WT021710-01. 08 NIEDEROSTERREICH GRUNER VELTLINER PEPPER, PFAFFL - (AUSTRIA) None of us could find the ‘pepper’, though I have gotten a peppery nip from gru ves before, a sort of weissbier sensation. This is understated apple and lima./ Soft and easy like the Wachau a couple of weeks ago. Other 08s have been firmer. The finish is cool, brisk, and dry though. 15.8.
Price
each (at time of tasting) $14.99
WT021710-02. 08 COTES DU RHONE BLANC, DOMAINE BERTHET-RAYNE - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) 45% each clairette and bourboulenc, 10% grenache blanc. Organically grown. That’s a lot of bourboulenc, and it shows its very crisp, green-grape aroma./ Yes, green-fruited bourboulenc makes a strong statement, even adding some astringency. But that’s not all. With aeration, there’s preserved lemon, stone fruits, loquat, almond, smoke, duck fat,
and honeysuckle. Quite a show. All the varieties are chiming in now. Some glycerol on entry, and a stony minerality to the finish. Lots of entertainment. Still on the compact side. Give it more bottle age. 15.6+.
Price each (at time of tasting) $15.99
WT021710-03. 08 VALLEY OF THE MOON SONOMA PINOT BLANC - (U.S.) Oh, yes! Rich as usual yet pinot blanc green-fruited too. Powerful, succulent. Waxy. True./ Rich fruit filling within a solid frame. The moderation in acidity of pinot blanc, especially warmer climate pinot blanc. Great juice. Well, this is fully up to the quality level of the 07 and 06. Well liked by the group. 16.4.
Price each (at time of tasting) $15.99
WT021710-04. 08 KENWOOD SONOMA CHARDONNAY - (U.S.) Well proportioned measures of oak and fruit. Appley chardonnay; spicy and flattering oak seasonings. Stone fruits and melons too. Gentle on the approach./ Comes on with lots of sweet oak spices and malolactic creaminess. The fruit remains perky though, so the wine has spine as well as flesh. The usual reliability here. 15.9.
Price each (at time of tasting) $12.99
WT021710-05. 09 CALCU COLCHAGUA VALLEY ROSE - (CHILE) 50% malbec, 40% syrah, 10% carmenere. And ‘100% sauvignon blanc’. The desk sample a couple of weeks back showed me red fruit–strawberry candy and cranberry. However today, we all agreed, that if blindfolded we would have guessed sauvignon blanc. Crisp and fresh gooseberry, grapefruit, and orange peel aromas./ Soft and sweetish on entry. Then the acidity shows up. Definitely
sauvignon like. One taster guesses that this was the product of the green harvest, where even red grapes have tart white fruit character. Hard to believe this came from the same batch as the desk sample. 16.0, as an appealing, sauvignon-like wine. But shows no rose character.
Price each (at time of tasting) $9.99
WT021710-06. 07 KENWOOD RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY PINOT NOIR - (U.S.) Real pinot cherry and strawberry aromas. RRV race and class. Convincing pinot./ Both rich and racy. Mulberry, tea leaf, creamy chocolate. Peels, snap, acid, juice, race. And glycerol to enrich the texture. An out and out bargain in RRV pinot. 16.7.
Price each (at time of tasting) $15.99
WT021710-07. 08 NIEDEROSTERREICH ZWEIGELT CHERRY, PFAFFL - (AUSTRIA) OK, I can find some ‘cherry’ here, unlike the ‘pepper’ in the gru ve. Sweet-smelling and aiming to please./ Yes, cherry, and berries too. Dry and full. Not a bit green-fruited like many an Austrian red. Well constructed. Real depth. One big zweigelt. 16.0.
Price each (at time of tasting) $14.99
WT021710-08. 05 TOAD HOLLOW RESERVE RICHARD MCDOWELL VINEYARD RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY MERLOT - (U.S.) Dark fruits, smoke, black licorice, brett. A lot of oak over merlot black cherry character./ Moving into a mature phase aromatically, while some manageable 05 tannins remain. Strong elements of oak and brett. Reserve style. 15.8+.
Price each (at time of tasting) $12.99
WT021710-09. 08 LUBERON GRENACHE-SYRAH, LE PARADOU - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Did Luberon drop the ‘Cotes’ like Ventoux? I guess. 60/40. Fresh and crisp, and a bit lean in the 08 way. But this has cool-vintage garrigue! Crisp, sweet berry fruit. Good stuff!/ Oh, yes! A fabulous display of garrigue and cool berry fruit. Good acidity, of course. Some astringency to work out, or to appreciate with food. Another good 08 southern Rhone
discovery. Well liked by the group. 16.3+.
Price each (at time of tasting) $11.99
WT021710-10. 07 COTEAUX DE BESSILLES CUVEE RESERVEE, DOMAINE SAINT MARTIN DE LA GARRIGUE - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Starts out surprisingly cool and compact for 07. Licorice laced. Well built. With aeration the 07 fruit ripeness starts to come out. Even a touch of singed fruit./ Bold and full. This is really substantial. But it needs more bottle age to allow all its aromas and flavors to form. Unusually compact for the vintage. 16.4+.
Price each (at time of tasting) $13.99
WT021710-11. 08 COTES DU RHONE L’OMBRE DES FONTAINES, VIGNERONS DE CARACTERE - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) 70% grenache, 20% syrah, 10% cinsault. Sweet fruited nose for 08. Strong too. Sweet licorice./ More sweet licorice. Dark, secretive qualities of 08. Yes, terse and tight on the palate. Needs time. 15.6+.
Price each (at time of tasting) $9.99
WT021710-12. 08 COTES DU RHONE DOMAINE MAS DU BOUQUET, VIGNERONS DE CARACTERE - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) 70% grenache, 20% syrah, 10% carignan. Somewhat reduced to start. Opens to show woodsy tones, spiced meat, and cedar./ Tight on entry, but sweetens up some with warming and aerating in the mouth. No reduction to the palate. Good volume, power, glycerol, especially for the vintage. 15.8+.
Price each (at time of tasting) $11.99
WT021710-13. 07 VALREAS - COTES DU RHONE VILLAGES, DOMAINE DU VAL DES ROIS - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Spicy and powerful (14%). Tight. Much bigger and more forceful than the 04./ Indeed, full body and texture. Much more material richness than the 04. Real strength and depth. Fine acidity here, as always. Yes! The group was impressed. 16.5+.
Price each (at time of tasting)
$15.99
WT021710-14. 07 CALATAYUD GARNACHA OLD VINES ALTOVINUM, EVODIA - (SPAIN) Sweet fruit up front. Powerful (14.5%). Ripe and large. Blackberry, strawberry, cinnamon, bitter chocolate, even flowers./ Sweet and sassy red fruit. Plummy and cohesive. Good acidity. Stylish and seductive. Great price. Popular with the group. 16.2+.
Price each (at time of tasting) $8.99
WT021710-15. 07 CASTILLA TEMPRANILLO GRANROJO, ROJO MOJO - (SPAIN) Very ripe and bold on the approach. Settles down to show good fruit quality. Not too ripe or powerful after all./ Well balanced. The fruit sweetness is attractive and nicely measured. Better than previous versions. 15.8.
Price each (at time of tasting) $9.99
WT021710-16. 07 ESPANA ESTE, BODEGAS ALTO ALMANZORA - (SPAIN) Generous and good fruit, wholesome fruit. Sweet strawberry./ Sweet and flowing. Raspberry, cassis, walnut brownie. Good acidity and richness in balance. Best ever. 16.3.
Price each (at time of tasting) $10.99
WT021710-17. 09 EMILIANA NATURA RAPEL VALLEY GEWURZTRAMINER - (CHILE) Really quite full (14%). Genuine and generous gewurz aroma profile. Lychee, peach, tonic, ginger. Much more to give than the 08. Flashes Alsace power and intensity./ Yes, much larger and more expressive than the 08. Has gewurz astringency. Short of Alsace on the glycerol. Still, well priced and impressive New World take. 16.2.
Price each (at time of tasting) $10.99
WT021710-18. MOLDOVA CAHOR - (MOLDOVA) The Orthodox Church of Moldova used to import wine from Cahors and sweeten it with honey. Thus the origin of the name. Sweet and somewhat raisined and molasses like, which is all attractive. Liquid dates. Cherry blossom highlights. Good power (16%) to keep it from being too sticky./ Raisin, raisinette, honey, spice, power. Port like. Competes well with the cheaper Aussie tawnies. 16.7.
Price each (at time of tasting) $8.99
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- October, 2010
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Wednesday, Octobe 20, 2010 WT102010-01. 09 WHITEHAVEN STARBOROUGH MARLBOROUGH SAUVIGNON BLANC - (NEW ZEALAND) Sweet pink grapefruit. Alert and alive./ Crisp and lemony. Plenty of spirit..Sweet. Wholesome. Balanced. Succulent. Vital. Combines intensity and finesse. Works. Very refreshing. Liked by the group. 16.2. WT102010-02. 09 COTES DE GASCOGNE SAJUVIGNON-COLOMBARD, DOMAINE DE BALLADE - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) 70/30. Fatter and rounder than the 08. Not as edgy. A warmer vintage form of sauvignon blanc. Some colombard green fruit in the background./ Comes on plumper than the 08. The 08 had more grip, extract, and acidity up front. But the acidity builds to the back here. So it’s very refreshing and satisfying as well. 16.0. WT102010-03. 09 VERNACCIA DI SAN GIMIGNANO, PIETRAFITTA - (ITALY) Very unusual. Cinnamon and other warm spices. Like no other vernaccia I’ve ever smelled./ Yes, spicy. From oak? Potpourri, nuts, chamomile, grappa. Unique. Vintage directed? The group was baffled. 16.0. WT102010-04. 08 PENINSULA CELLARS OLD MISSION PENINSULA PINOT BLANC - (U.S.) Smells rich and creamy like auxerrois. Delectable nose./ Elegant stone fruits and apples. Plus walnut. The usual stocky build of PC wines. The good body. 16.2. WT102010-05. 09 GAVI LA MEIRANA, BROGLIA - (ITALY) Intense, rich, spicy. The sage, the tea, the apple. And orange zest! Full 09 ripeness and range and depth. Best ever?/ Spicy, mellow. Pretty, enticing. Even richer than usual in the 09 vintage. Go for a creamy pasta preparation. 16.5+. WT102010-06. 08 VOUVRAY, CHAMPALOU - (FRANCE LOIRE) This is much more impressive than it was a few months back, when it seemed disjointed, out of sorts. Now melon, lime, apple, quince, chalk–the full Vouvray package./ Rich and saucy. Rich combo of flavors and textures. Sec tendre. The acidity is somewhat masked. Fine wine, with more to come. What one expects of Champalou. 17.0+. WT102010-07. 09 FENN VALLEY DRY LAKE MICHIGAN SHORE RIESLING - (U.S.) Well, this is nice and crisp and well stated...forcefully stated too. Tingly. Truly dry. Smells of apple, guava, and botanicals../ Dark and proper and ripe enough for 09. Very bright, clear headed. Will serve well in many mealtime settings. 16.1. WT102010-08. 09 HESS SELECT MONTEREY CHARDONNAY - (U.S.) Crisp citrus fruit plus oak burnish./ Monterey acidity. Oak flavor and a little oak tannin. Correct, as always. Good craftsmanship, value. 15.6. WT102010-09. 09 CASTILLA TEMPRANILLO ROSADO, ERCAVIO - (SPAIN) Shy and narrow to start but builds with aeration to offer sweet, aromatic fruit, especially raspberry./ Sweet fruited, warming, open. Power and rustic texture give it cold weather uses. 15.0. WT102010-10. 07 CHIANTI SUPERIORE, CASTELLO DI MONASTERO - (SPAIN) This is dark and tarry for 07. More like an 08. Red and black cherries. Spice, anise, pepper./ Wow! Big flare-up of pepper and bramble! Tannin too. One monster-truck Chianti Superiore for sure. Fills the bill. Even better than the impressive 04. A big boy. 16.3+. WT102010-11. 07 CASTILLA TEMPRANILLO, MAXIMO - (SPAIN) Rich and full. Sweet. Tarry. Delivers./ Sweet, southern Castilla. Easy drinkin’. Good acidity. Balanced. But predictable. 15.5. WT102010-12. 07 CASTILLA TEMPRANILLO ROBLE, ERCAVIO - (SPAIN) Full of raspberry. Alluring and large. Deep and dark. Penetrating./ Full of fruit flavors. Chocolates with raspberry creme filling. And chocolate liqueur. And mocha. Deep and nuanced. 16.5. WT102010-13. 08 COTES DU RHONE SAINT ESPRIT, DELAS - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Spicy, dark Delas style. Lots of material. One of the top successes of 08. Great!/ Spicy flair, fine, sweet, spicy, peppery, garrigue oriented. Fabulous balance. The right degree of astringency. Well, we’ve encountered a number of successes in 08 from estates that stress ripeness and those that stress garrigue. This wine stresses Delas,, a CdR that has never failed me thought thick or thin since the 1970 vintage. 16.7. WT102010-14. 07 HESS SELECT MENDOCINO-LAKE-NAPA CABERNET SAUVIGNON - (U.S.) Good oak and rich fruit of 07. Dark berries, mocha, dark chocolate, cigar box. The price is up, but still a good value./ Rich and racy. Lake softness, Mendocino darkness, Napa elegance. Great presentation. A delight. Drinks like a $30 cabernet. 16.4+. WT102010-15. 07 LYETH MERITAGE SONOMA RED - (U.S.) Sweet and spicy and warm as usual. Complete Lyeth Meritage. Best ever?/ Sweet and spicy oak in tune with 07 fruit bounty. The balance is right. The usual power of this cuvee. But less rusticity. 07 fruit delivers the goods. Best ever, for sure. And there’s still something dark and mysterious at the core. Will improve for another three years. 16.5+. WT102010-16. 08 TREASURE HUNTER ST. HELENA CABERNET SAUVIGNON - (U.S.) By Dark Horse Cellars. based in Hopland. 14.9%. Anchovy! And elegant plum, blackberry, bramble./ Napa elegance with central Napa ripeness. No 08 sullenness.. Juicy; plums galore. Good acidity, fine extract. Nice texture. Unique. 16.3+. WT102010-17. 07 TREASURE HUNTER THE GUNNER’S DAUGHTER YOUNTVILLE RED - (U.S.) Can’t find much on what grapes here. One source suggests petite sirah in the cuvee. The website is all hype. Sweet and plain to start, but it comes together with airing to show spice and Napa class. And power - 15.5%./ Spicy oak. Sweet 07 fruit. Something with more varietal personality than petite sirah in the mix. Good value in the scheme of things. 16.4. WT102010-18. 09 CATENA ALAMOS MENDOZA MALBEC - (ARGENTINA) More elegant and less ripe and plump than 08, but not shrill like several of the 09s showed at the Tasters Guild tasting in May. They seem to be mellowing out some. Sweet, spicy fruit cremes come with air./ Pleasant. Plenty of polished, light-hearted fruit. Fine acid and tannin. At the Altos Las Hormigas dinner, director Antonio tried to convert me to the relative ‘elegance’ of the 09s versus the 08s, and his was better that evening than earlier. I remain unconvinced though..The Bordelais pull this ‘elegance’ BS every time they get an underripe vintage. This is good enough and will likely get richer. But 08 remains a tough act to follow. 15.9+.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 WT101310-01. LALLIER GRAND CRU GRANDE RESERVE BRUT CHAMPAGNE - (SPARKLING) A grower at Ay, in the valley of the Marne. 65% pinot noir from Ay and Verzenay; 35% chardonnay from Cote des Blancs Grands Crus make up this cuvee. Nutty, toasty, elegant. Full pinot fruit with lush patina of great complexity. Fine brioche bottle bouquet./ Rich and red-fruit oriented. Big and expressive pinot cherry. Hint of white chocolate.
Unique and attractive marzipan touch. Fresh and exuberant. Lively acidity. Very charming, and rewarding. Grand Cru class. 18.0 WT101310-02. LALLIER GRAND CRU BLANC DE BLANCS BRUT CHAMPAGNE - (SPARKLING) 70% Ay (!) And 30% Cote des Blancs Grands Crus. Deep, rich, refined, reserved. Elegant apple and calcaire./ Yes, well hewn fruit with chalky strain. Crisp blanc de blancs edge. Toasty bottle bouquet. Solid yet graceful. Super. 18.5 WT101310-03. 08 BOURGOGNE ALIGOTE, DOMAINE GOISOT - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Crisp and cool northern Burgundy aligote. 08 form and framing. Full, demonstrative, lots of panache. Well, this is a great followup to the impressive 07. Logical and fulfilled 08 take on this wine./ Yes, well textured and nutty. Just the right, understated oak touch versus the de Villaine oak-dominant Chalonnais aligote contender at twice the price.
And plenty of fruit: apple, quince, pear. Surely one of Burgundy’s finest aligotes.. 16.7+. WT101310-04. 08 BOURGOGNE COTES D’AUXERRE CHARDONNAY CORPS DE GARDE, DOMAINE GOISOT - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Good nutty oakiness and crisp northern chardonnnay fruit. One of the fullest and best in the series./ Yes, the right balance of oak and fruit. Some vintages have the oak on top. But I think we’re first tasting this 08 at a later stage than some previous years. Young and vital; growth to go. Long finish. 16.9+. WT101310-05. 08 SAINT BRIS SAUVIGNON EXOGYRA VIRGULA, DOMAINE GOISOT - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Crisp, cool, and vital yet. I’ve had the basic cuvee in the past at 2 years old, and they were passe. This cuvee still has integrity./ Sauvignon gooseberry. Flair and vitality and power. Fine, piquant acidity. With aeration it becomes rounder and suppler, showing ripe yellow berry presence. A solid specimen, good to go now, and
eminently foodworthy in contexts different from shriller sauvignons. 16.7. WT101310-06. 08 SAINT BRIS FIE GRIS CORPS DE GARDE, DOMAINE GOISOT - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) H2S to start. Does flee after a good beating. Crisp and lemony, chalky./ Rich, but not at all sweet. Firmer and less viscous and sauvignon gris oriented than several past vintages. 08 framing. Some oak suggestions. Long, pippy finish. 16.9+. WT101310-07. 09 CHATEAU TOUR DE LUCHEY, BORDEAUX - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) Henri @ Moulon. Oh! Black and spicy. Blackberry, black currant, graphite, musk, game, licorice, basil. Pretty complex for such a young wine. Good sign for this and its vintage-mates./ Firm; still a bit reduced. Opens with aeration to show polish, ripeness, concentration. Anise and peppercorn blackness. Needs 2-3 years. 15.7+. WT101310-08. 09 CHATEAU LA CROIX DU DUC, BORDEAUX - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) Lush, burnished black and purple fruits. Boysenberry, blueberry. Nice and ripe./ Oh, boy! Sweet, ripe blue, black, and red fruits. Blueberry tea. Deep and rich, with 09 mellow roundness and warmth. Melted tannin. A fine example of an 09 petit Chateau. 16.0+. WT101310-09. 09 CHATEAU SAUMAN, COTES DE BOURG - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) Most open-hearted of the 09 clarets tasted the last two Wednesdays. Size and delivery of Bourg. Dense blackberry fruit, with elevated cedar highlights. Spicy./ Rich, open, large, spicy, filling. Full and gutsy Bourg style. Nice depth. Great volume. Fine overall composition. 2+ years of growth ahead. The biggest Sauman ever, really. Long finish. 16.4+. WT101310-10. 09 MEDITERRANEE PETIT CAPRICE, VIGNERONS DE CARACTERE - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Burnished red fruit up front. Notes of licorice, green olive, garrigue, peppercorn, Provence summer air./ Satisfying fruit richness and ripeness. Will fill out more as the months pass, but certainly useful now with fall and winter fare. 15.5+. WT101310-11. 09 VENTOUX LES AMADOUS, VIGNERONS DE CARACTERE - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Full, warm, spicy, savory. Best vintage yet./ Tea and pitch tastes. Even, mild, easy. Good acidity. 15.9. WT101310-12. 09 COTES DU RHONE A L’OMBRE DES FONTAINES, VIGNERONS DE CARACTERE - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Reductive to start. Clears. Soft, warm, red fruits./ Warm, traditional, and rustic. And easy. Like the 07. Multi-purpose fall-winter rouge. 15.7+. WT101310-13. 09 VACQUEYRAS SEIGNEUR DE FONTIMPLE, VIGNERONS DE CARACTERE - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Compact, youthful fruit. Tart cherry, wood, smoke, tar./ Red berries. Cigar ash. Good power: alcohol and glycerol smoothness and warmth. This will age well. 15.8+. WT101310-14. 09 VACQUEYRAS DOMAINE DU GRAND PRIEUR, VIGNERONS DE CARACTERE - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Deep loganberry aroma. Caractere traditional, and with its own special quality./ Purple rather than red fruits. The usual style of this domaine. Pitch, smoke, plush fruit. Good Vacqueyras substance 16.2+. WT101310-15. 09 VACQUEYRAS DOMAINE MAS DU BOUQUET, VIGNERONS DE CARACTERE - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Vacqueyras full, large, intense, and ripe. Broad, complex spicy..Racy dark fruits, dried fruits, pitch, meat, bitter chocolate./ Sweet, plump, and full. Black cherry, cocoa, tar. Most accomplished. Can be served over the cold months and will develop more breadth, depth, and complexity for another 1-2 years. 16.5+. WT101310-16. 08 CROZES HERMITAGE, DOMAINE DE HAUT CHASSIS - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Wow! White pepper! Yes!/ Again, Total ground white and black peppercorns. And bacon! Yes, peppered bacon! Well, this is northern Rhone syrah to the extreme. Recalls the 08 Alain Graillot Crozes of a couple of weeks back. That was more straight black pepper. This mixes white pepper too. And it costs less. 17.0+.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010 WT100610-01. 09 TERRE DI CHIETI PINOT GRIGIO, GRAN SASSO - (ITALY) Unusually fruity-floral perfume. Peach fruit spread./ Lush, fleshy, creamy, nutty. Good, cool-edged, well-tuned acidity. All the generosity of 09 and Abruzzo pinot grigio. Well liked by the group. 16.0. WT100610-02. 09 GRAFFIGNA CENTENARIO RESERVE SAN JUAN PINOT GRIGIO - (ARGENTINA) Oh, my. This is already evolving. Citrus, grain, nut. No cream puff appeal of the 07. The 08 wasn’t up to the 07 either, but not as advanced in its time as this 09./ Ripe and rich enough yellow fruits on the palate. But advancing beyond freshness.. Sad. 14.7-. WT100610-03. 09 MACON VILLAGES, LOUIS JADOT - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Good Jadot frame and solidity, especially for 09. Compact and sturdy. 09 sweet apple-cream core./ Nice ripe and juicy 09 fruit presence. Piquant flair and good strength. Full, well framed. Good acid and grip. Great food wine. 16.4+. WT100610-04. 09 MACON LUGNY LES GENIEVRES, LOUIS LATOUR - (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Clear-fruited. Toast and nut nuances, as if some barrel aging were involved. Best production in years. Sophisticated./ Yes, nut, oak (?), acid, form, balance. Not 09 soft. This is the real Lugny deal. The Macons were both liked by the group. 16.6+. WT100610-05. 08 BIERZO GODELLO, ABAD DOM BUENO - (SPAIN) Lush and dense, with floral exotica and cantaloupe aroma. Hint of almond. Cool fruited. 08 dark fruited./ Peach as well as melon. Broad beamed and sturdy 08, with ripe succulence. Dried flowers and bitter orange on the finish. Distinctive. 16.3. WT100610-06. 08 VOUVRAY CLOS LE VIGNEAU, MONMOUSSEAU - (FRANCE LOIRE) Ripe apple with distinct sweet cream. Touch of calcaire./ More apple and cream, with a tangy acid backdrop. Pleasant now. 15.0. WT100610-07. 08 ALSACE GEWURZTRAMINER, HELFRICH - (FRANCE ALSACE) At Marlenheim, Bas Rhin. Dark and sultry 08. Dusky rose, autumn smoke, gewurz spice. Scotch bitter marmalade./ Sweet and glycerined, with bitter foil at the end. Bas Rhin soft, mellow. Ultimately, well balanced. Good example; good value. 16.4. WT100610-08. 09 CHATEAU DU PIN, BORDEAUX - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) Very dark, dense, and deep. Youthful black fruits. Just the right degree of fruit ripeness. The fruit is compact still though. Spicy peel savors./ Well formed ripe berries. Dark and tarry, medicinal, peels saturated. Well structured. Ripe tannic strength. This has everything going for it. Just needs 2-3 years’ more aging. Begins to yield some with aeration.
Popular
with the group. 15.5++. WT100610-09. 09 CHAEAU HAUT MAGINET, BORDEAUX - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) By Jolivet, @ Soussac. More spice and openness. Some time in barrel? Sweet, dark, dense, compact, spicy fruit./ Broader and deeper. But still compact, brooding, medicinal. Fully packed. Just needs time. Very popular with the group. 15.6++. WT100610-10. 09 CHATEAU MOULIN DE L’ESPERANCE, 1ERES COTES DE BLAYE - (FRANCE BORDEAUX) By Guy Rey, @ Cars. Nicely ripe berry fruit. What 09 is all about. Both sweet pulp inner and peels-extract framing. Loaded./ Riper and more yielding than the other two. Refined and gracious as it always is, with floral accents. One of the best in a long series. Balanced, complete. Surprisingly, many favored the former two clarets
16.3+. WT100610-11. 07 BARBERA D’ASTI, MARCHESI DI GRESY - (ITALY) Deep, spicy, tarry. Relatively 07 fruit forward, as this series goes. Some tar and sap./ Plush and yielding. Pepper, tar, sweet fruit. Lift of Asti versus Alba barbera. Has softened some since the May trade show. Nice. 16.4+. WT100610-12. 07 UMBRIA RURIS, COLSANTO - (ITALY) 70% sangiovese, 20% merlot, 10% sagrantino. Ripe and spicy. Raisined fruit and time in barrel evolution. Good, sweet melange plus flowers and oak accents. Nearing its peak./ Rich and variegated, flavorwise, texturewise. Tangy, ripe fruit and time in barrel broadening. Tobacco and leather. Bold. More evolved than the 06 at the same stage. 6 months to 1 year will improve
it even further. A definite value. 16.6+. WT100610-13. 09 CASA LAPOSTOLLE RAPEL CARMENERE - (CHILE) Oodles of sweet black carmenere fruits. Fruit syrup concentrate without actual sugary sweetness. Spicy, dark, perfect./ Loaded with ripe berry-currant concentration. Dense and polished. Perky acid and fine tannin keep everything in balance. Another prime example of 09 Chilean red wine prowess. 16.7+. WT100610-14. 09 VISTA DEL SUR HIGH NOTE ELEVATED UCO VALLEY MALBEC - (ARGENTINA) Crisper, less spicy and yielding than 08. Typical of the 08/09 red wine comparison. With air comes more cherry and nut ripeness. Oak seasonings./ Yes, sweeter and easier as it warms in the mouth. Nuttier. Sassier. Coming up to the generosity of 08, and will continue to fill out. 16.2+. WT100610-15. 08 CORBIERES COL DES VENTS, CASTELMAURE - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Dark, peppery, spicy. Some 08 reduction that will pass./ Oh, my, the pepper! It’s white pepper! No problem with ripeness here. The vintage gets riper as one moves west. Sweet-fruited indeed. And typical of this attractive cuvee. Better than the 06, and, with time, will challenge the 07. 16.3+. WT100610-16. 09 COTES DU RHONE RESERVE, GRAND VENEUR - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) 70% grenache, 20% syrah, 10% cinsault. Dark fruited. Cranberry. Black pepper. More 08 than 09./ Full acidity, very dry tannin. Ah, but with aeration comes sweet core fruit and more of a stylish than bearish demeanor. Just shipped, and may be suffering from such. Give it time to prove its 09 prowess. 15.7++. WT100610-17. 07 VALPOLICELLA SUPERIORE SAN ROCCO RIPASSO, TEDESCHI - (ITALY) Warm and rich, with a plum accent and some olive notes./ Ripasso grip. Black cherry and plum flavors. Plus green olive, licorice, and peppercorn. Full acid and tannin. Will improve 2+ years. 16.3+. WT100610-18. 07 VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO SUPERIORE SAN MICHELE CA’ DEL PIPA, CASTELLANI - (ITALY) Sweet, spicy, sassy, complex. Oak adds intricacies./ Broad on the palate. Dense, rich, polished, well tuned, lingering. Clove and cinnamon. Coffee cake. Unique and delicious. Unconventional and utterly seductive. Always great wines and great surprises from Castellani. Is this a ripasso too? 17.1+.
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