TM


Tasting Notes
July/August, 2007

Tasting Notes Contents Page

QPR Winner   I give this award to wines that demonstrate an excellent Quality to Price Ratio. They are sometimes more expensive than the wines featured in my Best Buys section (which is cut off at $20), so while every Best Buy is also a QPR Winner,  not every QPR winner is an official Best Buy.  QPR winners are simply wines that are great values for a relatively  reasonable price. 

Alsace   Argentina Australia       Beaujolais    Bergerac    Bordeaux    Bulgaria 
Burgundy  Calif/USA  Chile  Dessert/Sparkling  Germany  Italy   Lebanon  Spain

Alsace (except dessert/sparkling)

1999 Gewurztraminer "Furstentum" (Albert Mann)

1999 Riesling "Clos Hauserer" (Zind-Humbrecht)

2004 Gewurztraminer "Clos Windsbuhl" (Zind-Humbrecht)
This has lovely, caressing texture, a velvety feel. It then becomes somewhat piercing and rather intense, and has a fabulous finish, which is easily its best feature. Modestly off dry, it is elegant in the mid-palate and beautifully balanced. This is a lovely wine that is not really ready to drink, despite its approachability. It developed beautifully in the glass, and showed a lot more after some air. 93 points.

2004 Gewurztraminer "Les Folastries" (Josmeyer)
This has nice density, and seems pretty close to bone dry.  It is refreshing, but has too much of that varietal bitterness on the finish. It could've used a little more sugar, frankly. 86 points.

2004 Pinot Gris Vielles Vignes "Furstentum" (Albert Mann)
Bright and lively, this is also a bit light and a little simple. It is a pleasant Pinot Gris, refreshing, but a bit routine and straightforward. It should be especially nice in the Summer. 88 points.

2000 Gewurztraminer Vielles Vignes "Furstentum" (Albert Mann) QPR Winner 
Steingrubler is usually my favorite Mann vineyard for Gewurz, but this is certainly one of, if not the best, Furstentums I have had (the '04 is another likely candidate). It has a texture that feels rich, and indeed there is plenty of depth here, but after the initial mouth-coating attack, this gains its footing quickly and shows impeccable balance as well. It projects typical and beautiful varietal flavors. It is just off dry, and high in glycerine. 92 points.

2002 Gewurztraminer "Rosenberg" (Erhart)
Thin and light, this is varietally true, but rather simple and basic. There is little of distinction here, although the wine projects some intensity. It is a pleasant enough drink, little more. 85 points.

1993 Gewurztraminer "Vignoble d'Epfig" (Oestertag)
Friendly and easy, with a nice finish, this older Gewurz still had the capacity to improve with air. It was not the most varietally intense wine on the table, but it was utterly charming with a respectable finish, just off dry, and completely open. This is a great time to drink this. It has nowhere to go now but down, as it is today gentle and elegant, but a bit too easy. 89 points.

2002 Gewurztraminer "Beblenheim" (Bott-Geyl)
Smokey and rather richly textured, this wine showed great depth and fine texture, and had a certain unctuous quality to it. For all of that, I wondered if perhaps some reductive notes were showing on it. That nuance did mar the wine some, even though it was still a very nice performance. 89 points.

2005 Gewurztraminer "Les Elements" (Bott-Geyl)
This projects lychees by the bushel. There is a touch of unctuousness on the texture, and this wine may flesh out a bit with some air and age. At the moment, it seemed just a little closed, as if it was hiding several layers. It may have a very nice future. 89+ points.

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Argentina (except dessert/sparkling)
2002 Malbec Reserva (Altos Las Hormigas)
This opens with big fruit and lots of flavor, but softens rapidly. It is bright and has some liveliness initially, but becomes rather gentle and gives evidence of early maturation. It is tasty and charming, but not particularly distinguished. 88 points.

2002 Malbec "J. Alberto" (Noemia)
This winery produces some cult-y Malbecs. This is their mid-level entrant, and it is very fine. Sensually textured, it shows fine depth, excellent structure and some persistence on the finish. It is flavorful, lingering and nicely balanced. It evolves beautifully in the glass. It is not for wimps, though. There is plenty of power here. 90 points.

2004 "Infinito" (Sur) QPR Winner 
Sweet and tasty, this is friendly and forward, not wholly lacking in structure. Air brings out lively, ripe tannins, which this wine needed.  It gives it a certain liveliness, instead of simply being stolid and sweet. It is pleasing, and charming. 88 points.

2005 Malbec "Los Quimiles" (Vinhos de los Andes) 
Light and rather simple, this opens dark and brooding, and then comes around a bit. Considering it is a modestly priced wine with a street price likely under $10, it is a decent choice for an everyday drink, but it is a bit short, and fades fast, after its initial "wake-up."  If you drink a little faster you may like it more, but after about 90 minutes, it left me thinking "there's no there, there."  Others liked it less. 84 points.

2005 Malbec Reserve "Los Quimiles" (Vinhos de los Andes) QPR Winner 
This Reserve bottling adds some welcome depth and intensity to the regular bottling. It is a bit bitter, particularly initially, on the finish, and needs a little air to evolve. It seems a touch sharp, but there is also some decent fruit here once past the structural components. It has very good structure for its price range, and the ability to hold in the cellar for a few years. It probably will drink better in a year or two. Considering that it is likely available for around $13-$14, it may be a very nice deal when it rounds into form. 87 points.

2006 Torrontés "Los Quimiles" (Vinhos de los Andes)
Dried mango, and a lot of pungent aromatics make this a wine with a lot of personality--or a bit too much, depending on how you look at it. It is a bit grassy. It reminded some folks of Muscat, but the palate has more grass than that. There is a certain "pucker" factor on the finish. I rather liked this for the most part, but it is a wine that won't be to everyone's taste. 86 points.

2005 Malbec "Sol Claro" Organic (Andalhue) QPR Winner 
Elegant in the mid-palate, this sports flavorful fruit up front, and some grip on the finish. It expands nicely in the glass. It has some sunny characteristics, and seems friendly and cheerful, while still showing off some structure. There is a pleasing, bright finish, which delivers a lot of that open, flavorful fruit to the palate. It will be early maturing.  87 points.

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Australia (except dessert/sparkling)
1998 Shiraz "Draycott" (Burge Family)
My latest note on this shows it in good form. This limited production wine (400 cases) includes 23% old vines grenache, but is labeled "Shiraz." It is at a stage where the New World components have asserted themselves again, and it was plainly not Rhone. There are touches of mint and licorice, and it opens with the oak dominating. As always, however, this develops extremely well in the glass, and with air the parts integrate very well, and it comes into nice balance. It shows some intensity still, and has a certain, bright, lively feel. 92 points.

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Beaujolais (except dessert/sparkling)
2006 Beaujolais-Villages (Jadot)
This opens with a somewhat lush texture, but after that it provides little out of the ordinary. There is some candy and some cherry bubblegum, along with a little acid at first. It is modest and increasingly delicate, with stereotypical flavors. Simple and basic, it is nonetheless not a bad picnic drink. 84 points.

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Bergerac (except dessert/sparkling)
2005 Cotes de Bergerac "La Gloire de Mon Pére" (Chateau Tour des Gendres)
This opens with scents of lavish oak treatment. The wine itself seems a bit thin in the mid-palate. The fruit is sappy and sweet, but not particularly deep or interesting. Some tannins finally emerge with air to make this seem like wine, and it finally shows some intensity and grip. The tannins integrate fairly quickly. This wine goes nowhere in particular, and seems more like a minor Napa Cabernet than a wine from just outside of Bordeaux. It is simple and basic, although pleasant enough. 86 points.

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Bordeaux (except dessert/sparkling)
1998 Chateau Grand Puy Lacoste
I really liked this the first time I had it, but whether this bottle is a little farther along than it should be, or the wine is just not developing well, this was a bit disappointing. It still shows a nice mid-palate, reasonably full and caressing the palate, but the wine is now laced with green notes. The exuberant and tasty sweet fruit that I liked a couple of years back has moderated leaving those vegetal notes around the edges. The more this sat, the less interesting it became. 87 points.

1989 Chateau Pavie-Macquin
Showing earth around the edges, this finishes with its nice acidity driving home still sweet fruit. It has thinned in the mid-palate, and shows forest floor notes as well. This is a wine that is drinking about as well as it is going to drink, and I fear it may in fact start to gradually decline in the near future. Drink up. 90 points.

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Bulgaria (except dessert/sparkling)
2003 Merlot Reserve (Domaine Boyar)
Boyar is Bulgaria's largest wine exporter. This particular bottling gets credit for holding well, but it is a relatively simple wine, marked by oak and having a mass market feel. There is a bit of intensity on opening and the wine does give a certain feeling of fullness in the mouth. The nose smells a bit of candy, but the palate is considerably better. Routine and methodical, the wine seems a touch harsh on the finish. The sweet oak sometimes cuts that nuance, sometimes not. The wine feels thinner and harsher as it airs. Street price is only around $8 or so, though. 82 points.

2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve (Domaine Boyar)
The Cabernet is a step up on the Merlot. It is more focused, and better balanced and structured. There is some tannin, and some grip on the finish. It remains a simple, mass market wine with basic flavors and little of distinction. A price point around $8 might make this attractive for some uses. 84 points.

2005 Muscat "Balkan Hills" (Targovishte) QPR Winner
Clean, fresh and rather powerful  for a Muscat, this dry wine has some of those telltale Muscat nuances on the palate, but not so much in the way of aromatics. It has good body, and a nice finish, lingering and even somewhat gripping. It is refreshing, with some crispness. For an $8.50 wine, this is a pretty nice performance. It is holding quite nicely, and should hold for well for another year or two. Its pungent notes requires food, like shellfish. It did fade noticeably, after being refrigerated, on Day 2. A second bottle showed well, but perhaps a tad off the first. Still, give this a chance to sit in your mouth. There is more there than seems apparent at first, and it is a good matchup for shellfish, I think, and less appealing on its own. 85 points.

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Burgundy (except dessert/sparkling)
2006 Bourgone Pinot Noir Rosé (F. Magnien)
Iced down, this seemed tart and shrill, but a little warmth aided it. It is pale in color, a blush. The aromatics are the best feature, with fresh, red fruit scents. The finish always remains a bit on the acidic side. At a given moment the crispness might be welcome, and it did come together well, projecting delicate Pinot Noir flavors, and an elegant mid-palate.  86 points.

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California/USA (except dessert/sparkling)
2005 Pinot Noir "Rancho Santa Rosa" (Foley)
This Pinot Noir (suggested price: $37, realistic street price in the mid to upper $20s) has the fragrant, ultra ripe nose of sweet red fruit, showing a bit candied now, in this wine's youth, as has become the fashion in USA Pinot Noir. The mid-palate is rather elegant, however, and the wine actually has a certain sensuality to it. The finish is average, and the wine will probably be best drunk in the next few years.   It has a bright feel to it, and air adds some acidity and succulence. There were moments when it was quite pleasing, but it ultimately seems a bit foursquare, its fragrance unmatched by distinction in the mid-palate. Air seemed to make the flavors more, not less flamboyant. More air showed noticeable thinning, and as the fruit calmed down it became dull and lifeless rather than interesting. The longer it was open, the less impressive it was. 87 points.

2003 Cabernet Sauvignon (Versant)
This wine is lavishly oaked, and most of its sweetness comes from oak. It has decent mid-palate depth, but is sharp, seems a bit hot, and clumsy. Its disjointed and awkward presentation was not devoid of merit, but it was hard to be impressed considering a price point likely to be over $70. 87 points.

2003 Nebbiolo "Stolpman Vineyard" (Palmina)
This was a rather interesting wine. Light in color, it seemed a bit thin--and in fact it is. But it has delicious flavor, and projects lots of charm. With air, its structure even improved, as it showed some backbone. Its fruit remained quite delicious. It never did flesh out and always seemed a bit shy of stuffing, a touch hollow. It is very enjoyable nonetheless. 88 points.

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Chile (except dessert/sparkling)
2004 Quinta Generacíon (Casa Silva)
Bursting with dark fruit and some licorice, this has an elegant mid-palate, laced with both oak and fruit nuances. It is soft, with modest structure, and seems ready to drink now. It is quite tasty, but a little simple, expansive but a bit short. 87 points.

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Dessert/Sparkling
1942 Port (Niepoort)
Served blind, this 65 year old Port had me thinking it was a 1970. That's how fresh and youthful it seemed, despite decanting. It shows richness and sweet fruit still, with lively acidity around the edges. It started out strong, and kept evolving in the glass. Simply lovely. 94 points. 

1957 Abafado (Junta Nacional do Vinho)
This is essentially a Ribatejo Port, although the style is perhaps more Australian. It was made by the government, way back when. Lush, rich, sweet and decadent, it is a guilty pleasure. If not the best structured wine, it is simply delicious and decadent. 93 points.

NV Commandaria  "St. Nicholas" (Etko) QPR Winner 
This off-dry, red dessert wine is from Cyprus. I recently reported on another, the St. John version from Keo, which I liked better. This is arguably a bit fresher, but also more straightforward. It is sharper and a bit more piercing, but lacks the more complex flavors, the certain feeling of amiable maturity, that the St. John provided. I would say, though, that I had this open for a week and at the end of the week, this had just a touch of that baked apple nuance the St. John provided. Perhaps this is a much younger bottling that needs either air or age. As it is a non-vintage, it is hard to know. They are both interesting choices, relatively mild, not fortified, and just off dry, not extremely sweet. 88 points.

1990 "Cuvée d'Or" (Kalin)
This special late harvest bottling is a blend of botrytis affected Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. There were some oxidative notes on the nose, and a slight impression of baked apple, from fruit becoming a bit too old. However, I thought this wine was over the hill and seriously drying out on the finish, but it revived itself, at least for awhile It is still very sweet, but also perky, and bright. If, with more air, it did eventually dry out on the finish, and clearly needs drinking, it provided lots of fun and flavor along the way. 89 points.

One of my favorite American dessert wines, this shows a bit richer than most Sauternes, and fully mature, but not in any way old or oxidized. In this vintage, I am not quite as wowed as I often have been, though. The wine is darned tasty, but it hardly seems the have the finish, depth or intensity I'd hope for. It flattens out fairly fast and sometimes seems just a bit hollow. That is all relative, though. It is still pretty nice. 90 points.

1986 Gewurztraminer "Selection des Grains Nobles" (Hugel)
Hugel is known for its SGNs, and I've had some great ones from here over the years. This, at least at this point in its life, is very good, not great. It shows restrained richness, with bursts of acidity. At this point in its life, it is just off dry, not terribly sweet. It is pleasing and a pleasure to drink, but as it is aging, it shows little of the richness you expect in SGN. Still, it is a winner in many respects, and quite delectable. 90 points.

1998 Gewurztraminer "Fronholz" (Oestertag)
Smoothly textured, with a feeling of velvet, this shows bursts of sweetness on the finish that quickly resolve into something more balanced. Its depth is moderate for SGN. It is a charming wine, but not necessarily a full throttle dessert wine. 91 points.

1910 PX Solera (Alvear)
Simply decadent, this 1910 Solera is even thicker and richer than the 1927 that Alvear has put out. This reminds me of the Lustau PX bottlings in many respects, including that it is so thick, so powerful, that it has to be sipped carefully. This is not for those who are more interested in balance or acidity, but in its decadence, it has some charms. 92 points.

1993 Riesling Cluster Select Late Harvest (Navarro)
An earlier bottle of this that I had must have been flawed, because this bears no resemblance to it. There is heavy botrytis along with gobs of sugar and lots of acidity in the background. It is a confection, but a confection with a sunny disposition. The color is dark amber, but the wine has plenty of life left in it, as it kept getting better with air. Delicious. 94 points.

1998 Riesling Ice Wine (Inniskillin)
Sweet and rich, yet with very nice acidity, this seems fresh and succulent, lively and flavorful. There are apricot nuances on the finish, along with some botrytis notes. The finish is intense and succulent. Very nice. 94 points.

Germany (except dessert/sparkling)
2000 Riesling Kabinett "Deidesheimer Paradiesgarten" (Basserman Jordan)
Dry, but a bit fruity, this has a touch of lemon in the back, and a drying finish. The fruit is modest. The wine seems simple, pleasant, but rather routine. It is fully mature and should be drunk while still fresh rather than cellared for a lot longer, although it should certainly hold another year or two. There is a certain shortness to the finish. 85 points.

1994 Riesling Auslese "Erdener Prälat" (Dr. Loosen)
This opens dry, and then reveals some sugar and fruit on the finish, not seeming quite so austere as it warms up and airs out. For an Auslese, it shows relatively little density or sweetness, though, and it becomes more and more delicate with air. If you ignore the pradikat designation, though, it drinks rather well, and Erdeners are always on the delicate side. 88 points.

2000 Riesling Spatlese "Niersteiner Paterberg" (Strub)
For the vintage, this has held beautifully. It shows a certain density that is surprising. It opens with good acidity that follows through on the finish. Everything integrates quickly and well, with just a bit of sugar adding to the wine's charm. If there is a criticism here, with air, it does begin to hollow out a little too quickly. There wasn't enough left to see if it became lifeless, though. It drank well. 88 points.

2000 Riesling Kabinett "Hackenheimer Kirchberg" (Ch. W. Bernhard)
This energetic Kab from a tough vintage shows beautifully. It is a great summer wine, drinking well. It delivers big bursts of acid on the finish, leaving you with some mouth-puckering sensations at first. But it is fresh, youthful and lively. There is just enough sugar to prevent it from becoming shrill, and an anticipated little bit of lemon on the finish, too. It is nothing profound, just vibrant and refreshing. Despite its youthful appearance, I would drink this on the young side, i.e., now. The fruit will not keep up with the acidity, I suspect. While that makes the wine fun now, it may just make hard to take in five years. 87 points.

2000 Riesling Kabinett "Kallstadter Steinacker" (Koehler-Ruprecht)
This showed a disturbingly dark color on being poured, mid-gold.  The fruit has dried out and wine is flat, showing little but acid. If this is a typical bottle, it has aged poorly, and is well past prime. 80 points.

2001 Riesling Spatlese "Niersteiner Oelberg" (Strub) QPR Winner
Since seeing this around release, I have not sampled this well priced wine. I decanted it to get it going. It shows beautifully, the acid and sugar in perfect balance, melding together in an utterly charming fashion. That said, it rather confirms my fear that this is charming and a fine value (around $13 on release), but not more. If there is nothing profound here, though, you sure get your money's worth. It's a crowd pleaser from start to finish, bright, lively and delectable. 89 points.

1989 Gewurztraminer Trocken Auslese "Haardter Burgergarten" (Muller-Catoir)
As with the Josmeyer on this page, this shows why Gewurz can benefit from a little sugar. In many respects, this is a big wine, showing depth and power, and tons of lychees. The fruit is drying out a little. On the end, though, the wine has some unnecessary bitterness that makes it a wine that may impress you, but that you won't find particularly charming or fun to drink. There's a lot going on here, but this is not a great success at this point in its life. 88 points.


 

Italy (except dessert/sparkling)
1989 Barolo "Bussia" (Parusso)
Full bodied, this gracefully maturing Barolo shows some initial richness, then blends into a well balanced, well integrated whole. The mid-palate always seem to coat your mouth, but the wine has good acidity and intensity on the finish as well. This was served after being open (but not decanted) for six hours. It nonetheless evolved well in the glass, showing almonds, tar and earth to go with the fruit. 92 points.

1990 Brunello di Montalcino "Riserva" (Caprilli)
This little known producer's wine surprised me by how youthful and fresh it seemed. Then, it surprised me some more by opening beautifully with air, expanding in the glass, and developing all night long.  I liked the bright, dried cherry notes early on, but then the fruit actually got a bit sweeter and richer. That phase of development definitely caused me to reevaluate this a tick or two upwards. I disliked the nose initially, as I thought I caught a whiff of brett. But the wine shook off whatever bottle stink it had acquired and acquitted itself beautifully in a short while. There are some well integrated tannins still providing support for the wine. Very nice. 92 points.

1989 Barolo "Vigneto Torlo" (Abbona Marziano e Enrico)
This is youthful in a sense, but the mid-palate is clearly thinning. It lacks the intensity and concentration of top wines in this vintage, but it is nonetheless pleasing, fresh and enjoyable, holding well and aging gracefully. It is perhaps a bit on the simple side. 89 points.

2004 Amarone Classico (Villa Chiara)
I rather liked this for what it was--a simple, fruity wine, quite enjoyable but nothing profound. The word "Amarone" on the front caused some expectations that perhaps were not met. The wine was fruity, but seemed a bit too normal, a bit too simple, a bit too modern, a bit too...new world. Take it for what it is, you might like it. It would work better than a lot of supercharged Amarones as a table wine. 88 points.

Lebanon (except dessert/sparkling)
2004 Rosé (Chateau Musar)
I've never before seen this bottling from Musar. It was interesting. The aromatics were excellent, the wine rather dense and powerful for pink. Despite being a couple of years old, it was holding well, although there was a certain flatness to the flavor. It is one of those pinks that tends to be close to a red in disguise. I would have liked to have seen it a year or two younger. 86 points.

Spain (except dessert/sparkling)
1999 Clos Martinet (Mas Martinet)
Richer on the nose than on the palate, this powerful and burly beast attacks you at first. Just when you fear it is too powerful, it begins to resolve, showing big bursts of fine strawberry notes, while retaining its intensity and preening in its power. It did, it seems to me, always show a touch of harshness on the finish, but the intensity and flavor make this interesting and enjoyable on many fronts. It certainly needs some "wake up" air. It could also use a little more cellaring. 91 points.

1999 Costers del Siurana (Clos de l'Obac)
This is a wine that shows more mature and also more balanced than the Martinet, above. It is full bodied and fairly deep, with a nice round texture that coats the mouth, seeming high in glycerine. It has an excellent, lingering finish, full of flavor. It picks up weight with air, too, and seems reasonably complex as well as delicious. This is pretty much ready to roll now. It is charming. 92 points.

2001 "Gran Viu" Carineña Seleccion (Viñedos y Bodegas Pablo)
This is quite tasty, showing lots of strawberry nuances, but the unfortunate nuance you note first is a lot of toasty oak that provides a lot of the wine's flavor. Tannins come out here with air, and the wine has some power. Along with the intensity and sweet fruit, there also seems to be a bit of heat.  This has many things to recommend it, but I can't say I really could warm up to it after the first few minutes. 89 points.

2003 Vall Llach (Celler Vall Llach)
This is a knockout, a Chateauneuf imitator with gorgeous, sweet fruit, and a big finish. It is rich and beautifully textured. It is a sexy beast, showing itself to be fruit forward, but with structure lurking underneath.  The more I drank this, the more I liked it, as the flavorful fruit washed over the palate. I'd love to stick this blind in a Chateauneuf tasting. 94 points.

2002 Tinto "Valdunes" (Tierra Adentro)
This inexpensive Crianza from a poor vintage drinks well for about half an hour, but fades fast. It is soft, and a little sharp on opening, has just enough to it to allow it to expand in the glass for a few minutes and show some liveliness, and then it is all downhill from there. There are some dried wood notes, and a short finish that gets less impressive with time. It flattens fast. It is not a bad pizza wine, perhaps, but should be drunk if it still held. The rating for the first thirty minutes is better. 83 points.

2004 "Salanques" (Mas Doix)
Young, enthusiastic, and vibrant, this bright wine has sweet fruit and tingly tannins. It seems lively and eager to please. There are bright and rather succulent fruit flavors on the palate, and it manages to be friendly while grapey. It could use a couple of years of cellaring to come around, even though it is approachable, at which time it might add some character to its friendly demeanor. It does have a certain dark chocolate overtone to it. 91 points.

2000 Tinto (Clos Mogador)
Sharp and piercing on opening, this projects ripe fruit as it airs out, with delicious strawberry nuances. It is bursting with flavor, and the fruit lingers on the palate, too. It has fine depth and is aging gracefully, seeming young and vibrant at age 7.  95 points.

2006 Rosé (Penascal)
This is all Tempranillo. Piercing and sharp, the acidity delivers the fruit to the palate and gives you a very bright finish. It has reasonable depth, a dark red palate, and red berry nuances. It is very pleasing and dry, although a bit fruity. Very nice. 87 points.