Iron Cloud Wines
Iron Horse Vineyards
Unoaked Chardonnay 2019
It doesn’t get better than this. — 2 years ago
Iron Horse Vineyards
Estate Chardonnay 2016
Nice Chardonnay. — 5 years ago
Cayuse Vineyards
Bionic Frog Walla Walla Valley Syrah
Color - dark purple garnet. A bold expressive funky perfume fruit nose so classic of Cayuse with mineral-meat, smokey and mint notes lingering with a vanilla toast scent. Juicy and elegant; rich with dark plum-cherry flavors intertwined with a smokey soil bacon bitters taste—the mineral-iron characteristics follow with a tobacco long finish. Looking forward to seeing how the flavors change with different foods and as the wine opens up. Bionic Frog is favorite and definitely a wine to try and store in your cellar. Christophe Baron does it again! — 5 years ago
Domaine Auguste Clape
Cornas Syrah 2005
My contribution to a large Rhône dinner. Standouts were ‘07 Chapoutier Le Meal Blanc, ‘89 and ‘90 Jaboulet La Chappelle, ‘11 Guigal La Mouline.
An over-generalization, but what I love about Cornas is the rusticity and sometimes feral nature of the wines (which I don’t find in Hermitage or CR) and this ‘05 is in that vein. I followed this from pop (after all, we are at the almost 20yr mark) and over the course of three hours.
Interplay of red and black berry fruits, black pepper, slightly herbal (maybe closer to potpurri floral) aromatically. Bright and nimble on the palate, nothing about this is ripe or soft. Energetic acidity all the way through surrounded by notes of iron (sanguine-like) and rocky minerality. Crunchy red and black fruits (whole-cluster?), hint of gaminess but not in the meaty-style I semi-expected. Clean and pure style of Syrah. Big structure at the finish…hard to imagine drinking this 10+yrs ago. Acidity and tannin will carry this a long time, but I think this is peak window for getting depth of fruit and complexity. — 7 months ago
Iron Horse Vineyards
Blanc de Blancs Green Valley 2020
Normally a huge Iron horse bubbly fan but this was more average than fantastic. Still a bottle I’d recommend but I will likely go to other bottles. — a year ago
Château Latour
Premier Grand Cru Classé Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 2003
Meaty deep red fruit. Dark cherry, some soft herbal notes, bloody iron stuff. Still quite primal. Alcohol is noticeable but still quite balanced- particularly with time in decanter. A powerful and intense behemoth. I think this’ll take a long time and may never be pretty but great substance. — 2 years ago
Paul Jaboulet Aîné
La Chapelle Hermitage Syrah 2000
The weekend upon us and we're hosting another dinner party for a couple of friends. Tonight's theme was Rhone wine, so good stuff on deck, with age.
Notes pending... (Entertaining guests first 😉)
Absolutely perfect, yet only coming into it's zone, decade to go here...
Notes from +24H open:
Nose has ripe cherry, dried cherry, dried blackberry, red velvet cake, ripe plum and dry, mineral-ly earth.
Palate has silky-sweet cherry, ripe red currant, (light) cigar wrapper, dried cherry, faint eucalyptus, faint wood notes, dry earth, faint iron notes on the long finish. Mild tannins persist today. Expect to enjoy this vintage another +10Y when held in proper storage.
This bottle was singing at the top of its register last night, slightly diminished today. Absolutely perfect cork, no Durand required for extraction. Acquired a mere two years ago, from a local retailer beginning to close down his shop. He purchased a case on release, stored in his cold cellar; when I got to hunting it only a single bottle remained.
I've had the 2000 vintage before, and it was a treat in a more youthful stage, but a delicacy with our meal last night. We baked a 3lb beef tenderloin (Kinderhook Farm; Valatie, NY) coated in an herb paste then an herbed panko crumb crust with parmesan. About a 50m cook, 30m rest yeilded a perfect 130° center. Served alongside smashed potatoes and roasted brussel sprouts with thick cut bacon. We had fantastic company, connecting again with a wine trade friend and his wife after a few years break in our dining schedules. — 4 years ago
Iron Horse Vineyards
Brut X Chardonnay - Pinot Noir Sparkling Blend 2020
Brioche, pears, with a nice bold, crisp touch. — 8 months ago
Thierry Allemand
Chaillot Cornas Syrah
A fantastic nose. So multi dimensional. Gamey, meaty, violets, iron, herbs. Intense, defined. Long. Fantastic. — 8 months ago
Iron Horse Vineyards
Winter's Cuvée Chardonnay Pinot Noir 2019
Excellent on a stand alone basis or in mimosas!! Slight brioche, caramel, butter, and a hint of apricot. Just as good at bottle opening as it was a couple hours later! — 2 years ago
Domaine du Pegau
Cuvée Réservé Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red Rhone Blend 2004
Stunning nose of brambly dark red fruit and black tea. Bacon fat and scorched clay on the entry followed by a broad beam of melted tannins and fig, iron, Provençal spices and lavender. 45+ second finish. Outstanding, another great bottle though now at its apogee (but likely to stick around and turn to burgundy over time). — 5 years ago
Domaine Prieuré Roch
Le Cloud Ladoix Pinot Noir 2017
There are years where the fickleness of the weather prevent the even ripening of all the grapes on the bunches, and as the grapes cannot be harvested before the stems themselves fully ripen, on these years any extra ripe grapes will detach themselves from the stem while on the “table de tri”(sorting table). Since the traditional Burgundy vinification methods require the grapes to be fermented “entière” (in whole bunches) the loose berries are not used, despite being wonderfully ripe. — 5 years ago
David Koenen
Beautiful, intensely perfumed nose. Ripe cherries, wildflowers, orange zest, beautifully broad and full-bodied. Ripe, full-bodied, powerful, yet elegant. A wine that excels in its details. An iron fist in a velvet glove. — 5 months ago