Over the course of a week, I taste a bunch of wine, usually with friends, and almost always with my wife. Here are some of the wines we tasted over the past few weeks. These are wines that were not sent as samples—in most cases, I actually paid for these wines (although a few have been given as gifts).
2008 Argyle Pinot Noir Nuthouse Eola – Amity Hills, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $65. Responsible bottle (547g; 1lb 3.2oz). Under screw cap. It has been two years, almost to the day, since I last popped a bottle of the 2008 Nuthouse, and while I felt the previous bottle had slipped a bit compared to its predecessors, this wine is right back up there at the top. Great fruit, even really great fruit, particularly given the age, with still a wonderfully vibrant acidity that keeps the wine focused all the way to the really lengthy finish. I have always loved this wine and this just might be the best of them all. Outstanding. 96 Points.
2017 B Kosuge Pinot Noir The Shop, Carneros, CA: Retail $35. Heavy Bottle (643g; 22.6oz). 100% Pinot Noir. This is one of my wife’s favorite wines, and we have purchased a few cases over the years, but this is the last one on hand, so I might be making a call to Byron soon. We last tasted this two years ago, and it seems to have really evolved in those 24 months. Much more of a tertiary flavors kind of experience as the characteristic fruitiness has left the building; now, there is much more of an earthy vibe, and I am digging it, but my wife is not all that pleased. Oh well, I’ll figure that out at a later point. This is gangbusters. Excellent. 91 Points.
2013 B Kosuge Pinot Noir Hirsch Vineyard, Sonoma Coast, CA: Retail $65. Heavy Bottle (656g; 23.1oz). I have been a fan of Byron Kosuge’s wines for a long while now and, coincidentally, I have been convinced for essentially the same amount of time that the Hirsch Vineyard is an American Grand Cru–one of the nation’s premier sites for both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Those two views come together in this wine, which I purchased from Byron back in 2016 and this is the last bottle of the lot. Nearly translucent in the glass, but still with rich color and fantastic aromas: black cherry, earth, maybe some clove. The palate is delicate and refined, which runs in contrast to the Hirsch Vineyard which, just a scant few miles from the Pacific Coast, can be a bit harsh and rugged. The tannins are nearly integrated, the balance is impeccable, and the finish is lengthy and delightful. Whoa. Yeah, I was pretty much right about both Byron Kosuge and the Hirsch Vineyard. I like being right. Outstanding. 94 Points.
2020 Louis Jadot Mâcon-Villages Les Petites Pierres, Burgundy, France: Retail $18. Responsible Bottle (566g; 20.0oz). Under DIAM5. Based on the last bottle (no, not that Last Bottle), which was pretty average, I decided I needed to get to this last bottle (no need to say it again, right?). And you know what? Bottle variation is a real thing; this is pretty close to fantastic, with great fruit on both the nose and the palate, balancing acidity, and a rather lengthy finish. Yeah, this bottle is pretty darned great. If I were confident that they would all be this good? I would buy a case in a heartbeat. Excellent. 92 Points.
2007 Karl Erbes Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Spätlese, Mosel Saar Ruwer, Germany: Retail $26. The last time I was in the Mosel, I visited Karl Erbes based on the suggestion of a fellow blogger who happens to be German–I figured he had to know better than most. He did. I found Karl’s wines clean and focused with plenty of fruit. So when this wine came up on Last Bottle several years ago, I got seven. I somehow consumed the first two without making a note, which is surprising since this is fantastic: apple and peach fruit, a touch of petrol, and steely minerality. Sure, it is fairly sweet, but that is expected from a Spätlese from the Mosel. Excellent. 91 Points.
NV Philipponnat Champagne Royale Réserve Brut, Champagne, France: Retail $75. Ridiculously Heavy Bottle (910g; 32oz). 65% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay, 5% Pinot Meunier. First press juice of mainly Grand and Premier Crus grapes, 20-30% reserve wines. I am no expert when it comes to Philipponnat, but I have been around the block in Champagne enough to know that bottle variation is a real thing. And while I really enjoyed my previous bottles from the esteemed house, this wine just seems, well, better. Great fruit, tons of tree fruit, plenty of citrus, all paired with fantastic acidity and balance. The dosage might be a tough high for my liking (about 8 g/l?), but I nitpick, this is Outstanding. 93 Points.
2020 Tongue Dancer Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, CA: Retail $55. Heavy Bottle (631g; 22.2oz). Ah, Tongue Dancer… I actually bought six bottles of this wine back in 2023. I first had this for my Fifth Annual Largest Blind Tasting of American Pinot Noir in 2022. I loved it then. And I love it now. Rather dark for a Pinot, but it falls into James MacPhail’s brand of bigger, bolder wines. There is a boatload of berry fruit on the nose, with touches of vanilla and just a hint of oak. The palate is as luxurious as the nose with an abundance of fruit but also fantastic tartness and depth. Look, Tongue Dancer is close to my Spirit Elixir so I know I am biased, but this is amazing, and even better after some time open and a healthy decant. I’ll be holding onto the other bottles for a while. Outstanding. 96 Points.
WINE OF THE WEEK: Usually, I try not to do this. Really. I am fortunate enough to drink some really fantastic wines most of the time and I try to “spread the love” a bit when it comes to choosing my Wine of the Week. Last week, the top wine was a Tongue Dancer Pinot de Ville, so this week I was looking for another producer to step to the fore and take top honors. In the end, though, this week’s “winner” was the 2020 Tongue Dancer Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, which is completely justified, of course, but now, James and Kerry MacPhail are going to expect it every week!
What was your Wine of the Week?
the drunken cyclist 