This latest Up From The Cellar is a mix of new and old, with no real theme other than catching up on a stack of wines that needed to be tasted. California takes up a good chunk of the report, with first looks at the 2023s from barrel at Carter Cellars, plus a wide range of new releases from Sequoia Grove, Mayacamas, Larkmead, Pride Mountain, Ruston Family, Baldacci Family, and others. There’s also a killer 2023 Viognier from Jeff Cohn that I’d happily pour alongside top Condrieu.
Southern France also shows well. Château Beaubois and Clos des Centenaires continue to deliver real quality out of Costières de Nîmes, and the latest whites are especially strong. The Roussanne Vieilles Vignes and Art Blanc bottlings are worth tracking down. Adam Lee’s Etienne project brings some new energy to Lirac, and a bottle of 2009 Ermitage De L’Orée from Chapoutier might be the wine of the report.
From Bordeaux, there’s a quick look back at Pagodes de Cos going back to 1994, a small vertical of Pavie’s Esprit de Pavie, a bottle of 2005 Montrose that’s just about perfect, and a handful of 2022s from bottle that didn’t make it into the original report. Trotte Vieille and Fonplégade both showed beautifully. The 2020 Vieux Château Certan and 2020 Château La Fleur-Pétrus were mind-bogglingly good (tasted blind) and reminded me just how strong the 2020 vintage in Bordeaux is. Also worth flagging are the first releases from Bishop Rey in Castillon, which come from JJ Buckley’s Shaun Bishop. These are serious, structured, mineral-laced wines that highlight different terroirs across Castillon. They’re brilliant wines and well worth seeking out.
No theme here, just a pile of notes that needed to get in the system.
As always, thanks for reading.
Jeb