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Tasting Notes
November/December, 2005

Tasting Notes Contents Page

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  Argentina  Australia  Bordeaux  Burgundy  Calif./USA 
Dessert/Sparkling  Germany  Italy  Rhone/S/SW France   Spain

Alsace (except dessert/sparkling)
2002 Riesling "Sussenberg" (Bechtold)
Slightly off dry and fruity, this is light and airy, bright and friendly. It has a nice finish, with some penetrating aspects. As it airs out, the sugar mostly blows off. Pleasing, if not quite distinguished. 88 points.

1999 Riesling "Schlossberg Cuvée Catherine" (Weinbach)
An elegant, friendly, yet persistent wine, this is dry and focused, but fruity enough to avoid austerity. There is good weight and a nice mouthfeel. It seems cool and refreshing, a little steely, but also round and caressing. A pleasure to drink, it is drinking beautifully now.  93 points.

2001 Riesling "Altenberg" (Deiss)
Very sweet,  this wine as it airs out even displays a touch of syrup on the finish--just a touch, but does give hints of unctuousness at times, even though very well balanced. I liked its richness and weight, and it remained rather focused and pleasing. Its a cool customer, refreshing, succulent and delectable. 93 points.

1997 Gewurztraminer Vendange Tardive "Cuvée de la 3ème Millenaire" (Schleret)
There was a point where I was unjustifiably worried about this wine. I had this special, end-of-the-millennium bottling on release, and thought it was magnificent. The next bottle I opened seemed curiously dry and restrained. Must have just been a bad cork and a bad bottle. This is back in form. Rich and unctuous, it coats your mouth with several layers of sweet fruit. Its opulence is remarkable, but it is also refreshing in many ways, and intense. This wine is simply delectable, primary, succulent and hard to forget. If it doesn't legally qualify as SGN, I'd be surprised. 95 points.

 

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Argentina (except dessert/sparkling)

2001 Malbec Fino Tinto (Bodega Noemia)
This cult Malbec comes from Patagonia, and the owners of Argiano in Italy (Solengo). Sweet fruit starts this off, and then some vanilla from oak intrudes. The wine is very bright and lively, though, not heavy or drenched in oak. As it airs out, it becomes smoother and silky, and the ripe tannins integrate with the fruit well.  This is a suave, flavorful wine that has a lot going for it---but its triple digit price is rather daunting. 92 points.
 

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Australia (except dessert/sparkling)
1997 Shiraz (Glaetzer)|
From a certain point of view, this has some elegance and an easy going character. From another, the wine seems fairly thin and routine, a bit simple, pleasing and supple, but little more. The new American oak showing through is overly prominent and dominates the fruit to the point where you cannot tell what the varietal is, a significant flaw in my view.  85 points.

1995 Mourvedre "The Twenty Eight Road" (d'Arenberg)
Focused, with a hit of acid in the back, this is persistent and intense at times, but with air shows well integrated. It is lively, with some red berry notes, and is rather fruity. This is hardly a French vision of Mourvedre, and will remind no one of Bandol, but on its own it is flavorful and sometimes interesting. It has held well and seems to be in prime time. 89 points.

2000 Cabernet Reserve (Noon)
Full bodied, sweet and ripe, this has hints of licorice around the edges, some charred oak, but most of all, fine depth of fruit. It is on the soft side, showing round and velvety, without a lot of intensity or tannin. It is a beautiful, round, voluptuous mouthful, deep and flavorful, that just seems to fill your mouth with dense fruit. Not exactly classic cab, perhaps, but pretty tasty.  94 points.

1995 Grenache Old Vines "Kangarilla" (Clarendon)
This, weird wine at times, has evolved rather well. It's still a bit weird, with rhubarb and boysenberry notes, a bit of licorice and mint, a touch of kirsch. It is intense and powerful, with astringent tannins on the finish, but the mid-palate is quite transparent and of moderate weight. There are moments this drinks well, but the tannins seem to be overtaking the fruit. 88 points.

2004 "Pillar Box Red" (Henry's Drive) QPR Winner 
This $9 or so wine is a remarkable bargain. It is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon (57%), but has 11% Merlot, and the rest is Syrah. What is nice about the wine is not the pure fruit flavor or the suave texture, which can be had in cheaper wines, but the fine structure, some nice acidity, and ripe, supple tannins. The Syrah provides a bit of spice. Other than saying this is drinking well now (for a 2004!) and won't be a long ager--not what you expect for $9 anyway, there is little to critique here. It's a super bargain. From noted winemaker Chris Ringland. 90 points.

 

Bordeaux (except dessert/sparkling)
1989 Chateau Cantemerle
This opened thin and weedy, and I was more than a little concerned. It took about thirty minutes to open, developing into a lovely, charming claret. There is a touch of olive in the background, but well integrated. The texture of the wine is soft and caressing. That, with the relatively modest level of tannin, makes this gentle and ready to drink. As long as you don't expect anything profound, this is a charming Bordeaux with good flavor and depth. 88 points.

1989 Chateau Certan Giraud
This inexpensive Pomerol, in this era one of the fine values in the region, has aged extremely well. It is fully mature, but still fresh, a bit tertiary, but not weedy or thinning. It has fine depth for its modest price range and still plenty of tasty fruit. This drinks exceptionally well. 88 points.

2000 Chateau Clinet
I was underwhelmed by the last bottle I had of this about 9 months back, but this is a substantial improvement. It certainly needs decanting, but it is not quite as awkward. It opened tight and flat, dumb and a bit earthy, but it woke up in the glass. There was a hint of game on the nose, and eventually this expanded beautifully, showing nice fruit, more weight, and more intensity. It took awhile! This really isn't ready to drink and needs decanting, and I'm  not convinced this is a really distinguished wine, but it is showing more promise. Around 2010 seems like a better time to revisit this. 92 points.

2000 Bordeaux Blanc (Domaine de Chevalier)
Tangy and spicy, with fine depth in the middle, this opens fruity yet curiously restrained, with just a little Sauvignon Blanc grass on the nose.  It is not long, though, before it blossoms beautifully into a round, luscious wine with delicious flavors and hit of lemon-line on the finish. Very nicely done, charming and rather sexy for white Bordeaux. Drinking nicely now, but still youthful.  91 points.

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Burgundy (except dessert/sparkling)
1999 Beaune (Louis Latour)
Earthy and very typical, this drinks beautifully now. It has a little sweet fruit up front and decent mid-palate depth, although it finishes a bit short. It also has a fair hit of tannin. It is fully mature at this point, showing tertiary notes and thus hardly a vin de garde, but that touch of sweet fruit lingers still. For a wine that was dumped into my state for $15, it drinks very well and gives you just what you want in basic, maturing Burgundy. It even has some complexity. Great Burgundy this is not, but it is awfully tasty and good to go.  87 points.

2000 Chambolle-Musigny "Amoureuses" (Groffier)
A lovely nose precedes a wine that is modest in weight, with nice cherry flavors. It is bright, with nice perky flavor bursts, but not much depth, and a decent if unexceptional finish. Its sensual nose and persistent flavor make it fun to drink, though, and this wine has some pretty good points, even if not truly distinguished. 90 points.

2000 Chambolle-Musigny "Vielles Vignes" (Dominique Laurent)
I have only had this once, but it was not terribly impressive if a representative bottle. The color is pale, and the wine shows little weight or depth. It seems earthy and mature, although the finish is bright and provides some welcome liveliness. It seems a bit thin and flat, with a certain sour cherry overtone, after just a touch of candy. The fresh fruit doesn't last long. For those with stereotypes of Dominique Laurent, this should be an eye opener in some respects, although it is not terribly distinguished in its style. 86 points.

 

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California/USA (except dessert/sparkling)
1997 Insignia (Joseph Phelps)
In a long line of fine Insignias, this is another winner. Bright and a bit tight on opening, this expands slowly but gracefully, always showing intensity on the finish and gradually developing sweet fruit and flavor. It is an Insignia that has not yet peaked--and another 1997 that has surprised me by showing more tannin and structure than I thought it had. It has, in fact, terrific persistence and grip. The next day it is even better, open and expansive, tannins moderate and lively. 95 points.

2001 Insignia (Joseph Phelps)
My last taste of this showed a very tight wine that was promising. This taste, with extended aeration time, makes this wine even more interesting. It opens bright and tight, but the mid-palate is unusually concentrated, almost like essence of Cabernet. Also unusual in 1990s Insignias is the amount of oak. It seems lathered on fairly liberally and is affecting the flavors of the wine more than normal. There is also a considerable tannic backbone--for all of their early approachability traditions, Insignias hold well.  This is a sumptuous, delectable wine--the only question being whether, with cellaring, the oak integrates better and the wine acquires a more traditional Insignia balance. Based on past experience, I'd say this will be a big winner, but it won't acquire better grace and balance until about 2009--2010. It will always taste good, though. 94+ points.

1999 Cabernet Sauvignon "Georges de Latour Reserve" (Beaulieu)

There's that touch of new oak vanilla, but this seems nicely balanced, with ripe, purple fruit, and nuances of brick and slate. I liked most of the presentation here a lot, but there did seem to be missing some depth and finish, and in a wine with this pedigree and at this price level, just being typical and pleasing is not enough.  Still, this is very pleasing in many respects, and will satisfy the urge for Napa cab.  I'd drink this on the younger side.  89 points.

1997 Cabernet Sauvignon (Leonetti)
Rich and ripe, yet rather modest in depth in the mid-palate, the thinning mid-palate fruit had many folks guessing that this was older than it was. As it airs out, you can eventually taste some fruit, but the wine is dominated by vanilla and coconut flavors from oak, more and oak, and well, let's add some more. This lacks the mid-palate to soak all that oak up, and ultimately I found it intrusive and too much. 85 points.
 

1997 Cabernet Sauvignon (Del Dotto)
Earthy and maturing, this nonetheless seems lively due to the acidity around the edges, and fresh due to the sweet fruit in the middle. It has a Bordeaux-ish feel at this point, but it lacks the depth and finish of fine Bordeaux. This wasn't a cheap wine, around $60 on release, and at a more reasonable price I'd be more enthused. Still, this shows well and drinks beautifully now. 89 points.

1999 "Tresor" (Ferrari-Carano)
This Meritage blend opens very bright--a little too bright--with some nice raspberry notes, but not much evident depth of fruit. About thirty minutes of aeration in the glass reveals a somewhat different wine, still a bit too bright,but with the fruit showing better development and a little more weight, and tannins becoming very assertive and somewhat astringent.  I rather liked how this developed, but I suspect the balance on this wine, as the fruit does not quite seem likely to match the structural components. 88 points.

1997 "Firebreak" (Shafer)
Shafer's Firebreak is --or was, given that 2002 was the last vintage--hands down my favorite Tuscan-styled wine in the USA.  This is a beauty. At nearly age 9, this California wine consisting mostly of Sangiovese is showing beautifully, in prime time, powerful and fresh. The tannins lend this a certain seriousness, the mid-palate has nice depth, and the wine throws off delectable waves of flavor. It has brightness around the edges, and a touch of oak is noticeable, too. Very impressive. What a shame that they have given up on the varietal. 92 points.

1996 Pinot Noir "Goldridge Vineyard" (Dehlinger)
Some good news and bad news here. The good news is the beautiful bouquet, sexy and evocative of crushed raspberries. The texture of the wine is soft, and its parts mingle harmoniously. The bad news is that the core of fruit, while respectable in terms of flavor and certainly adequate in terms of weight, is not nearly as fine as the bouquet.  Still, this soft, increasingly gentle and charming wine is often beautiful and can leave you in a satisfied, contemplative mood. 90 points.

1997 Pinot Noir "Goldridge Vineyard" (Dehlinger)
Initially, when first poured, I liked this significantly better than the 1996, above. As time went on, I wasn't so sure. This is certainly a different wine, not as gentle, more intense and muscular, more powerful. Also, the bouquet is not as fine. The mid-palate flavors, nuanced by raspberry, are well defined, and there is a lot of acidity around the edges. Which of these wines you prefer is really more a matter of style preference than significant qualitative difference, but I suspect most everyone will have a clear preference for one or the other.  90 points.

1994 Pinot Noir "Premier Cuvée" (Archery Summit)
Earthy and obviously aging, this still has enough fresh fruit to be interesting, and some remaining as intensity as well, that gives the wine a certain lively feel. Its flavors are modest but pleasing, and the mid-palate is clearly thinning a bit.  It seems a bit simple and foursquare. 86 points.

2002 Pinot Noir (Chaddsford)
Bright around the edges, this wine delivers a hit of raspberries in the middle, and then flattens out fast. It seems simple, perhaps even a touch candied at first. It doesn't improve much with air, but at least is identifiably and pleasantly pinot noir. As it aired out, it seemed to get stinky, which some thought was brett, and I thought was more likely some evidence of reduction.  This was served blind and drew mostly off-the-beaten-track guesses.  It is Pennsylvania pinot noir. 80 points.

2000 Pinot Noir "Julia's Vineyard" (Brewer-Clifton)

This Central Coast pinot had its pros and cons for me (and most others at the table). The wine is herbal, and I didn't particularly like that nuance. It is also very bright, perhaps a bit too much so at this time. Maybe it once showed differently, and the fruit flavor is fading a bit. Still, there was a lot here to like. I liked the fine finish, the grip on the wine, and the fact that the mid-palate picked up some weight with air. On the whole, though, it seemed a brick short of being anything special. 88 points.
 

1999 Pinot Noir "Christian David" (Siduri)
This bottling, a tribute to the winemaker's new child, had a tiny production of under a 100 cases. It is very ripe, and the mid-palate core of fruit is wound fairly tightly. With air, it expands beautifully, throwing off black cherry notes. I loved its flavor and its mid-palate focus and intensity. It is drinking well now. 91 points.

2002 Pinot Noir "McDougall Vineyard" (Dutton Goldfield)

This is a new producer for me. I liked what I saw here, in a bottling I'm told runs in the upper-$30s. It seems flat out delicious at the moment, nuanced by black cherries, a broad, expansive flavor. I didn't seem too much structure in the wine, and I'd like to see how this develops. I suspect this will drink well young, and be a mid-term ager at best, but you'll love this tasty wine when it is "on." 90 points.

1999 Pinot Noir "Murto Reserve" (Belle Pente)
Earthy and a bit funky, this shows good depth, and rolls around in your mouth, coating it nicely. The rest-I didn't like so much. The nose seemed to have some burnt rubber. There was almost a musty note as well. I concluded that it wasn't corked, but this obviously needs to be retasted. Flavors were a bit flat and reticent despite its obvious weight and depth. 85 points.
 

2001 Merlot "Epic" (Newton)
After 90 minutes of decanting, this seemed dangerously soft and easy for a wine reputed to have a lot of tannin. I was surprised to see it continue to develop dramatically in the glass, and the tannins indeed came out. It has sweet, well integrated fruit mingling with the structural components of acid and tannins. It is a pleasing whole, elegant, sophisticated, a fine ringer for an old world wine. Certainly, it is not your stereotypical new world Merlot.  90 points.

1994 Syrah (Swanson)
This old favorite is aging beautifully. In the glass, it expands and becomes livelier, showing a bright, sunny demeanor. The acidity helps drive home the delectable fruit to the palate. The mid-palate is still decent, and the overall impression is harmonious. It still seems to be a prime time wine, with some intensity, and some fresh fruit. A beautiful example of gracefully aging American syrah. 93 points.

2002 Syrah "For the Love of It" (Sine Qua Non)
This is going to be one of those wines that cause some to oooh and aaaah, and others to wonder what the fuss is about.  First of all, this is admittedly a very soft wine. It is not particularly structured and on my scorecard it loses points for its "drink me now" demeanor from a varietal that can age well. That said, this is simply one of the most delicious wines you're ever likely to taste.  "Scrumptious" just kept coming to mind as a bottom line. Very ripe, with gloriously sweet fruit, the body is dense enough to soak up the oak, which throws off touches of vanilla. The wine seems seamless and harmonious, despite its hefty alcohol kick. If I didn't know how much it had (15.2), I never would have guessed. It is in no way hot. It is simply delicious. It lacks a tannic backbone, although I was gratified to see it perk up a little with air, and some might think it a bit flabby. How you approach this wine is very much a matter of taste. For me, you have to give it "props" for what it does so beautifully, its flavors, its succulence, its sensual texture, but at the same time, I can't really give it the highest scores. I always take ageworthiness into account, and I don't think this will last well. Maybe I'm wrong.  Whatever else it is, this is a fun wine for sure. This was decanted for thirty minutes in a decanter and then poured back into the bottle for 90 minutes before tasting. That's about right.  One last word: you'll like it a lot better than its score if drunk today.  It may lose points for ageworthiness, but in the short run, it'll exceed my bottom line.  I held a glass in the bottle for about six hours, and if anything it seemed to have declined a bit. 93 points.

1993 Cabernet Sauvignon (Laurel Glen)
Maturing, but still lively and alive, this has nice bursts of acidity on the end, and cherry fruit notes in the mid-palate. The mid-palate is thinning, but still seems like classic cab as it airs. It becomes a touch herbal with more air, and there are still some tannins on the end. Despite its sunny demeanor, I'd drink this up in the near term, as the mid-palate should not be tested much longer. 89 points.

1994 "Les Pavots" (Peter Michael)
Soft, with classic cab flavors, this shows beautifully in many respects, bright on the finish, bursting with flavor. I do think there are mature, tertiary notes around the edges, which provide some welcome complexity, as well as  a sign that this is a good time to start drinking these. Medium weight and elegant, it is graceful and tasty now. 92 points.

1997 Cabernet Sauvignon (Staglin)
Suave and earthy, this is bright on the finish, but often powerfully tannic. This is not your lush fruit bomb, but rather a very structured, somewhat austere wine that might be interesting to put into a Bordeaux tasting double blind.  There is not much heaviness or depth in the mid-palate.  It is intense and gripping, and it is anyone's guess where it goes given the considerable tannins and the average mid-palate. This may turn out to be a touch unbalanced between tannin and fruit, but I like the general presentation. 90 points.

1999 Cabernet Sauvignon "Gaudeamus Vineyard" (Schrader)
I thought this was beautiful on opening, but I liked it less and less as it evolved. On opening, it seemed gloriously sweet, oaky but on its way to integrating well. I liked its flavors and its weight. With air, it became rather funky on the nose, a bit skunky actually, and developed some herbal notes as well. This has its moments, but perhaps not enough of them. 88 points.

1999 Cabernet Sauvignon "Eisele Vineyard" (Araujo)
Cassis and black cherries open this lovely wine, elegant, graceful, and harmonious. The tannins are supple at the outset, and there are some earthy notes on the finish. The tannins become a touch more assertive with air, but this remains an impeccably balanced wine that sneaks up on you in every category. It does nothing wrong except be a bit too young. 93 points.

2002 "Insignia" (Phelps)
Another great Insignia in the making, this proves again that you can make great wine on a large scale. Sweet, remarkably flavorful, and at the moment nuanced by vanilla and a bit too prominent oak, this is dense and concentrated, with a soft, sensual texture. The flavors are persistent and remarkable. The oak should integrate well and completely, as there is a lot of STUFF here to soak it up with. Delicious. Not shabby to drink now, this is still an unevolved, primary wine that is likely to show best around 2010-2013. 95 points.

1984 Cabernet Sauvignon "Martha's Vineyard" (Heitz)
Gentle and harmonious, at this point in its life, this wine shows elegance and sex appeal, but not much intensity or liveliness. It is fully ready, and while showing no signs of decay, in need of drinking, I think. There is that little touch of mint on the end, but the seamless harmony of this wine makes everything seem appropriate. If I had a critique--it didn't develop particularly well, to be expected for most wines from this vintage, but another sign it needs drinking. 88 points.

2000 Zinfandel "Paso Robles" (Ridge)
The 2000 vintage for Ridge Zins was not the most inspiring in its long and distinguished history. As this wine goes, there a slight improvement, but it's nothing to write home about. The wine opens soaked with oak, tinged vanilla, and it really seems a bit much considering the average mid-palate. The wine does improve quite a bit with about 20 minutes of air. The oak integrates, and the wine becomes a bit spicier and more lively. There is still a tendency for this to show like blueberry vanilla syrup at times, but the liveliness redeemed it and with more air it improved even further. This Paso Robles entry is better than some I've been seeing in this vintage from farther North.  88 points.

2001 Grenache "Lytton Estate" (Ridge)

Served blind, and next to a group of Chateauneufs, everyone guessed Rhone, a tribute to the unheralded but rather nice things Ridge is doing with Rhone varietals.  The wine opens intense and very focused, but it melds into a harmonious whole rather quickly, shedding tannins along the way. There are pointed bursts of flavor while it is open, and increasing typicity. With still more air, it becomes well rounded and elegant, smooth and supple. A very nice performance. 89 points.

2002 Syrah "IX" (Colgin)
I tasted this once at the winery about a year ago, and it was terrific, showing signs of being a very typical Syrah leaning to a Northern Rhone style, which is just what Ms. Colgin is aiming for. It's a remarkable debut wine. I liked it even a little better now, with a little more aeration, having gotten about six hours of double decanting before being tasted. It is inky black, one of the darkest wines I've ever seen, powerful and tannic. I loved its firm backbone. There is plenty of fruit to go with it, though, as the wine has a dense mid-palate and sweeter and sweeter fruit with air. This is a beautiful wine that is nicely balanced, and holds out the promise of graceful improvement and development in the cellar. 96 points

2002 Syrah "Eisele Vineyard" (Araujo)
This isn't exactly chopped liver. Tasted next to the Colgin and '01 SQN, people didn't talk about this as much, but it is a very fine Syrah. It is pointed, often intense and focused, lighter in weight, with an elegant feel. It is hardly wimpy, though--everything is relative. The fruit is sweet and flavorful, and starting to open already. Around the edges, the wine is lively and sprightly, with a persistent and piercing finish. There is a somewhat oaky overlay, but this should integrate pretty well, and in most respects this is a very traditionally-styled wine. 93 points.

2000 "Lytton Springs" (Ridge)
This is an 80-20 blend (Zin and Petite Sirah), and one of Ridge's signature bottlings. It is also one of the most impressive zin-based wines they made in 2000.  The wine sneaks up on you, starting too soft, grapey, and  a bit oaky. Within 45 minutes, it shows more tannin than you though it had. The fruit remains tasty and sweet, and the oak starts to integrate.  A very nice performance.  Drinking nicely now, it should hold gracefully for a few more years. I wouldn't risk it as a long termer though unless you have really cold storage.  90 points.

1997 Chardonnay "Gauer" (Marcassin)

This is tasty in a sense, but the flavor mostly seems to come from oaky notes. It is creamy and soft, laced with vanilla and some hazelnuts, too, perhaps indicative of some lees influences as well. It is lush and sometimes tasty, but a bit too simple. It is a little hard to find any fruit flavor as currently constituted. Not bad, but not up to its lofty status. 89 points.

2003 Chardonnay "Belle Cote" (Peter Michael)
Refreshing, cool and classically balanced, this is a chard with everything in place.  As it airs out and warms up, some charcoal nuances pop in, and the wine seems rather brighter and rather intense. It has a fine mid-palate and nice texture. Classy and clean, this is a pleasure to drink now, and may well improve for another year or two, too.  92 points.

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Dessert/Sparkling
1988 Sauternes (Chateau Climens)

This was tight as a drum for years, then began to open in the last few years.  I had the chance to have this on many occasions, and thus I got a pretty good look at its ups and downs. Then, I thought it tightened again, showing mostly oak.  It seems to be singing an encore now, still fresh, still young and laden with sweet fruit. It is an elegantly crafted wine, aromatic and delicious, with a long life ahead. It still does not show anything resembling tertiary notes. 95 points.

2004 Riesling Eiswein "Niederhauser Klamm" (Mathern)
Succulent, sweet and gripping, this is just delectable, sexy and irresistible. The finish is propelled with a significant acid grip, which promises that this will age well. However, it tastes so good now, it is hard to see who will have any bottles left in  a decade with which to experiment. This estate just started making dessert wine. This is an impressive debut, running around $60 a 500ml.  If it holds as well as I think it will, the score could go up. 94+ points.

2003 Passito (Zaccagnini)
Tangy, and well focused, this is an inexpensive treat (around $18 a 500ml).  There is an intense core, with an orange peel note and a touch of apple. It evolves into something gentle and friendly. It is off dry, not really rich or lush, more with a pointed Beaumes de Venise feel,  but there is enough sugar to justify treating this as an aperitif.  Tasty and pleasing. 89 points.
 

1989 Sauternes (Rieussec)
Focused and rather simple, this doesn't show a lot of anything, not being particularly lush, powerful or flavorful. It is one of those wines that does everything fairly well, but nothing with great distinction. It is correct, but not much else, pleasant, but not memorable. 88 points.

1980 Vintage Port "Bin AD 2001" (Peter Lehmann)
Sweet and focused, this is easy in some respects, a bit restrained, with little tannin. The oddest part of it is, however, the oak regimen. It seems clearly to have been raised in American oak, with all the trademark anise and coconut nuances anticipated. You don't expect vintage Port to be quite this soft--or quite so affected by oak--but it is still quite pleasant to drink. 85 points.

1999 Riesling Late Harvest (Navarro)
This is the "regular" late harvest, not the Cluster Select, and it is just beautiful. While the Cluster Select is obviously richer, and one of America's most consistent and greatest dessert wines, don't underestimate its more elegant, less sweet sibling. This is elegant and sweet, but in an clearly off dry sense, not as the TBA-styled wine that you often get from the Cluster Select. It is juicy and delicious, redolent of apricots, and plenty ripe in its own right. Succulent and remarkably tasty, elegant and refined. 92 points.

1993 Riesling Beerenauslese "Graacher Domprobst" (W. Schaefer)

Refreshing, bright and sunny, this mature BA is a pleasure to drink, even if not particularly rich at this point in its life. It has hardly a trace of unctuousness, but it is sweet enough to be real dessert wine. Lively and charming. 90 points.

1995 Sainte Croix du Mont Reserve (Chateau de la Rame)
This Sauternes-like wine is drinking beautifully at age ten. It has thinned out some, and it's time is now, but it has also held beautifully, seems classic in every respect, and could fool anyone in a Sauternes double blind tasting. Elegant and still flavorful, it is carefully crafted and very focused at this point in its life. I do think this needs to be drunk up about now. 89 points.

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Germany (except dessert/sparkling)
1993 Riesling Spatlese "Oberemmeler Hutte" (Von Hovel)

This was thrilling on opening, with zesty, gripping acidity promising a powerful, youthful wine.  I was a little disappointed with its evolution, though. As it aired out and warmed up, the rest of the presentation seemed unexceptional, with the fruit flattening and struggling to keep up. The acid attack on presentation obscured the mature notes on the fruit, but they become more obvious now. This is still a wine that is fun to drink and has a lot to offer, though. 88 points.

1990 Riesling Spatlese "Piesporter Goldtropchen" (Reuscher-Haart)
It opens with a hit of sugar, but in ten minutes, that's gone and the wine seems rather drier, but still fruity. The fruit seems dull and a bit overly mature. I liked the integration of the gentle acidity with the maturing fruit as the wine evolved, but this is a wine that needs drinking. The tertiary notes are pronounced and the fruit tastes middle aged. This has its moments, but not quite enough of them. 87 points.

1999 Riesling Spatlese "Norheimer Kirschheck" (Donnhoff)
From my stash, this is still showing so, so young but it is evolving. A note around three years ago found a very intense wine with gripping acidity.  This, however, is in a good place now for my money. It is still youthful and fresh, and older wine fanciers will have no problem holding it for a long while still. However, the harmonious blending of the components in this wine is compelling now. It is so sunny, so charming, so vital.  It is a delight to drink, off dry and lively.  It will have many other incarnations as it ages and matures, but I love how it shows now. 94 points.

1998 Scheurebe Spatlese "Haardter Manderling" (Muller-Catoir)
I am known not to be a big Scheu fan, so I was cheerfully advised that this was so ripe, purportedly a legal Beerenauslese had they chosen to bottle it as such,  that I wouldn't notice its varietal. That was mostly correct. The nose still reveals some of those grassy notes, but not many. The palate is subsumed by sugar and botrytis, and the rich, concentrated mid-palate is remarkable.  As the wine evolves, you can in fact begin to tell it is Scheurebe, but its dominant feature remains that unusual sweetness and richness. Botrytis uber alles. 94 points.

1993 Riesling Spatlese "Koberner Weisenberg" (von Schleinitz)
Bright and spicy, this shows a lot of power on the finish, leavened with sugar, that meld of acid and sweetness that makes German Riesling so appealing for so many. This is the type of balance I just love on these wines, as acid dances around the sugar, and the sugar dissolves over your palate. The balance here is beautiful, and the wine shows harmoniously as it evolves. Flavorful, fresh and a pleasure to drink. This bottle, by the way, was vastly superior to the last bottle I had of this a few months earlier. 92 points.

1989 Riesling Auslese "Burrweiler Schawer" (Messmer)
Just beautiful, and in great shape at age 16, this is mouthgripping, with tingling, vibrant acidity that projects power and drills the remaining sugar into the palate. Fresh and tangy, this blends the sugar and acidity together perfectly, creating a lively, mouthwateringly good wine that lingers on the tongue. There is finally, with some air, just a hint of maturity around the edges. Just a hint. 93 points.

2001 Riesling Spatlese "Kinheimer Rosenberg" (Merkelbach)
Sweet and primary, this seems almost like a barrel sample. It also seems rather closed, giving a simple feel without obvious acid or structure, just off-dry fresh fruit. This needs more cellar time or decanting, as it seems to have shut down pretty hard. It's giving nothing away at the moment. 88+ points.

2000 Riesling Spatlese "Westhofener Morstein" (Wittmann)
This open with little visible fruit, as it is overwhelmed by a rush of fierce bursts of acid that pucker your mouth.  It came together surprisingly well, the sugar becoming a little more prominent with air (and boy did it need to be cut with some sugar...) and the parts doing a better job of integrating. The mid-palate is modest and the fruit tends always to run last among the components. Still, this drinks well, often taste good. There is a certain hollowness in the mid-palate. 86 points.

1999 Riesling Auslese "Traiser Rotenfels" (H. Crusius)
From the winery formerly known as Dr. Crusius, comes this Auslese, very precise and a bit dumb. It changes considerably in the glass, picking up weight and becoming more lively. There is sweetness and richness only on the finish, as the mid-palate seems rather austere for young Auslese in this wine's rather closed condition. At times, this seems almost delicate, and a little too restrained. As noted, I did get the sense this was a bit dumb. It will be interesting to see whether it improves considerably in the cellar, as I think it does need to do so. 89 points.

1990 Riesling Auslese "Forster Ungeheuer" (Eugen Muller)
Simply beautiful. This opens just a touch reticent, although harmonious and seemingly perfectly in balance. There is just enough sugar and enough acid to balance each other, and plenty of depth. It is off dry, not sweet, but there is sugar on the finish, which becomes more noticeable with air.  The more it sits, the more power it gains, and it becomes gripping and intense, while never losing a sense of harmony. The finish is lengthy and delectable. A very fine Auslese. 95 points.

1990 Riesling Spatlese "Dhroner Gorsser Hengelberg" (O. Dunweg)
This producer is not terribly well known, and makes this Riesling from a monopole vineyard that many will not know well either. Regrettably, there are no revelations. The wine is chock full of drying apricots, a sign of oxidizing wine. There is plenty of acid, but not much fresh fruit, and this is clearly going over the hill. It has a decent mid-palate feel, but it has seen better days. 82 points.
 

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Italy (except dessert/sparkling)
1998 Campoleone (Lamborghini)
This lovely wine starts slow, and builds into something special.  It seems warm and friendly, a fine wine to open with venison and a fire in the background, when it starts. But it is also curiously reticent and a bit closed. With air, it becomes ever more succulent and flavorful, the ripeness of the fruit becomes more apparent, and there is a fine, lingering finish. Acidity around the edges, and tannins that pop up provide structure and backbone.  The fruit got more and more flavorful with air. Very nice. 92 points.

2001 Barolo "Bric del Fiasc" (Scavino)
This is a pretty typical Scavino bottling at this point, in their style and predictable. By that, I mean that oak imparts a certain creamy note, a certain smoothness. Some will like it, some won't. But the oak here should integrate well. This is also a wine in a softer style, without ferocious tannins. The tannins are ripe and relatively refined for Barolo. In place of the sternness and power, you get pure flavor and delectable fruit. It throws off tons of flavor rather constantly. Laced with strawberries, it is mouthwateringly good, rich, ripe and delicious. It is not your purist's Barolo. But it's pretty tasty and will be accessible younger than most. 93 points.

1997 Barbaresco "Coste Rubin" (Fontanfredda)
This is a different wine than the one I tasted a couple of years ago. It has evolved quickly, and shed some hard tannins fast. What is left is quite nice. It is bright and smooth, elegant and graceful, and full of flavor. It is actually rather impressive how persistent the finish and the flavors are. This is drinking easy now, and going down well. Some might complain in fact that it is a bit too easy, but it drinks very well at the moment.  It did flatten out a bit by the end of the evening. 89 points.

1988 Prunaio (Fattoria Viticcio)
Earthy and maturing fast, this has a certain gentle harmony, but also shows a variety of issues--thinning mid-palate, a bit weedy, average finish at best.  From this bottle at least, this wine, while not devoid of interest, has seen better days. 87 points.

1990 Vigorello (San Felice)
The tortoise started slow, but you know how the story ends. This wine, seemingly light and juicy, without much nose or depth, started slow, grew in weight and soon became powerful and impressive. When it woke up, it woke up with a vengeance. As it continued to evolve,  its balance became impeccable, the tannins remaining gripping, but the fruit retaining its flavor and developing more weight, too.  This wine is drinking very nicely now--it just needs to wake up a bit.  I started out dismissing this, wound up liking it a lot.  92 points.

1999 Solengo (Argiano)

There's a touch of rhubarb up front, but this integrates completely, and evolves gracefully. It unfolds into a seamless whole, with nice focus, a fine mouthfeel, delectable fruit. It is sweet, sunny and lively. Its richness and ripeness meld beautifully with its acidity. A pleasure to drink and with a sensual texture. 95 points.

1999 Merlot (Falesco) QPR Winner 
What a beauty for a $12 wine...The only real critique one can make of Falesco's glorious line of basic Merlots is that they don't age. Yet, for $12 or $13, you don't really expect wines to age. Plus, here we are six years out, and the wine is simply beautiful. In fact, it needed 30 minutes of air to develop and wake up. It was closed! And--refrigerated overnight, the second half of the bottle was significantly better the next day. This is not a deep, thick, flashy wine. Everything is well integrated, and it is suave and smooth, but it has ripe tannins, plenty of flavor and it drinks beautifully. What more can you ask at this price range? The current release, the '04, is a beauty too. And once again I predict that some will say it can't age and has to be drunk immediately.  90 points.

2004 Nero di Casanova (La Spinetta)
This inexpensive, young vines Sangiovese from La Spinetta is very bright, showing some grip in the back from acidity, along with simple, basic flavors. It is rather light, and not much is going on here, although it picks up some weight with air, and it is pleasant enough. Its price range varies widely from what I've seen. In the low to mid-teens, it is a reasonable acquisition. In many places, it seems more like $20, and it is not terribly impressive at that price. 85 points.

1999 Barolo Riserva "Rocche dell'Annunziata" (Scavino)
Supple on opening with beautiful purity of fruit, this is focused, precise and flavorful. The oak treatment is restrained and well integrated or integrating. With air, the wine shows more tannins, especially on the finish, and it is a promise that this will shut down. The mid-palate is medium in depth, and the wine does not project a "big" feel, although it is solid enough and charming, at least until the tannins start to pop up.  This is a very pleasing Barolo that needs another four or five years in the cellar before trying again.  93 points.
 

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Rhone/South/SW France (except dessert/sparkling)
2002 Chateauneuf-du-Pape "Reine des Bois" (Mordorée)
I'm told this showed better closer to release from a different bottle. Still....it's sad that a luxury bottling would even be bottled if this is the best they could do in this difficult vintage. (In fairness, it should be noted, this was closed out by a retailer for $12.99.)  In fact, a good CdR in a good vintage would kick this wine's butt. This is thin and short and simple, lacking a mid-palate and finish. It has a certain liveliness to it, and the flavors are very typical and rather nice. But the austerity and simplicity of the wine makes it a debacle as an upper level bottling. What a difference a year makes.....the '01 was a truly great wine. 84 points.

2000 Rasteau Cotes du Rhone (Gourt de Mautens-Bressy)
This massive Rasteau puts a lot of Cahteauneufs to shame, showing more depth, more structure and more flavor.   As the tannins recede with air, this burly wine shows several layers of fruit, and its depth is simply remarkable.  I loved the finish, too, which lingered after the intense attack. With still more air, if anything it seemed to tighten up a bit. There's a LOT going on here, and most of it gives a whole new meaning to Cotes du Rhone. 93 points.

1999 Chateauneuf-du-Pape "Mourre des Perdrix" (Domaine de la Charbonnière)
Sweet but very bright, the first, second and last impression here is acidity. Well focused and tightly wound, the wine sometimes displays good fruit, but it is admittedly a little brighter than I'd like. It has its moments, though, lingers on the finish, shows good flavors at times, and an increasingly typical nose with air. 89 points.

2000 Chateauneuf-du-Pape "Cuvée Reservée" (Pegau)
What a great wine. Hate to get to the point, but that's it. Absolutely gorgeous, it seems like essence of Grenache, sweet and succulent. But this isn't a fruit bomb. In fact, it has closed considerably since I had it last, and now with more air, significant tannins come out, and the wine has grip and intensity. I loved the flavor profile, the strawberries, the herbs, touches of game. It just screams "Chateauneuf," and it was simply delicious. This was fun! Rather too young, I wouldn't do this again for a couple of years. 95 points.
 

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Spain (except dessert/sparkling)
2002 Garnacha Alto Moncayo (Campo de Borja)
Very sweet on the finish, I thought this could even be called a bit candied. Served blind, it struck few, I think, as a Rhone, and the next question was what it was, most guesses centering on Spain and Australia.  Hmm. So it's an Australian winemaker in Spain. We all win!  For all of the very sweet and sometimes a bit odd core of fruit, it came together rather nicely in the glass, and I think with cellaring this will actually drink nicely, and prove both flavorful and balanced. It is rather tasty and ripe. 89+ points.

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