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Tasting Notes Blog - Printer-Friendly Version
- June, 2008
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Wednesday, June 25, 2008 WT062508-01. 07 GAVI LA LUCIANA, ARALDICA - (ITALY) Fresh and full of flowers, pear, peach, green melon, and apple. Ripe and racy; with good mineral brace. Extremely attractive Gavi classic./ Fresh, sprightly, refreshing fruit acidity. Hints of straw, sage, and mineral. Good contrast of plumpness and etching gives lots of textural play. Plenty of extract. 16.4. WT062508-02. 07 PARRILADA CLASSIC MENDOZA TORRONTES - (ARGENTINA) By Domaine Vistalba. Very perfumed, like soap, flowers, bath powder. Also stone fruits, tonic, botanicals./ Good dryness with varietal, bitter-herb astringency. Not as perfumey in the mouth, which is good. Clean, brisk finish. 16.2. WT062508-03. 07 YALUMBA Y SERIES SOUTH AUSTRALIA VIOGNIER - (AUSTRALIA) Still some reduction under screwcap. Aerate it good. Light, piquant yellow berries and quince./ Scented in the mouth. Wild fruits. Lively and foxy. 15.5. WT062508-04. 06 PAVIA PINOT NOIR, SARTORI DI VERONA - (ITALY) Bright, soft, inviting cherry aroma with meaty, pulpy constitution. Very rich and ripe for its origin, but good, cool-climate lift is present too./ Very flavorful, very pinot. Balanced and concentrated. Good acidity and fine tannin. Boy, is this a pinot sleeper! 16.0+. WT062508-05. 06 DOLCETTO D’ALBA COLOMBE, RENATO RATTI - (ITALY) Sweet black cherry fruit with cola and lightly smoky oak touches. Both fresh and full. An ambitious Dolcetto that is still mindful of its vinous roots./ Dark cherry and plum pulp and peel. Has grip and aspirations, but it’s not too big for its dolcetto boots. Fine mid-term ager. 16.8+. WT062508-06. 05 CANNONAU DI SARDEGNA RISERVA, SELLA & MOSCA - (ITALY) In Sardinia, grenache is known as cannonau. This one’s a perennial favorite of ours, and 05 carries the torch high. Wow! Sweet grenache cherry and strawberry. Even some cherry gummies aroma. Plus prominent clove and mace spiciness. Both brisk and rich./ Oh, yes, it’s rich-textured too, and already so accomplished, balanced. Nice, fresh acid carriage. Long, fine-textured aftertaste. 16.7+. WT062508-07. 04 RIOJA RESERVA TEMPRANILLO, BODEGAS CAMPO VIEJO - (ITALY) Oh! Fabulous fruit concentration. Dense, burnished purple fruits. 04 fruit darkness with time in oak sophistication. But the fruit really dominates any sense of woodiness. Very bright./ Good oak and time in oak savors on the palate. And big fruit concentration again. Fabulous. But no longer so traditional. Vintage eccentricity, or change in approach? As impressive as the 03 (or more) in a dramatically different style. Bargain. 16.8+. WT062508-08. 06 J. LOHR LOS OSOS PASO ROBLES MERLOT - (U.S.) Fine sweet, ripe, and sassy fruit and oak. Lohr and Paso styles personified. Nice merlot plumpness. Very expressive. A fine vintage here, like 04./ Full oak melange of mocha, caramel, and warm spices–typical of Lohr merlot and cabernet. Fine tannins. Great texture, really. Long and sweet aftertaste. 16.5+. WT062508-09. 07 PARRILLADA CLASSIC MENDOZA MALBEC - (ARGENTINA) Sweet, full, ripe, and noticeably powerful (14.5%). Plenty of both oak and black fruit, including cassis and black cherry cough drop./ Plenty of fruit, with nicely integrated oak. Acidity, tannin, and depth all pluses. Large, powerful, tannic red wine that fills the mouth. This delivers for the price, and it will get better too. 16.1+ WT062508-10. 06 J. LOHR SEVEN OAKS PASO ROBLES CABERNET SAUVIGNON - (U.S.) Good, ripe Paso cabernet. Cassis, plum, blackberry, fruit creme. And oak offerings: wood spices, dill, vanilla, mocha./ Rich cherry-berry and oak flavor sets. Fine, sweet tannins. Another Lohr standard. Attractive now, and will improve. 16.4+. WT062508-11. 06 FABRE MONTMAYOU GRAN RESERVA LUJAN DE CUYO CABERNET SAUVIGNON - (ARGENTINA) By Domaine Vistalba. 30 year old vines. Fabulous oak and fruit depth. Serious, Grand Cru claret-like fruit-oak complex. Cassis, vanilla, Cavendish tobacco./ Wow! Explosive! Grand oak and fruit presentations, complex and sophisticated and generous. Lots of cassis, chocolate, cocoa, mocha, and Cavendish. Real power, with acidity to balance. Super, as was the malbec a month ago. 17.4+. WT062508-12. 07 PARRILLADA CLASSIC MENDOZA SYRAH - (U.S.) Fresh, soft, frank, strong (14.5%) New World syrah. Some reduction yet./ Well, now, this rallies on the palate. Good syrah raspberry, peppercorn, and lavender qualities. That’s a nice surprise. 15.2+. WT062508-13. 07 R WINES EVIL SE AUSTRALIA CABERNET SAUVIGNON - (AUSTRALIA) Good fullness, texture, presence. But not much fruit character formed yet. Strong. With air, more fruit comes forth. Red berries and rosemary. Some ‘cedary’ oak. Frank, direct./ Rich texture and flavor. Yes, this is satisfying and generous. A little more aging will bring forth more aroma. 15.9+. WT062508-14. 07 ALBANA DI ROMAGNA BACIAMI, LE ROCCHE - (ITALY) Alongside Brunello di Montalcino, Albana di Romagna was Italy’s very first DOCG. Perfumed and fine. Aromatic apple varieties like Mutsu. Right and fresh./ Again, the high-toned apple airs, plus orange zest, nectar, cream, caramel, nuts, and honey. Viscous, but only lightly sweet. Just what it should be, and fresher and better than the 06 tasted a month ago. 16.7. WT062508-15. 07 MOSCATO D’ASTI, BRICCO RIELLA - (ITALY) By Walter Barbero. Extravagant muscat perfumes. Flowers, nectarine, bergamot, even blueberry./ Soft on the palate, but nicely stated, flavorful. Very nice value. 16.3. Wednesday, June 18, 2008 WT061808-01. 06 TREBBIANO D’ABRUZZO, FARNESE - (ITALY) Cool, firm pear and apple. Hints of peach, walnut, rosemary, and cedar. Lovely. Full./ Rich textured, with a smooth and sweet fullness. Delicious for its volume, richness, and raciness too. Totally fresh and wholesome. A spry and tangy, rangy mealtime white. Well liked by the group. 16.2. WT061808-02. 05 RUTHERFORD VINTNERS NAPA VALLEY CHARDONNAY - (U.S.) Plenty of oak presence in support of creamy tropical fruit and lemon verbena. Napa class./ Rich vanilla and wood savors. Very smooth. The palate is a real treat. 15.7. WT061808-03. 06 CAMPO DE BORJA, BODEGAS BORSAO - (SPAIN) Whoa! Comin’ right at ya! Yes! A cherry bomb! Big burst to rich fruit and tangy fruit peels./ Delicious, succulent, super fruity. A gusher! Cherry and strawberry jam. Grenache on steroids. Well liked by the group. 16.4. WT061808-04. 05 CASTILLA CODICE, DOMINIO DE EGUREN - (SPAIN) This suffers from the order, though I can the logic, it being older and more expensive. Fresh and good black and red fruits, especially plum./ Yes, fresh, brisk, bright. Good acidity, nice angles, altogether there. But lighter and drier than the above. Much less exuberant. More tannic. Many in the group preferred it for these reasons. 15.6+. WT061808-05. 06 RIBERA DEL DUERO LEGON ROBLE, VALTOSTAO - (SPAIN) Wood, wood smoke, smoked meat, even smoked fish. Black cherry fruit runs deep. Big, ripe, and assertive./ Very flavorful. Great meaty-spicy range. While the oak complex contributes to most of the aromas and flavors at present, it’s anything but overbearing. This wine is not wanting for fruit. Its fruit basis is clearly stated, especially from a textural
standpoint. Boy, this is a whopper! Volume, material, ambition. I’d be keen to follow it. Well liked by the group. 16.8+. WT061808-06. 05 CAMPO DE BORJA CRIANZA, BODEGAS BORSAO - (SPAIN) Great crianza balance of seasoned wood and full, deep, ripe fruit, as is almost always the case with this cuvee. Zesty, wide ranging, intense./ That oak-fruit balance is confirmed on the palate. A delicious harmony of all components. Full bodied and very long, rich, and savory on the finish. Will earn bottle bouquet over the next 1-2 years to complete
the presentation. Well liked by the group. 16.6+. WT061808-07. 03 RIOJA RESERVA TEMPRANILLO, CAMPO VIEJO - (SPAIN) Very bright black fruit and fine, subtle oakiness. A fabulous statement of traditional Rioja./ Racy, smooth, and fine. Very cool, bright, juicy, focused fruit for 03. I think the traditional handling tends to cancel out some of the vintage’s eccentricities. Nice touch of spicy oak influences. Well crafted, for sure. The group agreed. 16.4. WT061808-08. 07 DONA PAULA LOS CARDOS LUJAN DE CUYO MALBEC - (ARGENTINA) Wow! Big, billowing fruit and oak demonstration that swells the nostrils with its volume and etches the membranes with its texture. Warm spices and cherry creme./ Wow! Cherry creme with violets overtones. And chocolate. This recalls chocolate-covered cherry creme Easter eggs. Succulent. Full, rich texture. Yow! Just how rich do they get? An Atomic
Fruit Bomb. Orders taken. 16.8. WT061808-09. 06 ALTA VISTA PREMIUM MENDOZA MALBEC - (ARGENTINA) More blackness, more oak, more depth. Lovely floral overtones. This is a more serious wine that’s in tune with the style and quality of the 05, just less forthcoming as yet due to its youth./ Yes, it’s relatively quiet in youth, especially after the above fruit bomb. But it comes on with airing to become sturdy, forceful, and concentrated in the mouth.
Rich, full, gripping texture. Plenty of material here. Well liked by the group. 17.0+. WT061808-10. 05 RUTHERFORD VINTNERS NAPA VALLEY MERLOT - (U.S.) Good wood aromatics with sufficient plum and blackberry fruit to contain./ Balanced but relatively understated. 05 style and youth suppress merlot fatness. Becomes plummier and more soothing as it airs. 15.6. WT061808-11. 04 RUTHERFORD VINTNERS NAPA VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON - (U.S.) More wood–American oak. Dark fruit and cabernet grip./ Rich. Sweeter fruit than the merlot–that’s 04 versus 05 plus the extra year. Oak and fruit mark good harmony. Soft tannins allow for present service. 15.8. WT061808-12. 07 SEBEKA WESTERN CAPE SHIRAZ-PINOTAGE - (SOUTH AFRICA) Sweet, bright, and zesty fruits and berries. Hints of bell pepper, oak, and leather./ A little glossy up front, but the wine rallies to offer a nice, finely buffed texture on the back of the palate. A playful red that might be enjoyed cool. 15.0. WT061808-13. 05 VILLA MARIA CELLAR SELECTION HAWKES BAY SYRAH - (NEW ZEALAND) Wow! Is this a strong and explicit expression of syrah white pepper! Some sweet oak, anise, and briar notes too. Full, lush, fleshy, sprawling./ Sweet fruit, lots of white pepper again. Barrel toast, nut, cedar. Ripe black raspberry. Smooth and nicely balanced. Plenty of lasting savor. Fine tannin. Ample and generous stuff, and worth a year
or two in the cellar. Well liked by the group. 16.4+ WT061808-14. 05 CONCANNON LIMITED RELEASE CENTRAL COAST PETITE SIRAH - (U.S.) Reduced to start. Improves after aeration. Then that fine boysenberry aroma of only the better pets comes on with full expressiveness. Black pepper too./ Yes! Flowers, purple berries, peppercorns. Delicious. Upholds its reputation as one of the best values in petite sirah. Since 1968, the first vintage, and California’s first varietally labeled
petite sirah wine. 16.4.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008 WT061108-01. 07 MUSCADET SEVRE ET MAINE SUR LIE, CHATEAU LA CARIZIERE - (FRANCE LOIRE) Brisk and fresh and good green pear and flowers and botanicals. Deeply textured. Rich. Blossoms fully with airing. Linden./ Great acidity. I mean, Wow! More vigor and less tenderness than the norm. The flavor range and intensity just grow and grow as the wine warms and airs. Totally rewarding. Well liked by the group. 16.4. WT061108-02. 06 TRINCHERO FAMILY SANTA BARBARA SAUVIGNON BLANC - (U.S.) Mellowing softening, broadening with age. Still a pleasantly sassy citrus crispness. And hints of passion fruit and wet stone. Full bodied and quite powerful in the California sauvignon mode./ Yes, there’s a lot of body and alcohol warmth that’s not very refreshing as the glass warms on a hot, muggy afternoon. But properly chilled and served with
poultry
with a citrus-tinged sauce, this would be delightful. 15.9. WT061108-03. 07 RUEDA NAIA, BODEGAS NAIA - (SPAIN) 100% verdejo. Yes, fragrant and grassy verdejo nose that reminds of sauvignon blanc but has a slightly musky edge in addition. Pungent flowers and spices of verdejo./ Very flavorful. Round and ripe, nicely focused, bright and attractive, scented accents. Good strength, body, and viscosity foiled by a racy, tingly acidity at the finale. Dangerously alluring. Well liked
by
the group. 16.5. WT061108-04. 07 KREMSTAL GRUNER VELTLINER, STADT KREMS - (AUSTRIA) Fine, full, young, fresh, vigorous aromas of apple, snow pea, and even menthol./ Palate echoes all and adds citrus and floral notes. Wow! This is really vigorous! Well liked by the group. 16.5. WT061108-05. 07 KAMPTAL ROSE, LOIMER - (AUSTRIA) 100% zweigelt. Fresh, penetrating, snappy. Delicate aromas of apple, rose, cranberry, and raspberry. These will intensify over the coming weeks./ Yes, this opens with great tang, cut, and vigor, and then shows a nice smooth side too. Love the textural interaction, which will prove even more rewarding with food. Well liked by the group. 16.1+. WT061108-06. 06 MONTEPULCIANO D’ABRUZZO, DRAGONI - (ITALY) Started out rather sullen, dark, and secretive like many 06 Central Italy reds. Then we dipped the magic Clef du Vin in it (said to age a wine a year for every second it’s dipped), and, by golly, it started to open up (or was it just aeration?). Now it has very nice floral accents that project it beyond its price range./ Cocoa and warm plum flavors. Definitely
ripe,
and very giving. Don’t know if the tool helped or not. Will try a clinical experiment next week. 15.7+. WT061108-07. 04 TOSCANA, MONTE ANTICO - (ITALY) Oh, boy! A great sangiovese grosso display of cherry, anise, tar, and meat. And after Clef du Vin’s work, even more prominent cherry aroma./ Great texture and beauty after the tool’s work. Marzipan note. One of the best vintages here. Lush fruit, good balance, commendable poise. Yielding well for its age; sometimes these remain tight even at age 3-4. Fine wine now, with
the
potential to improve another 3 years. Well liked by the group. 16.4+. WT061108-08. 05 NAPA LANDING NAPA VALLEY MERLOT - (U.S.) Wow! Open, sweet, sexy oak potpourri of spices and ripe, sweet fruit to counter. Real power too./ Rich, large, sweet, powerful, expansive. Unlike many a merlot in its price range, nothing tame or herbal about it. Will compete with merlots three times the price. 16.4. WT061108-09. 07 TERRA ANDINA VALLE CENTRAL CARMENERE - (CHILE) Wow! Full, sexy oak incense and sandalwood. Great power. Gobs of ripe fruit; riper and more generous than the 06. And, like the 06, no earth, animal, herb, or funk, like some inexpensive carmeneres./ The palate is simply enveloped by oak spices and sweet fruit. This is carmenere with all its inherent abundance and none of its shortcomings. Well proportioned,
well crafted. Great value. Wow! Well liked by the group. 16.8. WT061108-10. 05 COUSINO MACUL FINIS TERRAE MAIPO VALLEY RED - (CHILE) Wow again! Cassis, baking spices, nuts, toast with cinnamon and brown sugar. Intense and exotic./ Sweet and spicy. Rangy and deep and powerful. Dense and structured. Plenty of cabernet vigor and merlot roundness to complement. More giving than the 04. Complete Super Chilean. I want my Maipo! 17.2+. WT061108-11. 04 DOURO ADRIANO, RAMOS PINTO - (PORTUGAL) Very strong and dry; rugged but not rustic. Good grip. Not even the Clef du Vin could open it up./ Much more expressive on the palate though. Wonderful cracked peppercorn zestiness and fruit peel extracts. Plus cedar, smoke, and licorice. Lots o’ dusty tannin. Best to cellar a year or two. 16.2++. WT061108-12. 06 RIBERA DEL DUERO MONTE NEGRO, FELIX SANZ - (SPAIN) Young, with firm and classy, well measured American oak influence. Time in oak breadth and expression. Cassis, blackberry, pitch, and animal fat./ The palate is less firm. Richer. Fine black raspberry fruit here and very subtle oak, in keeping with the classy, elegant presentations of past vintages. Fully in tune. 16.4++. WT061108-13. 01 RIBERA DEL DUERO CRIANZA MONTE NEGRO, FELIX SANZ - (SPAIN) Wow! Big oak and power. Sawdust, celery salt, spices. Really intense./ Big burst of flavor. Sweet blackberry fruit and full texture. Broad, deep, and dense. Generous, medium-fine tannins. Puts on quite a show. And its performance will get better still. 17.5+. WT061108-14. 06 FRANCAIS PLANTATION 1905, DOMAINE TOUR BOISEE - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) From a plot of 23 different grape varieties planted in 1905. Deep and variegated. Both black and red fruits and berries. Many subtleties. Hint of cumin, curry./ Less aromatic range on the palate; it’s still a young wine. Sweet fruit, good acidity. Will show more range and depth as it ages. Very popular with the group. 16.2+. WT061108-15. 06 COTES DU RHONE VIEILLES VIGNES, DOMAINE DE L’ESPIGOUETTE - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Nice purple fruit and flowers and garrigue, as this cuvee almost always shows. Loganberry, peppercorn, lavender, rosemary. Looks like a great vintage here./ Palate confirms the full aromatic range and speaks for lovely textural expression too. A beauty with potential. 16.5+. WT061108-16. 06 CELLAR #8 CALIFORNIA ZINFANDEL - (U.S.) Sweet, solid, dark, slightly roasted fruit expressive of its southern Mendocino-northern Sonoma origins. California appellation, but a wine of place, and that place is the Asti-Cloverdale area of the northern Alexander Valley, where the winery is located. Very nice baking spice and toast oak savors are a bonus./ Yes, pleasing toasty, sweet-spicy oak and warm-roasted,
vigorous zinfandel character. More three dimensional than the 05. Super value. 16.3+. WT061108-17. 06 RANCHO ZABACO HERITAGE VINES SONOMA ZINFANDEL - (U.S.) Oh, fabulously deep and purple, with plenty of spicy oak flair. Less open and ripe than the 05 a month back. Likely due to youth more than vintage. Cooler too. Good power./ Yes, really full and forthcoming black raspberry flavor classic to zinfandel, and fine oak augmentation too. This is intense! Well liked by the group. 16.5+. WT061108-18. 06 FOUR VINES MAVERICK AMADOR ZINFANDEL - (U.S.) Fabulous, seductive potpourri of oak fragrances–the biggest and most intense oak display of the day. Cedar, cigar box, vanilla. And my, there’s plenty of ripe, black plum, black currant, black raspberry, and black cherry fruit to accompany. Plus Amador style and class. This is impressively complex...and, sophisticated./ Dark and concentrated, deep and polished.
. Full bodied, with juicy fruit acidity. Smooth and rich and alluring. Succulent. No waitin’, no hesitatin’. A complete Amador zinfandel. This is much more revealing than was the 05 six months ago. 17.0+.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008 WT060408-01. MOSEL DORNFELDER SEKT, HUBERTSHOF - (GERMANY) Hand-riddled. A pretty as well as potent red-fruit nose. Warm fruits, tobacco, hint of leather./ A big wine, exotic, unique. 16.0. WT060408-02. 07 PICPOUL DE PINET, VIGNERONS DE MONTAGNAC - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Good perfume range and intensity for picpoul. Forthcoming. A fine portfolio of yellow fruits, including pear. Nice lemon-lime piquancy too./ Good acidity to complement the fruit generosity. A fine vintage here. Very popular with the group. 16.2. WT060408-03. 07 COTES DE GASCOGNE, DOMAINE DES CASSAGNOLES - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) Starts out on the shy side, but, later, plenty of fruit surges forth. Green apple, melon, orange peel, stone, spice./ The palate shows more richness from the get-go yet remains well measured, well delineated. This is really starting to deliver now. Sassy, stimulating edginess. Great texture. Aftertaste sings of pear and tangerine. 16.0+. WT060408-04. 06 CHATEAU HAUT RIAN, BORDEAUX - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) Old time, semillon-rich white Bordeaux. Apple, pear, calcaire./ Thick and waxy semillon. Clean and well balanced. Better appreciated with food. 15.6. WT060408-05. 07 RUEDA BASA, TELMO RODRIGUEZ - (SPAIN) Grass, quince, and botanicals complex of verdejo. Plenty of fruit vitality and generosity. Yes, lively and lovely./ Fine, silky texture. Plenty of fresh fruit richness countered by good acidity and some verdejo astringency. Very popular with the group. 16.3. WT060408-06. 07 DOLOMITI PINOT BIANCO, ALOIS LAGEDER - (ITALY) Wow! This is one intense pinot blanc! Fully concentrated, hard driving, bright and fresh. Says it all./ Lots of pinot blanc green fruit and peels. Full and classic. Vigor, intensity, textural richness. 16.4. WT060408-07. 06 BOURGOGNE ALIGOTE, DOMAINE CHENE - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) If this isn’t the strangest aligote I’ve ever smelled! Gads! They must have put this through malo. It’s thick, nutty, milky./ And caramelly. Literally tastes like a Milky Way candy bar. Some oak influence? Much different from the classic 05. 15.8. WT060408-08. 07 RHEINHESSEN SAUVIGNON BLANC SPATLESE, JANZ - (GERMANY) Light sauvignon grass-citrus aroma. Melon, avocado, citrus peel./ Mild and sweetish on entry, finishing with cleansing sauvignon acidity and dash of astringency. 14.8. WT060408-09. 07 RHEINHESSEN PINOT BLANC KABINETT, JANZ - (GERMANY) Intense and lovely like the Lageder and more floral. Very fresh./ Plump, lush pear, melon, stone fruit, and roasted nuts flavors. Round fruit and taut acid carriage. 15.0. WT060408-10. 03 TRITTENHEIMER ALTARCHEN PINOT BLANC, HUBERTUSHOF - (GERMANY) Very fresh yet, and floral. And a very crisp nose for 03. A poised and elegant presentation./ Sweetish, with 03 soft acidity. Holds its youthful freshness well. 16.1. WT060408-11. 07 RHEINHESSEN CHARDONNAY SPATLESE, JANZ - (GERMANY) Very fresh, crisp, and chardonnay like with its apple (especially) and citrus tones. Apple blossom too. A charming and special face of chardonnay./ Palate adds a nutty note. Just a touch of sweetness balanced by juicy acidity. 15.7. WT060408-12. 07 RHEINHESSEN SPATBURGUNDER SPATLESE ROSE, JANZ - (GERMANY) Sweet, dried fruit, herb tea, orange peel./ Sweetish red fruit flavors. Easy drinking. 14.6. WT060408-13. 06 TRITTENHEIMER ALTARCHEN DORNFELDER ROSE, HUBERTUSHOF - (GERMANY) Wow! Very floral and sweet. Strawberry and cherry notes./ Yes, sweet. With an intriguing spiciness, and aromatic barks and roots like root beer, birch beer. Unique and attractive. 16.0. WT060408-14. 07 BEAUJOLAIS VILLAGES NOUVEAU, GEORGES DUBOEUF - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Banana, cherry, and berry. Fruit forward. Totally fresh yet, and now beyond the fermentation aroma stage./ Good body and plenty of fruit. Fine tannin yet. Perfect balance. This will improve for yet another year, like the 05 did. Enjoyed by the group. 16.2+. WT060408-15. 06 CIRO CLASSICO, LIBRANDI - (ITALY) Reduced to start. Must air and age. Indeed, with air it improves and shows red fruit. And some toast and wood smoke./ Yes, plenty of red fruit, good grip, good form. A well balanced, well poised, confident young 06 that should turn out as attractive as the 04 we sampled at May’s Tasters Guild Blue Highways revue. Just needs a couple of years in the cellar. 15.8+. WT060408-16. 06 SICILIA NERO D’AVOLA-SYRAH RENOTO, FEUDO MACCARI - (ITALY) Wow! Great oak and up front, super fruit expression. Wild cherry and plum. Lots of vim and vitality. Eager. Sexy./ Yes, full of fine, dark fruit and oak and oak’s baking spice savors. The whole, up to date package. 16.6+. WT060408-17. 07 RHEINHESSEN REGENT AUSLESE, JANZ - (GERMANY) Sweet and ripe compote of unique and intriguing essences. Jammy, pruney. Very floral too./ Sweet and very ripe. Plum and strawberry jam. And apricot, date, molasses. Beerenauslese intensity. Unique. Long aftertaste. How will it age? 16.9+?
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