Deep red.
Deep raspberry/citrus coulis, toasted nut and light earth nose. Opened yesterday, when it showed a vibrant citrus zest pungency.
Similar in the mouth, with the evolution over a day matching that of the nose. Plush raspberry and light citrus flavors ride throught the mid-palate. Finishes with moderate citrus zest chew. Really good action, and stupidly cheap.
$14
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Friday, December 12, 2008
Olivares, Dulce Monastrell, Jumilla 2004
Opaque purple.
Deep, sumptuous, killer nose shows no heat/brandy influence (can't remember if this is fortified, believe it is not). Reduction sauce - figs, dates, nuts, spice. Exotic, fragrant, wood, too.
Deep, ridiculously sweet and mouthcoating, with the fragrant wood note repeating in the "finish". Despite its enormous depth, this still comes across as reasonably fresh. Absolutely FK. Yada ....
Day 5 - This really is a complete meal. Deep, sweet and loaded. Dried fruits and lifted, fragrant wood notes.
$35/500mL One of the best dessert buys on the planet. Every year.
Deep, sumptuous, killer nose shows no heat/brandy influence (can't remember if this is fortified, believe it is not). Reduction sauce - figs, dates, nuts, spice. Exotic, fragrant, wood, too.
Deep, ridiculously sweet and mouthcoating, with the fragrant wood note repeating in the "finish". Despite its enormous depth, this still comes across as reasonably fresh. Absolutely FK. Yada ....
Day 5 - This really is a complete meal. Deep, sweet and loaded. Dried fruits and lifted, fragrant wood notes.
$35/500mL One of the best dessert buys on the planet. Every year.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
P. Usseglio "Cuvee de Mon Aieul" Chateauneuf du Pape 2000
Deep red, rust rim.
Immediate, wild aromas - blood/iron, savory meat, earth, garrigue, green bean (but this is almost 100% Grenache. I think, no Syrah) with kirsch underneath. Also a toasted nut character that I'd normally think came from oak, but this is aged in concrete (or neutral, large oak).
Deep and round, but an edge of acidity and iron and a green sourness (like the l'Hortus) keep any textural sweetness at bay. Intense and tough sledding in the mid-palate. Iron, garrigue and cherry flavors manage to drive through. Long and almost "minerally" finish dominated by iron. Can't imagine anyone mistaking this for a wine from Janasse or Clos St. Jean.
Hate to flog a dead horse, punny, but this needs a dead animal in the worst way. Lamb.
Day 4 - Still aromatically crazy, in a good way. Some will find this rude, however. Much easier in the mid-palate, but still edgy. Long, green, smoky, iron/blood, cherry jam finish. Hilariously out of sync with the contemporary wine scene.
$65
Immediate, wild aromas - blood/iron, savory meat, earth, garrigue, green bean (but this is almost 100% Grenache. I think, no Syrah) with kirsch underneath. Also a toasted nut character that I'd normally think came from oak, but this is aged in concrete (or neutral, large oak).
Deep and round, but an edge of acidity and iron and a green sourness (like the l'Hortus) keep any textural sweetness at bay. Intense and tough sledding in the mid-palate. Iron, garrigue and cherry flavors manage to drive through. Long and almost "minerally" finish dominated by iron. Can't imagine anyone mistaking this for a wine from Janasse or Clos St. Jean.
Hate to flog a dead horse, punny, but this needs a dead animal in the worst way. Lamb.
Day 4 - Still aromatically crazy, in a good way. Some will find this rude, however. Much easier in the mid-palate, but still edgy. Long, green, smoky, iron/blood, cherry jam finish. Hilariously out of sync with the contemporary wine scene.
$65
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Domaine de L'Hortus "Grande Cuvee" Pic Saint Loup 2004
Deep. slightly dull, red.
Deep spicy, meaty nose is difficult to articulate. There's also a "green" earth character that brings a green chile tamale to mind. There must be some Syrah here.
Round, with a spicy, stemmy, green edge. There's definitely Syrah here. Very structured in a northern Rhone sort of way. Middle-weight and intense, but difficult to enjoy at the moment. Needs appropriate food. Remarkably similar to the L'Aigueliere "Cote Doree" 1996 tasted earlier this year.
$25
Deep spicy, meaty nose is difficult to articulate. There's also a "green" earth character that brings a green chile tamale to mind. There must be some Syrah here.
Round, with a spicy, stemmy, green edge. There's definitely Syrah here. Very structured in a northern Rhone sort of way. Middle-weight and intense, but difficult to enjoy at the moment. Needs appropriate food. Remarkably similar to the L'Aigueliere "Cote Doree" 1996 tasted earlier this year.
$25
Monday, December 8, 2008
Elderton, Cabernet Sauvignon, Barossa 2005
Deep red.
Sweet, creamy herb nose reminds me of Shirvington's 2002 Cabernet tasted years ago. But this is less flamboyant. Earth, oak spice and blackcurrant underneath.
Herb, oak spice and brown sugar make an immediate impact in the mouth. Nice roundness and initial harmony. Gets a bit dis-jointed in the finish, with acid and tannin going haywire. Not sure what to make of this. Like this less each time I go back.
Day 3 - More integrated aromatically, with blackcurrant hitting early. Brown sugar and acid-driven structure hitting later now.
Still get the impression that this will never sing, though. Good material, but any kind of structural reconciliation doesn't seem to be in the cards.
$25
Sweet, creamy herb nose reminds me of Shirvington's 2002 Cabernet tasted years ago. But this is less flamboyant. Earth, oak spice and blackcurrant underneath.
Herb, oak spice and brown sugar make an immediate impact in the mouth. Nice roundness and initial harmony. Gets a bit dis-jointed in the finish, with acid and tannin going haywire. Not sure what to make of this. Like this less each time I go back.
Day 3 - More integrated aromatically, with blackcurrant hitting early. Brown sugar and acid-driven structure hitting later now.
Still get the impression that this will never sing, though. Good material, but any kind of structural reconciliation doesn't seem to be in the cards.
$25
Calvet-Thunevin "Cuvee Constance" Vin de Pays des Cotes Catalanes 2005
Deep, bright, red.
Earth/oak/nut nicely woven into the deep, spicy red and black cherry/raspberry fruit nose. Shoe polish and licorice too. Very fresh and deep, not an easy task.
Really plush, deep and sweet in the mouth, with bright acidity framing everything lightly. This is really good, very fine. Reminds me of the Artazu de Santa Cruz Garnacha, only this has better balance. Acid-constriction tames the finish. I'd drink this over the next 5-6 years.
Day 3 - Very deep, confectionary nose of black raspberry, almost like Banyuls. Similar to day 1, but deeper. Acidity still comes on strong. Long, pure, mineral finish.
$18? Can't remember. Stupid value.
Earth/oak/nut nicely woven into the deep, spicy red and black cherry/raspberry fruit nose. Shoe polish and licorice too. Very fresh and deep, not an easy task.
Really plush, deep and sweet in the mouth, with bright acidity framing everything lightly. This is really good, very fine. Reminds me of the Artazu de Santa Cruz Garnacha, only this has better balance. Acid-constriction tames the finish. I'd drink this over the next 5-6 years.
Day 3 - Very deep, confectionary nose of black raspberry, almost like Banyuls. Similar to day 1, but deeper. Acidity still comes on strong. Long, pure, mineral finish.
$18? Can't remember. Stupid value.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Marcassin, Marcassin Vineyard, Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2003
Red.
Melded, sexy, nose of oak spices, earth and cherry coulis. Getting more sumptuous as it airs.
Round, broad and mouthcoating, with an edge of acidity and sulfides keeping everything in check. Not at all flamboyant at this point. Quite structured, in fact, with acid/sulfide edge dominating the finish and coating the front teeth in finely ground "chew". This will be interesting to watch over the next 5-8 years.
Day 3- Great nose that shows significant oak influence, something I rarely see in these wines. But they are also being released sooner. Much broader in the mouth, with a distinct cinnamon edge that morphs into a disulfide character further into the finish. Very interesting stuff. This may evolve for years and be very long-lived.
$130
Melded, sexy, nose of oak spices, earth and cherry coulis. Getting more sumptuous as it airs.
Round, broad and mouthcoating, with an edge of acidity and sulfides keeping everything in check. Not at all flamboyant at this point. Quite structured, in fact, with acid/sulfide edge dominating the finish and coating the front teeth in finely ground "chew". This will be interesting to watch over the next 5-8 years.
Day 3- Great nose that shows significant oak influence, something I rarely see in these wines. But they are also being released sooner. Much broader in the mouth, with a distinct cinnamon edge that morphs into a disulfide character further into the finish. Very interesting stuff. This may evolve for years and be very long-lived.
$130
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