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.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Sunday, April 18, 2010
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.
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.
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.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
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 $$$. Acid/tannin synergy builds without derailing flavor flow. Nothing huge here - measured, intense, structured. Could drink a ton of this over the next 6-8 years.
$24 from Doug Levy at Feast (Tucson). 75% Carmenere, 20% Merlot, 5% Raboso Veronese.
Despite the name, the nose is extremely attractive - herbs, toast, red and black fruits, earth and a floral quality. Refined, understated, beautiful. No vinturi - initially opened/sampled 2-3 hours ago.
Round and plush, outstanding mid-palate flesh. This is RFG for the $$$. 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.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
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).
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
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
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
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
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
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