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Tasting Notes Printer-Friendly Version
- August, 2006 |
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Wednesday, August 30, 2006 WT083006-01. 05 PENEDES BLANCO SELECCIO CAN FEIXES, HUEGET - (SPAIN) Fresh bright, cool, aromatic. Plump and juicy. Jumps out of the glass. Seductive fragrances of apple, flowers, stone fruits and piquant citrus fruits./ Yow! Zesty, spritzy, minerally. Vibrant, lively, juicy. Nice punch of flavor. Zesty acidity. 16.0. WT083006-02. 05 BEAUJOLAIS NOUVEAU, GEORGES DUBOEUF - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Bright and beautiful. Very floral and purple-fruited, deep and seductive. Lots of peel extract. Cherry and plum fruit aromas./ Explosion of flavors: cherry, spices, flowers. Rich, plump, and padded, with great acid ring too. Real spine.This is clearly still on the ascent. 16.0+. WT083006-03. 05 JULIENAS GRAND CRU DOMAINE DE LA SEIGNEURIE, GEORGES DUBOEUF - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Deep and purple fruit. Plum, black cherry, flowers. Classic, well mannered, well tailored, silky Julienas styling. Burgundian class and style./ Yes, Julienas race and style. Dry extract core surrounded by luscious, cocoa dusted fruit. High strung, and showing both elegance and power. Command performance. 16.5+. WT083006-04. 05 MORGON GRAND CRU, GEORGES DUBOEUF - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Fat, fleshy, luscious black cherry aroma of Cote de Py Morgon. Shades of raspberry, cassis, banana, and tobacco smoke too./ Big, solid, mouthfilling fruit ripeness. Luscious, cherry-pie images. Richness and roundness in harmony with racy fruit acidity. 16.7+. WT083006-05. 05 MORGON GRAND CRU DOMAINE JEAN DESCOMBES, GEORGES DUBOEUF - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Big, ripe, juicy, and exotic wild fruits and flowers. Eau de vie airs. Firm 05 basis./ Tastes of wild cherry and flowers. Ripe, pure, polished, and reliable as usual. Very firm framework suggesting this will be usually ageworthy. 16.8+. WT083006-06. 05 FLEURIE GRAND CRU, GEORGES DUBOEUF - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Yes, fresh and floral–Fleurie for real. Dense, compact fruit core surrounded by fleshy, plump black fruits./ Ripe, fresh, high pitched, penetrating fruit flavors. Noble and aloof stance, showing deep reserves. 16.5+. WT083006-07. 05 FLEURIE GRAND CRU DOMAINE DES QUATRE VENTS, GEORGES DUBOEUF - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Reductive to start. With aeration, it begins to show its beauties–its dark, deep secrets– but this is clearly a wine in need of more aging./ Very firm; the most backward of the 05 Beaujolais set. Lots of youthful grip, which is in tune with past renditions of Quatre Vents. Difficult to judge and to rate at this stage. 15.5++. WT083006-08. 05 MOULIN A VENT GRAND CRU DOMAINE DES ROSIERS, GEORGES DUBOEUF - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Nicely scented, nicely perfumed of new oak, which is the usual format with this cuvee. Solid, dense, concentrated. But not heavy; shows buoyancy. Handsome, ample, expansive fruit aromas of blackberry and dark cherry. Great nose. Complex./ Time in oak seems to have opened this one up more than several of the others. Plenty of fruit too, sleek, elegant, focused. A lot of flair for Moulin a Vent and Rosiers. 16.8+. WT083006-09. 05 COTES DU RHONE, GEORGES DUBOEUF - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Fresh, whole-bunch fermentation and Duboeuf styling. Soft, sleek, lovely black fruits with compact berry core./ Fresh, ventilating, sweet, user-friendly. Duboeuf meets Rhone. 15.5. WT083006-10. 04 RIBERA DEL DUERO TEMPRANILLO JOVAN, TORRES DE ANGUIX - (SPAIN) 04 dark, deep, floral, violet-toned, cool. Priorat like./ Yes, elegant, cool, racy. Hints of brandy and oregano. Fine oak-inspired spicy flair, with incense highlights. Still has some reductive tones to lose. Age it a few months and decant. 16.0+.
Wednesday, August 23, 2006 WT082306-01. 05 CHATEAU BONNET, ENTRE DEUX MERS - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) 50% sauvignon blanc, 40% semillon, 10% muscadelle. And about 25% oak, I’d guess. Lower level or better control just plain more fruit material to soak it up than in some previous vintages, when, at this stage in its life, the oak was more like 75% of the personality of the wine. Certainly, there’s plenty of fruit density to the fine white Bordeaux vintage.
Perky,
fresh yellow fruits, including pear, apricot, and grapefruit./ Flavors of tangerine and new spring grass. Large, with significant presence of both oak and fruit flavors and textures. A few months will secure an even better melding. Tangy, lively, racy, persistent. Strong young wine, strong vintage. 15.7+. WT082306-02. 05 SOBON ESTATE AMADOR VIOGNIER - (U.S.) Very dry and very strong (14.1%) for viognier. Some smoky, toasty oak elements too. True tropics aromas of viognier–especially papaya. An earthy element too./ Strong and lean and woody. There’s the characteristic astringency but no glycerol or any other source of padding to assuage it. Can’t say that I enjoy aromatic varietals that have been oak-influenced. 14.0. WT082306-03. 04 COTES DU RHONE BLANC, COUDOULET DE BEAUCASTEL - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) 30% marsanne, 30% viognier, 30% bourboulenc, 10% clairette. Certainly shows the richness of the first two varieties. Mild yellow-fruit custard creaminess of marsanne and perhaps some oak vanillin too. And tropical fruit and flower suggestions of viognier./ Quite full on entry. Lots of mineral savor, plus marsanne honey and roasted
nuts. Understated
yet, but clearly layered. Dashes of fig, walnut, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Needs time to bulk up. 16.4+. WT082306-04. 01 BROUILLY GRAND CRU DOMAINE DU MONNET, LOUIS JADOT - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) A vestige of the elegant, floral delights of 01. Very suave now. Not bad at all./ Good fruit still. Good 01 acidity. And typical Jadot framing. Could enjoy a bottle throughout a meal. 14.0. WT082306-05. 05 CHATEAU LA ROSE TOUR BLANCHE, BORDEAUX - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) D. Milhade @Perissac. Well, the first claret of the season. And why not? Ripe fruit, good vintage, modern winemaking, banker says it’s time. This works. It shows off the ripe, wholesome fruit of 05. Fresh and right, young merlot-cab franc basic claret. Deep purple berry with 05 sense of completeness./ Merlot cherry, tobacco, and tea leaf flavors.
Cool and
racy acidity, tart and new. Fine tannin gives the proper grip to a young claret. Good intro to the vintage. Very popular with the group, especially in view of the price. 15.2+. WT082306-06. 03 CHATEAU BONNET, BORDEAUX - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) Half each cabernet sauvignon and merlot. Oh! There’s good oak and ripe fruit here. Both not over the top in either respect, which is nice in uber-ripe 03. In fact, it shows nice claret charm and precision. Fresh and bright, with good sense of acidity. Certainly a successful 03./ Yes, very good acid and frame for 03. Very fine-grained light tannins and minerals.
This wine
has been a little on the severe side in recent vintages–even 2000–so the ripening effects of 03 are very flattering indeed. Handsome, ripe, penetrating sweet plum and black raspberry flavors. Best Bonnet rouge in a long time. 15.9+. WT082306-07. 04 SEBASTIANI SONOMA CABERNET SAUVIGNON - (U.S.) Well, here it is once again: the perfumes of black currant and nice, toasty, spicy, honest American oak. Lots of spice and perfume. Bombastic, really./ Yes, toast and spices. Well done as usual. That fine, very pure 04 black fruit beauty, sweet and creamy, intense, lush, forward. No pretensions of being European. All-American cabernet at a nice price. I love
what the
current winemaker is doing at Sebastiani. 16.3+. WT082306-08. 03 CAHORS, CLOS LA COUTALE - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) 80% malbec, 20% merlot. Fine, fine fruit. Perfect degree of ripeness. The least resistant of any Clos Coutale I’ve tasted. Bravo, 03! Deep cherry aroma, if not the usual malbec black cherry. And I don’t get much of the usual licorice either. Just a little nip, snap./ Tighter and tarter and more tannic on the palate. Good structure and bountiful, vibrant, ripe
fruit filling,
rich and meaty. Tastes of flowers, brett, and bitters add to the complex presentation. Fine future. 16.4+. WT082306-09. 04 CORBIERES, COL DES VENTS - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Fruit-juicy but somewhat reduced to open. Starts out simple and shallow but later develops a deeper, more textured sense and more 04 deep-purple fruit./ Smooth on the palate. Just a mild grip. Warm-climate aptitudes. 14.8. WT082306-10. 03 COTES DU RHONE, COUDOULET DE BEAUCASTEL - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Mourvedre, grenache, cinsaut, syrah. Deep 04 purple qualities. Very spicy and rangy. You certainly get the mourvedre floral, reductive airs and peppery highlights./ Bold and heady, very rangy and full. Exciting possibilities. Needs more time than I have now to appreciate fully all its nuances. 16.9+. WT082306-11. 04 ROCKY GULLY FRANKLAND RIVER SHIRAZ-VIOGNIER - (AUSTRALIA) 95%-5%. Fresh, with the sleek black coolness of 04 and Western Australia shiraz. Not much viognier flower but surely some lift./ Cool and racy, befitting vintage and origin. Good, intense, delectable flavors. Very mild tannin. Wine of place and time with a good price. 15.9. WT082306-12. 01 CONNOR PARK THE HONOUR BENDIGO SHIRAZ - (AUSTRALIA) Bold, warm, robust, generously oaked. Deep, dense, smoky, jammy. Showing bouquet development around the edges. And some high-toned, elegant, floral perfumes. And nuts and spices. Quite the complex nose./ Big, ample, rangy, muscular, and sweet. Palate adds colors of black fruits, dried fruits, coffee, and bitter chocolate. For big-wine lovers. 16.8.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006 WT081606-01. 05 VENETO PINOT GRIGIO, CAPOSALDO - (ITALY) Firm apple, pear, fruit peels, lemon, mineral. Fills out with airing to a fleshy, creamy, seductive little sucker, bright and plump and plenty fruity./ Ripe, sleek, sweet, and charming yellow fruit flavors. Form, depth, a good supporting acid piquance. Lots to offer. 15.8. WT081606-02. 05 SAVOIE APREMONT, PIERRE BONIFACE - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Wow! Billowing, voluminous aroma challenges the nose to take it all in. Penetrating, fresh, invigorating. Quince and kumquat./ Yes! Sweet kumquat and quince fruits. Smooth-textured. Powerful (but only 11.5% alcohol) and surging, full of volume and texture beyond the standards for this wine. Best Boniface Apremont yet. 16.2. WT081606-03. 04 ARGYLE WILLAMETTE VALLEY CHARDONNAY - (U.S.) Cool, lush, soft, and grapey. Sweet, easy, eager. Pear, ripe apple, lemon cream, and Juicy Fruit aromas. Oak extras./ Good, lively Oregon chardonnay acidity to balance the sweet, polished, popularly-styled fruitiness. 15.5. WT081606-04. 04 STORRS CHRISTIE VINEYARD SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS CHARDONNAY - (U.S.) Substantial oak. Commanding style. Big, tough, old-school Santa Cruz Mountains chardonnay with lots of toasted grains. Apple, peach, melon, and mango fruit impressions./ Rich and powerful indeed. Vanilla, toast, grain, spice, and wood flavors. And lemon zest. Well textured. 15.5. WT081606-05. 05 BEAUJOLAIS VILLAGES, GEORGES DUBOEUF - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Rich, accomplished, ripe black fruits without the usual carbonic maceration set. Sweetness, suavity, and completeness of an 05./ Plump, rich raspberry and plum. Lots of flavorful, joyous ripe fruit. 05 intensity, authority. Well framed, well balanced. 16.0. WT081606-06. 05 MERIDIAN CENTRAL COAST PINOT NOIR - (U.S.) Spicy, toasty, caramelly oak, feral pinot scents. Cherry pie filling and crust./ Ripe, plump red and black cherries. Patina of wood spices. Fruit sweetness balanced by fruit acidity. Well crafted pinot value as usual. 15.7. WT081606-07. 04 ISIDOR’S CHOICE LEELANAU PENINSULA PINOT NOIR - (U.S.) Made at Black Star Farms. Real pinot noir, dark and full. Charry oak too./ Deep, dark cherry, tea, and brett. Well concentrated. High strung. Bright and bold, balanced and fulfilled already. Yes. 15.7. WT081606-08. 00 SCHWEIGER SPRING MOUNTAIN MERLOT - (U.S.) Deep oak and rich, developed fruit bouquet. Dark plum, licorice, spiced apples, dried leather, cocoa butter./ Ripe, developed berry-cassis fruit flavors with layers of aromatic woods and old leather. Ready to drink now with ‘big’ fare. 15.8. WT081606-09. 04 OC 6EME SENSE, GERARD BERTRAND - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) 04 black fruit. Ripe for 04; some reminders of 03 though not exaggerated. Grenache’s ripe strawberry sense. Whole-bunch fermentation fruit flair. Insistent, powerful, sweet./ Real mouthfilling fruit volume, power, texture, tannin, depth. Total flavor intensity. Explosive in the mouth, really. Bold, focused, confident, noble, racy. This is a fine
winemaker. Well liked by the group. 16.0. WT081606-10. 04 COSTIERES DE NIMES LES GALETS ROUGES, CHATEAU MOURGUES DU GRES - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Dark violet color./ Wow! Lilac. Black and purple fruits. Dense, concentrated blackberry and brandied cherry. Great 04 darkness./ Full, young, tannic, chewy. Solid and substantial. Handsome. Great promise. The vintage really suits Mourgues. 16.4+. WT081606-11. 05 EMPORADA-COSTA BRAVA VILAHUD ESTEVE G-1, VINOS SIN-LEY - (SPAIN) Deep-running and sweet blueberry and blackberry fruit. Terroir sense too–not tutti-fruiti. Some grappa./ Ripe and textured. Definitely terroir-bound–Euro, not New World. Great acid, power, race. A very special wine at this price. 15.8. WT081606-12. 05 MONSANT AFINUS ALONSO G-2, VINOS SIN-LEY - (SPAIN) High-altitude wine: cool, tight, really fresh grenache, bright and spicy./ Flavorful–both fruit and spice. Cool and racy. Juicy, perky, fresh fruit acidity. Classic Montsant. A definite value. 16.0+. WT081606-13. 05 TERRA ALTA CALIU GALCERA G-3, VINOS SIN-LEY - (SPAIN) Oh! Bright, spicy, racy, briary. Another special, high-altitude take on grenache./ Not just racy but also elegant, noble even. Black fruits in cream. Flavorful, with smooth, fine-grained tannins. Great cohesion and balance. A step up, and super bargain. 16.4. WT081606-14. 05 CARINENA PAGO MONTE CARRASCAL GRACIA G-4, VINOS SIN-LEY - (SPAIN) Whoa! Intense, bold, powerful, sweet. Strawberry jam. Nettle highlight. Pure and powerful, focused and fabulous perfume./ Intense grenache strawberry essence. Whoa! This is really essential! The book on grenache, especially Carinena grenache. 16.3. WT081606-15. 05 VINOS DE MADRID PUERTA BONITA MARTINEZ G-5, VINOS SIN-LEY - (SPAIN) Tremendous aromatic depth. Black licorice, black currant. Super-ripe but not over the top./ Explosive flavors. Tangy and not unlike some Priorats. Powerful, scorched-earth stridency. Very exotic. 15.5. WT081606-16. 01 PRIORAT TROS TORANA ESTEVE G-6, VINOS SIN-LEY - (SPAIN) Decidedly more advanced than the others due both to age and to more time in barrel. Ripe fruit and vanilla oakiness. Ripe grape peels and plenty of power and woody extracts. Sweet and exotic, with elements of dark chocolate, wild fruits and flowers./ Very assertive and mouthfilling. Substantial, fine-grained tannins. Ripe and forthright. 16.0. WT081606-17. 04 CROZES HERMITAGE, J. VIDAL-FLEURY - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Compact and meaty. Old-style, Guigal-style, long-in-oak notions. Plenty of red and black fruits and an interesting hoisin-sauce plumminess and smokiness./ Ripe, handsome, focused black fruits and black licorice. Good depth and liveliness. Cherry, brandy, leather and other animal notes. 15.7. WT081606-18. 03 HAYWOOD LOS CHAMIZAL SONOMA VALLEY ZINFANDEL - (U.S.) Very strong in oak as usual, but the difference here versus previous vintages is that we’re getting a young release that still has plenty of fruit vigor. By the time this market got the 97, 99, and 01 (?), the fruit had practically dried up and the oak shell was all that was left./ Yes, the fruit volume and sweetness balances the strong oakiness.
Really ripe raspberry (very hot site) meets oak vanilla for an attractive presentation. Really robust, with lots of empyreumatic tones like peppercorn, tobacco, chocolate, raisin, and toffee. Total experience in the headier style of zinfandel. 16.7.
Wednesday, August 9, 2006 WT080906-01. 05 SICILIA BIANCO, COLOSI - (ITALY) Vinous. Apple and peel. With air comes a touch of something aromatic, perhaps sauvignon blanc-like or even floral. Fresh, bright, giving./ Balanced, vinous, good ripe acid. Juicy. Succulent. Appealing. 15.5. WT080906-02. 05 VENETO SAN VINCENZO, ANSELMI - (ITALY) Wow! His fullest, most textured, most characterful Soave yet. Deep, brassy fruit. Yellow delicious apple and sickle pear. Accents of nuts and flowers. Burnished./ Fullness and brightness of fruit personality confirmed. Some seasoned oak influence too? If so, it’s subtle and enhancing. Fresh, cleansing ripe acidity. Lively and scented, with minerality and suggestions
of even red fruits and berries. Special. 16.2. WT080906-03. 05 MCMANIS FAMILY RIVER JUNCTION VIOGNIER - (U.S.) Wow! Big, essential-oil perfume. Intense tropics. Mango-bango. Tremendous, decadent display of honey, apricot, and flowers too./ Juicy, pulpy mango on a stony platform. Sweet and juicy, good viognier glycerol as well as acidity, with a trace of vanilla on the aftertaste. Well priced. 16.0. WT080906-04. 05 A FEW GOOD MEN SWARTLAND CHARDONNAY - (SOUTH AFRICA) Mellow, creamy, lightly toasted oak. Nice dose of fruit./ Oak and fruit subtly expressed. Mild acidity. Good. 15.2. WT080906-05. 05 CARNEROS CREEK FLEUR DE CALIFORNIA CARNEROS PINOT NOIR - (U.S.) Good, sweet New World pinot nose. Baked cherry, cherry blossom, smoke, brett, tea, and fresh green herb extras./ Aromas confirmed. Yes, charm and niceties. Good acid, soft tannin. Flavorful. Pinot smoothness. 15.7. WT080906-06. 05 HARLOW RIDGE LODI PINOT NOIR - (U.S.) Sweet and right for a Lodi pinot. Real pinot aroma with Lodi’s signature dark, sweet fruit–plum in particular. And there’s dense, polished black cherry and soft oak toast./ Round and intensely plummy pinot. Fine effort in keeping with Napa Ridge pinots of past vintages.15.3. WT080906-07. 04 SICILIA ROSSO, COLOSI - (ITALY) Deep, roasted, roti. Warm and dense; sun-drenched. Licorice and other roots; peat./ Brighter, fresher fruit on the palate. Sweet red fruits and blackberry with southern sun-ripened warmth. Good acidity. 04 darkness. Some leather. Nicely burnished. Could serve cool. 15.5. WT080906-08. 04 CHIANTI COLLI SENESI, FALCHINI - (ITALY) Dark, sweet, charry aroma. Dried cherry, mulberry, and anise. Star anise–sweet smell. Nice pencil-shaving highlight./ Full, with fine fruit sweetness, acid, texture, balance. Intense cherry flavor, mingling with other 04 black-fruit suggestions, like raspberry and currant. Wonderfully burnished texture. How nicely these 04s are beginning to fill and round out!
16.1. WT080906-09. 03 CHIANTI CLASSICO, ROCCA DI CASTAGNOLI - (ITALY) Big, bold, sweet, and concentrated reduction of sangiovese essence with lovely oak (lightly toasty) seasoning. Lots of spicy flair. Deep, with emerging floral highlights and complex of accents. Shows class and elegance, stately restraint./ Full and rounded texture. Lots of sangiovese glycerol cut by good fruit acidity and fine tannin. Fine power too. Lots
of flavor volume and length. Persistent and complex. A dandy. 16.9. Very respected by the group. WT080906-10. 01 CHIANTI CLASSICO RISERVA, CASTELLO DI QUERCETO - (ITALY) Yes! Bright, Margaux-like northern Classico perfume of a Greve-area CC. Sweet cherry perfume with sweet aniseed. Pure and glycerined./ Sleek, polished, glycerined. Flavorful. Montmorency and maraschino; plum and pit too. 01 race, charm, class, beauty. 16.6. WT080906-11. 01 ROSSO DI MONTALCINO VIGNA LA CADUTA, CAPARZO - (ITALY) Good animal tones of leather, game, vittles. Dense and masculine, fleshy and muscular. Some bouquet forming. Hearty and beefy. With air, it shows bright, perky berry and cassis./ Yes, a good mouthful of animal and fruit bouquet tones. Very husky and hearty for an 01. Good 01 acidity. Some tannin. More bouquet to come. Amply proportioned for the price.
The way Italian wine should be made: for the table. No frills and fancy stuff to entice the critics; just the straight story. 16.5+. WT080906-12. 03 TOSCANA IL DUCALE, RUFFINO - (ITALY) Nice and ample and spicy ripe and dried fruit of 03. Also plum, fennel, bay leaf, tar. Old fashioned warmth./ Sweet and ripe and easy 03 style. Enough acid and tannin to balance. Flavorful and flowing. Long, properly proportioned aftertaste. 16.0. WT080906-13. 05 CONCHA Y TORO CASILLERO DEL DIABLO VALLE CENTRAL CARMENERE - (CHILE) Deep purple carmenere fruit with some of the usual tobacco and brett. Ample oak seasoning. New World sweet and direct. Plum and peel./ Bright acidity, sweet, fruit, toasty-nutty oak aspect. Brandied cherries. Good carmenere exposure, inky and expressive. Well crafted to a modern formula. Delivers. 15.9. WT080906-14. 04 ALEXANDER VALLEY VINEYARDS ALEXANDER VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON - (U.S.) Bold, powerful, sweet, ripe ALV fruit with well integrated oak. Full slug of ALV alcohol, which cools rather than burns the nostrils. American oak vanilla, dill, and sawdust./ Sweet, full, powerful. Plentiful flavors of oak and fruit. Fine tannin. ALV frankness, boldness. Bigger and brasher than past cabernets from this estate. 04
shows its cabernet intensity. 16.3+. WT080906-15. 02 TRINCHERO FAMILY MAIN STREET VINEYARD ST. HELENA CABERNET SAUVIGNON - (U.S.) Vanilla and sweet spices, especially nutmeg and allspice. Sweet black fruits, especially black cherry. Bakery aromas. Ample, full, and strong 02 style./ Again. Great acidity gives coolness and supplies a safety net for that 02 center-ring fruit extravaganza. Generous for sure. 16.5. WT080906-16. 04 BOGLE CALIFORNIA PETITE SIRAH - (U.S.) Dark cranberry-sauce fruit, sweet, ripe, and tangy-juicy. Some deep-seated spiciness./ Very sweet and fruity-spicy. Flavors of black cherry and green peppercorns as well as cranberry. Nice and meaty; reliable as usual. 15.4.. WT080906-17. 04 SEBASTIANI SONOMA ZINFANDEL - (U.S.) Zingy Sebastiani zin tart berry-bramble vigor, with lots of American oak spicy seasoning. Deep, dark, sweet-tart. Lovely, clarety style–totally zin–with blackberry fruit and chocolate and toffee toasted oak extras./ Again, very sweet-tart, juicy, black, zesty. In form. The All-American zin model. Save some for Thanksgiving dinner. 16.3. WT080906-18. 04 MOSCATO D’ASTI, DULCIS - (ITALY) Fresh enough. Zesty. Nutty–slivered almonds./ Sweet and soft. Nice little spritz yet. Mild acid. Almond cookie flavor. Attractive. 16.0.
Wednesday, August 2, 2006 WT080206-01. 05 TREBBIANO D’ABRUZZO FARNETO VALLEY, FARNESE - (ITALY) Brisk, bright, lemony, right. Perky and juicy green apple and peach with citric uplift. Fun, fruity, lovely, zesty./ Polished yellow and stone fruits with light mineral savor. Pretty all the way. Good power and structure too. Even better than the 04. 15.9.. WT080206-02. 05 A TO Z OREGON CHARDONNAY - (U.S.) Full, round, rich lemon creme and fresh apple. Ideal. No wood?/ Bright, lively, fruity, lovely. If there’s oak, it certainly remains subordinate to the fruit. 16.0. WT080206-03. 05 A TO Z OREGON ROSE - (U.S.) Lots of peel tang. Fresh, bright, full. Singular and fine./ Strawberry and tea flavors–pinot? Also something heftier–syrah? Nicely done. A full rose that drinks like a red. 16.0. WT080206-04. 03 NEMEA AGIORGITIKO, TSELEPOS - (GREECE) Quite a bit of oak, but the fruit’s full too. Warm black fruits and animal tones. Cinnamon sticky bun, plum, blackberry, beet./ Palate adds bitter chocolate, aromatic bark, nuts, and leather. Solid, expansive, charming. One of the best Greek reds I’ve had. Worth the price. 15.9. WT080206-05. 92 CYPRUS OTHELLO, KEO - (CYPRUS) Red brown color./ Warmth and warm spices over red berry, currant, smoke, and animal./ Sun-baked warmth and roasted patina with dried fruits, peels, and herbs. Still holding. No decay. Mellow tawniness. Nice enough. 15.2. WT080206-06. 00 RIOJA RESERVA GLORIOSO, BODEGAS PALACIO - (SPAIN) Nicely aged patina of dried fruit and seasoned barrels with tones of leather and dill. Soft and easy barrel-earned roundness./ Polished, with good depth and persistence. Nice reserve maturity. Handsome and showing good vigor. 15.8. WT080206-07. 04 SHALE RIDGE MONTEREY CABERNET SAUVIGNON - (U.S.) Great color depth./ Good wood spices and good cabernet dark berry and solidity. Yes, black fruits galore–lots of currant./Younger and firmer than the 03, understandably. Fine 04 vintage depth and quality. 15.9+. WT080206-08. 04 GREG NORMAN LIMESTONE COAST SHIRAZ - (AUSTRALIA) Wow! Berry candy nose with sleek oakiness. Quite powerful but also well controlled, cool, and claret-y. Shows the Limestone Coast cool climate influence. A wine of place./ Solid core fruit with mint-eucalyptus flair. Add black cherry, leather, and smoke. 16.1+. WT080206-09. 03 MT. VERNON SALMAN VINEYARD CLARKSBURG PETITE SIRAH - (U.S.) Rich vanilla oak, with nutmeg, cinnamon, and milk chocolate extras. Fruit substance, big, ripe, and extracted. Sweet black cherry with some cocoa. Going for everything in petite sirah. Intriguing, unique, complex./ Really fills the mouth as well as the nostrils. Spiced and concentrated, with tea-like perfume overtones. Immense, with fine oak
appointments. Kudos. 16.5+. WT080206-10. 01 CHATEAU DU CROS, LOUPIAC - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) Golden, honeyed, nectarous, racy. Pineapple, tea, lemon creme./ Palate adds marzipan, peach, custard. Fine, stately, even commanding 01 assets. Tremendous flavor, viscosity, mouthfeel. Good power too. A bargain at the closeout price. 16.8+.
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