Steve Elder

Planeta Frappato Vittoria 2015

Muga Reserva 2012

Staring to show just a hint of pale red at the edge. Not as fruit forward as I recall other vintages, and more classically Rioja with wood spice to the fore. Med to full bodied and good complexity. But I feel I may have been better off opening this earlier, or leaving it another couple of years. Tannins are still fairly severe, but fruit has faded. Seems in a transition phase at the moment and not showing its best.

Soléna Domaine Danielle Laurent Pinot Noir 2012, Yamhill Carlton, Willamette Valley

Good colour, quite deep for PN. Fresh and appealing, with no heaviness in spite of the fairly high alcohol. A nice middle style, with lots of stuffing but balancing acidity to make it refreshing.

Willakenzie Estate Gisèle Pinot Noir 2013, Certified Sustainable, Yamhill Carlton, Willamette Valley

Luis Felipe Edwards L F E 900 Single Vineyard Blend 2012

Deep garnet colour. Quite full and expressive, with ripe fruit and the tannins well integrated. Good complexity and length and carries the 14.5% alcohol well. Unusual and engaging.

Closson Chase Closson Chase Vineyard Pinot Noir 2017, VQA Prince Edward County

Nice medium ruby colour. Spicy, full nose of fresh berries. Med bodied with quite bold flavours of strawberries followed by minerality and a light earthiness. Nicely balanced with fine tannins and good acidity in the County way. Maybe a touch short on the finish, but I suspect this will show more in a year or two.

Vincent Girardin Vieilles Vignes Santenay 2013, Ac

Pale ruby at this stage, quite attractive. Full nose of ripe berry fruit, which carries on to palette. Nice mineral notes beneath. Medium bodied, taught and linear. This is quite fine for Santenay, although perhaps lacking the layers of complexity of great PN. Holding well, but at its peak.

Socré Barbaresco 2011, Docg

This is fine nebbiolo for the price, with lots of depth and great earthy complexity while staying well clear of da funk. Fruit is in the dried, pruney end of the specturm as expected, with really lovely tannins on the finish. Drinking nicely now and fairly evovled. Will likely hold a few years but not a cellar-dweller. Going back for more!

Lavau Vacqueyras 2012, Ac

Frescobaldi Tenuta Di Castiglioni 2016, Igt Toscana

Good deep colour just starting to fade at the rim. Spicy, minerally nose with the fruit quite ripe but starting to shift into the dried spectrum. Med-full bodied, round, spicy, juicy with the tannins still quite firm. Just starting to enter it’s drinking window I’d say and will clearly hold for several more years.