Purple/red.
No vinturi - synthetic cork - baked earth/raspberry/brown spices/exotic fruit (mango?). Nice depth and lift.
Round and plush, with a well-hidden edge of acidity keeping everything in line. It must be the exotic yellow fruit character that reminds me of something from the south of France. Interesting, extremely tasty and cheap - just what the doctor ordered. Drink it over the next two to three years.
$16
Monday, August 10, 2009
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Clos des Papes, Chateauneuf du Pape 2000
Evolved red.
Vinturi - cherry liqueur, toasted nut, garrigue, iron, earth nose. Well-integrated.
Round with some textural sweetness. Cherry, garrigue/earth flavors given an edge by relatively strong acidity. A bit pent up at the moment, but has obvious depth/concentration. More expressive with a day or two of air, I'd guess. Or some lamb stew.
$50
Vinturi - cherry liqueur, toasted nut, garrigue, iron, earth nose. Well-integrated.
Round with some textural sweetness. Cherry, garrigue/earth flavors given an edge by relatively strong acidity. A bit pent up at the moment, but has obvious depth/concentration. More expressive with a day or two of air, I'd guess. Or some lamb stew.
$50
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Hartford, Fanuucchi-Wood Rd Vyd, Zinfandel, RRV 2004
Red/purple.
Vinturi - deep, bass, nose - brown sugar/coconut/grilled orange. An oozer, in spite of the citrus note.
Round, creamy and packed in the mouth. Citrus shows again in the mouth, and does add nice lift/freshness. Fairly strong acidity teams up with citrus chew in the finish. Slight heat, but it would be easy to miss. I'd drink this now.
$25 15.9% alcohol.
Vinturi - deep, bass, nose - brown sugar/coconut/grilled orange. An oozer, in spite of the citrus note.
Round, creamy and packed in the mouth. Citrus shows again in the mouth, and does add nice lift/freshness. Fairly strong acidity teams up with citrus chew in the finish. Slight heat, but it would be easy to miss. I'd drink this now.
$25 15.9% alcohol.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Kongsgaard "VioRous" Napa Valley 2007
Pale yellow.
Discreet nose - almond paste, lychee candy, peach, caramel. Nothing flamboyant about this. Subtle, precise.
Deep, creamy - but immediately lifted by a vibrant acid/mineral edge. Really wonderful textural sweetness without any sense of weight. All the aromas echo in the mouth. Long, subtle, "mineral" and peach finish. Seductive stuff - RFG.
I'm guessing that this is dominated by Roussanne, which comes from Kongsgaard's own vineyard. At an HdR seminar several years ago, he indicated that he had difficulty getting Roussanne above 20 brix (roughly translates to 12% alcohol).
$75 Viognier/Roussanne blend. Alcohol listed at 14.1%.
Discreet nose - almond paste, lychee candy, peach, caramel. Nothing flamboyant about this. Subtle, precise.
Deep, creamy - but immediately lifted by a vibrant acid/mineral edge. Really wonderful textural sweetness without any sense of weight. All the aromas echo in the mouth. Long, subtle, "mineral" and peach finish. Seductive stuff - RFG.
I'm guessing that this is dominated by Roussanne, which comes from Kongsgaard's own vineyard. At an HdR seminar several years ago, he indicated that he had difficulty getting Roussanne above 20 brix (roughly translates to 12% alcohol).
$75 Viognier/Roussanne blend. Alcohol listed at 14.1%.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Yangarra "Cadenzia" Grenache/Shiraz/Mourvedre, McLaren Vale 2006
Red.
Vinturi - hints of red fruit, incense, hazelnut liqueur on the muted nose.
Round, slightly (fruit and alcohol) sweet, and mouthfilling. Acidity again is the dominant structural component, with relatively fine tannin adding some chew. Very tasty, but muddled somewhat. It could be the difference in vintages, but the 2005 Grenache showed more of everything (if my memory is still good).
$25
Vinturi - hints of red fruit, incense, hazelnut liqueur on the muted nose.
Round, slightly (fruit and alcohol) sweet, and mouthfilling. Acidity again is the dominant structural component, with relatively fine tannin adding some chew. Very tasty, but muddled somewhat. It could be the difference in vintages, but the 2005 Grenache showed more of everything (if my memory is still good).
$25
Hacienda Monasterio, Ribera del Duero 1998
Deep red.
Vinturi - very attractive, suave, nose - earth/spice/pepper/toasted nut/red and black fruit/menthol.
Round, seamless impression, with slightly baked flavors. An edge of acidity and moderate tannin ultimately provide tension/grip. A roasted herb note on the finish. Interesting middle-weight. I believe '98 was a hot/dry year in RdD.
$28
Vinturi - very attractive, suave, nose - earth/spice/pepper/toasted nut/red and black fruit/menthol.
Round, seamless impression, with slightly baked flavors. An edge of acidity and moderate tannin ultimately provide tension/grip. A roasted herb note on the finish. Interesting middle-weight. I believe '98 was a hot/dry year in RdD.
$28
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Seghesio, Arneis, Russian River Valley 2008
Brilliant straw.
Aromas of perfectly ripe pear/apple, almond. Vibrant.
Nice flesh, with strong acidity (and some residual CO2). Fresh fruit flavors mirror nose. Some RS no doubt enhancing mouthfeel. Hardly complex, but great on a hot day. Goes "minerally" on the finish, with chew coating the front teeth.
$? Saran lined screwcap. Esoteric northern Italian variety. Courtesy of Frank Bostock.
Aromas of perfectly ripe pear/apple, almond. Vibrant.
Nice flesh, with strong acidity (and some residual CO2). Fresh fruit flavors mirror nose. Some RS no doubt enhancing mouthfeel. Hardly complex, but great on a hot day. Goes "minerally" on the finish, with chew coating the front teeth.
$? Saran lined screwcap. Esoteric northern Italian variety. Courtesy of Frank Bostock.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
