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Tasting Notes Blog - Printer-Friendly Version
-July, 2009
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Wednesday, July 29, 2009 WT072909-01. 08 MUSCADET SEVRE ET MAINE SUR LIE, DOMAINE DE LA PEPIERE - (FRANCE LOIRE) Rich, well built, well balanced. Gentler than some 08s. Deep and fragrant, almost floral in a subtle way./ Sleek, ripe, and rich, with nice sur-lie texture. Tangy acidity. Some astringency that is positive. 16.2+. WT072909-02. 08 MUSCADET SEVRE ET MAINE SUR LIE VIEILLES VIGNES, DOMAINE PIERRE DE LA GRANGE - (FRANCE LOIRE) Bigger, bolder, deeper. More old vines material. More 08 framing, solidity. Melon, white peach, flowers, minerals. Well focused./ Rich and large in the mouth. Fruit sweetness and zingy acidity both. Long, complex, layered, deep. Very clinging. Am I describing a muscadet?! 17.0. WT072909-03. 07 MUSCADET SEVRE ET MAINE SUR LIE, DOMAINE DE LA QUILLA - (FRANCE LOIRE) Older. An earthiness. Not bad. Some 07 fruitiness emerges./ Great palate from a textural standpoint. Lots of zingy acid play, especially for 07. Plenty of vitality still. But earthy. Some thought it corked, but I couldn’t find the bitterness on the palate that usually accompanies that earthy dampness. The price is nice. 15.4. WT072909-04. 08 RUEDA VENDIMIA EXCEPCIONAL CON CLASS, SITIOS DE BODEGA - (SPAIN) Full. The complete verdelho statement of musk, citrus, and gooseberry. 08 large structured. Fabulous, really./ Scented fruits, exotic flowers, piquant grassiness. Sweet and rich on entry, followed by good acid foil. Lots of citrus stuff. Long and flavorful. 16.3. WT072909-05. 07 MCMANIS FAMILY RIVER JUNCTION PINOT GRIGIO - (U.S.) Mercaptans. Wet wool. Under screwcap, of course. Too bad. I don’t remember a reduced McManis before, or a screwcap one either. This is better than corkiness? The industry has a problem to solve here./ As usual, there’s less of the malady on the palate. Good apple-wax-melon grigio stuff. And good acidity. To be served shaken, not stirred. 14.6+. WT072909-06. 08 NIEDEROSTERREICH GRUNER VELTLINER HUGO, HUBER - (AUSTRIA) Wow! Very crisp. Etches the nostrils. Apple and sweet lima./ Well textured. Etches the palate too, and clings long and welcome. Flavors of apple and lima. Great sweet fruit-acid balance. The best Hugo yet? 16.4. WT072909-07. 08 GAVI LA LUCIANA, ARALDICA - (ITALY) Penetrating, vigorous. 08 framing. Apple, sage, flowers, and another herb I can’t conjure up the name of./ Smoke, calcaire, minerals. Less flavor than aroma intensity. Less grip. Good power though. The modesty of the acidity at this stage keeps the finish down. Unwrapped, it will make its presence felt in the future. 16.0+. WT072909-08. 07 GAVI DI GAVI, OLIM BAUDA - (ITALY) Powerful, extremely rich. Passion fruit, flowers, citrus, and peach all over the place./ Palate more compact. Preserved lemon and hint of almond. Deep and textured, with full mineral grip. Good flavor intensity. Good acidity. Especially good grip for 07. Long finish. Ready for the table. Don’t know if I’d identify it as Gavi, but it’s certainly an attractive white wine. 16.0. WT072909-09. 08 MULDERBOSCH WESTERN CAPE CHENIN BLANC - (SOUTH AFRICA) Ripe and bold. Peach, ripe Asian melon, strawberry, flowers, honey, and nut./ Lots of body. Good depth. Burnished yellow fruits with a nutty patina. Solid mealtime wine. 16.0. WT072909-10. 09 MULDERBOSCH COASTAL REGION CABERNET SAUVIGNON ROSE - (SOUTH AFRICA) Very pretty cherry-berry nose. Strawberry, cranberry, red raspberry jam. Crisp, sweet, and stated with great clarity./ Red fruits galore. Nice fruit sweetness with good acid foil. Balanced in all aspects. Flavorful, polished, lovely, long. Just in time for the second half of summer. Kudos. 16.4. WT072909-11. 08 CASTLE ROCK WILLAMETTE VALLEY PINOT NOIR - (U.S.) Cool, crunchy cherry, red plum, and cranberry. Prototype Oregon pinot. A lovely negotiant’s effort and the best Oregon pinot yet from Castle Rock. Very lifted./ Yes, and there’s that gamy streak you get in a lot of burgundies. Real pinot. Great acidity; it’s not shrill like in many Oregon pinots. Ripe acidity well in harmony with the fruit sweetness. Harbinger of a fine vintage? 16.2. WT072909-12. 07 SANTA RITA 120 RAPEL MERLOT - (CHILE) Oh, yeah! 07! This nose embodies the fine ripeness and quality of its fruit. Dark, sweet cherry, plum, peels, and spices. This certain upholds the reputation of Chilean merlot in a good vintage. Sweet as a nut./ Very rich in cherry and plum and spice. Plumpness, richness, density, and depth. Traces of blackberry, black pepper, and wood smoke. Great acidity cuts right through the sweet, ripe fruit. Fabulous all-around value. 16.4. WT072909-13. 07 EMPORDA, ESPELT SAULO - (SPAIN) Emporda–Costa Brava–from the extreme northeast of Spain between the Pyrenees and Barcelona. 60% garnacha, 40% carinena. 2 months in new French oak./ Bright and crisp, with fine carignan grip and darkness. Fabulous acidity apparent even on the nose. And blackness./ Oh, boy, that same dark fruit taste. And what fabulous texture! Acid, richness, balance, length. Yes, very long and juicy. Wow! 16.7+. WT072909-14. 07 GUENOC VICTORIA NORTH COAST CLARET - (U.S.) Woodier than the 06, partly because we’re tasting it younger, and the oak hasn’t had time to settle in. But maybe the winemaker figured in more oak because of the superior fruit intensity of 07 versus 06. Anyway, wood .is always accented by my Taster glass. Others did not complain. Plenty of sweet, dark berry-currant fruit with 07 purity and beauty../ Blackberry, blueberry, nutmeg. Sweet and toasty oak. Good fruit and good acidity. But the oak gives an asymmetric astringency. Long finish. Has a lot of qualities. Wait for the oak to settle down and settle in, and you’ll have a winner. 16.0++. WT072909-15. 08 DOLCETTO D’ALBA COLOMBE, RENATO RATTI - (ITALY) Fresh concentrate of tart black cherry juice. That’s dolcetto! Very bright. Well concentrated young dolcetto. Great form. With airing, the cherry fruit turns sweeter, riper. And plum, smoke, and cedar emerge./ Well, just when I thought a had a good, old-time, early-drinking dolcetto, the palate says sorry about that. Tannin-extract grip, toughness. It’s fine grained tannin though. And the acidity is good and harmonious. The wine has a cool elegance to it. But the palate has not begun to flow easily yet. Oh, well, it IS very young, after all. 16.3+. WT072909-16. 07 COTES DU RHONE VILLAGES, DOMAINE SAINTE ANNE - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Boy, what a difference from last week’s corked bottle. Deep, deep, deep. Sweet cherry-berry, tar, and licorice. This goes on and on, deeper and deeper. Unfathomable./ Oh boy, big extract, form, sweet cherry-berry fruit. Sweeter than 78 but just as packed. Rich, dense, reserved; young and strapping. Endless. 17.0+. WT072909-17. 06 SIMON HACKETT OLD VINE MCLAREN VALE GRENACHE - (AUSTRALIA) Medium full scarlet color./ Frank, open, warm climate stuff. Seems more Langhorne Creek red than McLaren black. But it has McLaren power. Grenache sweetness. Licorice./ Rich red fruit of grenache. Quite powerful (14%). Yes, frank, even blunt. Hints of rancio developing. 15.7+. WT072909-18. 07 BOGLE CALIFORNIA PETITE SIRAH - (U.S.) Dark and deep fruited pet. Lodi like fruit sweetness but darker than the Lodi average. This is always a winner–perhaps Bogle’s best varietal. They tap old vines for this, in their neighborhood. Some sweet oak adds to the complex. And the fruit turns increasingly purple like a good pet should./ Yes, there’s oak involved. Toast, vanilla, and caramel. Black cherry and blackberry jam. Good acidity. Plenty of power. No secrets. 15.8+.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009 WT072209-01. 09 CRISTOBAL 1492 LA PINTA MENDOZA VERDELHO - (ARGENTINA) True varietal character. Some grass, some musk, some talc. Young. Quite exuberantly scented and penetrating./ Soft centered and melony, with a grassy edge. Flavorful. Powdery, talc-y. From youth and varietal. Good body. Good depth and interest. Now, what’s the food match? 15.7+. WT072209-02. 08 SANTA RITA 120 VALLE CENTRAL SAUVIGNON BLANC - (CHILE) They keep turning out the same quality and style vintage after vintage. Citrus, quince, canned pineapple, grass. Pretty, zesty, reliable./ Taut, reserved, grassy. Clean acid edge. Bright and varietal. 15.7+. WT072209-03. 08 VAL DE LOIRE SAUVIGNON BLANC DESTINEA, JOSEPH MELLOT - (FRANCE LOIRE) Was Touraine last vintage, I think. Reasonably crisp. Decidedly smaller scaled than the major sauvignon appellations. A bit earthy. Still Touraine?/ Sweet and smooth. Gentle. Mild, soft. Easy drinkin’. A huge contrast from the gripping 07. And out of character with the 08 vintage. Source? 15.7. WT072209-04. 08 FETZER VALLEY OAK CALIFORNIA CHARDONNAY - (U.S.) The original unoaked chardonnay seems to be returning to form, though others thought they caught some oak. Apple and peel. Just a hint of toastiness like the stuff that fools me into thinking many a Macon blanc is oaked./ Flavorful. A range of apple varieties. New World soft, but with enough acid to keep it honest. Hope this is available in magnums too. I
could pour it steadily. Welcome back, old friend. 15.8. WT072209-05. 07 GEWURZTRAMINER, SCHERER - (FRANCE ALSCE) Hey, good name. Instant pedigree. Exuberant lychee, spice, citrus. Rosewater and glycerine. Powder room aromas. Rich yet refined. Lifted. Scherer gewurzs are always elegant rather than thick. 07 fruit joy, seduction./ Easy 07 smooth style with a nice light astringency to keep it honest. Not too heady, and with satisfying body. Dry. Nuanced. Good acid carriage and
cleansing twist of astringency at the finale. Wow! Complete. This is right in house form and better than the 06. 17.2. WT072209-06. 06 TOSCANA CANCELLI, COLTIBUONO - (ITALY) 70% sangiovese, 30% syrah. Rich and dense cherry, peel, tart fruit, cherry medicine. Tonic, cranberry, and tobacco too./ Delicious tang and texture of dried and fresh cherry fruit. Talks sangiovese. Syrah seemed a no-show until I went back and found some black raspberry tones on nose and palate alike. Certainly a well crafted product. Mealworthy. 16.0+. WT072209-07. 07 CHIANTI CETAMURA, COLTIBUONO - (ITALY) 90% sangiovese, 10% canaiolo. Young, cool, fresh, calm, composed ,deep. Both black and red cherries and plums. Speaks sangiovese./ Cherry and pitch. Bright and fresh. Lively acidity. Full textured. Firm structured. Fine tannin. Well composed, balanced. Just needs time for complete fulfillment. 15.8+. WT072209-08. 06 BARBERA D’ASTI, BENI DI BATASIOLO - (ITALY) Good and rugged. Game, victuals, leather, cherry peels, liver. Wood? Old time./ Yes, this is good old time, bucolic barbera. Smooth glycerol of the best. Good balance, as the acid and tannin comes on at the end to meet the glycerol. Full volume, body. Tasty stuff. Very popular with the group. 16.4+. WT072209-09. 06 DOLCETTO D’ALBA, BENI DI BATASIOLO - (ITALY) Dolcetto after Barbera? Well, the way dolcettos are made these days, it’s not out of line. But this one has a fresh, cool, lovely cherry aroma with good, bitter peel aspect. Blackberry too. That’s the dolcetto nose I like for its accessibility./ However, the palate turns to the contemporary ‘bigger is better’ dolcetto theme. Firm, tannic, dry, acidic. Impressive
depth and grandiosity. Built to age. 16.2++. WT072209-10. 04 SAINT NICOLAS DE BOURGUEIL LE MOULINGENET, JOSEPH MELLOT - (FRANCE LOIRE) Here’s the sleeper,, the surprise of the evening. Fresh, crisp 04 style. Plenty of fruit ripeness. Yes, fleshy even. Persistent, penetrating, cool, woodsy, red raspberry aromas. Even a hint of dark chocolate./ Crisp but also plenty ripe, and certainly round enough. Juicy, flavorful, lifted. A tasty little treat. Great with food. 16.3+. WT072209-11. 05 CHATEAU BONNET, BORDEAUX - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) 50% cabernet sauvignon and 50% merlot, but all about oak. American? Henri Martin (Chateau Gloria) once told me that Bordeaux used American oak barrels in the Thirties. Bonnet must have found a few. I mean, vanilla, dill, and coconut? That’s not French oak. / Very oaky on the palate too. Sawdust. Wood tannin. Time? They used to overoak the white for a spell,
and the reserve rouge was usually too oaky. But this is the first regular rouge to get the grand slam oak treatment. I’d swear it’s American. 13.5++? WT072209-12. 06 CHATEAU BEAUMONT, CRU BOURGEOIS SUPERIEUR, HAUT MEDOC - (FRANCE BORDAUX) 53% cabernet, 40% merlot, 4% cabernet franc, 3% petit verdot. What a relief after that bruiser. Now this is French oak! Sophisticated, subtle, spicy. Incense. Most oak involvement yet in a Beaumont. And best. Lots of polished black currant fruit to complement. Nothing 06 slight about it. Classy, sweet oak and fruit./ Yes, plenty of
oak and fruit sweetness. Blackberry, black currant, plum, tobacco, even floral overtones. Has finesse, class, manners. And bulk. Would have guessed 05. Great value. Thanks, Dave, for discovering this last year. 16.8+. WT072209-13. 07 CRISTOBAL 1492 LA NINA MENDOZA SANGIOVESE - (ARGENTINA) Crisp, tart cherry aroma. High altitude sangiovese. Real sangiovese./ Juicy sangiovese cherry and anise and spice. Sweet cherry fruit concentrate. Delicious. Warm cherry pie taste. Maraschino, citron, and panetone come on after time in the glass. Good sangiovese acidity. 15.8. WT072209-14. 08 CRISTOBAL 1492 LA NINA MENDOCA BONARDA - (ARGENTINA) Wow! Sweet, ripe black cherry beauty. Just the perfect state of fruit ripeness. Dark fruited./ Pretty red berries, black cherry, and cedar tones. Juicy, fine acidity, sweet fruit. All in harmony. Elegance here; finesse even. All I liked about the 07, plus these 08s are more forthcoming. Rings my chimes. 16.2+. WT072209-15. 07 VINAS DE VILA CRUZ DE PIEDRA BONARDA - (ARGENTINA) Dark, sullen 07 style. And the drier, more compact style of Vila. Spicy. Anise. Big concentration and form./ Dry, structured, gripping, balanced, mealworthy. Full, Euro texture. Another winner in this series. But you have to wait these 07s out. 16.1+. WT072209-16. 08 PUGLIA NEGROAMARO, FEUDO DI SAN NICOLA - (ITALY) Plump, with southern warmth and lushness. Sweet, creamy cherry fruit. Plus vanilla cake and frosting. Large, fleshy thing with plenty of fruit intensity./ Engaging and accessible now, but reserving some tannic strength. Certainly bold and ripe enough. 16.2+. WT072209-17. 07 TOASTED HEAD UNTAMED CALIFORNIA RED - (U.S.) Syrah, zinfandel, petite sirah. And lots of American oak. They did more than toast the barrel heads it seems. Maybe added a few chips too. Sweet Lodi fruit involved./ Yes, there’s sweet fruit here, with zinfandel emphasis. But the oak is still in command. Give it time to soak in. 14.7+. WT072209-18. ST. JULIAN POMEGRANATE-BLUEBERRY SPARKLING JUICE - (POTPOURRI) Well, isn’t this something. Beyond the fruit components. The whole is greater than the sum of that parts. Creates something with both fruits and also a spicy aura that’s beyond that. I’m impressed. Just add Stoli. 16.5.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009 WT071509-01. 07 NIEDEROSTERREICH GRUNER VELTLINER, ECKER liter - (AUSTRIA) Oh, this is nice and fruity. Bright and vibrant. Not at all coy. Apple, pear, split pea./ That flattering 07 ease and up front appeal. Piquant, penetrating, tingling, citrusy, refreshing fruit acidity. Good thing it’s in liter; it’s a quaffing wine. More personality than the 06. Liked by the group. 16.1. WT071509-02. 08 VENETO PINOT GRIGIO, TIAMO - (ITALY) Organically grown. Apple, pear, melon, nut, wax. Lush, creamy, smoky grigio./ Comes on with a mellow plumpness that is then cut through by racy acidity. Not as fully framed and minerally as a lot of 08 Euro whites we’ll tasted lately. Gentler, more forthcoming. Shows nerve too. Well balanced and delicious. Liked by the group. 16.0. WT0715-0903. 08 CHATEAU DES TOURTES, PREMIERES COTES DE BLAYE SAUVIGNON - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) Zingy, crisp, penetrating sauvignon. 08 full form. Gads, this really surges forth!/ Oh, boy, intense, insistent. Grapefruit, grass, and gooseberry. Very juicy, tangy, crisp, and penetrating. Grabs your attention. Very well liked by the group. 16.5. WT071509-04. 08 CHATEAU DUCASSE, BORDEAUX BLANC - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) 55% semillon, 35% sauvignon blanc, 10% muscadelle. Welcome to semillon. This has its fullness and fatness./ Yes, full and fat indeed. Rich and waxy texture. Mineral salts. 08 form, grip. Well balanced. The best Ducasse in memory. 16.2+. WT071509-05. 07 CHATEAU PERRON, GRAVES BLANC - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) At Mazeres; owned by the Guignard family. Silver Medal - Paris. 40% semillon, 50% sauvignon, 10% muscadelle. Well, the muscadelle really shows off here. Scented tropical fruits instead of its usual green fruit nature. Semillon gives a full foundation and sauvignon some grassiness./ Semillon fat, sauvignon cut, and muscadelle astringency. Mineral salts. Sleek
and refined texture. Nicely composed. Well liked by the group. 16.3. WT071509-06. 07 PAVILION OAKVILLE CHARDONNAY - (U.S.) Whoa! An Oakville chardonnay for fourteen bucks! Crisp, classy, well balanced approach of southern Napa chardonnay. Cool, but less citrusy than Carneros. Yes!/ Yes, indeed. Well proportioned. Harmony of apple and citrus. Of malo and no malo. Of oak and fruit. Good acidity. Some attractive oak vanillin on the aftertaste. 16.3. WT071509-07. 06 PINOT GRIS, THE FURST - (FRANCE ALSACE) Oh, boy, is this 06 fat and rich. Intense and aromatic apple. Waxy, confected. Pastry cream, honey, peach, and mango come on./ Thick textured. Apple and creme caramel. Lots of glycerol. Border RS. Acidity coated at present. Really speaks of the vintage style. Well liked by the group. 16.4+. WT071509-08. 08 SNOQUALMIE NAKED COLUMBIA VALLEY RIESLING - (U.S.) Organically grown. Peach-apricot nectar. Chirimoya, papaya, botanicals. Demands attention./ Lovely and pure. Flavorful. Echoes the aroma range and intensity, really. Good acidity. Just lightly sweet. 16.1. WT071509-09. 08 ALFREDO ROCA SAN RAFAEL PINOT NOIR - (ARGENTINA) Recalls the 06 I loved so much. Rich, full, brawny, earthy, meaty, large, old time Burgundy style./ Yes, full, sweet, meaty, bretty. Plenty of acidity and power. No holds barred. Hugely generous delivery for the price. 16.4. WT071509-10. 08 MARCHE SANGIOVESE, TIAMO - (ITALY) Organically grown. Sweet, up front fruit. Good terroir basis too. Unique from sangiovese of Tuscany and the southern regions./ Nice, sweet cherry-berry fruit flavor. Good acidity and dryness. Forward. Not one of your dusky, full framed 08s. Instead, easy. 15.9. WT071509-11. 06 DOLCETTO DI DOGLIANI VIGNA RIBOTE, BRUNO PORRO - (ITALY) Deep, full, meaty, bretty, leathery. Lots of animal tones. Not a lithe, fruity dolcetto. Dark and mean. But then some bright, fresh cranberry fruit gets through. Followed by blackberry, plum, lavender, and tobacco. Say, this is complex...and entertaining!/ Again, cranberry, leather, feral notions. Plus anise. Young, chewy, tannic. Brawnier than the
04. Plenty of fruit richness comes with airing. Boy, this puts on a show. Decant and serve with hearty fare, or put it in the cellar for a couple of years. 16.4+. WT071509-12. 07 RIBERA DEL DUERO TEMPRANILLO, VINA GORMAZ - (SPAIN) Purple. Some reduction inclinations but not nearly so severe as the 06. This is closer to the 05. No surprise. 05 and 07 share similarities, as do 04 and 06. Compact blackberry fruit. Tight and right RDD./ Yes, young, well formed RDD. Plenty of latent fruit richness. Well built for aging. I like to find ageworthy reds in this price range. 16.0++. WT071509-13. 05 RIOJA RESERVA, BODEGAS MUGA - (SPAIN) Yes, yes! Ample, rich and deep. Ripe fruit and prominent American oak. Blackberry, vanilla, toast, coconut./ Real density and depth. Full fruit and oak savors. Magnanimous, alluring. Will appreciate another year or two in bottle for total oak-fruit integration. 17.0+. WT071509-14. 00 RIOJA GRAN RESERVA, BODEGAS LAN - (SPAIN) Mature, long-in-oak bouquet. Oak, dill, soy, worcestershire./ Beginning to oxidize but with redeeming vestiges of fruit, oak, game, and vinosity. Use soon. 15.8-. WT071509-15. 07 NAVARRO CORREAS COLECCION PRIVADA MENDOZA MALBEC - (ARGENTINA) An opening punch of black fruit. Then it shuts down. This has less oak and less fruit than the cabernet.. It’s tight, like a lot of 07 malbecs./ Young, tannic, fully extracted. Well balanced. Good future. Not very giving now. 16.0++. WT071509-16. 07 NAVARRO CORREAS COLECCION PRIVADA MENDOZA CABERNET SAUVIGNON - (ARGENTINA) Lively, sweet blackberry-cassis aroma with some spicy oak extras./ Elegant presentation in terms of both the fruit and the oak. Cool demeanor. Fine balance. The oak is discreet and lovely. Well crafted. This winery has always been good at cabernet. 16.7. WT071509-17. 07 MCMANIS FAMILY RIVER JUNCTION PETITE SIRAH - (U.S.) Sweet black plum and black cherry fruit with peppercorn note and good oak seasoning./ Yes, both the fruit and oak are sweet tasting. Floral airs come forth. Soft, lush, full bodied. This is right wholesome, generous, appealing. 15.8. WT071509-18. 07 SOBON ESTATES OLD VINES AMADOR ZINFANDEL - (U.S.) Organically grown. Purple plums, both fresh and roasted. Good oak and fruit harmony on the approach./ Yes, the fruit is dark, sweet, ripe, roasted, and heady in Amador fashion. The oak seems French like thanks to its subtlety. A well balanced Amador zinfandel presentation. 16.2.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009 WT070809-01. VENETO PROSECCO FRIZZANTE, IL FAGGETO - (ITALY) Fizzy, doughy, nutty. Red fruits, including cherry. Marzipan tone./ Prickly. Apple and more marzipan. Cookie dough. Unique interpretation. 15.6. WT070809-02. 08 COTES DE GASCOGNE, DOMAINE SAN DE GUILHEM - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) Ahh! Ooh! Intense stuff! Full and dry. Rich in dry matter, extract. So many of these 08 Euro whites are like that. Low yields?. Nicely burnished texture you can feel in the nostrils./ Yes, this is the fullest in extract, the most textured, the least soft of any vintage yet. Form, balance, refreshment. Truly dry and really loaded. Wow! 16.4. WT070809-03. 08 PENEDES SELECCIO BLANCO, CAN FEIXES - (SPAIN) Aromas of sweet pear and cedar. Here we go again. Big 08 texture and extract. Really speaks for form./ Apple, quince, flowers. Citrus fruit piquancy. Yes, chewy, penetrating, vigorous. Fine acidity, extract. Wow! Again!. 16.3. WT070809-04. 07 GAINEY SANTA YNEZ VALLEY SAUVIGNON BLANC - (U.S.) Ripe, rich, dense California sauvignon. Pear, melon, quince, gooseberry./ Quite an elegant palate. Good acidity and a feel of austerity. Wants food. 16.1. WT070809-05. 08 VINA ROBLES PASO ROBLES WHITE - (U.S.) 41% verdelho, 26% vermentino, 22% sauvignon blanc, 11 % viognier. You know, these varieties sound sympathetic. And they are. Grass, citrus, musk, light flower, bitter orange. Wonderful./ Scented, floral, sachet aspects. Plenty of character here. Carries its 14.6% alcohol well. In body. Not raw spirit. Accomplished. Now, let’s search for the ideal food matches. 16.5. WT070809-06. 07 GEYSER PEAK ALEXANDER VALLEY CHARDONNAY - (U.S.) Dense, lush oak patina featuring dill, coconut, toffee, and butterscotch. Sweet, tropical fruit complement./ Malolactic creaminess. Frank, open-hearted, garrulous. Cohesive too. Will be popular. Even the Europhiles in the group appreciated it. 16.0. WT070809-07. 08 CAMPO DE BORJA GARNACHA MONTE OTON, BODEGAS BORSAO - (SPAIN) Crisp style of a cool year tinto. Certainly more like 06 and 04 than 07 and 05. Darker and sleeker still. Sweet strawberry and plum of grenache./ Yes, crisp, even tart in youth. This quality leaves it clinging, mouthwatering, foodworthy. What a nice value! 15.8+. WT070809-08. 07 MONTES CLASSIC COLCHAGUA VALLEY MERLOT - (CHILE) Yes! Sweet fruit and sweet oak. Montes style, though the oak is less forceful than in many of his wines. Pomegranate, blackberry, spice, sweet tobacco. Milk chocolate and caramel./ Again, caramel, mocha. Pretty mouthfilling stuff at 14.5% alcohol. Gives and gives. 16.3. WT070809-09. 08 COTES DU RHONE LA DAME ROUSSE, DOMAINE DE LA MORDOREE - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Yes1 This rocks! Rich and powerful structure with plentiful oak. Cherry, strawberry, spices./ Large and oaky. Dried cherry. Plentiful. Mouthwatering acidity. Begs for food. 16.3. WT070809-10. 07 COTES DU RHONE CUVEE ROMAINE, DOMAINE LA GARRIGUE - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Rich, ripe, oaky, powerful, expressive. Raspberry, blackberry, cassis. Lavender. Sugar-cured jerky./ Full, strong. Chocolate, mocha. Richness and lushness in spades. Lots of garrigue, game, mushrooms. This rocks my world. Give it time to open up, and it will blow my mind. Parker got it right. 16.6+. WT070809-11. 07 COTES DU RHONE, DOMAINE SAINTE ANNE - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Reductive airs. Strong, dark, closed. Tough for 07. One of the meanest young Sainte Annes. I guess you could say this is like 78. Unfortunate to be tasting a reserved Gard after an openly expressive Vaucluse Cotes du Rhone./ More curves and more panache than the La Garrigue. Blackberry, hint of vanilla. Really concentrated. More powerful than usual.
Loaded. But no come hither aspects at present. None of the allure of the last several vintages. Give it the time it deserves. 16.5++. WT070809-12. 06 RODNEY STRONG ALEXANDER VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON - (U.S.) Restrained Alexander Valley ripeness and power complemented by well mannered oak. Blackberry, cherry, underbrush, pencil shavings, dark chocolate./ Berry sweetness, fruit and oak tannin. Needs some time to limber up. All in all, surprising refinement, beauty. 16.6+. WT070809-13. 06 CONCHA Y TORO CASILLERO DEL DIABLO RESERVA PRIVADA MAIPO VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON-SYRAH - (CHILE) 85/15 ratio. The oak is plentiful but sweet and mellow, and the fruit is rich. Nice oak-fruit integration. And more fruit comes on with airing. Dark fruits of both varieties./ Yes, generous in both fruit and oak. Dark berries, vanilla, milk chocolate, toasted oak, nutella. Full and chewy. Sweet and dark complexioned.
Nothing tentative about it. This will improve nicely for months. I can see the 90 rating. 16.2+. WT070809-14. 07 PIESPORTER GOLDTROPFCHEN RIESLING KABINETT, KARL HEINZ - (GERMANY) Fresh, appley Mosel kabinett. Crisp. Not particularly Goldtropfchen peachy and rounded./ 07 tender and friendly fruit. Good balance from acidity. The wholesome, reliable qualities of Heinz once again. And the value. 16.0. WT070809-15. 07 PIESPORTER GOLDTROPFCHEN RIESLING SPATLESE, KARL HEINZ - (GERMANY) Not as easy, as forthcoming. More body, strength, build. A cedar aspect./ More sweetness and acidity both. More grip. More richness and depth. Needs more time. Again, not particularly Goldtropfchen in nature. Good ager though. 16.2+. WT070809-16. MODENA LAMBRUSCO DOLCE, CHIARLI - (ITALY) Good red berry richness. Spiced cherry. Gamay like charm./ Lightly spritzy. Fresh and spiced fruits. Soft, nearly dry. Refreshing and mealworthy. 15.7. WT070809-17. 02 DURKHEIMER ABTSFRONHOF SPATLESE HALBTROCKEN, FITZ-RITTER - (GERMANY) Fine form and freshness. No grey hairs. Understated fragrances, near dryness, and good Pfalz body all point toward an eminently mealworthy riesling. This will keep and even improve for 1-3 years, maybe more. Love that cold VC wine cellar. 16.3.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009 WT070109-01. 08 ESINO VERDICCHIO-TREBBIANO TERRAZZO, MONCARO - (ITALY) 80/20 ratio. Fresh and frisky. More so than the 07. Deep-penetrating pear aroma. Taut and bright, with spicy fragrances. Great beauty./ Flavorful. Dried lemon and straw. Perky, fresh acid cut. Bracing astringency and even a light bitter streak at the finale. I like that. My mouth waters for food. Well liked by the group. 16.2. WT070109-02. 07 OC VIOGNIER PASTOUROU, ALAIN PARET - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Very perfumed. Uplifting. Lovely take on viognier./ Oh, yes, this has the yin and yang of glycerined roundness and tonic astringency, bitterness. Finely crafted by a winemaker who knows viognier, his home base at Saint Joseph. Liked by the group. 16.4. WT070109-03. 07 SANTA MARVISTA ACONCAGUA CHARDONNAY - (CHILE) The nose is showing some age. Dulling down, taking on some tawny orange tones./ The palate rallies though. Perfectly fresh enough. Flavorful. Attractive combo of orange and grain–sweetmeal. The acidity is mild, which leaves the finish rather flat. Had some fans as a value. 14.2. WT070109-04. 08 GARD CHARDONNAY, DOMAINE DU NIZON - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Estate bottled by Christophe Valat. Lovely and unique expression of chardonnay. Apple, for sure. A special variety of apple unlike the usual chardonnay apple nose./ The flavor echoes that apple theme. Sweet fruited, cool fruited. Racy fruit acidity. Say, maybe cool Gard is the Med France spot for chardonnay! Very well liked by the group. 16.2. WT070109-05. 07 VAL DE LOIRE CHARDONNAY, DOMAINE TROIS FRERES - (FRANCE LOIRE) Fresh aroma of firm, crisp pie apples and of nettles. Racy. Seems lightly oaked–subtle, just right./ Very crisp and young yet. Smells like an 08./ Yes, racy, completely fresh. Juicy. Fine, full northern acid cut. Minerally. The oak is a very delicate seasoning. Suggestions of chardonnay richness, density, suppleness, and depth too. Well crafted
indeed. 16.3. WT070109-06. 07 POUILLY FUISSE TERROIR DE FUISSE, DOMAINE ROMANIN - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) I get some oak at the start. Others say not so. Research shows that a part of this cuvee is aged in 2-6 year old barrels, so there shouldn’t be much oak. I guess any oak in a Maconnais white triggers a response from me. I even smell it in unoaked wines. Anyway, there’s plenty of juice here too. Race. 07 fruit buoyancy. And terroir. There’s
the extra fullness of a Fuisse village wine./ Again, I note some oak. I mean, I like it. It adds dimension. And there’s plenty of fruit concentration. Really gives and gives at this price, which is more than fair for Pouilly Fuisse, especially village specific and domaine bottled. Very well liked by the group. 16.7+. WT070109-07. 07 VOUVRAY, BARTON & GUESTIER - (FRANCE LOIRE) Crisp, fresh, and vivacious. Apple, melon, lime. Real Vouvray chenin./ The palate is milder, the flavor less forthcoming than the aroma. There are nice undertones of apple, nut, and calcaire though. Legit. And will improve. Always a B&G forte. 15.4+. WT070109-08. 08 FIRE ROAD MARLBOROUGH PINOT NOIR - (NEW ZEALAND) Ripe and cool and fresh. Juicy pie cherry and cranberry aromas./ Yes, very juicy, tart cherry. Racy and flavorful. The fruit sweetens up with airing, and a light oak toastiness is revealed. Boy, is this a fine pinot value! Well liked by the group. 16.5. WT070109-09. 07 SANTA MARVISTA ACONCAGUA CABERNET SAUVIGNON - (CHILE) Fresh and racy, Crisp. Good fruit lift and light oak interest. Lots of cassis and cedar./ Yes, flavorful. Tart and racy. Medium weight. Tails off a little at the finish. Good value. And liked by the group as such. 15.2+. WT070109-10. 08 ESINO SANGIOVESE-MONTEPULCIANO TERRAZZO, MONCARO - (ITALY) 60/40 ratio. Good and fresh. Rich and racy both. Sweet fruit and floral airs. Very attractive already./ Sweet berry-cherry flavor. A successful amalgam of two class varieties. Very juicy and tasty. Fine textured. Already accomplished and ready to serve. That’s good craftsmanship. 16.3. WT070109-11. 08 DAUNIA SANGIOVESE, TERRE DE SOLE - (ITALY) Daunia is an IGT of Apulia. Dark and secretive. Tarry concentrate. Deep, elusive, haunting, private./ The palate is more-ish, more revealing. Juicy fruit. Plum, peel, and spice. This really intrigues me. I’d like to pour a glass and contemplate it for hours. I’ll bet its layers would continue to unfold. 16.1+. WT070109-12. 06 CHIANTI MONROSSO, FATTORIA DI MONSANTO - (ITALY) Deep, inky, backward, loaded. Noble air of reduction. Tyrean purple./ Richness, volume, and grip here. Lots of stuff way down deep inside. Impressive concentration. Keep this awhile, or give it a vigorous decanting to open it up. 16.3+. WT070109-13. 07 OC SYRAH LE CINQUET, ALAIN PARET - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Real syrah. Raspberry, black and red peppercorns,, Hungarian paprika, floral highlights./ Wow! Big mouthful of mixed cracked peppercorns, berries, briar, flowers. Fine grip and astringency. Like the viognier, this speaks of northern origins. Wonder where Saint Joseph-based Paret is growing these grapes. Is the quality due to nature as well as nurture?
I’m impressed! The group liked this and the Cotes du Rhone, a slight majority preferring the latter. 16.6+. WT070109-14. 06 COTES DU RHONE VALVIGNEYRE, ALAIN PARET - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Yes! Lots of game, peppered meat. Wow! Traditional style./ Oh, boy, really great, juicy fruit acidity of 06. This is really mealworthy. The finish is long, involved, and involving. 16.4+. WT070109-15. 04 CHIANTI RISERVA, VILLA PUCCINI - (ITALY) Compact dried fruit and tobacco. Plus wood and time in wood. This is wood aged riserva for sure./ A little rugged still, but not without flair, even drama. Full acidity. Full and fine tannin. Give it some more bottle age. 15.7+. WT070109-16. 05 MONTEPULCIANO D’ABRUZZO, COLLE MAGGIO - (ITALY) Well, everyone agreed this is PRETTY oaky. Very ripe fruit and caramelly oak. Toast too. Forceful, showing black fruits, pitch, and southern warmth./ Very oaky again. The toast and caramel part is tasty though. Dried fruit, peppercorn, smoke. Won’t be denied. 15.5+. WT070109-17. 05 AGLIANICO DE VULTURE ZIMBERNO, M. LALUCE - (ITALY) Sweet and dark. Genuine. Bold, tingly, penetrating. Large–even grand. Exciting. And look at the price! For the Barolo of southern Italy!/ Oh, there are some special oak touches here too. And the fruit is truly noble. This lives up fully to the DOC’s reputation yet the price is so reasonable. There’s something in here that reminds me of an old-time, maturing
claret too. Special indeed. Well liked by the group. 17.0+. WT070109-18. 06 CALATAYUD, PAPA LUNA - (SPAIN) The Aglianico is a tough act to follow. In fact, this is lighter bodied than several of the preceding wines. Has the lift and coolness and form of 06./ Nice cherry creme taste. Really great acidity too. A juicy food wine. Will be better with food, and without the above competition. 15.8+.
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