Deep red, some rim evolution.
Vinturi - integrated, deep nose - savory toasted nut/earth, menthol and roasted meat. No fruit showing.
Intense and packed for Nebbiolo with acid-driven tannin slowly shutting the mouth down. Cherry, herb and earth flavors really in the background, still. Almost "mineral" feel as structural synergy coats the front teeth. Not even remotely close to maturity. Interesting, impressive, but I doubt this will ever sing like the '96.
$50.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Guerrieri Rizzardi "Pojega" Ripasso, Valpolicella Classico Superiore 2006
Red.
Vinturi - interesting nose - hazelnut, green tea, black pepper, earth/game/iron and cherry.
Round middle-weight in the mouth. No fat, as strong, iron-edged, acidity cuts through the finish. Much lighter impression than most of the Ripassa-styled wines I've had in the past. Not sure if this is the house style or a vintage thing. Not giving it up quite yet, but this would be fun with cheese or roast chicken.
$17. Ripassa-styled wines are made by adding the skins from Amarone production to regular Valpolicella ferments. This is a single vineyard (Pojega) bottling.
Vinturi - interesting nose - hazelnut, green tea, black pepper, earth/game/iron and cherry.
Round middle-weight in the mouth. No fat, as strong, iron-edged, acidity cuts through the finish. Much lighter impression than most of the Ripassa-styled wines I've had in the past. Not sure if this is the house style or a vintage thing. Not giving it up quite yet, but this would be fun with cheese or roast chicken.
$17. Ripassa-styled wines are made by adding the skins from Amarone production to regular Valpolicella ferments. This is a single vineyard (Pojega) bottling.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Olivares "Dulce" Monastrell, Jumilla (dessert wine) 2000
Saturated black, some rim evolution.
Vinturi - huge reduction sauce of a nose - brandy, spicy fig, prune, seared meat, licorice, fragrant wood and shoe polish. Also shows an incredibly deep damp earth aspect.
Wildly sweet and totally loaded in the mouth. Crazy density - the last thing you notice is alcohol. Tannin finally pulls this thing out of its lusciously sweet nose dive, finishing almost dry. Reminds me to some extent of PX solera stuff. Smells like it's been fortified, but tastes like a natural (dried fruit) sweet wine. Which it is, apparently. A dedicated wino could easily finish off a bottle of this on a Friday night.
$25/500mL. 16% listed alcohol. Monastrell=Mourvedre
Vinturi - huge reduction sauce of a nose - brandy, spicy fig, prune, seared meat, licorice, fragrant wood and shoe polish. Also shows an incredibly deep damp earth aspect.
Wildly sweet and totally loaded in the mouth. Crazy density - the last thing you notice is alcohol. Tannin finally pulls this thing out of its lusciously sweet nose dive, finishing almost dry. Reminds me to some extent of PX solera stuff. Smells like it's been fortified, but tastes like a natural (dried fruit) sweet wine. Which it is, apparently. A dedicated wino could easily finish off a bottle of this on a Friday night.
$25/500mL. 16% listed alcohol. Monastrell=Mourvedre
Domaine la Tour Vieille, Banyuls (dessert wine) 2003
Red, evolved rim.
Vinturi - nose of brandied cherries, savory meat, dried/grilled herbs.
Moderately sweet, slightly cooked flavors of cherry and prune are a bit flat. Alcohol does provide nice lift, though, as does herb character. Very fine acid/tannin synergy sops up any excess sweetness in the finish - coating the front teeth in light chew. With air, fruit flavors get a pulse. This thing needs more time.
$25/500 mL Fortified Grenache from France, just NE of Barcelona. 15.5% listed alcohol.
Vinturi - nose of brandied cherries, savory meat, dried/grilled herbs.
Moderately sweet, slightly cooked flavors of cherry and prune are a bit flat. Alcohol does provide nice lift, though, as does herb character. Very fine acid/tannin synergy sops up any excess sweetness in the finish - coating the front teeth in light chew. With air, fruit flavors get a pulse. This thing needs more time.
$25/500 mL Fortified Grenache from France, just NE of Barcelona. 15.5% listed alcohol.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Failla "Phoenix Ranch" Syrah, Napa Valley 2007
Saturated purple.
Vinturi - low-toned nose shows more (suave) oak influence - toasted hazelnut, fig paste, earth, herbs/slight jalapeno.
Round and very sexy in the mouth, with moderate tannin (some stems) asserting itself slowly. Could drink a bunch of this right now. Sophisticated winemaking from raw materials that aren't quite up to the Griffin's Lair examples. Crap shoot as to which is "best". Drink them all. This is RFG, actually, showing late notes of blood orange, wilted herbs and pepper.
Day 4 - Refined, killer aromas of herbs, melted licorice, hazelnut. Still uber-sexy in the mouth, with significant, relatively fine tannin/acid synergy slowly creeping in. Still RFG.
$50. 14.9% listed alcohol. Ehren Jordan's (Turley/Neyers) own label.
Vinturi - low-toned nose shows more (suave) oak influence - toasted hazelnut, fig paste, earth, herbs/slight jalapeno.
Round and very sexy in the mouth, with moderate tannin (some stems) asserting itself slowly. Could drink a bunch of this right now. Sophisticated winemaking from raw materials that aren't quite up to the Griffin's Lair examples. Crap shoot as to which is "best". Drink them all. This is RFG, actually, showing late notes of blood orange, wilted herbs and pepper.
Day 4 - Refined, killer aromas of herbs, melted licorice, hazelnut. Still uber-sexy in the mouth, with significant, relatively fine tannin/acid synergy slowly creeping in. Still RFG.
$50. 14.9% listed alcohol. Ehren Jordan's (Turley/Neyers) own label.
Wind Gap "Griffin's Lair" Sonoma Coast 2007
Saturated purple/black.
Vinturi - savory meat stew, black raspberry, fig, licorice, hazelnut nose. Deep and pure.
White pepper note immediately in the mouth, with grainy structure also immediate. More intense than the '06 Pax, but lacks some flesh in comparison. Lots of vibrant flavor action in the mouth, taut. Quite bound up in the finish, thanks to strong acid/tannin synergy, with a lingering iodine flavor. No doubt this will be something to sit on for many years.
Day 4 - Still savory on the nose, though amorphous. Deep and plush, now, in the mouth. Raspberry, herbs then huge acid/tannin synergy whacks everything else out of the park. Iodine again shows late. Needs a long sleep in the cellar.
$50. 14.6% listed alcohol. Made by Pax Mahle, who also made the Pax '06. Both are killer, though quite different.
Vinturi - savory meat stew, black raspberry, fig, licorice, hazelnut nose. Deep and pure.
White pepper note immediately in the mouth, with grainy structure also immediate. More intense than the '06 Pax, but lacks some flesh in comparison. Lots of vibrant flavor action in the mouth, taut. Quite bound up in the finish, thanks to strong acid/tannin synergy, with a lingering iodine flavor. No doubt this will be something to sit on for many years.
Day 4 - Still savory on the nose, though amorphous. Deep and plush, now, in the mouth. Raspberry, herbs then huge acid/tannin synergy whacks everything else out of the park. Iodine again shows late. Needs a long sleep in the cellar.
$50. 14.6% listed alcohol. Made by Pax Mahle, who also made the Pax '06. Both are killer, though quite different.
Pax "Griffin's Lair" Syrah, Sonoma Coast 2006
Saturated purple/black.
Vinturi - extremely deep, savory nose - fig, licorice, A-1 steak sauce, grilled steak (appropriately) and earth/hazelnut.
Round, densely packed and mouth-filling, with Pax's typical grainy concentration/structure. Stem tannin is a bit aggressive at the moment, but black fruit and herb flavors ride through fairly easily. As usual, this is a killer bottle and one that will benefit from several years of cellaring. Shows a bit of heat.
Day 4 - earth/hazelnut front and center in the deep, loaded nose. Exceptionally deep and grainy in the mouth, with serious tannin cutting into the finish. Lacks refinement in comparison to Failla, but you have to love the balls out effort.
$55. 15.3% listed alcohol.
Vinturi - extremely deep, savory nose - fig, licorice, A-1 steak sauce, grilled steak (appropriately) and earth/hazelnut.
Round, densely packed and mouth-filling, with Pax's typical grainy concentration/structure. Stem tannin is a bit aggressive at the moment, but black fruit and herb flavors ride through fairly easily. As usual, this is a killer bottle and one that will benefit from several years of cellaring. Shows a bit of heat.
Day 4 - earth/hazelnut front and center in the deep, loaded nose. Exceptionally deep and grainy in the mouth, with serious tannin cutting into the finish. Lacks refinement in comparison to Failla, but you have to love the balls out effort.
$55. 15.3% listed alcohol.
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