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
Friday, November 30, 2007
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
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
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
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
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
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
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
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
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
Monday, November 26, 2007
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
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
Saturday, November 24, 2007
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
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
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