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Tasting Notes Blog - Printer-Friendly Version
- January, 2009
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Wednesday, January 28, 2009 WT012809-01. 07 PETIT CHABLIS, ALAIN PAUTRE - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Very stony. This is real minerality, real rock; not citrus peel. Ice cold branch water. Struck flint. Firm apple too. With aeration come softer pit and tropical fruit hints./ Yes, stone and apple. Very firm structured for 07. Again, aeration brings more fruit richness and allure. Mouthwatering acidity; more penetrating than the 06. Great for food. Very popular with the group. 17.0+. WT012809-02. 07 BOWERS HARBOR UNWOODED OLD MISSION PENINSULA CHARDONNAY - (U.S.) Yes, wondrous apple-citrus cool climate chardonnay approach. Lemon and peel./ Echoes on the palate. Freshness, vitality, fine texture. And the ‘wood’ impression where there is none. Chablis leanings. Fabulous acid, body, length. 16.5. WT012809-03. 07 CHATEAU FONTAINE WOODLAND LEELANAU PENINSULA WHITE - (U.S.) Auxerrois. Full and waxy, strong and complete. Apple, melon, grain./ Lush and full on the approach. The acidity cuts in on the back taste. Mild glycerol coating. Very popular with the group, as it was Sunday at Tasters Guild. 16.4. WT012809-04. 07 FORTY FIVE NORTH LEELANAU PENINSULA PINOT GRIS - (U.S.) Fresh, brisk, apple-nut. Tingles; etches the nostrils./ And the palate. Wow! Flavorful! Wax, peach, pear, mango, spice. Fabulous texture. Even better than at Sunday’s tasting. Has appreciated the aeration. Now showing both generosity and finesse. 16.4. WT012809-05. 07 WILLAMETTE VALLEY VINEYARDS WILLAMETTE VALLEY PINOT GRIS - (U.S.) Oh, boy! So full! So expressive of apple and walnut. And bosq pear. Incisive, large./ Yes, hefty, full bodied, deep, and full of vibrant apple and walnut flavors. Great acid, alcohol, size, amplitude. 16.8. WT012809-06. 06 BRYS ESTATE DRY OLD MISSION PENINSULA RIESLING - (U.S.) Very spicy, cedary edge of edelfirne. Special. Fine textured./ Full, rich and vigorous. Wonderful riesling bottle bouquet. Bright, dry, Germanic. 16.4. WT012809-07. 06 BOWERS HARBOR BLOCK II OLD MISSION PENINSULA RIESLING - (U.S.) Full and noble. Large. Verbena, botanicals, citrus, tropics./ Yes, dry and full spatlese trocken style of Grosses Gewachs. Strong, solid, substantial, minerally. Mealtime riesling. 16.9+. WT012809-08. 07 WILLAMETTE VALLEY VINEYARDS WILLAMETTE VALLEY RIESLING - (U.S.) Full, romantic, fragrant, rich, racy, rangy. Apple, pear, melon./ Delicious, succulent peach-apricot flavors. Fabulous fruit clarity and intensity. 17.1. WT012809-09. 07 LOREDONA MONTEREY RIESLING - (U.S.) Very pretty and delicate. Fine. Honeysuckle./ Daintily sweet and delicate. Great finesse. Juicy acidity. Really rings clear. 16.6. WT012809-10. 04 PIESPORTER GOLDTROPFCHEN RIESLING, A. NOLLEN - (GERMANY) Sweet peach and honey Goldtropfchen nose. 04 form. Very vigorous still./ Ripe and juicy peach-apricot flavors. Good value. 15.6. WT012809-11. 07 ORVIETO CLASSICO AMABILE, BIGI - (ITALY) Clean, ripe, young. Perky spiced apple-pear aromas. Nice fresh acid lift. Well poised. Exceptionally clean and clear for a young amabile./ Good almond taste of amabile, with the proper bitter trace in the back. Wildflower airs. Good acidity indeed, and good power. Very promising. I like it better than past vintages. 16.2+. WT012809-12. 07 LOST ANGEL CALIFORNIA MUSCAT CANELLI - (U.S.) Fresh and pointed aromatics. Lily of the Valley. Cool and clear./ Fresh, cool, floral, well balanced. Not overly sweet, and the acidity is right. Silk textured. Floral. Botanicals give a nice bitter trace at the finale. Fine value. 16.4. WT012809-13. 06 BOWERS HARBOR DIJON CLONES OLD MISSION PENINSULA PINOT NOIR - (U.S.) Cool and crisp tart cherry and tea aromas. Good ripeness at high acidity./ Oh, racy and Burgundian! True to cool climate pinot. Hint of oak toast, toffee. Great acidity. Reminds me of a Goisot Auxerre pinot. 16.5+. WT012809-14. 07 BLISS NORTH COAST PINOT NOIR - (U.S.) Nice ripeness without going too far. Yes, cool and racy black cherry aromas. Some pinot animal tones: game, leather. Rangy aromatic set./ Nice combo of richness and raciness. The acidity seems mild after the Bowers, but that still leaves it plenty adequate. 16.3. WT012809-15. 05 BRASSFIELD ESTATE HIGH SERENITY RANCH HIGH VALLEY MERLOT - (U.S.) Ripe for 05, or maybe that comes from 3 days’ aeration. Powerful, oaky. Some nice, spicy merlot cherry qualities. Very hearty, almost Med like./ Animal tones–meat, leather. Warm and robust. Liked by the group. And well liked at Tasters Guild on Sunday too. 16.0. WT012809-16. 05 PINE RIDGE CRIMSON CREEK NAPA VALLEY MERLOT - (U.S.) Sweet and sassy as always. Luscious fruit for 05; the Crimson Creek style. Vanilla, chocolate, and warm spices barrel contributions. Nicely proportioned./ Rich and lush fruit and oak aspects. Touch of merlot tea, tobacco. Ripe tannin. Early tasters though it too oaky. The oak must have settled in by the time the bottle got to my table, where the wine was well liked and the oak well integrated and a most welcome complexing addition. Nice tannic strength for aging. 16.9+. WT012809-17. 06 STELTZNER STAGS LEAP DISTRICT MERLOT - (U.S.) Wow! Racy oak. Shows Stags Leap coolness and finesse. Cranberry, red raspberry, apple. Intense./ Fine oak complement. Great acidity. Yes, really intense. Fine tannin. Well liked by the group. 17.2+. WT012809-18. 07 LEFT FOOT CHARLEY RED DRIVE OLD MISSION PENINSULA RED - (U.S.) Cabernet franc mainly, with merlot, dornfelder, and regant (sic). Cool and claret like. And Baden red like. The fruit impression is pomegranate-like. It’s ripe enough, and surely cool climate./ Yes, it reminds me of claret from a cool vintage like 04 or 06. And there are also suggestions of a dry German red. I would have guessed claret blind. 15.2+. WT012809-19. 05 BRASSFIELD ESTATE HIGH SERENITY RANCH HIGH VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON - (U.S.) Sweet, warm, spicy nose. Vigorous. More brightness and lift than the merlot. The wood and fruit are in harmony./ Good acid and lift of 05. The tannins are ripe. The oak and fruit are balanced on the palate too. Long aftertaste. 16.2+. WT012809-20. 05 RODNEY STRONG ALEXANDER VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON - (U.S.) Yes, the full, warm, spicy oak of a top Strong wine. Toast and caramel. And cassis. Well crafted and appealing./ Wow! Black currant and other black fruits, black pepper. Plenty of oak toast, wood smoke, and baking spices to the palate too. Chewy tannins. Good ALV size, presence, with ALV heat and ripeness nicely moderated. Well presented. Will improve too. 16.7+. WT012809-21. 06 LUIGI BOSCA RESERVE LUJAN DE CUYO MALBEC - (ARGENTINA) Black cherry and black coffee on the nose. Firm fruit and peel on the surface, with depth and darkness beneath. Young and well poised./ Full texture and presence. Good fruit darkness and compactness. Good acidity. Showing little oak and time in oak at this stage. Quite different from the 05–less open. But maybe we tasted it when it was further along. I like its poise, future. 16.3++. WT012809-22. 05 6TH SENSE LODI SYRAH - (U.S.) Unabashedly ripe and powerful. Oaky, tarry. Sweet fruit./ Yes, sweet and heady. Mild acidity leads to a succulent finish. Boy, this is surely bold! 15.8. WT012809-23. 06 GREG NORMAN ESTATES LIMESTONE COAST SHIRAZ - (AUSTRALIA) Cool black fruit and elegant oak styling give real lift unique to Norman and Limestone Coast. Lovely nose. Quite apart from the lusher Barossa shiraz set./ Fresh, dark, juicy fruit strengths. Intense and eager. Fine textured. Lightly imparted oak. A mouthwatering mealtime red. Well crafted. 16.6. WT012809-24. 07 R WINES STRONG ARMS SOUTH AUSTRALIA SHIRAZ - (AUSTRALIA) Not at all as stridently woody and heady as the 06 showed at Wine Club. Deep black fruit with a peppery edge and sweet vanilla oakiness./ Young, but already mellow. Nothing youthfully awkward or aggressive about it. And it’s poised to age well too. 16.3+. WT012809-25. 06 LOST ANGEL CENTRAL COAST PETITE SIRAH - (U.S.) Fresh and cool approach moves to hard candy and citron../ Sweet and plummy. Like fruit cake. However, it has some of the loganberry aromatics of a fine pet. Bi-polar. 15.0+? WT012809-26. 02 SARDON DE DUERO SELECCION ESPECIAL, ABADIA RETUERTA - (SPAIN) Solid and surprisingly youthful still. Showing some fruit bouquet development, lots of American oak, and tobacco./ Firm fruit and oak, with some 02 leanness. Will soften and improve. 15.6+. WT012809-27. 07 LA MANCHA LAGAR ALTO, NOBLEJA - (SPAIN) Tempranillo. Sweet La Mancha fruit basis plus lots of spicy extras to extend the aromatic range. Lots of vigor and lift for La Mancha./ Fruit forward. Good form. Nice balance of richness and acidity. Well textured. Good value. 15.9. WT012809-28. 05 DOURO, CASTELLO D’ALBA - (PORTUGAL) Fresh, firm, young, cool. Very black fruit concentration./ Very racy. Not at all thick. Elegant, with fine acidity, dignity. Youthful juiciness invites food as well as cellaring. 16.2+. WT012809-29. PENFOLDS CLUB SOUTH AUSTRALIA TAWNY PORT - (FORTIFIED) Sweet sultana and other dried fruits show youthful vigor, while the woody-nutty aspects point to long cask aging. Great ripeness and power./ The palate is less intense and rich than the nose suggests. Toffee and licorice flavors. Fairly well balanced, though the spirit shows through some. Good value. 16.2.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009 WT012109-01. CABOURG VIN MOUSSEUX FRANCAIS BRUT, CAVE DE WISSEMBOURG - (SPARKLING) This reminds me of Simonet. Probably is Simonet under a different brand. Same source. Fresh, fluffy, lightly applied powderpuff aromas. Also green apple, yellow delicious apple, lemon drop. Speaks for both the fruit foundation and the fermentation process. Nice./ Fresh, soft approach. Then some apple peel press extracts that add form,
dryness, crispness. Genuine brut dryness. Well liked by the group. Good replacement for long-lost Simonet. 15.7. WT012109-02. 07 COTES DE GASCOGNE, DOMAINE SAN GUILHEM - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) Fresh and right. A lot of firm, tangy apple, pear, and quince aromatic intensity. A crisp delight./ Flavorful, and the flavors confirm the aromas. Very juicy. Great acidity. Less tender than several other 07 Gascogne blancs, and other vintages of this wine too. I’m surprised by its crispness, and pleased by the same. 16.3. WT012109-03. 07 CHATEAU SUAU, BORDEAUX BLANC - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) Alluring freshness for Suau and a semillon oriented cuvee. Shows 07 stylishness, forward appeal. Nice, clean semillon basis–no earth. And there’s sauvignon tingle too. A great cuvee–exemplary union of the two varieties./ Yes, there’s both the creamy, figgy richness and glycerol of semillon and the clear cut of sauvignon. Perfectly juxtaposed. Fine winemaking
here, and the best Suau blanc I’ve tasted. 16.4. WT012109-04. 07 CHATEAU COUCHEROY, PESSAC-LEOGNAN BLANC - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) All sauvignon blanc. Bordeaux body, fullness, strength, plus the crisp, tingly, grassy sauvignon buoyancy. Fabulous presentation./ Yes, Bordeaux rich take on sauvignon indeed. Plenty of body, and plenty of juice and race besides. Cool, focused, racy, steely, minerally. Well liked by the group. 16.5. WT012109-05. 07 SANCERRE, DOMAINE DAULNY - (FRANCE LOIRE) Fresh, clear, alert, focused. Great 07 fruit expression plus vigor and extract that remind me of the 06. Perfectly crafted; has it all./ 07 freshness, lushness, and tenderness on the approach. Then the acidity kicks in. Racy, silky, seductive finale. The group loved it. 16.7. WT012109-06. 07 PACHERENC DU VIC BILH LES JARDINS DE BOUCASSE, ALAIN BRUMONT - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) All petit coubu. Unique, fresh, incisive. Sauvignon like but without as much pungence. Very clear and crisp./ 07 fresh and tender fruit up front (melon, mango) countered by crisp edge. Superb petit coubu acidity, vigor. Plus there’s a real sense of richness, waxiness, and density. Long and clinging. This is certainly fresher
than the 05, and better for it. Though the 05 was not over the hill by any means. 16.5. WT012109-07. 07 TOSCANA SANGIOVESE, IL BASTARDO - (ITALY) Wow! What a fresh, black, new sangiovese! No dried fruit, no red fruit. Lots of race and aromatic intensity./ Deliciously dark fruited. Succulent. Fine tannin, good acidity. Plenty of both feel and flavor. Best vintage yet. 16.3. WT012109-08. 07 BARBERA DEL PIEMONTE OTTONE I, SAN SILVESTRO - (ITALY) Fresh, bright, black, and vigorous, with cherry creme frosting bonus./ Oh, delicious fruit compote richness and a fine-grained tannin foil. That great barbera acidity; I mean, it really rings. In tune with the 06 and at least as good, maybe better after a few more months’ aging. 16.4. WT012109-09. 06 BARBERA DEL PIEMONTE IL FALO, LA SERA - (ITALY) Deep, rich, serious 06 grandeur. Cherry and vanilla. Big and sweet and generous./ Sweet, smooth, suave fruit feels and flavors. Less flavor intensity but more richness than the younger San Silvestro. Great length; both flavor and texture extend long after swallowing. This will open up more over the coming months. Both barberas were very popular with the
group. And great values. 16.5+. WT012109-10. 07 VALPOLICELLA VALPANTENA, ANIME - (ITALY) Very full for Valpolicella–that’s typical of a Valpantena wine. Nothing ripasso about it, just extra rich and full. And alert. Cherry-oriented aromatic set./ Wow! Full but also elegant thanks to floral airs and fresh, cool berry flavors. Juicy fruit acidity. Long and clinging. We have another winning Valpol on our hands. The group was impressed. 16.7+. WT012109-11. 06 SALENTO ESSENZA DI PRIMITIVO VINOSIA, ERCOLINO - (ITALY) Singed, sweetish, tarry fruit concentrate. Warm, gutsy, fully extracted. Essence indeed; cooked down. High VA. Sense of rancio./ The palate is less bizarre–less exaggerated in cooked impressions. Sweet, flavorful, positive. Really is inclined toward an essence. Good acidity and fine tannin. The palate rallies it. 15.7. WT012109-12. 06 DOURO BARCO NEGRO, LURTON - (PORTUGAL) Good, deep, black, solid, schistic. Cool; no roast. Big and fabulous black fruits and berries. Plus violets./ Delicious flavor intensity. The dark side of Iberia; Portuguese red wine style versus Spanish. Firmer, drier, blacker, more minerally style. Juicy. Fine tannins. A winner. 16.7+. WT012109-13. 06 CARINENA GARNACHA IA, VIRGEN DEL AGUILA - (SPAIN) Good, ripe, rich, powerful Carinena grenache. Really swells the nostrils. Large, insistent, generous./ Sweet, soft, mellow, easy to drink now. Quite mild acidity for 06. Attractive. 16.0. WT012109-14. 06 RIOJA GRAN FAMILIA, BODEGAS CASTILLO DE FUENMAYOR - (SPAIN) Lots of appealing American oak features. Well presented–not too aggressive. Ample black fruit basis too. Reminds me of a good crianza./ Yes, oak, vanilla, and fruit substance. Oak and fruit in ideal ‘crianza’ proportions. Sweet and delicious. Wow! Quite a value! 16.6. WT012109-15. 06 CAMPO DE BORJA CRIANZA ESPECIAL, BODEGAS BORSAO - (SPAIN) 50% grenache, 25% each tempranillo, cabernet sauvignon. Oh, boy! Black and deep and spicy-peppery fruit with fine oak border. Everything’s in harmony, in synch. Grenache sweetness, crianza oak and barrel development. Fabulous crianza./ Yes, oak, sweet fruit, vanilla–in balance. Well tuned. Plenty of spice and flair. Large in all respects. Powerful,
generous. Has a fine future too. 16.8+. WT012109-16. 07 GOATS IN VILLAGES COASTAL REGION SHIRAZ-PINOTAGE - (SOUTH AFRICA) Attractive shiraz raspberry and pinotage earth, leather, animal. Fresh and fruity./ Again, both fruit and leather aspects are appealingly fresh and uplifting. Measures up to the 06 and supplies more youthful exuberance. 16.2. WT012109-17. 04 LOCKWOOD MONTEREY SYRAH - (U.S.) Rich and robust 04 styling. Black raspberry, plus game and mushroom tones indicative of bottle bouquet development./ Full bodied, full fruited, hearty. Showing the suavity of maturation. Enjoy this winter with hearty fare. 16.2.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009 WT011409-01. 08 CAT’S PEE ON A GOOSEBERRY BUSH EAST COAST SAUVIGNON BLANC - (NEW ZEALAND) Young, fresh, tangy, brittle, and still a little nervous. Full and strong./ Rich, round, ripe, fruity, and full. Delicious sauvignon flavor set. Quite powerful, insistent. Needs a couple of months to settle down, mellow out. By spring, it will be gulpable. 16.1+. WT011409-02. 08 OYSTER BAY MARLBOROUGH SAUVIGNON BLANC - (NEW ZEALAND) This has more zing already, more vibrancy. It’s also quite full and strong. But more vital; indeed, very stimulating. Gooseberry, lemongrass, citrus peel–total NZ sauvignon./ Full and strong too but more vigorous, juicy. Prickly, penetrating acidity plus rich, even luscious fruit–that’s the 08 combo! Best Oyster Bay sauvignon yet. 16.4. WT011409-03. 08 CLOUDY BAY MARLBOROUGH SAUVIGNON BLANC - (NEW ZEALAND) Wow! More-ish. Fuller textured, deeper and more variegated aroma sensations. Very ample indeed./ Rich, full textured, wide ranging. Complex flavor and texture sets. This is very entertaining. And well balanced besides. Earns its station. Exciting and classy stuff. The group enjoyed all the sauvignons. 16.8. WT011409-04. 07 TOSCANA BIANCO CASAMATTA, CANTINAMATTA - (ITALY) Shows a certain fullness and plushness as well as a cool, firm background. Light airs of malvasia impart subtle perfume and some padding to an otherwise vinous aroma. Trebbiano toscano with a dash of malvasia?/ Tastes of fig, chamomile tea, and a touch of resin. Taut and stony, with some peels astringency, even bitterness. 14.8+. WT011409-05. 07 MORGAN METALLICO UNOAKED MONTEREY CHARDONNAY - (U.S.) Full and strong, deep and pushy. Apple, quince, cantaloupe, and citrus. And, like in many a Macon blanc, what I interpret as wood tones; something like toasted grain./ Aw, come on! The first taste strongly suggests oak. It’s that graininess again. You could fool me every time. This is the boldest and headiest vintage of Metallico yet. How do they
get so much of a barrel-aged sense? Wow! I’m impressed! A lovely and accomplished treat. This works! 16.4. WT011409-06. 07 BOURGOGNE CHARDONNAY, THIERRY MATROT - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) This is elegant and fresh, with 07 fruit emphasis. A nice, sweet fruit that speaks for vintage and maker. Suggestive of Chassagne blanc. Just a light kiss of oak./ The fruit is very pretty and engaging. The oak is a mild seasoning. I love this for current drinking. Enjoyed by the group for the same reason. 16.7. WT011409-07. 07 BOURGOGNE CHARDONNAY, THOMAS MOREY - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) More oak here. Fruit aplenty too: apple, quince, loquat. And size, power, ambition. Very broad beamed Bourgogne./ Large, powerful, full textured, and long. Great, vibrant acidity. Lively, composed, and delicious now, but will surely reward cellaring. Lots of material and presence for Bourgogne–more like Meursault. Well liked by the group. 17.0+. WT011409-08. 07 BOURGOGNE CHARDONNAY, VINCENT MOREY - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Crisp and fresh and vigorous. Refined, classy. Oak, nuts, minerals. Less daunting than the Thomas Morey./ Oak lends light touches of vanilla and baking spices. Neat and compact in size. Dark depths lend promise. More finesse than the Thomas Morey. There’s really a marked contrast here. 16.9+. WT011409-09. 07 KREUZNACHER KRONENBERG KABINETT, ST. ANTONIUS - (GERMANY) Firm structured, perfumed, spicy./ Peach, nectarine, and mace flavors. Quite sweet for kabinett. Yes, fruity, lush, rich. 15.5. WT011409-10. 07 PIESPORTER TREPPCHEN RIESLING KABINETT, WELLER-LEHNERT - (GERMANY) Treppchen is across and slightly downriver from Goldtropfchen on gentler, east-facing terrain. Oh! Fruity, appley, floral, vigorous, uplifting. Incisive; etches the nostrils. Fabulous Mosel nose./ Sweet and juicy apple, pear, and peach-apricot flavors. Plus melon, flowers, orange zest. 07 freshness. A real taste adventure. 16.4. WT011409-11. 07 MARSANNAY PINOT NOIR ROSE, BRUNO CLAIR - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Crisp, but also shows a tender side. Strawberry, maraschino cherry, marzipan. Very bright, clear, focused./ Oh, what a lovely rose! The palate adds raspberry and red currant to the fruit set. Great acidity; very juicy. Nicely burnished and vigorous. There’s underlying power, and it’s well controlled so as not to interfere with the refreshment.
Well liked by the group. 16.7. WT011409-12. 07 TOSCANA CASAMATTA, CANTINAMATTA - (ITALY) Good and sweet, juicy and enticing black cherry fruit. What’s the varietal set? Not at all like typical Tuscan sangiovese. No dried fruit./ Low flavor profile. Due to youth? The acidity is suggestive of sangiovese. Becomes lusher with airing. Likely to improve over the coming months. 15.6+. WT011409-13. 07 DISENO MENDOZA MALBEC - (ARGENTINA) Wow! This is a big, insistent showboat of a wine after all preceding. Bright and splashy oak and fruit combo./ Full, rich fruit and oak in harmony. Fat and chocolatey. Good power, acid, juice, tannin, and astringency of a young, well poised Argentine malbec. Liked by the group. 16.4+. WT011409-14. 06 MADIRAN TORUS, ALAIN BRUMONT - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) This just reeked of mercaptans to start. I gave the bottle a good shaking, and, after aerating a second pour in my Taster glass, the real wine was unveiled. Fresh, black fruits. Good crispness of 06./ Good body, fruit sweetness, and burnished texture. Yes, this just needs vigorous decanting...and/or bottle age. 16.0++. WT011409-15. 07 VAUCLUSE LE PIGEOULET EN PROVENCE, BRUNIER - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) 80% grenache, 10% syrah, 5% each cinsaut and carignan. Comes on sweet and intricate. Then there are dry as well as sweet sensations. Brushy garrigue as well as plump fruit. Opens up big and wide. The rangiest, most giving vintage of this yet./ Vanilla, toffee, and elegant floral nuances. Sweet and powerful. Fine acid and tannin. Warmth,
reserve, panache. This has plenty in store for the future too. Brunier style suggestive of Vieux Telegraphe. But, oh the price! The group remembered when it was in the $10-$15 range, and was not amused. 16.3+. WT011409-16. 05 CAIRANNE COTES DU RHONE VILLAGES, DOMAINE BOISSON - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) 50% grenache, 20% each syrah and mourvedre, 10% carignan. Sweet and ripe 05 fruit. This is an 05 that is not shutting down at age three. Dark, roasted, raspberry like fruit–very Cairanne. Very ripe, tarry, strong–very Cairanne./ Full fruit. Big and powerful. Great depth, dimension, and concentration. A lot of 05 tannin–gross
tannin. Hasn’t shut down, but it’s kinda aggressive at this stage. Deserves to be aged. The Wine of the Evening for many, especially when considering the price. This got a Wine Spectator 90. 16.5+. WT011409-17. 07 BURG LAYER SCHLOSSKAPELLE SPATLESE, ST. ANTONIUS - (GERMANY) Full of grapefruit, talc, and flowers like an exaggerated sauvignon blanc. That suggests one or more of the German crosses, especially huxelrebe. This cuvee has always been redolent of such. Pungent, direct, honest, typical./ Both sweet and racy. Somewhat mild or coated acidity. That’s common to the varietal and cuvee also. In fine fettle in
this 07 version. 90/100. WT011409-18. 07 OPPENHEIMER KROTENBRUNNEN AUSLESE, MEILEN - (GERMANY) H2S to start. Shaking alleviates it to reveal fruity and floral attributes. Nice nose, typical for the site./ Yes, nice and fruity. Soft and sweet and easy. What it’s meant to be. 16.0.
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Wednesday, January 7, 2009 WT010709-01. 08 LA PLAYA COLCHAGUA SAUVIGNON BLANC - (CHILE) Grass, grapefruit, hint of stone fruits. Fresh, tingly, stimulating lemon zestiness./ Again, very brisk and bracing citricity. Lemon and grapefruit. Touch of peach. Dry and neat; no doubt appropriate with fish. 16.0. WT010709-02. 07 SICILIA CHARDONNAY, INTERMEZZO - (ITALY) My goodness is this rich and creamy! Plenty of malo here, which is daring in the south where acid is precious. New World style. Crisp, clean, fresh. No heat at all. Extremely impressive for the price./ That’s a fresh and lovely, light-hearted chardonnay, especially for Mediterranean origins. Dry and clean. Good acidity. Good. 15.5. WT010709-03. 07 ASUNTO DE VINO CENTRAL VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON - (CHILE) Sweet and somewhat syrupy. A Lodi like jamminess./ But more acidity and framing than a Lodi red. Lots of acid in fact. Peppery, smoky flavor impressions relate more to carmenere than cabernet. Good food wine. 15.4. WT010709-04. 06 FRIDAY MONKEY SE AUSTRALIA MERLOT - (AUSTRALIA) Attractive dark fruit and good vinosity. Not specific to merlot but likeable and better than many Aussie merlots. Good darkness and depth. Wood and soft Riverina fruit. Mild./ Decent, sweet merlot fruit. Blueberry, and flowers. The oak stands apart still. All the same, as Aussie merlots go, this is not bad. 15.4. WT010709-05. 07 FRIDAY SE AUSTRALIA CABERNET-MERLOT - (AUSTRALIA) Cabernet adds backbone and shows its blackberry and black currant facets. Very attractive amalgam. 15.2. WT010709-06. 06 DOLCETTO D’ALBA MONTE ARIBALDO, MARCHESI DI GRESY - (ITALY) Sweet, uplifting fruit. Lovely red and black–even candied–fruits. Rich and fine, ripe and engaging as usual. And more than the usual depth for dolcetto./ Full, tart black cherry. Less give than the nose suggested. Compact, well formed, accomplished. Full grip, tannin, acid. Very young. Well liked by the group. For the future. 16.3+. WT010709-07. 07 MONTEPULCIANO D’ABRUZZO RIPAROSSO, ILLLUMINATI - (ITALY) Plumper and sweeter nose than usual. Less purple, less reductive, less astringent. Fresh and bright and floral though. Spicy too. A special vintage of this./ Good grip and astringency and plenty of purple fruit; these characteristics have always marked this wine. However, this 07 has more substance and fruit sweetness than the norm. A class act. Big group
favorite. 16.6+. WT010709-08. 06 CHATEAU NORBERT, COTES DE BOURG - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) Unfiltered. Smells ripe and rich for an 06. Shows a lean-vintage claret tartness though./ The palate is also pretty tart but not too lean. Not bad for 06. Enjoyed by the Europhiles in the group. 14.8. WT010709-09. 05 CHRISTIAN MOUEIX MEDOC - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) Firm, very dark, and still mean. Seems like a product of Bas Medoc clay soils. Acts like a wine from a tighter-laced vintage than 05; say, 96, 98, or 02./ Palate also clay-born. Not much 05 charm at this juncture, but does show prominent depth. Needs time. 16.0+. WT010709-10. 05 CHRISTIAN MOUEIX SAINT EMILION - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) Much softer nose than the Medoc. Sweeter, riper, spicier. This is real Right Bank claret./ More offerings here. Elegant dark fruits, especially blackberry. More approachable and distinctive. 16.3+. WT010709-11. 06 COTES DU VENTOUX CUVEE DES MESSES BASSES, VIGNERONS DU MONT VENTOUX - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Old time. Roti, rugged, rustic. Fig, raisin, green olive./ Yes, no concessions to modernity. Powerful. Fine acidity. Needs food. 15.9. WT010709-12. 08 SANTA JULIA ORGANICA MENDOZA MALBEC - (ARGENTINA) Reliable if somewhat austere young malbec hinting at dried fruits and mocha./ The palate shows more openness and depth. Still some astringency to lose. Expectations met though. 15.5+. WT010709-13. 05 CAHORS CUVEE TRADITIONNELLE, DOMAINE DES GRAVALOUS - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) Ripe and spicy and open knit. Smoky, meaty, grandiose. Plenty of ripe fruit. More Mediterranean than Cahors. More 03 than 05./ Open, ripe and powerful. I’ve had previous vintages that impressed, and also showed this flamboyant style, but not to such extravagance. Big group favorite. 16.1+. WT010709-14. 07 SALENTO PRIMITIVO, CORTENOVA - (ITALY) Cool purple berries. Boysenberry, and black cherry./ Palate shows more sweetness and warmth. There are family resemblances to zinfandel. Needs a few more months to fill out. 15.5+.
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