Summer Wines
Remirez de Ganuza Blanco Gran Reserva 2013 Rioja.
White Riojas have always had a unique charm. Fruity and succulent, without being so tropical and with an excellent balance between fruit and wood, like this fantastic example made with Viura at a high altitude in the Sonsierra at the Rioja region. Complex as a Burgundy, with tangerine and vanilla. Elegant, flowery and sophisticated. Probably one of the best white Riojas I've ever tasted. It continues to evolve and show more white aromas of peach, fresh grass and pear. It's not a cheap wine ($150) but worth every penny paid. It is one of those that you must try from time to time. Definitely one of my favorite producers in La Rioja.
Occidental, Freestone-Occidental Pinot Noir 2020 California.
Steve Kistler, who made the Pinot Noir for Kistler, also created this Pinot Noir of a very Burgundi an style with succulent red fruit and floral notes. Very young, it takes 24 hours to open fully. It is elegant and complex. It begins with mature notes of cherry and rose petals with a velvety texture. When I found out that Stephen Kistler was the winemaker I wanted to compare as I really like his Pinot Noir. I was not disappointed at all! A new favorite, for sure! I like to enjoy this wine with Chinese food or with a Peking duck.
Claude Riffault SANCERRE Les Denisottes 2019.
An opulent citrus opening accentuated on the nose, with notes of lemon and orange flowers. Pleasant acidity with a medium, mineral, clean body and with vanilla notes on the palate. It leaves a very fresh aftertaste and with tropical accents; later, it displays lemon candy and a well-balanced personality. A delicious wine for a warm summer night before dinner. This is basically Sauvignon Blanc with some oak barrel aging but very well balanced. I would pair sushi, a seafood cocktail, smoked salmon, or caviar for this wine.
Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2002.
Wow! What a wine!! Silky, ripe, and aromatic. I am convinced that 20 years is the perfect age for this wine. It occurred to me to take it out of the cellar for dinner with the family and home cooking. And why not? I believe that great wines should be enjoyed with those we love the most. This Bordeaux is spectacular! I decanted it for 6 hours and evolved spectacularly with dark chocolate, dried herbs, and plum notes. Pencil sharpener, ripe fruit and dark cherry; still vivid, bright and powerful, all in a velvety texture. It could have lasted another twenty years in the cellar.
Itzcuintle XOLO Valle de Guadalupe 2020 (Cabernet Sauvignon and Nebbiolo).
A gift from a great friend who came to visit from Mexico. I have been craving this wine for a long time; it opens with a lot of oak at the beginning, followed by a good fruitiness; black cherries, blackberries and blueberries. Voluptuous, very fruity, with perfume of violet flowers and fig. Sweet tannins, great body, and a long finish. As it opens, it softens a little and notes of Coca-Cola, berries and licorice come out. Cabernet Sauvignon dominates and adds to the fruitiness of the Nebbiolo body and some depth. I like it; rich to sip alone or with roast beef and French fries.
Muga Tower 2006 Rioja
Exquisite! It's been many years since I tried this phenomenal Rioja; I got a six-pack back then, and this was the fifth (so one more and that's it!). A true jewel that shows a robust structure and a large, lively body, but silky and sophisticated with balsamic notes, dark cherry and dark chocolate. It fills the mouth with a tannic and fruity attack and then softens to be scented and aromatic with a pencil sharpener, licorice, and plums. Absolutely delicious! It would have benefited even more if I had decanted it three or four hours earlier.
