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Tasting Notes Printer-Friendly Version
- April, 2007
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Wednesday, April 25, 2007 WT042507-01. 06 TOSCANA BIANCO, GIUGGIOLO - (ITALY) Good greengage plum nose with apple-quince aspects too. Full, fresh, and ‘green’ in a positive sense. Green melon and lime notes come along. All the fruit is green and refreshing./ Full, round, viscous, and laced with fresh, brisk acidity. Green fruit and vinosity. Tangy, bracing. Tasty; plenty to offer. A food wine. 15.9. WT042507-02. 05 CALERA 30TH ANNIVERSARY VINTAGE CENTRAL COAST CHARDONNAY - (U.S.) Butterscotch, toffee, toast, apple. Cool and crisp malic core with mellow-malo surroundings. Lemon creme./ Nice, creamy, toasty, honey-butter style. Viscous, smooth, mellow, well balanced, well structured, plentiful. Coffee cake, crumps, and icing. Popular style. I’m a sucker for it. Ample and rangy for the price. Would compete with Beringer Private Reserve. 16.8. WT042507-03. 05 BERNKASTELER BADSTUBE RIESLING KABINETT, DR. H. THANISCH - (GERMANY) Oh! Racy, alert citrus and green-grape with peach-apricot extras. Cool and racy. Bright and firm. The perfect Bernkasteler kabinett./ Peach, jasmine, and spices. Rich and racy. At once dense and nervy. Fine balance of sweetness and ripe acidity. Big mouthful, with lots of give. Handsome, stalwart, authoritative, profound. Complete Bernkasteler. 17.6. WT042507-04. 05 JOHANNISBERG G RIESLING KABINETT, WEINGUT JOHANNISHOF-ESER - (GERMANY) G is Golddatzel. Eser’s putting only Erstes Gewachs vineyard names on his labels now. Fabulous Rheingau nose. Golden citrus nose. Clementine. Floral extras. Deep and etched, suave, perfectly balanced./ Oh! So sweet but also so tart! That’s 05! Zippy, burnished, fine, ripe acidity. Juicy and flavorful. Highly extracted, dense, palpable, authoritative. Complete Rheingau. Can’t remember ever tasting a better kabinett, even a Berncasteler Doctor. Of course, this is actually a spatlese or auslese. 18.0. WT042507-05. 05 WEINHEIMER RIESLING KABINETT, GERNOT GYSLER - (GERMANY) Tight, stony, firm-fruited. Apple, white peach, loquat, flowers./ White peach, white grape, and stony flavors. Powerful, driving, decisive palate, with great depth. Plenty of mouth-feel. Good food wine. 16.3+. WT042507-06. 05 NIERSTEINER BRUCKCHEN RIESLING KABINETT, J&HA STRUB - (GERMANY) Stones and fruit peels, especially dried orange. Nectarine, pear, melon, grain, sweet corn./ Golden citrus and grain, with sweet peach nectar too. And sweet-roll, bakery extras. Smooth. Still has baby fat. Good frame and acidity beneath. Great style, weight, density, depth. 17.4+. WT042507-07. 05 DURKHEIMER NONNENGARTEN RIESLING KABINETT, KURT DARTING liter - (GERMANY) Even more grain and more dried peel. After all, this is Pfalz. Drier and more powerful too–figures. In fact, drier than this bottling usually is. Stimulating, titillating./ A luscious palate as usual, sweeter than the nose indicated. Dried and golden fruits, peels, and grains. Vigorous, nervy, spicy, expansive. Great Pfalz weight and structure Very juicy, very long. 17.3. WT042507-08. 06 CASTLE ROCK SONOMA PINOT NOIR - (U.S.) Very fresh and juicy pinot. But fulfilled. Not reduced, no fermentation afterthoughts. How do they bring these to fruition so quickly? The wonders of modern winemaking, stimulated by market demand and financial considerations. Good for science! Real pinot here, and real juicy./ Full cherry, tea, peel, and pitch pinot tones. Good, clinging, fine-grained tannins. Bright, juicy acidity. Full, fine extract. Bountiful in flavor. Pinot’s not so finicky after all; it’s facile. 16.1. WT042507-09. 05 MORELLINO DI SCANSANO LA DOGA, CAPARZO - (ITALY) Deep, dark plum, blackberry, anise, and dried citrus peel. Penetrating, fresh, pure, vigorous./ Grip and blackness like an 04. Fine, juicy fruit intensity and fine-grained, chewy tannins. Fine structure, handsome, well-toned ripe tannins. Long aftertaste. A real mouthful. A great 05 sangiovese and fully as plentiful as is expected of a morellino. 16.8+. WT042507-10. 04 BARBERA D’ASTI TRE VIGNE, VIETTI - (ITALY) Lovely purple fruit and flower qualities of 04. Violets, blackberry, kola. Deep, intense, significant. Cherry, oolong tea, pepper, and other brambly spices./ Big burst of flavor, massive and mouthfilling taste experience. Pronounced barbera vigor. Clinging, swelling presence. Good backbone. Chewy, meaty texture and fine tannin. Long, long aftertaste. Best ever. 17.1+. WT042507-11. 04 RIBATEJANO CASTELAO-CABERNET SAUVIGNON, TERRA DE LOBOS - (PORTUGAL) This is castelao frances, aka periquita. Well, a new varietal heard from! Frankly, I can’t find the cabernet at all. Cool, rather reduced. Sour black fruits, underbrush, tobacco, cedar. Very 04./ Reduction theme continues on the palate, which is rather more fluid than the nose suggested. Again, no cabernet in evidence. Peels extracts. Different, but not all that special...at least not yet. Give it time to get past the reductive stage. 15.6+. WT042507-12. 04 RIOJA CRIANZA TEMPRANILLO, CAMPO VIEJO - (SPAIN) Classic Rioja emphasizing time-in-barrel character rather than out-and-out oakiness. The wood and fruit are nicely balanced. Smooth American oak vanilla and coconut. Orange cake, blackberry, nuts, and spices./ Again, the time in barrel of a crianza is clear, and you get nice cherry fruit too. Handsome depth. Fine, lightly chewy tannin still. Will improve. The proper combo of freshness and maturity that is crianza. 16.3+. WT042507-13. 03 RIOJA CRIANZA, BODEGAS LAN - (SPAIN) Full, sweet, warm, roasted, tarry 03 classic. Oh, and powerful too. Smoked fruit and meat aromas. Pencil-box extras./ Sweet, concentrated, strong, and wholly generous–all in the 03 mode. Ripe and succulent, well-stated tempranillo fruit with good crianza oak measure and integration. Good acid and tannin to keep it honest. Long aftertaste. 16.2+. WT042507-14. 03 CHATEAU GREYSAC, CRU BOURGEOIS SUPERIEUR, MEDOC - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) Wow! 03 ripeness clears away the usual toughness of young Greysac. Full, ripe, spicy, purple, potpourri nose. Saturated with ripe fruit./ Big, rich cabernet cassis, with smoky warmth and fine barrel patina. Ripe, full, thorough. Good frame, body, and depth. The best face of 03 ripeness–doesn’t get excessive. Greysac game and hide extras. Wow! 17.0+. WT042507-15. 05 VINA MAIPU MAIPU MALBEC - (ARGENTINA) Lovely, fresh, warm-climate malbec. Sweet and dense, with a Wow! concentration./ On entry, there’s sweetness but also some firm resistance and quite full tannins evident. Then, like when the outside of a soft-cored hard candy dissolves, there’s a burst of delicious flavor and richness exploding on the palate. Very entertaining performance, especially at the price. 15.8. WT042507-16. 03 FAMILIA CASSONE RESERVA OBRA PRIMA MENDOZA MALBEC - (ARGENTINA) Oh, boy! Big, ripe, open show of black cherry, blackberry, blueberry, fruit leather, pencil-box, and purple flowers, especially violets. A sweet concentrate of malbec. Solid, striking, full, meaty, authoritative./ Again, the fruit is totally ripe and sweet and concentrated, with reserva oak and time in oak flavors. Fine tannin. Saturated, complex, wide-ranging. Save for a core of tannic reserve, it’s all give–full throttle generosity. I can see the Spectator 91. Show wine. 16.9. Wednesday, April 18, 2007 WT041807-01. 05 FRASCATI SUPERIORE, COLLEGIATA - (ITALY) Surprisingly spry and fresh, with a good Superiore sense of fullness. Pear, melon, nut. Tight, bracing, steely, refreshing./ Yes, full for Frascati, with lots of juice and polish and fine acidity. Fig, almond, and white chocolate notes make attractive results of bottle development. Crisp, tangy finish. Delightful. 16.1. WT041807-02. 05 ORVIETO CLASSICO SECCO, BIGI - (ITALY) Full, with apple and nut aromas. Shows greco volume, richness./ Elegant pear, melon, and flowers. Crisp, clean, generous, flavorful, pretty, charming. 16.0. WT041807-03. 05 MUSCADET SEVRE ET MAINE SUR LIE, DOMAINE DE LA PEPIERE - (FRANCE LOIRE) Wow! Some special airs I can’t remember encountering in a muscadet. Green melon–or maybe it’s cantaloupe. The section close to the peel that has a sort of unripe greenness to it. Also botanicals and nuts./ Very flavorful. And 05 full bodied in a muscadet context. Fresh, ripe acidity. Welcome tender center of a good muscadet. Lovely.
16.3+. WT041807-04. 05 KREMSTAL HOCHTERRASSEN GRUNER VELTLINER, SALOMON - (AUSTRIA) Pea blossom and snow pea pod. Quince, pineapple passion fruit. Quite the talker. Handsome, generous, ripe, full, pungent. Penetrating./ Soft, silky, flavorful. Fine acidity, structure, depth. Nice, well-mannered Salomon style. Ready for the table. 16.0. WT041807-05. 05 TABOR HILL LAKE MICHIGAN SHORE DRY RIESLING - (U.S.) Very floral and balsamic. Aromatic resins. High-toned, penetrating, tonic. Lemon and baby cologne./ Flavorful. Brisk, bracing, dry, and distinctive. Delicious, commendable, true to Michigan riesling flair. 15.6. WT041807-06. 06 ELK COVE WILLAMETTE VALLEY PINOT GRIS - (U.S.) Wow! Full, full, full. Nut, apple, pear, peach, melon, creme brulee, flowers./ Bright, stylish, perfumed, flavorful. Round and still coated with baby fat. By summer this will have melted away, and the wine will have more textural presence, mouthfilling qualities. 16.2+. WT041807-07. 04 COTES DE THONGUE SYRAH ROSE, VIGNERONS DE MONTBLANC - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Getting a shade nutty, but there are still plenty of red fruit peel goodies to enjoy./ Soft, mild, sweetish. Not as bright as in its youth but remains useful enough at the price. 14.3. WT041807-08. 06 LA CLAPE - COTEAUX DU LANGUEDOC ROSE, DOMAINE DES KARANTES - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Full, young, unformed. Lots of peel extract, zesty and spicy. Black earth. Verging on red wine. With air, fragrant red berries and floral fermentation overtones of youth./ Full and dry, with vigor and vinosity and peel strength. Somewhat thick because of its baby fat. Not much depth formed yet. Needs time. 14.8+. WT041807-09. 05 TOSCANA SANGIOVESE, IL BASTARDO - (ITALY) Rich and real and suave sangiovese. Zesty, peppery dried fruit and sweet fruit concentrate. Lots of raspberry; shades of zinfandel. Modern./ Good weight and pleasure-giving fruit sweetness and sleekness. Very flavorful. Surely a good value. 15.8. Well liked by the group. WT041807-10. 05 TOSCANA DOGAJOLO, CARPINETO - (ITALY) Full, sweet licorice and sweet fruit concentrate. Yes, great concentration; condensed blackberry, black plum, and black currant juice./ Smooth and suave in the 05 mode. Very flavorful. 16.0. WT041807-11. 05 PEPPERWOOD GROVE CALIFORNIA MERLOT - (U.S.) Fresh, with peels spiciness. Intense black fruit showing both cool Coastal vigor and jammy Valley sweetness. Black raspberry fruit and seeds./ Soft, easy, reliable. Sweetness alleviated by peppery spiciness. Dry, zesty aftertaste. Well fashioned in its price range. 15.2. WT041807-12. 05 GRAYSON PASO ROBLES CABERNET SAUVIGNON - (U.S.) Very young. Paso ripeness and warmth. Dark and hefty fruit. Some attractive oak toast and caramel./ Less sweet than nose suggested. Plenty of oak expression. Plenty of 05 acid vigor. Needs time to pull it all together. 14.8+. WT041807-13. 03 MARTIN RAY NAPA VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON - (U.S.) Deep, luxuriant, and dense in purple fruit extract. Sweet cassis and lavender./ Rich, with good 03 accessibility. Stylish and well-tuned, graceful and balanced. Ripe acidity. Nice fine-grained tannins. Very flavorful. Flowers and spice accents. Lovely, lingering aftertaste. Loaded. 16.8. Well liked by the group. WT041807-14. 05 CELLAR NO. 8 CALIFORNIA ZINFANDEL - (U.S.) As usual, there’s a sweetness to the nose but also snappy peels extracts and licorice. Black raspberry, caramel, mocha, and lavender./ Good acid, grip, dryness. Fine tannin and flavor lengthened out by a welcome, lingering aftertaste. Invites food service. 15.5. Well liked by the group. WT041807-15. 05 ORVIETO CLASSICO AMABILE, BIGI - (ITALY) Smells very much like the secco. Apple, pear, nut, melon. Hint of amabile raisined ripeness./ Fresh and appley, delicate, classy, useful. Hint of almond. Quite dry–not much sweeter than the secco. 15.8.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
WT041107-01. 06 VINHO VERDE FAMEGA, CAVES DE CERCA - (PORTUGAL) Spritzy feel. Apple blossom fermentation aroma. Lime and citrus oil too. Nervy. Young./ Fresh, spritzy, and lively, zesty, limey, with a nice plump middle palate. Nice, malic green-apple taste. Pretty floral overtones.. Still forming. Better in 2-3 months; ready for the height of summer’s heat. 15.8+. WT041107-02. 06 VENEZIE PINOT GRIGIO, CORTENOVA - (ITALY) Fine, fresh apple, pear, peach, melon, nuts, bergamot. Good degree of richness./ Yes, rich and fine. Accomplished and generous already. Soft and juicy; classic to varietal and zone. This will improve for several months too, though it’s certainly a white wine fulfilled at this young stage even. 16.0+. WT041107-03. 06 CHATEAU STE. MICHELLE COLUMBIA VALLEY DRY RIESLING - (U.S.) Wow! Full surge of tropical fruits and flowers. Like being in a conservatory./ Very tropical on the palate too. Really juicy fruit acidity. Great texture, tingle, tang, juiciness. Dry but not austere. Long aftertaste. 16.6. WT041107-04. 05 PINOT BLANC, KUENTZ-BAS - (FRANCE ALSACE) Nice and nutty, with an apricot highlight./ Handsome, racy, clean, confident. Again the nuts and apricot notes. Good acidity and texture for pinot blanc. Needs time to fill out. We tasted the 04 at a considerably later stage. Good future. 16.0+. The group was enthusiastic. WT041107-05. 05 KAMPTAL LANGENLOISER BERG-VOGELSANG GRUNER VELTLINER, WILLI BRUNDLMAYER half bottle - (AUSTRIA) Lovely linden blossom and sweet pea aromas. Lucid and nervy. Really intense stuff./ Yes, also intense on the palate. Split pea and ham suggestions. One huge, dense mouthful of gru-ve. Very full texture stimulates every corner of the mouth. Fabulous cut, extract, vigor. 17.2. The group was in awe. WT041107-06. 05 MOSEL-SAAR-RUWER RIESLING, WOODBRIDGE - (GERMANY) Good Mittel Mosel flower, peach, citrus peel, and green grape. Real Mosel./ Kabinett level of sweetness and concentration. Very cool green melon and green grape flavors. Excellent acid-sweet balance. Well structured. A steal. 16.2. WT041107-7. 06 CHATEAU STE. MICHELLE NELLIE’S GARDEN COLUMBIA VALLEY DRY ROSE - (U.S.) Fabulous race, zesty red fruit peel extract, vigor. Very full and rich but not sloppy-rich./ Yes rich and racy. Large, like a Tavel. Lots of grip, material. Really fills the mouth. Just a light suggestion of New World sweetness. Otherwise, it’s Euro all the way. CSM’s really learned from its European winemaker exchange program. 16.7. WT041107-8. 05 REX HILL KINGS RIDGE OREGON PINOT NOIR - (U.S.) True Oregon pinot, lean and crisp. Tart cherry and wood toast aromas./ Palate brings out raspberry and spiced tea, nicely focused. Not a ‘show’ wine, this is made for the table and will no doubt make a nice fish as well as poultry accompaniment. 15.7. WT041107-9. 00 MARSANNAY ROUGE, LOUIS JADOT - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Lots of solid, northern Cote d’Or material. Compact and tarry with peels extracts. Jadot style. A mature bouquet and a vital constitution./ The palate too shows northern Cote d’Or black fruit, grip, and tarriness. This could be kept longer. 16.0+. WT041107-10. 05 PERNAND VERGELESSES BLANC, VINCENT GIRARDIN - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Yes! Girardin wood toast, toffee, warm spices. And northern Cote de Beaune chardonnay honeysuckle. True Corton-area style. Sleek, lovely, bright, tangy, bold, and extremely elegant. Wood still rather on top./ Rich, round, honeysuckle-laced Pernand blanc, with good Pernand and Girardin fruit sweetness. Vibrant citrus, warm, rich grains. Exceptionally
full bodied for a village Pernand. Plenty of grip too. And fine depth. This will go places. 16.8+. WT041107-11. 04 GUENOC LAKE COUNTY CABERNET SAUVIGNON - (U.S.) Rich, concentrated, warm, elegant fruit and oak combo. Big and strong. A really hefty cabernet for the money./ Lots of aromatic woods, Asian spices, and dark chocolate. Sexy. Some wood tannin to lose. Really a lot of volume and entertainment value here for a modest price. 16.0+. WT041107-12. 05 DOLCETTO D’ALBA PIAN BALBO, PODERI COLLA - (ITALY) Fine. Real dolcetto sweet berriness. Shows lots of refinement. Plum, black cherry, cola, and nice menthol airs. Just a hint of creamy oak./ The fruit shows satiny elegance, with very fine-grained tannins in support. Harmonious, and lovely for current enjoyment. This is the way I like an upscale dolcetto: with the fresh fruit vitality and levity and a
great deal of finesse. Forget the oak excesses and the high extraction in the name of ‘complexity’ and age-worthiness. 16.8+. WT041107-13. 05 BARBERA D’ALBA FIULOT, PRUNOTTO - (ITALY) Soft, freshy, oaky, nutty. Spry barbera berry, with nice, lush cherry-tar-tea complex./ Ripe, fresh, sassy black fruits. Bright acid carriage. Handsome, spicy, confident. A rightful barbera that will grow in generosity over the next couple of years. 16.3+. WT041107-14. 04 TOSCANA LAGONE, AIA VECCHIA - (ITALY) The nose has typical 04 blackness: black fruit, licorice, pitch. Plus 04 firmness, grip. The fruit is ripe, burnished, sweet, and lovely though–nicely so for 04. And there’s a touch of complexing oak./ Oh! The palate is much more accessible and immediately inviting! Sweet oak vanillin, pencil shavings, and sweet merlot and sangiovese cherry and anise. The palate
has enticing ease to it. And framework. Very handsome, stylish, pleasurable. Fabulous future in store here too. This will be better than the 03 in a couple of years. 16.4+. WT041107-15. 05 RIOJA, SIERRA CANTABRIA - (SPAIN) Very firm fruit. Not at all woody like some young wines from this bodega./ Good race and a true, clarety Rioja style. Not particularly ‘modern’, as Cantabrias can be. True to tradition. Very youthful. Still, it already shows mouthfilling, lingering fruit flavors and textures. 15.8+. WT041107-16. 04 DOURO RESERVA, CASTELLO D’ALBA - (PORTUGAL) Touriga nacional, touriga franca, roriz. Black and deep. Good Douro grip. Large, husky, rich reserva meatiness. Signs of oak and time in barrel./ Fine, elegant oak. 04 refinement, juicy fruit. Well balanced. Well crafted. Room to grow. Will prove better than the 03 in the long run. 16.4+. Wednesday, April 4, 2007 WT040407-01. 05 CARNUNTUM GRUNER VELTLINER, WALTER GLATZER - (AUSTRIA) Very lovely, cool, crisp apple and quince aromas. Also pear, melon, lentil, flowers. Sleek, sophisticated, striking, generous./ Racy, zingy, tangy, incisive, alive, penetrating. Not just about vigor though. There’s plenty of good, plump fruit filling too. 16.3. WT040407-02. 05 BOURGOGNE BLANC CUVEE ST. VINCENT, VINCENT GIRARDIN - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Fine oak, well under control. Crisp, bracing, deep chardonnay aroma: apple, citrus, jasmine, hint of peach. Fine balance of fruit and oak. And fine 05 fruit equilibrium incorporating both plumpness and raciness./ Very full acidity tempered by a nice light coating of glycerol. Sleek, creamy oak texture. A very sophisticated Bourgogne.
Very long aftertaste, both in feel and in flavor. 16.3+. WT040407-03. 05 RULLY VIEILLES VIGNES, VINCENT GIRARDIN - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Fabulous oak complex here. Lots of toast and brown spices and lots of textural play. Good, hearty Chalonnais chardonnay fruit support too. Pear, citrus, peach, grain./ Rich and round presentation of oak vanilla and brown spices plus fruit that is both ripe and racy. Lovely acidity to carry this on and on. Big and handsome, sleek and sophisticated.
The complete 05 package. 16.7+. WT040407-04. 06 CATENA ALAMOS MENDOZA VIOGNIER - (ARGENTINA) Very crisp and alert. Flowers, pineapple, other tropical airs./ Lush but dry. Balanced. Ideal viognier textural combo of great acidity, light glycerol, and fine astringency. Fabulous overall. A textbook intro to viognier. 16.3. WT040407-05. 05 CONCHA Y TORO CASILLERO DEL DIABLO CARMENERE - (CHILE) Full, smoky oak and black, black fruit. Black currant and oak vanilla. Fully extracted./ Full vanilla and wood spices flavor. Skillfully imparted oak here; it’s plentiful but not overly dominant, and it’s so attractive that it doesn’t really matter were it the main attraction. Gushing carmenere fruit. Good acidity and fine tannin. Amply generous
black wine. 16.1. WT040407-06. 04 BERINGER FOUNDER’S ESTATE CALIFORNIA CABERNET SAUVIGNON - (U.S.) Racy, warm spices from oak. Well crafted. Less sweet than in the past. Sleek and charming, reliable./ Fabulous fruit quality and spicy oak extras at the price. Balanced and alluring. Smooth, with adequate acidity. 15.8. WT040407-07. 03 MARTIN RAY SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS CABERNET SAUVIGNON - (U.S.) Very bright, focused, handsome cabernet fruit, well structured, well balanced. Fine French oak. Shades of Monte Bello thanks to its SCM fully-framed, Latour-like nature. I doubt there’s much other than cabernet sauvignon here./ Full oak up front, and it’s fine oak. Dense fruit to match lurking beneath. Black currant and black tobacco flavors.
Again, the heavy-timber structure and the finely crafted furnishings within. Very fine-grained, soft-textured tannins. Shows a lot of class. Just needs more time for total oak-fruit integration. 17.1+. WT040407-08. 04 RAVENSWOOD LODI ZINFANDEL - (U.S.) Dark fruit for Lodi and nice, subtle oak extras. Plummy, juicy, deep. Just a little of the ripe-fruit warmth of inland. As usual, one of the best Lodi zins, and far from the most expensive./ Striking, generous, charming. Great acidity for Lodi. Nice, subtle wood spices. 16.0. WT040407-09. 05 COTES DU RHONE PARALLELE 45, PAUL JABOULET - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Spicy, racy seasonings decorating sweet, young, fresh, up-front 05 fruit. Ripe blueberries. Pepper and garrigue highlights. Cool eau-de-vie fruit essences in the background./ Good density, structure, and depth on the palate. Lots of garrigue and race. Coolness, pepperiness of 04 in an 05. Love it. Best Parallele 45 in years. Very popular
with the group. 16.2. WT040407-10. 05 ZELLER SCHWARZE KATZ, KARL HEINZ - (GERMANY) Straightforward, ripe apple, melon, peach nose. Some grassiness of one of the German crosses, say, ortega. Nice 05 vigor./ Sweet and grassy-gooseberry. Mild acidity. A wine for the fun of it. Drink on the porch on a hot day. 15.2. WT040407-11. 06 HOGUE LATE HARVEST COLUMBIA VALLEY WHITE RIESLING - (U.S.) Fresh and floral. Sweet and sassy, sleek and racy./ Sweet, smooth, well crafted. Very alluring flavors of peach, apricot, apple, and almond. Once again, a very accomplished production. Will improve over the coming months as the baby fat melts away and more fruit perfumes and acidity well up. 16.0+. WT040407-12. 05 MOSEL-SAAR-RUWER ARS VITAS RIESLING, MOSELLAND - (GERMANY) Mosel race and coolness. Narrow but accurate./ Soft for 05 riesling. A bit dilute, but a decent quaff. 14.5. WT040407-13. 05 PIESPORTER GOLDTROPFCHEN RIESLING KABINETT, KARL HEINZ - (GERMANY) Light Goldtropfchen peach, Mosel crispness. Subtle and delectable citrus and spice extras. Real PGK but not very giving yet./ True, racy, peachy, soft fruit on a solid framework. Needs time for its aromatics to blossom fully. 15.5+. WT040407-14. 05 ERDENER TREPPCHEN RIESLING KABINETT, PORTA NIGRA - (GERMANY) Fabulous depth. Real Erden slate, zest, tingle. Peach, loquat, mango overtones./ Sweet, with classic Mittel Mosel apple-pear-flower-slate flavor set. Fine focus, excellent structure and depth. A steal. 16.4. WT040407-15. 05 NAHE ESTATE RIESLING KABINETT, JAKOB SCHNEIDER liter - (GERMANY) Oh, yes! Mittel Nahe grain and walnut. Lots of orange peel, zest. Also quince, lemon, peach, melon, spices. Sleekest, handsomest Schneider liter yet./ Yes, sweetmeal flavor, great race. Kabinett plumpness with acid counter. 05 exactitude. Great intensity and depth. 17.0. WT040407-16. 05 DURKHEIMER HOCHBENN RIESLING KABINETT, KURT DARTING - (GERMANY) Bright, with the strength and the peach-grain aromas of Pfalz Mittelhaardt. Power, frame, majesty./ Sweet, ripe and honeyed as usual for a Darting kabinett. Likely auslese. Good grip, nice polish. Will thrive with bottle aging. 16.6+. WT040407-17. 05 URZIGER WURZGARTEN RIESLING AUSLESE, PORTA NIGRA - (GERMANY) Really spicy Wurzgarten. Clean, focused Mittel Mosel riesling with an Urzig bent./ Soft, ripe, tender, young. Just a babe. Would be a waste to drink it now. 16.1+. |
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