|
||
|
Tasting Notes Printer-Friendly Version
- Ocober, 2006
|
Use your browser print function to print this page. |
|
|
Wednesday, October 25,2005 WT102506-01. 05 COTES DE GASCOGNE, DOMAINE DE PELLEHAUT - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) Highly exuberant nose of lemon and quince. Rich and surging./ Bright, tangy flavors of lemon zest, grapefruit, peach, mineral, and gooseberry. Racy, crisp, fresh, pretty. Depth and charm. 15.9. WT102506-02. 05 GRAVE DEL FRIULI TOCAI FRULIANO, BORGO MADDALENA - (ITALY) Earthy, spicy, smoky, with lime and red currant fruit aromas. Quite austere yet; even stoic./ Solid, spicy, nervy. Flavors of lime, passion fruit, mango, spices, and minerals. Nice fruit tartness, clean and refreshing. More dexterity to the palate than the nose at present. 16.0. WT102506-03. 04 POUILLY FUISSE, ROUX PERE - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Macon cleanness and racy fruit statement unencumbered by heavy oak. Light touches of toast and caramel just add light seasoning to firm and mineraly apple, citrus, and stone fruits./ Pouilly Fuisse fullness, importance, and seductiveness./ Great fruit sweetness and nice 04 malic acid crispness to complement. Delicious green apple and citrus flavors, with nice mineral traces. Ready for the table. 16.3. WT102506-04. 05 ALAMOS MENDOZA VIOGNIER - (ARGENTINA) Absolute perfume intensity and viscosity. Clean, clean, clean. Orange water and flowers./ Precise viognier statement, crystal clear and complete. Good strength and textural presence. Lovely. 16.1. WT102506-05. 99 BURGENLAND RUST MUSCAT, HEIDI SCHROCK - (AUSTRIA) Clean and fresh, and subtly varietal. Flowers, quince, orange peel, cat, bergamot, perfume, and a touch of bouquet nuttiness./ Hint of lychee. Bracing acidity, which has preserved it well. Very lively. Meal-time muscat. 16.0. WT102506-06. 02 OBEREMMELER HUTTE RIESLING KABINETT, VON HOVEL - (GERMANY) Bright, racy wine of place. Saar steeliness, Oberemmel lightness of being. Maturity brings sweet pear and peach fruit and light honey note./ Vibrant lemon peel and snappy red currant flavors merge with fruit ripeness and the softness of maturity. At a nice stage. Lots of charm. 02's angles nicely honed down with age; nicely rounded. 16.4. WT102506-07. 04 COOPERS CREEK MARLBOROUGH PINOT NOIR - (NEW ZEALAND) Valid cool climate pinot showing peels, herbs, tonics. And plenty of ripe, sweetish, spicy New World pinot fruit, with raspberry, black cherry, and even a hint of strawberry./ Weighty palate, with good depth. Black and red fruits and herbals. Good acidity. Plenty of personality. 15.8. WT102506-08. 04 GUENOC CALIFORNIA MERLOT - (U.S.) Cherry, herb, light sweetness. True to merlot. Café au lait and mocha tones./ Soft, rich black fruits. Shows a pretty face of merlot. Good craftsmanship. Nice value. 15.7. WT102506-09. 03 TORO, FINCA SOBRENO - (SPAIN) 03 ripe, easy, fruity. Solid frame and brooding black-fruit core./ Dense, ripe, earthy-spicy-tarry black fruits. Balancing acidity. Good depth. 16.0. WT102506-10. 00 CORBIERES, CHATEAU DE MONTPEZAT - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Still plenty purple in color and in fruit. Exotic, ripe fruit and oak airs, including sandalwood. High-toned, charry fruit and perfumed bouquet./ Lots of fruit and oak flair. Very lively, generous, handsome. Exceptional frame, acidity, and vigor for 00. Very vital indeed. Super value. 16.5. WT102506-11. 03 MADIRAN TORUS, ALAIN BRUMONT - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) 50% tannat, 30% cabernet sauvignon, 20% cabernet franc. Ripe 03 with dark, cool tannat properties. Lots of seared black fruits and purple peels extracts. Makes Cahors’ malbec look like fetching, fruity little charmer../ Lovely varietal character thanks to 03 ripeness. Less reclusive in youth than the usual tannat vintage. 16.0+. WT102506-12. 04 GUENOC CALIFORNIA PETITE SIRAH - (U.S.) Deep and cool boysenberry and licorice emblems of pet varietal character./ Sweet, thick, chewy dried and candied fruits and warm spices. Nuts and maraschino too. A sundae wine. Nice. 15.9.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
WT101806-01. 06 SANTA RITA 120 LONTUE VALLEY SAUVIGNON BLANC - (CHILE) Zingy, vibrant, fresh sauvignon nose with all the trimmings: gooseberry, grapefruit, citrus, capsicum, cat. Crisp edge to a plump and lovely ball of fruit. Excellent, as always./ Young and fresh and juicy and tangy. Crisp, stony, refreshing sweet-tart fruit. Ebullient varietal character. Very popular with the group. 16.0. WT101806-02. 05 MACON VILLAGES, DOMAINE CHENE - (FRANC E BURGUNDY) Crisp, appley Macon chardonnay with 05 fullness, presence, power, depth./ Yes, 05 richness, alcohol, density. Apple and lemon flavors of Maconnais chardonnay unencumbered by oak. Good acidity, smooth texture, ripe, and balanced. Very popular with the group. 16.1. WT101806-03. 05 MERIDIAN SANTA BARBARA CHARDONNAY - (U.S.) Cool and appley. Not as much oak and malo as in previous years./ I get more oak on the palate. It’s a nice seasoning, skillfully imparted, especially considering the price. Apple and citrus flavors too. Yes, there’s some sweetness, but good acidity and good strength balance it out. Definitely more accomplished stuff than many previous vintages. 15.5. WT101806-04. 05 EDELZWICKER, WOLFBERGER liter - (FRANCE ALSACE) From the cooperative at Equisheim. More gewurztraminer presence than in the usual edelzwicker. Rosy, spicy, pungent. Lychee, peach, papaya, minerals. Big, dense, solid, and sturdy, all in place./ Cool and ripe and 05 complete. Has both the 05 frame and the filling. Structured but not backward. Flows easily to justify its liter package and gulp-ability
with food. Finishes dry and smooth. And delicious. 15.7. WT101806-05. 01 RIESLING HOSPICES DE STRASBOURG, J-C RUHLMANN - (FRANCE ALSACE) Fine balsamic bouquet. Sweet honey, nut, and peach bouquet. Good power, pungency, and framing of 01. Sleek, vibrant edge. Great riesling 5 year old./ Again, the development, the quality and nature of the vintage, the balance, the strength. Racy and vibrant. Truly dry and most useful at the table. 16.6. WT101806-06. 00 RIESLING ROSACKER GRAND CRU, DOMAINE MITTNACHT KLACK - (FRANCE ALSACE) Good range of 00 riesling qualities that well represent the vintage and the age. Grains, nuts, resin, sweet, honeyed fruit, and touch of vanilla. Nice./ There is some sweetness, as there’s been from the beginning. Spices and minerals. Smooth, giving, drinking well. Not as much structure as the 01 but the pedigree shows well. Balanced
and flavorful. 16.4. WT101806-07. 03 RHEINGAU RIESLING, BARON VON KNYPHAUSEN - (GERMANY) Sweet nose of 03 and logically forward in its development. Nectarine, loquat, and almond bouquet./ 03 softness and progression. Wholesome yet. Good acid and mineral ring for 03. Knyphausen dexterity, delicacy, discretion. 15.3. WT101806-08. 04 WINKELER HASENSPRUNG RIESLING SPATLESE, KRAYER - (GERMANY) Great 04 cut, race, vigor. Hasensprung fullness without the bodenton that afflicts some. Red currant, peach, apricot, flowers. Seductive, really./ Ripe and lively. Full and sweet and soft Hasensprung nature. Good flavor intensity, featuring strawberry and peach. Charming, alluring, gracious. Fine value. 16.3. WT101806-09. 05 TRINCHERO FAMILY NAPA VALLEY PINOT NOIR - (U.S.) Fresh and tea like. Reductive–air it. Crisp and northern styled. Black cherry, raspberry, hint of red pop. Speaks pinot./ Sweet and tender. Real pinot flavor and race. Spicy. Cool, and finely textured. Not as astringent in youth as the 04. 15.5+. WT101806-10. 04 MONTEVINA AMADOR BARBARA - (U.S.) Wonderful warmth, ripeness, spiciness. Almost port like wood, power, and roti. Wow!/ Yes! Ripe and full and spiritous. Plump and spicy and sassy. Fine barbera acidity. Great flavor and texture presence and intensity. More generous than the good 03. Great value!. 16.3. WT101806-11. 04 PENFOLDS BIN 2 SOUTH AUSTRALIA SHIRAZ-MOURVEDRE - (AUSTRALIA) Cool, racy, floral, intricate, coy. Sweet, ripe fruit too. Some of the usual mourvedre reduction. Opens to black currant, blackberry, underbrush, tobacco, bitter herbs, and hints of vanilla and chocolate./ Yes, syrah sweetness and mourvedre cool, tonic properties. Well balanced. Really showcases mourvedre–gets it going–much more than in the
GSM cuvees. 16.3. WT101806-12. 02 RUSDEN CHRISTINE’S VINEYARD BAROSSA VALLEY GRENACHE - (AUSTRALIA) Fabulous Barossa grenache power and roast and warmth. Some 02 coolness: lovely, lilting, ventilating qualities. Black cherry, currant, cranberry, and tobacco. Sexy stuff./ Thick and strong, with grenache strawberry flavor and cherry pie and dark fruits besides. Nice oak back-drop too. Large. Take it to the table. 16.4+. WT101806-13. 05 MCMANIS FAMILY RIVER JUNCTION ZINFANDEL - (U.S.) Great raspberry and seeds purity and flair–real zin signs. Plus blueberry, cassis, and cinnamon. Wood toast too. Look like a fabulous value./ Wow! Full and sweet varietal fruit with good wood and a cool astringency to finish. Fresh, nervy, solid, enticing, hothouse-fresh. Real zinfandel, and not Valley. Great buy. 16.1. WT101806-14. 05 MCMANIS FAMILY RIVER JUNCTION PETITE SIRAH - (U.S.) Sweet and sassy, ripe, herbal, and medicinal, with lots of raspberry syrup. Reminiscent of Barossa shiraz./ But wait. There’s more fresh fruit flair on the palate. Not so Barossa sweet and sprawling after all. Nice fruit quality, poise, restraint. 15.7. WT101806-15. 04 CONCANNON LIMITED RELEASE CENTRAL COAST PETITE SIRAH - (U.S.) We’ve got us a winner! Ripe, but also subtle, classy, elegant, with lots of poise. Black cherry, lots of dark fruits, vanilla, cocoa. A fabulous treat./ And, oh!, the palate. An explosive mouthful fo violets. Great flair, great acidity, .great texture. Dense, spicy, generous, well balanced. Yes! 16.0. WT101806-16. BRETAGNE CIDRE DOUX CUVEE SPECIALE, KERISAC - (FRUIT) The prototypical cider smell. Dark and deep and earthy. Nice tart apple cider nose, vivid and generous./ Full, forceful, and fine. Crisp, tart apple flavor and texture. Good and sweet, with balancing acidity. Fine mousse. Very seductive. 16.0. Wednesday, October 11, 2006
WT101106-01. PROSECCO EXTRA DRY, SACCHETTO - (SPARKLING) Simple. Soft, easy./ Plain, light. Extra Dry sweetness level. Candied apple flavor. 13.8. WT101106-02. 05 VINHO VERDE, CASA DE VILA VERDE - (PORTUGAL) Perfumed. Some alvarinho here no doubt. Medium intensity; not as intense as the average Rias Baixas, but not as expensive either./ Flavor confirms the tropical fruit perfume. Some alvarinho viscosity too. Broad and spicy. Good volume and lushness. Good freshness, minerality, and acidity of Vinho Verde. 15.8. WT101106-03. 05 SARDEGNA VERMENTINO CRABILIS, PALA - (ITALY) Full scent of the varietal and Sardinian warmth. Bright and zesty./ Firm, focused, spicy, resinous. Lively, fresh acids and Mosel like piquance. Well balanced. 15.8. WT101106-04. 05 CHATEAU COURONNEAU, BORDEAUX BLANC - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) Pure, aromatic, elegant. Muscadelle shows a floral facet./ Very elegant. Spiritous, spirited, high toned. Needs a little time to settle down. 15.1+. WT101106-05. 05 CHATEAU GRAVILLE LACOSTE, GRAVES BLANC - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) Deep and satiny semillon with sauvignon race and cut. Some mercaptans yet./ Flavors confirm aromas. Sulphur still gripping. Semillon earthiness and lush body. Sauvignon adds a grapefruit rind and feline taste and feel. Needs air and age. Jorge tasted it a couple of days later and rated it 16.0. 14.5++. WT101106-06. 99 BURGENLAND RUST FURMINT HALBTROCKEN, HEIDI SCHROCK - (AUSTRIA) Strong, pungent flowers and fruits and a rusty-tawny edge of maturity.. Pine and balsam airs./ Good acidity, grip, form, and power. Bright and pungent, with the taste of an aromatic variety. Good texture. Still useful. 15.3. WT101106-07. 05 POUILLY FUISSE CLOS REYSSIE, GEORGES DUBOEUF - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Large for Pouilly Fuisse, dense and reserved. 05 talking. Light oak dressings. Assertive, penetrating. Plenty of volume and grip./ Really a lot of mass for the a Duboeuf Pouilly but not lacking in Pouilly finesse. Has volume and grip, but this is still Pouilly Fuisse, not Meursault. Nice acidity too. Very good vintage for this wine. 16.0+. WT101106-08. 04 JOHANNISBERGER ERNTEBRINGER RIESLING KABINETT, KRAYER - (GERMANY) 04 grip and personality. Not a lot of regionality on the nose, but certainly expresses the vintage./ Full kabinett sweetness, cut by 04 extract. Good, golden Rheingau peach and mineral flavors. A nice balance of acidity and sweetness too. Has charm and present appeal. 15.9. WT101106-09. 03 OC PINOT NOIR COLLECTION, GERARD BERTRAND - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Sweet nose of pinot noir and dash of oak. Not Burgundy, but clearly pinot, handsome and generous. Smoky black fruit laced with red fruit elements./ Yes, clearly varietal. Full of fruit and cool, northern character. Great acidity too. Most have come from a cool, high altitude microclimate given the region and vintage. Spicy, generous,
fine structured, ripe tannins. Nice job. This guy is a real craftsman. 16.1. WT101106-10. 04 BOURGOGNE, LOUIS JADOT - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Young and sinewy Jadot rouge style. Some core tart cherry./ A lean young wine without a lot of stuffing. But is could fill out and show some surprises with age. 14.0+. WT101106-11. 03 BOURGOGNE, BOUCHARD PERE - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Sweet 03 fruit and fruit ripeness. Chocolate and cherry. Candied pinot. Nice Bouchard polish./ Again, juicy and sweet, with 03 fruit ripeness and Bouchard styling. 03 mass, size, depth, and potential. Good acidity too. Well controlled 03 from an alcohol standpoint. 16.0+. WT101106-12. 03 CHATEAU LA TOUR DE MONS, CRU BOURGEOIS SUPERIEUR. MARGAUX - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) Bold and solid. Big, cabernet dominant claret. A rock, a bastion of Soussans Margaux. Opens with airing to show full 03 ripeness, with notes of black currant and chocolate and hints of Margaux grace./ Blockbuster claret with grip and fine tannin. The usual style here. It’s classic La Tour de Mons, made for the patient faithful
and not the instant gratification crowd. Deep and muscular. With air comes expressive cabernet blackberry and a range of refined, sophisticated cedar and tobacco extras. What aeration coaxes forth, bottle aging will accelerate and expand upon. A most promising claret. Give it 5-7 years. 17.0++. WT101106-13. 05 BARBERA D’ALBA BRICCOTONDO, FONTANAFREDDA - (ITALY) Young, solid, cool, with nice grip of peel extracts and vividly expressed varietal character, bright and ripe./ Real barbera. Grip, darkness, tartness, tarriness. Real, traditional, and young. Good value. 16.0+. WT101106-14. 05 VALENCIA DIS TINTO, BODEGAS ENGUERA - (SPAIN) Half each tempranillo, syrah. Firm core, vanilla coated. Assertive, ripe, juicy black fruits and berries with late harvest leanings./ Ripe and sassy. Blackberry jam. Smoked meat. Good acidity. Enjoyable now. 15.3. WT101106-15. 04 COTEAUX DU LANGUEDOC BRONZINELLE, CHATEAU ST. MARTIN DE LA GARRIGUE - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) 04 cool, with oodles of garrigue and flowers, including lilacs. Blackberry, black currant, anise. Rich, deep, well toned, ripe, and alluring./ Full garrigue range of flavors. 04 coolness and great acidity, lilt, and verve. Good frame and filling. Fetching already. One of the best in the series. 16.4. Wednesday, October 4, 2006 WT100406-01. GRUET NEW MEXICO ROSE BRUT - (SPARKLING) Plenty of red fruit pulp and peel extracts. Bright strawberry, raspberry, red cherry, cranberry. Some bottle bouquet./ Flavorful. Open knit, candied, tangy, fresh, fruity. Somewhat coarse-textured. Food will take care of that. 15.0. WT100406-02. 05 FRANKEN SILVANER TROCKEN, HANS WIRSCHING - (GERMANY) Very bright and floral and fruity for silvaner. Touches of peach-apricot, citrus, lentil. Franken-Main region refinement. No boden at all./ Racy, juicy, dry but not austere. Flavorful (pear, nectarine), long. Well stuffed with fruit. A hallmark Main silvaner to take to the table. 16.2. WT100406-03. 05 BOURGOGNE ALIGOTE VIEILLES VIGNES, DOMAINE CHENE - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Old vines dense. Bolder than the 04 but less pliable at this stage. Bright, tangy, lively aromas of apple, quince, an calcaire./ Full fruit concentration and great juice, uplifting fruit acidity, crunchy texture, and form. Plenty of pizzazz. Old vines depth. 05 all the way. Good future. 16.4+. WT100406-04. 05 MACON VILLAGES, LOUIS JADOT - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Good Jadot brace. Aromas of apple, citrus, mineral. Cool, burnished, engaging, refined./ Juicy, with grip and Jadot’s masterful textural balance. The promising grip lasts on the aftertaste. Fine solidity, concentration, and penetration. 15.9+. WT100406-05. 05 POUILLY FUISSE, LOUIS JADOT - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Some oak–nicely measured so as not to overwhelm the Pouilly Fuisse brand of chardonnay. Give it time to soak in. Big, firm, handsome fruit compote that includes apple, pear, honeysuckle, and orange peel./ Good wood, sweet and fine grained. Good fruit under, with the right acidity and form. Fine depth. A serious wine. Time, please. 16.2+. WT100406-06. 05 LAPIS LUNA MONTEREY CHARDONNAY - (U.S.) Open, orangey, candied, oaky, fleshy, sweet smelling. High citrus of Monterey. Come hither./ Sweet oak, hint of lima bean, tutti fruiti. Nicely polished, with a decent structure. 15.2. WT100406-07. 05 LA YUNTA LA RIOJA TORRONTES - (ARGENTINA) Wow! Spice, perfume, cologne, flowers, tropical fruits. Plump, deep seated nose with plenty of citrus zest tanginess./ Exuberant again, though not as intensely perfumed as nose, so more mealworthy. Lime, orange, mango. Some taste of alcohol (citron-infused vodka), but the reading isn’t that high (12.5). Shows a satiny lushness. Intriguing mealtime possibilities,
especially with Pac Rim stuff. Very well liked by the group. 16.1. WT100406-08. 04 LAPIS LUNA CALIFORNIA MERLOT - (U.S.) Big and spicy, jammy. Cranberry sauce with sweetening./ Nice berry fruit concentrate that’s not so jammy after all; more like fresh fruit preserves. Good fruit flavor. Decent depth. 14.6. WT100406-09. 04 LAPIS LUNA CALIFORNIA CABERNET SAUVIGNON - (U.S.) The darkness, the blackberry, the cassis, the sweet inland fruit. A good California cabernet./ Yes, really juicy black currant-blackberry hard candy flavor. Fine fruit essence. Good cabernet grip, tannin, length. 14.8. WT100406-10. 05 CHIANTI, GABBIANO - (ITALY) Plump, juicy, giving. Good density and sangiovese fruit extraction. Red and dried fruits with a nice smoked herb patina./ Solid, with some firmness yet, but with good fruit character and valid Chianti expression. 15.6. WT100406-11. 05 BARBERA D’ASTI I SURI RUSS, VILLA GIADA - (ITALY) Young, with real barbera ruggedness, tang, and tingly, edgy texture. A big, burly barbera with aromas of brandied cherry, bitter chocolate, and aromatic barks. Good posture./ Good, fresh varietal character. Very smooth textured for a young barbera, well balanced by a fine acid etching, burnish. Quite well mannered after all. Stalwart, poised, ageworthy.
Well liked by the group. 16.0+. WT100406-12. 03 SICILIA NERO D’AVOLA, MEZZO GIORNO - (ITALY) Big and leathery. Warm, mature aromas of date, prune, game, blackberry, blueberry pie, clove, and cigar./ Yes, game and tobacco flavors of development. Plenty up front. 14.5. WT100406-13. 04 MONTEPULCIANO D’ABRUZZO, CATALDI MADONNA - (ITALY) Wow! Very spicy, seedy, berried, strong, pungent. Real varietal intensity and plenty of ripeness. Sleek, solid structured, rich, suave, noble. Grows and grows in the glass./ Flavors of blackberry and black cherry preserves, plus warm spices. Full, zesty, well textured, fine tannin. Lots of textural play, appeal. Great acidity, vigor, extract. Well built
and showing varietal class. 16.5+. WT100406-14. 04 COTEAUX DU LANGUEDOC, LES HAUTES DE LA BRUNE - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) 80% syrah, 10% each grenache, mourvedre. Yes! 04 contours. Black cherry, raspberry, peppercorn, allspice. Showy, full force. A punch in the nose./ The syrah dances, the grenache applauds. Ripe, black fruit sweetness, more black pepper, firm acidity. Expressive and attractive flavors. 15.6. WT100406-15. 03 LAPIS LUNA SHOUP VINEYARD LODI ZINFANDEL - (U.S.) Fruity, jammy, raisiny Lodi zin, true to place./ Good, roasted, sweet raspberry and blueberry flavors. Lively acidity too. Real Lodi zinfandel. 15.2. WT100406-16. 04 STEP ROAD LANGHORNE CREEK SHIRAZ - (AUSTRALIA) Rich, ripe fruit to match spicy oak. Both the fruit and oak are nice and warm, dense, and spicy./ Again, the ripeness and the variegated spice range, including allspice. Rich, roasted fruit concentration. Big, strapping Aussie red. 16.1. |
|
|
|
