1 | Wine | 91 to 95 | Page 83

"From just below the Boudot and near (Vosne) Chaumes, Leroy’s 2005 Nuits-St.-Georges Bas de Combe offers aromas of salted black cherry, rose hips and wood smoke. Uncannily meaty in the mouth with persistent sweet fruit and doughy, velvety richness, this displays a lovely sweet juiciness of pure, clear fruit and flattering floral perfume and creaminess of texture in its finish. I hardly notice the structure for the sweetness of fruit and all the pillows strewn ‘round."

"The nose is beautifully defined with scents of melon, honeysuckle and white peach with just a hint of creme patissiere. The palate is fresh and crisp on the entry with subtle almond and hazelnut. It has wonderfully integrated vanilla-tinged oak and a tense, mineral-rich finish that is Corton-Charlemagne in all but name and price. This is one of South Africa’s benchmark Chardonnays."

"The 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape Vendange reveals Vedeau's singular, elegant winemaking style. Similar to the 2007, the 2010 possesses blueberry and raspberry notes intermixed with spring flowers, a medium to full-bodied mouthfeel, good acidity and a seamless integration of all the component parts." -Robert Parker

"Vibrant and harmonious. ...with a slight grain and citrusy acidity, this crisp, well-cut Champagne shows creamy hints of green apple, fresh quince, salty mineral and biscuit."

"The 2006 Barbera d’Asti La Crena is a dense, brooding effort loaded with mineral-infused dark fruit, violets, graphite, flowers and French oak. This is an especially seamless yet mid-weight La Crena built on elegance rather than power, with an impeccably clean, polished finish that rounds things out. Usually I prefer Barbera on the young side, but La Crena truly sings around age ten or so. It remains one of the most under-the-radar wines in Piedmont. La Crena is made from vines that are over 70 years old in Agliano, one of the most privileged sites for Barbera in Piedmont."

"Primary yet detailed nose offers crushed blackberry, black cherry, licorice, bitter chocolate, minerals and flowers. Pure, elegant and precise in the mouth, with terrific energy and thrust to the flavors of crushed black fruits and spices. Perhaps best today on the sharply focused, gripping, palate-staining finish, which shows a captivating gingerbread spiciness. This can be tasted now thanks to its intensity and sheer personality but is built to age." Reviewed by Stephen Tanzer.

"The 2009 Sassicaia is unusually big, rich and opulent. Layers of fruit saturate the palate as the 2009 explodes from the glass with a heady melange of dark berries, plums, menthol, licorice and new leather. This is an especially racy Sassicaia. Readers who enjoy the classicism of Sassicaia are likely to find the 2009 too rich, especially at this early stage. The wine needs at least a few years in bottle to drop some of its baby fat. Despite its huge fruit, the 2009 is also pretty closed down and not anywhere close to being ready to show off its pedigree. Sassicaia is arguably Italy’s most famous wine, so it’s always great when it lives up to its reputation."

"Pure but reticent aromas of minerals and spices, with a deep woodsy sweetness. Then dense, lush and silky but youthfully backward. This powerfully minerally, spicy wine boasts fruit of steel. Finishes with big, broad, strong tannins and great length and grip." Reviewed by Stephen Tanzer.

"A taut, vibrant style, packing plenty of raspberry, tobacco, tea and spice flavors into a lean, focused beam, persisting into the extended finish. This should be lovely once it settles down."