August of 2023 Roundup

August was an interesting month. I went to a music festival in upstate New York and got together with friends whom I had not seen for many months. We enjoyed drinking exciting wines together to celebrate our reunion. I failed to track everything I tried in the month of August, so I only listed the ones I found memorable and could remember. Life is short, and I have only one liver; I need to be careful with what I consume. Compared to previous months, I tried significantly fewer wines, but I was lucky to uncork some of the most interesting ones and share them with friends and family.

On another note, it is my fault that I did not mark the vintage for some of the wines, so I marked them as ‘Unknown.’ I also tried some rather offensive wines and did not bother including them in the list so I am not reminded again. As always, I include my short impressions and marked the memorable ones in bold.

1. 1989 Château Sociando-Mallet

To read more about my experience, please refer to my post available HERE.

2. 2021 Domaine Chanterêves Pét Nat

Yet another outstanding wine in a row! For further details, simply click HERE.

3. 2021 Iconic Wines Secret Identity

4. 2022 Julian Haart J.J. Riesling Kabinett

5. NV Veuve Clicquot Champagne Brut

6. 2022 Stein Rosé trocken

7. 2020 Hermann J. Wiemer Riesling HJW Vineyard

A friend introduced me to Wiemer’s wines during an Easter dinner some time ago. The very first Wiemer I tried was the Magdalena Vineyard. However, I found the HJW Vineyard to be more complex and concentrated. It exhibits more green notes that complement the white flower and slight petrol notes. After the music festival, I made a stop at Empire Wine in Albany to pick up another bottle of this and Wiemer’s Dry Riesling Reserve. I wanted to savor this beautiful wine once again at home.

8. NV Bouvet Rosé Excellence Brut

9. 2016 Château Rousset-Caillau Bordeaux Supérieur

10. 2018 Schloss Johannisberg Riesling Gelblack feinherb

My friend and I finished all the wine we brought to the festival. We picked up this one at a local store near where we were staying. I had heard of this winemaker, but it was my first time trying their wine. It had lots of green notes, such as green apple, asparagus, dill, and green bell pepper. There were also some bitter green notes like celery and crisp green apple peel on the palate. While it may not have been as exciting as Wiemer, I still enjoyed every drop of this wine because it showcased many exciting primary characteristics

11. Unknown Nanclares y Prieto ‘Dandelion’ Albariño

12. 2020 Domaine de Chevillard Jacquère

After returning home from the festival, I visited Jersey Wine and Spirits for their weekly tasting. They were offering wines numbered 11 through 32 that day, and personally, I found this one to be the most appealing. It was a well-balanced wine with crisp acidity, abundant white flower and stone fruit notes, and a subtle hint of banana. I enjoyed it so much that I decided to bring one home to share with my wife. Stay tuned for a more in-depth experience!

13. Unknown Fratelli Alessandria Rossoluna Langhe Rosso

14. 2021 Le Puy de l’Ours Savigny-lès-Beaune ‘Clos des Godeaux’

Jason from Jersey Wine and Spirits knows how much I love wines from Savigny-lès-Beaune, so he recommended this as soon as it arrived at the shop. I finally had the opportunity to try it, and what a delightful wine it turned out to be! It exudes sophistication, reminding me of the tiny red flowers one would see in the countryside. The prominent strawberry notes were accompanied by unexpected hints of black pepper and cinnamon. As the wine opened up, it revealed more red fruit notes like raspberry, sour cherry, red cherry, and even more strawberry. Can you believe that this is the very first vintage from the winemakers? I will write more about this wine in later post.

15. 2017 Luis A. Rodriguez Vazquez Ribeiro A Torna Dos Pasás Escolma

I discovered this wine, once again thanks to Jason from Jersey Wine and Spirits when they conducted a class on Galician wines. Among all the fantastic wines we tasted, this one stood out the most. My wife and I picked up pork skewers and sweet plantains from the Puerto Rico Parade in our neighborhood and paired the wine with the food. The combination was delightful. On the second day, I prepared a short rib steak with sautéed mushrooms, roasted garlic, and tomatoes. The wine showcased a plethora of dark cherry, dried plum, and licorice notes. We affectionately called this a dangerous wine due to its highly easy-drinking nature; it felt like an integral part of the meal.

16. NV Dhondt-Grellet ‘Les Terres Fines’ 1er Cru Blanc de Blancs

Wines Nos. 16 through 20 comprised the exciting lineup for Dinner at Scale, a collaborative event between my local fish market and Jersey Wine and Spirits. This time, Jason curated the pairings, and they were truly incredible. The Blanc de Blancs was served alongside chargrilled elk horn oysters with pancetta, gruyere, and pecorino. The richness and savoriness of the oysters created a perfect harmony with the crisp Blanc de Blancs. The wine itself showcased primary characteristics such as white flower blossoms, lemon, lime, pear, and hints of honey and guava. This particular cuvée was a blend of nine different vintages, with 70% from 2019 and 30% ranging from 2017 to 1984

17. 2020 Clos de l’Ecotard Saumur Blanc

18. 2018 Fumey Chatelain Savagnin

19. 2020 Sylvain Pataille Marsannay

I had four bottles of Pataille at home, but I hadn’t had a chance to open any of them. So, when I saw the lineup prior to the dinner, I was very excited. Marsannay, in particular, is one of my favorite regions in Bourgogne. This wine exhibited berry notes like strawberry and blueberry, along with a hint of fresh meadow. Its elegant fruitiness truly reminded me of Jérôme Galeyrand’s 2019 Marsannay ‘La Combe du Pré,’ another outstanding wine from the region.

Pataille’s Marsannay was beautifully paired with roasted snapper, peach mojo, and seasonal vegetables. The fish was juicy and bursting with flavors. This pairing was mind-blowing because it challenged my preconceptions about red wine with fish.

20. 2021 J. B. Becker Wallufer Walkenberg Riesling Spätlese Trocken

21. 2019 Jean-François Ganevat Julien en Billat

22. 2018 Au Bon Climat Chardonnay Santa Barbara County

23. 2021 Luigi Bosca Malbec

24. 2022 Vigneti del Sole Venezie Pinot Grigio

25. 2021 Marc Brédif Vouvray ‘Classic’

26. 2020 Domaine Paul Blanck Gewürztraminer

27. 2021 Domaine del Bel Air Beaujolais-Villages Les Granits Bleus

28. 2018 Damilano Barolo ‘Lecinquevigne’

It was an affordable Barolo that had aged beautifully. Below are my tasting notes following the WSET SAT:

Appearance: pale garnet

Nose: med. intensity. tomato leaves. plum. sour cherry.