Weekly tasting report (Jul 26-Aug 1, 2020): Australia, Chile, France, Italy, Slovenia
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- James tastes a selection of top Tuscans in James Suckling Wine Central.
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- Nick Stock tastes in the Barossa Valley for an upcoming report.
Our tastings continue apace in despite the challenges we are all facing and we find comfort in not only being able to continue to taste hundreds of wines each week, but in finding many great wines to share among them.
In this weekly highlights bulletin our top selections cover Burgundy, the Rhone Valley, Piedmont and Tuscany. A trio of wines that all scored 97 points represent our highest-rated wines.
The Albert Bichot Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru Domaine du Pavillon 2018 (97 points) is a beacon of power and “shows such pedigree and strength, yet with finesse and balance.” This delivers “density and tension”, which is a hallmark of this famous Grand Cru. Our wider tastings of 2018 Burgundy reveal that 2018 is a vintage that offers quality and typicity in both whites and reds and also plenty of value in the more everyday level wines. Good news all-round.
A fantastic Barbaresco in the form of the Paitin Barbaresco Sorì Paitin Vecchie Vigne Riserva 2015 (97 points) shows the remarkable trait of this vintage, where wines are so rich and yet fresh and structured. James loved the “aromas and flavors of white truffles, bark, dust, walnuts and tile, as well as plums and dried strawberries” and noted it is “full-bodied with plenty of tannins, yet there’s a really impressive, linear feel running through it that provides tension and form.” The full voice of the nebbiolo grape is on show here.
Tuscany’s Monteverro Toscana 2017 (97 points) is a Bordeaux-style blend that is concentrated, powerful and shows attractive complexity already. Look out for “loads of blackberries, black licorice, sage and blueberries”. This is another Tuscan red from a surprisingly good vintage that manages to deliver a full-bodied and rich expression with great polish. We love seeing the wines of Tuscany show such poise.
Across recent weeks we’ve seen that Tuscany is producing high quality across many different styles, areas and classifications. This week we found two outstanding wines that represent two very different faces of Brunello. The Villa I Cipressi Brunello di Montalcino Zebras 2015 (96 points) is a “sleek, racy Brunello with a compact palate of beautiful, ripe plums, black cherries, black chocolate and flowers” and again highlights the fantastic quality of the vintage, which is one of the best ever.
The Biondi-Santi Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2012 (96 points) is a beautifully traditional Brunello that will age delicately and for some time. It shows “a glorious nose … with blackberries, plums, balsamic, mushrooms and bark … tile and terracotta undertones.” James singled out the fine tannins and “vivid, linear acidity running through the middle palate” which equates to a wine that is drinkable now, but better after 2025. Classic Brunello here from a vintage James described as a “rockstar” return to form after an average 2011, with beautiful aromas, vibrant fruit, lively acidity, and ultra-fine tannins.
“Class and subtlety” is how James described the Castello di Bolgheri Bolgheri Superiore 2017 (96 points), a wine that shows “depth and finesse … with a medium to full body and currant, tobacco and dried-earth character.” The Tolaini Toscana Picconero 2016 (96 points) is a blend of merlot and cabernet franc and shows “intense aromas of currants, fresh herbs and wet earth with some dried flowers” and again, hits the target of polish and finesse that defines the modern face of the best Tuscan reds.
The trajectory of quality seen in the recent releases of Jaboulet wines of France’s Northern Rhône Valley continues with two highlights from the 2018 vintage. The Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle 2018 (96 points) has “serious poise and pedigree” and shows the depth and structure that was possible in 2018 in the Northern Rhône. The Paul Jaboulet Aîné Côte-Rôtie Domaine des Pierrelles 2018 (96 points) is a “very dense and layered” syrah with “finely polished tannins that give form and energy to the deep, layered fruit,” in a style that really strikes to the core of Côte Rôtie. Both these wines hit the mark of superior depth and definition and both will age very reliably.