cognitivebottletherapy

2011 Dönnhoff Oberhäuser Leistenberg Riesling Kabinett

Still a pale colour and pristine sparkly flavours of ripe citrus, white peach together with old church candle wax and flower arrangements show some sprightly youth. There’s a sniff of petrol creeping in and some honeyed melding of flavour from time in the bottle. Fine ripe acidity that tingles the teeth is perfectly balanced by just the right sweetness. No cloy just integration. Is there anything better on a fan forced oven of a hot summer evening?

10.50 % alcohol. Screw cap, performing perfectly. About $50 at the time.

94 points.

2017 Wickhams Road Heathcote Sangiovese

Perhaps a first Sangiovese from those relentlessly great value and energetic Hoddles Creek chaps? Clean, fresh, bright, just medium weighted, cherry scented with a twist of mint and eucalypt forest. Really has that lip smacking, cheek flapping twang of the juicy blood of Jove. One for those who value fruit over extraction. The ripe acidity positively takes it up a notch with some simple pizza or pasta. Bravissimo ragazzi!

13.50% alcohol. Screw cap. $20.

90 deliciosi punti.

2017 Henry Fessy Gamay Noir

A Dan Murphy direct import from a business now owned by Louis Latour. For a wine made on an industrial scale this still has some charm. Bright crunchy red fruits and firm but still agreeable acidity. Some of those banana skin whole berry smells and spotlessly clean freshness add up to what’s really a bargain. Much better the second day which shows there’s some genuine fruit quality here. Not exactly Foillard but a good choice from uncle Dan’s..er..heterogeneous offerings.

13% alcohol. Screwcap. $14.50

90 points

A 2020 version as a Dan Murphy’s two for one members’ special is ludicrously good for $8 a bottle. Pretty much the same note as above but with a bit more latent power and fruit concentration through the middle and end. There’s a suggestion from the way it got richer and more enjoyable that things may be even more tasty in a year or so. I’ve put four bottles away to find out. Massive investment risk of $32.

2017 Eperosa Magnolia Blanc

Barossa Semillon from old vines. Opened a bit yeasty and spicy with rich very ripe citrus to more exotic fruits. Over a couple of days the jangly edge settled well and things calmed down into some generous rich fruit, a touch of oak spice and some firm fresh acidity to balance. The rich yellow green colour suggests some skin contact and the acidity does seem buffered by some good grape skin texture. The whole thing looks natural and has some honest depth from terrific fruit. Big fellah with a fine sense of balance.

12.50% alcohol. Cork, oh dear. $25.

94 points.

A more recent bottle in March 2019 was much more settled. Less yeasty and jangly. Cleanly fruited, satisfyingly deep and poised. Makes you wonder what this would be like after ten years under screwcap. Is it possible to get a six pack rebottled? Can you save old screwcap empties, clean them and stick this in with a squirt of argon? Corks make you desperate in many ways!

Still 94 points.

2017 Domaine Heimbourger Chablis Cuvée Pierre

One of the joys of holidays in Paris is finding a new caviste with a small selection of consistently good choices. Even better if you realise you know not a lot about the producers on offer and the adventure keeps ending deliciously. So, hats off to the Marché St Martin again. Right from first sniff this is Chablis. Very slick wine making. Clean, almost sanitised, with a judicious seasoning of oak barrel. There’s some solid yellow and green fruit and that long, gentle but insistent acidity that makes Chablis so irresistible. So much wine, so little time and relative amounts of money. Next stop uncle Dan’s member specials.

13.00% alcohol. Cork. 18 euros.

92 points.

2016 Jean Foillard Morgon Côte de Py

Bit of a treat but in relative value terms no second thoughts. Touch of yeasty breath and then pristine ripe raspberries, freshly turned stoney soil after cool autumn rain, yeah really, glacially finishing acid and a long distance end. Incredible purity of fruit and the best sort of supporting texture. A bottle of the ‘14 was quite reduced and built for leaving alone, this seems more candid and extrovert. Very nice to meet you indeed.

13% alcohol. Cork. 22.50 euros from Julhès who had the basic Morgon for 14.50!

95 points.

2017 Domaine des Montèzes Carignan IGP

From Larzac in Languedoc. Perfumed and primary, really fresh and bright, mid weight, clean and red fruited, nicely ripe but still hanging onto the crunchy, firm handshake of Carignan’s acidity. The tannin lurks behind. Great favourite country cousin sort of grape. Another unwavering selection from Juhlès leading to some frantic posting.

13% alcohol. Cork. 11 euros.

91 points.

2017 Jean Perrier et Fils Savoie Abymes

100% Jacquère which isn’t numbered amongst the world’s greatest varieties but makes up a large proportion of Savoy’s output. Spotless and delicious though in this case. Smells and tastes perfectly like white wine without shouting any specifics. Sort of sweet green herbs and yellow fruit of some density. Just mouth-wateringly dry and difficult to stop drinking. Great value way to start the cooking. Another super value from Juhlès.

11.50% alcohol. One of those new fangled Nomacorc Plantcorc things which are causing some excitement among Euro producers. 9 euros.

90 points

2017 Domaine A. Berthet Rayne Cairanne Vieilles Vignes

60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 20% Carignan. All done in concrete it seems and all the better to avoid any dirty or specious oak flavours which find no favour around here. Dark and self contained at first but musky violets and very ripe raspberry smells eventually emerge. Rich and full mouthful of wild but clean berries. Solid tannin but with some melting chocolate softness to help it along. The fruit’s just lovely and evenly ripe, perhaps it’s the level of care and hard work organic farming demands? Reckon this will be extra delicious in another year or two. Chapeau to the patient bloke who runs the wine stall at the 10th’s Marché St. Martin. Impeccable selections so far.

14.50% alcohol. Cork. 11.50 euros.

93 points.

2017 Domaine Olivier Morin Constance Bourgogne Chitry

Chablis is looking more expensive by the day even in France due to two really low crops, more demand and, well, it is Burgundy. The village of Chitry isn’t far away but doesn’t yet have the momentum and thank goodness with producers like this. Still one for the workers. From the cheese and wine oracle of Julhès in Paris’ tenth, this pure clean Chardonnay has a whiff of shells and sea but is really more like a good, cool grown new world version. Concentration and ripeness of honeyed citrus and stone fruit carry well to a firm but even acid cut. Not quite the mellow lactic mouth caress that makes Chablis difficult to stop drinking but the fruit quality makes up for it. Bargain.

13% alcohol. Cork. 12 euros.

92 points.