Lesec "Chasse-Temps" Chateauneuf du Pape 2004

Red.

Opened yesterday - expressive nose shows effects of stem inclusion - pungent garrigue, spice box, tomato, tree bark/earth and red cherry.

Lively entry shows spicy garrigue and a load of acidity that ratchets down the mouth. Pure and precise with no sense of textural sweetness or fat. Lesec must be a fan of Burgundy. Very persistent, spicy and fresh. Little obvious fruit character, which probably has as much to do with the vintage as anything else. Fun stuff.


$25.

Font-Sane "Tradition" Gigondas 2007

Deep red/purple.

Vinturi - very deep nose of black fruit, black licorice and earth. Some garrigue with air time, but this comes across as thick and a bit leaden.

Broad and deep in the mouth as well, with spicy black fruit and a citrus lift in the finish. Significant acid/tannin synergy constricts the front teeth. Very impressive, but lacks some freshness. Maybe best to drink this early?

Day 3 - Still very deep and rich, but shows more freshness and garrigue lift. Quite welcome. Loaded and highly recommended.

$18? Courtesy of Chris and Sarah Hamilton.

Bouissiere, Gigondas, 2007

Deep red/purple.

Vinturi - deep, spicy/peppery, saucy, savory meat and earth nose is killer. It even manages to convey an impression of textural sweetness/"plushness".

Great depth in the mouth with a packed, creamy mid-palate I've never seen from the brothers Faravel before. Spicy/earthy/peppery cherry compote flavors with an acid/tannin edge that surfaces slowly. This is RFG. It will be hard to cellar this (too good now), but it should age quite well. The '99 version is just hitting stride.


$35

Daniel Bouland "Delys" Morgon (Beaujolais) 2009

Bright red/purple.

No vinturi - killer, lifted nose - spicy/peppery crushed raspberry/blackberry and earth with a floral element. Nice depth.

Quite powerfully flavored middleweight. Intense peppery/spicy black fruit flavors slowly taper off in the face of strongish acidity. Extremely impressive and without question the best Beaujolais I've ever tasted.


$25. From a vineyard planted in 1926

Kongsgaard, Syrah, Napa Valley 2002

Saturated purple/red.

Vinturi - great, edible, nose - menthol/melted licorice/meat/fig paste/menthol. Completely melded. Killer.

Great depth/breadth in the mouth. Acid/tannin synergy slowly shows itself, but never shuts down the flavor flow. Mid-palate flesh is crazy, and shows, like the other cool-climate Syrahs tasted recently, a citric component that gives lift and life. But this is all about fleshy, corpulent pleasure taken to another level.


$100.

Durand "Lautaret" St Joseph 2003

Saturated red/purple.

Vinturi - extremely deep nose of black licorice, pepper, seared meat, grilled oak spice and earth/sulfide. With air, this gains lift from a subtle citrus nuance.

Deep, thick and loaded in the mouth. Earth and black fruit flavors again gain freshness from a citrus undertone. Reminds me of the recently tasted Samsara, only more dense and compact. Huge tannic freight train in the finish. But nothing to worry about, as this is loaded to the hilt.


$35

Pegau, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, 2001

Evolved red, brick rim.

Vinturi - wildly expressive, complex nose - grilled & wilted herbs/tomato jam/kirsch/pepper.

Round and mouth-filling with grainy density/concentration and considerable tannic clout. Shows great flavor complexity in the mouth as well - garrigue/tomato/cherry/grilled meat/earth. Thank God some folks still include stems. Crazy finish keeps kicking out the flavor jams..


$60 FK.

Clos du Caillou, Reserve, Chateauneuf-du-Pape 1999

Red.

Vinturi - wonderful, expressive nose - woodsmoke, cherry jam (or coulis?), truffle/earth/tree bark and sexy oak spice.

Restrained sweetness in the mouth with significant acid/tannin synergy. Has a full mid-palate of fleshy red cherry coulis and a purity/fineness that is typical of the wines from the late/great JD Vacheron. Not sure that this will ever fully express in the mouth.


$65

Chateau Peyros "Vieilles Vignes" Madiran 2003

Saturated purple/red.

Nose of earth/iodine, black fruit and horse shit. Far better than it sounds.

Expressive in the mouth, though far less dense than Bouscasse' (and maybe better for it?). Still wildly intense and lifted, with a load of tannin that will make many shit their pants. But its real - and needs real food - like Bouscasse'. Stuff that's loaded with fat, carbs and pleasure. Pork and lamb fat would be a very good place to start..

$30? Cheap for something that changes perspective. 60% Tannat, 40% Cabernet Franc.

Chateau Bouscasse' "Vieilles Vignes" Madiran 2003

Deep red.

Relatively open-knit nose. Bordeaux-ish. Herbs, toast and black currant.

Expressive in the mouth too (for Tannat). Round and simultaneously quite tight and tannic. Needs fatty meat and butter dishes in the worst way. Certainly not everyone's cup of tea, but this shows unusual nuance and typical crazy structure.



$25? Owned by Alain Brumont of Chateau Montus. A movie script of a life in wine if there ever was a good one. 100% Tannat.

Kongsgaard, Chardonnay, Napa Valley 2004

Light yellow.

Butterscotch/buttered pineapple/truffle/popcorn nose. Deep.

Shows an alluring, initial, textural sweetness and lightness of touch. Great concentration and corresponding cut/chew. Loaded, with ridiculously long finishing flavors of pineapple, sulfide/truffle and mineral action that works the salivary glands. All mineral late, coating front teeth in crushed rock.. FK.

Samsara, Syrah, Melville Vyd., Santa Rita Hills 2007

Opaque Purple.

Opened yesterday - nose is simultaneously deep and wildly perfumed - strawberry/fig coulis, citrus blossom, earth, licorice, camphor. Killer.

Great breadth in the mouth, but no textural sweetness. Citrus character amplified in the mouth, becoming increasingly "zesty" in both flavor and feel as you move into the mid-palate and finish. Shows multiple layers, with plenty of depth to balance strong acidity. Really distinctive, interesting CA Syrah that should get even better with extended bottle aging. RFG.


$45? Gift.

Bielsa, Garnacha, Vinas Viejas, Campo de Borja 2009

Saturated purple.

Opened yesterday. Nose of the freshest boysenberry/raspberry coulis imaginable with citrus blossom lift and light earth. Complex, deep and ridiculously attractive. This was crazy yesterday too.

Round, packed and deep with a textural sweetness that is again, crazy (This is $10). Loaded start to finish, no hiccup anywhere. I can see this benefiting from 2-3 years in the bottle and drinking well far longer than a $10 bottle has any right to. This has to be the greatest wine bargain I've ever seen. TFK.

$10! The '08 was killer too.

FX Pichler, Gruner Veltliner, Kellerberg, Smaragd 2002

Yellow.

Extremely deep earth/lentil, grapefruit marmalade and pepper nose. There's a marrow/meaty richness too, strange as that sounds.

Huge bass notes of marmalade and earth are leavened by treble note of pepper and moderate acid/tannin/mineral chew. Just ridiculous. Somehow refined in the finish, which doesn't seem to quit, and mirrors everything in the nose. Worth every cent and then some.


$75

Tortochot, Mazy-Chambertin 2006

Red.

Opened yesterday. Very pretty nose of strawberry, red cherry, savory earth and suave oak. Floral notes too.

Deceptively light in the mouth, with nice coverage and a light tannic edge. Herbs, earth and red cherry flavors dominate. Subtle length. Very finely rendered. One of those wines you love more every time you go back to it.



$80.

Achaval-Ferrer "Quimera" Mendoza 2006

Saturated purple.

Opened yesterday. Blackberry, clay/earth, licorice, fig nose. Deep.

Full, round entry. Slightly grainy and quite concentrated. Really packed, in fact. Earth and black fruit flavors. Chewy finish with very nice length. RGS. Can only improve with 5-6 more years in the bottle.


$30. 34% Malbec, 32% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc.

Tablas Creek "Cotes de Tablas" Paso Robles 2007

Deep red.

Vinturi - lifted crushed raspberry, cherry, earth and spearmint nose.

Round and mouthfilling with restrained textural sweetness thanks to relatively strong acidity. Cherry jam and spice finish restricted a bit by acid/tannin synergy. Wildly tasty, though, and in need of a few years in the cellar.


$25. 50% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 25% Counoise. 14.8% alcohol. Tin-lined screwcap.

DeLille "Harrison Hill" Yakima Valley 1994

Red with some rim evolution.

No Vinturi. Beautiful nose - grilled nuts, hot bricks, spicebox, red cherry, herbs and a bit of pepper as it airs. Effortless complexity.

Round, mouthfilling, mature middle-weight. Integrated, evolved spice, herb, earth and cherry flavors are nicely framed by moderate acid/tannin synergy. Wonderful stuff, with ineffable action that can only come with serious cellar time. A very good example of why Cabernet has the reputation it has.

Day 2 - still killer and even more integrated. Really beautiful wine.


$? Gift from David Winkler. 13.3% alcohol.

Marcassin, Marcassin Vyd., Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast 2001

Light yellow.

Nose of Meyer lemon flesh and zest, truffle/sulfide, caramel, fresh herbs and a hint of oak toast and grilled meat. Fine, discreet. Creme caramel as it warms/airs.

Huge depth in the mouth, absolutely packed. Even flow throughout with no let up - lemon, caramel flavors are cut by strong mineral/sulfide/acid edge. Takes over the mouth but is not heavy; a confection that isn't sweet. Lemon/caramel "chew" lasts for minutes. This really is off the charts. Incredible.


$125

Clonakilla, Shiraz/Viognier, Canberra 2005

Purple/red.

Opened yesterday. Suave, integrated nose - subtle eucalyptus, pepper, Andes mint, raspberry.

White pepper front and center in the mouth with a corresponding citrus zest component. Not dense or heavy, but intense and long. Fairly strong acidity drives tannin in moderately chewy citrus/pepper finish. Clean, pure.


$50

Muga "Seleccion Especial" Rioja 2001

Saturated, deep red.

Opened yesterday. Deep smoke, grilled meat, citrus, ripe tomato nose with a suggestion of BBQ sauce.

Linear, with intense citrus and earth flavors. Strong acid/tannin synergy shuts down the finish. Much less expressive than my last bottle several months ago.


$20

Domaine des Remizieres "Cuvee Emilie" Hermitage 2001

Deep, slightly evolved, red.

Vinturi - licorice, mint, raspberry coulis, date, earth nose.

Round, mouth-filling. Texturally quite different from the Cote Roties. Reasonably fine-grained tannin more evenly matched with acidity. Resulting chew hits front teeth but does not shut the mouth down. Another "modern" approach to N. Rhone Syrah that works on a textural level, but leaves a bit to be desired in the complexity department. Will it develop additional complexity with more time in bottle? Maybe. Not at all convinced. Today the Jamet rules.



$60

Ogier, Cote Rotie 2001

Slightly less saturated, and evolved, than the Jamet.

Vinturi - interesting - less open, more discreet - iron/game, suave oak spice. An hour later - wildly expressive, lifted, adding black fruit compote and a medicinal nuance.

Round and suave in the mouth, fuller than the Jamet with better structural integration at this point. Intelligent use of new oak (Jamet Sr. apparently used to work in Guigal's cellar), but also less interesting - more volume but less to say. Still, beautiful wine. Even apparent Brett character is well-integrated. Acid-driven tannic chew slowly mounts.


$60

Jamet, Cote Rotie 2001

Saturated, slightly evolved, red/purple.

Vinturi - great nose - breakfast sausage, licorice, wilted greens, woodsmoke/smoked ham. Hints of black raspberry and tomato. Killer.

Middle-weight impression. Acid-driven tannic structure, dense and linear simultaneously. Structural tension hits the salivary glands where it counts. Deep but light, with smoked meat "perfume" lighting up the mouth mouth start to finish. Acid/tannin synergy clamps down in the finish a bit. Will benefit from several more years in the cellar (6-8?). RFG.


$50

Prager, Riesling, Smaragd, Achleiten 2004

Full yellow.

Opened two days ago. Nose of spicy grapefruit/lemon marmalade and wax. Deep.

Extremely concentrated in the mouth. Full-bodied. Mineral/tannic chew counters richness immediately. Huge for Riesling. Finish of mineral/citrus "chew" doesn't seem to end. Wild, killer, Riesling that will win converts with red wine only types.


$40. From one of Austria's greatest vineyards (Achleiten).

Domaine La Florane "Terre Pourpre" Cotes du Rhone Villages Visan 2007

Saturated purple.

Vinturi - nose is discreet but loaded with fresh, spicy, black fruit, earth and licorice.

Intense, packed. Even has the tomato/spicy ketchup action that old school CdP often shows, but has pure, fresh black fruit as well. Great acid/tannin synergy keeps this lively - front teeth coated in "mineral" chew. Great mid-palate material to buffer structure. This is stupid. Will benefit from many years in the bottle. FK and a ridiculous value.


$20. 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre.

Livio Felluga, Pinot Grigio, Collio 2008

Straw/light yellow.

Fine, discreet nose - pepper/herb, nut skin, smoke, ripe lemon/apple/pear. Vibrant.

Pepper/herb character immediately takes center stage, with softer fruit flavors hitting in the mid-palate. Still, pepper runs the length of the court. Beautiful acid/light mineral edge keeps this mouthwatering throughout. Way tasty and complex to boot. Not what most folks think of when they hear Pinot Grigio (or Pinot Gris, for that matter). Individual.


$20. Great, refreshing deal. Tin-lined screwcap.

Vieux Donjon, Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2001

Deep, evolved red. Rust rim.

Vinturi - wild, killer, old school nose - resinous herbs, wood smoke, cherry liqueur, ripest tomato, menthol, Asian spices, grilled meat.

Round, expansive and edgeless in the mouth. Loaded but not heavy at all. Most of the aromatic notes repeat in the mouth. Nice acid/tannin synergy slowly firms things up. Light chew on the front teeth. God this is FK. Long wood smoke/herb finish.



$50. Never the flashiest CdP in its youth, but great with cellar time. This thing should drink well for a very long time.

Thackrey "Sirius" Eaglepoint Ranch, Mendocino County 2007

Opaque purple.

Vinturi - huge pool of blackberry fruit. Bright, lifted, but one thing. Decent bit of banana still showing.

Firm, intense, lifted - just like claims of your special workout. But this works on the psyche too, which saves $$$. This rocks, but a long cellaring is in order.


$50

Pegau, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, 2003

Saturated red.

Vinturi - iron, cherry liqueur, garrigue. Not wildly expressive, but deep.


Definitely shut down since my last bottle - one of the best I've ever had. Something to get all religious over...Needs air and a sympathetic audience (at this point).


$65

Domaine de Vallouit "Les Greffieres" Hermitage 1999

Saturated red,

Vinturi - integrated, sumptuous nose of woodsmoke, wilted greens, smoked sausage. Deep, classic N. Rhone Syrah.

Deep and relatively "easy" in the mouth, broad and giving. Which is, for me, unusual. Great mid-palate flesh. Killer stuff. Domaine now owned by Guigal. Good thing? Probably. But diversity is a certain loser.


$70

Tablas Creek, Mourvedre, Paso Robles 2007

Saturated red.

Vinturi - black cherry, blackberry, forest/tree bark/hazelnut, iron/medicinal, licorice nose combines the best of the new and old world.

Round and plush, particularly for Mourvedre, with excellent mid-palate flesh. Acid/tannin synergy eventually whittles everything into shape, but does not shut down the mouth. Loads of black fruit and clean earth flavors. Killer. Even better with 3-6 years of cellaring, conservatively speaking.


$30. 2007 was apparently a great vintage all over CA. No argument here.

Koehler, Syrah, Santa Ynez Valley 2005

Opaque purple.

Vinturi - deep black fruit (date/fig), Asian spices, fresh herb and earth nose. Loaded and deep.

Round and intense simultaneously. Great mid-palate flesh immediately buffered by strong acid-driven tannin that hit the front teeth. Great tension. Even a mineral-like character. All the while a core of black fruit and spice flavors flow through. RFG, particularly at this stupid price.


$25.

Beaux Freres "Upper Terrace" Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge (Oregon) 2007

Slightly evolved, deep red.

Attractive, integrated nose of forest floor/herbs, red cherry, suave oak spice.

Round, sexy, mouth-filling stuff. Just enough of an acid/light tannin edge to frame it. Very Pinot, and not something that stands out as New World. Perfumed red fruit and herbs (slight jalapeno) in the mouth. RGS. Could drink a ton of this. Structure strengthens with air (some residual CO2 also). Great ringer in a Burgundy tasting.


$75? Gift from the Padres.

Achaval Ferrer "Quimera" Mendoza 2007

Saturated purple.

Vinturi - fresh black raspberry, deep earth, hazelnut, oak spice, shoe polish nose.

Reasonably round, with nice textural sweetness. Again, this is well-buffered by strongish acid/tannin synergy. Focused, gutsy stuff that shows perfumed black fruit in the mouth. Also will benefit from several more years in the cellar and will probably drink very well for another 10 years or more. Lots of material here.


$30. 38% Malbec, 24% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc.

Achaval Ferrer "Quimera" Mendoza 2005

Opaque purple.

Vinturi - extremely dense, loaded nose - undifferentiated black fruit, clay/earth, oak spice, dark chocolate.

Middle-weight feel, with fairly strong acid/tannin synergy reining everything in from the get go. Not yet expressive in the mouth, but shows nice mid-palate flesh and strong blackberry fruit. Needs time.


$27. 37% Malbec, 28% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc.

Troplong Mondot, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2001

Saturated purple.

Charcoal/smoke/oak spice/black raspberry/licorice/earth nose is compact and dense.

Extremely deep, loaded, fleshy, feel. Huge tannic clout kicks in on the finish, where this picks up a tidal/saline character (needs air in the worst way/built for a very long evolution in the bottle). This is totally FK and will get better for decades in a good cellar. This is another example of why Bordeaux is still relevant. A bottle of '00 La Louviere Graves at the Mueller's was another beautiful example.


$50.

Lincourt, Syrah, Santa Ynez Valley 2007

Red/purple.

Citrus zest, white pepper, black raspberry sauce and earth nose. Refined. Aromatic notes reverse with air.

Wonderful textural fullness/sweetness. Acid-driven structure adds firmness but does not kill flavor flow. Nice length. Extremely attractive CA Syrah.


Gift - $30?

Thackrey "Orion" Rossi Vyd., St. Helena 2000

Saturated purple/red.

Vinturi - great, integrated, nose runs the whole court - subdued mint, grilled meat, blackberry, oak smoke, earth, hazelnut.

Intense, middle-weight feel. Center-packed, but this has nice textural "give". Wilted mint and earth flavors dominate. Acid-driven tannin builds in the finish. Needs several more years in the bottle. Far better tomorrow and the day after..


$75. Syrah/Petite Sirah - who knows. Old vineyard. 100% new Sirugue Burgundy barrels barely show.

Saxum "Rocket Block" Paso Robles 2003

Saturated red/purple.

Vinturi - deep, saucy, nose with nice oak spice lift - black raspberry/earth/shoe polish.

Dense with a textural sweetness that is well-buffered by moderate acid/tannin synergy. Undertone of fresh peppermint. Alcohol (16.6%) barely noticed. Loaded, but is also refined, though not particularly complex. Whatever, I could sit and drink a bunch of this. RFG.


$75. 50% Grenache, 40% Mourvedre, 10% Syrah.

Chave, Hermitage 1997

Red.

Vinturi - fragrant, refined nose - woodsmoke, wilted herb, breakfast sausage, raspberry and menthol. Subtle and RFG.

Round, seamless, middle-weight. Sneaky acidity lifts and brightens. Herbs, sausage and raspberry flavors are also subtle and have deceptive length. '97 was hardly a great vintage, but this is beautiful stuff.


$50. 13% listed alcohol.

Hacienda Monasterio, Ribera del Duero 1999

Deep red.

Vinturi - great, integrated, sumptuous nose of myriad oak spices, raspberry coulis, toasted nut, earth and fresh herbs.

Round and dense, with earth, raspberry and fragrant wood (balsam, redwood) and herb flavors. Iron, too, later. Intense, relatively lean and focused in the finish. Many years still to go here. This rocks.


$28. I think this is roughly 70% Tempranillo and the balance Cabernet and Merlot. Made by Peter Sisseck.

Laurel Glen, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma Mountain 1996

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Luis Segundo Correas "Valle Las Acequias" Malbec "Oak", Mendoza 2005

Deep red.

Vinturi - integrated, deep nose of (slightly candied) black raspberry/cherry, earth/hazelnut liqueur.

Nice textural sweetness that is countered by fine acid/tannin synergy. Intensely flavored, but never heavy. Flows very nicely, and has surprising length. I'm not sure what this should really sell for, but this may be the stupidest value in refined wine I've ever seen. RFG.


$12. Satisfying action even for serious winos.

Gardies "Les Milleres" Cotes du Roussillon Villages 2006

Purple/red.

Vinturi - aromas of shoe polish, saucy black raspberry, earth, citrus and herbs.

Round, plush entry. Fairly strong acidity and moderate tannin gradually assert themselves. Nothing remotely brutal, though, as this retains a textural sweetness throughout. Very satisfying, soulful stuff and another wine that will benefit from 2-4 more years in the bottle.


$24 from Doug at Feast. This must be mostly Grenache.

Algueira, Ribeira Sacra 2006

Very deep red.

Vinturi - black cherry, earth/nut, savory meat sauce nose.

Intense entry - strawberry and earth flavors have good depth/plushness. Strong acidity really forces the salivary glands into action. Lean from the mid-palate on. Herbs on the finish. Worth cellaring for a few more years. Good winery - I think this is the third vintage I've tasted and all have been very good or better.


$25. 100% Mencia.

Anselmet, Petit Rouge, Vallee d'Aoste 2008

Pale, vibrant red.

Vinturi - discreet aromas of pepper, earth/lentil and red cherry/raspberry. Subtle, very attractive cinnamon note shows late as does a floral element. PFG.

Light-bodied with pepper and spice entry. Flavors increase in intensity through the finish, where all aromatic notes repeat in the mouth. Strong acidity cuts across the mouth. This smells, tastes/feels almost like a white (yes, another GV comparison). Leather shows up late. Interesting stuff.


$25? Gift from Laura Williamson. Petit Rouge is apparently a variety native to this area in NW Italy.

Terenzuola "Montesagna" Vermentino, Colli di Luni 2008

Straw/light yellow.

Aromas of ripe pear, apple, nut.

Fairly intense pepper character right off the bat, similar to Gruner Veltliner. Has fully ripened pear and citrus flesh flavors too. Nice juxtaposition - sweet/spicy - with mineral chew coating all the teeth. Fun, interesting, refreshing stuff. Very easy to guzzle.



$20 from Doug at Feast. Synthetic cork = drink now.

Domaine de Pallus "Pensees de Pallus" Chinon 2007

Deep red.

Vinturi - red pepper, toasted nut, rose, red cherry and earth nose.

Round, gentle (initially) middle-weight. Lacks the depth of the 2006, but purists may well like this version better. Again, very intelligent use of oak here. Lively, with fairly strong acidity driving tannin into the finish. Simple roast chicken would be a good bet here. Drink over the next 4-6 years.


$25 from Doug at Feast. The Wine Loft in Flagstaff had the 2006 back in February. 100% Cabernet Franc from the Loire Valley of France.

La Playa "Loud River, Roaring Red" Colchagua Valley (Chile) 2005

Purple/red.

Vinturi - toast/tar/hazelnut, deep black fruit and herb nose. Nicely integrated. Hints of leather and game, too.

Round, plush and mouth-filling. Very good concentration with moderate acid/tannin synergy adding firmness in the finish. This is remarkably good and interesting at this ridiculous price. And it has bottle age.


$11 from Doug at Feast. Tin-lined screwcap. 50% Petit Verdot, 40% Carmenere, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon.

Inama "Piu" Carmenere, Veneto Rosso 2006

Very deep red.

Despite the name, the nose is extremely attractive - herbs, toast, red and black fruits, earth and a floral quality. Refined, understated, beautiful. No vinturi - initially opened/sampled 2-3 hours ago.

Round and plush, outstanding mid-palate flesh. This is RFG for the $$$. Acid/tannin synergy builds without derailing flavor flow. Nothing huge here - measured, intense, structured. Could drink a ton of this over the next 6-8 years.


$24 from Doug Levy at Feast (Tucson). 75% Carmenere, 20% Merlot, 5% Raboso Veronese.

Curran, Grenache Blanc, Santa Ynez Valley 2007

Platinum/straw.

Aromas of ripe apple, jellied white fruit.

Nice fruit sweetness immediately tempered by strong mineral/acid spine. Pure, ripe, taut. Not showing much complexity, but this is all too easy to drain. Great at the table, too.


$30. From Kris Curran (Sea Smoke).

Yarra Yering, Pinot Noir, Yarra Valley 2004

Light, dull red. Evolved rim.

Understated nose - spicy red fruit, underbrush/earth.

Round, mouth-filling, weightless. Nice, covert, acid/VA edge provides form/shape. Entirely satisfying spicy red fruit and woodsy/earth flavors start to finish. Long. Very easily overlooked in a blind tasting, just like the last YY wine I tasted (#2, 2003).
A model of subtlety, but not (yet?) showing the complexity I expected.


$80. 13.5% alcohol

Vatican "Sixtine" Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2001

Deep red.

Vinturi - nose of earth, oak spice, hazelnut, fig and herb. Maybe a hint of black raspberry. Not yet giving it up.
Much deeper with another hour of air. Black fruit liqueur now, too.

Round, dense entry. Flavors of roasted herb and earth are a bit dull. Slightly edgy tannin hits the front teeth hard. Slowly coming out of its shell as it sits.
An hour later this now shows less (initial) tannic bite and a very deep, plush mid-palate. Flavors brighter now. This will be around for a very long time. FK in a structured way.


$45

Tenute di Serramarrocco "Grillo del Barone" Sicilia 2006

Bright yellow.

Nose of lemon sauce, dried apricot, cumin(?), spearmint and a woodsy/earthy quality.

Much leaner than expected in the mouth, with lemon and mineral flavors dominating. Acid/mineral chew coats the front teeth. Subtle Riesling-esque petrol note. In fact, this feels and tastes like dry, aged Riesling. No fat - taut, driving. Tanzer's "acid thrust". Lemon and sulfide finish. This just gets more interesting as it warms. Long. RFG.



$35? Gift from Sariya JB. Grillo is a Sicilian white. Never heard of it.

Fontodi, Chianti Classico 2006

Deep red.

Vinturi - savory toasted hazelnut, earth, crancherry and spice nose. Nice depth and lift. PFG.

Intensely flavored, partly a result of strongish acidity brightening everything from the get go. Mid-palate shows good stuffing, then acidity really puts the mouth into lock down. But cherry flavors re-emerge late. Needs cellar time, maybe quite a bit (5-8+ years?).


$28

De Conciliis "Donnaluna" Aglianico, Paestum IGT 2008

Purple/red.

Vinturi - deep earth/nut/oak toast and black fruit aromas.

Nice breadth in the mouth, even has some textural sweetness. Deep, ripe fruit and earth mid-palate flavors precede significant acid/tannin synergy that whacks the side teeth. Still, nothing brutal here. Nice length. Obviously could use 2-3 more years in the bottle.


$23. Good stuff.

Pelissero "Nubiola" Barbaresco 2006

Red.

Vinturi - nose of Frangelico, earth, cherry liqueur. Getting better and better as it airs. Even getting a white pepper note. Subtle, elusive and very sexy stuff.

Round and plush (particularly for Nebbiolo). Initially at least, then acid-driven tannin take over the front teeth, gums and lips. But not brutal. Flavors of strawberry and savory hazelnut. Could use some years in the cellar, or old-school slow roasted meat and potatoes.

Day 6 - Ah - tar and roses. And strawberries. RFG. Still.

$35.

Panther Creek, Shea Vyd., Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2006

Red.

Nose of oak spice/toast, black cherry coulis, pepper, savory earth/nut/meat. Even has some floral lift. Pretty oaky at the start, but rapidly becomes integrated and complex. PFG.

Round and dense, with nice mid-palate flesh. Acid/tannin/sulfide chew asserts itself in the finish, coating the front teeth. Definitely one for the cellar. I wouldn't touch a bottle of this for 3-4 years.

Interesting - after using the Vinturi, this is far more open and generous in the finish (as might be expected). Much greater initial volume as well. So decant or Vinturi if you'll be drinking this soon.


$45? Gift.

Domaine du Mas Blanc "Cosprons Levants" Collioure 2007

Purple.

Vinturi - typical salt water taffy, with deep black fruit (liqueur), pepper and earth aromas. Not particularly precise, but way deeper than any Mas Blanc I can remember.

Round, plush and deep in the mouth as well, with a note of fragrant, sawn wood added to flavors that follow the nose. Grainy acid/tannin synergy hits the front teeth fairly hard, impeding flavor flow a bit. Interestingly, there is a cinnamon character here as well... Idiosyncratic wine, as usual. Needs 3-5 more years, at least.



$25. Syrah, Mourvedre primarily.

Marcassin "Three Sisters" Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast 2005

Light, dull red.

Sexy nose of red licorice, red cherry, savory meat/nut and herbs. Difficult to resist.

Round and mouth-filling, completely coats the mouth with red cherry and potent "red hot"/cinnamon stick flavors but with no sense of weight. Acid/cinnamon tannin edge keeps this in line, but is unobtrusive. Very refined for something so sensual - really beautiful stuff. Red hot/cinnamon flavor stuck in the mouth.


$75.

Terenzuola "Fosso di Corsano" Vermentino, Colli di Luni 2006

Full yellow.

Nose of pineapple jelly, hazelnut, some citrus zest, pepper and mint.

Intensely pepper spicy in the mouth with acid/mineral chew immediately hitting the front teeth. Tanzer's "inner-mouth perfume" in spades. Quite rich and deep to boot, but not at all heavy. Peppermint goes long into the chewy, tactile finish. RFG. Also opened earlier today, when it showed some residual CO2 and a Riesling-like petrol character.


$35? Another gift from Sariya. Did this see some new(ish) oak? Seems like a hint, but probably not.

Colli di Lapio di Romano Clelia, Fiano di Avellino 2006

Light yellow.

Understated nose hints at something deep and rich. Reminds me of Marsanne in that sense. Pear, quince and smoke? Mint?

Fleshy and deep, with nice acid and light mineral edge. Now reminds me of Alsace. Still can't really get a handle on this - citrus, pear, petrol, iodine flavors? Interesting head scratcher with great length. Opened earlier today.


$35? Gift from Sariya J.B. who imports this into the US (Marc di Grazia). Fiano has a great reputation (apparently quite famous in Roman times). The Australians seem to like it too. Oliver's Taranga among them.

Burgans, Albarino, Rias Baixas 2008

Straw/light yellow.

Interesting, attractive nose of nut paste, talc, pear/peach.

Ripe flavors of peach flesh with a bit of pit bitterness as a nice counterpoint. Moderate acidity and minerality give a light edge that keeps this fresh. Chewy acid/mineral finish hits the front teeth. Very good stuff.


$18

Chateau La Fleur-Petrus, Pomerol 2006

Deep red.

Opened last night. Open-knit, very sexy aromas of hazelnut, suave oak spice (cinnamon), red and black fruit.

Very attractive middle-weight in the mouth. Bright, lifted without the density of "great" vintages, but this will be comfort drinking for many years. Significant acid/tannin synergy in the finish suggest another 4-5 years of cellaring, at least. Additional complexity the attainable goal.


$ ? (not cheap) Courtesy of Frank Bostock.

Torbreck "The Gask" Eden Valley 2007

Saturated purple/black.

Opened last night. Very deep, but fine aromas of black olive/pepper/toasted oak/nut/bacon/menthol/melted licorice and a saline nuance. Fig and black raspberry underneath. This would be interesting in a flight of North Coast CA Syrahs.

Packed and very suave in the mouth, with alcohol a non-issue. This is FK, has real life and immense depth with no sense of weight. Moderate tannic chew in the finish keeps it real. Holy shit - this is good. And I'm not generally a huge fan of Torbreck.


$ ? (not cheap) Courtesy of Frank Bostock. Not available in the US, apparently. 15% alcohol listed.

Les Pallieres "Les Racines" Gigondas 2007

Red/purple.

Vinturi - expressive nose - black raspberry/cherry coulis, clay/earth/hazelnut with a floral lift. PFG.

Fills the mouth, plush and loaded simultaneously, with a grainy acid/tannin edge that brings focus without impeding flavor flow.
Shows a pepper character in the mouth, that, along with slightly chewy tannin, suggests stem inclusion. Has real lift in the mouth. This is RFG and built for a long window of great drinking. Wine "life lesson" #1 - buy and drink more stuff like this.


$35. 80% Grenache, 8% Syrah, 7% Cinsaut and 5% Clairette (Very interesting, esoteric white variety that features prominently in the white wine from Vieux Telegraphe in Chateauneuf which happens to be one of the partners in this estate. The other partner is importer Kermit Lynch). Cinsaut is mis-spelled Cinsault on the back label, PFF. From a 60+ year old parcel of vines.

Alto Moncayo, Garnacha, Campo de Borja 2004

Very deep purple/red.

Vinturi - attractive, deep nose - coconut, savory meat stew, pepper with black fruit underneath.

Considerable textural sweetness with some mid-palate heat that throws flavors off track through the finish. Totally disjointed in the finish, where fairly strong acidity kicks in. I thought I was going to change my mind about this wine based on the nose ...
Hated my first bottle a few years ago.

$40. Chris Ringland is the consulting winemaker. 16% alcohol listed.

Clos St. Jean "Vieilles Vignes" Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2007

Red/slight purple.

Vinturi - plush nose of red raspberry/cherry coulis, hazelnut/earth/meat and some oak spice(?). No hint of garrigue..

Round and loaded/plush/mouth-filling. Shows some heat in the mid-palate, but that may be a function of youth. Very interesting take on CdP - this (I think) is entirely de-stemmed, picked late and sees some new oak. All about fruit and texture at the moment. Certainly structured, though, with acid/tannin synergy significantly tapering the finish. Will this become more complex with age? Probably.


$45. This would be fun in a blind tasting with Saxum and Linne Calodo.

Marcassin, Three Sisters Vyd., Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast 2005

Bright yellow.

Low-key aromas of lemon oil/lemon zest, fresh herbs, earth and toasted nut.

Extremely dense (Tanzer's"solid") in the mouth. Lemon, sulfide/mineral and caramel flavors. Mineral/sulfide/acid synergy gives a nice edge to the onslaught of richness. Mouthwatering balance - leaves no sense of weight. Just an incredibly long finish of lemon, caramel, iodine and mineral/sulfide "chew". Tasted barely chilled. As usual, it's hard to stop drinking this stuff. FK.


$75. 14.4% alcohol listed.

Betz "Clos de Betz" Columbia Valley 2005

Very deep red.

Vinturi - deep, loaded, nose - black raspberry, savory earth/nut/meat, fig, oak spice.

Packed and plush in the mouth. Quite refined, with just a suggestion of grainy tannin/concentration. Strawberry and chocolate show up in the mouth, too. It would be really easy to drain this right now, but it's built to age gracefully. I wouldn't mind trying this in 12-15 years. RFG.


$46. 56% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Malbec, and 9% Cabernet Franc.

Havens, Merlot, Napa Valley 2005

Deep red.

Vinturi - attractive, integrated nose of hazelnut, herbs, red pepper, black raspberry.

Round and plush, with very good depth and length. Mild acid/tannin synergy keeps everything firm and lifted, so to speak. Good stuff. But doesn't seem to have the guts/interest of something M.H. would have bottled himself.


$20. Unfortunately this winery no longer exists. Michael Havens hopefully got his money up front. Great, thoughtful, winemaker.

Numanthia, Toro (Spain) 2002

Purple/red.

Vinturi - nose of black cherry/blackberry coulis, earth/hazelnut, black pepper and olive. Deep, but also has nice lift.

Round and intense, showing a coconut/pepper/earth character that reminds me of Rioja, as does the acid-driven structure. Almost "citrusy" in feel (think zest). Which is very interesting. 2002 was a cooler year in most of Europe, so we get a Toro (hot area) that tastes/feels like Rioja (cooler). I actually like this wine far better than the massively extracted '98 or '99. Nice pepper finish intertwined with significant acid/tannin synergy.


$45 on release. 100% Tempranillo.

Craneford "John Zilm" Petit Verdot, Barossa Valley 2002

Deep, saturated red.

Vinturi - menthol, oak spice, blackberry, earth nose with a medicinal nuance.

Plush and mouth-filling, initially. Then an edge of acidity (decent bit of VA?) whittles the wine down to a middle-weight feel. Not particularly detailed, but definitely has guts and enough flesh to cover its bones.


$25 on release.

Clos les Lunelles, Cotes de Castillon (Bordeaux) 2003

Deep red/purple.

Vinturi - nose of earth, dried fig, licorice, tobacco, chocolate and black raspberry. This has a (positive) confectionary aspect that reminds me of something (good) from Australia.

Round, very deep, and low-toned (slightly flat) in the mouth. A reduction sauce, flavor-wise, that could use some lift. All tannin in the clenching finish. Interesting 2003. Big, burly thing that can't dance.

Day 3 - Nose is beginning to flatten/dry out. Dried out reduction now, totally dead in the finish. A great argument for irrigation in crazy, hot, years...


$35. I think the blend is based on Merlot.

Quinta do Vallado, Tinto, Douro (Portugal) 2007

Purple/red.

Vinturi - nose of black raspberry/cherry coulis, subtle pepper and earth. Refined and very attractive.

Low-toned entry gets a bit of an acid jolt in the mid-palate. Intensely flavored from that point on, and fairly lean. Acid/tannin synergy works on the front teeth in the finish. Middle-weight. Not as deep as expected, but nice stuff nonetheless. Interesting to try this again tomorrow.

Day 5 - Nose is still great, with better "fit" in the mouth, start to finish. Intensely flavored throughout, with no fat. Definitely worth buying and cellaring.


$25. Tinta Barroca, Tinta Roriz (=Tempranillo), Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional and Sousao.

Bella Luna, Tempranillo, San Benito (CA) 2005

Deep red.

Vinturi - very sexy nose shows significant, well-integrated, oak(?) contribution - toasted nut, deep earth, red pepper with red and black fruit underneath.

Nice textural roundness and depth whittled down to size by fairly strong, but unobtrusive, acidity. Flavor and structure on two tracks. Nice, subtle length. Interestingly, oak seems not to be a major factor in the mouth. Sulfides? Probably - contributing to the "acid" impression in the mouth. Good stuff, real depth.


$30? Gift from Mike Irwin. 14.6% listed alcohol.

Graham's, Vintage Porto 1994

Slightly dull red, brick rim.

Vinturi - nose of brandy, black raspberry, deep (black) soil, Fig Newton, celery. Something savory here, too.

Wildly deep and sweet in the mouth, but the "brandy" tames it to some extent. Adds orange liqueur to the flavors that follow the nose. Tannin eventually asserts itself, making this nearly dry in the finish. But spicy black fruit, earth and stemmy flavors keep kicking. This isn't close to maturity - maybe another 10 years - especially in a 750mL.


$35? 375mL. Seems appropriate that the 1000th post on this blog should be (RFG) Vintage Port.

Syncline "Subduction Red" Columbia Valley 2008

Red.

Vinturi - open-knit aromas of pepper, strawberry, earth and nut.

Round, with some textural sweetness. Pretty, relying on its direct, fresh strawberries and cream flavors and easygoing texture. Delicious and perfect for social work.


$22. 26% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 24% Cinsaut, 12% Mourvedre, 9% Counoise, 4% Carignan.

Casa Gran del Siurana "GR-174" Priorat 2007

Red/purple.

Vinturi - clay/earth, pepper, shoe polish, savory nut nose with cherry underneath.

Round and quite suave/plush. Really nice concentration/density, with moderate acid-driven tannin keeping everything clean, focused. This is also RFG and another stupid deal. Well worth buying a case of this and drinking it over the next 7-8 years. Nice core of plush red cherry/raspberry flavors.


$17! 35% Garnatxa=Garnacha, 30% Carinyena=Carignan, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon.

Monte la Sarda, Garnacha, Vino de la Tierra del Bajo Aragon 2007

Deep red.

Vinturi - deep earth/truffle/nut, red cherry sauce and red licorice nose.

Quite deep in the mouth too, with bright, taut citrus zest (grapefruit/orange), cranberry, cherry and earth flavors. Acid-driven structure coats the front teeth in "chew". Nice, pungent, length. RFG and the real deal. Stupid price. Technical cork means this will be able to handle 3-5 years of cellaring. Buy it.


$13! From 45+ year old Garnacha=Grenache from an area 125 miles west of Barcelona.

Clerico, Ginestra, Barolo 1997

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Pax "Cuvee Keltie" Syrah, North Coast 2003

Slightly dull, saturated, purple/red.

Vinturi - deep, saucy nose - black and green olive/fig/pepper/licorice/5 spice powder/grilled meat/shoe polish/grilled herbs/pepper steak (slightly redundant) ... This is absolutely FK.

Low-toned, packed and grainy in the mouth, without the complexity shown on the nose. Still there's plenty to like here, with a fragrant sawn wood note that is not from oak, licorice and grilled herb flavors too. Stem inclusion very much in evidence, as the stiff, chewy, tannin takes over the mouth from the mid-palate on. Nowhere near maturity. I gave a bottle of this as a gift to somebody. Want it back, whoever you are. Mind-blowing, individual, Syrah from CA.


$70. 14.8% listed alcohol. 100% whole cluster fermented Syrah from several vineyards. Aged in essentially neutral 500 liter barrels (I think all of this is correct...)

Three Rivers, Syrah, Boushey Vyds, Yakima Valley 2004

Purple/red.

Vinturi - vibrant nose shows nice purity - blackberry liqueur, fig, earth/oak spice. Reminds me of (really good) Australian Shiraz. Late note of cigar ash.

Mouth-filling, but not heavy. Middle-weight, with nice concentration/depth. Fairly strong acidity keeps this bright and linear through the finish. Nice stuff.


$? Gift. Probably $30-35

Domaine du Mas Blanc "Clos du Moulin" Collioure 2007

Saturated purple.

Vinturi - total freak show of a nose - salt water taffy, blackberry, fig, wood spices, earth, meat reduction ....

Round, deep and low-toned with a distinct, powerful flavor of cinnamon stick that reminds me immediately of the central element in recently tasted bottles of Marcassin Pinot. Disulfide action - but that's geek stuff. Interesting, though, as it is reductive winemaking and/or reductive varieties that I've seen this in - Riesling, Pinot and now Mourvedre. Also, interestingly, this feature tends to obliterate other, more subtle, flavors. But this still ends up showing additional flavors of blackberry, brine and earth.
Singular wine that will make many folks shoot a nasty biscuit. Definitely worth buying and cellaring for 8-10 years (at least).


$25. Mostly Mourvedre from an area just north of the Spanish border, on the Mediterranean.

Tablas Creek, Mourvedre, Paso Robles 2007

Purple/red.

Vinturi - nose of blackberry coulis, seared meat, pepper and a deep, very attractive, earth note. Smells plush.

Round and plush - even manages an almost Grenache-like sweetness in the mouth. Packed with black fruit and spice flavors, with just a moderate, fine, load of tannin. Powerful, but pretty gentle for Mourvedre. Tannin builds, but never shuts down the action. Not wildly complex, but this is almost certain to add some stuff with additional cellar time. PFG.


$30. 14.5% listed alcohol.

Olivares "Altos de la Hoya" Monastrell, Jumilla 2007

Red/purple.

Vinturi - understated nose of raspberry/cherry, gravy, earth and spice.

Linear in the mouth, with fairly strong acid/tannin synergy working against little flesh. Reasonably concentrated, but finishes short and lean (for the moment at least). This may flesh out with a day in the open bottle, but I doubt it.


$15. Synthetic cork - drink over the next year or two.

Umani Ronchi "Jorio" Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2005

Saturated purple/red.

Vinturi - deep, slightly saucy nose - blackberry, spicy fig, salami, earth, savory nut.

Much lighter than expected in the mouth, light/middle-weight. Still packs good flavor punch, though, with fairly strong acid/tannin synergy. Feels like Bordeaux (sans new oak). Nice stuff.


$18. 100% Montepulciano.

Pegau "Cuvee Reservee" Chateauneuf-du-Pape 1999

Red, evolved rim.

Vinturi - expressive, complex nose - grilled herbs, woodsmoke, earth/toasted nut, soy sauce, cherry liqueur and iron. Orange, spicy ketchup and grilled meat as it airs.

Round and mouth-filling, but not "thick". Nice textural sweetness is well-buffered by moderate acidity and an iron "edge". No heat whatsoever. This is still a bit bound up, flavor-wise, but additional airtime should take care of that problem. PFG.


$45. 13.5% listed alcohol.

Quinta do Noval, Vintage Porto 2007

Opaque black/purple.

Vinturi - huge, deep nose of lightly baked black fruit (raspberry, blackberry, fig), earth, hazelnut liqueur, spice, savory meat and a medicinal nuance. Stupid.

Round, huge and sweet initial impression gradually dries out to some extent, yielding a spicy/garrigue character that again reminds me of southern France. Les Cailloux CdP specifically. In fact, this finishes every bit as dry as the Dow's, but starts out far sweeter. Which makes me think I could be dead before this reaches its prime in a 750 mL bottle. So much for Port as mental therapy...

Day 3 - Far deeper and sweeter than the Dow's now. Not as complex at the moment, though. But the depth is crazy. Definitely 6 feet under before these are.

$45, 375mL.

Dow's, Vintage Porto 2007

Opaque black/purple.

Vinturi - Chambord/blackberry sauce/fig paste/earth/hint of celery on the extremely deep nose. Alcohol almost entirely masked.

Deep and intense, with initial sweetness whittled down to an almost dry finish by strong tannin. Brandy peeks out more in the mouth, but nothing crazy. Loaded, but not as flattering young as other producers' wines. Typical of Dow's drier style, apparently. Long, spicy finish shows a celery/garrigue character that is reminiscent of the southern Rhone.

Day 3 - All over the place (in the best sense) now until late in the, still nearly dry, spicy finish.


$38, 375mL. The '94 version was one of my favorites from that vintage. Crazy complexity after several years in the bottle.

Domaine Les Pallieres, Gigondas 2006

Red.

Vinturi - clay/earth, red cherry coulis, lifted spice nose. Hazelnut and pepper with air. Refined, subtle, and PFG.

Round and plush, with textural sweetness buffered by spicy stem tannin. Flows evenly start to finish - spicy red fruit, earth. Long, perfumed. Beautiful stuff, nervy, no fat.


$28. Owned by the Brunier family of Vieux Telegraphe in Chateauneuf du Pape and Kermit Lynch.

Domaine d'Andezon, Cotes-du-Rhone 2006

Purple/red.

Vinturi - very sexy, integrated nose of oak spice, leather, black raspberry, chocolate and earth.

Plush with very nice depth. Fairly strong acidity clamps down in the mid-palate, impeding flavor follow through. But this should work itself out with a couple more years in the bottle. Nice purity - refreshing.


$17

Dominio de Valdepusa (Marques de Grinon), Petit Verdot 2003

Opaque purple/red.

Vinturi - intense, slightly warm, aromas of spiced fig paste, earth, blackberry pie filling, black pepper. More lifted than it sounds.

Round and packed, with acid/tannin synergy slowing moving in from the sides of the mouth. This is the real deal, far better than a 2001 in Sacramento a few years ago. Loaded in every way, but not overdone. Alcohol is slightly elevated, and will bother some, but easily forgiven in my book. Finishes big and chewy, but not abrasive or brutal. Needs lamb cassoulet (broken record).


$50. Dominio de Valdepusa is its own Denominacion de Origen, the first estate in Spain to be so recognized. 15% alcohol.

Bouza, Tannat, Uruguay 2006

Saturated purple/red.

Vinturi - deep aromas of earth, oak spice, fig/black fruit reduction.

Round and plush, initially, with a gamey edge. Strong acid/tannin synergy cuts through any textural "give". Front teeth coated in chew. This needs some fat/protein. Impressive. Hard to know where this is going, though.


$20. Great name for a winery.

Marcassin "Tony Zio Ranch" Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast 2003

Light yellow.

Smoke/sulfide/truffle, Meyer lemon flesh and zest, caramel and even a hint of pepper on the nose.

Extremely deep and packed in the mouth, like very few white, or red, wines I've tasted. Sulfides contribute smoke and truffle flavors and also a structural "edge" that cuts through the richness along with fine, strong, acidity. Really remarkable richness/tension. Just want to keep drinking the stuff. Finishes long and subtle, with mineral/sulfide edge and lemon/caramel flavors stuck in the mouth.


$75. Tasted just slightly chilled.

Tenuta delle Terre Nere "Calderara Sottana" Etna Rosso 2005

Red.

Vinturi - deep black cherry/hazelnut liqueur, earth and other stuff I can't articulate. Smells sumptuous.

Deep, plush in the mouth, with great textural sweetness immediately rectified by strong, fine, acidity. This is totally cool action. Much riper in texture and flavor than any Passopisciaro I've had, but not as finely etched.

Day 4 - Much firmer now, no textural sweetness. Shows a smoke/ash/leather character that reminds me of Aglianico.


$25. Nerello Mascalese from Mt. Etna in Sicily. Owned by Marc di Grazia and his brother.

Domaine de Couron, Marselan, Coteaux de l'Ardeche 2007

Purple.

Vinturi - deep, fresh black fruit, earth and oak nut/spice nose.

Round and plush, with some textural sweetness. Tanzer's "urgent" fruit character - reminds me of Priorat to some extent - with strong acidity and moderate tannin. Ultimately, though, this is closer to a really good Cotes-du-Rhone. Gutsy.


$15. Marselan is a French cross (Cabernet Sauvignon X Grenache Noir). This is the first varietal bottling I've seen.

Pallus "Les Pensees de Pallus" Chinon 2006

Deep red.

Vinturi - shows the effects of enlightened use of oak - sexy spice/earth/nut, black pepper, black fruit and a floral character on the nose.

Round, mouth-filling with an unobtrusive acid edge that firms things up. This tastes/feels like an extremely well-made Bordeaux with oak in the background. Only more "give" here. Not yet showing much flavor complexity. Give it 5-7 more years in bottle. Acidity increasingly dominates finish, but is not brutal. PFG.

Day 5 - Now showing a red pepper character. Round and deep, but suave as well. A bit of iron in the finish now. RGS.

$28. Cabernet Franc.

Joguet "Les Petites Roches" Chinon 2006

Deep red.

Vinturi - deep black fruit, licorice, earth/spice on the nose. No obvious oak.

Round and surprisingly fleshy after the nose. Quite spicy, with intense black fruit flavors and a thread of "green-ness" that is not off-putting. Definitely a middle-weight, with significant acid/tannin synergy in the finish. This will benefit from several more years of cellaring.


$25. Cabernet Franc from the Loire Valley.

Brundlmayer, Zweigelt, Rose', Langenloiser 2008

Light pink.

Nose of ruby grapefruit, earth, wax and a hint of the ocean.

Strawberries and citrus in the mouth, with nice flesh and balancing acidity. Tasty - grows on you. Definitely dry in its impression.


$20. Zweigelt is an Austrian red variety. Tin-lined screwcap.

Acustic "Brao" Montsant 2005

Purple/red.

Vinturi - shoe polish, hazelnut, black raspberry coulis, pepper. Tight, linear, complex.

Initial textural sweetness immediately hammered by strong acidity. But has enough mid-palate material to ride through it all. Way young..


$50. Gift from Mike Irwin. Old vine Grenache and Carignan from an area adjacent to Priorat (Spain).

John Duval Wines "Plexus" Barossa Valley 2004

Deep red.

Vinturi - this could only come from Oz - medicinal/meat/toasted nut/slight barnyard/black raspberry nose.

Round and completely plush/confectionary in the mouth. Nothing subtle about this now (much more discreet a couple of years ago). Shows a saline character, too. But I'm not sure this wasn't better a couple of years ago.


$38. From the long-time winemaker of Penfolds. 49% Shiraz, 27% Grenache, 24% Mourvedre.

Ecluse "Rendition" Paso Robles 2006

Deep red.

Vinturi - saucy, sumptuous, deep, Paso nose - hazelnut sauce, earth, black fruit. Lacks clarity.

Deep and saucy in the mouth too, and very satisfying. But, again, this shows a blast of one thing, one note. Fun, but hard to enjoy for any length of time.


$40. 59% Syrah, 22% Grenache, 19% Mourvedre. 15.3% listed alcohol.

Walter Dacon, Syrah "Appanage" Boushey Vyds., Yakima Valley 2007

Red/purple.

Vinturi - smoked meat/smoky oak, earth/nut, black raspberry nose. Attractive, open.

Utterly round, mouth-filling, with just a touch of textural sweetness. Opulent, but nicely filled in, slightly grainy/saline impression. Not the deepest or most concentrated wine, but seamless and completely integrated. A beauty that will satisfy almost everyone - Oz meets the n. Rhone. RFG. Just a dusting of tannin on the front teeth to keep it real.


$45. 14.3% alcohol listed.

Thackrey "Sirius" Eaglepoint Ranch (Mendocino) 2001

Saturated purple.

Vinturi - very sexy, sumptuous nose - toasty oak, macaroon, grilled meat, earth and black fruit - reminds me of Mariano Garcia's Aalto from RdD.

Round, mouth-filling and powerful. Exceptionally attractive stuff - deep, even, plush. Even shows a hint of Thackrey's signature eucalyptus. I would never guess this was Petite Sirah. There's tannin here, but it's finely rendered (result of very long maceration? Well over 30 days, approaching 60, if I remember correctly). TFK.


$50.

Bastide Blanche "Cuvee Fontanieu" Bandol 2001

Purple/red.

Vinturi - deep, complex, nose - clay/earth, tree bark, oak spice (but there isn't any new oak here), blackberry, licorice, pepper and a medicinal note.

Round and dense in the mouth, with excellent mid-palate depth. Shows a bit of heat, but nothing crazy. Grainy tannin hits quite late and never quashes flavor flow, which is all black (fruit, licorice) with medicinal character repeating. Front teeth get a bit chewy, though. I wonder when this thing will peak? 5-8 more years?


$25 on release. Just got some '07, which is $28, and still stupidly cheap. 15.5% alcohol listed. 100% Mourvedre.

Tardieu-Laurent "Vieilles Vignes" Cornas 2001

Deep red.

Vinturi - crazy, cool, nose - smoke/breakfast sausage, spicy ketchup, wilted greens, potato/earth.

Round and texturally sweet, initially, then chewy stem tannin kicks in to firm things up quickly. But this has very nice mid-palate flesh to buffer structural load. Structure and flavor riding on two parallel tracks. This is FK. Could drink this anytime. This needs some lamb cassoulet, or Caldo Verde from Portugal. Long, chewy, greens/meat/earth finish.


$65.

Clape, Cornas 2001

Deep red.

Vinturi - integrated, complex nose - black raspberry, fig, herbs, licorice, savory earth/nut/spice. Self-contained, subtle.

Mouth-filling and round, with tannin barely noticeable at the periphery of the mouth. Very suave and sexy, especially for Cornas. Tannin builds a bit, but never becomes intrusive. You could actually enjoy this on its own. But the best bet is something simple like grilled lamb sausage.


$50. 100% Syrah from the northern Rhone.

Tablas Creek,Tannat, Paso Robles 2007

Purple.

Vinturi - very attractive nose of lightly baked blueberry/blackberry, cinnamon pie crust, earth.

Round and plush, with a light edge of astringent tannin that increasingly asserts itself. And keeps asserting itself. Deep black fruit and spice flavors keep kicking, though. This is RFG, and I'd love to see it again in 5-7 years.


$30. 15% alcohol listed. Tannat is from SW France. Micro-oxygenation was originally developed to help tame its tannic ferocity.

Chateau Brown, Pessac-Leognan (Bordeaux) 2000

Deep red.

Vinturi - interesting - red pepper coulis, greens, hazelnut/earth, red cherry, charcoal nose with a saline/tidal nuance. FK. Continues to evolve in the glass.

Round, plush, light to middle-weight. Delivers the goods with no overt sense of weight. A beautiful thing. Not "great", but few (real) winos would quibble, especially at this price. Still has a few years of evolution to go, but much fun right now. RFG.


$25

La Fleur de Jaugue, Saint Emilion Grand Cru 2006

Red/purple.

Vinturi - very sexy nose - red and black cherry, black raspberry, earth, oak nuts, herbs with a perfumed quality.

Round, with very nice density and lift. Significant acid/tannin synergy cuts into the finish a bit, but this could easily be enjoyed now with real food. Better, though, with 3-4 more years in the bottle. The oak influence is barely noticeable. Pretty, pure.


$30(?) Can't remember

Uvaguilera "Palomero" Ribera del Duero 2001

Red/purple.

Vinturi - killer nose - smoke, savory meat/nut, coconut/black fruit custard with a bit of Brett game and a medicinal nuance. Something saline, too. Reminiscent of a Massena bottling from Oz. Only more pure.

Deep middle-weight, with full bass and treble notes. Nothing heavy here, and the tannin is remarkably refined and the fairly high acidity well-integrated. Flavors follow from nose, with subtle, great, length. This was absolutely brutal on release (2004?). FK now and will continue to improve for several more years, I'd guess.

Day 3 - nose is even more killer, integrated. More bass in the mouth. Worth every penny.

$95. Another RdD from Burgos. 18 months in new French and American barrels.

Chateau d'Aiguilhe, Cotes de Castillon (Bordeaux) 2000

Saturated red/purple.

Vinturi - charcoal/oak toast/toasted nut/grilled herbs/smoked salmon (indeed)/black raspberry nose.

Immediate, intense, black fruit, herb and toast flavors and acid/tannin synergy. Smacks you right in the mouth and doesn't let up. Some welcome mid-palate flesh eases the impression a bit, but this thing isn't remotely close to its peak. Loaded.



$25. Made by Derenoncourt.

Flechas de los Andes "Gran" Malbec, Mendoza 2007

Saturated purple.

Vinturi - deep, slightly baked, black fruit, coconut, earth/nut nose.

Round, concentrated, with some textural sweetness. Black fruit and coconut in the mouth, with significant acid/tannin synergy clenching the front teeth. Nice follow through in the finish. Very young and likely to develop well in the bottle.


$17. Cheap. Collaboration between Rothschild and Dassault.

Chateau Raspail, Gigondas 2007

Deep red.

Vinturi - spicy cherry, earth nose isn't giving it up easily.

Round and fairly dense, with spicy stem tannin hitting in the mid-palate and strengthening on the finish. Significant front of the mouth lockdown. Seems to lack some depth of flavor to counter its structural load. Very good, though.

Day 5 - No lack of depth now. Even shows an exotic mango character. Stem lift/chew keeps it fresh. Loads of mid-palate flesh. Absolutely stupid deal.

$20

Langwerth von Simmern, Riesling, Kabinett, Erbacher Marcobrunn 2008

Straw.

CO2 enhanced nose of lemon, nectarine and hints of petrol and white pepper.

Shows a light saline character in the mouth. RS cut nicely by strong mineral/acid spine - mouthwatering nectarine action. Has excellent concentration. This is RFG. Driving mineral/nectarine finishing chew.


$25. From Frank's shop in Tucson. 9.5% alcohol.

Alonso del Yerro "Maria" Ribera del Duero 2005

Saturated purple.

Vinturi - smoke/oak char, black raspberry, earth/nut nose.

Round, deep and plush, with a fairly stiff acid spine slowly revealing itself. Nothing easy about this, and built for the long haul. Stephane Derenoncourt consults here, and there is, in fact, a strong resemblance to the wines he makes in Bordeaux. Not even close to shaking the fun stuff.


$65. 14.7% alcohol listed. 100% Tempranillo, I believe. From Burgos (as are the difficult wines of Dominio de Atauta), one of the coolest regions in RdD.

Clos Marie "Simon" Pic Saint Loup 2004

Dull red/purple.

Vinturi - spicy ketchup, iron, grilled/wilted herbs, grilled meat nose.

Round and loaded, seamless. Everything from the nose echoed in the mouth. No heat, huge mid-palate material. Acid (decent VA?) constriction in the finish. Cote Rotie on steroids, with little loss of clarity/fineness.


$40. 50% Syrah, 50% Grenache.

Cave de Saumur "Les Vignoles" Saumur Champigny 2005

Deep purple.

Vinturi - earth, black fruit, savory nut nose has nice lift.

Intensely flavored middle-weight exhibits no obvious oak influence. Shows a crushed blackberry/orange/mineral character throughout. This rocks. Mineral chew coats the front teeth. Subtle, perfumed, finish shows an iron note late.

Day 3 - Now showing a red pepper coulis aspect as well. Deeper too. This is FK and built to age (and improve) for years.
Joke $$.

$23. 100% Cabernet Franc. From Frank Lietzau importer and retailer in Tucson.

Saxum, James Berry Vyd., Paso Robles 2007

Purple/red.

Vinturi - deep nose also shows nice lift - black fruit and strawberry, savory meat/earth/nut, shoe polish, steak sauce. Very attractive, sumptuous.

Round, sweet and completely mouth-filling, with a hit of alcohol throwing things off-track a bit in the mid-palate. Alcohol/acid/tannin synergy constrict the finish, but still has nice follow through. I'd drain this over the next 2-3 years.


$80. 15.8% alcohol. 41% Grenache, 31% Mourvedre, 28% Syrah.

Wind Gap, Grenache/Mourvedre/Syrah, James Berry Vyd., Paso Robles 2007

Red.

Vinturi - orange/grapefruit zest, earth/savory nut, licorice (both colors), cranberry - just keeps giving stuff up on the nose.

Round, mouth-filling but has a simultaneous, nearly pungent, grapefruit zest edge that cuts through any easiness here. No way I'd guess this was from CA. I'd guess Spain. Tanzer's "painful" intensity in spades. Completely kills the idea (along with all the Tablas Creek wines) that Paso fruit needs crazy ripeness to get "palatable" acidity. Depends on the palate.

Day 3 - Deeper, saucy now. Still has great citrus zest lift in the mouth. This will be very interesting to follow over 6-10 years.

$70? 14.9% alcohol.

Chateau Paradis "Terre des Anges" Coteaux d'Aix en Provence 2007

Saturated purple/red.

Vinturi - deep, packed, "plush" nose shows very well-integrated oak influence - black raspberry reduction, hazelnut sauce, A-1, earth. Extremely attractive.

Round, with acidity immediately curtailing breadth and really making itself known in the finish. Nothing hard about this, however.
Plenty of mid-palate flesh, but a bit bound up at the moment. A day or two of air should take care of that.


$25. 55% Syrah, 30% Grenache, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. Michel Tardieu has a hand in this.

La Confession, St. Emilion 2005

Saturated purple/red.

Vinturi - considerable oak influence is nevertheless very sexy - smoke, grilled meat, grilled herbs, cinnamon, hazelnut, black cherry nose.

Round, plush middle-weight, with acid/tannin working in slowly from the sides of the mouth. This is PFG already. Very easily enjoyed right now with dead animal/rich sauce stuff. Nice, perfumed, finishing flavors. This should really rock in another 3-5 years.


$40? Can't remember.

Mogador "Nelin" White Priorat 2007

Straw, light yellow. Slight copper tinge.

Quince, nutmeg, lemon and a toasty/leesy note on the nose.

Intensely flavored, lean, with strong acidity and a lemon/mineral/leesy character that (again) reminds me of really good Champagne. I expected this to be broad and mouth-filling given that it is apparently based on Marsanne. There is a bit of initial almond richness, but that recedes in the mid-palate, only to flare up again in the very long finish (almond/mineral). Unusual, interesting.


$45. Marsanne, Roussanne, Viognier, Macabeo and Pinot Noir

Taltarni, Shiraz, Pyrenees Victoria 2004

Saturated purple.

Opened six hours ago - much lower-toned now, though it still shows a lifted juniper/eucalyptus note on the nose. Savory earth and saucy black fruit rule, with a tidal aspect, too. Deep.

Round and saline initially, with outstanding density/concentration. Manages the same lifted notes in the mouth as well that keep this from being heavy. Acidity is unobtrusive, but definitely adds to the leavening effect. RGS - very tasty and interesting.

Day 2 - Andes mint nose now. Round, with very good density in the mouth. Mint repeating. RGS, especially for the price.


$18

Perrin, Cotes du Rhone Villages 2007

Purple.

Opened 6 hours ago - vibrant cracked pepper, crushed blackberry and earth/hazelnut nose (now).

Very perfumed in the mouth - citrus blossom/orange zest/pepper flavors that just keep going and going. Hints of iron and herbs too. Fairly high acidity and moderate tannin clench a bit in the finish, but flavors ride on. No fat whatsoever, but full of life and intensely flavored. This is killer. And the price is hilarious. This should get better with another year in the bottle and drink well for 4-5 more at least.

$12. 50% Grenache, 50% Syrah.

Pax "Obsidian" Syrah, Knight's Valley 2004

Deep red/purple.

Vinturi - more open than the 2003 - killer aromas of black raspberry coulis, menthol/licorice, pepper, savory meat/nut sauce. Serious, deep, nose candy.

Round and loaded in the mouth, too. Deeper than the 2003 and more expressive with less of a structural load. Still chews on the front teeth, just more gently. Deep, full flavors of menthol/licorice, spicy fig show some heat. Still, this is FK.

Day 5 - Now more restrained than the 2003 on the nose. But very much in line with the above notes. Integrated and ultimately more complex than the '03. God this is good. Not as flamboyant in the mouth as the '03, but more complete/refined.

$75

Pax "Obsidian" Syrah, Knight's Valley 2003

Deep red/purple.

Vinturi - reticent nose is nevertheless loaded - licorice, spicy fig, hazelnut liqueur, wilted herbs, vanilla. Saucy.

Round, mouthcoating and dense. Grainy tannic "chew" also supported by impression of acidity that may be stem related. Totally different feel than the Favia. Menthol, celery/herb and licorice flavors. A bit spiky, but nothing crazy. Great length and finishing chew - difficult to distinguish structure from flavor. Meshed.

Day 5 - Nothing reticent about the nose now - menthol, melted licorice, huge fig action. FK. Round, mouth-filling with a completely loaded mid-palate that just rides into the finish. Yada. Alcohol a non-issue.


$75

Favia "Sal y Miel" Bennett Valley Syrah 2004

Red/purple.

Vinturi - integrated nose shows menthol, pepper, fig, toasted nut, raspberry/strawberry. Discreet.

Round and mouth-filling, but treads lightly, with nice acidity. Very nicely put together, with good length. Lacks a bit of depth.


Day 5 - Way deep now, with great aromatic and flavor delineation. Not as powerful as Pax, but far better, definitely more complex and deep, than I originally thought. Beautiful.

From a (now) famous young couple - Annie Favia and Andy Erickson.

$45? Can't remember

Bastide Blanche "Cuvee Estagnol" Bandol 2006

Purple/red.

Vinturi - earth/hazelnut, spicy black fruit, beet and hints of sausage/game on the nose.

Deep, packed, no fat - immediate, typical, grainy tannin is a bit harsh at this point. Major finishing constriction, but flavors wriggle through. Just needs some time, say 4-6+ years. Or the proverbial "hot cup of fat.


$28. Mourvedre.

Clos des Papes, Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2005

Deep red.

Vinturi - cherry/red raspberry jelly, hazelnut/earth nose. Pristine, pure.

Round, plush and mouth-filling. Nice acid edge moving in slowly from the periphery of the mouth. Ultimately coating the front teeth in light "chew". Earth, spice and cherry jam flavors show Tanzer's "sneaky" length. Still, this needs 4-5 more years to start shaking the fun stuff. For drinking tonight, the Hecht & Bannier wins the cage match.


$65 (before the Wine Spectator shot a biscuit over the stuff)

Hecht & Bannier, Cotes du Roussillon Villages 2003

Deep red.

Vinturi - Spicy herbs, iron, cherry liqueur and toasted nut nose. Very interesting/integrated/attractive.

Round with a slight textural sweetness matched immediately by grainy density/concentration and moderate acid/tannin chew. Shows herbs, iron and cherry liqueur in the mouth, too. RFG and just stupid $$. I'd drink this over the next three years.


$20. Mostly Grenache, with Carignan, Mourvedre and Syrah.

Feudi di San Gregorio "Piano di Montevergine" Taurasi 1999

Saturated purple/red.

Vinturi - smoke/ash, blackest of black fruit, play-doh, suave oak spice, Sambuca nose.

Very intense, bracing entry - black fruit, licorice, celery, sawn redwood - on a wave of huge acid/tannin synergy. Somehow flavors continue to flow, despite an almost complete mouth shutdown. Really interesting action and nowhere near maturity. Redwood character has serious hang-time. Another wine that needs a cup of hot lamb fat.


$65. 100% Aglianico.

Zind Humbrecht "Hengst" Gewurztraminer 2003

Yellow/light gold.

Deep, "thick" aromas of orange/grapefruit marmalade, lychee candy and a floral nuance. Killer.

Deep, quite sweet, and yet is not heavy at all. Picks up a bright orange zest character in the mid-palate which keeps kicking through the extremely long finish. Even a light iodine note very late. This rocks and is way too easy to drink.


$70. 14.5% alcohol, indice 4 (just shy of dessert wine).