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Tasting
Notes
November/December, 2004
QPR
Winner I give this award to wines that
demonstrate an excellent quality to price ratio. They are sometimes more
expensive than the wines featured in my Best Buys section (which is cut
off at $20), so while every Best Buy is also a QPR Winner, not every QPR
winner is an official Best Buy. QPR winners are simply wines that are
great values for a relatively reasonable price.
Alsace Australia
Bordeaux Burgundy California/USA
Dessert/Sparkling Germany Italy
Alsace (except dessert/sparkling)
1989 Gewurztraminer Vendange Tardive "Bergheim"
(Deiss)
There are just hints of off-dryness here, now, and a touch of cognac floats
around the finish. Still, this is easy to drink, and elegant, and mid-palate
seems pure, pristine and refreshing. I think this needs to be drunk and shows
some hints of nearing the end of its peak life, but it has a certain enchanting
charm at the moment that I appreciated, even if it is a bit stern and reticent
for a VT--call it old-fashioned VT. 89 points.
1997 Gewurztraminer "Cuvée Théo--Clos des Capucins" (Domaine
Weinbach)
Burnished and lovely, this isn't quite young, but not exactly old
either. It's off dry, and finishes sweeter than the mid-palate presages.
At times it seems corpulent, high in glycerine, rich, smooth and velvety. Yet,
it manages to be rather elegant and charming, too. With air, it does what great
gewurz does: it resolves into pepper and spice. Yum. 92 points.
Australia (except dessert/sparkling)
1997 Shiraz "Rayner Vineyard" (Brokenwood)
The last bottle I had of this was a disjointed, oaky mess, cracking up,
losing fruit and showing little of interest. Whether it was a bad bottle or
this has actually pulled together with some cellaring, I'm not sure. (Perhaps
some of both...) This is, however, a considerable step up. Oh, it's a
little bit on the oaky side, and it has clearly lost its power and focus a bit.
But it shows pleasing harmony at times, and a gentle charm that this time was
appreciated. 88 points.
1994 Chateau L'Angelus
Served blind, this suggested to me a left bank
1996 Chateau Pichon Lalande
A beautiful blend, with caressing texture,
and a soft, sensual feel. This has plenty of brightness to go with the velvet
and cassis, and there's a touch of leather and game for distinctiveness. Like a
lot of '96s I've been tasting, it is coming along rather fast, and seems
to show touches here and there of tertiary notes. It is bright and sunny,
though, elegant and flavorful. Double decanted for about nine hours. Open on
the table for some time, too. 93 points.
1996 Chateau Pichon Baron
This was a controversial wine, and I'm not
sure it's a pristine bottle. Needs to be retasted. Even as it was, I rather
liked it. It seemed to show a healthy dollop of game or brett, and the charred
aspect made me suspect some heat damage. It certainly seemed far along, and I
suspected it was much older than it was. Yet, it was very intense, very bright,
and the acid driven attack led your mouth to water. The strawberry notes of
maturing fruit, while surprisingly old, were not offputting. I'd just expect to
see them in a 1985, not a 1996. I can't rate this under the circumstances, but
still enjoyed it. Double decanted for about nine hours. Open on the table for
some time, too.
1995 Chateau Pichon Baron
Sweet and bright, this shows great focus,
while delivering lots of tasty fruit. It becomes somewhat more tannic with more
air, but the tannins are supple, and the fruit remains delectable. I enjoyed
this a lot. I'm not so sure it is very deep or complex, but it drinks well and
has a lot of charm. Double decanted for about nine hours. Open on the table for
some time, too. 92 points.
1996 Chateau Lynch Bages QPR Winner
This showed a lot like Pichon Lalande
above--a sensual texture, some maturing notes. Double decanted
for about nine hours. Open on the table for some time, too. It arguably has
better focus and grip, and I liked the very precise attack, and cassis flavors.
This shows a bit more liveliness than the last one I had--even though the last
one was from magnum. I think a lot of these 96s are coming along fast and the
length of decanting--even though it was just double decanting--was too much. 92
points.
1996 Chateau Calon Ségur
Beautiful and deep. This is big and
mouthfilling. The depth and concentration didn't detract from charm and flavor,
though, as the wine projected gorgeous, sweet fruit. Double
decanted for about nine hours. Open on the table for some time, too. There are
some notes of game and leather, but the fruit is pure and pristine, and laced
with cassis. Big and powerful, this wine also manages to be velvety in texture
and caressing. The powerful structure is never overbearing. 95 points.
1996 Chateau Lafon Rochet QPR Winner
Double decanted for about nine hours. Open
on the table for some time, too. Bright and focused, this wine is penetrating,
but the depth of fruit that characterizes the Calon, above, is clearly missing.
If this is much smaller scaled, it is still lovely, with persistent flavor, and
delectable, primary fruit. An exceptional value in many vintages, including
this one, this is another well done Lafon. 90 points.
1995 Chateau Calon Ségur
Double decanted for about nine hours. Open on the table for some time, too. I
love the mouthwateringly fine finish, and the grip on this wine. Contrasted
with the '96, this is brighter, and much more acidic, not as lush, and not
quite as deep. I rather like the balance better on the '96, but this is a nice
wine, too, although it requires more cellaring. 91 points.
1996 Chateau Sociando Mallet QPR Winner
Double decanted for about nine hours. Open on
the table for some time, too. Focused, and earthy, this wine shows some
tertiary notes now, some forest leaves and leather, and seems rather linear.
It drinks nicely and tastes good, but it was hard to get excited by this when
it was surrounded by much more interesting '95s and '96s. 89 points.
1995 Chateau L'Angelus
Double decanted for about nine hours. Open on
the table for some time, too. Gorgeous. This has just been such a sexy,
charming wine from the moment of release. It is hardly falling apart--it seems
as good as ever today, just as flavorful, just as delectable, just as tasty.
The mid-palate has acquired some more civilization, is about the only change
here. It was hard to put this down. 95 points.
1996 Chateau Latour à Pomerol
Double decanted for about nine hours. Open on
the table for some time, too. This is a bit rustic, showing heavy tannins and
leather, power and good focus. There is some fruit here, too. I rather liked
this a lot at times, at other times I wondered if the balance was appropriate.
It is sure a right bank wine with a left bank demeanor, more brooding and
reserved. 88 points.
1996 Chateau Léoville Barton
Double decanted for about nine hours. Open
on the table for some time, too. Here's another '96--note the long
decanting, though--that shows some tertiary notes and some signs of maturity.
It is medium bodied, with leather and tar notes, and a pleasingly bright
finish. I never got much complexity, intensity or depth here, though. It was a
nice drink, but had some trouble keeping up with the company. 90 points.
1996 Chateau Lagrange
Double decanted for about nine hours. Open
on the table for some time, too. This took no prisoners. Laced with some bretty
notes, it was big and powerful, full bodied and rich. There was plenty of
tannin, too, lots of barnyard and intensity on the finish. This is a cellar
candidate for sure--it needs some time to integrate its components. But there's
a lot of STUFFING here. 93 points.
1996 Chateau Cos d'Estournel
Double decanted for about nine hours. Open on the
table for some time, too. Another
1995 Léoville Las Cases
Decanted at the table. Had perhaps an hour of air, which seemed to work
out fairly well. This was beautiful--a soft, velvety texture, great richness
and depth, beautiful finish. This full bodied wine seemed to deliver
everything--finesse, depth, finish. That's why it gets 96 points.
1990 Chateau La Conseillante
Rich, ripe and opulent, this has come along beautifully. There was a
point in its life when it just seemed dense, closed and unyielding. It
coupled its opulent mid-palate with a bright finish. As it aired out more, it
also showed tertiary notes, forest and earth. It concluded with a fine finish
that lingered and turned out to be by far its best feature. 93 points.
1990 Chateau Troplong-Mondot
Stunning. This opened rather distinctively, showing an excellent finish,
but a tightly wound wine that was hiding lots of details and just showing hints
of leather. With air, it went in the other direction from what I thought it
would be--namely, it seemed to get younger and more pristine, more pure,
fresher. It retained that tightly wound, highly focused demeanor, but now it
was all about delivering a core of fresh fruit into the mid-palate and slamming
it home. There was a great finish with respectable brightness, too. 95
points.
1987 Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou
This opened rather powerfully, showing more body than I expected, but that was
overlooked by all given how bretty and annoying the nose was. The fruit seemed
gamey and rather unpleasant in flavor, even though there was more depth than
anticipated. With air, some of the bretty notes moderated, but the fruit also
began to crack up. This wasn't, at the beginning or end, all that much fun to
drink, despite showing more concentration than I expected. 80 points.
1988 Chateau L'Eglise-Clinet
This opened with a touch of game, and seemed soft, velvety and a bit simple, although
I really liked its round mouthfeel. It responded to air far better than I
thought it would though, showing some liveliness, a little power, a fuller
mid-palate, and more interesting flavor nuances on the fruit. This is drinking
very well now, and has held well, but there is really no reason to hold it
longer--and it might not be wise to do so. Very nice. 90 points.
1988 Chateau Domaine de Chevalier
This is a middle of the road wine at this point, showing nice harmony of fruit,
and little intensity. It opened with a sour nose, but that blew off, and
eventually this drank well, had a lot of charm, enjoyable fruit with some
earthy notes, and a smooth, sensual mouthfeel. It is admittedly nothing special
at this point, though, a bit lacking in distinction and finish. 88 points.
1988 Chateau Leoville Las Cases
Big and full bodied, this has a beautiful, mouthfilling, mouthcoating grip to
it that I liked a lot. It evolves in the glass to a point of impeccable
balance, and shows a nice finish, too. It certainly shows mature notes, some
earth, forest leaves, leather, but the fruit is still rich and admirably deep.
Very nice. 92 points.
1988 Chateau Rausan Segla
This opens very tight, showing absolutely nothing, by far the tightest of the
88s on this page, which is a big surprise. That's why you open the bottles! It
was heady and powerful, closed and austere. With a little air, I thought it
actually became a bit tart, showing a little raspberry. It opened slowly, but
inexorably, though, and it became just delicious, throwing off waves of
raspberry fruit, in a big, powerful, and rather focused presentation. Great
performance. It was never quite as smooth as the L'Eglise Clinet, as charming
as the Chevalier, or as velvety as the Las Cases, but it seemed the
freshest and most pristine of the group. 92 points.
2002 Chambolle-Musigny "Les Cras" (G.
Barthod)
An incredible nose, evocative of freshly crushed cherries, opens this wine.
It is dry on the finish--you almost expect something else--and the beautiful
red berry notes, raspberries turning to cherries, continues onto the palate.
The texture is sensual, but there is a touch of a candied note on the finish.
You hope that some cellaring will make this more than a one dimensional fruit
bomb, but it sure is delectable and hard to resist. 92 points.
2002 Gevrey-Chambertin (Faiveley)
This shows fine grip and power, a lot of sturdiness--and not much else. The
color is light, the flavors muted, and you wonder when it might show more fruit
and flavor to go with its admirable structure. I can only say over a couple of
hours, I never saw much of either fruit or flavor, which made this wine a bit intellectual.
It has a chance of improving and softening with some cellaring, to be sure. 87+
points.
1990 Morey St. Denis "Clos de la Bussière"
(Roumier)
This old favorite is showing some age these days, but is still drinking
well, a great performance for its status and then modest price level (under $30
on release). It opened rather depressingly flat, showing good depth, still,
some touches of forest and earth, and little else. Goodbye, fruit, I thought. I
knew it well. I was startled at how lively this became with half an hour of
air--it picked itself up and made a stand. The fruit is clearly mature, showing
touches of strawberry, but flavor there was at last--and again. It showed
grip as well as depth, and it is clearly not dead or dying. I would, though,
say--drink up. It's not getting any better, it has already passed its peak, by
a couple of years I think, and while it won't die tomorrow, it needs drinking
in the near term for best results. 88 points.
1995 Chambolle-Musigny "Les Sentiers" (R.
Groffier)
This opened with a nice, velvety texture, but underneath there was acid,
more acid, some lovely raspberry fruit, and more acid still. It softened with
air and became a bit more approachable, but it managed to retain a somewhat
stern and somewhat tart demeanor throughout its evolution. This is a powerful
wine built for aging, but I'm not sure the acid is really in balance with the
fruit, or the results will ever be superb as this wine is cellared. 88 points.
1999 Vosne-Romanée "Les Maizières" (A-F.
Gros)
This opens, firm, somewhat flat in flavor, and relatively austere, but comes
alive with some aeration, showing some nice raspberry notes. It has a light to
medium body, and seems more mature as it airs out, too. It finishes a bit tart,
and the fruit seems to crack up a bit by the end of the evening. For the price,
around $30, and the early performance, it is very enjoyable. I'd suggest
drinking early and often for maximum pleasure. But I don't see this improving
with mid-term cellaring, and quite the reverse might be true. 86 points.
California/USA (except dessert/sparkling)
1998 Cabernet (Jones Family)
Pleasant in body, with some roundness, brightness, elegance and supple fruit,
this nonetheless has an unpleasant whisky-like aftertaste. It gets worse and
worse as it airs out, as if rather odd oak treatment has overtaken and consumed
this wine. I say "odd" because it won't seem like typical over-oaking
to you. There's no vanilla and coconut. The flavors are harsh and bitter.
When this was released, it was one of the more charming '98s, but it has gone
downhill REAL fast to the point where no one wanted to finish a glass of this
pricey wine. I hear people making a case for '98s periodically, but all I can
say is that it hasn't been my experience that they are developing well. 80
points.
1994 Cabernet Reserve (
Served blind, this inspired no one to guess cabernet, which is not a vote
of confidence in this wine. The somewhat offbeat flavor profile included
plums and rhubarb. Now, the good news was that it opened ripe and aggressive,
with both structure and nice depth of fruit. The bad news was that it developed
poorly, acquiring some harmony and integrating some components, but never
seeming very typically "cab." Not bad. Not inspiring, either.
87 points.
1995 Cabernet Limited Edition
"Tuthills Lane Vineyard" (Paumanok)
Served blind initially, and double
decanted for two days in the refrigerator, most people guessed Bordeaux, and a
pretty good one at that. It had a beautiful berry nose, with some earth. It
showed brightness and lively, supple tannins that nonetheless gripped your
palate firmly even at age 9. I loved the grip and firmness of the wine,
especially since the structure integrated well with the fruit, which was
flavorful, fresh and persistent. When we finally tasted this next to some
Pauillacs, it seemed more obviously new world. Still, this is a nice
performance for any new world cab. Learning it came from
1998 Petite Sirah "Frediani Vineyard" (J.C. Cellars)
The good news---this wine is no longer quite as odd and eccentric as it seemed on release, when bitter, off flavors seemed to dominate it. The bad news--it is still at best mediocre. It shows medium to light bodied at the moment. The depth is acceptable. But the flavor is muted and the fruit is fading. It has a slightly tart aspect, as the acidity and structure of the wine are clearly winning out over the muted, simple fruit. One dimensional at best, this would make a nice inexpensive quaffer, but unfortunately it sold for closer to $30 than $10. 84 points.
2002 Zinfandel "Ueber
This opens powerful and burly, but the first thing you notice is how sweet
and sensual the nose is, redolent of raspberries and chambord. The fruit is
succulent, too, if not quite as flamboyant, and with time, the wine settles
down so well from its powerful initial incarnation that some were wondering if
it had enough structure (it does, IMHO, although just enough). Everyone,
though, loved the succulent, pure and delectable fruit on this new vineyard
offering. A hedonist's delight. Let's see if it is as interesting in two or
three more years. 92+ points.
2001 Zinfandel "
There's a touch of chocolate around the edges, and the finish is initially
a bit on the bitter side. With some time and air, it actually becomes quite
elegant, lighter than the other Turleys on this page, although still tasty and
with some obvious oak. This was outclassed by the competition, but on its own
is very nice wine. 89 points.
1996 Zinfandel "Aida Vineyard" (Turley)
I didn't like what this was doing on opening one bit. It seemed harsh,
heady and disjointed, rather unpleasant. There were hints of better things to
come, some raspberry notes, incredibly persistent flavor, and a certain
underlying richness and opulence to counterbalance the oak, acid and tannin. It
was somewhat surprising to see how well this wine pulled itself together after
half an hour, because my first thought was that the fruit was cracking up a
bit. Its parts came together beautifully and it showed a persistent, flavorful
finish that I loved. There was always a little element of harshness lingering
in the background, though. You could argue that this wine needs more time, but
I would tend to err on the side of caution. Give it some air, drink now. 92
points.
2001 Zinfandel "Pringle Family Vineyard" (Turley)
Of the Turleys on this page, I thought this was the winner, by a small bit.
It was the most complete wine, showing the utterly delicious fruit of the Uber
2002 Zinfandel "Pagani Ranch Late Picked" (Ridge)
Ridge's "Late Picked" series often seems to be its answer to the
Turley/Martinelli school. I reported on one recently that seemed downright
sweet, almost dessert wines. I've had others, like the "Nervo" that I
loved. This is in between. There's just a hint of sweetness on the edge, but
the wine is dry. I liked its velvety demeanor and tasty, ripe fruit. It seemed
relatively easy, open and simple for such a young wine, at times almost barrel
sample-like. Ultimately, very nice, but it seems to me a brick short of
exceptional. 89 points.
1999 Pinot Noir "Carneros" (Saintsbury) QPR Winner
Boy, is this more and more Burgundian every day. Saintsbury has a reputation
for making pinots more on the elegant side. Sometimes, too much so... But 1999
is an excellent vintage for them. This when young showed compact and bit light.
While its weight has not increased, it has expanded nicely, and shows
varietally true flavors, in an elegant, velvety package, with some brightness
around the edges. There are some gamey notes up front that old time Burg lovers
will adore. The finish is better than I expected and for modestly priced pinot
it has held well, and even improved with cellaring. It would still be nice to
have a bit more depth here, and a little more intensity, but in its modest
price range, around $22, it is excellent. It's hard to get fine pinot for
modest money. 89 points.
1999 Pinot Noir "
This pinot, $30-ish, is charming, and against my expectations has actually
improved in the cellar in the last year. I didn't think it was going
anywhere--but it was. It opened with a beautiful nose, and great black cherry
flavor nuances, but not much else. Time and air removed the one-dimensional,
slightly flat quality it had, and produced a livelier wine with delectable red
berry notes, good depth and nice, velvety texture. Good pinot is never cheap.
This is well priced for what it is and a relative bargain. 90 points.
2000 Merlot "Mariage" (Martin Ray)
Very ripe, rather sweet and oaky, this has a surprisingly rich presentation
for the vintage, but it is almost as if they overcompensated a bit. Still, this
had good body for the vintage, ripe and tasty fruit, if nuanced by some rhubarb
and strawberry, and a flavorful finish. A bit eccentric, but well worth
drinking. 88 points.
1999 Pinot Noir "Le Moulin Rouge" (Peter Michael)
Brawny, very ripe, opulent and delectably sweet, this big pinot is not
exactly on the elegant side on opening. It's rich, deep and ripe, and simply
delicious. It has structure and firmness to go with the cherries and
raspberries. It shows more power and tannin a couple of hours later, even as
the fruit starts to civilize and acquire some pinot typicity. The next day,
this is surprisingly genteel, still tasty, very correct. This is a pinot that
leans on the Hedonism side of the ledger, but don't think it's over the top.
It's well constructed, and should age nicely for another 5-7 years. From Pisoni
Vineyard grapes. 93 points.
2002 Pinot Noir "
This famous pinot vineyard (made famous by Kistler, Williams & Selyem,
for instance) is featured here by those that own the vineyard. This is a good
effort, but it's missing something. It opens aggressively, a bit oaky but also
with some focus, good ripeness and decent depth. The flavors are correct and
enjoyable. With air, it settles down a bit, but the heat comes out, and it
seems alcoholic and unwieldy, without sufficient fruit to balance everything
out. There were moments that I liked this a lot, but towards the end of the
evening I wasn't going back for thirds and fourths. 88 points.
2003 Pinot Noir "Estate Old Vines" (Patricia Green) QPR Winner
I've found some wines from this winery to be a bit too light, a bit too
eager to sacrifice fruit in favor of elegance. Well, this year it is almost as
if there is a new winemaker in charge. Oh, this wine is still well balanced,
but it shows considerable depth and penetrating fruit. That's relatively
speaking, of course. It isn't deep next to the Peter Michael, above. But it's
well constructed. It does also come around very fast, losing all of the
aggressive aspects with an hour of air, and becoming rather charming and
elegant. It is, of course, rather young, to resolve so completely so quickly,
but this should also go for under $30. It should drink well young, and be
delicious for its useful life. Personally--I'd want to drink them within five
years or so, maybe sooner. If I'm wrong, so be it, but err on the side of
caution. 90 points.
1995 Syrah "Eisele Vineyard" (Araujo)
I haven=t
always found these age well, but this one has held nicely. There=s that chocolate cherry note from a
combination of very ripe fruit and oak, to which some will object, but it has a
nice finish, its parts integrate extremely well and its chock full of flavor.
It expands nicely and softens in the glass, too. 90 points.
1994 Cabernet "Napa" (Turnbull)
This opened with a touch of mint, and seemed bright, and a
bit on the light side. Served with a lot of other
>94
Cal Cabs, it was surely the lightest. For all that, it has held exceptionally
well. If the fruit has thinned, it was pure and pristine, flavorful and
friendly. Lots of nice red berries dancing in a lively fashion across the
palate. A bit short on depth. 88 points.
1994 Cabernet "Special Selection" (Caymus)
Full bodied, with a hint of licorice initially, this was
stunning on opening. It had a gripping, very long finish, and bright, dense
fruit cut by some herbs. For its opening period and for some time thereafter, this
was superb. I would say that I wasn=t
completely sold on its evolution and I think it eventually slipped a notch, or
this score would be WAY higher, but it was still excellent overall. 94 points.
1994 Cabernet "Napa" (Dunn)
Sour on the nose, this had a great finish and focus, but I
was sometimes wondering where all the great fruit was. The fruit showed mature
on the palate, but the tannins were supple and the whole pleasing. There was a
hint of heat at times, though. I can=t
sold I was sold on this, although it had its moments. 89 points.
1994 "Monte Bello" (Ridge)
This wasn=t
my favorite of several flights of
>94s,
nor the richest, nor the deepest, but it certainly vied for most complex. It
had a penetrating, beautiful bright finish and cedar notes. If it seemed medium
bodied at best on opening, it put on weight with air, and became fuller,
showing lots of tannins and some tertiary notes. I didn=t
have the time to spend with this that it deserved. That said, this was a very
good Monte Bello, but it didn=t
seem
Agreat@ by any stretch. 92 points.
1997 Chardonnay "Napa" (Stag's Leap)
Butter, oak and lees mingle here, and produce between them heavy vanilla notes with a touch of nut. It=s very creamy, and often hard to find the fruit, but I rather liked how it evolved in the glass. This isn=t, after all, something most of us would cellar for seven years. It also sported a rather nice finish. Some will find this overbearingBand they won=t be entirely wrongBwith the fruit losing the battle to the oak, but it does have some merit still at this point in time. 87 points.
Dessert / Sparkling
wines
2002 Quarts de Charme (Baumard)
Just beautiful....this opens focused and precise, and the first thing you
notice is the remarkable, almost painfully elegant finish. Just when you think
it will go away--it doesn't, a wistful reminder of every sip. Mid-weight at the
moment, it gives every sign of picking up weight, and is a sure cellar
candidate. Botrytis, hazelnut, melon and pear all mingle. It's simply
delectable and mouthwatering. 95 points.
1988 Sauternes (Doisy-Vedrines)
This shows mature and rich, with some tertiary notes. I rather liked it,
even though it isn't, perhaps, very typical at this point. It has a certain
smokey feel, a certain touch of ...well, je ne sais quoi. But it blossomed a
bit as it aired out and warmed up, and if it wasn't exactly your basic, classic
'88, it had plenty to reward the palate. 88 points.
2001 Sauternes (Clos Haut Peyraguey)
This little beauty is delectable. Rich and unctuous by Sauternes standards,
it is also spicy and distinctive. I loved its opulence, its caressing
mouthfeel. Oh, yes--and the sugar dribbling over the palate, with the fruit
following sprightly along. Not exactly profound, but thoroughly delicious. 92
points.
1997 Coteaux du Layon "Clos des Huttieres" (Montgilet)
Remarkably rich and opulent, this multi-layered, very sweet wine, is mostly
about ripeness, richness and sugar. Some thought it had insufficient acidity.
Depends on what you like--there was enough for me, and this wine has its own
agenda. There was a touch of pepper popping prettily out. (Try saying that
fast!). Sweet, syrupy and incredibly flavorful. 93 points.
1989 Muskateller Trockenbeerenauslese "Durkheimer
Hochmess" (Vier Jahreszeiten)
Crushed apricots were nowhere to be found in this sumptuous wine, but they
sure seemed to be in evidence based on taste and smell. This wine shows very
mature--the color is pure amber, and the fruit has reached a point where it is
no longer quite what it originally was, the notes of tea giving away some
decay. The mature notes, though, do not make it less interesting. (For some, it
may make it more so...) The apricots turn to mango, and you're reminded
again how rich this is. This is very different than any young Muskateller
you've had, and its maturity, perhaps overly mature notes make it similar to
other older, very sweet wines, but it is a lot of fun. 91 points.
2002 Gewurztraminer Late Harvest (Londer)
This is a new winery and this late harvest gewurz is just super. It drinks
very well now. Rich, and unctuous, it is also pure and pristine, so fresh, so
perfect that it seems like a moment of sun on a rainy day. There's a hint of
mint, tons of apricots, mangoes and pineapple, opulence to spare--but also some
brightness around the edges. Just enough--but this won't be a wine for
intellectuals. Very sweet, simply gorgeous. One of the very best new world
gewurzs I've had. Navarro is one standard, Tannahill an emerging star. Both
should look to their laurels. ;) At around $35 a half, not cheap, but
well worth it. I'm curious to see how it ages. At the moment, I don't care. 95
points.
1988 Sauternes (Rieussec)
I liked this, as a maturing Sauternes that hasn't matured quite yet.... By
that, I mean that there were excellent botrytis notes and fresh fruit. The wine
had developed some focus, rather than merely seeming sloppy and unctuous. But
it hadn't developed much in the way of tertiary notes and still seemed very
fresh and very sweet. For all of that, there seemed to be something missing
here that I can't quite put my finger on. It did nothing evidently wrong, but
there was something more I wanted--more caramel, better finish, less precision,
more hedonism? Whatever...very nice wine. I wasn't quite as thrilled as some.
92 points.
1988 Port Colheita (Rocha)
Restrained and bright, this has a beautiful nutty finish, little lushness, hints of sweetness. It has a rather stern, overly acidic, austere quality to it that meant that we erred trying to drink this as a dessert wine. There's not much here in the mid-palate, but the nuts-and-caramel finish was a pleasure. 84 points.
1990 Ravat Blanc Eiswein (Wagner)
Weird wine, to some extent. Spicy, with intense raspberry and chambord notes,
this shows very old in color, but is very sweet and rich. There's still acid,
but I suspect the fruit bears little resemblance to what it is supposed to be,
and the overwhelming raspberry note makes this an oddball. For all of that--it
was rather good. Just don't say "Kool-Aid." 87 points.
1996 Rosé
In this lineup of '96s on this page, honestly--I think I liked this
best. Running around $56, it was just exceptional in every way, opening
powerfully and tight, with gripping acid, dense fruit and a penetrating,
lingering finish. Big, burly, and dense, yet with a lively burst of acid
cutting through everything, this ain't cheap but it's a fine deal for
what it is. This is made by blending in 15% of pinot noir vinified red. I
expect this will age exceptionally well. 95 points.
1996 Chardonnay
This is the polar opposite of their rosé, above. Despite being a mostly
pinot oriented estate, this special Chardonnay cuvée--specifically denominated
"chardonnay" and all grands crus-- seems to be all about elegance, an
unusually harmonious wine with impeccable balance and a certain ethereal feel.
But this isn't hollow by any means, as there is a persistence about the wine, a
lingering, fine finish. I really liked this. It snuck up on you. About
$55. 93 points.
1996
For a tête de cuvée, this is often one of the lightest
1996
Priced in the mid-thirties, this is a pleasing, small grower
1996
This is a another small grower
1996 Rosé
Whew. The high acid level in this vintage is one of its hallmarks, but this
sure drives that point home. At around $62, it is slightly more expensive
than the Pol Roger, that I liked better, but the price difference isn't much.
The wine style difference is enormous. While both wines are bright, the PR
seems dense and tightly wound. This is almost but not quite overwhelmed by its
acid. Poking through, though, is a much sweeter, intensely flavorful, core of
strawberry fruit that is simply decadent and spectacular. There were occasional
moments, though, where I found this to be a bit candied, and a bit too tart.
But I suspect a few years of cellaring will make this into something more
civilized and more typical. I wouldn't open this baby young, though. No way.
This is also made (as with the Pol Roger) with pinot noir vinified completely
to red added in. Sure seems like very ripe pinot noir included. 90+ points.
1996
This has really escalated in price--over $90 now. It sure seems pretty
good, if way too young, though. Some commented on the notes of apple, as
this pinot noir dominated wine gets no malo fermentation. This is dry,
powerful and gripping, but seems curiously soft around the edges. From prior
experience tracking this wine, I would expect this to take on weight and more
power with cellaring, and to cellar well. It's not showing all it has at the
moment, for sure. 93+ points.
1996
This was intensely controversial because of a TCA issue. The
first bottle opened was big, really deep, packed, and laced with earthy minerals.
Someone who had had it before said it was atypical and they thought it was
corked. I couldn't smell any TCA. We opened a second bottle and those earthy
notes were greatly reduced in intensity, but still there. Some suspected the
second bottle was corked, too. I still couldn't smell any TCA. I'm pretty good
with TCA, usually. But...not having had it before, I had no benchmark with
which to compare and in my prior Dom experience, the wines do seem more
pristine young. All I can say though, is that if both of these bottles were
corked, I still would have gladly drunk either one, and it was simply the best
corked bottle I've ever had of anything. I'll reserve a score until I get a
chance to taste another.
1963 Port (Croft=s)
There=s a touch of some decent fruit remaining, some sweetness, but this wine is mostly about power and alcohol now. It seems hot and rather disjointed despite decanting.There was enough fruit left to make it worthwhile drinking, but it sometimes seemed like a bit of work to do so. Fading. 84 points.
1949 Banyuls Grand Cru (Domaines Terroir de Sud)
This is a co-op, and the wine was a lot of fun. Soft, supple
and sweet, it seemed more like apple cider than Banyuls, but it was damned good
apple cider. This has obviously passed into a stage where it hardly resembles
Banyuls, or much else. Still, the sweet apple core of the wine was delectable,
and it went down smoothly. Good thing there wasn=t
too big a pour in my glass. 89 points.
1998 Botrytis Semillon (Tim
Bright, but very sweet on the finish, this is a beautiful blend of honey, acid and apricots, and was an immediate winner around the table. Luscious, but nicely structured and focused, this lingered a long while after every sip. Then, there wasn=t any more. ;) 93 points.
1993 Riesling Auslese "Urziger Wurzgarten"
(Merkelbach)
Very sweet still at age 11, this shows some maturity around the edges, but is otherwise fresh and pure. It had a more than respectable finish, but the raison d'etre of this just plain seemed to be delivering delectable fruit surrounded by sugar. There was plenty of structure--never fear. Nothing cloying here. 91 points.
2001 Riesling Spatlese
"Norheimer Kirschheck" (Donnhoff)
This, and the Oberhauser below, are a
study in contrasts. This is sprightly and refined, starting with a nice attack,
with harmonious mingling of acid and fruit. There's not much depth here, and
the wine sometimes seems airy, but the persistent finish does manage to hold on
and make up for it. It is lingering and elegant. This wine is surprisingly
approachable and drinking well, if very primary, at the moment. 90
points.
2001 Riesling Spatlese
"Oberhauser Brucke" (Donnhoff)
This seems to have several times the
concentration level of the Norheimer above. By contrast, this is opulent and
full bodied, deep and rich. It is also sweeter and not as focused at the
moment, and a candidate to shut down. I don't know what the stats are, but I'd
be surprised if this isn't legally an Auslese. It's a beautiful, multi-layered
wine that will reward long cellaring. 94+ points.
1998 Riesling Spatlese "Haardter Burgergarten" (Muller-Catoir)
What a beauty--another great statement from Muller-Catoir. This opens with a penetrating, mouth-grabbing attack laced with acid and power. But there's enough sugar to moderate the attack, to make it precise and mouthcoating, not shrill and tart. The finish seems remarkable, lingering, powerful, gripping. There are touches of diesel and smoke, too, and plenty of body. A great spatlese. 95 points.
Riesling Spatlese "Gleisweiler Holle" (Mingus)
I just can never quite seem to warm up to this estate. I admit it. This seems sprightly, a bit light, very dry. I wondered at first if it was halb-trocken. With air, it showed a little residual sugar, and I dropped that idea. Still, there seems to be structure and penetration here, but not much to go with it. For the vintage, this seems like rather average wine, in a style I don't much admire. Quite drinkable to be sure, hardly bad wine. But... 87 points.
1993 Riesling Spatlese "Winninger Uhlen"(Freiher von Heddesdorff)
Impeccably balance, this provides that riesling "feel" that I love--intense and gripping acidity, perfectly moderated by enough sugar to prevent it from becoming shrill or tart. It blossoms beautifully with air, and the fruit is fresh, pure and young. It softens gradually and nicely, but never quite loses its edge. A lovely spat. 92 points.
1988 Riesling Auslese "Trabacher Taubenhaus" (Conrad-Bartz)
Milk, cream, high glycerine--those were the adjectives used for this very ripe, very dense Auslese that made me think it was a *** bottling. It has a superb finish and lively acidity, and the fruit is remarkably young and fresh. It's a little eccentric. Apart from the remarkable density and milky notes, there a touch of honeydew melon as a flavor nuance. A little offbeat, but superb in some respects and ultimately quite nice. 92 points.
2000 Riesling Spatlese "Urziger Wurzgarten" (J.J. Christoffel)
This has evolved quickly and beautifully, from this rather small
vintage. It has the trademark JJC grip at first, but less characteristically,
it is very soft at age four, blossoms quickly in the glass, and seems very easy
for young Urz Wurz. This is a pleasure to drink now, with a harmonious
presentation of acid, sugar and fruit, and a gentle, charming air--but I would
say that this is an Urz Wurz that will peak young. They don't exactly fall
apart if well stored, but it's hard to see this improving in the cellar. 88
points.
1976 Riesling Auslese "Graacher Domprobst" (Von Schorlemer)
Mature, with a pleasing hint of sugar on the end, this is nonetheless
fresh and pristine, light in color, and without a hint of decay. I liked its
focus and charm, its easy gentilityBwhile
not quite surrendering to age. The finish was average at best, but the overall
impression was sunny and charming, harmonious and pure. Very nice. 91 points.
1976 Riesling Auslese "Graacher Himmelreich" (S.A. Prum)
This was the polar opposite of the 1976 sibling with which
it was paired, above. Amber in color, it is showing oxidized notes and in many
respects bears little resemblance to what you might think riesling is. But it
is interesting nonetheless, opulent and rich, with a nice finish and the flavor
of drying apricots that oxidizing late harvest wines (i.e., and often with a
lot of botrytis) often seem to get. Still nice to drink, but obviously sliding
downhill if you want fresh fruit. If you can ignore its lack of freshness and
oxidation, you might like it even more. It is still very pleasing. I do find, though, that wines at this stage just
begin to seem alike--drying
apricots obliterating most of their varietal and other characteristics. I was
told that the provenance on this was questionable. It was still good, though.
87 points.
2001 Barbaresco "Vigneto Gallina" Vorsu (La Spinetta--Rivetti)
Every time I taste another wine from this estate, I wonder why I don't buy
more. This was delicious from the moment it was poured, full bodied and
opulent, with gripping tannins, power and purity of fruit. With air, the wine
becomes spicy and lively, and more tannins come out. I think this was actually
shutting down at the end of the evening. Beautiful performance, long life
ahead. 94+ points.
Rhone/South/SW
1996 Chateauneuf-du-Pape (Les Cailloux--Brunel)
This is not a particularly good vintage, but this wine drinks pleasantly enough. It has an adequate finish, and moderate gamey notes, tinged with strawberry. It is a bit bright around the edges, but there is still pleasant fruit. It is not particularly lush, deep or distinguished, but in the context of the vintage--pleasant enough, lively, successful, persistent on the finish and rather tasty. Just don't pay much for it if you see it around, and make sure storage is impeccable. 88 points.
1990 Chateauneuf-du-Pape (Beaucastel)
Touches of game are almost besides the point here. This seems so refined,
so elegant now....cool, refreshing, and rewarding with every sip. The finish
delivers flavor for what seems to be an endless amount of time, and the wine
expands in your mouth and with air, coating your palate and settling in for the
long haul. This is a terrific Beau, drinking beautifully now, with years to go.
94 points.
1994 Condrieu "La Doriane" (Guigal)
Boy, has this become civilized with age. There are still noticeable hints of
oak and/or lees, but the wine has a certain charm and finesse it lacked when
young. There's a touch of cognac too--just a hint. But I suspect this is
better drunk now than later. For the moment, it still drinks nicely and seems
charming and gripping. Cool, calm and collected these days... 90 points.
1998 Chateauneuf-du-Pape "Crau de Ma Mere" (Domaine du Pere Pape)
Utterly charming and luscious in its youth, this has not aged real well and thinned a bit too much. That doesn't mean it is bad. It is quite charming, with a classic Chateauneuf nose, and a touch of game. It=s fragrant and tasty, ready and open. It=s also a bit too light. For drinking right now, this provides a lot of fun on a Cotes-du-Rhone basis, but that=s about it. Still, the price wasn't much more than CdR these days, either, at just $19. 87 points.
1999 Chateauneuf-du-Pape "Cuvée Etinenne Gonnet" (Font de Michelle)
This opens with some power, but that fades quickly, leaving a medium bodied wine, with sweet, tasty fruit. It evolves quickly in the glass from penetrating to "ready," and that tends to make me think this needs early drinking. The finish remains bright and gripping, throughout, though, and the sweet fruit is always charming. 90 points.
QPR
Winner I give this award to wines that are particularly good
values, even if well beyond bargain wine pricing. They are not
"best buys," which I define as under $20
wines. Every Best Buy is a QPR winner, but the reverse is not true. Note:
wines tasted at trade shows and the like generally will be displayed with
ranges, as it is very difficult to get a perfect read on a wine in those
conditions.
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