|
||
|
Tasting Notes Blog - Printer-Friendly Version
- November, 2009
|
Use your browser print function to print this page. |
|
"Wednesday", November 25, 2009 WT112309-01. 08 CHATEAU COURONNEAU, BORDEAUX BLANC - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) Much tighter than the 07. This goes with the vintage difference. And I think we tasted the 07 when it was several months older. Lovely expression of minerality and zest, sauvignon edge. Seems to have a full, rich foundation./ Well, yes indeed it does! Richly textured, full of dry extract feel. Plenty of acidity too. Absolutely chewy. The sauvignon gris shows its texture if not its aroma yet. Will be fine. Well liked by the group. 16.1+. WT112309-02. 04 CHATEAU LA LOUVIERE, PESSAC-LEOGNAN BLANC - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) 85% sauvignon blanc; 15% semillon. Semillon fullness, fatness. Solid basis. Nice, smoky, toasty oak intricacies./ Waxy semillon texture plus sauvignon edge. Showing bouquet development. Lively and fine. Nicely burnished. Oak adds intrigue. 16.5. WT112309-03. 04 PINOT BLANC LES PRINCES ABBES, DOMAINE SCHLUMBERGER - (FRANCE ALSACE) Good bouquet development and richness. Peach, nuts, stones, flint./ Good ripeness. Plenty lively. Earning maturity. More to come. 15.8+. WT112309-04. 07 GEWURZTRAMINER, LUCIEN ALBRECHT - (FRANCE ALSACE) Oh, boy! This is special! Exceptionally floral. Orange blossom. Orange and honeysuckle hard candy. Rose and bergamot too. Lively, exuberant, demonstrative. / Oh, yes! That blossomy, nectarous stuff! Lychee, stone fruits. Viscous, and truly dry. The alcohol gives framing and balance and a cooling rather than hot effect. Good gewurz astringency too. Singular in this lineage, and in the world of Alsace gewurz too. I applaud its individuality. 17.4+. WT112309-05. 07 BOURGOGNE PINOT NOIR, DOMAINE CHENE - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Fresh and fruity 07 start. Cherry and smoked meat–especially bacon./ Taut red fruits, hint of spice. Full acidity. Dark and still gripping. Needs time. Better than the 06. 15.7++. WT112309-06. 07 BOGLE RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY PINOT NOIR - (U.S.) Sweet and woody. Vanilla, coconut, nuts. Very dark for a pinot. Zin-like./ Yes, sweet and dark and woody. A pinot for zinfandel fans. Doesn’t speak much for Russian River Valley or pinot noir. 15.0. WT112309-07. 07 ACACIA A CALIFORNIA RED - (U.S.) Fresh and tangy red fruits up front. Black cherry and mocha./ Rich and ripe fruits. Some oak complications. Needs time for sweetness, acidity, and tannin to form a team. 15.3+. WT112309-08. 07 MERIDIAN CALIFORNIA CABERNET SAUVIGNON - (U.S.) Bright red fruits: raspberry, currant. Nice 07 fruit quality. Shows elegance too./ Sweet vanilla and caramel oak flavors are complementary to the fruit. A little tannin to be resolved yet. Good value. 15.9+. WT112309-09. 04 TOSCANA SASSO AL POGGIO, PICCINI - (ITALY) 04 black fruit and fruit peels. Licorice. Cooked meat. A bit earthy at this stage./ Tough and fruitless at this stage. But good composition, balance, texture. I mean, no textural aspect (acid, tannin, sweetness, extract, alcohol) is disproportionate. So maybe there’s a good future. 14.5++. WT112309-10. 05 DROME SYRAH, PHILIPPE & VINCENT JABOULET - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) 05 mid age slump. Turned inward./ Full acid and grip. No fruit showing at this stage. Not uncommon for 05s in 2009. Smoke, tar, leather. Wait it out. 14.0+. WT112309-11. 08 COTES DU RHONE, DOMAINE DU GRAND PRIEUR - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) A fresh and wholesome red-fruit grenache nose. A bit reduced still. Just shipped./ Black fruited and cool 08. Young 08. Not as openly and sweetly fruity as the 07. Will improve; the price makes it worth keeping a spell. 15.8+.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009 WT111809-01. 09 SANTA RITA 120 VALLE CENTRAL SAUVIGNON BLANC - (CHILE) Very bright citrus. The group talked grapefruit, but if it’s grapefruit, it’s a pretty sweet one, like pink or red. I get more lemon, including some confection and dough impressions like a lemon cookie. Very bright, pretty, precise, and penetrating. I certainly prefer this Chilean vintage’s style of sauvignon over the 08s./ Both sweet and tart. And
pretty as a picture. Very juicy, very tangy. Lasts and lasts. A very joyful Chilean sauvignon blanc vintage. Loved by the group and considered a fantastic bargain. 16.6. WT111809-02. 08 CHATEAU GRAND TRAVERSE OLD MISSION PENINSULA PINOT GRIGIO - (U.S.) Everyone thought it shy, and when I got to it late and well aerated, it was still shy. However, I coaxed some nut creme, candle wax, and nettle out of it with swirling. It grows in the glass; comes on and on./ Attractive varietal flavors. Both malic tangy and creamy-waxy-rich. 08 cool-vintage take on this. Definitely will improve, become
more generous with a few weeks’ more bottle age. 16.0+. WT111809-03. 08 PINOT BLANC, THE FURST - (FRANCE ALSACE) Sweet and soft and enticing combo of auxerrois creaminess and pinot blanc zingy green melon./ Yes, both creamy and tangy. A good vintage for this. Has it all in pinot blanc, really. Not as tight-structured as a lot of 08 northern Europe whites. This has more of the give and allure of 06 and 07. 16.3+. WT111809-04. 08 COLUMBIA CREST GRAND ESTATES COLUMBIA VALLEY CHARDONNAY - (U.S.) Sweet fruit and sweet oak in balance. Oak toast, vanilla, butterscotch. Well crafted./ Good and full, with generous and attractive oak assets: toast, warm spices, caramel. Nice, ripe fruit acidity. So much better than the early Washington chardonnays, which were marked by tart fruit and blatant American oak. So much better balanced and more
enticing. My compliments to the winemaker. Even the Europhiles were surprised at how much they liked this. 16.4. WT111809-05. 08 VOUVRAY, SAUVION - (FRANCE LOIRE) Well, it’s even better than when I first opened it four days back. Lush, creamy, honied. Lime and quince. Fuller, more vital, and more intense nose than the good 07./ Both sweet and structured. Rich and honied. Large and young. Has it all. Some in the group preferred the 07 because it was drier. Maybe this still has baby fat, but I don’t think so. I think it really is sweeter,
which is strange, because I thought 07 was the riper vintage. 16.6+. WT111809-06. 08 PIESPORTER MICHELSBERG, SCHMITT SOHNE - (GERMANY) Bright and minerally, penetrating 08 style. Muller-Thurgau and something more aromatic, perhaps ortega. Fresh and fruity. Apple, pear, tutti frutti. Certainly not riesling./ Again the apple and blossom suggest M-T, and other floral highlights mark a German cross’s presence. Sweet and tender, rich and engaging. With a light tanginess to leave it refreshing.
Better than this cuvee used to be. Good value. 15.8. WT111809-07. 09 BEAUJOLAIS NOUVEAU, GEORGES DUBOEUF - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Sweet and rich. Berry-oriented: raspberry, boysenberry. Little or no banana. Big and juicy, rich and very demonstrative. Much riper fruit, more accessible fruit, than other recent vintages. But not over the top ripeness. Just right. Free of fermentation odors too, thanks to the early harvest. It’s had a full twelve weeks to become wine, double the
period of some cold-vintage Nouveaux./ Yes, a burst of bright red and black berries. Spicy, brambly too. Nice and sweet fruit. No astringency at all. That’s remarkable! Best Nouveau I’ve tasted in years from the standpoint of both quality and early appeal. 16.3. WT111809-08. 09 BEAUJOLAIS VILLAGES NOUVEAU, GEORGES DUBOEUF - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Darker, deeper, denser, bigger. Large, ripe, and generous. Raspberry and vanilla. Sings like a Grand Cru./ Yes, darker, etc. Still some peels astringency in this one. I’m going to like this better in February or March. However, much of the group favored it right now. 16.6+. WT111809-09. 08 JULIENAS GRAND CRU CHATEAU DES CAPITANS, GEORGES DUBOEUF - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Grapey, Rock and Rye aroma. Firm core./ Sweet, plummy, spicy. Julienas style and satin texture. Well tailored. But still somewhat introverted, somewhat reduced. Says more on the palate than it did in August. 16.0+. WT111809-10. 08 MORGON GRAND CRU, GEORGES DUBOEUF - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Cool and elegant Morgon black cherry presentation. Also blackberry and tobacco./ Sweet, round, and suave. Impressive Morgon heft, body. Good acidity. Some tannin. Take it to the dinner table. 16.1. WT111809-11. 08 MORGON GRAND CRU DOMAINE JEAN DESCOMBES, GEORGES DUBOEUF - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Sweeter cherry nose. More like maraschino, or chocolate covered cherry creme. Nuts too. Like a sundae. Seductive./ Oh, boy! Chocolate-cherry candy. Sweet spices too. Fabulous! What vintage of this isn’t?! 16.7+. WT111809-12. 08 MOULIN A VENT GRAND CRU, GEORGES DUBOEUF - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Large and powerful. But still stiff. Even less yielding on the nose than in August. Some plum and cigar box./ Yes, this is tight, sinewy, dry, and tannic. The King has a scowl on his face. Not what young Beaujolais is all about. Needs bottle age. 15.2++. WT111809-13. 08 ROBERT MONDAVI PRIVATE SELECTION CALIFORNIA PINOT NOIR - (U.S.) Pinot cherry, forward, vanilla-coated, sugar-frosted. Toasty oak complement./ Bright, soft, sweet sugar-plum and cherry fruit on the palate. Sweet vanilla creme too. Toasty oak. Lovely palate, really, soft and seductive. Well structured too. 15.5. WT111809-14. 06 CHIANTI CLASSICO, BORGO SCOPETO - (ITALY) Ripe and powerful. Compact. Deep-seated cherry and citrus peel. Aromas need to be coaxed forth./ But the palate jumps right up at you! Yes! Spicy cherry and peel, plum, oak, and citron. Complete Borgo Scopeto CC production. GREAT future! 16.6+. WT111809-15. 04 CHIANTI RISERVA, FONTEROSSO - (ITALY) Sweet and spicy like the 03 thanks to barrel aging. More framework than the 03. More refinement, more elegance too. Fabulous, really./ Yes! Ripe and rich and spicy. This is great! Very fine tannin. Sweet fruit. Will get better too. 16.5+. WT111809-16. 07 IRONSTONE CALIFORNIA CABERNET SAUVIGNON - (U.S.) A proper cabernet, firm cored, with round, rich inland fruit coating. Some wood spices too./ Warm and sweet cabernet fruit flavor and feel. This works. 15.7. WT111809-17. 07 CASTILLO DE MOLINA RESERVA CACHAPOAL VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON - (CHILE) Rich, ripe, dark-fruited 07 qualities. Black fruits galore. Ripe black raspberry, pomegranate, and peppercorn./ But the palate is brimful of black currant. Framed and balanced by wood extracts. Good acidity. Good and dry taste. 16.1+. WT111809-18. 08 BEAUJOLAIS NOUVEAU, MOMMESSIN - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) This has improved immensely with a year in bottle. It’s still wonderfully fresh, with all the appealing fruitiness of Beaujolais. And it’s full-fledged wine now. No longer astringent. No longer smelling of fermentation. Come hither. At a great stage for Thanksgiving use. 16.0.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009 WT111109-01. 08 VENEZIE PINOT GRIGIO KRIS, FRANZ HAAS - (ITALY) Crisp and bright white wine. Very p retty. And full. Lots of white peach. Something cedary./ Good acidity of 08. Up front and attractive. A nice quaffer. One of the best Kris vintages from the standpoint of early appeal. Liked by the group. 15.8. WT111109-02. 08 ALTO ADIGE PINOT GRIGIO, CANTINA TRAMIN - (ITALY) More richness and body even though it’s from higher altitude vineyards. Apple, pear, nut, white plum, potpourri./ Again, good richness and varietal character. Full and forward. Vivacious 08 and high altitude fruit acidity. More finesse and character than the Kris. Preferred by the group. 16.1. WT111109-03. 07 MACON VILLAGES, JOSEPH DROUHIN - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Crisp, juicy apple bite. Really quite malic for 07. Drouhin doesn’t make softies. Plenty of peel. Yes, wine of person and place more than vintage./ Rich, appley taste. Some bouquet development. Crisp, elegant, nicely textured, commendable. Full power. No aperitif. Needs mealtime fare. 16.0. WT111109-04. 07 SAINT VERAN, JOSEPH DROUHIN - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Oh, larger! More power, verve, expression. More oak play too. Fine, firm Drouhin-style oak. Quince, spice, marzipan. Rich, complex, and penetrating./ Yes, richer and really much fuller bodied. And oakier. Great Maconnais race and acidity. Full power leads to full mouthfeel. Preferred by the group in this pairing. 16.3. WT111109-05. 08 CATENA ALAMOS MENDOZA CHARDONNAY - (ARGENTINA) Rich fruit and full oak complex. Smoky, toasty oak and luscious, sweet fruit./ Toast, lemon meringue, pineapple. Sweet and luscious textured indeed. Cunningly conceived and executed Gallo-Catena production that’s sure to have broad appeal. Good acidity keeps it honest. My compliments. 16.1. WT111109-06. 08 CHATEAU SUAU, BORDEAUX BLANC - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) 55% sauvignon blanc, 35% semillon, 10% muscadelle. Wonderful complex of semillon fatness, sauvignon gooseberry, and muscadelle green flowers. Also passion fruit, tangerine, and minerals./ Rich semillon body and great sauvignon cut. Has it all in Bordeaux blanc. Popular with the group. 16.5. WT111109-07. 05 EGRI BIKAVER, VITAVIN - (HUNGARY) Wow! Fresh, crisp black fruits. This is claret like. Cool plum and tea aromas. Shades of zweigelt./ Red fruits: cherry, raspberry. Good acidity. Fine tannin. Blind, I’d say Bordeaux from a cool vintage. Curious. Never had an Egri at all like this before. 15.3+. WT111109-08. 07 CHIANTI COLLI SENESI, FALCHINI - (ITALY) Old reliable. Sweet and dark and anise-laced. 07 fruit richness and explicitness. Currant, raspberry, smoke, nut. Ho, hum, just another complete Colli Senesi from Falchini./ Sweet black fruits, anise. Fine tannin. Good acidity. Wow! A winner! Well liked by the group. 16.3. WT111109-09. 08 CASTLE ROCK CALIFORNIA PINOT NOIR - (U.S.) Sweet, sugar-dusted strawberries and raspberries on entry, followed by cooler tart cherry and tea impressions./ Sweet cherry and tea flavors. Good acidity. Nose and palate are identical, in rare fashion. Well proportioned, rewarding, and charming. Liked by the group. 15.8. WT111109-10. 08 CONO SUR COLCHAGUA CARMENERE - (CHILE) Rich and complex, woodsy. Raspberry, pomegranate, cedar, tobacco. Good job./ The palate is almost creamy. Very rewarding. Good acidity. Light oak toastiness. Carmenere richness meets 08 blackness. 15.8+. WT111109-11. 06 COTES DU RHONE, E. GUIGAL - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Starts out rather dark and sullen. Opens to gamy richness and purple fruit emphasis. Pretty dense stuff. Guigal style. Northern Rhone-type darkness./ Cranberry fruit and well integrated wood. Dense, thick, powerful. Syrah emphasis. Guigal’s northern Rhone hand showing. This is not at mid age like a lot of 06 Cotes du Rhones. This is young. I wonder how
long it’s been in cuve. A signature Guigal Cotes du Rhone, and one of his best vintages. Appealing to drink at this stage. And very impressive for its potential. 16.1+. WT111109-12. 04 RIOJA RESERVA, MARQUES DE RISCAL - (SPAIN) New American oak still on top. Like in several other 04 reservas to date. Something to do with the vintage? Or trends? More new barrels in use? You’d think the wood and fruit would have merged more by age five, but no. Sweet vanilla and coconut American oak continues to dominate. Raspberry and black cherry fruit lurk beneath./ That fine 04 fruit basis supplies
a sense of integrity, but this wine remains oak-dominant. The consumer can no longer count on buying new-release reservas and putting them right to use, unless one is an oak lover. More cellaring called for. 16.2++. WT111109-13. 08 CATENA ALAMOS MENDOZA CABERNET SAUVIGNON - (ARGENTINA) Sweet blackberry and black currant cabernet character. Light oak toast veneer./ Sweet cassis flavor. Plus black pepper and other spices. Very flavorful. Good acidity. Well balanced. Alive and rewarding. Popular styling. Is that 08 fruit forward character driving the change in these Alamos wines? Or the Gallo advisers? Whatever it is, I applaud it.
They’re much more accessible young now. 16.1. WT111109-14. 06 WILLIAM FEVRE LA MISION RESERVA MAIPO VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON - (CHILE) Sweet black fruit and plenty of reserva oakiness. Much fresher than the 05./ Yes, sweet fruit. Blackberry emphasis, with supporting cast of pepper bacon and belt leather. Lots of power. Good acidity. Welcomes a hearty winter stew. 16.0+. WT111109-15. 08 CATENA ALAMOS MENDOZA MALBEC - (ARGENTINA) Sweet cherry fruit with light oak toast. Come hither./ Bright fruit flavor that emphasizes raspberry more than cherry. That’s unique among malbecs. Lots of fruit flair. Again, a well crafted, market-directed Gallo-Catena production that’s sure to earn best-buy credentials and wide-spread appeal. These are good, enticing values for current use. 16.3. WT111109-16. 07 HOPE ESTATE THE RIPPER WESTERN AUSTRALIA SHIRAZ - (AUSTRALIA) Western Australia coolness. Sweet blackberry, light, spicy oak, and a gamy note./ Both sweet and racy. Marks of 07 and WA. Warms in the mouth to become rich, even unctuous, with chocolate, coffee, and toffee flavors. Wow! 16.4+. WT111109-17. 06 CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE, DOMAINE CHANTE CIGALE - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Traditional, spicy, black fruited, sweetly grenache. Dark berries, plums, violets, lavender, clove, nutmeg. Wow! Complex! Like the Mont Redon CdR a couple of weeks back, this marks classic CdP styling./ Full, well textured, both racy and meaty. Great structure, acidity, full, fine tannins. 06 elegance. Sweetly fruited aftertaste. Yes, classic.
Well liked by the group, which drank almost all of it before I got my first taste. 17.2+. WT111109-18. 05 WURZBURGER STEIN RIESLING SPATLESE TROCKEN, STAATLICHER HOFKELLER WURZBURG - (GERMANY) Silver Medal winner. Dry, crisp, full, fruity, floral./ Dry but not austere. Nice fruit padding. Peach, papaya. 05 structure and balance and youthfulness. At a beautiful, entirely useful stage. Welcome, lingering aftertaste. A wonderful riesling for the table. The group thought so too. 16.7.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009 WT110409-01. 09 OYSTER BAY MARLBOROUGH SAUVIGNON BLANC - (NEW ZEALAND) Wow! This is great! More like the racy, fruity 07 than the bulkier 08. Richly aromatic, spicy, succulent, peachy, almost nutty-grainy./ Rich again. Candied lemon, citrus zest, pear, grass, gooseberry, and capsicum. Ripe acid piquance. Another great Oyster Bay sauvignon value. 16.2. WT110409-02. 06 PINOT GRIS CLOS REBBERG, MARC KREYDENWEISS - (FRANCE ALSACE) Rich colored, soft, evolving 06 pinot gris. Peach and honey, nut./ Cool and racy. Surprisingly racy after the rich nose. Winemaker style. More honey flavor but not honey sweetness. This is dry. Really good form and dryness for 06 pinot gris. Lots of stone fruit. Will age nicely. Or take it to the table now with spicy butternut squash soup.
16.7+. WT110409-03. 07 SKETCH BOOK MENDOCINO CHARDONNAY - (U.S.) Crisp, fresh, and appley. Little or no oak./ Mellow 07. Soft apple. Fresh. Attractive suave texture. Bright acidity. Well composed. Ideal balance, really. 16.0. WT110409-04. 05 MONTHELIE, LOUIS LATOUR - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Compact, with good 05 richness. Cherries galore, raspberries too. This is just gorgeous. And promising./ Starting to show some roundness on the palate. Deep, with soft smoke, minerals, and deep and charming 05 pinot fruit. Just can’t spit it out! One of my favorite Latours ever. Will improve 2-3 more years. 17.3+. WT110409-05. 05 BEAUNE VIGNES FRANCHES 1ER CRU, LOUIS LATOUR - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Wow! Large, masculine, impressive, and very 05 elegant. Black cherry, raspberry, currants, tea./ Vigorous, reserved, solid, classy. More complex and exotic than the Monthelie. Some additional oak influence here too. Will improve 3-5 years. 17.7+. WT110409-06. 08 TRAPICHE MENDOZA CABERNET SAUVIGNON - (ARGENTINA) Very sweet and easy for cabernet. The nature of the vintage. Sweet blackberry and black currant. Legit cabernet./ Yes, sweet and smooth. Wood spice note. Will be popular. 15.2. WT110409-07. 07 ERRAZURRIZ ACONCAGUA VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON - (CHILE) Pungent black currant and boysenberry. Sweet and succulent./ Rich, full flavor affirmation. Good acid, fine tannin. Those lovely 07 fruit qualities score again. 16.2. WT110409-08. 05 CHATEAU DE CAILLOU, GRAVES - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) Still sturdy, but beginning to show some soft, sweet fruit that was not evident several months ago. Stewed plum and peel. Plum flan. A dusting of oak too. Good nose./ Sweet fruit on entry. Notes of blackberry and pencil box. Much easier-going that it was before. Some earthiness completes the Graves set. Very popular with the group. 16.2+. WT110409-09. 04 DOLCETTO DI DOGLIANI BRIC, MARENCO - (ITALY) Strong and sweet and developing. Ambitious dolcetto at mid life./ Sweet but tannic. Yes, in an aromatic trough. Very hard, dense, dark, tarry. Just a little burnished black cherry fruit showing. Was more yielding before and will improve after. Between aroma and bouquet. 15.5+. WT110409-10. 08 JUMILLA CARCHELO, BODEGAS AGAPITO RICO - (SPAIN) I think this used to be all mourvedre (monastrell). Now it’s 40% each mourvedre and tempranillo, and 20% cabernet sauvignon. Fresh, cool, zesty, peppery, and primary. Very purple fruit of mourvedre leading the way. Purple plum and berries./ Oh, bright, rich, racy fruit! Tempranillo and cabernet chime in with their black fruits. Snappy, 08-style palate. Whoa,
and even some garrigue extras! More complex than it’s been in previous vintages--thanks to the varietal mix now? 16.3+. WT110409-11. 06 RIBERA DEL DUERO TEMPRANILLO VINAS VIEJAS, MILCAMPOS - (SPAIN) Roast beef and singed fruit. Both sweet and dried fruits. A good example of RDD. Bears the warmth without oak, heat, and dry tannin excesses./ Yes, sweet fruited and balanced. Good weight, density, and ripeness. Black fruits, wood spices, and white pepper. Smooth. Surprisingly little tannin for RDD and the vintage. Unusually forward and facile.
Very pleasing. 15.7+. WT110409-12. 07 DOURO, QUINTA DO CRASTO - (PORTUGAL) Roriz, barroca, franca, nacional. A beauty. The fruit is fresh and smooth and sweet, not roasted. Good Douro darkness and grip though. Modern, yes, but still a wine of place./ Sweet, smooth, and spicy indeed. Round and robust. Elderberry, chocolate, sweetmeats, lavender. Sufficient frame and grip. Well balanced. Fine craftsmanship. Yes! 16.7+. WT110409-13. 08 PEACE SE AUSTRALIA SHIRAZ - (AUSTRALIA) Jelly like fruit sweetness. Enticing, useful, popular./ Fluid, easy, sweet. Simple, wholesome, honest. Nicely balanced. 14.5. WT110409-14. 06 NAPA CELLARS NAPA VALLEY ZINFANDEL - (U.S.) Man, full-force, in your face oak and sweet fruit. American oak. Sweet, ripe zin fruit. No holds barred. No secrets./ Bold oak char gives a bourbon like taste. The fruit is plenty sweet. Raspberry jam. For BBQ. 15.5+. WT110409-15. 08 RHEINGAU RIESLING, WINZER VON ERBACH liter - (GERMANY) Fresh, crisp, tangy, and full. Tingles the nostrils. Rheingau golden tones: orange and grain, meal. Fabulous./ Sweet, full, crisp. Great acid-sweet balance. Fruitful and well extracted. It has 08's full textural play. Fabulous value. 16.4+. WT110409-16. 08 CHATEAU GRAND TRAVERSE SEMI DRY MICHIGAN RIESLING - (U.S.) Baked apple and nuts. Simple and pleasant./ More-ish on palate. Rich, fruity. Nicely done. Welcome at the dinner table. 15.4.
|
|
|
