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Tasting Notes Blog - Printer-Friendly Version
-March, 2009
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Wednesday, March 25, 2006 WT032509-01. 08 JUNO CAPE MAIDENS WESTERN CAPE SAUVIGNON BLANC - (SOUTH AFRICA) Light and taut. Hints of citrus./ More pronounced citrus plus some other tropical fruits and green fruits. 15.0. WT032509-02. 07 ALSACE ONE, PIERRE SPARR - (FRANCE ALSACE) 39% sylvaner, 29% muscat, 16% riesling, 9% pinot blanc, 7% klevner. Full scented. The sylvaner apple, the muscat flowers, the riesling peach. Pinot blanc is mostly to fill it out, as it doesn’t have distinctive perfume in a minor setting. And klevner! Long time, no see. Neat!/ Smooth 07 styling, easy on entry. Then good acidity cuts in at the end to cleanse the finish. Flavors of stone fruits, citrus pulp, tea leaf, honey. One of the best of this series. Popular with the group. 16.3. WT032509-03. 07 PINOT GRIS ROMANUS, LUCIEN ALBRECHT - (FRANCE ALSACE) Apple and candle wax to the max. So intense, it’s almost foxy. Then comes apricot, canned peach, and sweet orange./ Full, round, and hefty. Very determined to bring pinot gris’ most prevalent aromas and flavors right out in the open. Singular and eager. Not as ‘sweet’ as the 06. That lovely 07 balance of richness and raciness. 16.1+. WT032509-04. 08 BANROCK STATION SE AUSTRALIA CHARDONNAY - (AUSTRALIA) Fresh, clean, and brisk, even tangy.. Real apple and peel chardonnay expression./ Sweet, appley flavor. Delectable balance of sweet (.7 RS?)and tart. No discernable wood. Like the 07, a good value. 15.8. WT032509-05. 07 MACON VILLAGES, DOMAINE CHENE - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Crisp apple and lemon Maconnais chardonnay aromas. 07 fresh and bright./ Good 07 sweet and tart fortes–both prominent and in balance. That is, sweet ripe fruit but no RS as found in the Banrock. Fine and juicy, mouthwatering 07. 16.2. WT032509-06. 08 THE CROSSINGS UNOAKED MEDWAY VINEYARD MARLBOROUGH CHARDONNAY - (NEW ZEALAND) Yes, a well stated unoaked rendition with emphasis on chardonnay’s apple aroma. Hints of lemon and guava. Very lively, zesty./ Chardonnay’s lemon facet is clear on the palate. Rich and plump on entry, with good acid foil following right after. Defined, focused, lengthy chardonnay. I certainly don’t miss the oak. Commendable. 16.4. WT032509-07. 07 CONGRESS SPRINGS LODI VIOGNIER - (U.S.) Cake frosting, flowers, white fruits, lime, and orange peel–nice facets of mild-climate viognier./ Viognier’s glycerol padding foiled here by crisp acidity rather than the usual astringent strain. Flavorful (nectarine, tropical fruits), generous, and characteristic of the variety. An attractive, well balanced, and priceworthy option. Liked by the group. 16.0. WT032509-08. 08 COTES DU RHONE ROSE LE PAVILLON, CHATEAU BEAUCHENE - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Fresh, with berry and flower pastille airs. Strawberry, cranberry, peels extracts. Still showing some fermentation aromas./ Confirmed–still has not achieved vinosity. From under a blanket of youthful fruit sweetness, the acidity creeps out and gives a desirable edginess. Not yet ready for prime time. This should be right though when high rose season hits. 15.7+. WT032509-09. 05 CORBIERES COL DES VENTS, CASTELMAURE - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) 05 dark fruited but not closing up like many. The fruit is sweet; no sense at all of austerity, severity. It’s just bursting with good black and red fruits, especially raspberry. Wow! Shows complexity and style./ Yes, and not only via fruit. Garrigue too! Bitter herbs, rosemary. Good and strong textural presence too. And length. This delivers! 16.4. WT032509-10. 06 MONTEVINA AMADOR AGLIANICO - (U.S.) Big and black fruited. Wow! Power and substance. Insistent. Good, sweet American oak comes right out at ya with a full dose of vanilla and coconut. Nice and ripe and forward fruit: raspberry black currant./ Again, fruit and oak in spades. Full delivery of a young, rambunctious aglianico. Rich, intense, lively. 16.0+. WT032509-11. 07 ZELLER SCHWARZE KATZ, KARL HEINZ - (GERMANY) Clean, lithe, uncomplicated, fruity, and right./ Yes, that apple and blossom character of muller-thurgau. Mild sweetness. Good acidity, especially for muller. 07 balance. 15.8. WT032509-12. 07 PIESPORTER GOLDTROPFCHEN RIESLING KABINETT, KARL HEINZ - (GERMANY) Upscale after the ZSK. The pedigree of riesling and Goldtropfchen. Unfortunately, there’s some H2S still./ Full and rich. But the sulphur suppresses the varietal and vineyard character. Air and age. 15.3+.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009 WT031809-01. 08 NOBILO MARLBOROUGH SAUVIGNON BLANC - (NEW ZEALAND) Fresh and full. Pungent and penetrating. Sweet grapefruit, lime, lemon grass, stone fruits. The usual reliability here./ Fresh, sweet, and friendly disposition. Good varietal strength without getting overly shrill and catty. Good acidity kicks in on the finish. 16.2. WT031809-02. 07 SOUVERAIN ALEXANDER VALLEY CHARDONNAY - (U.S.) Bright, fresh, citrusy chardonnay, emphasis on lemon.. Tight grained, toasty oak. Plump, creamy aspects point to some malolactic fermentation./ Soft and silky on entry, with nice tangy, lemony chardonnay acidity coming into the picture in mid-palate. Sweet oak and sweet citrus fruit in balance. For ALV, it’s nicely tempered--not too hot, powerful, ripe. Well
crafted. 16.2. WT031809-03. 06 COLLI MARTANI GRECHETTO VIGNA TONDA, ANTONELLI - (ITALY) A northern Umbrian DOC. Good grechetto nose. There’s the pinot gris like viscosity and the grechetto tonic relief. Talks the talk./ Yes, a waxiness and a botanical cut. And good acidity. A well balanced wine. And an accurate rendition of grechetto. 16.1. WT031809-04. 06 SICILIA NERO D’AVOLA, RESONATA - (ITALY) Rather light colored for nero./ Bursting with black cherry varietal character. Perhaps the relatively light color was a good sign, because this is not tarry at all like the heavy-duty neros. It’s very, very bright nero d’avola./ Yes, crisp and flavorful and uplifting. True varietal character in an open and expressive, fruit forward style. Brandied cherries and just
a dab of pitch. Nice acidity. Very mild, soft tannins, so it says ‘let’s go!’ Well done. 16.3. WT031809-05. 05 MOULIN A VENT GRAND CRU OAK AGED, GEORGES DUBOEUF - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Dark, dense, and minerally expression of MaV terroir. The oak is well absorbed. The fruit is showing coming maturity./ Yes, maturing and mellow on the palate too, with the oak melted into the whole. There are tannins still, but not enough to interfere with present table service. 16.0+. WT031809-06. 07 KIM CRAWFORD MARLBOROUGH PINOT NOIR - (NEW ZEALAND) Fresh and varietal cool climate take. Both sweet and tart, red and black, fruits. Tart cherry, strawberry hard candy, blackberry. Floral accents./ Racy, with the right weight and depth. Juicy acidity plus light fruit sweetness to balance. This is absolutely mouthwatering! Here’s a pinot for seafood. 16.3. WT031809-07. 07 CHINON LES GRAVIERES, COULY-DUTHEIL - (FRANCE LOIRE) Attractive impressions of freshness, acidity, richness. Dark fruits, cigar tobacco, and cedar. Game./ Yes, there’s that 07 crispness and levity. Tender fruit sweetness. Flows easily. Not for pondering, not for keeping a long time, though it will improve over the coming months. Light-hearted and forward and satisfyingly ripe. That’s 07 Loire red wine.
16.1+. WT031809-08. 07 CHATEAU LA PIERRIERE, COTES DU CASTILLON - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) Marcillac @ Tourtigac. 07 light but ripe enough fruit. Blackberry and cedar aromas. Castillon body and class evident./ Yes, it’s 07 tender, ripe, sweet, discreet. Some tobacco joins in. Good acidity. Well proportioned. The price is reasonable. 15.5+. WT031809-09. 07 CHATEAU LA TOUR, BORDEAUX - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) Silver Medal. 77% merlot, 14% cabernet sauvignon,. 8% cabernet franc, 1% petit verdot. 07 light, soft, and easy. High toned, scented. Suggestion of oak./ Yes, it flows nicely. Nothing off kilter, nothing ambitious either. Sound, basic claret. 15.0. WT031809-10. 05 CHATEAU LES EYQUEMS, COTES DE BOURG - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) Now here’s a lot more body and ambition. Yes, significant claret by comparison. Ripe and lush dark berry fruits and floral accents./ Yes, more fruit amplitude, sweetness, ripeness. Bourg generosity. Great acidity. 05 mein, balance, race. 16.3+. WT031809-11. 05 CROZES HERMITAGE, E. GUIGAL - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Ripe and dark Guigal style with lots of build. Quality of the vintage shows./ Palate is compact and well balanced. Lots of fruit sweetness around a tightly wound core. Plenty of acidity too. Firming up, like a lot of 05 Rhone rouges. Needs 2-3 years or more to show all its virtues. 16.0+. WT031809-12. 06 CASTLE ROCK MENDOCINO ZINFANDEL - (U.S.) Small, simple, and mellow. Hints at Mendocino dark fruit. Also orange peel and orange cake./ Both sweet and bitter strains. Strong and warm. Needs food. 15.0 WT031809-13. 06 CYCLES GLADIATOR CALIFORNIA MERLOT - (U.S.) Sweet and sassy, with a surprising amount of brett. Olives galore. And oak toast./ Oh, there’s that sweet and seductive Cycles oakiness. Chocolate and caramel. I’m a sucker for it. Merlot softness, ease. Delectable. Shame on me. 15.7. WT031809-14. 07 VERAMONTE RESERVA CASABLANCA MERLOT - (CHILE) Sweet and up front merlot backed by a light woodiness and suggestion of reserve time in cask. Pretty aromas of dark fruits and blossoms./ The palate shows lots of depth and dimension. Plenty of oak and fruit flavors and textures in harmony. Really good acidity. Long finish. Good with food for sure. 15.9. WT031809-15. 08 VALENTIN BIANCHI ELSA MENDOZA MALBEC - (ARGENTINA) Good and dark and peppery. Real malbec blackness and edge. Dark chocolate and baking spices./ Sweet cherry-berry fruit with light touches of wood spices and flowers. Zero tannins. Tasty, balanced, ready to use. A well crafted malbec mindful of consumers’ rightful proclivity towards immediate gratification. So many other malbecs are mean in youth, including
many of the 07s. 16.0. WT031809-16. 07 FAMILIA RUTINI TRUMPETER MENDOZA CABERNET SAUVIGNON - (ARGENTINA) Fresh red and black currants. Tart berries, vanilla, violets, and fennel seed. Refined, cool climate lift. I believe the grapes come from high Uco./ Oh, a juicy and expressive cabernet black currant taste seasoned with light oak spiciness. Fine balance of fruit sweetness and fruit acidity. No tannins to speak of here either. Yes, delicious!
16.0. WT031809-17. 07 337 LODI CABERNET SAUVIGNON - (U.S.) Sweet-fruited like the 06 but with darker, coastal leanings. I’d never pick this for Lodi./ Yes, good fruit darkness. Big, warm, ripe, and chewy black currants. Dash of black pepper. Superior acidity. More frame and tannin than the good–and highly touted--06. Good future. Suggests a superior vintage. 16.3+. WT031809-18. 02 RIOJA GRAN RESERVA, BODEGAS CAMPO VIEJO - (SPAIN) Vanilla coated underripe fruit. Hard, tart, lean./ Same. Vanilla, dill, and coconut American oak flavors with little fruit support. Hardly a vintage for Gran Reserva. Meets expectations. 15.4.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009 WT031109-01. 08 SANTA EMA MAIPO VALLEY SAUVIGNON BLANC - (CHILE) Fat, plump, tropical. Lemon drop, lemon creme, pineapple. Enticing./ Proper sauvignon tanginess. A good value. 15.6. WT031109-02. 05 VALENCIA TEMPRANILLO-CABERNET SAUVIGNON, SEQUIOT - (SPAIN) Half each. Sweet and syrupy, with some tempranillo coolness and lift. Nose suggests good acidity though./ Rich and generous. Blackberry, vanilla, oak, coffee, chocolate, and raisinettes galore. Thickness and sweetness foiled by decent acidity and a bitter trace at the finale. Has meal-time possibilities. 15.4. WT031109-03. 07 TOSCANA ROSSO, VILLA D’ - (ITALY) From a hillside village near Montepulciano. And, indeed, it has Vino Nobile like elegance. Distinctive cherry, clove, rose hip, botanical, and flowers aromas./ Yes! Cool and lifted. Floral. Elegant. Fresh, juicy acidity. Fine tannin. Good now with food; better in 6 months. Well liked by the group. 16.2+. WT031109-04. 05 BARBERA D’ASTI SUPERIORE STELLA ROSSA, MARCO BONFANTE - (ITALY) Old style; not a gussied-up modern barbera. Blackberry, dark plum, currant, earth, leather./ Good barbera acidity. A throw-back to the days when barberas were barberas–country wines to go with hearty fare. Shows some class though. This is not rustic. 15.7+. WT031109-05. 06 SICILIA NERO D’AVOLA, ALCESTI - (ITALY) Lots of warm spices and ripe fruit. Engaging. Quite different from the 05, good as that was. And cheaper too./ Dark and angular, solid black fruits. Fruits and flowers and spices. Full range of aromatics. Not as nero like as the 05, but who cares? Fine tannin. 16.2+. WT031109-06. 07 YECLA MONASTRELL, BODEGAS CASTANO - (SPAIN) Fresh, plush aroma full of berry cremes. A box of filled chocolates. Dark and alluring./ Cassis and all kinds of berries. Full, rich, posh, easy. Good acid brace too. Juicy. Yes, cut and frame as well as lush filling. Well balanced. Fresher and better than the 06 last month. 16.3. WT031109-07. 04 COTES DU VENTOUX GAIA, DOMAINE LE GRAND VALLAT - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Softly burnished southern fruits, including plum. Hints of fennel bulb and dried sage./ Palate even more expressive, with sweet core fruits, tobacco, and sweetmeats, plus garrigue and underbrush nuances. Dry, compact, and meal-worthy 04 styling. 15.6. WT031109-08. 06 COTES DU RHONE BELLERUCHE, M. CHAPOUTIER - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) A Northern Rhone winemaker’s take on Southern Rhone wine. Tight laced. Gains some aromatics with aeration: dried fruits, fig, nuts./ This is full bodied. There’s a lot of material here. Well built. Fine tannin, acid, and balance. Remains austere, aloof, and astringent in youth. Will certainly reward aging. 15.4++. WT031109-09. 06 SANTA EMA RESERVE MAIPO VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON - (CHILE) Full and expressive, classic Maipo cabernet sauvignon. Blackberry, black currant. Good wood in harmony with the fruit. Sweet fruit, plus some leather, brett./ Lush and full, even heavy (14%). Smooth, full tannins. Long, berry-currant filled finish. Nothing if not generous. Loaded. 16.4+. WT031109-10. 07 CLINE ANCIENT VINES CALIFORNIA ZINFANDEL - (U.S.) Simple-minded to start, it gains aromatic interest with aeration. Red currant, red raspberry, chocolate, and vanilla./ There’s fruit, balance, and charm here, but the wine needs time to put on some bulk and depth. At this point, it’s behind preceding vintages even though 07 is said to be the best zinfandel vintage since 04. 15.6+. WT031109-11. 07 PFALZ GEWURZTRAMINER SPATLESE, FITZ-RITTER - (GERMANY) Wow! This us unbelievable! Total tonic, barbershop concentration in both aroma and texture. Huge intensity, penetration, and depth. Botanicals, rose, lemon grass./ Palate adds gardenia, Wildroot Cream Oil, Bay Rum. Total saturation. And so pure! Long aftertaste. Gewurz power compensates for gewurz mild acidity. 18.1+. WT031109-12. 03 HATTENHEIMER NUSSBRUNNEN RIESLING KABINETT, VON SIMMERN - (GERMANY) 03 fatness cut through by von Simmern minerality./ A little 03 youthful sweetness yet, but the von Simmern form and figure are there. Will improve for 2-3 years at least. 16.6+.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 WT030409-01. 07 RHEINGAU RIESLING CHARTA TROCKEN, HANS LANG - (GERMANY) This achieves what the winemaker is after under the Charta title: a riesling full, dry, and mealworthy in the tradition of such 100 years ago. Fresh, full, dry, clean, and not assertively fruity. Understated notes of apple, quince, stone fruit, and honey. Just right./ Dry but not crisp; instead, full bodied. A pleasant measure of 07 fruit forward
softness countered by mouthwatering acidity. Perky, tingly, tensile. A juicy and versatile mealtime favorite. Very well liked by the group. 16.8+. WT030409-02. 07 MOSEL RIESLING RENAISSANCE, ULRICH LANGGUTH - (GERMANY) Oh, rich and assertive! Really, full and tingly assault on the nostrils. Mittel Mosel class and vigor./ Yes, lots of Mosel green-grape riesling character. The acidity is still somewhat coated at this juncture, but the mouthfeel is not without edge and snap. 16.4+. WT030409-03. 07 CATALUNYA VINA ESMERALDA, TORRES - (SPAIN) Muscat and gewurztraminer. Shows full muscat musk and some gewurz tonic and lychee. Sassafras, lemon grass, botanicals, cologne./ Full flavor ranges of muscat and gewurztraminer. Good astringency of each. Dry, stony, uplifting. 16.2+. WT030409-04. 07 SANTA JULIA MENDOZA VIOGNIER - (ARGENTINA) Peach, guava, flowers. Still reads viognier but has lost some vitality after nearly two years’ aging./ Yes, this is going a little tawny, nutty, strong, and dry. Use soon. 14.5-. WT030409-05. 08 LA YUNTA LA RIOJA TORRONTES - (ARGENTINA) Oh, boy! What a difference a year makes! And an even more extravagantly fragrant grape variety. High-level perfume. Cold cream. Sachet. Quince, mandarin, mango./ Plus rose and orange blossom fragrances. A torrontes with gewurz leanings. Fresh, pure, well balanced. Lush textured, but from glycerol rather than sugar. Piquant acidity and trace of astringency to
foil. One of the best in this series. 16.4. WT030409-06. 07 COTES DU VENTOUX BLANC, IN FINE - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) 80% clairette, 20% bourboulenc. Sense of fullness and plumpness as well as a racy side. There’s volume and richness as well as vigor. I would have suspected some marsanne in this, given its heft. I guess it’s the clairette behind that./ Again, this is adroitly balanced between fullness and raciness. Low key fruit (dried lemon peel, dried papaya)
and little in the way of flowers, which is appropriate for its varietal makeup. A nice, juicy mealtime white. 16.1. WT030409-07. 06 PENINSULA CELLARS OLD MISSION PENINSULA GEWURZTRAMINER - (U.S.) Good tonic, barbershop gewurz set of aromatics. Rose, pomade, ginger, and orange oil. Peach, tea, white pepper./ Cool and bracing, dry and astringent on entry. The astringency is assuaged by the feel of glycerol. All in all, this is what gewurztraminer is about! Well liked by the group. 16.3+. WT030409-08. 07 METTENHEIMER MICHELSBERG GEWURZTRAMINER KABINETT, GEIL-EIMSHEIM - (GERMANY) Aromatically quiet. Especially considering the varietal./ Again, pretty unexpressive at this stage. Hints of peach and honey. Sweetish, mild. Pretty tame gewurz at present. Not at all as giving as the 05 last fall. Try some bottle aging. 15.0++. WT030409-09. VERSASI FINE DRY MARSALA - (FORTIFIED) The right character for Marsala: walnut, baked and dried fruits, date. Fig cake, date-nut bread. Strong coffee, raw sugar, raisin./ Unabashedly sweet, despite the title. Oh, and very nice acidity to balance the sweetness. Good spirit chips in too. Well liked by the group. 16.7. WT030409-10. 07 CHINON ROSE, COULY-DUTHEIL - (FRANCE LOIRE) High pitched and fragrant. So very fresh! Strawberry creme, cherry blossom, berries. Powerfully perfumed–demands attention./ Spreads well across the palate. Surprisingly soft acidity, but good power comes to the rescue to give a sense of balance. That power lends well to cold weather fare, so this is a rose that will prove useful over the next couple of months–or
longer the way this winter is going! 16.0. WT030409-11. 07 RHEINHESSEN DORNFELDER, JANZ - (GERMANY) Quite tight and terse for dornfelder. Dark and rich and right./ Yes, dark berries, tart, dark chocolate, cherry creme. Caramel, fine leather, and spices too. Soft. Generous. Unique. 16.2. WT030409-12. 07 CHIANTI, QUERCETO - (ITALY) This is exciting! Oh, boy, is this ripe, spicy, and sweet smelling! Both rich and racy. Really comes at you. One of the best in the series./ The palate is tighter than the nose. Great acidity. Flavorful, and chewy-textured. Long aftertaste from both flavor and texture standpoints. By summer, this will have loosened up nicely. Yes! 16.3+. WT030409-13. 04 TOSCANA, VILLA ANTINORI - (ITALY) Oh, boy! Liqueur like power and concentration. Plenty of 04 dark fruit. Blackberry, tobacco. Large and muscular. Unusually ripe for 04. Loads of welcome oak contributions./ Loaded indeed! Power, scope, richness, depth, focus. Almost too much to assimilate. Needs really hearty fare. 17.0+. WT030409-14. 06 WENTE SHORTHORN CANYON LIVERMORE VALLEY SYRAH - (U.S.) This is rich and intense. Really coming on strong already. Good oak. And varietal mass. Plus glints of syrah raspberry and peppercorn character./ Generous oak contributions at this price. Vanilla and toast. Syrah density, but stops short of being overbearing like some California syrahs. The fruit is sweet and welcoming. Best Wente syrah I’ve tasted.
16.4+. WT030409-15. 06 WENTE SANDSTONE ARROYO SECO MERLOT - (U.S.) Again, the nice set of oak contributions, here the brown spices in particular. A good, vigorous red-wine nose that is not particularly varietal./ Sweetish, well polished, unobtrusive. Appealing. Quaffable. 15.6. WT030409-16. 07 CONQUISTA DE ARGENTINA MENDOZA MALBEC - (ARGENTINA) Sweet, dark, spicy, and concentrated. Still somewhat on the mean side./ Tight structured, pinched even There’s a sweet fruit core but also a lot of dry tannins. Remains narrow in youth. 15.3++. WT030409-17. 06 MONTEPULCIANO D’ABRUZZO, LA VALENTINA - (ITALY) 06 tightness. However, this is clearly full textured, loaded even. Plenty of power and extract. With aeration comes dark, seductive fruit, especially blackberry./ Young, strapping, solid. Clearly ripe and warm and powerful. 06 blackness. Tar and licorice. Tannic still. Large-scaled and potent. Not an easy take at present. I like its future though. 16.2++. WT030409-18. 04 MONTEPULCIANO D’ABRUZZO RISERVA, CANTINA ZACCAGNINI - (ITALY) Deep and warm. Lots of savory peel elements. Dark and dried fruits, including prune./ Good frame and body. Great acidity. Rancio strains. Good oak spice. Has the grip to age further, but useful now with hearty fare. 16.5+.
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