Tag Archives: North Berkeley Wine

2009 Domaine Arlaud Bourgogne "Roncevie"

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I picked up a bottle of the Domaine Arlaud Bourgogne "Roncevie" at the Casa Sena wine shop in Santa Fe the other day. (Warm thanks to PJ there for the recommendation.) Tried it last night with dinner. Very fresh and pure-tasting Pinot Noir. Light to medium-bodied, but reasonably intense with what seems to me a very Burgundian makeup---fine but somewhat mouth-coating tannins, a slight bit of smokiness or caramel (from oak, probably) overlaying bright fruit, primarily strawberry or perhaps cherry-like flavors. Reasonably velvety and well-integrated, and getting a bit more intense over the course of the meal. Not extraordinarily complex, but delicious. As I recall this wasn't inexpensive (Burgundy, unfortunately, never is), but pretty impressive for the price. It has the rare and pleasing taste of a natural, minimally messed with, clean and alive wine. A find I'm very happy with. I might rate it 8.5 or 9 on a 10 point scale, but it's basically a perfect example of what it is---a delicious, not overweening red Bourgogne. It went very well with a dinner of Venetian style smothered cabbage (finely shredded and slow cooked with sauteed onion, garlic, and a little red wine vinegar) and a pasta sauced with collard and mustard greens, white beans, and tomatoes.

A look at the importer's (North Berkeley Wine's) website reveals some information about Domaine Arlaud, which is based in the great Côtes-de-Nuits wine town of Morey St.-Denis, and about the 2008 vintage of this wine. According to this, Roncevie is surrounded by vineyards designated Gevrey-Chambertin, which helps explain its quality.

Jaffurs 2010 Syrah

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Jaffurs is a Santa Barbara, California area winery that makes wines from Rhône varietal grapes. Everything I've ever tried of theirs has been excellent. The 2010 Syrah is truly outstanding, and based on a half-bottle, drinking very well now. It seemed more open, less tannic, much more hedonistic than other Jaffurs Syrahs I've had at this stage in their lives. (I realize now that this may be because the others were single-vineyard wines, whereas this is their Santa Barbara County offering.) But just as complex, perhaps more complex. Very balanced, somewhat velvety, mixing sweet fruit flavors like blueberry, maybe boysenberry, maybe raspberry with darker, more mineral and spicy notes. Some vanilla notes as well. My only worry about this wine is whether, at 14.7% alcohol and already seeming relatively open, it will age well. But the flavors are so intense and well integrated with each other that it's a pretty good bet. It does not taste at all "hot" (overalcoholic) despite the high percentage. It may mature faster than other Jaffurs Syrahs. Evolving
somewhat in the glass...getting a bit more tannic and slightly less velvety, with different aspects of the flavor coming to the fore at different times. Definitely up there with the best Syrahs I've had, of any type. Expensive (direct from the winery, it's $15 for a half bottle, $27 a bottle, before shipping), but worth it.