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Tasting Notes
July/August, 2010

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 Bordeaux  Calif/USA Dessert/Sparkling  Germany Italy New Zealand  Rhone/S/SW France Spain

Alsace (except dessert/sparkling)

1998 Gewurztraminer "Harth --Cuvée Caroline" (Schoffit)
Drying out, this shows a lot of varietal character, but not much fresh fruit. Pleasant enough in its way, this has seen better days and is a bit past prime. 86 points.

2005 Gewurztraminer "Harth --Cuvée Caroline" (Schoffit)
If you want Gewurz typicity--this is it. Relatively dry, it is intensely concentrated with essence of gewurz, peppers, rose petals and lychees. Bright and penetrating, with a lingering, intensely flavorful finish, this lovely gewurz is classic. It is exceptionally well done in its style, loaded with character. You have to be a gewurz fan to love this wine. 90 points.

2006 Gewurztraminer "Reserve Particulière" (Meyer Fonné)
With a bit of a sour lemon note, this modest wine shows very little in the way of fruit or concentration, and little varietal character. It reminded me a bit at times of what happens when some places in other countries try their hand at gewurz. 84 points.

2007 Gewurztraminer "Furstentum Vielles Vignes" (Albert Mann)
This shows superb varietal character, spicy and fragrant, but it is also ethereal and elegant. There is a hint of sweetness, but the wine is beautifully integrated in all respects, showing finesse and a lovely finish. 91 points.

2007 Gewurztraminer "Steingrubler" (Albert Mann)
The Steingrubler, as per custom, is a bit bigger and deeper than the Furstentum--call it the Urziger Wurzgarten to the Erdener Treppchen in Christoffel's lineup. This year it is drier and rather powerful and penetrating, if not quite as long on the charm and finesse. Still, this is lively and intense, and a pleasure to drink. The price of Mann's grands crus has risen--deservedly so, perhaps--to over $30, and they are not quite the bargains they used to be. You can still pay more and get less, though. 90 points.

2008 Gewurztraminer "Furstentum Vielles Vignes" (Albert Mann)
Lovely, off dry and showing great delicacy in its youth, this is a very graceful Furstentum, typical for the wine and the vintage, a worthy competitor the the fine '07. It has fine texture, and coats the palate in an appealing fashion. 90 points.

2007 Gewurztraminer (Helfrich)
Light and inoffensive, this under-$10 Gewurz doesn't aim for a lot and doesn't achieve a lot. In its price range, though, it does provide some easy going drinking. Pleasant, without much intensity, but showing some typicity, it has some rose petal notes on the nose, and a dry finish. The initial, intense bitterness largely blows off. It lacks sufficient mid-palate concentration to be more than an entry level wine--but that's how it is priced. It's acceptable for what it is. Drink up. 84 points.

2009 Gewurztraminer (Albert Mann)
Mann's generic gewurz is soft and straightforward, with a bit of spice and loads of charm. It won't hold as well as Mann's grands crus, but it is tasty for early consumption, if lacking in mid-palate concentration and finish. The only problem I had with this wine is that the price point seemed to be around $20 in some places, which I thought was a bit pricey for what it was. 85 points.

1992 Gewurztraminer "Goldert" (Zind-Humbrecht)
Piercing, yet friendly, this shows a lot of persistence for its age.  It shows particularly well at the outset, when it was harmonious and charming, but I do think the fruit is drying out a bit and it became austere as it aired out. There is still a lot here to like, but I'd be careful about holding this a long while more. 88 points.

2006 Gewurztraminer "Clos des Capucins -Cuvée Laurence" (Weinbach)
Bright, wide open and expansive, this restrained gewurz is long on the lychees and pepper, loaded with spice, with subtle intensity on the finish. It really improved with air, showing superb aromatics and a lingering finish. 90 points.

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Argentina (except dessert/sparkling)

2008 Viognier "Naked Pulp Series" (Doña Paula)
This high altitude (3,000 meters above sea level) Viognier spent 10 months in new French oak and clocks in at 14.5% alcohol. Bright and lively, laced with some oaky, vanilla notes, this addresses its first issue rather well, handling the oak pretty well and avoiding having the wine drenched in new oak flavors. It still has a sweet, vanilla aftertaste, although it remains piercing and penetrating. There is not much in the way of a bouquet, other than oak aromas. As it warmed and aired out, it did seem to me that the alcohol was obvious and the wine was not always quite as charming to drink. It definitely showed better matched with food. This has its good points and its limitations; overall, it still drinks nicely and is a sturdy if stolid style of Viognier. The rough price range is probably around $20. Drink it on the young side. I doubt it will be better than it is today, however long it holds. 87 points

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Bordeaux (except dessert/sparkling)
1999 Chateau Lynch Bages
Time for another check in with this perennial favorite, a lovely wine that came out in a suspect vintage at a fine price point. I would say it has slipped a bit from peak--but that may be too pejorative. In truth, it lost fruit fairly quickly and became tertiary fairly fast. That's nothing new. While it changed fairly quickly into something different, it has, in fine Bordeaux tradition, held beautifully in its new incarnation, not falling off the table, still showing good depth, a velvety texture and complex aromatics. For what this cost on release (under $30), it is making me wonder if it is going to be a vanished tradition--good Bordeaux that you can actually drink. Yes, yes, I know all the arguments about the lower level producers. Let's see how the prices trickle down as the pricing madness continues. Meanwhile...drink up--it is in a perfect place now. I don't think it will stay this good for more than a few more years. 90 points.

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California/USA (except dessert/sparkling)

2006 GSM "Heart Stone" (Saxum)
Drunk next to an elegant '99 Pegau and an even more elegant '05 Cornas, this rather ponderous wine seemed rather alcoholic and even more one dimensional than it might have otherwise seemed. Oaky and powerful, without much, if any, finesse, it does offer some fine depth, some sweet fruit under the oak and some hints of earth here and there. Not for the shy, this does have some merits, but it was hard to go back to it with so many classy wines on the table next to it, which occurrence might speak for itself. 88 points.

2002 Gewurztraminer "Cuvée Traditional" (Navarro)
I've never been the biggest fan of Navarro's dry gewurz, but this has held pretty well. 2002 was an awfully good vintage for their late harvest wines, so perhaps it trickled down to here as well. Intense and crisp, this penetrating gewurz shows a lot of power, but not always a lot of gewurz character. The alcohol (only 13.4%) is noticeable at times, perhaps a sign of thinning fruit. Still, its pure power makes it seem alive and gripping, if not altogether charming and graceful. Despite its impressive beginnings, I did find myself liking it less as time went on. 86 points.

NV Riesling "off dry" (Sharrott)
One of a group of nice whites I discovered at a wine festival--beware, conditions were informal at best for tasting--this is beautifully balanced. This off-dry, young New Jersey Riesling has a bit of sugar, but good acidity and harmony. Don't be put off by the "NV" listing; this drinks awfully well. It probably will need to be drunk young. 85 points.

2008 Gewurztraminer (Alba)
Gewurz is hard to do right but this New Jersey version has great varietal typicity, laced with lychees and hints of spice. There is not much intensity and it does seem a touch flabby, with modest mid-palate concentration, but this is a hard grape to get right and this does a pretty nice job. It is around $15. 84 points.

2008 Riesling "dry" (Alba)
Crisp, penetrating and bright, this rather austere Riesling from New Jersey is beautifully constructed with excellent balance and some grip on the finish. Very nice. 86 points.

2007 Riesling "off dry" (Unionville)
This has a touch of gewurztraminer added, and has just a little sugar--it seems fruitier rather than sweeter, just off dry. They also make a very nice bone dry Riesling with some gewurz, too. Harmonious and nicely focused, this was one of several good New Jersey whites I ran into recently at a wine festival that were quite satsifying, if on the modest side. As a 2007, it is already a little aged and is holding well, although it seems a little flatter than the newer vintages. Usually, with off-region Riesling, ageworthiness is one of the hurdles to surmount, and I don't think this will hold a long while, but it is showing some persistence. 85 points.

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Dessert/Sparkling

2004 Rieslaner Beerenauslese “Durkheimer Nonnengarten” (Darting)
This has rounded into form nicely now, the acidity and sweet fruit integrating rather well. For a BA, it remains rather light and delicate, not seemingly overly rich, although quite tasty and still quite delicious. This is in a pretty good place now, well balanced, no hint of decay, not mature, but well integrated. 90 points.

2006 Riesling "Cluster Select Late Harvest" (Navarro)
If Navarro is not America's best dessert wine producer--making things in a Germanic style, unlike, say Beringer's Nightingale--it surely has to be on every short list.  This is a terrific CLSH, their highest level dessert wine, succulent, elegant and sweet, with that Navarro trademark--acidity cutting the richness and sweetness, allowing the fruit and sugar to dribble over the palate and linger. This ultimately seems so elegant and balanced, yet the first impression is decadence, richness and sweetness. It's still young and exuberant. You have to give it a few minutes to realize that's not all there is. Yes, it is delicious and sweet, but the impeccable balance and acidity stand it in good stead and will continue to do so as it ages and sheds its baby fat and the sugar moderates a bit. These typically age extremely well; there will be no problem keeping it for a decade or so (the 1997 is drinking beautifully at the moment). I'm not sure if it matches the terrific '02 yet, but it might. 96 points.

2007 Gewurztraminer Late Harvest "Vista Verde" (Williams-Selyem)
Charming, sprightly and bright, this elegant Gewurz has some intensity on the  finish, together with a sweet demeanor that is driven into the palate and lingers in a pleasing, not cloying fashion. This graceful dessert wine is very pleasing. I would drink it young-ish, but it should hold well for several years. 90 points.

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Germany (except dessert/sparkling)

2001 Riesling QbA "Meddersheimer Rheingrafenberg" (Hexamer)

This terrific little QbA has a lush touch, even as the fruit shows some nuances of maturity. Sweet, bright and round, with a nice meld of sugar and acidity, it is drinking just beautifully. It is right on the cusp of heading into the next stage of its life, but it should have plenty of years left without significant flaws or decay. 89 points.

2008 Gewurztraminer Spatlese "Durkheimer Abtsfronhof" (Fitz-Ritter)
I've never been a fan of this winery's gewurz, and this version does little to change my mind. Other than typically being reasonably priced, it has nothing much special to offer. Sweet and a bit flabby, it is a one dimensional gewurz with a touch of lychee and little concentration or intensity. Pleasant enough, it is worth a look if the price is right for you, but not otherwise. It seems to be hitting around $20 in  a lot of places, which has taken it out of a "well priced, best buy" category, and I think you could be about as happy with the $10 Helfrich on this page. 85 points.

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Italy (except dessert/sparkling)
2005 Amarone Classico (Bussola)
Do you like Amarone--with all that question implies? The raisin, the sweet, high toned fruit? This is full throttle, even while retaining some mid-palate elegance, but if you are a newbie to Amarone it may be more than you what. Simply delicious and succulent, the rich fruit dribbles over your palate and captivates it.  Not particularly intense, it is very sexy. This is still a baby. It can and should be held longer. I think about 5 years in the cellar will show some interesting development here. 91 points.

2001 Tocai Friulani "Collio" (Schiopetto)
Big and burly, with 14.5% alcohol, this nonetheless handles its alcohol beautifully. It has aged remarkably well, too, seem rich and ripe, yet still bright and pure, pointed and focused. This is a very fine performance and a good example of graceful aging. 90 points.

2001 Campoleone (Lamborghini)
When last I saw it, this IGT, an equal blend of Merlot and Sangiovese, was actually a bit more open. Dense and solid, it surprised me by starting out rather closed and subdued. It takes most of the evening for it to finally start to unwind, and when it does it still reveals itself to be a super wine, as good or better than I originally thought it would be, even as it has lost its grapey, primary demeanor. It should easily age for another decade or more. 93 points.

1998 Montiano (Falesco)
The more I come back to this wine, the more I love it. It is a wine I underrated young, and that has showed lots of class as it has aged. It has aged quickly in a sense--it is well into tertiary at this point, complex and laced with tobacco and tar. Despite the speed of its acquistion of mature-wine characteristics, it is hard not to admire its complexity and harmony, and it is bright enough and persistent enough to cellar safely for quite a few years more. Mature and  wide open, it is very attractive and a pleasure to drink. 91 points.

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New Zealand (except dessert/sparkling)
QPR Winner 2009 Sauvignon Blanc "Marlborough" (Kim Crawford)
Richly textured, thick and very fruity, laced with mango and tropical fruit notes, this Sauv Blanc seems a bit one dimensional and obvious in its presentation, without penetration or tension. Of course, in this modest price range, there is a lot here to like. In terms of aromatics, it will be best appreciated by those who love the herbaceous tendencies of the grape. Despite the thick, fruity demeanor, those who don't appreciate herbaceousness will find it has a bit of a nose wrinkling quality. It should be around $12 on the street. Importer: Icon Estates, Rutherford, CA.  86 points

QPR Winner 2009 Sauvignon Blanc "Marlborough" (Monkey Bay)
This is quite exceptional for the price--I see it under $10 in a lot of places. Solid, concentrated and harmonious, it has those tell-tale Sauv Blanc aromatics, but well integrated and controlled, with fine depth of fruit. I liked this a lot and it seems to be a terrific deal. It should be drunk young, though, and will not be at peak for long. I usually take points off for wines that won't age, but this is too good to ignore for where it's at. Right now is perfect. Importer: Icon Estates, Rutherford, CA.  89 points

QPR Winner 2009 Sauvignon Blanc "Regional Collection - Marlborough" (Nobilo)
Another nice deal from NZ, in a roughly $10-$11 range. A bit delicate, with herbaceous aromatics, it is lively and charming, with good focus. It is a pretty nice deal. Importer: Icon Estates, Rutherford, CA.  87 points

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Rhone/South/SW France (except dessert/sparkling)

1990 Chateauneuf-du-Pape "Cuvée Chaupin" (Domaine de la Janasse)
Since my last taste, this seems to have declined a bit, but it still has something to offer. Mature and earthy, with a hint of decay, this gentle Rhone is still bright, but the fruit has flattened out.  Drink up if you have them, but it still has life left, even if I think it is past peak. 87 points.

1999 Chateauneuf-du-Pape "Cuvée Reservée" (Domaine du Pegau)
One of my favorite '99s, and a very fine value at the time, this has the impeccable balance that some miss in the blockbuster CdPs (including Pegau's own da Capo), plus an earthy, bright and intensely flavorful finish. This is not a candied or phony flavor, though, but rather something that shows high character and lingering fruit and aromatics, along with some complexity. This is not the biggest or deepest Pegau, but it is awfully fine, amazingly fragrant and completely satisfying, an absolute pleasure to drink. It has plenty of life left, but it is wide open, expansive and perfect to drink right now. It has aged a little better, in fact, than I thought it would. 92 points.

2006 Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc (Domaine de la Janasse)

This Blanc, at 14.5%, has alcohol rather noticeable at times. It is laced with fig and caramel notes, piercing and flavorful, but sometimes burly and heady. There is a lot of depth and substance here, but not always a lot of charm. 88 points.

2005 Cornas "Vielles Vignes" (Voge)
Silky and fragrant, this elegant Cornas is focused and bright, with a succulent finish, the acidity delivering the fruit to the palate and allowing it to linger. The elegant mid-palate weight makes this quite charming and it seems rather ethereal at times. Although it is quite drinkable now, for those who really appreciate those typical Rhone aromatics, this could use a bit more development. 90 points.

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Spain (except dessert/sparkling)

2006 Prieto Picudo "Gamonal" (Pardevalles)
Grapey and light, this inexpensive sipper is bright, with good flavors and a little structure. It is modest, but friendly. It should be under $20, but that or approaching that does not make it a particularly good buy.  84 points.

QPR Winner  2008 Tempranillo "Embocadero" (San Pedro Regalado)
A nice mouthful, this shows some character, focus and flavor, although very little mid-palate concentration, which makes me think it will be best in the shorter run, no matter how lively it now seems. It has a great first attack, but does fade a little. This is probably going to be in the mid to upper teens. 86 points.

2008 Tinto "El Bon Homme" (Bodegas Rafael Cambra)
A 50/50 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Monastrell, this is sweet and bright, a straightforwardly tasty wine that is pleasant, but without much distinction. In its anticipated price range, around $15, it is worth a try. 85 points.

2000 Tinto "PS" (Aalto)
This wine, typically just called "Aalto PS" (for "Pagos Selccionados"), has opened up, but on opening it was rather too oaky , unpleasantly so, with the flavors only coming from oak. Still, it is much farther along than the last time I saw it a few years ago, and aeration now was sufficient to bring it around. With air, it lost the one dimensional feel and got a chance to show off its structure. Now, the oak texture made it sexy, but it was a part of the puzzle, not the whole picture. Caressing and velvety, it was simply delicious and beautifully wrought. It will still improve over the next few years and has not yet hit peak.  94 points.

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 QPR Winner I give this award to wines that are particularly good values, even if well beyond bargain wine pricing. They are not "best buys," which I define as under $20 wines. Every Best Buy is a QPR winner, but the reverse is not true.  Note: wines tasted at trade shows and the like generally will be displayed with ranges, as it is more difficult to get a good read on a wine in those conditions.  Also, many notes on the E-Zine often come from food and wine events, rather than classic, controlled conditions.

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