Palacios "Corullon" 2004 (Bierzo, Spain)

Purple/red.

Intense, deep aromatics - pepper, earth (potato?), spice, citrus and an oak contribution that is extremely difficult to differentiate from the previous descriptors. Which means this is beautifully integrated stuff. Also obvious from the nose - this is loaded.

Pepper/earth front and center in the mouth, with citrus/spice too. Structure is immediate, driven primarily by acidity which adds impact to moderate tannin. This has real old-vine concentration - no bullshit here - as the flavors ride through serious, but not brutal, structure. And this is a very interesting, and differentiating point - you can't make this kind of flavor intensity in the winery. You either grow it or try to fake it.

Best to let this sit 2-3 years and drink over the ensuing 5. Buy it.

Day 3 - Just a bit more open on the nose and in the mouth. Vibrant citrus/pepper punch to the flavors, with that deep, potato/earth counterpoint. Focused, pure and chewy. Nothing fat here.

Day 6 - Really open now - ground pepper, roasted potatoes and a suggestion of melted butter. Indeed. Citrus in full force in the mouth, still pungent, but this is showing slight oxidation in the finish.


$40

Artadi Vinas de Gain 2003 Rioja

Purple/red.

Integrated, deep nose of brown spices, earth and blackberry.

Sweet, middle-weight, textural impression is immediately buffered by acidity and mild tannin. A bit of citrus is the only addition from the nose. Fresher in the mouth, as a result. Structure ultimately cuts into the mid-palate and kills the finish.

Very solid entry-level wine.

Day 3 - A bit of citrus in the nose now, and a bigger dose in the mouth too. Decent, but not great, complexity.


$25

Fevre, Chablis Grand Cru, Valmur, 2004

Straw.

Nut paste aromas, with lemon and mineral/steel in the background.

Intense, fresh lemon, mineral and nut/earth flavors. There's a textural sweetness, start to finish, that is a great contrast to the intense, pure, citric/mineral flavors. Long, stony, lemony, chewy finish coats the front teeth.

Killer. This makes you wonder why people are yacking about fat, monolithic Rhone whites. The pendulum swings eternally.
Drink them all.


$45

Clos des Papes Chateauneuf du Pape 2005

Red/purple.

Interesting aromatics - clay, lightly baked blue and black berries and just a hint of garrigue.
This smells like it has a good bit of Mourvedre.

Great textural sweetness as well as sweet (not to mention pure) fruit character, but very nicely kept in bounds by suave acid/fine tannin synergy. Keeps its plush fruit well into the finish, where the tannin coats the front teeth. Beautifully made, from obviously killer raw material.

Day 4 - Nose basically the same - just deeper bass notes. Ditto in the mouth, but the structure has amplified. Serious front-teeth chew now. It wil be interesting to watch this over many years.


$70

R. Leclerc "Clos Prieur" Gevrey Chambertin 2005

Vibrant red.

Understated nose of underbrush, slow-roasted meat and red fruit.

Vibrant cran/cherry entry supported by strong acidity. Underbrush, cinnamon and meat in the background/finish.

Nice Burgundy.

Day 3 - More open nose - focused on red fruit and spice. Quite round and easy-going, especially compared to the Rossignol.
Not great, but satisfying.


$40

Pax "Moriah" Sonoma County 2005

Red.

Wild nose - stemmy, jalapeno/marijuana notes front and center. Nice earth, spice and red fruit underneath. Reminds me of some Brewer-Clifton Pinots.

Round more than sweet in the mouth (only 14.2% alcohol), with vibrant red cherry/cranberry, spice and stem/cinnamon flavors. Idiosyncratic Grenache-based wine, but I like this. Great, subtle length, as well as stem/acid chew.

Pax taking an outside pitch to right field. Very nice.

Day 3 - Aromatic craziness subdued - more cinnamon and fresh herb now - though there's still a hint of jalapeno. This really smells like a killer Pinot. Even a slow-roasted meat nuance. Very round in the mouth - with a light stem/acid constriction that frames the flavors. Lots of energy too.

This rocks.

75% Grenache, 14% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre, 1% Roussanne. For pH freaks, this clocks in at 4.13. For most people, completely out of the park. So where does the vibrant character come from? Great fruit, stems, and simple winemaking.

$50

N. Rossignol, Volnay (Burgundy) 2005

Vibrant red.

Nose of tar/cheese (strange, but accurate), Bordeaux-ish oak toast and black cherry pastry.

Intense, bound up flavors of red cherry, spice and a medicinal nuance. Acid spine throughout, but red fruit flavor rides through it all. Needs several years in the bottle.

Day 5 - Tar and black cherry coulis nose, intense and fresh. Still bound up in the mouth, but the depth of fruit is obvious. Considerable acid constriction in the finish, but subtle finishing red cherry flavor rides through it.



$55

Pelerin, Rosellas's Vyd., Santa Lucia Highlands, Pinot Noir 2005

Light red.

Expressive, very Pinot nose of underbrush, creamy cran/cherry and oak spice. You can smell the roundness here.

Utterly round, covers the whole mouth with vibrant red cherry, herb and spice flavors. Great textural sweetness, you barely notice the framing acidity. Absolutely delicious stuff.


$50

Buller, Fine Muscat (Fortified dessert wine), Victoria NV

Amber.

Brandy, pralines, rose liqueur, brown sugar - whatever - this is killer.

Hugely sweet, viscous entry ... with flavors that echo and amplify the nose. Without any real end point.

What is there to say - this is off the Orgasmatron scale.

This style of dessert wine from Australia has no peers. The Tokays are good, but dessert Muscat rules.

A whopping $14/375ml

Coulon "Boisrenard" Chateauneuf du Pape 1998

Deep red.

Amaretto, earth and black cherry jam nose.

Sweet, broad, packed initial feel in the mouth, then grainy, cheek-coating tannin kicks in. A great contrast to the Pegau, which is aged (primarily?) in large old oak tanks/foudres. Here the small barrel aging adds depth in the mouth, but seemingly at the expense of both complexity and textural "give". The Pegau is clearly more expressive and complex, and likely to stay that way over the long haul.

But this is, still, a deep, rich, "modern" CdP.

Opened yesterday

$40 on release

Pegau Chateauneuf du Pape 1998

Red with rust rim.

Melded nose of meat, dried herbs, red cherry, earth/truffle - savory and deep. A bit of blood/iron too, as usual.

Round, mouth-filling, sweet entry immediately buffered by acid-driven, moderate, tannin. Red cherry jam and garrigue flavors ride through mid-palate easily, then substantial, building structure cuts into flavor flow.

Day 2 - Nose a bit "sweeter", with the dried herb aspect heightened too. Textural sweetness has also expanded in the mouth. Structure now quite fine, and in the background until well into the finish.

This could easily go another 5-10 years, as I don't think it has reached its peak yet.

$35 (in 2001)

Jaume "Clos de Sixte" Lirac 2003

Deep red.

Deep nose of red and black fruit jelly, pepper and clay.

Round and mouth-coating, with spicy red fruit jelly flavor taking over the mouth. Acid-driven, light tannin inches into the picture late. Packed and very tasty. Just lacks any real complexity.

I think the blend here is similar to Chateauneuf (Grenache dominant).


$25

Koehler, Syrah, Santa Ynez Valley 2005

Deep purple/red.

Suave, toasted oak, citrus, menthol/licorice and grilled meat nose. Fresh and lifted.

Sweet initial palate-impression, with moderate, grainy tannin framing flavors through the finish. Nice depth of fruit through the mid-palate.

Day 3 - Nose now more integrated/less precise. The citrus note is still there, and seems to be a calling card of cooler Central Coast sites (or just cooler vintages?). Really plush now, with structure to match. Not a headbanger version - but gets some style points. Very drinkable stuff with good, dead-animal food.


$25

Clos de L'Oratoire des Papes, Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2005

Red/purple.

Subdued nose shows garrigue, clay and deep red and black fruit.

Round, spicy, garrigue-laden entry that runs the whole table. No let up, start to finish. Very good depth of fruit/spice that is brought into sharper focus by teeth-coating, reasonably finely-grained tannin in the finish. It will be interesting to see how this ages.

Day 3 - More spicy lift on the nose today, even some menthol. Very round, and lively, now, with structure hitting later. This is seriously good action, and likely to drink well for many years.


$45?

Guigal Lieu-Dit St. Joseph Blanc 2005

Deep yellow.

"Thick" nose of honey, licorice and suave oak (I think).

Shows spicy pear, nut liqueur and earth in the mouth. Takes over the mouth, coating every surface with almond/hazelnut flavors on the finish. This stuff doesn't quit, although it seems to show more acid structure than the 2004.

This almost makes me think of red wine - which reminds me - Guigal apparently ferments some of his Condrieu on the skins for a short period. I wonder if he uses a similar approach on this wine.

$35

J.L. Chave Crozes-Hermitage Blanc "Sybele"2005

Very pale yellow.

Low-toned nose of citrus and quince(?), moderately intense.

Sweet, slightly thick, textural impression in the mouth, buffered by building, spicy, chew on the sides of the mouth. Fresh apple and pear flavors. Very long, chewy, dry finish.

I assume this is Marsanne.

Day 9 - Believe it or not. Tasted at 60F. Fresh pear/apple succulent and long. This could have been opened today.


$28

Errazuriz Chardonnay "Wild Ferment" Casablanca Valley 2005

Light yellow.

Apple, pear, earth/sulfide and citrus skin on the nose.

Intense, phenolic/sulfide chewy flavors of peach pit and lemon rind. Actually a bit abrasive. Doesn't lack personality though.
I opened this a few hours ago - it showed more textural sweetness then.

Screwcap

Day 3 - This is abrasive aromatically now, too. I think the primary problem is a lack of malolactic to integrate all structural elements. Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see if this knits together with another 2-3 years in the bottle.

$17

Bastide Blanche Cuvee Estagnol 2003 Bandol

Red/purple.

Menthol/licorice/sausage/game/clay/red fruit nose. Slight heat. An exotic fruit aspect too - kiwi?

Fairly open and plush for Bastide, with typical grainy tannin kicking in at mid-palate. Not nearly as dense as the 2001. Here the tannin really overpowers the fruit in the finish. An iron nuance late. Good but not great.

I'd drink this over the next 3-4 years with some lamb cassoulet (talk to John Hall at Canela).


$25

Aphillanthes, Mourvedre, Cotes-du Rhone 2003

Deep red.

Spicy red cherry, savory meat and sexy (oak?) spice nose. There's something Pinot-like here.

Round and mouthfilling, again, very Pinot-like, with fresh red cherry/strawberry fruit flavor. This is really interesting. Grainy, mild tannin keeps everything in check. Quite suave actually, not a characteristic normally associated with Old World Mourvedre. The savory meat nuance pops up in the mouth too.

I know nothing about this bottling, but this producer has made several Cotes-du-Rhones that I loved (1999, 2000 Galets & Trois Cepages).

I remember one of the Perrin brothers (Beaucastel/Tablas Creek) saying years ago that Mourvedre was the Pinot Noir of the south. I assumed he was a lunatic at the time, but I have learned that the variety is capable of great aromatic complexity.


$45

Sokol Blosser "Estate Cuvee" Pinot Noir Dundee Hills 2004

Pale red, almost pink.

Decidedly Pinot nose - underbrush, rhubarb, strawberry/cherry/cranberry - vibrant and suave simultanously. A bit of hazelnut too.

Round and mouthfilling, with a sweetness of texture leavened by good, yet unobtrusive acidity (or is it lift from stem inclusion?). You'd have to be unbalanced not to enjoy drinking this. The complexity promised in the nose is mostly delivered
in the mouth. It does seem that stem inclusion is a factor here. Very well-judged.

I just want to keep drinking the stuff. Satisfying on every level.


Gift - $40?

Clavel "Copa Santa" Coteaux du Languedoc 2003

Deep red/purple.

Fresher on the nose than the 2000, as might be expected, although 2003 was hotter than hell. Fruit character that I can't pinpoint - something like raspberry/fig/cherry - integrated and interesting. Earth (clean) here too, with a slightly noticeable oak spice component that is not at all abrasive.

In the mouth, this is more confectionary than the 2000, and again, a bit Aussie-like (Barossa), but here we get some heat in the mouth and more aggressive structure. Still, this is certainly satisfying. Just unlikely to match the 2000.

Also opened yesterday.

$25

Clavel "Copa Santa" Coteaux du Languedoc 2000

Very deep red.

Deep, savory meat, fresh earth, plum/prune and spice nose. Even a hint of nut liqueur (Frangelico?).

Round and mouthfilling, yet manages to retain a taut structural balance in the mouth. Plush, deep flavor of black plum, fig, spice and earth. Nice length. This reminds me a bit of old-vine Aussie Shiraz in the finish. Probably the Fig Newton aspect.

Wonderful wine. Opened yesterday.

Mostly Syrah, with bits of Mourvedre and Grenache.


$20

Torbreck Struie (Shiraz) 2002 Eden & Barossa Valleys

Opaque red/purple.

Salty, sweaty aromas. Not particularly pleasant.

Plush entry, quite densely flavored, with omnipresent, grainy tannin. Briny/animal character in the mouth too, with little (or no) fruit.

I loved this wine on release, as it showed the opulent fruit of Barossa allied with the cooler, lifted (mint) tones of the Eden Valley. Now I get nothing but Brett - a shame. And this isn't the first bottle to show this character.


Day 3 - Same aromatic action. More fruit in the mouth - figs/dates, but still has a salt/animal constriction that kills any real pleasure.


$40

Thackrey "Orion" Rossi Vyd. St. Helena 2004

Opaque purple.

Fresh, lifted nose of eucalyptus, spice, earth and blackberry cream.

Great breadth in the mouth, plush, with finer tannin than the 2001. Seems almost acid-driven, which buffers the initial textural sweetness. Nice tension.

Looking at these notes, I'm almost certain that the "experts" are correct - the Rossi Vineyard is comprised primarily of Petite Sirah. Which says nothing really, as the vineyard is obviously special, as is Thackrey's winemaking. Both vintages will be around for many years.

Day 3 - Still has great aromatic purity - blackberry/eucalyptus, cream - ridiculously fresh. Suave, yet quite structured, in the mouth. Deep blackberry/eucalyptus/cream character goes on and on. This is killer.

$75

Thackrey "Orion" Rossi Vyd. St. Helena 2001

Opaque purple/red.

Smoke, grilled sausage, oak char nose - quite deep - with black fruit underneath.

Intense, packed middle-weight, with plentiful, grainy, tannins immediately framing blackberry, spice and earth flavors. Just a touch of heat (14.7%).

Day 3 - Now something Priorat-like aromatically. Integrated smoke, meat and deep black, perfumed fruit. Quite pure.
Sweetness of texture, with strong acidity is also reminiscent of Priorat. Huge, centered, structure in a middle-weight frame.
Distinctive, idiosyncratic wine - just like Thackrey.

$75

Gourt de Mautens, Rasteau 2000

Deep red/purple.

Smoke, earth, grilled meat, fig, spice and a bit of alcohol on the nose. Strangely, this reminds me of San Roman Toro (Tempranillo). Obviously oak-influenced, but mouth-watering nonetheless.

Packed and fairly plush in the mouth, with grainy, omnipresent tannin. Again, this reminds me of San Roman, only here there is more volume thanks to the dominant Grenache component. Compared to earlier vintages of Mautens, this is suave and reasonably refined. Deep, chewy finish.

Rasteau is apparently warmer than Chateauneuf, with a large percentage of very old vines.


$35

Les Cailloux Chateauneuf du Pape 2003

Red.

Spicy red fruit jam, earth, roasted meat, soy and light oak spice on the nose. Even a slight suggestion of eucalyptus.

Another '03 Chateauneuf that shows a packed, 3D, fruit jam character. Not particularly complex in the mouth (yet). Chewy, acid-enhanced tannin cuts into the finish.

Opened yesterday. Best over the next 5-6 years.


$30

Saint-Benoit, "Grande Garde" Chateauneuf du Pape 2003

Red, garnet rim.

Baked clay, garrigue and a lifted, floral, red fruit note.

Intense garrigue spice and red fruit flavors, medium to light-bodied. No fat here, but nice textural breadth in the mouth. Acid-driven tannin provides front teeth, finishing, chew.

Good, honest action.

$25