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Tasting Notes Printer-Friendly Version
- April, 2005 |
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Wednesday, April 27, 2005 wt042705-01. 03
CHATEAU DU CROS, BORDEAUX BLANC - (FRANCE
BORDEAUX) Taut yellow berries, hints of citrus pith, new-mown hay./
Rich semillon body. Good acid for 03. Lively, piquant citrus carriage.
Not a lot of flavor development yet. 14.5. wt042705-02. 03
CH DES CHAPELAINS, SAINT FOY DE BORDEAUX BLANC
- (FRANCE BORDEAUX) Full semillon with good, brisk, penetrating
sauvignon cut. Cleanly stated and deep-running./ Juicy sauvignon
fruit and muscadelle ventilation and semillon foundation. Fresh
and juicy 03. Long. 15.7. wt042705-03. 03
GRAVE DEL FRIULI PINOT GRIGIO, VILLA DEL BORGO
- (ITALY) Brisk and full. Uplifting. Mineral, hazelnut, candle wax./
Full and round., fleshy and lightly viscous. Delicious acidity.
Great 03 pinot grigio richness. 16.0. wt042705-04. 02
BOURGOGNE BLANC, JOSEPH FAIVELEY - (FRANCE
BURGUNDY) Big move up in body over the first three. Oak, smoke,
toast. Broad and firm. Deep and handsome. Lively minerality. A classic
Faiveley white./ Full oak vanilla, caramel, nut, warm spice, char.
Apple and citrus chardonnay fruit statements. Big and potent. 16.3+. wt042705-05. 04
OC SYRAH ROSE, HUGUES DE BEAUVIGNAC -
(FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Wow! big surge of peppercorn and black berries.
Huge nose. Very grand, penetrating, spicy, zingy./ Flavorful too.
Lots of berry and tangy fruit peel. Fabulous rose. 16.2. wt042705-06. 02
CHATEAU DU CROS, BORDEAUX - (FRANCE BORDEAUX)
Good claret herbaceousness and dash of oak too. Sweet raspberry
and red currant, and green olive. Fresh and cleanly-stated./ Flavorful.
Ripe enough. Fine claret tannin and astringency. Delicious balance.
This has style. 15.7. wt042705-07. 02
CHATEAU D’ARCINS, CRU BOURGEOIS, HAUT MEDOC
- (FRANCE BORDEAUX) Elegant cassis and blackberry. Fine oak perfume.
Correct claret weight and balance./ Confirmed. Full flavor, balance,
fine fruit, good acid, and fine tannins. Nice. Best d’Arcins yet?
16.4. wt042705-08. 01
TIERRA DE CASTILLA CABERNET SAUVIGNON DOMINIO DE MALPICA, OSBORNE - (SPAIN) 01 crisp and alert fruit. Light oak. Nutty,
earthy, beefy./ Sweet oak and fruit. Traditional earthiness. Generous.
15.6. wt042705-09. 03
RIBERA DEL DUERO, VALDUBON - (SPAIN) Bright
and fresh blackberry fruit. Ribera del Duero class./ Chocolate,
licorice, ripe fruit. Chewy texture. A special value. 16.4. wt042705-10. 03
MONTEPULCIANO D’ABRUZZO, VOLOROSSO - (ITALY)
Full and strong. Grappa aromas. Warm, roasted southern complexion./
A ruffian, strong and coarse. Chewy constitution, tannic. Popular
with the group. 14.0. wt042705-11. 01
CHIANTI CLASSICO GOLD LABEL, TIZIANO -
(ITALY) Ripe for 01. Tar, anise, ventilation, wood smoke. Dense,
sweet, high-toned red and black fruits. Makes a convincing statement
of Chianti Classico./ Racy, classy, nutty, woodsy black fruits.
Fine power and depth. Still quite tannic. Popular with the group.
15.7. wt042705-12. 04
SICILIA NERO D’AVOLA, CUSUMANO - (ITALY)
Fresh and young and true to the varietal. Tar and condensed berry
fruit. Southern smoky airs, spiced berry, and herb-scented olives./
Full and strong. Sweet and generous. Despite its youth, it’s not
unformed. Can drink from now on. Popular with the group. 15.3. wt042705-13. 03
OLTREPO PAVESE PARADISO SANGUE DI GIUDA, BRUNO VERDI - (ITALY) Sweet, spritzy, tangy, open knit. Aromas of
blueberry, sweet cherry, and cola. What it’s intended to be./ Uniquely
ripe this vintage. Alluring, immediate. Enjoy this summer with berry
desserts. 15.5. wt042705-14. 01
TERRA DEGLI OSCI RAMITELLO, DI MAJO NORANTE
- (ITALY) Sangiovese prugnolo and aglianico internationally styled
in a warm context. Sweet spices and candies on nose. Big, warm,
ripe, generous, powerful./ Soft, ripe, direct black-fruit drive.
Sexy brown-spice oak flavors with cigar-box extras. Well crafted
to offer charm, depth, and balance. 16.0. wt042705-15. 01
BARBARESCO, STEFANO FARINA - (ITALY) Powerful,
tarry, old time, with a ventilating licorice aroma and hint of rose.
Core of sweet black fruits. Handsome, stately./ More of the same
aromatic attractions, with good extract, grip. Full and fine tannins.
Old time, but not without Barbaresco finesse, style. Generous, structured,
commanding, concentrated, deep, and chewy. Delivers. 17.3+. wt042705-16. 99
BAROLO STEFANO FARINA - (ITALY) Class,
oak, control. Oak and tar and licorice. Dense and brooding. And
fine./ Fine oak and fruit richness. Size, substance, power. Chewy
constitution, with finesse to boot. Great future. 17.5+. wt042705-17. PEMARTIN
AMONTILLADO SHERRY - (FORTIFIED) Sweet
and strong and sticky nose. Toffee and dried apricot. Not showing
the wisdom of an amontillado of great age./ But the palate is drier
than the nose suggests, and there’s power, authority, and sophistication.
Not nearly as youthful and sticky as the nose. Nut and oak and time
in oak. The palate carries it. 16.1.
Wednesday, April 20, 2005 wt042005-01. 2003
BIANCO DI CUSTOZA, CAVALCHINA - (ITALY)
Absolutely correct. Fresh, bright, and piquant, with a stony edge.
Plenty of ripeness, body, and savor too. Intriguing aromatic array
with suggestions of melon, pumpkin, and mushroom./ 03 softness.
Rich, full burst of flavor. Great acid ring. 15.8. wt042005-02. 2004
HEWITSON MERMAIDA AUSTRALIA DRY MUSCADELLE
- (AUSTRALIA) Lightly floral, very elegant, delicate. With air,
a more pungent, muscat de canelli peacock’s tail spreads. Melons,
apples, flowers. Intrigue and focus. Pretty and pillowy. More about
canelli than bordelaise./ Fresh, light, adequately crisp. Pleasantly
dry. Aperitif service suggested. 15.5. wt042005-03. 2002
CHABLIS, ROLAND LAVANTUREAUX - (FRANCE
BURGUNDY) Awesome village Chablis! Huge, swelling mass of thick
fruit supported by a steel I-beam. Full metal jacket./ Incredibly
full bodied for a village Chablis. Lots of extract and glycerol,
zingy ripe acidity, and old-fashioned mealiness. Doesn’t get any
better than this. 17.6. wt042005-04. 2004
CHATEAU STE. MICHELLE - DR. LOOSEN EROICA COLUMBIA VALLEY RIESLING - (U.S.) Fabulously pretty aromas of mango and tangerine
sprinkled with zesty candied ginger./ Flashy and flavorful. Cool
and snappy Pac NW fruit acidity. Doesn’t wear its alcohol as well
as an Alsace riesling. Seems that troubled me last vintage also,
but not in 2002. 16.2. wt042005-05. 1999
RIESLING CRISTAL GRANIT S, JEAN-CHARLES RUHLMANN - (FRANCE ALSACE) Mature petrol nose that’s attractive.
Lovely, lively, fresh mint and citrus base. Peach, papaya, and flowers
too. / Very dry. Mild acidity of the vintage. Full measure of ethanol.
14.4. wt042005-06. 2003
BARDOLINO CHIARETTO, CAVALCHINA - (ITALY)
Pink aromatic beauties: berries and flowers. Strawberry and raspberry./
Mild flavor. Good acidity, dryness, vinosity. Dinner wine. 14.5. wt042005-07. 2003
COLLIOURE ROSE, CLOS DE PAULILLES - (FRANCE
MEDITERRANEAN) Grenache, shiraz - Thick and oily. Almost a red wine.
Ripe, ample black fruits. Hint of clove. Cranberry astringency./
Thick-textured too. Raspberry, strawberry, and cranberry tastes.
Strong rose. Good acid and peel astringency. 15.0. wt042005-08. 2003
BARDOLINO, CAVALCHINA - (ITALY) Full color
for Bardolino./ Full power and body too. Deep perfume. Charles Atlas
of Bardolinos thanks to 2003 conditioning./ Full garrigue and deep
purple fruit beauties. Attractive reduction tones. Lots of vigor.
15.8 wt042005-09. 2003
BARBERA D’ALBA RUVEI, MARCHESI DI BAROLO
- (ITALY) Sweet-fruited. Full of cherry peel, cranberry, boysenberry,
and tar aromas./ All echo on the palate. Great barbera acidity,
even in 03. Fine sculpting of 03 fruit to exploit the ripeness and
concentration while keeping the upper hand on it. Substantial size
and importance, very impressive scope. Fine future. 16.3+. wt042005-10. 2003
ROSSO DI MONTEPULCIANO SELCIAIA, FASSETI
- (ITALY) Sweet and ripe and deep cherry fruit. Rich leather patina
too. Montepulciano charm and class./ Rich and ripe and beyond. Rancio.
Fine tannin. Old time, for sure, but has its bright moments. 15.9+. wt042005-11. 2003
PENNER-ASH RUBEO OREGON RED - (U.S.) Pinot
noir, syrah - Yes, both here! Pinot cherry and syrah jammy blueberry
and dark power./ Again, the pinot fruit fragrances and the syrah
daunting mass, power, body. Explosive fruit, great acidity. Light
oak seasoning well integrated throughout so that it’s not at all
obvious. Hits the mark. This woman can make wine!. 16.2+. wt042005-12. 2001
COTEAUX DE BESSILLES RESERVE, DOMAINE ST. MARTIN DE LA GARRIGUE - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Deep, dark, and tarry nose.
Rancio, earth, saddle leather, and animal warmth. In the trough
between aroma and bouquet./ Garrigue and dried-fruit flavors. Good
glycerol, power, balance. Good 01 in need of further aging. 15.3+. wt042005-13. 1998
COTES DU ROUSSILLON TALON ROUGE, CHATEAU DE JAU
- (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) 90% syrah, 10% mourvedre - Big, dense,
tarry 98 concentration. Burly, taut, dark, brooding monster. Broad,
thick, powerful./ Great thickness, richness, ripeness. Roti. The
tannins are getting a little dry and edgy. Use soon, with food.
13.4. wt042005-14. 2003
VILLA MARIA PRIVATE BIN HAWKES BAY MERLOT-CABERNET - (NEW ZEALAND) Aromas of soft fruits, herbs, and brett.
Friendly, showing no edges, but keeps some claret reserve./ Good
acidity, fine tannin. A standard set of New World merlot aromas
and flavors. A previous vintage showed darker and more cabernet-vigorous
fruit. Was it the 2001? Was it a Cab-Merlot instead of a Merlot
-Cab? 15.2. wt042005-15. 2002
PENFOLDS BIN 407 SOUTH AUSTRALIA CABERNET SAUVIGNON - (AUSTRALIA) Somber, reserved, close-to-the-vest young
cabernet styling. No plushness to this cabernet. Rather, 2002 elegance,
style. Neat, well-integrated oak and cabernet red and black currant
fruit. Also plum, mint, bitter chocolate, and sandalwood./ Rich,
smooth harmonies of oak and fruit, of alcohol and acid. Flavors
of plum, blackberry, dark chocolate, vanilla, and warm spices. Bright
future here. 16.5+. wt042005-16. 2002
PENFOLDS BIN 389 SOUTH AUSTRALIA CABERNET-SHIRAZ - (AUSTRALIA) Heartier, huskier, ruddier, as usual. Aromas
of thyme, ripe fruit, and animal fur and hide. Black raspberry and
cassis at the core. Typical of this cuvee. 02 elegance superimposed./
Full body, alcohol, and grip. Quite warm and strong for 02. A classic,
young Bin 389. 16.4+. wt042005-17. 2002
PENFOLDS BIN 138 BAROSSA VALLEY GRENACHE-SHIRAZ-MOURVEDRE - (AUSTRALIA) Ripe and hgh-toned. The rich red fruit
of grenache assuages the blunter black-fruit stances of shiraz and
mourvedre. Very up-front, generous grenache, round and plump, plus
cola and well-integrated oak tones./ Broad, soft, and generous;
mouth-filling. Dark, delicious, lovely. 16.2. wt042005-18. 2002
FIRE BLOCK OLD VINES CLARE VALLEY GRENACHE
- (AUSTRALIA) Ripe and spicy-oaky-sweet critics’-choice style./
Ripe grenache’s generous fruit sweetness, warmth, and sweet tannins,
with nice seasoning of wood spices. All well balanced. Old vines
Aussie grenache is a coming thing, and this is a great introduction
at a reasonable price. 16.8.
Wednesday, April 13, 2005 wt041305-01. 2003
MUSCADET DE SEVRE ET MAINE SUR LIE, DOMAINE DE BEAUREGARD - (FRANCE LOIRE) Good and cool and stony. Firm yellow
fruits and small flowers. Sur lie freshness and complex. Classic.
Elegant. Not a bit 03 overblown. Just very expressive./ 03 rich
on the palate but with racy, stony, cool, branch-water minerality.
Good 03 power. Exemplary. 15.7. wt041305-02. 2003
VOUVRAY SILEX, DOMAINE DES AUBUISIERES
- (FRANCE LOIRE) Young and tight. The calcaire is clear but not
much of the fruit yet, which is a surprise in 03. Sleek, racy, bright,
focused. With air, aromas of golden delicious apple and honedew
melon form./ Sec tendre. More flavor than aroma from the get-go:
quince, melon, calcaire. Striking presence. Intense. Lingering.
16.2. wt041305-03. 2002
GUENOC UNFILTERED RESERVE GENEVIEVE MAGOON VINEYARD GUENOC VALLEY
CHARDONNAY - (U.S.) Very lush and butter-creamy
in the perennial manner of this cuvee. Lots of ripe fruit: apple,
lemon, pineapple, key lime pie. Good, suave, mellow, toasty oak./
Full body and richness of a California reserve. Very suave and creamy
fruit with good oak tannin to keep the texture from getting too
soft. Both ripe fruit and new oak in spades, and in balance. Big
and generous Magoon standard. 16.4. wt041305-04. 2003
LA TIERRA DE EXTREMADURA TEMPRANILLO, THREE THIEVES liter - (SPAIN) Very fresh and fruity, very bright and lovely
fruit. Ripe plum and blackberry fruit and jam./ Yes, rich, primary
fruit beauties. Defines warm-climate tempranillo. Might be good
cool, except for the ample, fine tannins. Wouldn’t work. Warm-climate
ripeness with Euro structure. 15.4. wt041305-05. 2003
CASTILLA Y LEON LENA, BODEGAS VINOS DE LEON liter - (SPAIN) Very pretty glow./ Oh, clearly the best vintage
yet here. Ripeness, not the greenness of some former vintages. Brisk,
alert berry-cherry fruit./ Ringing freshness. Fine, rich cherry
fruit. Good astringency gives added texture and relief. 15.6. wt041305-06. 2003
CASTILLA Y LEON TEMPRANILLO, PENASCAL
- (SPAIN) Oh, you get some oak extras here. And rich, ripe 03 cherry-berry
fruit./ Plenty of power and presence this vintage. Volume and grip.
Fine tannin. Best vintage since...what?...the 98? 15.7. wt041305-07. 2003
CASTILLA Y LEON REINARES, HEREDAD UGARTE
- (SPAIN) Good, ripe fruit. Stylish floral overtones and scent of
blackberry eau de vie (mure). Shows some time in oak mellowness
and some vanillin. A closer bond of fruit and oak than in the Penascal./
Rich, high-toned black cherry fruit. Finely balanced fruit-oak complex.
Very juicy fruit acidity. Mouth-watering. 15.8. wt041305-08. 2003
RIOJA, RAMON CARDOVA - (SPAIN) Begins
with the slick, glossy blandness of a flash-eurized kosher wine
but evolves to some real fruit depth and Euro-style acidity. Plus
oak vanilla./ Yes, good acid and juice here. Fresh, not processed.
Nice touch of oak. Good grip too. Much better than the green 02;
better than the 01 even. 15.2. wt041305-09. 1999
RIOJA RESERVA TEMPRANILLO, CAMPO VIEJO
- (SPAIN) Handsome oak, lively red fruits. Lush tempranillo varietal
expression and mellow herb-tobacco-olive bouquet complex./ Generous
fruit modulated by long time in barrel. Cherry pie flavor. Fine,
lively acidity. Quite a bit of tannin yet. 15.7. wt041305-10. 2003
SANTA EMA CACHAPOAL VALLEY CARMENERE -
(CHILE) Intense dark color./ Elderberry jelly aroma and intensity.
And some woody framing./ Very cool for carmenere. Some of the astringency
of elderberry fruit. I like its style, uniqueness, and future. 15.6+. wt041305-11. 2003
MONTES APALTA VINEYARD COLCHAGUA VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON-CARMENERE - (CHILE) Very sexy oak-incense perfume. The oak is big,
firm, authoritative, and astringent. The black currant, blackberry,
and black cherry fruit is ample./ Again, the exotica of the oak
are prevalent. Plenty of power and vigor. Fruit-brandy concentration.
Cabernet gives a firm basis. Carmenere’s fleshiness remains suppressed.
Ambitious, confident. I’ll bet on its achieving balance of oak and
both varietals in a year or so. 16.3+. wt041305-12. 2003
CORBIERES GRAND CUVEE, CASTELMAURE - (FRANCE
MEDITERRANEAN) Brilliant and unique aromas of orange blossoms and
tiny wild fruits. The blossom component is very unusual in a red
wine. Nice and ripe and intense./ Delicious flavors of flowers,
white fruits, red berries, and cocoa. Luscious, full of charm, lively
texture, garrigue. Fine tannins and ripe fruit. A first-class Corbieres
worth the price. Excellent. 16.4+. wt041305-13. 1998
COLLIOURE, LES CLOS DE PAULILLES - (FRANCE
MEDITERRANEAN) Powerful 98 style. Showing some bouquet development
and plenty of reserve. Cassis, licorice, leather, spices, kirsch,
wild flowers–quite an aromatic range. Loaded./ Rich, ripe, jammy
fruit of the appellation. Good, lively acidity. Moving to maturity,
with more bouquet to come. Big, big wine. 16.6+. wt041305-14. 1996
BAROLO ARIONE, GIGI ROSSO - (ITALY) 96
style: very firm, powerful, almost raw. Very big. Jammy fruit, beef
bouillon, warm fur and leather lining./ The fruit is showing some
evolution but the wine still has a helluva tannic grip. Flavors
of tar, licorice, flowers. Long, handsome finish. Betwixt and between
now–not a good time to serve it--without a day’s airing. 16.5++. wt041305-15. 2002
GOUNDRY OFFSPRING WESTERN AUSTRALIA SHIRAZ
- (AUSTRALIA) Ripe for Western Australia and 02. Jammy fruit, bitter
chocolate, wood, and smoked meat. But there’s some cool blackberry
fruit too. Mint, tar, and raciness as well./ Warm and soft-textured.
Fair acidity. Alcohol forms much of the structure, and offers a
coolness at the finale too. Lacks the flair and distinction of a
Margaret River wine. From a warmer zone like Frankland or Mount
Baker? 15.6. wt041305-16. 2001
KATNOOK COONAWARRA SHIRAZ - (AUSTRALIA)
Coonawarra Euro coolness and elegance. Tea, berry, and raciness.
01 animal warmth and power too./ Good Coonawarra earth, dryness,
power. Not a lot of meddlesome oak, so it’s expressive of varietal,
terroir, and vintage. 16.0+. wt041305-17. 2003
IRONSTONE OLD VINE LODI ZINFANDEL - (U.S.)
A good Lodi. Valley jam meets coastal cool. Pomegranate, raspberry,
anchovy./ Again, you get the Lodi paradox, the combination of coastal
and inland styles. It’s big and thick, but has coolness and cut
too. 14.5. wt041305-18. ALMADEN
CALIFORNIA WHITE SANGRIA half liter -
(U.S.) A lot of citrus oil here, cool and racy. And a tonic strain,
like bay or laurel./ Clove too. Some sweetness, balanced by some
astringency. Reminds me a little of Thunderbird, but without the
base fusels. 14.0..
Wednesday, April 6, 2005 wt040605-01. 1996
MOET ET CHANDON BRUT CHAMPAGNE - (SPARKLING)
Bright, crisp, appley, lemony chardonnay statement. Lots of toasty
bottle bouquet. Some earthiness./ Ripe, spicy, blowsy. Toast and
green-apple nuances. Again, a rather heavy, earthy base. Underwhelming
for 1996. The best stuff must have all been channeled to Moet’s
Dom Perignon (which really is special in 1996). 90/100. wt040605-02. 2003
CHATEAU TERTRE DE LAUNAY, ENTRE DEUX MERS
- (FRANCE BORDEAUX) Good, rich, and thick-piled 03 style. Orange
and tropics. Good, zippy-pippy citric cut too./ Very strong, muscular.
Lanolined 03 fruit-pulp richness relieved by some peel astringency.
Not a particularly refreshing vintage for TdL, but I imagine it
has its proper mealtime contexts. 15.3. wt040605-03. 2002
CHATEAU STE. MICHELLE COLUMBIA VALLEY SEMILLON
- (U.S.) Very mineral, very semillon. Ripe and viscous, with melon
fruit and some oak spiciness./ Lush, silky, viscous. Fine depth.
Very handsome and mealworthy. 15.6. wt040605-04. 2003
VOUVRAY SEC LA COULEE D’ARGENT VIEILLES VIGNES, DOMAINE BOURILLON
DORLEANS - (FRANCE LOIRE) Well, this is
a breath of fresh air after last week’s corked bottle! Full apple,
quince, mint, lime, and calcaire Vouvray chenin presentation. Both
full and ventilating. Honeyed core of old vines concentration and
depth./ Yes, again there is both body and buoyancy. Great tang,
vitality, lift. Palpable minerality, tremendous texture. And it’s
really dry, not sec tendre. Good acidity and alcohol in balance.
Worth the price. 16.4+. wt040605-05. 2003
MULDERBOSCH STELLENBOSCH CHARDONNAY -
(SOUTH AFRICA) Well-measured, nutty oak seasoning. Plenty of fruit
ripeness and strength to absorb and display in its proper proportion./
Good oak vanillin and creamy citrus flavors. Acidity and strength
in balance. A nice overall presentation. No excesses. 16.3. wt040605-06. 2002
SUMMERLAND BIEN NACIDO VINEYARD SANTA MARIA VALLEY CHARDONNAY - (U.S.) Heavy-Bottle Award. Plenty of oak, power, and
ripe fruit. Lovely, perfumed, high-toned oak. Smells like woods
in autumn. Loaded./ Ripe and potent, big and chewy. The malolactic
has created a very creamy texture and lots of sweet butterscotch
flavor. And somewhat mild acidity. A little heat on the finish.
15.7. wt040605-07. 2002
TAVEL, CHATEAU D’AQUERIA - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN)
Surprisingly rich considering the vintage. Dense, powerful, ripe,
strong. A fine complex of berries, white fruits, and spices./ Rich
and ripe and heady and succulent. Nicely delineated too. A complete
Tavel. Who’duh thunk from 02?! 16.2. wt040605-08. 2003
CHIROUBLES GRAND CRU DOMAINE DESMURES, GEORGES DUBOEUF - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) 03 full and concentrated, dense and
luscious. Chiroubles elegant, nervy, bright. This delivers. One
big Chiroubles with power and punch./ Big but racy and cool too.
Both juice and grip. Fine, chewy tannins. Real Chiroubles...on steroids.
16.3. wt040605-09. 2003
CROSSPOINT MONTEREY PINOT NOIR - (U.S.)
Sweet and jammy and strong pinot cherry and strawberry fruit plus
oak’s chocolate and brown-spice seasonings. This delivers!/ Full
and luscious, ripe, well-stated pinot cherry and lovely oak spiciness.
Good peel astringency to counter and refresh. Good power, body.
Hungry for food. Plumper than the 02 tasted a month or two ago.
16.0+. This excited even the Francophiles at the tasting. wt040605-10. 1999
MEERLUST RESERVE STELLENBOSCH PINOT NOIR
- (SOUTH AFRICA) Well, if this isn’t something! Deja-vu. Very earthy,
leathery, meaty, powerful, old-time sort of pinot like the Doudet-Naudin
burgundies of the Sixties. Here, all the Cape animal aromas work./
Add toast and coffee impressions. Big, powerful, leathery, meaty.
Charry oak layer. Identifiable pinot, very gamey, feral, and all
about winemaking of a by-gone era. The last wine one would call
‘internationally styled’. I love it for its distinctiveness. 16.4. wt040605-11. 2001
RUSTENBERG JOHN X. MERRIMAN STELLENBOSCH RED
- (SOUTH AFRICA) Now, this is more to international standards, and
all the best for it. Red and black currants of the cabernets and
sweet merlot cherry. Very fine oak seasoning and very bright, pure
fruit focus./ Balanced, elegant, clarety. Flavors of cassis, French
roast, cigar box, walnut. Fine, chewy tannins. A lot of character
and complexity. Worth the price. 16.8+. wt040605-12. 2003
HAUTERIVE SYRAH, DOMAINE DURAND - (FRANCE
MEDITERRANEAN) Racy, ripe, elegant, and tangy. Raspberry, cranberry,
violets, and garrigue./ Sweet and full and whole-bunch tangy. The
richness of southern syrah and total absence of the green stem tannins
that plague wines made from a syrah clone that’s widely planted
in the south. Different clone? Or did the stems simply ripen completely
in this exceptional vintage? Palate shows real syrah character:
raspberry, white pepper, cured meat, and flowers. 16.1. Wildly popular
value tonight. wt040605-13. 2003
COTES DU RHONE, DOMAINE MONT REDON - (FRANCE
MEDITERRANEAN) Sweet and ripe 03 fruit well braced by cool, dignified
Mont Redon Chateauneuf framing. Tart cherry, raspberry, underbrush,
olive. Race, vigor, distinction, even sophistication./ All confirmed.
Super garrigue range. 03 fruit ripeness contained within a classic
superstructure. Great form, styling, fine tannins. This has all
the style elements of classic Mont Redon Chateauneufs of yore. Just
less alcohol and extract. 16.5. Maybe we should be trying some recent
good vintages of Mont Redon CdP. I think we’ve been scared off by
the modest reviews. I’m sure they’re not sexy and low-acid enough
for today’s most influential critics. wt040605-14. 2003
RUDESHEIMER BERG SCHLOSSBERG RIESLING SPATLESE, JOSEF LEITZ - (GERMANY) Wow! An absolute bomb! Spatlese? Like hell!
This is high auslese. May even be of BA must weight, but it’s not
BA in style. This is about ripeness, not botrytis. Thick, totally
concentrated honeyed-pear and dried-apricot aromas that saturate
the nasal passages. Great, tingly, tangy, palpable extract sensations
too. Huge!/ Thick and powerful. High auslese for sure. Golden Rheingau
minerality. The acidity is coated but lurking. A young wine, but
not an unbalanced one. 18.0+. wt040605-15. 2003
URZIGER WURZGARTEN RIESLING AUSLESE*, J-J CHRISTOFFEL - (GERMANY) I guess I can’t blame Rod for putting a star
auslese after a spatlese, but this wine really suffered from placement.
Probably of lower must weight and certainly cooler and livelier
as a Mosel versus a Rheingau. Who’ve guessed?!/ Tingly, penetrating,
tactile aroma. Large but also racy. High-toned floral and white
peach aromas. Lots of Wurzgarten slate and spicy potpourri. Very
racy indeed./ Deep and full, with chewy extract. Full mineral dusting
plus good acidity and race for balance. Sweet, lush, silky, eager.
Supple, lithe, piquant, sassy, charming, delicious. Grand, really.
17.9+.
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