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Notes
July/August, 2001
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 $15), 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. NB:
If you are using Netscape, there will sometimes be some formatting issues, mostly
regarding the supposed failure to turn off bold lettering. It is not a big
deal, but if it bothers you, try Internet Explorer.
Alsace Bordeaux Burgundy red and white Calif./USA: Red and
White
Dessert/Sparkling Germany
Italy
Rhone/South/SW France
Alsace (except dessert/sparkling)
1996 Gewurztraminer "Herrenweg" (Schleret)
This bottling has always been a very
inexpensive, very classical gewurz. At least as it is showing now,
the 96 is a step down from the 95--or perhaps its time has come.
Still, there is a lot here that is right. The nose is lychee and rose
petals, very classical, very lovely gewurz bouquet. The flavor and
the finish are still right. It is just that the mid-palate seems soft
and flabby, the spice Schleret normally gets is gone. There's no
backbone. Drink up. 85 points.
1998 Gewurztraminer "Herrenweg de
Turckheim" (Zind-Humbrecht)
This is another classical gewurz--and anyone who thinks ZH
only makes opulent, off-dry wines should take note. This is dry
and focused. All the classic gewurz notes are there, coupled with
some power and depth that are notable for a relatively basic (and
increasingly pricey) bottling. Black pepper pops out on the finish,
which is respectably long. For all of that, this wine never really
becomes distinguished, and ZH has done better with this bottling
before. 88 points.
1997 Gewurztraminer "Cuvée Laurence Clos des Capucins"
(Weinbach)
Tingly spice provided some typical pepper, although I'd say
white pepper. But that was about it from this disappointing wine. It
was medium bodied at best, actually showing little mid-palate
depth, and less fruit flavor. The finish was adequate under the
circumstances. This bottling, though, in good years, is one of
Alsace's great gewurzs. It was hard not to be unhappy with this
showing. 85 points.
1999 Gewurztraminer "Steingrubler" (Albert Mann)
QPR Winner
Superb concentration and great depth result in this
beautifully crafted, good value gewurz. Rarely much more than $20,
for grand cru of this quality, it has to be considered an absolute
steal. As it warmed, the fruit showed slightly more off dry and there
were hints of typical lychee notes and pepper. The sugar is
modest, though. The big thing here, though, is the solidity of the
mid-palate. Lush, rich and deep, this will only get better with some
short to mid-term age. 92 points.
1999 Gewurztraminer Bergheim (M. Deiss)
There is a tremendous, obvious hit of lychee nuts up front.
It is the last thing this wine does that is obvious. The wine is not
particularly deep, but holds its own. It is precise and focused,
elegant and carefully crafted. The spice and the pepper come out with
air. I would have liked a touch more depth, but this was so charming,
in a lighter style, it was hard to begrudge it the good points, even
though I do like my gewurz with a bit more of a wallop. 90 points.
1983 Gewurztraminer "Les Archenets Reserve"
(Josmeyer)
Weak and faded, this wine seemed so bland and flavorless
that it hardly seemed to exist. It did not show decay in the sense of
oxidation, only in thinning fruit and absence of any flavor--from
perhaps the most flavorful white wine grape in the world. Neutral,
boring, barely existing. 75 points.
1989 Gewurztraminer "Herrenweg Cuvée Speciale (Charles
Schleret)
There are some gewurzy notes here, some lychees.
There's a bit of a finish, and the wine is easygoing and pleasant.
That's not enough for such a good producer, of course. Without any
concentration or intensity, this merely seems like a minor gewurz,
with thinning fruit. Too bad. 83 points.
1995 Gewurztraminer "Goldert Clos St Imer La
Chapelle" (Ernest Burn)
This wine does so much right that I am ashamed to offer the
criticisms that I have. First, the depth is good, the wine is round
and fat, redolent of varietally true gewurz. I like the way the fruit
coats your mouth; the texture is a big selling point here. For all of
that, the wine seems curiously flat around the edges, a bit flabby,
lacking a bit of focus, intensity, or pizazz--call it what you will.
Still, very good, just not great. 89 points.
1999 Gewurztraminer "Furstentum" (Albert Mann)
This doesn't have quite as much power or depth as the 1999
Steingrubler, above, from Mann, but it has enough and has other fine
attributes, too. The first impression is of being hit over the head
with a basket of ripe lychees. They are intense here. The wine is fat
and ripe in a sense, as as a result, but the fat is
restrained by the slate and chalk notes in the mid-palate. Whether
you prefer this or Steingrubler (like me) is strictly a matter
of preference. They are both superbly crafted, deep and wonderful
values (this is another few dollars). 92 points.
1991 Gewurztraminer "Clos Windsbuhl"
(Zind Humbrecht)
There was a lot of spice here and not much else, which seems
odd. Year in, year out, this is probably the most opulent wine ZH
produces. Here, the acid pops up and there seems to be some oxidative
notes. I don't know, frankly, if this is a bottle issue, or just
symptomatic of what happened at Clos Windsbuhl in this vintage.
But it is way off. 85 points.
1999 Gewurztraminer "Goldert" (Zind
Humbrecht)
With a unusually dark, golden color, this raised concerns on
inspection, but the glass revealed nothing amiss. The nose is petrol,
and the wine shows more minerals than lychee. Washed over pebbles and
stones, there is a steely quality to this. The depth is relatively
modest for ZH, but the flavor medley is complex and fascinating. The
finish is appropriately long, and the wine rather bright for gewurz.
Lighter-styled ZH that still delivers in its way. 90 points.
1999 Gewurztraminer "Heimbourg" (Zind
Humbrecht)
Pale yellow in color, this shows nice concentration in the
mid-palate and a demi-sec demeanor. As it warms, the fruit mingles
with the sugar and provides some unctuous qualities. Yet, with more
air, it always seems to retain a touch of elegance, as well as a
sunny, cheerful quality. Uncomplicated, but delicious. 92 points.
1983 Gewurztraminer Vendange Tardive (Dopf et
Irion)
Oxidized, flavorless, and utterly boring. There was nothing
good about this wine at this point. I only wonder if I should stoop
to calling it undrinkable. 70 points.
1998 Gewurztraminer "Zinnkoepflé" Vendange
Tardive (F. Haag)
Botrytisized sugar up front dissolves into the fruit with
air and warmth. The sugar seems to have some brown sugar notes, and
there is a touch of caramel. Medium bodied in weight, this shows
charm and brightness, but not much gewurz-identifiable
characteristics. It seems so persistent and friendly, though, that
you can't help but like it. 90 points.
1994 Gewurztraminer "Clos Windsbuhl"
(Zind Humbrecht)
This was diminished a bit by being served next to the next
two wines. It was not always so. Clos Windsbuhl seems to me to be
much less structured and powerful than Hengst, but more opulent. The
Hengst, it seems to me, ages better, especially as a formal VT (the
Clos Windsbuhl HAS to qualify as VT no matter what the label says!).
Still, this was pretty fine gewurz. Still opulent, although showing
more balance these days, this sports a beautiful, flavorful,
lingering finish. The fruit on the finish seems particularly
succulent and shows its best at the end, although the wine, at least
from this bottle (I want to retaste this from my own cellar soon),
seems to have dropped a notch in concentration of the mid-palate.
Still, it took two stunning ZH gewurzs to overshadow it. 92 points.
1994 Gewurztraminer "Hengst" Vendange Tardive
(Zind Humbrecht)
Simply a stunning achievement. If you ever wanted to decant
a white wine, this would be it. The wine shows spice, power and a
nice hit of botrytis. It seems burly and nowhere near peak. As it
airs, it becomes dry-ish. As is often the case with older VTs, the sugar starts to blow off with age.
More importantly, as it airs, layer after layer of fruit peels back
to reveal a different incarnation of the wine every few minutes. The
concentration is remarkable and the wine keeps exploding in your
glass. The intensity and focus on this wine is remarkable. Can it improve more? 97+ points.
1990 Gewurztraminer "Hengst" Vendange Tardive (Zind Humbrecht)
If the 1994 is not quite at peak, this is the absolutely
perfect time to drink this wine. I had a bottle last year that was
off. This is perfect. The key here was the texture, sexy, smooth,
oily and round, tinged with lychees. Surprisingly gentle, the wine
oozes flavor, but always seems to show finesse and elegance, too. It
never dropped a notch with air. The finish simply lingered, and made
you to want to avoid everything else until it ended. The
perfect moment in time for this wine. 95 points.
Australia (except dessert/sparkling)
1997 Grenache "Cornerstone" (Greenock
Creek)
Spicy, and focused, this is a precise
and elegant grenache, not an over-the-top version that some of
Greenock Creek's competitors produce. (I often like them, too!)
There's a bit of menthol on the finish, but the wine is appropriately
dominated by strawberry nuances in the mid-palate. The balance is
excellent, the fruit ripens with air, and everything integrates
nicely. This is rather bright for Aussie Grenache, too. Those looking
for a powerhouse with thick fruit should look elsewhere, but this
provides some elegance as well as flavor. 89 points.
1995 Grenache Old Vines "Blewitt"
(Clarendon)
Sweet strawberry and chambord permeate this wine, not unlike most
Clarendon Grenache offerings, which tend to be exotic and over the
top in a lot of respects. One thing that often saves
Clarendon's better offerings is that they usually have some
structure. So, too, here--a substantial dose of tannin pops out,
although only after the wine is open for an hour (that's how
overpowering the fruit is!). The tannins have a calming effect on the
fruit and seem to keep it from seeming too odd. Still, this
will be a "love it or leave it" wine that will polarize
many. Its depth and concentration cannot be questioned, but its
flavor profile is certainly flamboyant. The wine is odd enough so
that scoring it loses touch with traditional reference points, but
call this a compromise: 89 points.
1998
Cabernet (Greenock Creek)
Solid and well balanced,
this shows elegance and good flavor, too. It doesn't present itself
as powerful, or as the deepest of wines, but there is enough
concentration in the mid-palate to be attractive. The flavors were
not overwhelming, and not dosed with oak. They were persistent and
attractive. This wine can develop and improve for a few more years,
but it is also quite approachable now. 89 points.
1997
Shiraz "Limestone Coast" (Ralph Fowler)
This cool climate shiraz
avoids all the Aussie shiraz stereotypes, but, it sometimes seems
that some wineries think their task is complete if they have cool
climate vineyards and don't show as monsters. This doesn't present
much to distinguish it, although it has some charm and is
pleasing to drink now. This is well-balanced and elegant, but without
a lot of depth or power. This is just a hint of anise on the finish.
The oak is well integrated into the core of fruit. It seems cool and
restrained, but without a whole lot of character or personality.
Pleasing, not perfect. Drinking well now. 87
points.
Bordeaux (except dessert/sparkling)
1990 Chateau Pichon-Lalande
It’s always been a mystery to me how PL produced such an ordinary
wine in such a fine vintage. You can’t say the Chateau was in a
slump—its 1989 was spectacular and its 1991 was a fabulous
off-vintage performance. I’ve
heard tell that some people have claimed that there were bottle
variations and some lots show differently. All I can say is that
every time I have tasted this wine, every single person in the group
has been underwhelmed and surprised at its poor showing. Oh, it’s
not bad wine. It’s just not what you would expect from PL in a
great vintage. It’s too thin, too short, and tastes a bit old and
tired. All you can do is shrug and move on. 86 points.
1988
Chateau Calon-Segur
Calon-Segur doesn’t get much attention these days, but this is a fine effort. This very classical Bordeaux shows some signs of maturity around the edges, and a touch of wet leaves and earth, but is mostly classical and beautifully balanced. There is some tobacco and leather, and some cassis for flavor. The wine is not very deep, but never seems diluted, either. The tannins are ripe and supple, and just enough for some supporting structure. Elegantly crafted. 90 points.
1982
Chateau Cheval Blanc
An ultimate trophy, this mostly delivered the goods. It
opened light and pleasant, and I was a little worried. With thirty
minutes of breathing in the glass, suddenly it all changed. It never
became more than medium bodied, but suddenly the fruit awoke, it
became sweet and sexy, and oozed fruit. It seemed more California
than California, with not only ripe, forward, youthful fruit, but
good viscosity. By the way: almost 20? Hard to believe. It seemed
very youthful. The only flaw, and the only hint of age, is that the
wine did not keep developing through the evening. By the end of the
evening I thought it had slipped just a notch, and the fruit lost
some flavor, while the wine gained no complexity. Still, I don't
think anyone would complain about having this to drink. 95 points.
1996
Reserve de la Comtesse (Chateau Pichon Lalande)
A superlative effort from a second wine. The only question you
have with this is how it will age--but it certainly doesn't seem any
less structured than a lot of new wave wines these days. The fruit
opens with sweet cassis, and some brightness on the finish. With air,
it becomes very classical Bordeaux, with some cigar box and
earthiness, but the pristine quality of the fruit never fades. There
are just enough tannins, but the wine is completely approachable now.
It is medium bodied and not exceptionally deep, but never seems thin
either. Tasty, elegant, classical and well balanced. 89 points.
Burgundy (red) (except dessert/sparkling)
1990 Vosne-Romanée “Les Chaumes” (Daniel
Rion)
Focused and precise, this elegant wine defines finesse without
sacrificing flavor. The nose is powerful and redolent of red berries,
which follows through perfectly onto the palate. The relative
brightness and sweet red berry fruit eventually integrate perfectly.
The acidity rams the fruit into the taste buds and helps produce a
very respectable, pleasing finish. Not deep or powerful, this classy wine does everything else so well, you can’t
complain. I’ve liked
it since its release, and it has held perfectly.
90 points.
1981 Beaune-Perrières (Leroy)
Rich, powerful, and sweet, this
seemed so burly that I was surprised it was pinot noir. (It was
served blind.) The wine seemed more inclined to deliver cassis than
raspberries. It showed amazingly well for a Beaune this old, but that
is Leroy’s track record. With a lot of air, it finally started to
crack, showing some wet leaves and forest, signs of oxidation.
Perhaps some of that sweet cassis note originally came from slight
maderization. All things considered, a nice performance considering
the age, vintage and terroir, but a wine that needs prompt attention
and drinking. 86 points.
1990 Chassagne-Montrachet
“Clos de la Boudriotte” (Ramonet)
Fragrant, and laced with
strawberry notes, this broad, expansive wine seems gentle at first,
but shows a considerable kick of acid on the finish with air.
Still, everything integrated fairly well with time, and I
liked the open, broadly defined fruit.
This wouldn’t be the first wine I would buy from Ramonet,
but it went down easy. 89 points.
1966
Volnay (Liger-Belair)
This
unknown négociant did a good thing here! True, there was some
speculation around the table as to whether this was indeed 100% pinot
noir. But who cares? On opening, the wine delivered still succulent
fruit, with strong bing-cherry, almost overripe, nuances with hints
of spice. The only concession to age was that the texture lost any
lushness or velvet and the fruit had thinned some. It seemed almost
unnaturally sweet at times, but sure tasted good.
For about 90 minutes, it was charming if rather
eccentric. Finally, some oxidation and age started to creep in around
the edges as it remained open. On the whole, a very nice performance.
89 points.
1990
Clos St. Denis (G. Lignier)
After
many consistent notes, the last bottle I had on this seemed to have
dropped off a hair, though it was still very fine. I thought that was
an aberration. Here's proof. Rich and ripe, this wine shows
concentrated raspberry fruit at its core, and a dense, solid
mid-palate. For all of its ripeness, it shows focus and precision.
Its balance is impeccable, and the finish respectably long.
Flavorful, persistent and fragrant, this is beautiful, ageworthy, and
rather muscular, Clos St. Denis. 92 points.
1994
Volnay 1er Cru (Coche-Dury)
Red
Coche-Dury is hardly seen in the USA, and frankly, from what I have
seen, reds are not the Domaine's strongest suit. So, too, here. This
is light and unassuming. If it didn't say "1er Cru" and
"Coche-Dury" on the label, no one would look twice at it.
The wine is straightforward, without much depth or flavor. It's OK
for a minor Burgundy. Not for Coche-Dury 1er Cru. 84 points.
Burgundy (white) (except dessert/sparkling)
1992
Meursault-Perrières (Domaine Michelot)
Lovely.
It opens, when served just lightly chilled, with a nose of roasted
hazelnuts. There's a big hit of acid up front, and some peach nuances
at first. Mostly, it becomes dominated by its gorgeous and powerful
aromatics, which translate into richness. The wine is not quite
opulent, but it is flavorful and persistent. Temperature affected it
a lot, by the way. Served cold, it was OK. Warmed up, it kept getting
better, and wowed everyone. 92 points.
California/USA
(red) (except
dessert/sparkling)
Lovely, and varietally true, this syrah from old, reliable Phelps
has spice and focus, balance and fruit. Yes, there is lush fruit with
a nice, smooth mouth feel that approaches silky at times. But it
seems cool and collected, precise and penetrating, more Cote Rotie
than Barossa Valley. Nuanced by blueberries, it opens well, finishes
better and has a nice, well concentrated mid-palate to boot.
Underneath, there are supple tannins that will provide some structure
for aging as well. Nicely wrought. 91+ points.
1999
Syrah "Durell" (Edmunds St. John)
Silky on entry, with a mouth coating, oily texture, this inky
black Durell is another California syrah in a focused, cool style. It
is out of sorts and utterly disjointed at the moment. There are
supple and ripe tannins lurking in the back, and plenty of acid that
at the moment is way too prominent. Lost in the fray is a core of
nice, sweet, ripe fruit that sometimes makes its presence felt. This
wine is very young, and the fruit is there and the potential is there
to do fine things, but it is a little hard to see where it is going
based on what it did tonight, and I do have a little concern as to
whether it may not be a touch too bright. I'd say this should be cellared for at least two to three
years before trying it again. At that point, it likely won't be at
peak, but it should be more definable. NB: On retasting later, with
some questions answered--this was downgraded to 85 points.
1987
Syrah Reserve (R.H. Phillips)
For the most part, I haven't been terribly impressed with the
Rhoney efforts from here, and I don't know that holding this fourteen
years helped any. There is some nice fragrance, and a touch of sweet,
red berry fruit. That's all, folks. The fruit has thinned badly and
the acid overwhelms it. It's not undrinkable by any means, but lacks
sufficient depth to be noteworthy, and is way too bright. Tell me it
is a $8 Cote du Rhone a little past prime and I might be more
forgiving. 83 points.
1989
"Alliance" (R.H. Phillips)
This next entry from RH Phillips is a Chateauneuf blend. Going
"south," I guess, helped. This is a step better than the
Syrah, above, but only a step. Mostly, it has a bit more depth. It is
still too acidic, and the fruit has thinned a bit too much. It did
pick up some weight with air, and improved somewhat, integrating the
acid a bit. This had moments when I rather liked it, but it was a
long way from anything of note. 85 points.
1985 Insignia (Phelps)
Sweet and rich, and laced with cassis, this hardly seems to show its age but for a slight tinge of maturity on the edge. I liked the lush fruit, which seemed pristine and very ripe. The bad news: this was laced with American oak, and showed lots of anise to boot. It’s fair to say that this is a very different style than, say, 97 Insignia. The wine showed so much good fruit though, that it was hard to dislike. 90 points.
1996
Zinfandel “Dickerson” (Ravenswood)
Dickerson has always had a trademark eucalyptus note, but this to me simply seemed drenched in new American oak. Medium bodied and otherwise drinking well, I began to dislike this wine a lot as the varietal was obscured and everything was dominated by the very sweet oak. It is otherwise well balanced, but it was hard to care. Those who don’t object to the oak will like this better. Those who do will find it close to undrinkable. 85 points.
1994
Cabernet "Herb Lamb" (Colgin)
A very troubling
performance, is all I can say. Colgin has lately leaned away from
being classical Cal Cab. There's some rhubarb, perhaps some vegetal
notes. (Bryant Family takes this even farther.) But of all the
Colgins I have had, I would have said, based on tastings when
released, that the 1994 was the most classical, and the best
structured. This performance would suggest otherwise, at least in
terms of classicism. The wine is moderately deep--Colgin is
never a powerhouse--and far bigger than the 1995. But
strawberry rhubarb notes are the order of the day. It was kind of
exotic and fun for the first hour, but it got increasingly
powerful. Puréed, syrupy strawberries? By the end of the
evening, I really didn't want to drink it at all. It was reminding me
more of Aussie grenache, and it was certainly clobbered by
being drunk next to '95 Araujo Eisele and 96 Shafer Hillside Select.
Rather offbeat! 87 points.
1996
Cabernet "Hillside Select" (Shafer)
Opens lean--but sure doesn't
finish that way. Focused and precise, this wine explodes in the
glass. One minute it seemed rather austere, and then BOOM! Well
structured, with pretty blackberry fruit, this wine displays great
balance and intensity. It is also nowhere near peak, and probably
won't be for another five years or so. It will hold gracefully for a
long time thereafter, too, I think. Some might prefer a more
voluptuous style, but this is an impressive example of this style. 93
points.
1995
Cabernet "Eisele" (Araujo)
I seem to post on this so
often, but it is never disappointing. In fact, it seems to be getting
better, putting on weight, gaining depth. It's more than a little
sexpot now. The bouquet is beautiful, oriental spices and
blackberries. On the palate, the wine gains weight in the glass and
then delivers ripe, sweet fruit, with hints of licorice, vanilla and
considerable dose of cassis. Charming as always, deeper than
ever, exuding flavor, yet very elegant and well balanced, this seems
to me to be about as good as anything this winery has ever produced.
95 points.
1993
Merlot (Matanzas Creek)
This lovely merlot has aged
beautifully and gracefully, and ain't done yet. It opens a bit
herbal, but that integrates quickly into a completely pleasing flavor
profile, marked with some red berry fruit, with a hint of licorice on
the end. The fruit is ripe and sweet, but as it sits and airs, it
develops ever more typicity. At the end, it seemed very
Bordeaux-like. It kept improving all night, showing focus, a fine
finish and great balance. Simply beautiful and drinking nicely now,
although it has years to go. 92 points.
1997 Zinfandel "Black Sears" (Turley)
This seemed like a cross between the traditional Hayne power profile and the
late harvest profile of Tofanelli. That is, on the back end, there were some very sweet, almost late harvest notes. In the middle was pure power and tannin. Yet the overripe notes blew off quickly and the wine ultimately finished very dry after aeration. This had pure power, sweet, concentrated fruit, and a very intense attack. I thought it was a bit coarse at times, but for the most part, it was superlative zinfandel that held its own with everything in the Turley lineup this night (five were tasted together). 92 points.
1997 Charbono "Tofanelli" (Turley)
A bit of Tofanelli caramel is on the back end, but the sweetness balances out quickly. The wine is beautifully structured, with a nice little tannic backbone. The nose is all raspberries, and extremely inviting. This is way better balanced than the zin that normally comes from Tofanelli, and it seemed completely appealing in most every respect. 92 points.
1998 Zinfandel "Moore Earthquake" (Turley)
1998 was a softer year for zins, and so, too, here. Even the Hayne seems gentle and expansive, fully ready to drink in 1998. The Moore seems like its little brother, a bit restrained, although the fruit is sweet, and very easy going. This wine has plenty of charm, but little pizazz or character to set it apart. Not bad, but not the best Moore ever. 89 points.
1997 Zinfandel "Hayne" (Turley)
I am so used to Hayne being Turley's biggest and most powerful and most tannic zin, that I was shocked at how elegant this seemed.
Spicy and sweet, this seemed very ripe, but perfectly balanced. It showed finesse as well as depth, and the finish was mouth-gripping. I liked the touch of chambord on the back end. Of all the Turleys on this month's tasting notes page, this showed the most class and complexity, continuing to evolve slowly and beautifully through the night. 94 points.
1995 Petite Sirah (Navarro)
Served blind, this showed bright and very appealing raspberry fruit on the nose. I was looking for it to be very, very fine. Instead, the palate showed a bit hot, very acidic and rather young. It improved slightly with air, but just was too tart and too thin to be truly enjoyable. 82 points.
1991 Geyserville (Ridge)
Served blind, this seemed so Bordeaux-like. That's the rap with older zins, right, (although this isn't entirely zinfandel)? They become Bordeaux-like. But this wine took that to extremes, showing some of that cigar box and tobacco, together with sweet, still lively fruit. The balance and elegance, combined with the depth and
character, made this a very fine Ridge indeed. 90 points.
1997
Pinot Noir "Beaux Freres Vineyard" (Beaux Freres)
This
seemed leaner and showing less fruit and flavor than any BF I can
recall. It sure opened tight and hard, and a lot of folks speculated
that it was closed. A couple of hours aeration helped, but just
barely. At the moment, this seems dominated by tannins in the back
end, and shows little obvious fruit, or lushness. I'm wondering what
the future holds here, but this may just have been a bad time to
approach this. 87 points?
1997
Pinot Noir "Camp Meeting Ridge" (Kistler)
If
the Beaux Freres, above, seemed too lean, the Kistler had enough
fruit for three pinot noirs. It was not a wine that would remind
anyone of Burgundy, but it was certainly spectacular for what it is,
i.e., a wine that stakes out its own territory and style. The nose
was incredibly powerful, redolent of ripe blueberries. The fruit on
opening seemed very sweet, laced with kirsch, to the point where one
taster who liked it commented that it could never be picked out as
pinot noir blind. With air, it developed some typicity, I thought,
but never lost that exotic, delicious, and yes, a little eccentric,
flavor profile on the finish. The wine has enough acid to balance the
big hit of sweet fruit. Despite its fruit bomb demeanor, it is
actually well balanced, and in need of cellaring to show its best. It
is lush and seductive now, though, too.
This won't be to everyone's personal style preference, but the
quality of fruit is remarkable. If it develops well, it will be a
superstar. 92-94 points.
California/USA (white) (except dessert/sparkling)
1997 Chardonnay "McCrea" (Kistler)
This very interesting chard went
through several permutations with time in the glass. It opened
heavily redolent of lees, and the palate had a mineral and stone
quality with some acid on the back. The finish was reasonably long
and mouth coating. The wine seemed to have elegance. With air, it
turned buttery and became more opulent, the elegance receding in
favor of pure flavor. It was always something different, and I liked
each incarnation. 91 points.
1999 Gewurztraminer Reserve (MacGregor)
I was surprised--and delighted--at how well this showed. It is off dry, seems lush and sweet and fairly corpulent. With air, you see that it doesn't have the depth of big boys from Alsace, or the intensity. But it is succulent and charming, reasonably long and well balanced. The cheerful exuberance of the fruit makes it pure fun. This is a New World gewurz for sure. No spice, not much lychee nut influence. But I enjoyed it a lot. 89 points.
Dessert/Sparkling
1992 Tokaji 6 puts
(Disnoko)
This is aging beautifully, a fine example of new wave Tokaji.
Apricots mingle with strawberries, and sugar hits the palate on the
back end. The wine is medium bodied, but has enough viscosity short
of Essenzia. The apricot bouquet started it all off with a pleasing
beginning, and the wine never lagged thereafter. 90 points.
1999
Riesling Eiswein "Durkheimer Hochbenn" (Fitz-Ritter)
At about $55 for a 500ml, this is not cheap, but pretty fair
for stunning eiswein. Very sweet, luscious and unctuous, this
viscous wine coats your mouth and lingers forever. There doesn't seem
to be much perceptible acidity because the wine is so thick--yet, the
statistics show it has a lot (8.5 grams per liter with rs of 155
g/l). This wine is simply about sensuality. It is pure and velvety,
and simply delicious. With 10% alcohol, it conveys considerable
depth, too. Scrumptious. 95 points.
1999 Rieslaner
Beerenauslese "Prestige" (Fitz-Ritter)
Sweet and thick, this wine has cling peaches in the middle
and just a hint of lemon in the back. It does not seem as viscous as
the eiswein, above, even though the RS is higher. If the eiswein is
pure sensuality and flavor, this is a bit more intense. At about $25
per 375, this is a better deal, though. They are both superb,
superior accomplishments. Pick 'em. 94 points.
1999 Riesling "Indian
Summer" Select Late Harvest (Cave Springs)
It was hard to believe this was pure riesling but it was tasty.
Dominated by very overt pear nuances, this Canadian late harvest is
beerenauslese-styled. It finishes a bit sugary, but the mid-palate is
better balanced and attractive. It is neither terribly deep nor long,
but it tastes good, and drinks well. 87 points.
1990 Late Harvest White
Riesling (Handley)
Somewhat heavily oxidized, this wine shows a dark amber color,
and did not look promising. The roasted apricots and prunes on the
palate and tomato on the nose announced the oxidation, too. Yet, I
found things to like here. As it warmed up, it got sweeter, and
seemed actually succulent and juicy on the finish. It has seen better
days, but this incarnation of this wine will still please a lot of
folks. 88 points.
NV
"Forte" (Pilliterri)
This is an oddball from Canada. It blends Vidal eiswein
with sweet, red fortified wine. The mix is not bad, but a little
strange. It seems a little like tawny port at times, but is perhaps
closer to brandy, seeming very intense and alcoholic. This is not
bad, actually, but I suspect it will appeal less to wine drinkers
than to those who prefer harder stuff like Cognac. 83 points.
1998 Chenin
Blanc demi-sec (Chapellet)
Hard to say whether this is just an aperitif wine or belongs here
as a dessert wine. It shows some apricots and mangoes in the
mid-palate. As it warms up, it becomes more expansive, and sweeter,
with caramel nuances around the back end, along with a touch of raw
sugar. It shows fine depth and weight, and good, ripe fruit.
Forget the components though, for it is the whole that matters here:
this is simply delicious. 90 points.
1994 Riesling Eiswein "Durkheimer Hochmess"(Vier Jahreszeiten)
This well-run co-op often produces fine wines--like this one. The mid-palate is thick and fruity. The wine shows superb concentration, and great depth. The best part is perhaps the finish, long and lingering. The fruit is pure and pristine, and darned tasty. A bit more zest might be nice, but this is a superlative wine. 93 points.
NV Brut Rosé (Pommery)
This is a lighter styled Champagne that is dominated by acid and cherry fruit. The finish is the best part, no doubt propelled by the acid. Yet, while it does everything pretty well, I kept hoping for just a bit more in terms of flavor, toast, depth. Still, pretty nice. 89 points.
1994
Monbazillac "Gradière" (Chateau Tirecul)
Tinged with caramel, this wine nonetheless seems a bit light on botrytis. It also seems to have gained weight and power with age. The mid-palate is more syrupy and concentrated, the fruit is succulent and ripe. The wine doesn't have much intensity, but as the regular bottling for this estate, it is a fine bargain. The finish is long and beautiful to boot. 90 points.
1992 Gewurztraminer Trockenbeerenauslese
"Durkheimer Feurberg" (Vier Jarheszeiten)
Delightfully thick and syrupy, this luscious TBA shows ripe
apricots and a viscosity level that can only be called sinful. After
the big hit of apricots, the wine calmed a bit, perhaps being reduced
to mere peaches? It was never anything but decadent, though, and
completely fun to drink. There were some modest oxidative notes that
say to me that this should be drunk not held. 92 points.
1997 Gewurztraminer Late Harvest (Ravenswood)
This shows luscious pineapples up front, but I would have liked
something more from this wine--whether depth, focus, intensity,
structure. It seemed satisfied with delivering some pleasing fruit
flavors, which were clearly pleasing. I just felt it could have done
more with the material. 89 points.
1983 Gewurztraminer Selection des Grains Nobles
(Lorentz)
Served as a dessert wine--hey, it's a SGN--it showed bone dry.
Hmmmph. I love it. Rich and ripe, thick and solid in the mid-palate,
it showed pain-grillé notes and excellent length. I wondered if
there was also some hint of truffle that I sometimes get in old
Chablis. I liked the intense aromatics, too. But I wonder where the
sugar went....... 90 points.
1991 Gewurztraminer Late Harvest (Navarro)
This is not the super unctuous Navarro. It is more demi-sec than TBA. It is more Loire Vouvray than gewurz SGN. Still, I loved it. Suave, pleasing and sunny, this showed succulent fruit on the finish and a bright, cheerful demeanor. The flavor always seemed to grip your mouth. The mid-palate was medium bodied and elegant, not syrupy, concentrated or deep as their big late harvests can be. I like both styles. This worked, too. 90 points.
Germany (except dessert/sparkling)
1998 Riesling Auslese "Munsterer
Pittersberg" (Kruger Rumpf)
This was sweet up front, with acid in the back, and in the end it all integrated well. This Nahe wine has some charm, and goes down easy, but I would have to say that I couldn't help think that while some producers make spatlese that seems like an Auslese, this producer is doing the reverse. In this vintage, it was possible to achieve more depth, concentration and finish. This is a very pleasant wine for short to mid-term consumption, but it is nothing distinguished and for young '98 Auslese it is a bit disappointing. 86 points.
1989 Riesling Auslese "Schlossbockelheimer Felsenberg" (Crusius)
Complex and constantly evolving, this interesting Nahe Auslese does everything well, and piques the intellect to boot. It opens with mouth-gripping acidity, which nonetheless seems perfectly balanced by residual sugar and fruit, with stones and gravel in the background. As the wine warmed, it became open and flavorful, and as it got still more air, it seemed ever more precise and focused. The finish was always excellent. Interesting and penetrating. 92 points.
1983 Riesling Auslese
"Wehlener Sonnenuhr" (Weins-Prum)
Overripe apricots are the typical descriptor for very sweet,
slightly oxidized old riesling, and so it is here. Yet as this
wine warmed up, it did not show too many flaws. It became oily,
coating the mouth with rich fruit. As it warmed up still more it
showed succulent, sweet fruit. True, there are some notes of age,
some oxidation. By the end of the evening it had slipped just
slightly, enough so that you knew this was a wine that was as ready
as it would ever be, and shouldn't be held. But I had a lot of fun
with it throughout the evening as a purely hedonistic exercise. 91
points.
1999 Riesling Spatlese
"Urziger Wurzgarten" (J.J. Christoffel)
QPR Winner
The only question I have with this wine is whether to drink
it now. On opening, it seems light and delicate, sunny and
charming, but lacking the oomph and zest of the 97 I reported on
recently. With air, the oily viscosity of the fruit became more
apparent, and it was easier to see the pieces of the wine, the acid
and the fruit, struggling for and ultimately achieving balance, though it is a bit light in
the mid-palate. It has some slate, even a slight hint of salt. This is very approachable
and can be enjoyed now,
but I have to think it will be better in six to twelve months, will
gain some weight, and at this time next
year will be one heckuva charmer. At under $15 at the most competitive
stores, perhaps with case discount, this is an immensely charming
wine and a great off-vintage performance. 90 points.
1989 Scheurebe Auslese
"Durkheimer Fronhof" (Darting)
The best Scheurebes always seem not
to have a lot of what I associate with the varietal--very grassy,
very acidic characteristics. By that, I mean that the very best have
better balance, enough ripe, dense fruit to
balance the off-putting qualities, and this one does a great job. Of
course, the sugar helps, too. Very sweet on opening, the sugar and fruit come into balance, and
frankly obscure the varietal. I would likely have guessed
riesling blind, especially at first. With more air, some Scheurebe
characteristics peeked through, especially on the finish, but it was
subtle and easy to miss. I liked the finish, the pears in the middle,
and the general weight and viscosity. Nicely wrought,
structured and quite tasty. 90 points.
2000 Riesling Spatlese "Durkheimer Abtsfronhof" Halbtrocken (Fitz-Ritter) QPR Winner
This powerful halbtrocken is a splendid example of the type. It's also an amazing $10.99. This is not some modest little riesling. At 12.5 alcohol, it has weight and body. The fruit is rich, the finish lingering and crisp. There are some grapefruits and limes, but the denseness of the fruit balances everything beautifully. A lovely halbtrocken. 88 points.
1998 Riesling Spatlese
"Ungsteiner Herrenberg" (Fitz-Ritter) QPR Winner
Fitz-Ritter is not the best wine
estate in Germany, but their ability to churn out lovely wines for
little money is remarkable. Here's another, for just $11. Nice weight
and depth, in perfect balance, create a charming wine. This lacks the
power of some '98s, and seems completely ready to drink NOW. But it
sure tastes good now. There are some red berry notes, a nice
finish and good ripeness. Altogether, an elegant, reasonably lush,
and completely open wine. You'll like it. 88 points.
2000 Gewurztraminer
Spatlese "Durkheimer Abtsfronhof (Fitz-Ritter) QPR Winner
This is NOT Alsace Gewurz. It lacks the
power, the weight, the depth....but it is sexy and delicate, spicy
and aromatic. The lychee nut bouquet shows through, although here it
seems perhaps a touch bitter. The wine has some moderating and
welcome sweetness that gave it a lot of appeal. What it lacks in
depth, it makes up for in charm. And the price explains why it
is not the biggest or deepest wine: just $11. Very, very fair
for that money. 85 points.
1989 Gewurztraminer Spatlese "Durkheimer Abtsfronhof (Fitz-Ritter)
AP 5160087 1290. This shows considerable weight and power--12.5% alcohol--but also seems to have passed its prime. It shows bitterness on the finish that was so marked that the wine was unappealing. The medicinal, lanolin notes made it just unpleasant to me, and were too much even granting the ripe, dense, concentrated wine. The sweetness has mostly blown off, and the wine could have used some. 79 points.
1998 Riesling Spatlese "Kiedricker Sandgrub" (Baron zu Knyphausen)
Lovely, focused, powerful and dense, this Rheingau shows off its power and class. The fruit is solid and concentrated, there are peach and pear flavors in the middle, just a touch of sugar, and a hit of acidity on the back end that provides refreshing and delightful zestiness. The finish is intense and lingering. There's something a little different here, too, that I can't quite put my finger on--almond nuances? Maybe from some botrytis? Anyway...this is a wine that will wake you up--and once you're awake, you'll notice it does about everything right. 91 points.
1997 Dornfelder Spatlese
Trocken "Barrique"(Fitz-Ritter)
This is interesting, and pleasing, but not ultimately
successful. It tastes a bit like a light, polished Cotes du
Rhone in flavor, or a light Loire cab franc in weight. It
shows some leather, some velvet and on the whole, nice flavor and
texture. Its failing is absolutely no depth to speak of. The
mid-palate is hollow, and although it expanded in the glass,
comparing it in weight to a Loire cab franc might be too
complimentary, unless you're talking something very light and very
minor. I can't say I didn't enjoy drinking this, because its flavors
were still attractive, but there are lots of other things worth
buying in this price range ($14) that deliver a lot more depth,
intensity, finish and ripeness. It drinks well now, but it is
hard to score it better considering the lack of depth. 83 points.
1999 Muskateller Spatlese
"Durkheimer Steinberg" (Kurt Darting)
Surprisingly sweet, this is soft, easy and charming, a
perfect summer sipper with a gentle demeanor and lotsa flavor. The
downside is: not much else. The wine is also bit flabby and formless.
For Muskateller, however, where I don't expect the acidity I get in
other varietals and regions, this shows well and can't help but charm
the room. 88 points.
1997 Riesling Kabinett "Herrenberg" (Maximim Grunhaus)
One of the best kabinett's I've had. On release this was amazingly opulent, sweet and unctuous. It seemed to go dumb briefly, but it is fully open again. As this wine warmed up, it showed its youthful opulence. It was still hard to believe this wasn't a spatlese. After some lemons up front, it blossomed in the glass, came into complete balance and showed rich, ripe, rather sweet fruit, with a fine finish. This is Kabinett? 92 points.
1983 Gewurztraminer Auslese halbtrocken "Erbacher Siegelsberg" (Schloss Reinhartshausen)
A very dark color presaged disaster. And so it was to be. There was considerable oxidation, not much fruit. The wine seemed almost flavorless, although at times I detected a hint of apricots. The oxidation overrode all other considerations and made the wine downright unpleasant. Let's move along and not dwell on this. 74 points.
1988 Gewurztraminer Kallstadter-Steinacker Spatlese (Koehler-Ruprecht)
There's a hint of gewurz spice, but not much depth. The fruit has faded some, although there is a pleasing fruity quality to the wine. On the whole, this doesn't show much to distinguish it, although there are still some pleasing qualities. 84 points.
Italy (except dessert/sparkling)
1989
Barolo “Vigna del Gris” (Conterno-Fantino)
Pretty strawberry notes in the mid-palate reminded me of Grenache, but the finish was unusually sweet for Barolo. It seemed to me very rare that I saw a Barolo with so much extremely sweet fruit at the end. This was drinking very well, had the supple tannins under control, and was a pleasure from start to finish, in a rather charming, exuberant style. 91 points.
1998
Barbera d'Asti Superiore (La Spinetta)
In many respects this seemed more cab like than Barbera. There was a hit of well integrated oak that smoothed out the texture. It seemed a bit spicy, with supple, new wave tannins. The flavors were up front and persistent, and I liked the depth and quality of fruit. A thoroughly pleasing performance. 90 points.
1998
Syrah Collegione di Marchi (Isole e Olena)
This Tuscan syrah is very bright, and has a promising nose
of red cherries. There are tannins on the back end to provide
structure. You just wind up wondering what happened to the fruit. It
seems to have some nice red fruit nuances at times, but mostly it
finishes flat. Maybe a LOT of air would have helped it more, and it
did improve somewhat with aeration, but I wound up wondering
"Where's the beef?" 85 points.
2000
Vitiano (Falesco) QPR Winner
This highly touted bargain powerhouse mostly delivers. It is
available in Pennsylvania for $11.69, but in most other places for
about $8. At that price, what could beat this? One warning: if you're
looking for some simple, little fruit bomb, easy drinking and
immediately accessible, this Super Tuscan blend ain't it. It
seems almost beyond belief that a wine this cheap would have this
much pure power and tannin, and be so well structured. The
grapey nose promises that there is beautiful fruit there, but at the
moment, the tannins on the back end are somewhat dominant. It
develops a bit of lushness with air, a promising sign, and also shows
some brightness on the finish. I think this has to be cellared
for at least a year, maybe three, to show its best. If you open
it now, give it lots of air. It will be interesting to see how this
develops. It is a bit tight now. 88+ points.
1999 Chardonnay (La Planeta)
Served blind, this first made me think France, then a good California imitation of a French-styled white burgundy. It is very good, showing solid depth, lees rather than much oak, a good attack and a nice finish. It comes from...Sicily. Yikes. Don't give it the boot! 90 points.
Rhone/South/Southwest France (except dessert/sparkling)
1998
Cote Rotie "La Chavaroche" (B. Levet)
Bright, supple tannins pop up immediately on the finish. The
blueberries in the mid-palate are elegant and flavorful. With air,
the wine integrated nicely, but also flattened out a bit too much,
not showing quite as much intensity as I would have liked. I like the
spice, and the fruit, but it was hard to be really impressed.
87 points.
1995
Cahors (Clos de la Coutale)
QPR Winner
This $9 wine on purchase is remarkable in many respects. The
fruit is pure, pristine, and still very youthful. The tannins
underneath provide backbone and a hint of intensity, along with the
structure for continued cellaring. If anyone made a mistake here, it
was in adding acid. I'll bet dollars to donuts this wine was
acidified. It is just a touch too bright, and it frankly mars just a
little an
otherwise excellent to amazing presentation by a wine in this price range.
Still, it doesn't harm the wine too much, and with air it acquires
some balance. I can live with the acid. But for future reference here's a trick: pour a
little off. Vacu vin it. Freeze it overnight. It will reduce the
acidity, and the wine will not suffer when it thaws out on the table
top the next day. 87 points.
1990
Hermitage Blanc "Chante Alouette" (Chapoutier)
I didn't say anything the first time, but this is the second
straight bottle that has showed poorly. In each case, the wine shows
oxidation, tending to maderization. Both came from different cellars,
in different parts of North America. SO, what's going on with this
wine? About two years ago it seemed lovely. Has it given up the
ghost? From this bottle, all that is left is some depth and no one
wanted to drink it, although it was not quite undrinkable. 73
points.
1997
Coteaux du Languedoc "Copa Santa" (Domaine Clavel) QPR Winner
I saw this on sale recently for about $14. I imagine an awful lot
of Rhone wines way more expensive would wish they were this good.
Focused and cool, this opens with sweet blueberry notes from the
nose. The palate starts the same way, but the sweet fruit becomes
more complex, with notes of leather and touches of game. There are
tannins still on the back end, and the wine is moderately bright.
What it is not is big and deep, but it is classy, flavorful,
persistent and very classical wine. I liked every drop. I think this
can easily be cellared for another five years without the slightest
fear, perhaps longer. 89 points.
1994
Coteaux du Languedoc "Cuvée Prestige" (Chateau La
Sauvageonne) QPR Winner
The 1992 version of this old vines wine was the wine that really
made me turn to the Languedoc as a source of good value, high quality
wine--certainly, not the Languedoc's reputation for many
decades. After flipping over the 1992, I ran out
immediately to buy the 1994, which everyone assured me was better,
and was mildly disappointed--at first. The wine was tight and hard,
tannic and fierce. It was hard to assess and
impenetrable. I had faith. I cellared it. A couple of
years ago, I opened one, and it had finally started to evolve but was
still not close to ready. I thought tonight would be the night
and....we're ready to roll. How many Languedocs really need five-plus
years of cellaring to be approachable? Now, here's the reward, and
this is indeed better than the 1992. Rich, ripe and deep, with a
powerful red berry nose, this evolves and constantly changes in the
glass. Around the edges, it is smooth and soft, from new oak. The
depth and concentration was remarkable for Languedoc. Matched
against a lot of famous and pricier names, from Guigal to Tardieu-Laurent,
this not only held its own, but I thought it prevailed. By the way,
the price has risen considerably, but my original price on release
for this wine was under $10. 92 points.
1990
Hermitage (Guigal)
A Rhone in full swing, this shows a medium body with a lot of
velvet, some evidence of maturity, game and leather. There's also
very pleasing strawberry fruit, fighting with some barnyard. This
isn't perhaps the deepest, richest, ripest or best Hermitage you will
ever have, but it does little wrong, has held well and has,
well, Rhoney-ness. If you like wines purer and more modern, see
below. 90 points.
1997
Cornas "Coteaux" (Tardieu-Laurent)
Very new wave Cornas, this is clearly not ready to drink, and
while it was easily identifiable as a Rhone, it had enough other
things going on so that I wasn't sure it was Northern Rhone. It opens
sharp and intense on the nose, almost sinus clearing in its impact.
With air, it smooths out and evolves, showing pretty strawberry fruit
in a medium bodied core. It never seemed like the most typical wine,
and the oak muted the fruit a bit. At the same time, it was sweet and
flavorful, and became a bit more typical of syrah with air. Rhone
purists may not find this to be their favorite wine, I suspect, but
everyone else will think it tastes pretty good. Better in three to
four years. 88-90 points.
1994
Chateauneuf du Pape "Cuvée Reservée" (Pegau)
Mouth-drying tannins up front cover up the fruit at first.
Eventually, this becomes very sweet and focused, but through an
evening never fully opens or reveals everything it has. I liked the
fruit, I liked the structure. The strawberries mingled with bacon fat
provided complex and interesting nuances. On the whole, though, this
wine is not ready for prime time and may not hit peak for another
five years. 91-93 points.
1996
Coteaux du Languedoc "Cote Dorée" (L'Aigulière)
This opens slowly, but open it does. It starts with some
brightness, and some of the typical notes, especially on the nose,
that this estate produces, namely, game, bacon fat and garrigues. But
there's not much more. It seems a bit thin and ungiving. It needed at
least half an hour of air--an hour helped more--and then it softened
and blossomed. It showed hints of strawberry, and charm, with a
velvety texture. The fruit became more and more open and ultimately
lovely. Very nice. 90 points.
2000 Coteaux du Languedoc
Rosé (Mas Jullien)
Very dry and fairly bright, this is completely refreshing, a perfect summer pink. The cherry notes popped up pleasingly, and the fruit dissolved into an integrated whole with the acid. Cheerful and easy. 89 points.
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