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Tasting Notes Blog - Printer-Friendly Version
- August, 2008
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Wednesday, August 27, 2008 WT082708-01. 07 RIOJA BLANCO, MARQUES DE CACERES - (SPAIN) Fine, fresh, wood inflected, well textured and tactile smell. Pear, lemon zest./ Yes, full textural play, feel. Some plumpness too, foiled by a dash of astringency. 15.8. WT082708-02. 06 MANTINIA MOSCHOFILERO, TSELEPOS - (GREECE) Pretty pansy and peach aromas. Enticing papaya, citrus, and melon too. Complex, intriguing./ Cool peach and flowers flavors. Smooth on entry, with good, racy fruit acidity then asserting itself, followed by light and cleansing varietal astringency. A textbook example of moschofilero, still as fresh as could be. Most congenial. Very well liked by the group. Candidate for an octopus salad. 16.5. WT082708-03. 07 FERRARI-CARANO SONOMA FUME BLANC - (U.S.) Sweet apple-pear-peach nose that is typical here. Also tropical fruit, melon, and honey. Good./ Soft and sweetish on the palate. Ripe and thick-textured on entry. Brittle, prickly acid relief follows. Would appreciate a couple of months to settle in. 15.0+. WT082708-04. 05 BOURGOGNE COTES D’AUXERRE CHARDONNAY CORPS DE GARDE, GOISOT - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Good, firm oak expression of barrels from tight grained oak of a northern forest, say Vosges. And racy northern chardonnay fruit expression. Not Chablis though. It doesn’t talk calcaire. Its own style./ Racy fruit and fruit acidity and fine oak discretion and quality. This is less open knit and obviously barrel influenced than some previous vintages. I like it. It defines vintage and region styles. Good weight, strength, and richness. Nicely filled out from time in cooperage. 16.5. WT082708-05. 07 R WINES ROOGLE WESTERN AUSTRALIA RIESLING - (AUSTRALIA) Sharply defined lime peel, flowers, and diesel aromas. Very bright, cool, tangy, high toned./ Supple, with lime peel edge. Just a hint of residual sweetness. Good value in Aussie riesling. 15.5. WT082708-06. 06 COTES DU VENTOUX, LA VIEILLE FERME - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Oh, good melange of berries and garrigue aromas. Lots of lift and freshness./ Yes, plenty fruity. Black and red berries. Seems some whole cluster fermentation influence too. Garrigue pops up again. And cracked peppercorn. Solid effort and great value. One of the best vintages yet. 16.3. WT082708-07. 06 MAN VINTNERS COASTAL REGION PINOTAGE - (SOUTH AFRICA) Nice and sweet and fresh and grapey. Bacon and leather notes../ Clean and bright. Plenty of fruit, plus the bacon-horsehide aspect of many a Cape pinotage. A fine example. Better than the 05. Kudos. 15.6. WT082708-08. 06 MAN VINTNERS COASTAL REGION CABERNET SAUVIGNON - (SOUTH AFRICA) Quite a lot of oak. Cabernet characteristics of berry-currant and firm structure./ All echo on the palate. Black fruits, especially raspberry. Good cabernet firmness. Reliable. 15.8. WT082708-09. 06 MAN VINTNERS COASTAL REGION SHIRAZ - (SOUTH AFRICA) Some reduction to start. Sweet oak and berry creme emerge with airing./ Less reduction on the palate. More fruit presence, plump feel. Raspberry jam. Good New World shiraz. 15.0. WT082708-10. 05 GARD COUNOISE VIGNOBLE DE LA RAMIERE, DOMAINE MONPERTUIS - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Fresh, black fruited, peppery, dense, deep, dark. Bramble, garrigue, sachet. Rocks and gravel./ Reiterated on the palate. Layers of fruits, flowers, spices, minerals. Good flow of a Gard rouge, especially for tight-tending 05. Very bright and delicious, well balanced for present enjoyment. The Talk of the Tasting. 16.4. WT082708-11. 05 COTES DU RHONE, E. GUIGAL - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Firm, stern. Something medicinal, like iodine maybe. Full peels extract./ Youthful grip. Vintage firmness. Good acid, tannin, and form. A northern Rhone winemaker’s take on Cotes du Rhone. Not a lot of allure at present but surely worth aging. 15.7++. WT082708-12. 04 CHIANTI RISERVA, TIZIANO - (ITALY) Dark and tarry 04 character to start, but then it opens up to yield more with every sniff. Glycerol, sweet dried fruits, spices and warmth. Black berries and plum, fennel./ Yes, rich in glycerol–a proper sangiovese of riserva status; riserva poise and potential. Several previous vintages were way too woody and rancio from time in wood. Big improvement here. Well liked by the group. 16.0+. WT082708-13. 03 VINO NOBILE DI MONTEPULCIANO, CAPOVERSO - (ITALY) 03 fruit ripeness and animal tones like game, leather. Oak aged and vintage openness, spiciness, fullness./ Warm, smoky, meaty, nutty, black-fruited. Rich flavors of raisined fruit and wood spices. Fits the vintage and the wine’s age. Sweet and easy now. 03 softness; the tannins are mostly resolved. 15.9. WT082708-14. 06 BOUZA LAS VIOLETA CANELONES TANNAT - (URUGUAY) Full American oak vanilla, coconut, dill, and bourbon-like char. The fruit is less compact–more revealing–than the 05./ Tasty fruit-oak flavors. Delivers more than the 05 in youth. But also needs time for its tannins to soften. 16.3+. WT082708-15. 06 R WINES ROOGLE SE AUSTRALIA SHIRAZ - (AUSTRALIA) Ripe, sweet, warm fruit background like a Victoria shiraz. Sweet berries, briar, tobacco. Nice warm, spicy seasonings from barrel; not overdone./ Sweet fruit with wood spices. Alcohol balances the sweetness nicely. Decent. 15.6. WT082708-16. 06 NINE STONES HILLTOPS SHIRAZ - (AUSTRALIA) A brilliant raspberry aroma as usual. Cool, high altitude climate shiraz with a light and positive air of reduction./ Lots of raspberry and bramble. Refined oak touch. Very racy, stylish. Easily the best vintage of this yet. 16.5. WT082708-17. CHATEAU CHANTAL MICHIGAN SPARKLING CHERRY - (SPARKLING) Deep cherry, peels, almond notes from pit./ Sweet and spicy. Well balanced. Great flavor range and intensity. 16.6.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008 WT082008-01. 06 CHATEAU TERTRE DE LAUNAY, ENTRE DEUX MERS - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) 45% semillon, 35% sauvignon blanc, 20% muscadelle. That’s a lot of muscadelle, and it talks. Cool spearmint airs. Plus semillon bulk and sauvignon grass. Lemon and pear highlights./ This has a lot of grip and dry extract–06 speaking. Well liked by the group. 16.1. WT082008-02. 08 CRIOS DE SUSANA BALBO SALTA TORRONTES - (ARGENTINA) Wow! Explosive tonic, botanicals, melon, citrus, cologne, bergamot and other floral perfumes. Large presence (13.5%). A total bomb./ Yes, large in the mouth too; good body. Viscous. Plenty of fruit filling; nicely scented yellow and tropical fruits. Cool and dry, with good astringency and cleansing ripe acidity. Complete torrontes. Well liked by the
group. 16.5. WT082008-03. 07 RIAS BAIXAS ALBARINO, LAGAR DE CERVERA - (SPAIN) Oh! Full and concentrated. Intense, but also lithe. Deep, exotic fruits and touch of honeysuckle. Floral beauties of albarino for sure, but most impressive for its size and grip./ Oh, boy! Full and viscous and rich and omnipresent in the mouth. Authoritative. Flavorful. Intriguing. Succulent, Good, cool astringency at the finale. Well liked by the group.
17.0. WT082008-04. 06 GRUET NEW MEXICO CHARDONNAY - (U.S.) Fine, sweet vanilla oak and sweet, fleshy fruit. Surprised there’s no malolactic here, it seems so soft and easy. Inviting aromas of pear and melon./ Very, very spicy. Warm spices–unique. Fruity, oaky, nutty, tasty. 15.9. WT082008-05. 07 CHATEAU FONTAINE LEELANAU PENINSULA DRY WHITE RIESLING - (U.S.) Gold Medal and Best of Class Trophy - Michigan Wine Competition. From a 2-year-old vineyard that was so shy bearing that the owner didn’t want to bother to harvest it. The winemaker convinced him otherwise, and viola! Full and well textured. Very cool, reserved. Tremendous elegance. Flowers. Apple, peach and peel. Full, bone meal-like extract./
Again, both aromatics and textural aspects are marked. On the sweet side for a dry wine. Good, tangy citricity though. Well liked by the group. 16.2. WT082008-06. 06 CASTILLA TEMPRANILLO, TAPENA - (SPAIN) Fresh, airy, and elegant. Slightly reduced, in a positive way. Purple berries. A lovely statement of tempranillo, really./ Great acidity and texture of fine tempranillo. Racy, elegant, balanced, delicious. Real tempranillo that isn’t altered by wood or barrel time, and isn’t over-extracted. Just the right style for the price, exploiting the pedigree of the varietal
and showing it clear through. 16.0. WT082008-07. 06 BARBERA D’ASTI SURI RUSS, VILLA GIADA - (ITALY) Rich and full. Flowers, cherries, peppercorns and other spices. Spiced meat. Dense. A sachet of fragrances. A complete barbera./ Wow! Floral, with cool overtones. Great balance of acidity, astringency, and richness, all in harmony. Plenty of both flavor and texture display. Big group favorite. 17.0. WT082008-08. 07 FAIRVALLEY COASTAL REGION PINOTAGE - (SOUTH AFRICA) Youthful and assertive black raspberry and boysenberry, rich and sweet. Wood toast and bacon./ Polished primary fruits and nice touch of wood smoke. Meaty, gamy. Good grip. Good value. 15.5. WT082008-09. 06 FLEUR DU CAP COASTAL REGION PINOTAGE - (SOUTH AFRICA) Wow! Bright, dark fruit. Dense, rich, intense. Berried. Lovely./ Yes, rich and intense, with good strength and balance, and plenty of fruit, round, supple, and generous. Refined and well integrated oak. Long. Delicious. 16.4. WT082008-10. 06 NEIL ELLIS STELLENBOSCH PINOTAGE - (SOUTH AFRICA) Potent, inky, brooding, thick. Polished. Oak vanilla and char. Sweet blackberry creme. Fine, subtle oak spices. Coffee grounds, bitter chocolate./ Young and brash. Rich and deep concentrations of both fruit and oak, in balance. Pinotage gaminess. Fine. A modern approach to pinotage, and a good one. Will improve 1-2 years, though it’s to alluring to spit
out today. 16.6+. WT082008-11. 06 FABRE MONTMAYOU RESERVA LUJAN DE CUYO MALBEC - (ARGENTINA) 60 year old vines. Really dark and chocolatey malbec fruit. Walnut brownies. Toasty oak. Very bright and elegant images of oak spices and fruit cremes. Quite a looker./ Rich. Great acidity too. Full, balanced, complete. Fine tannin. Generous now and will improve for at least a year. 16.8+. WT082008-12. 05 L’ECUYER DE CHATEAU COURONNEAU, BORDEAUX SUPERIEUR - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) Lovely purple fruit laced with oak spices. Ripe merlot cherry and tea strata. Hints of tobacco and game. 05 fruit beauty, finesse, race./ Rich, with texture, race, acidity, balance, finesse, fine tannin. Well priced. 16.3. WT082008-13. 05 CHATEAU POITEVIN, MEDOC - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) New oak dominates the picture to start. Good oak: the kind with those lovely cedar and incense airs. Later, the fruit surfaces, showing nice and fat and ripe–even lush. Raspberry and cassis, with oak vanilla lacings./ Good acidity, depth and poise. And potential. 16.2+. WT082008-14. 03 CHATEAU DE LA RIVIERE, FRONSAC - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) I continue to be a fan. As before, it’s openly expressive of both ripe fruit and oak and has a cool sort of composure for 03./ Fine oak and fruit in harmony. 17.5. WT082008-15. 03 CHATEAU SAINT GEORGES COTE PAVIE, GRAND CRU CLASSE, SAINT EMILION - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) 03 ripeness and animal leanings. Meaty, smoky. Tobacco and leather. Dense and plummy; lots of black fruits. Speaks for the vintage./ Yes, animal tones. Big, ripe, gamy, open knit. Not too tannic. Needs only another year or two for full maturity. 16.2+. WT082008-16. 00 CHATEAU FILLIOL, COTES DE CASTILLON - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) Solid, with burnished fruits. Also charred wood, smoke, meaty, tobacco, and leather. Nice and expressive./ Still youthful and a bit closed in. But potent, meaty, substantial. Just a little tannin to resolve. A year should do it. 16.0+. Wednesday, August 13, 2008 WT081308-01. 07 BODEGA LURTON VALLE DEL UCO PINOT GRIS - (ARGENTINA) Full and fine. The plush and complete pinot gris package of creamy white fruits (apple, pear, peach) and hazelnut creme./ Cool, fruity, floral, refreshing. Rich and viscous-textured, with bright, high altitude acidity too. Has all the right pinot gris stuff. Very popular with the group. 16.2. WT081308-02. 07 CALERA CENTRAL COAST CHARDONNAY - (U.S.) Well, another winner in this series! A fine balance of crispness and fullness. Good form too; the fruit is well contained and presented./ Juicy, flavorful, well balanced. Just the right degree of oak savor to merge handsomely with the fruit. Really great acidity, texture. Refined and well crafted. 16.5. WT081308-03. 07 COTES DU VENTOUX ROSE, LA VIEILLE FERME - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) 50% cinsault, 40% grenache, 10% syrah. Sweet and intense nose. Full, penetrating personality. The most vibrant and expressive nose of this ever./ Fresh red berries, especially strawberry. Red plum and peel. Sweet strawberry creme. A serviceable quaff and great value. Very popular with the group. 14.8. WT081308-04. 06 COTES DU RHONE, CHATEAU DE SEGRIES - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Dense, polished, seductive. Lovely, spicy strawberry fruit, flowers, and Gard classic cool tones. A nice openness suggesting time in seasoned foudres./ Sweet fruited and spicy. Smoked and peppered charcuterie extras. Rich in glycerol. Balanced mouthfeel. Has it all. 16.5. WT081308-05. 07 COTES DU RHONE LA DAME ROUSSE, DOMAINE DE LA MORDOREE - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Fresh and young. Still brash and angular./ Youthful grip and toughness. Ripe and well toned black fruits and inchoate garrigue notions. 16.0++. WT081308-06. 06 COTES DU RHONE RESERVE, GRAND VENEUR - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Big and powerful and black. A brawny lad. Compact, sturdy, solid. But not without panache. Ripe black fruits and berries, rosemary, and spiced carrot cake. The usual style here./ Ripe, dense, supple, meaty, savory. Juicy and flavorful. Bold but surprisingly balanced and well mannered after the forceful nasal impressions. It’s not overly assertive
after all. Shows pedigree. Attractive mealtime wine with a future. 16.4+. WT081308-07. 06 COTES DU RHONE VILLAGES LES CHAMPAUVINS, DOMAINE GRAND VENEUR - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Wow! Flowers, garrigue, peppercorns, berries, purple stuff. All the goodies./ Yes, and all in abundance on the palate too, but somewhat less revealing. The proper muscle and reserve of a young Villages. Keeps opening up though, blooming, expanding. Big blackberry fruits, ripe and exotic, plus strawberry, smoked meat,
licorice, garrigue. Wow! An I tasting Chateauneuf? Great acidity, tannin, astringency. An overachiever. 17.0+. WT081308-08. 06 LIRAC LA DAME ROUSSE, DOMAINE DE LA MORDOREE - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Oh! Deep and concentrated. Cool, purple, tonic. And saturated with fruit and garrigue through and through./ Rich Oriental carpet of exotic spices covers the palate. Tonic coolness on the finish. Wow! Balanced and exceptionally concentrated. A Lirac champion. All the Rhone wines were very popular with the group. 17.8+. WT081308-09. 06 DONA PAULA LUJAN DE CUYO MALBEC - (ARGENTINA) Good oak and rich fruit in harmony. Plenty of red fruits around a compact core. Soft, sassy oakiness. Orange peel and spiced apple extras. Has charm. Complete Argentine malbec nose./ Good and sweet, spicy oak and fruit, well balanced, plush, and long. A winner. 16.4. WT081308-10. POIRE DE NORMANDIE BOUCHE BRUT, DOMAINE CHRISTIAN DROUIN - (FRUIT) Aromas of firm, cooking pear varieties. And earthy peel tones. And flowers and spices./ Brut indeed. Dry and meal-worthy. 15.6. WT081308-11. 03 SAN FRANCISCO DE MOSTAZAL VIN DE EYZAGUIRRE COLCHAGUA VALLEY SHIRAZ - (CHILE) Good fruit, and true to syrah. Sweet berry jam nose of a maturing red wine of the warm 03 vintage./ Yes, sweet and wholesome. The nice 03 fruit quality. Very pleasant now. Liked by the group. 15.9.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008 WT080608-01. 07 DOLOMITI PINOT GRIGIO, MEZZACORONA - (ITALY) Crisp, austere, unpadded high altitude pinot grigio./ Yes, very crisp, vinous, tart-fruited. Thus, refreshing and wide ranging at the table. After plenty of aeration, it acquires some of those nut creme attributes of milder climate grigios, so I would expect it to become rounder and softer-textured as it matures. Well liked by the group. 15.7. WT080608-02. 07 CADIZ PALOMINO-VERDEJO, BARBADILLO - (SPAIN) 75/25. Well, this is a big improvement in range and body over past, 100% palomino versions. The 25% verdejo goes a long way toward giving this bulk and personality. Lime oil, lemon zest, melon, and nuts. Hint of fern./ Smooth; there’s glycerol from both varietals. The flavor is delicate and the wine is dainty overall. And, as before, its virtues remain ephemeral,
so don’t keep past 2008. Well liked by the group. 15.5. WT080608-03. 07 CHATEAU BONNET, ENTRE DEUX MERS - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) 50% sauvignon blanc, 40% semillon, 10% muscadelle. Great sauvignon cut and vigor. Good semillon bulk, waxy texture, supporting it. And muscadelle chimes in with an Altoids-like mintiness./ Yes, there’s the semillon rich body, the sauvignon lift, and the muscadelle ventilation. Crisp, tangy, grassy, cleansing. Well crafted in the fresh, forward 07 style.
Well liked by the group. 16.4. WT080608-04. 06 CHATEAU SANSEY, GRAVES BLANC - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) Guignard @Mazeres. Full and well textured. This has Graves size and 06 extract. Sauvignon grapefruit and semillon fig. Semillon bulk too. And calcaire–there’s an earthiness here as usual./ Good body, acidity, and texture. Good value in white Graves. And appreciated by the group as such. 16.1. WT080608-05. 07 CHATEAU GRAVILLE LACOSTE, GRAVES BLANC - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) Great citrus peel etch, tingle. Palpable nose. Bright and vivid Dubourdieu crafting./ Burnished, polished. Well balanced. Very well fashioned. 07 forward nature and inclination toward tenderness. Much fruitier than the somber 06. Fresh, bright, ripe acid carriage. Well liked by the group. 16.3+. WT080608-06. 07 VALDEORRAS, VINA GODEVAL - (SPAIN) Fine, light honeysuckle and sweet lemon aromas of godello. Well textured; a nose you can feel. Perfect posture. A primo representative of appellation and varietal. And one of the best labels in the business./ Yes, scented, etched, dry. Pineapple and mango join the performance. Plump, exotic, warm, smoky, spicy. Dense and generous, with great acid support. 07 tenderness,
freshness, ease, early appeal. Delicious now. Enjoy throughout 2008. Well liked by the group. 16.5. WT080608-07. 07 VOUVRAY DOMAINE LE PEU DE LA MORIETTE, PICHOT - (FRANCE LOIRE) H2S up front. Took days to clear, but it finally did./ Sweetish–demi sec. Sweet melon and quince. Should turn out OK but needs air and age. Those less sensitive to sulphur than I found the hidden virtues behind the sulphur veil. 15.0++. WT080608-08. 07 VOUVRAY, CHAMPALOU - (FRANCE LOIRE) Totally bright and upbeat. Crisp apple and lime aromas. Great nostril-tingling scents./ Less sweet than the Pichot; just mildly sweet–sec tendre. 07 tender acidity, delicacy, fluidity. Less extracted and gripping than the 06, but not without a degree of chewiness. Soft, spiced-apple finish. Nice. Well liked by the group. 16.5. WT080608-09. 07 RIOJA BLANCO, BODEGAS MUGA - (SPAIN) Frankly American oaky, but the oak’s not a lid. It goes through and through and establishes the character of a traditional Rioja blanco. The relatively featureless varietal viura, likely the basis of the wine, doesn’t compete much with the wood./ Wood spices and vanilla flavors. Good viura acidity. Some wood extract astringency, but it’s not strident. This will age
well. Old time white Rioja. 16.0+. WT080608-10. 07 COTES DU RHONE ROSE, DOMAINE DE LA MORDOREE - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) 50% grenache, 40% syrah, 10% cinsault. Juicy fruit candy nose. Sweet strawberry and cream. Rich texture. Full presence (14% alcohol)./ Full bodied and well textured. Fruit sweetness and real substance. Tavel rival. Has it all. 16.8. WT080608-11. 06 DOLOMITI MERLOT, MEZZACORONA - (ITALY) Smoked fruit peels, leather, meat. Some spinach./ Sweet and herbal. Medium bodied. Honest and well made. 14.5. WT080608-12. 06 SICILIA ROSSO, COLOSI - (ITALY) Oh, nice, spicy, ripe fruit. Smells like fruitcake. Not overripe or raisined like this wine can be in the really hot vintages. Lovely. Incense airs./ Sweet and smooth and easy. Lightly spicy-fruity. Aims to please. Lovely indeed. 16.0. WT080608-13. 05 VAUCLUSE KERMIT LYNCH, LEYDIER - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Marred by sulphur when first served. Eventually threw it off to reveal the firm, ripe fruit of 05 and even some garrigue airs./ After aeration, a nice smoothness and sweetness of 05 fruit and plenty of 05 grip and tannin. This will reward 1-2 years’ aging. 15.6+. WT080608-14. 07 COTES DU RHONE, CELLIER LES TROIS COURONNES - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) @Tulette. Good ripe and heady fruit, texture, volume, sweetness. Emulates Chateauneuf./ Yes, plenty of fruit volume, texture, balance. A rightful, traditional Cotes du Rhone bargain. Doesn’t try to get too modern. 15.8+. WT080608-15. 05 RIOJA CRIANZA, CAMPO VIEJO - (SPAIN) Fresh-fruited, light hearted. Blackberry and soft American oak components like vanilla and coconut./ The palate is not so easy. Challenging acidity and tannin of youth. Will reward 1-3 years’ aging. 15.0+. WT080608-16. 04 NEMEA, HARLAFTIS ATHANASSIADI - (GREECE) Sweet, barrel aged bouquet of maturity./ Yes, warm, roasted, overripe fruit. Rancio. Rugged and maturing. Useful at the dinner table. 14.8. WT080608-17. 01 FONSECA LATE BOTTLED VINTAGE PORTO bottled 2007 - (FORTIFIED) Unfiltered. Fonseca style: sweet and spiritous. Well composed young LBV./ Yes, this is the Fonseca style. Plenty sweet, dried fruit, well balanced by the spirit. Red fruit versus Taylor’s black fruit. 16.7+.
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