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Tasting Notes Printer-Friendly Version
- September, 2005 |
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Wednesday, September 21, 2005 wt092105-01. WEGLER
RIESLING BRUT SEKT - (SPARKLING) Big,
sturdy, soft, lush, moussy, classy. Pippy citrus and apple. Edelfirne.
Spruce and flowers./ Clean and full. Brisk, bold, hearty, piquant.
Has finesse. Riesling class. 15.6. wt092105-02. 04
MACON VILLAGES CHARDONNNAY, LOUIS JADOT
- (FRANC E BURGUNDY) Fresh and crisp. Apple, pear, and lemon. Well
formed, snappy Macon chardonnay classic. Plenty of fresh malic penetration
of 04./ Brisk and bright lemon creme flavor. Fine, racy edge lends
delicacy. Able, fruity, well defined, finely crafted. 16.0. wt092105-03. 04
HEDGES CMS COLUMBIA VALLEY WHITE - (U.S.)
Chardonnay, marsanne, sauvignon blanc - Rich. Nicely states all
three varietals. There’s chardonnay apple-citrus. Sauvignon pear.
Marsanne nut, wax. Touch of oak./ Rich and balanced. Adequate acidity.
Good strength too. Delicious. 16.2. wt092105-04. 04
BEAUJOLAIS VILLAGES, LOUIS JADOT - (FRANCE
BURGUNDY) Bright and sassy berry ripeness. Class and fullness for
04./ Yes, full for 04, based on earlier 04 tastings. Maybe they’ve
just needed time to fill out. Complete. And lip-smackin’ good. 16.0. wt092105-05. 04
SANTA RITA RAPEL VALLEY CARMENERE - (CHILE)
Cool. Sweet cherry-berry and some carmenere leather-animal. Densely
packed and sturdy. Smoky-earthy fig and fennel highlights give Mediterranean
airs./ Juicy and bright, In fact, very, very juicy, alert, vigorous.
Seems an 04 trait. Fine texture. States its vintage clearly. And
a very strong statement of carmenere and its herb, meat, and nut
facets. Nice wine. 15.9. wt092105-06. 03
VALENCIA TEMPRANILLO, EL PASEO - (SPAIN)
Ripe and baked fruit. You’d expect a rather baked character from
this region. Wine of place. Date, orange cake, dried currant, and
brandy. Friendly, forward, and nice./ Full and generous. Volume
and texture here. Good acidity and soft tannins. A good value. 15.4. wt092105-07. 03
ZAMORA TEMPRANILLO, VENTA MAZZARON - (SPAIN)
Bright, dark, tarry, woody, warm, powerful. Compact, but not without
fragrance and charm. Smoky black fruits, wood spices, toast, raspberry,
dried orange peel. This is tempranillo de toro./ Ripe and handsome
tempranillo expression with fine depth. Firm, and dry, with chalky
tannin. Young. Desires cellaring. 15.8++. wt092105-08. 95
RIOJA GRAN RESERVA, MARQUES DE CACERES
- (SPAIN) Firm, claret-directed, mature black fruits. Overtones
of lead pencil, nuts, and Byzantine spices. Full, dense, burnished
and savory, showing long aging in seasoned oak. Touches of coconut,
fennel, tobacco, and earth. Complex nose indeed./ Very generous
and fine old-style Rioja statement. Great breed and polished, classic
presentation. At a great stage of development. 16.5. wt092105-09. 03
COTES DU RHONE VILLAGES, DOMAINE MONTMARTEL
- (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Monnier-Marres @Tulette - Bronze Medal
@Paris - 03 ripeness fully apparent. Brandied fruit aroma and power.
Great roasted berries, fig, toasted oak, and garrigue. Daunting,
demonstrative, heavy-hitting; the George Foreman of Villages wines./
Black pepper and garrigue flavors. Fine tannin. Cooler on palate
than nose reported. Good now. 15.8. wt092105-10. 03
ROUSSET LES VIGNES COTES DU RHONE VILLAGES, CHATEAU SUZEAU - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) 65% syrah, 35% grenache - Gold
Medal @CDRV - Garrigue in spades, and cool, dark berries. Syrah
black raspberry and white pepper. Villages fullness and promise.
Fabulous clarity in its portrayal. And fine breeding./ Full and
clearly stated. Fine, chewy tannin. Delivers. Great rep of this
village and estate. 16.4+. wt092105-11. 02
MONTEVINA SIERRA FOOTHILLS ZINFANDEL -
(U.S.) Very rich. As rich as the Amador. Fabulous 02 ripeness. Raspberry,
peppercorn, chocolate, roast, tar. Serious stuff. Much more serious
than the 00 and 01. Back to the quality and style of the 99. Virtually
as intense as the Amador./ Very sassy amd spicy. Mediterranean spices.
Nice light touch of oak, well integrated. Richness in spades. What
a deal! 16.3. wt092105-12. PEDRO
DOMECQ SIBARITA VERY RARE PALO CORTADO SHERRY
- (FORTIFIED) Deep, nutty, dry, viscous, complex, elusive, endless.
Date, fine woods, fenugreek, coriander, cognac. Immense and intense,
warm and emotive. Moroccan bazaar airs. Total PC./ Dry, sophisticated,
floral, nutty, cool. Class act. Defines Palo Cortado, the enigma
of sherries. Long and layered. An evening’s entertainment in a glass.
19.0.
Wednesday, September 14, 2005 wt091405-01. 04
MUSCADET SEVRE ET MAINE, DOMAINE DE LA BATARDIERE - (FRANCE LOIRE) Melon, pear, apple, musk, and sur-lie
nuttiness. Good and mossy botanicals. Deep aroma, ripe and effusive.
Classic./ Extract, soil, stones, botanicals. Fresh, with nice acidity
and strength. Commendable. Foodworthy. Well liked by the group.
15.8+. wt091405-02. 04
OC CHARDONNAY, LOUIS PIERRE & FILS
- (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Cool for southern chardonnay. Citrus peels
and rosemary./ Bright, crisp yellow fruits. Quite mild in flavor
and texture. Agreeable dry Mediterranean white table wine. 14.6. wt091405-03. 00
BOURGOGNE CHARDONNAY, CAMILLE GIROUD -
(FRANCE BURGUNDY) Big, earthy, mealy, traditional Chalonnaise style.
Good 00 grip, material. Some bouquet, more to come. Aging nicely./
Rich and grainy, with vanilla oak extras. Hefty and generous. Very
well liked by the group. From a small, long-time, traditional negoc
that was just bought by Americans. 16.1+. wt091405-04. 04
CHABLIS, ROLAND LAVANTUREUX - (FRANCE
BURGUNDY) Very bright, very full of material and extract. Full and
classic, sleek and reserved. Conveys the terroir. Apple and calcaire.
A great village Chablis./ Full and well textured. Great green-apple
acidity, juice, grip. Classic indeed. Just slightly less concentration
than the 02. But the superb freshness and clarity compensates. And
the lower price. Good now. 16.8. wt091405-05. 03
CASTORO CENTRAL COAST CHARDONNAY - (U.S.)
Ripe, well rounded, well developed chardonnay fruit, more orange
than lemon. Oak vanilla and nut tones. / Rich and viscous and powerful.
Dense and smoky oakiness. Fairly priced. Ready now. 14.6. wt091405-06. 04
CAMPO DE BORJA VINA BORGIA, BODEGAS BORSAO
- (SPAIN) Oh, boy! Lots of garrigue, peppercorn, strawberry, vigor.
Grenache all the way. I would have guessed southern Rhone./ Sweet
berry fruit, lots of peppercorn zest, nip. Very vigorous. One of
the Values of the Year. And the group knew it. 16.0. wt091405-07. 03
OC CABERNET SAUVIGNON, BARON PHILIPPE DE ROTHSCHILD - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) Even in 03, this is cabernet
firm and structured. It’s severe to start, but sweet fruit emerges
with airing. Dark fruit, cabernet currant, and even a dash of oak.
Definite Bordeaux-style winemaking here./ Cabernet peel extracts
and licorice flavors. Remains rather tannic, defiant. Time, perhaps?
14.3+. wt091405-08. 03
CH PARADIS CASSEUIL, BORDEAUX - (FRANCE
BORDEAUX) Lafite style, elegance, tensile framework. Sleek and restrained.
Good, tight-grained oak. A lot of class for Bordeaux A.C./ The feels
and flavors are quite sophisticated and Lafite like too. Nice cedar
touch. No lack of ripeness, but no overripeness either. 15.8. wt091405-09. 00
ST. EMILION, JEAN-PIERRE MOUEIX - (FRANCE
BORDEAUX) Very sophisticated oak embellishments plus rich, St. Emilion
style merlot-cabernet franc fruit aromatic set. Some bouquet coming
on. A good example of 00 St. Emilion./ Rich in flavor and body.
Developing some animal and earth bouquet elements. Generous, full,
rich, well textured overall. Worth the price. 16.2+. wt091405-10. 99
CHATEAU VILLARS, FRONSAC - (FRANCE BORDEAUX)
Gold Medal - Paris - Cool, racy style of 99. Hefty, dense, generous,
and firm-cored in the Fronsac manner. Spinach aroma of Right Bank,
cool-year merlot. Also blackberry and cassis. Some bouquet forming./
Sophisticated wood spices on the palate. Cedar and sandalwood. Has
seen some new oak. Good acidity. Rich and generous flavor and texture.
Some tannin for keeping, but can be enjoyed now with red meat. 16.3+. wt091405-11. 02
CASTORO PASO ROBLES MERLOT - (U.S.) Big,
warm, heady, ripe Paso Robles style of merlot. High-toned, spicy
merlot. Sweet oak extras./ Sweet and rich Paso Robles fruit. Merlot’s
cherry-like flavor plus vanilla and chocolate oak and ripe-fruit
elements. Wine of place. Good solidity, tannin, length. 16.0+.. wt091405-12. 02
CASTORO PASO ROBLES CABERNET SAUVIGNON
- (U.S.) Stouter. More ripe fruit volume that bears more oak. Darker.
Blackberry and currant. All speaks cabernet. Intense, serious, well-bred./
Paso Robles rich. Superior framing thanks to cabernet peel extracts
and extra oak. Dark, concentrated, broad-beamed. Great depth of
flavor. Fine tannins.The region seems to favor cabernet over merlot
because of its warmth. Vigorous, very handsome. 16.2+. wt091405-13. 02
LOUIS MARTINI NAPA VALLEY CABERNET SAUVIGNON
- (U.S.) Wonderful dark fruit and spicy oak. Brandied, like a plum
pudding aroma. Napa sophisticated, stylish. 02 rich fruit. Blackberry,
black and red currant, green olive, tobacco./ Yes, 02 fruit lavishness,
with plenty of oak seasoning and framing. Large and succulent. Better
than the 01 thanks to the extra fruit volume. 17.2. wt091405-14. 03
OC SYRAH, REYMONDE - (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN)
Real syrah raspberry, peppercorn, bacon, and lavender./ Flavor confirms
all. Medium bodied. Good acidity. Soft tannin. If California could
ever get a syrah with this much definition at even twice the price,
it would be on its way. Wow! Another Wine Value of the Year in the
same tasting! Well liked by the group. 16.0. wt091405-15. 00
SAINT JOSEPH LA SOURCE, FERRATON - (FRANCE
MEDITERRANEAN) Sooo precise and elegant a St. Jo definition of syrah.
As good an interpretation of syrah as is the above, it seems warmer
and more southern in style once this wine’s been nosed. Not that
that should be a slight (especially at the price!). This one’s just
so highly focused. Perfect St. Jo nose./ Lots of smoke, bacon, and
leather. The leather’s 00 and five years of age. Dekk and maturity.
A bit tart, which is also 00. Sleek and well delineated, vibrant
and well stated. 16.4. wt091405-16. 01
CROZES HERMITAGE LA MATINIERE, FERRATON
- (FRANCE MEDITERRANEAN) More body and power. More rustic, burly,
tannic, backward. Alcohol and acid both evident on the nose. Good
punch of serious syrah./ 01 form, viscosity, acidity, fruit concentration,
power. A big Crozes syrah with style and northern (and vintage)
coolness. Lively, spicy, high-toned. Better value and more potential
here thanks to the vintage difference. Both Ferratons were well
liked by the group. 16.2+. wt091405-17. 03
CROZES HERMITAGE, ALAIN GRAILLOT - (FRANCE
MEDITERRANEAN) Flashy, powerful, surging, spicy, oaky, wild. Modern
northern Rhone syrah. Very complex and 03 ripe. Striking, huge,
loaded. Syrah and oak are supportive of one another and of equally
high quality. Green peppercorn and clove nuances in addition to
all the fruit and oak largesse./ Full textured, with both oak and
concentrated fruit contributing. Lots of extract. Fine, chewy tannins.
Total modern Crozes. The Wine of the Evening on most scorecards.
17.6+. wt091405-18. 02
LAKE SONOMA DRY CREEK VALLEY ZINFANDEL
- (U.S.) Ah, yes! This is the right one! Powerful, dark, warm, robust,
northern Dry Creek Valley zinfandel. Contrast it from the Alderbrook
from the cooler south end of the valley. Here’s old-vines vigor
and concentration, and plenty of honest American oak without any
lacquery nature. Bramble, spices, chocolate, kola. One loaded zin./
Sweet, ripe, and full of power. Fruit sweetness and acidity in good
balance. Riper, more robust, and less framed than the 01. One hearty
wine. 16.8.
Wednesday, September 7, 2005 wt090705-01. MUMM
NAPA CHEF DE CAVES PRESTIGE NAPA VALLEY BRUT
- (SPARKLING) Good citrus fruit and some doughy bottle bouquet.
Moussy and assertive./ High-pitched lemon and tropics flavors. Sweetish.
Adequate acidity. All in all, very much in the Mumm vernacular,
New World vernacular. And about as much en tirage aging as one might
expect at this price. Priced right. 15.8. wt090705-02. 03
DYED IN THE WOOD UNCHANGEABLE MARLBOROUGH SAUVIGNON BLANC - (NEW ZEALAND) Ripe and bright and juicy and fresh still.
Surprising for a 2 ½ year old NZ sauvignon. Plenty of peach,
passion fruit, and pink grapefruit./ Bright, lively, zesty gooseberry
and grapefruit. Soft and sweet and juicy. Very much the style that’s
made NZ sauvignon so popular. Seductive and delicious. 15.9. wt090705-03. 04
SHAW & SMITH ADELAIDE HILLS SAUVIGNON BLANC
- (AUSTRALIA) Reduced to start. After decanting and airing, as clear
and fresh and attractive as it could be. Citrus, mineral, and a
subtle oak component./ Keen acidity and fine extract. Great texture
and presence. Touch of oak again. Sauvignon with a chardonnay build.
Young still. 16.0+. wt090705-04. 04
FLORA SPRINGS OAKVILLE ESTATE NAPA VALLEY PINOT GRIGIO - (U.S.) Fresh and floral. Apple and nut pinot gris aromas.
Light oak. Full texture of the varietal./ Plump and smooth. Good
alcohol and glycerol. The acidity is still coated. A bit more bottle
age will bring better balance. Reasonable price. 15.5+. wt090705-05. 03
PERNAND VERGELESSES BLANC, LOUIS LATOUR
- (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Solid, ripe, firm, calcareous. Nice application
of oak. Doesn’t stand apart from the fruit. Honeysuckle nut aromas
of the northern Cote de Beaune chardonnay subset./ Strong-willed,
with firm oak and fruit. Big and balanced. Has dimension, depth,
and power of 03. Still a little astringent–good sign of peels extracts.
Will reward cellaring. 15.7++. wt090705-06. 02
MONTHELIE BLANC, JABOULET-VERCHERRE -
(FRANCE BURGUNDY) Nice, appley chardonnay fruit, cool fruit of 02.
Plenty fresh. Good example of Monthelie./ Good acidity and grip
of 02. Calcareous nature of Monthelie blanc. Really fills the mouth.
Well liked by the group. 16.0+. wt090705-07. 03
DYED IN THE WOOL UNCHANGEABLE CANTEBURY PINOT NOIR - (NEW ZEALAND) Wood chips, tea, basil, oregano, grape
peels. Light, tart, and respectable./ Light and tart NZ style. Has
a sweetness too. Cooler even than Oregon pinot noir. This is a pinot
for fish. 14.5. wt090705-08. 03
GEVREY CHAMBERTIN, JABOULET-VERCHERRE
- (FRANCE BURGUNDY) Sweet, rustic, forthright, masculine Gevrey
styling. Solid, meaty, dark, brooding. Black cherry, chocolate,
spices.Yes, valid Gevrey pinot./ Good volume, grip, tannin, acidity.
03 and Gevrey size, mass, power. Fine depth and structure. Intense,
daunting, delectable. A real representative of vintage and village.
Well liked by the group. 17.2+. wt090705-09. 00
BARBERA D’ASTI IN PECTORE, GENUTA GARETTO
- (ITALY) Ripe but cool and ventilating black plum. Good oak seasoning.
Notes of espresso, walnut, bitter chocolate. Strong and pungent.
Showing class and sophistication for barbera./ Good wisp of VA–proper
for barbera. Good strength. Rightly chewy, rustic texture. But still
cool. Generous. Has it all. Well liked by the group. 16.3+. wt090705-10. 00
TOSCANA SAN VITO, SOMMAVITE - (ITALY)
90% sangiovese, 10% merlot - Sweet, sexy, spicy, modern, cunning.
And priced right. Aromas of black cherry, anise, violets./ Flavorful,
smooth, balanced. The flavors range wide, and the wine is very juicy
and appealing. Good buy for sure. An affordable Super Tuscan. 15.9. wt090705-11. 01
CHIANTI RUFINA RISERVA NIPOZZANO, FRESCOBALDI
- (ITALY) Super refined claret styling. Fine fruit, fine oak. Black
fig, black cherry, tea, tobacco. Class personified./ Clarity, dignity,
nobility. Fine oak. Great sangiovese grip and finesse. Fine acidity,
tannic, depth, and reserve. Fabulous. Better than the great 99 even.
17.1+. wt090705-12. 99
TOSCANA BROCCATO, DIEVOLE - (ITALY) Bold,
ripe, well oaked barrique-aged rosso. Full surge of aroma. Classy
as well as generous. Lots of licorice and other ventilating airs.
Dense, brawny, brooding, traditional, serious. Some bouquet forming,
much more to come./ Cool airs, rich texture. Nice grip of tannin
to balance the fruit sweetness. Very fine grained tannin. Exemplary
balance, really. Super Tuscan indeed. 16.9+. wt090705-13. 01
AGLIANICO DEL VULTURE, D’ANGELO - (ITALY)
Ripe and heady and southern and serious. Sweet, dried-fruit aromas.
Fresh and cool; the alcohol is cooling, not hot./ Good style, grip,
finesse. Fine grained tannin. The Barolo of the South; an aristocrat.
Has the depth and subtlety for greatness. Complete. And so reminiscent
of the d’Angelos we loved before the pricing got out of hand. It’s
back to a justifiable level once again. 16.8+. wt090705-14. 01
CASTORO RESERVE PASO ROBLES SYRAH - (U.S.)
Weird! Castoro is Italian for beaver. The owner-winemaker’s a Scandinavian
named Niels Udsen whose nickname as a kid was Beaver. Both ripe
and green syrah aromas. Some garrigue, some lavender. Raspberry
and dark chocolate. There’s varietal character here./ Plump and
rich, but has that herbal streak too. Valid Paso Robles syrah, quite
reasonably priced. 15.6. wt090705-15. 02
CASTORO PASO ROBLES ZINFANDEL - (U.S.)
Sweet, ripe, Dr. Pepper (cherry and prune) eastside Paso Robles
zinfandel nose./ Sweet and sassy. Good grip, acid, balance. The
real deal. A wine of place. An even better value. 16.0.
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