This month we celebrate fall with these beautiful wines. October also means that we are not even two months away from The TOP 50 Wines of 2022, with the countdown of the top 10 beginning next month. I hope you enjoy these wines as much as I do and stay tuned for some hot new releases next month before we begin the countdown of the Top 10 Wines of 2022. The Full Top 50 list will be posted as Decembers picks. Salute-
October
2007 Michel Mailliard, Grand Cru L'Oger
Champagne France
Hand harvested from a single plot in Oger.
Fermented in stainless steel tanks and no malolactic fermentation. aged one year on lees prior to secondary fermentation. Extended tirage and bottled with a 5.6 g/l dosage.
Golden in color with a fine mousse. Expressive aromas show notes of light toffee, marzipan, baked puff pastry, and biscotti that come with scents of wildflowers, green apple, Asian pear, lemon peel and white nectarine and hints of chalky minerals, acacia and honey.
The palate is supple and round with a fine bubble structure, high toned acidity and moderate phenolic bitterness. Flavors show richness and intensity with notes of green apple, preserved lemon, and nectarine that come with honeyed biscuits, pastry dough, almond, acacia and flowers finishing with chalk and minerality. Long and lingering through the long finish.
2007 Daniel-Etienne Defaix Chablis 1er Cru Côte de Léchet
Chablis, France
Brilliant Gold in the glass.
On the nose, hints of butterscotch and honey roasted almonds meet scents of lemon confit, quince, star fruit, flowers, fennel pollen and sea mist.
On the palate the wine has moderate weight and layered textures that are met with fresh acidity and balanced phenolics. Flavors show a mix lemon curd, apple, starfruit and quince that come laced with yoghurt, custard, butterscotch and hints of seaside minerality. The wine finishes at length.
The vines are nearing 50 years in age and low yields contribute to the greater concentration that has had a chance to settle in bottle. Slow and old school is the name of the game at the estate. After a strict triage, only the finest fruit is pressed, parcel by parcel and fermented with ambient yeasts. At times, fermentation lasts weeks. After, the wine rests on the fine lees in tank and bottled without the use of oak.
2019 DiPalermo, Pinot Noir Radian Vineyard
Sta. Rita Hills, California
Aromas blossom showing scents of dark cherries, dark bramble berries and red currants that come loaded with notes of white pepper, sandalwood, cedarwood, smoke and smoldering incense with lighter hints of desiccated rose, sous bois and earth.
On the palate this wine shows plump textures, juicy acidity and ripe tannins. Flavors echo the nose with notes of dark cherry, bramble berries, pepper, sous bois, woodsy tones, smoke and dried rose. The finish lingers moderately.
Based all on clone 667 of Pinot Noir and brought up in 50% new French oak.
2017 Rizzi, Barbaresco Pajoré
Barbaresco DOCG, Italy
The estate’s vineyard Pajorè, one of the historical and renowned Cru of the Langhe hills which sits at an altitude of 230–300 meter, not far from the town hall of Barbaresco.
The '17 is relatively accessible at this early stage and blossoms with airtime. An elegant and feminine style detailed with scents of rose petals, wild raspberry, cherry and red apple with hints of tar, tea, blood orange, anise and forest floor.
On the palate the wine is broad, with firm almost dusty tannins and structured acidity. Flavors coat the palate with ripe red fruits, rose, tea, red apple skin, star anise, spice, blood orange and hints of cedarwood, graphite and earth. Long through the elegant finish.
2019 Bodegas Elías Mora, Toro Viñas Elías Mora
Organic; 100% old-vine Tempranillo grown at 2100+ ft in elevation; hand-made from start to finish, whole cluster with tank fermentation and 6 months in new American oak barrels.
The nose carries scents of plum, dark cherry and cassis notes that meet, hoisin, desiccated violets, cigar wrapper, sandalwood, cardamom, clove, petrichor, espresso beans, balsamic, cigar box and leather.
The palate is full bodied showing above moderate extraction and excellent concentration. Broad tannins and berry like acidity incorporate flavors of plum sauce, cassis, dark cherry, spiced with clove and cardamom nuances before giving way to hoisin, cedarwood, balsamic, tobacco and earth. The dry finish lingers with grippy tannins.