TM


Tasting Notes
January/February, 2008

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. 

Australia   Austria   Bordeaux   Burgundy  Bulgaria     California/USA  
Dessert/Sparkling  Germany  Italy Loire  Rhone/South/SW France   Spain

Australia (except dessert/sparkling)
2002 Shiraz "Command" (Elderton)
This is not for the oak averse, but it is far, far better controlled than Elderton used to be in the past. It mostly lends the wine a lush feel, and round, soft texture, which is rather appealing frankly. It is full bodied and rich, easily accessible, yet there is good structure here and the wine shows that it has a finish and a backbone as time goes on. This is a pretty sexy Command. 94 points.

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Austria (except dessert/sparkling)
2006 Riesling "Ried Klaus" (Jamek)
This is fat and happy for Austrian Riesling. It's a big vintage. It has focus and is lively, but it is also fruity and fresh, with an almost oily, mouth-coating finish. It opens well, showing well integrated components and harmony, and evolves beautifully in the glass, showing some character with air. While on the fruity side, it is still dry, if rather lush. It is pretty tasty, and drinking exceptionally well now, although that may not continue indefinitely. 91 points.

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Bordeaux (except dessert/sparkling)
The Moueix 2005 Regional series: Let's take these three together as they are the new releases in the Moueix "regional" series of Bordeaux, imported by Korbrand and running $23.99 as a suggested retail: the 2005 Pomerol (Moueix), 2005 Saint-Emilion (Moueix) and the 2005 Médoc (Moueix).  Back in the day, I often though the generic Saint-Emilion was a good deal. These seem to me to be pretty reasonable deals today for generic Bordeaux. They all seem like real wine, with structure and intensity. They all fade a bit faster than you would expect if the price tag were $60 instead of $18. They are quite reasonable picks, however, for someone looking for a structured wine that will be early maturing and taste like the real thing--but with a smaller price tag. Their depth is respectable for the price. Some will be impressed. The Pomerol is mostly Merlot, with 5% Cabernet Franc added in. It is smooth and lush, with some typicity, well balanced and quite enjoyable. It is ready to drink, so it is a wine with a "ceiling," but it is quite tasty and suitable for everyday consumption. With air, it also proves that it has some enlivening tannins. It feels fairly full in the mouth at the outset, but that is a bit of an illusion.  With a little air, the mid-palate can seem a bit more hollow and the finish is short--but this is not intended to be Petrus. It's acceptable for what it is intended to be, and with still more air, a certain note of game came out, that I thought gave it some character. I liked this more as I sat with it. The structure became more apparent as it aired out, too. 85 points. The Saint-Emilion (85% Merlot, the rest Cabernet Franc) is more gripping, more pointed and less lush. The mid-palate is rather elegant, but the wine has good flavor as well as that grip on the finish. It can still be drunk now, but should hold nicely for a few years, too. There is a hint of an herbal note on the finish. It showed nicely with air. 85 points. The Médoc, too, has good structure, as well as the more obvious flavors that Cabernet Sauvignon produces (50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and the rest Petit Verdot). Like the Pomerol it does not seem quite as full after some air as it seemed initially, but it has significant tannins on the finish and some nice up-front flavors. It should hold nicely for a couple of years. 85 points.  Summing up the trio: They all show fine structure for their price ranges and seem like real not generic wine. They all thin out fairly quickly after the first hour, not a sin for the price range. The Pomerol probably thins the fastest.  Probably, the Saint-Emilion is the classiest of the group overall, the Pomerol the lushest and most seductive, the Médoc the most flavorful and deepest after an hour's air. On the whole, the group offers pretty good value for the money and they seem like real Bordeaux for modest dollars. They are comparable qualitatively, if somewhat differently styled. They particularly get kudos for structure, not just taking the easy way out and making simple, little fruit bombs. I would note, however, that I am not sure the fruit will keep up with the tannins in all cases.

1989 Chateau Saint-Pierre
This estate has long been a "go-to" wine for value, and it is remarkable how well this wine, almost twenty years old, has held. For sure, it is shows some notes of maturity around the edges, some forest floor and earth, but it is solid in the mid-palate, and lively on the finish. Despite the liveliness, it projects a certain feeling of harmony. It should hold gracefully for some years more, but this is a very good time to drink it, and I cannot see it improving. 89 points.

1989 Chateau Belair
This wine is ready to drink, but has aged rather gracefully. It is medium bodied at best at this point, with a round texture, and seems on the softer and seductive side. There are touches of tobacco and earth, an aging wine showing tertiary notes, but still having plenty to offer, and far from over the hill. It improves with some air, showing a brighter, more succulent finish. This is a nice drink, if rather restrained and sometimes compact. 89 points.

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Bulgaria (except dessert/sparkling)
2006 Riesling (Targovishte)
The principal advantage of this wine is that it is inexpensive ($7.99). It has some Riesling character, a little in the way of floral notes, along with plenty of acidity. The mid-palate is fruity and round, but the finish has a certain lemon-lime note from the acidity. Despite the acidity, the wine still lacks grip and intensity. It is simple and undistinguished, pleasant enough for some modest party uses, but without the focus, intensity or finish of a quality German Riesling. To be sure, and to be fair, it is only $8. It is still so-so at best, palatable, but little more. 83 points.

2006 Chardonnay  (Targovishte)
This winery makes a wide range of wines (Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscat, Gewurztraminer), but perhaps it works best for them with the plain vanilla Chardonnay ($8). This is a bit steely and rather crisp. It becomes much easier, and much fruitier with air and warmth, pleasing and tasty, but rather simple. The acidity always kicks up on the back end, which, I suspect, many folks buying simple wines will not like. Like most of the wines from this winery, time and lots of air will not help it. It could be a pleasant everyday wine. The price is reasonable for what it is. 84 points.

2006 Sauvignon Blanc  (Targovishte)
This has a familiar Sauv Blanc nose, but the mid-palate is rather unusual, oddly ripe, perhaps even a hint of off-dry, with a touch of mango.  The initial grapefruit aromatics do not follow through as well on the palate, which is ripe and fruity. I'm not sure this will appeal much if at all to Sauvignon Blanc lovers, but as an uncomplicated but somewhat different party wine, it might find some fans. There is a bit of a bitter, mouth puckering note on the finish. The price is reasonable for what it is. 84 points.

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Burgundy (except dessert/sparkling)
1992 Bienvenues-Batard-Montrachet (O. Leflaive)
Fresh, well integrated, with beautiful harmony, this shows bright and sunny, yet with sensual texture. It is remarkable how well this has held. If it has little intensity, it also does not have a hair out of place for its age.  It seems frozen in time--in a good way. 90 points.

1996 Corton "Clos du Roi" (Chandon de Briailles)
Earthy and a bit muted in flavor, this shows some grip and some succulence on the finish, but it never seems more than ordinary and pleasant, a long way from its exalted grand cru status. Routine, a bit simple and foursquare, this drinks nicely but develops little. 88 points.

1990 Nuits St. Georges "Damodes" (Lecheneault)
Flat in flavor, earthy and routine, this seems to have little left but an acidic grip on the finish. The fruit is of little interest, and has faded considerably. 84 points.

1997 Clos de la Roche "Vielles Vignes" (Ponsot)
Bright and elegant, with simple flavors and a rather attenuated finish, this seems like a charming enough little wine, but its not much to get excited about considering its cost and status. There are some perky red berry notes, and little more. 87 points.

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California/USA (except dessert/sparkling)
1999 Pinot Noir "Three Colts" (Martinelli)
This opens rather hideously, with candied strawberry notes, an aging Pinot dominated by oak. As with all Martinelli Pinot's it is solid in the mid-palate and coats the mouth, but the flavor profile is rather odd, and the oak too prominent. Suprisingly, thirty minutes of air actually helps this, as the oak integrates somewhat. The remainder of the time it became a decent drink--although fairly routine and hardly anything exciting given its then-$40 release price. 85 points.

1997 Cabernet Sauvignon "Hillside Select" (Shafer)
It is hard to know what to say about this that has not been said, but it doesn't hurt to check in with it every now and then. This shows remarkably young and primary. I keep waiting for it to show some age, and some development, but the only development over time has been its increasing elegance.  Sweet, supple, and harmonious, this graceful wine is a study in contrasts. It manages to provide sweet, pristine fruit without seeming like a fruit bomb, and despite its youthful exuberance, it seems elegant and Old World, with years to go. There was not much intensity on the finish, but in other respects, this is a very young wine. 95 points.

1997 Cabernet Sauvignon "Eisele Vineyard" (Araujo)
Like the Shafer, above, the mid-palate here has thinned a bit with age, and given the wine a more graceful, elegant feel despite a certain, subtle richness. If you didn't have this when it was young, though, you would wonder why anyone would think this was a big, fleshy wine. Its balance is simply impeccable. This is a wine that feels deeper than the Shafer, and it is also developing a bit more, showing a little more character at this point, just a hint of earthiness. It is a wonderful Araujo, and it has not gotten enough credit over the years. 96 points.

1997 Cabernet Sauvignon "Estate" (Chateau Montelena)
Served blind, many people thought this was Bordeaux (myself included). Some (myself not included) thought it was Merlot. Those guesses, even if wrong, highlight some interesting things about this wine. It is, first of all, impeccably balanced, harmonious and beautifully structured, with ripe, well integrated tannins. It has the most character of any of the three wines, with some touches of game that gave it an Old World feel. Its ripe, well integrated tannins also made it feel rather smooth, thus leading to the Merlot guesses (although it frankly didn't taste much like Merlot, it seems to me). Beautifully textured, it is also bright and flavorful, with a succulent, lingering finish, perhaps the best of the three wines here. It tastes young and fresh, as well as tasting great. 96 points.

2001 Cabernet Sauvignon "Jericho Canyon" (Ramey)
This has some good points, and some odd points. It is sweet and supple, with good depth and a fair bit of oak. The sweetness and oak give it a simple feel, and the wine projects little intensity nor much of anything else to cut it. Served next to a 2001 Dominus, the Ramey seemed foursquare by comparison, even granting that its fruit was quite tasty and it had nice depth. It will be interesting to see if this develops any character in the cellar, a missing ingredient in a sometimes interesting, sometimes pedestrian, performance. 90+ points.

2001 Cabernet Sauvignon (Dalla Valle)

Beautifully focused, this has a Bordeaux-feel to it, precise, with some character, and nice structure.  The wine's intensity on opening gives it verve and vibrancy. The mid-palate is on the lighter side, with, however, quite tasty fruit. It is a lovely Cab, if not quite a great one. 90 points.

2002 Syrah (Plumpjack)
This lovely Syrah is plainly New World, but mixes in some of the best features of the Old as well. It is sweet and approachable, but there is an underlying earthiness that pops up with air that gives the wine some character, and the mid-palate is quite elegant. Meanwhile, the wine keeps delivering that delectable burst of flavor, with lingering fruit flavors on the finish. Very nice. 90 points.

2001 Syrah "East Face" (Dehlinger)

Elegant and mouth coating at the same time, this seems harmonious and bright, getting brighter with air. I liked this a lot initially, reasonably well after some air, but not quite as much after a lot of air. Its acidity levels seemed to lean a bit to dominating the fruit. On the whole, though, this is a pretty nice performance in a quickly maturing Syrah. 88 points.

1994 Merlot "Napa" (Sullivan)
Sullivan may have been the most underrated wine of its era. They made structured, ageworthy wines that I think sometimes escaped notice because they were not always flattering to drink in their youth. This Merlot is a case in point. At an age when most California Merlot is either long gone or insipid, this is harmonious, beautifully structured, and still flavorful. It has some earthy notes, a bit of forest floor, but it has survived nicely and also seems rather bright and lively. It is a very nice achievement, and has an old world style. 89 points.
 

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Dessert/Sparkling
1998 Riesling Eiswein "Bernkasterler Lay" (Dr. Loosen)
This is amazingly intense, with crisp and gripping acidity, hardly betraying for a second its nearly ten-year-old status. It seems short on sugar and charm at first, a touch austere, but as the wine airs out, warms up and comes around, there is enough to balance it out and provide sweet, lingering flavors on the palate. This is an Eiswein that should age a good long while. It seems like a young puppy now, just a bit closed, with years to go. It was pretty good as it stood, though, even if it might be better in a few years. 95 points.

NV Champagne "Blancs de Blanc" (Peju-Simonet)
The prize for the worst looking bottle goes to .. this wine and winery. The label is awful. The bottle is clear, looking like a mineral water bottle. It gives the impression of being a cheap, no-name bottling. The wine is better, if rather routine. It is friendly, but light, with an average finish and hint of toast. It is something "not quite there," but is clearly what a lot of folks will be looking for in a basic bubbly. 86 points.

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Germany (except dessert/sparkling)
2004 Riesling Auslese "Zeltinger Schlossberg--Schmitt" (Selbach-Oster)

This has a sugary finish, and seems soft and fat on the first attack, but there is a considerable hit of acid on the finish, that is both welcome and necessary. Despite the occasional "pucker" factor, it does not seem terribly intense at first, mostly being a sloppy, friendly puppy, with lots of velvet and some sugar. I was pleased to see it develop well with air, showing brighter and more refreshing as it sat, and providing some grip on the back end. It is shows better and better with air. While approachable now when young, this is hardly the best that you will see from this wine. That may occur closer to 2014 or so. 93 points.

1991 Riesling Auslese "Oberhauser Brucke" (Donnhoff)
This is a beauty, and has aged brilliantly, even served from a 375ml. It is round, unctuous and ripe on the finish, bursting with flavor and controlled sweetness. The finish is lovely and lingering. The wine's texture coats your mouth sensually and makes it feel coated and covered. This still seems rather youthful and has years and years to go, especially if you like them on the older side. This shows little evidence of age. 94 points.

1988 Riesling Spatlese "Trarbacher Schlossberg" (Reutter Kunz)
This shows some age in a thinning mid-palate with some burnished notes around the edges, but it has held beautifully, providing a bright, luscious finish, laced with some sugary notes. It is off-dry--most of the obvious sugar is gone--but there is still some and it shows traces of sweetness on the end. It is mouth coating, bright and lively when it finally warms up and opens up. 88 points.

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Italy (except dessert/sparkling)

Earthy and focused, with pointed tannins on the end, this seems youthful, with classic Cabernet flavors, aging gracefully and developing slowly. The mid-palate is elegant but not thin, and the finish is respectably long, becoming more flavorful with air. 90 points.

2004 Cabernet "Marciliano" (Falesco)
This opens very primary, showing ripe, sweet and simple fruit, almost as if it were a barrel sample. The mid-palate is elegant, and structurally it seems almost ready to drink. Some air does this a lot of good, as it finally begins to show some structure and some hints of character, but this is a wine that, while surprisingly approachable, needs some air or cellar time to develop into something more interesting. At the moment, stick it in the cellar, come back around 2012, see what happens. 89+ points.

2001 "Fabius" (Ciacci Piccolomini)
My first leisurely taste of this reminds me a bit of my first taste overall--the wine starts slow, seems a bit dull on opening, then comes on with gangbusters. With a couple of hours of time available, this expands beautifully, the flavors finally coming out, the Syrah showing hints of bacon fat along the way. It remains intense and focused all the while, with a gripping finish and a bright, succulent demeanor. Beautifully structured, tasty and typical, this is a pretty Syrah from Italy. 92 points.

2004 Montiano (Falesco)
This opens dull and mute, but a couple of hours later it is simply singing, having fleshed out, and showing flavorful, sappy fruit. There is an earthy component underneath, and some brightness, and as always, a rather elegant mid-palate. The fruit here, however, is simply delicious, and a dead "Bordeaux ringer." It was a wine I could not keep my hands off. The texture is beautiful. My only question with this wine is its ageworthiness, as there seemed to be little in the way of backbone. The tannins are very ripe--hopefully there are enough of them there to support the wine for a reasonable time. If not, I might knock a couple of points off, but this is so good, that I have to go with its upside, and hope that the underlying brightness continues to enliven the wine. 93 points.
 

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Loire (except dessert/sparkling)
1990 Vouvray "Goutte d'Or" (Pinon)
From this fine estate in a fine vintage comes this terrific and youthful wine. It is hard to believe it is nearly twenty years old. Round, rich, deep and luscious, it has a mouth-coating texture and lingering finish. It still has good acidity, cutting through the unctuous aspects. The only signs of age are that, with air, the mid-palate thins a little, and it is not as syrupy as it no doubt was at various times in its youth. It still seems fresh, and it is absolutely delicious. 95 points.

1971 Coteaux du Layon (Moulin Touchais)
This estate, which late releases a lot of wines, makes them to age. There is still a lot to recommend here. The nose is mostly oxidative notes, but the palate is far better. There is still crispness to the wine, mingling with sugar still obvious on the finish, two factors which would indicate that this wine still has plenty of life left in it. Yet, for all the good points, for all the succulence and flavor remaining, the wine has some oxidized aspects, too, and there are signs of "gray" in its development. If, for most, it is a bit past prime, it still has a lot to offer, however. 88 points.

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Rhone/South/SW France (except dessert/sparkling)
1998 Coteaux du Languedoc "Cote Rousse" (Domaine de l'Aigulière)
I thought this big, powerful Languedoc would round into form around 2005 or so. It is now 2007, and it is finally opening. Even now, it requires some air to unwind and get the full fruit flavor. It showed better after an hour or so.  Age has integrated the tannins far better, and they seem ripe and enlivening rather than stern and astringent. Age has not thinned this one bit, however, as it shows full bodied, with a sensual, velvety texture. There are the typical notes of game. As this sits in the glass, it expands over time. It still has considerable grip on the finish, which lingers. Bright and flavorful, this is also beautifully balanced. At age 10, Languedoc doesn't get much better or age much more gracefully. 94 points.

1998 Coteaux du Languedoc "Cote Dorée" (Domaine de l'Aigulière)
In this vintage, Aigulière's other specialty bottling, the Dorée, is pretty fine, but not on par with the deeper, more gripping Cote Rousse. Still, on its own, this is no slouch. It starts off softly, but it shows that it has reasonable depth and surprising grip on the finish of its own. Just when you think this may be a bit too subtle, it shows a level of persistence on the finish that you didn't think it had, and it expands in the glass. It is bright and lively, and beautifully constructed, fully open and expansive. 91 points.

1997 Crozes-Ermitage "Varonniers" (M. Chapoutier)
Full bodied, with fine, sensual texture, this 11 year old Crozes is not your typical Crozes. It shows depth, some lurking power still, richness and fine flavors. Round and soft on the edges, it has a fine finish, and seems in the prime of life. I loved the way this coated the palate, and took it over. 92 points.

2001 Cote Rotie (Gaec-Gallet)
Basic and foursquare, this seems tart and a bit sour, with some modest intensity as a redeeming value. A touch of barnyard combined with the acidity gave it a rather unpleasant demeanor and made it hard to approach. 84 points.

1996 Cote Rotie (Jasmin)
This modest Cote Rotie is thin and light. Its most noticeable feature is its acidity, which is sometimes a bit overbearing and too much for the modest mid-palate. There is a little intensity from the acidity, but the tannins are largely resolved, and the wine seems sometimes older than it is. Despite some succulence due to the acidity, it is often austere, flat and rather flavorless, too. 86 points.

2004 Chateauneuf-du-Pape (Domaine du Pegau)
My first taste of this since it was tasted in the Rhone finds this in superlative form, young, sappy, but bright, beautiful and beautifully structured. This wine has lots of layers and unfolds very well in the glass with time. This rewards the faith I placed in it at the time, and it is simply lovely. Those who are put off by gamey notes will be less impressed, but the overall performance here is superb. 94 points.

1990 Crozes-Hermitage "Thalabert" (Jaboulet)
Not many Crozes-Hermitages show this well this old, but this is a beauty. Age does make its mid-palate on the lighter side, and it has become rather bretty, but it is bright and charming, with lots of bacon fat nuances, and it is still lively and flavorful. This may well have past prime a bit--but it is also very much worth drinking, and quite tasty. 89 points.

1999 Cote Rotie (Tardieu-Laurent)
Bright, plush and yet penetrating, this focused wine manages to provide intense flavor to go with the structure, and it seems to be doing quite well at age 9. The finish is lingering, and there plenty of grip, as well as some density in the mid-palate. This has turned into a rather elegant charmer. 92 points.

1999 Vacqueyras "Vielles Vignes" (Tardieu-Laurent)
Tight, bright and rather elegant, this evolves slowly and then becomes utterly charming, showing ripe tannins. It comes together quickly and shows harmonious and seamless with time. It is a pleasure to drink and holding well. 90 points.
 

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Spain (except dessert/sparkling)

2004 Albariño "Aquis Celenis" (Fernando Otero)

This opens a bit oddly, with a touch of funk, but rounds into form nicely with air and warmth. I recently reviewed the Old Vines 2005 version of this wine, which is far more solid and mouth coating, but this has its own charms and is holding reasonably well for its age. It is perky, with decent depth, and a bright lemon-lime finish. It gets lighter fast, but the hint of oxidation early on does not worsen, and the wine continues to show quite well. 87 points.