d'Alsace

The Geekery

Founded in Marlenheim in 1904, Arthur Metz was an early pioneer of sparkling Cremant d’Alsace. However, he wasn’t the first with Julien Dopff of Dopff au Moulin likely beating Metz by a couple of years after being inspired by the wines of Champagne while visiting the 1900 Paris Universal Exposition.

However, there is some evidence that Alsatian winemakers were making sparkling wines in the traditional method as early as the late 19th century. The official AOC for Cremant d’Alsace would later be established on August 24, 1976.

Today the house of Arthur Metz includes three properties (Domaine de la Ville de Colmar, Clos St-Jacques and Hospices de Colmar) as well as two pressing rooms–Scharrachbergheim in northern Alsace and Epfig in central Alsace. The estate also works with more than 400 small growers giving the winery access to over a 1000 hectares of grapes.

The Cuvee Prestige is a blend of Pinot blanc, Pinot noir and Riesling grapes grown from both estate and contract fruit. Some releases may also have Auxerrois blended in. Other cremants in the Metz line-up will sometimes feature Pinot gris and Chardonnay. The wine was aged 12 months on the lees before being bottled with a brut level dosage.

The Wine

The Granny Smith apple notes of this wine tastes very fresh.

Medium-plus intensity nose. Lots of citrus and apple tree fruit notes. There is also some white flowers.

On the palate, the citrus becomes more defined as Meyer lemon, but the apple notes are the most prominent. The wine has a lively mousse that is silky without being creamy. My best guess of the dosage is in the 0.7-0.9 g/l range. The long finish adds freshness to the apples like sliced Granny Smiths.

The Verdict

At $16-20, this is a very solid sparkling Cremant that’s on the crisp and light side of the equation. Excellent warm weather bubbles that are refreshing without being weighty. Definitely a bottle I’ll be getting again.

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60 Second Wine Review — Hunt & Harvest Picpoul

Amber LeBeau in 60 Second Reviews, Napa Valley

Published on May 9, 2019

A few quick thoughts on the 2016 Hunt & Harvest Picpoul from Rutherford in Napa Valley.

Hunt & harvest picpoul

The Geekery

Hunt & Harvest is the new label of Chris Hall of Long Meadow Ranch fame. Along with Dan O’Brien (formerly of Larkmead and owner of Gail Wines in Sonoma), Hall created the label to produce varietal wines from various vineyards in Napa Valley.

In addition to the Picpoul, they also produce a Sangiovese, Sauvignon blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa as well as Rutherford designated Merlot & Cab. Additionally, they source Pinot noir from a Willamette Valley vineyard that is just outside the Dundee Hills AVA.

The Picpoul is 100% varietal from Rutherford that was aged in stainless steel.

The Wine

Photo By Ulf Eliasson - Own work, CC BY 2.5

Even when the glass was empty, you could still smell the honeysuckle.

Medium-plus intensity nose. Was a smidge reductive under the screw cap but that quickly blew off to reveal white floral honeysuckle and green apple notes.

On the palate, the green apple carries through with some lemon citrus peel notes joining the party. Medium-plus acidity is lively. Not quite the lip-stinging of Languedoc examples, but very nervy.

There is a lot of texture to the medium-bodied mouthfeel that would have suggested neutral oak but that’s obviously not the case. (Perhaps skin contact?) Long finish is mouthwatering and extremely floral.

The Verdict

While I’ve had a lot of great wine this week in the lion’s den of Napa Cab country, few wines have made my heart soar as much as finding this bottle of Picpoul. And from Rutherford of all places!

Undoubtedly, Rutherford has some blessed terroir with a lot of history. But it’s always seemed like an endless carpet of Cabernet Sauvignon with maybe a smattering of other Bordeaux varieties here and there. High price tags also trademark Rutherford, but at $25 this Hunt & Harvest Picpoul is a screaming good deal. Even paying restaurant mark-up of $55 I felt extremely pleased with the freshness, depth and vigor of this wine. Well worth seeking out.

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60 Second Wine Review — Ponzi Classico Pinot noir

Amber LeBeau in 60 Second Reviews, Oregon wine

Published on April 27, 2019

A few quick thoughts on the 2015 Ponzi Classico Pinot noir from the Willamette Valley.

Ponzi Classico Pinot noir

The Geekery

The Ponzis are one of the pioneering families of the modern Oregon wine industry. After moving to the area in the late 1960s, Dick and Nancy Ponzi founded their eponymous vineyard in 1970. They released their first vintage in 1976, a mere 96 cases of 1974 Pinot noir.

Today, their daughters run the estate with Anna Maria Ponzi taking care of the business side of the things and Luisa in charge of the winemaking. Before joining her family’s winery, Luisa Ponzi studied enology in Burgundy with Domaine Roumier and in Piedmont with Vietti.

Since 2000, all of the family’s estate vineyards are sustainable as well as the fruit they get from partner growers.

Outside of wine, the Ponzis also founded Bridgeport Brewing Company in 1984, a key event in Oregon craft brewing. The family no longers owns the brewery, selling it in 1995 to The Gambrinus Company.

The Classico Pinot noir is a blend from Ponzi’s 130 acres and partner growers. The fruit for the 2015 vintage was sourced from the Chehalem Mountains, Yamhill-Carlton and Eola-Amity Hills AVAs with 7000 cases made.

The Wine

One of my favorite notes in Oregon Pinots.

Medium-plus intensity nose. Very red fruit dominant (cherries and raspberries) with floral undertones. A little air brings out more savory herbal notes and my catnip for Oregon Pinots–black tea.

On the palate, the red fruits carry through but taste richer and weightier with a medium-plus body. Moderate oak introduces some baking spices and a creamy vanilla mouthfeel. Medium-plus acidity keeps the fruit feeling fresh and balanced with ripe medium tannins. Long finish brings back the floral and tea notes.

The Verdict

At $36-43, this is a very delicious Oregon Pinot that’s rather underpriced. I can easily see this bottle fetching $50-60 labeled as a single AVA if it had qualified. However, being a blend saddles it with the more generic “Willamette Valley” appellation.

It certainly doesn’t taste like a generic wine and is well-worth snapping up.

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60 Second Wine Review — Quinta de la Rosa Douro

Amber LeBeau in 60 Second Reviews

Published on April 19, 2019

A few quick thoughts on the 2008 Quinta de la Rosa Reserva Douro Red Blend.

The Geekery

Quinta de la Rosa has been in Sophia Bergqvist’s family since her grandmother, Claire Feueheerd, inherited the estate as a christening present in 1906. Today, Berqvist farms her 55 hectares sustainably with Jorge Moreira producing the wine.

The 2008 Reserva is a field blend from the estate’s best blocks. It’s made up of a hodgepodge of traditional Port varieties–Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Cao and Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo). Around 1,500 cases produced with only 200 cases imported to the US.

The Wine

The freshness of the black fruits is scrumptious for a 10+ yr wine.

High-intensity nose. A mix of dark fruits (plums, black currants, blackberries) with savory, meaty tones. There is also anise and oak baking spice (nutmeg) with some subtle black tea notes. Even pop and pour, there is a lot going on here.

On the palate, the full-bodied weight of the fruit is balanced with medium-plus acidity. This keeps the dark fruits tasting fresh and juicy despite 10+ years of bottle age. The ripe medium-plus tannins are present but velvety at this point. The fruit impressively leads the long finish, but those meatier notes return.

The Verdict

This wine is a fantastic value in the $35-40 range. It easily drinks on par with $50-60 bottles. I was lucky enough to receive this as a gift from a good friend who visited the Quinta de la Rosa estate. But, with such limited quantities imported, this will be a tough bottle to find in the US.

However, this wine is just one of many outstanding values that are coming out of Portugal. Yet, because Portuguese wines are still relatively obscure, these wines are often dramatically underpriced. If you want to be a savvy wine drinker, look for some of these gems the next time you’re at a wine shop or perusing a wine list.

Take a flyer, regardless of producer. The odds are that you’re going to be pleasantly surprised.

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60 Second Review — Catena Alta Cabernet Sauvignon

Amber LeBeau in 60 Second Reviews

Published on April 4, 2019

A few quick thoughts on the 2009 Catena Alta Cabernet Sauvignon from Argentina.

The Geekery

The origins of Catena Zapata date back to 1902 when Nicola Catena planted Malbec vines in Mendoza. An Italian immigrant, Catena was one of the first to pioneer Malbec as a single varietal in Argentina.

His grandson, Nicolás Catena Zapata, developed an interest in making premium Cabernet Sauvignon after spending time in Napa Valley with his family in the early 1980s while serving as a visiting economics scholar at the University of Berkley. Today, Nicolás runs the estate with his daughter, Laura.

Fruit from the Agrelo and Tupungato sub-regions of Mendoza makes up the backbone of the 2009 Catena Alta. The Catena family sourced lots from several of their favorite vineyards including La Pirámide, Domingo and the Nicasia Vineyard.

The wine spent 18 months aging in French oak barrels (80% new) before being bottled unfined and unfiltered.

The Wine

Nice savory, chicken-roasting herbs in this wine. Accordingly, it would’ve been smart to pair this with a roasted dish.

Medium-intensity nose. Some red currant and a little savory “roasting herb” spices like thyme and sweet marjoram. With air, some minty eucalyptus emerges.

On the palate, the red fruit comes in, but it is not very pronounced. In fact, most of the flavors are relatively muted. Medium-plus acidity gives ample freshness. Again, though, not much is making itself defined. Definitely disjointed. Medium-plus tannins are firm, holding up the medium-plus weight of the wine. Moderate finish brings back some of the spice.

The Verdict

I opened this at a party which wasn’t the right setting for this wine. This is certainly a wine that needed time in the decanter and a food dish to accompanied its charms.

At $45-50, new vintages may have more flesh and personality to show up with just a splash decant. However, it’s clear that this Catena Alta was made in a very old world style and should be treated more like a Bordeaux than a New World wine.

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60 Second Wine Review — Domaine des Perdrix Vosne-Romanée

Amber LeBeau in 60 Second Reviews, Burgundy

Published on April 1, 2019

A few quick thoughts on the 2010 Domaine des Perdrix Vosne-Romanée Pinot noir from Burgundy.

The Geekery

Domaine des Perdrix Vosne-Romanée

In 1996, the Devillard family purchased Domaine des Perdrix in the Prémeaux-Prissey commune of Nuits-Saint-Georges. Today, Christiane and Bertrand Devillard manage the 12 ha (30 acres) estate with the 6th generation of this winemaking family, Amaury and Aurore, already helping.

The Devillards also owns Domaine de la Garenne, Domaine Rolet, Domaine de la Ferté, Clos du Cellier aux Moines and Château de Chamirey in the Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais.

The Vosne-Romanée bottling comes from 1.05 ha (2.5 acres) spread out among the climats of Les Quartiers de Nuits, Les Hautes Maizières and Les Chaladins. Located in the northern part of the village, bordering the Grand Crus of Echézeaux and Clos Vougeot, the plots are in an enviable location downslope from the Premier Cru vineyard Les Suchots. The ages of the plantings range from 90 to 30 years.

Other producers that make single vineyard bottlings from these climats include Nicolas Potel, Arnoux-Lachaux, Prieure Roch, Mongeard-Mugneret and A.F. Gros.

The Wine

Photo by Steven Depolo - originally posted to Flickr as Michigan Cherries 7-12-09 -- IMG_9801, uploaded to Wikimedia Commons under CC BY 2.0

The freshness and juiciness of the dark cherries in this Pinot was impressive.

Medium-plus intensity nose. Ripe dark cherries with noticeable oak spice of cloves and nutmeg as well roasted coffee beans.

On the palate, the dark cherries come through and are very lively with medium-plus acidity. The acidity amplifies floral red fruit notes of strawberries as well. Medium tannins hold up the medium-bodied weight of the fruit and have a velvety texture that is accentuated by the creamy vanilla. Long finish brings back the oak spice but mostly lingers on the still remarkably fresh fruit.

The Verdict

When I purchased this bottle a couple of years ago, it was around $80. Since then the price has skyrocketed along with other Burgundies to now $129.

For under $100, this is a gorgeous village-level Burg from some choice plots that is certainly worth grabbing. Closer to $130, you are paying a premium, but it may still be worth it for a special occasion. It’s holding up very well.