Opaque red.
Vinturi - great, youthful nose. Could be a current release. Red currant, subtle oak char/spice/hazelnut, red licorice and fresh herb. Great lift and depth.
Mouth-filling, expressive and deeply flavored. This is loaded, particularly for a wine with a listed alcohol of 12.5%. Ridiculously lively (perky, so to speak?) for a 14 year old, with no lack of intensity. This still has serious structure to boot. Hopefully I've got another bottle somewhere. I wouldn't be surprised if this is even better with 10 more years in a good cellar. FK.
$40 on release.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Clos Marie "L'Olivette" Pic Saint Loup 2005
Deep red.
Vinturi - wild nose - wilted herbs, iron, liver, hazelnut sauce, savory meat/bacon, maple syrup and deep earth notes. RFG.
Round and plush entry. Seamless flow through the mid-palate, then strong acidity and moderate tannin really clamp down in the finish. Obviously needs time in the cellar. This is the "basic" bottling from Clos Marie and is probably raised in concrete.
$25. Like all other Clos Marie bottles I've had, this shows distinct N. Rhone Syrah characteristics. But I think it is almost entirely Grenache and Carignan.
Vinturi - wild nose - wilted herbs, iron, liver, hazelnut sauce, savory meat/bacon, maple syrup and deep earth notes. RFG.
Round and plush entry. Seamless flow through the mid-palate, then strong acidity and moderate tannin really clamp down in the finish. Obviously needs time in the cellar. This is the "basic" bottling from Clos Marie and is probably raised in concrete.
$25. Like all other Clos Marie bottles I've had, this shows distinct N. Rhone Syrah characteristics. But I think it is almost entirely Grenache and Carignan.
Christian Salmon "Vieilles Vignes" Sancerre 2008
Light yellow.
Low key nose of almond paste, pineapple, lemon. Better, deeper, as it warms.
Shows some initial textural sweetness that is cut nicely by a vibrant acid/mineral edge. The mineral/acid synergy builds, eventually coating the front teeth in "chew". Fresh herb character really shows in the finish (only hinted at in the nose). Nothing flashy here, but very satisfying stuff. Great at the table.
Gift - $25?
Low key nose of almond paste, pineapple, lemon. Better, deeper, as it warms.
Shows some initial textural sweetness that is cut nicely by a vibrant acid/mineral edge. The mineral/acid synergy builds, eventually coating the front teeth in "chew". Fresh herb character really shows in the finish (only hinted at in the nose). Nothing flashy here, but very satisfying stuff. Great at the table.
Gift - $25?
Friday, May 21, 2010
Domaine du Caillou "Quartz" Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2000
Deep red.
Vinturi - toasted hazelnut/black cherry sauce, earth, herbs, pepper, iron nose. Deep and very attractive.
Really loaded and plush in the mouth - great mid-palate flesh. Impression of black fruit jelly of the tastiest kind. Significant acid/tannin/mineral synergy hits the front teeth and shuts down the mouth late in the finish. This will be around for many years.
$50.
Vinturi - toasted hazelnut/black cherry sauce, earth, herbs, pepper, iron nose. Deep and very attractive.
Really loaded and plush in the mouth - great mid-palate flesh. Impression of black fruit jelly of the tastiest kind. Significant acid/tannin/mineral synergy hits the front teeth and shuts down the mouth late in the finish. This will be around for many years.
$50.
Marcassin, Marcassin Vineyard, Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast 2000
Deep, dull red.
Vinturi - sumptuous nose - earth/herbs/meat drippings/hazelnut/orange/black cherry coulis/cinnamon stick. Crazy. Vibrant and deep.
Round and mouth-filling. Slightly disjointed in the mid-palate (can't tell if it's alcohol or VA), but has great density and flesh to overcome it. Still has an acid/tannin/sulfide edge that really firms things up in the finish. This still needs several years in the cellar. Not at all a "monster", as some idiots would suggest. Nice orange action really perks this up, zest "chew" hits late and builds.
$125.
Vinturi - sumptuous nose - earth/herbs/meat drippings/hazelnut/orange/black cherry coulis/cinnamon stick. Crazy. Vibrant and deep.
Round and mouth-filling. Slightly disjointed in the mid-palate (can't tell if it's alcohol or VA), but has great density and flesh to overcome it. Still has an acid/tannin/sulfide edge that really firms things up in the finish. This still needs several years in the cellar. Not at all a "monster", as some idiots would suggest. Nice orange action really perks this up, zest "chew" hits late and builds.
$125.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Font de Michelle "Etienne Gonnet" Chateauneuf du Pape 2000
Evolved, dull red.
No Vinturi. Integrated nose - smoke, herbs, licorice, earth, fig.
Intense spice/earth entry. Actually a bit bound up, but far better than my last bottle. Vinturi might have helped. Seems like there's some stem inclusion here, but I could be wrong. Needs time, but this is obviously loaded with good stuff.
$40
No Vinturi. Integrated nose - smoke, herbs, licorice, earth, fig.
Intense spice/earth entry. Actually a bit bound up, but far better than my last bottle. Vinturi might have helped. Seems like there's some stem inclusion here, but I could be wrong. Needs time, but this is obviously loaded with good stuff.
$40
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Hirtzberger, Hochrain, Riesling, Smaragd, Wachau 2004
Yellow.
Deep, concentrated nose of grapefruit marmalade, white pepper, lentil. Wild.
Absolutely loaded middle-weight in the mouth. Intense marmalade and pepper flavors with equally intense acid/tannin/mineral chew carving through. Extremely long, tactile/chewy citrus/pepper finish. This is FK. Chew your way into tomorrow morning. Pepper goes to black.
$45
Deep, concentrated nose of grapefruit marmalade, white pepper, lentil. Wild.
Absolutely loaded middle-weight in the mouth. Intense marmalade and pepper flavors with equally intense acid/tannin/mineral chew carving through. Extremely long, tactile/chewy citrus/pepper finish. This is FK. Chew your way into tomorrow morning. Pepper goes to black.
$45
Saxum "44" James Berry Vyd., Paso Robles 2005
Purple/red.
Vinturi - deep, saucy nose shows savory meat/nut and black raspberry/Chambord notes. A bit of heat, but this grows on you.
Loaded and beyond "round" - shows significant textural sweetness as well as great density/concentration. But, again, gets thrown off track by some intrusive alcohol action in the mid-palate and finish. There's much to like here, but doesn't quite pull it off for me. But we'll see what this shows with another day or three of air. May eat my words. Significant acid/tannin "chew" coats the front teeth.
$80? 81% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre, 9% Grenache. 44 months in puncheons (500 liter barrels), I think. 15.9% listed alcohol.
Vinturi - deep, saucy nose shows savory meat/nut and black raspberry/Chambord notes. A bit of heat, but this grows on you.
Loaded and beyond "round" - shows significant textural sweetness as well as great density/concentration. But, again, gets thrown off track by some intrusive alcohol action in the mid-palate and finish. There's much to like here, but doesn't quite pull it off for me. But we'll see what this shows with another day or three of air. May eat my words. Significant acid/tannin "chew" coats the front teeth.
$80? 81% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre, 9% Grenache. 44 months in puncheons (500 liter barrels), I think. 15.9% listed alcohol.
Torres "Celeste" Ribera del Duero 2006
Red/purple.
Vinturi -earth/loam, red cherry, light citrus nose. Bass and treble - very attractive.
Round, plush entry with citrus zest flavor/chew increasingly dominant. Lean, intensely citric finish constricted by acid-driven tannin. This is surprisingly good, and will benefit from a few more years in the bottle.
$17
Vinturi -earth/loam, red cherry, light citrus nose. Bass and treble - very attractive.
Round, plush entry with citrus zest flavor/chew increasingly dominant. Lean, intensely citric finish constricted by acid-driven tannin. This is surprisingly good, and will benefit from a few more years in the bottle.
$17
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Viniterra "Select" Carmenere, Mendoza 2006
Deep red.
Vinturi - rich nose of herbs, chocolate, black cherry and light toast.
Interesting mouthfeel - nice breadth, but quite focused too. A medicinal/saline quality shows up. Good length. This could easily be confused with something from Oz. The finish is bound up by acid/tannin/saline synergy. Also from Lujan de Cuyo.
$16
Vinturi - rich nose of herbs, chocolate, black cherry and light toast.
Interesting mouthfeel - nice breadth, but quite focused too. A medicinal/saline quality shows up. Good length. This could easily be confused with something from Oz. The finish is bound up by acid/tannin/saline synergy. Also from Lujan de Cuyo.
$16
Luigi Bosca "Reserva" Malbec, Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza 2006
Deep red.
Vinturi - nose shows some sulfide action (earth/onion) and nut/tar.
Round with a bit of textural sweetness. Interesting grapefruit/lemon zest lift/flavors are intense and finish lean. Could be mistaken for Spanish Garnacha. In the mouth, at least.
$17
Vinturi - nose shows some sulfide action (earth/onion) and nut/tar.
Round with a bit of textural sweetness. Interesting grapefruit/lemon zest lift/flavors are intense and finish lean. Could be mistaken for Spanish Garnacha. In the mouth, at least.
$17
Monday, May 10, 2010
Assorted Spanish Tempranillo-based wines 5/8 Tasting
Blind tasting at the Boulet hosehold, 5/8.
Artadi "Pagos Viejos" Rioja 1994 - wine of the tasting for me (and almost everyone else). Absolutely incredible, beautiful, integrated wine that was the lightest in weight/power in the tasting. Meat, earth, pepper, cola - whatever. Out of this world.
Mauro "Terreus" Castilla y Leon 1996 - another wine that was just stupid, especially with air/food. Deeper/more powerful than the Artadi, but just a bit less integrated. Splitting hairs. This really freaked me out as it absorbed O2. My second favorite.
Pintia, Toro 2004 - Definitely younger than the first two and less complex/evolved. But this is freaking loaded. Aromas of earth, cinnamon, nut sauce, wax, cocoa. Fortunately, we have several bottles of this. Number three for me.
Many thanks to Mike and Bonnie Irwin and Tony and Rita Vickers for supplying these three wines. And Doug at Feast for some incredible beef action and potatoes.
Artadi "Pagos Viejos" Rioja 1994 - wine of the tasting for me (and almost everyone else). Absolutely incredible, beautiful, integrated wine that was the lightest in weight/power in the tasting. Meat, earth, pepper, cola - whatever. Out of this world.
Mauro "Terreus" Castilla y Leon 1996 - another wine that was just stupid, especially with air/food. Deeper/more powerful than the Artadi, but just a bit less integrated. Splitting hairs. This really freaked me out as it absorbed O2. My second favorite.
Pintia, Toro 2004 - Definitely younger than the first two and less complex/evolved. But this is freaking loaded. Aromas of earth, cinnamon, nut sauce, wax, cocoa. Fortunately, we have several bottles of this. Number three for me.
Many thanks to Mike and Bonnie Irwin and Tony and Rita Vickers for supplying these three wines. And Doug at Feast for some incredible beef action and potatoes.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Montevetrano, Colli di Salerno 2004
Red/purple.
Vinturi - hazelnut/herb/ash/toast/black cherry nose.
Deep and intense from the outset, with nice clarity. Linear feel, with great mid-palate density which flows through the finish. Hits an acid/tannin wall that shuts down the mouth. Unfortunately my first (and only) bottle of Montevetrano. Should have opened this 10 years from now.
$65. Italy's first cult wine from the south, if I remember correctly, from photographer Silvia Imparato. Mostly Cabernet with a bit of Aglianico. Riccardo Cotarella as consultant.
Vinturi - hazelnut/herb/ash/toast/black cherry nose.
Deep and intense from the outset, with nice clarity. Linear feel, with great mid-palate density which flows through the finish. Hits an acid/tannin wall that shuts down the mouth. Unfortunately my first (and only) bottle of Montevetrano. Should have opened this 10 years from now.
$65. Italy's first cult wine from the south, if I remember correctly, from photographer Silvia Imparato. Mostly Cabernet with a bit of Aglianico. Riccardo Cotarella as consultant.
Sociando-Mallet, Haut-Medoc (Bordeaux) 2003
Purple/red.
Vinturi - cinnamon toast, perfumed black raspberry, earth and subtle herbs on the nose. Beautiful, deep, expressive.
Round and packed in the mouth, with a grainy density. Loaded through the mid-palate, with slightly dry tannin taking over in the finish. But this has a serious pulse, particularly for this vintage. RFG and certainly worth cellaring for many more years.
$45? Can't remember.
Vinturi - cinnamon toast, perfumed black raspberry, earth and subtle herbs on the nose. Beautiful, deep, expressive.
Round and packed in the mouth, with a grainy density. Loaded through the mid-palate, with slightly dry tannin taking over in the finish. But this has a serious pulse, particularly for this vintage. RFG and certainly worth cellaring for many more years.
$45? Can't remember.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Yarra Yering, Dry Red Wine No.1, Yarra Valley 2002
Red, evolved rim.
Vinturi - nose seems a bit heavy (ironically, 12.4% listed alcohol) - nut paste/sauce, herbs, tar and perfumed red fruit underneath.
More lively as it airs.
Definitely light-weight with an immediate sense of leanness thanks to strong acid/tannin synergy and no flesh. All herbs in the mouth. Is this thing in a dumb phase? Hopefully, otherwise it's the first YY bottle I haven't enjoyed.
$75. Great contrast in style.
Vinturi - nose seems a bit heavy (ironically, 12.4% listed alcohol) - nut paste/sauce, herbs, tar and perfumed red fruit underneath.
More lively as it airs.
Definitely light-weight with an immediate sense of leanness thanks to strong acid/tannin synergy and no flesh. All herbs in the mouth. Is this thing in a dumb phase? Hopefully, otherwise it's the first YY bottle I haven't enjoyed.
$75. Great contrast in style.
Quilceda Creek, Cabernet Sauvignon, Washington 2002
Red/purple.
Nose of super-ripe (but fresh) strawberry, black cherry, sexy oak spices, hazelnut sauce and forest floor. Extremely attractive.
Round and plush with a decent bit of textural sweetness. Great mid-palate material and flavor flow. Tannin/acid synergy bites into the finish a bit, as does a bit of alcohol. Herbs and dark chocolate late. Built for many more years in the cellar.
$90. Opened yesterday - thus no Vinturi today. 14.9% listed alcohol.
Nose of super-ripe (but fresh) strawberry, black cherry, sexy oak spices, hazelnut sauce and forest floor. Extremely attractive.
Round and plush with a decent bit of textural sweetness. Great mid-palate material and flavor flow. Tannin/acid synergy bites into the finish a bit, as does a bit of alcohol. Herbs and dark chocolate late. Built for many more years in the cellar.
$90. Opened yesterday - thus no Vinturi today. 14.9% listed alcohol.
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