TM


Tasting Notes
July / August, 2009

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 Austria Bordeaux California/USA Dessert/Sparkling
Germany      Italy       Rhone/S/SW France        Spain

Alsace (except dessert/sparkling)
2004 Riesling "Steingrubler" (Barmes-Buecher)
Ripe but very stern nonetheless, this is surprisingly austere despite its depth and ripeness. It has excellent depth, along with a hard edge, but it is not always the most pleasant of wines. 87 points.

2006 Riesling "Vignoble d'E" (Oestertag)
Funky on the nose, with piercing acidity, this has lots of lemons on the finish, and little evident fruit.  More shrill than charming, this can be some work at times. 85 points.

2005 Muscat "Cuvée Particuliere" (Bott Freres)
There is a typically aromatic nose, but with some varnish notes, too. The delicate mid-palate delivers modest fruity nuances. This is a one dimensional little Muscat.  84 points.

1994 Gewurztraminer "Clos Windsbuhl" (Zind-Humbrecht)
After a run of variable bottles, my luck has improved with this wine (and this came from my cellar...). So, it is worth reporting that it is little different than last year's spectacular performance. It seems luscious, but the sugar is perfectly integrated at this point in its life, and eventually the wine becomes very spicy. It is surprisingly bright, and despite its subtle richness, is impeccably balanced. The finish coats the mouth and lingers. There is not a trace of decay. On a night in which a lot of Gewurzs (see below) were poured with dinner--this was a standout still. 96 points.

1994 Gewurztraminer "Wintzenheim" (Zind-Humbrecht)
This probably suffered a bit being poured next to the Clos Windsbuhl, above. While the CW was fresh, young and rich, this is not quite as fresh and it is far more austere. It opens relatively full bodied and for a 15 year old Gewurz of this status, it shows quite well, but it does become a little bitter and less interested with air, piercing, with thinning fruit. Nonetheless, this has its moments. 86 points.

2002 Gewurztraminer "Cuvée Theo" (Weinbach)
Bright and elegant, this melds Gewurz spice with a little unctuousness, some viscosity on the beautiful finish. The mouth coating finish is its best feature, lingering and delivering persistent flavors. This sunny Gewurz is beautifully balanced, although it does thin fast. 89 points.

2005 Gewurztraminer "Furstentum" Vendange Tardive (Weinbach)
Rich, yet very focused, this beautifully balanced wine is delicious on opening, but surprised me by improving quite a bit with air. Its lovely, bright finish gives it a succulent demeanor, dribbling the delicious medley of fruit and sugar over the palate. 92 points.
 

2002 Gewurztraminer "Furstentum Vielles Vignes" (Paul Blanck)
Fruity, with a touch of lychee and pepper, this is bright and easy drinking, but seems well off the pace of the 2001. Piercing but light, it also shows a touch of oxidation and cracks quickly. 86 points.

2002 Gewurztraminer "Furstentum Vielles Vignes" (Albert Mann)
This was drinking beautifully back in 2005, and it didn't seem to be the type of wine that would age well. It has probably slipped a little--but it is still lovely, the fruity character having moderated a little, more pepper showing through, and the wine seeming more delineated. It is a touch bitter on the finish after aeration, meaning that it shows far more varietal character now than then, and the fruity notes are more subdued. 90 points.
 

2004 Gewurztraminer "Reserve Personnelle" (Bott Freres)
Fruity and fun, this is easy to drink, but quite modest. It has little Gewurz character and no depth. 85 points.

2003 Gewurztraminer "Sommerberg" (G. Weinzorn)
This shows some lactic overtones on the finish, and oxidative notes as well. It has decent body and some intensity, but it is hard to get past the oxidation and the flaws on this wine. 78 points.

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Argentina (except dessert/sparkling)
2005 Malbec "Catena Alta" (Bodega Catena Zapata)
This is a lovely Malbec, opening earthy and restrained, and then gradually and consistently expanding and blossoming in the glass. The fruit gets sweeter with air, but the structure is more impressive as well, and it gains more character, too. This is a pleasure to drink, approachable, but likely to age rather well over the next decade or so without problem. 90 points.

2007 Gran Malbec (Bodega Flechas de Los Andes)
This is elegant and focused, sweet, but a little earthy. All and all, this is a very nice performance in a well structured wine that maintains good fruit. Aeration helped this a lot. I would say, though, that there were moments during its evolution when the alcohol (14.5) was a bit too noticeable. On the whole, it was good to drink and should evolve pretty well, too. This wine, from the owners of Lafite Rothschild, is the Kosher cuvée (not Mevushal). See the notes under the Weinstock Cabernet. 89 points.

2006 Malbec Gran Reserva (Finca El Origen)
This opens up very grapey--and not in a good way. It has strong aromatics akin to Welch's grape juice, something without a hint of complexity. It is blueberry juice and grape juice, but I wasn't quite sure it was wine. I was happy to see it improve a bit with air, showing some structure. But in the end, it still seemed a bit candied and simple, one dimensional to say the least, and lacking a little concentration. It did take on a little character with air--maybe a couple years in the cellar will improve this. 84 points.

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Austria (except dessert/sparkling)

2006 Riesling Reserve "Pfaffenberg" (Metternich & Salomon)

This has beautiful depth, and a fruity feel. Despite being dry, it seems surprisingly rich rather than piercing, charming rather than steely. It has a beautiful finish, too, as the fruit lingers. It is a pleasure to drink. 90 points.

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Bordeaux (except dessert/sparkling)
1993 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild
This has pretty much peaked, laced with green olives, and showing traces of fruit that was not, perhaps, sufficiently ripe. That said--it shows a soft, caressing texture, and it still is capable of improving with air. The structure is modest at this point, but for a wine in this off vintage, it shows pretty well, and with the right occasion and food matchup, will still perform pretty well.  What it lacks in depth, it makes up for in charm. As is always the case with Bordeaux, while this has peaked and may even have started gently into decline (it is not quite as pristine as it was on my last taste, several years back), it should hold a good long while before anyone would consider it dead or dying. With air, it does show more tertiary notes, but it takes longer to get there than the '90 Forts, below. 88 points.

1990 Les Forts de Latour
This wine is clearly on the downside, showing lots of tertiary notes, a color more tending to brick, and a gentle feel, with little or no tannin evident. That said, the fruit is wide open and utterly charming at this point, and while this wine did not last at peak all evening, for the first 60-90 minutes or so, it drank just fine and was rather tasty. You do have to like them a bit on the older side--this seemed even a bit older than its vintage date would suggest. Drink up. 87 points.

2003 Chateau Malartic-Lagraviere
I have not kept up with the changes here, but this  modern styled wine is tasty, elegant and quite pleasing. It is also Kosher, and a pleasant surprise all around. See notes under the Weinstock Cabernet. Rather dark in color, it is soft on the edges, with modest sweetness and average depth. This was tasted blind next to a non-Kosher version of this wine, the latter of which seemed a bit gamier but was slightly preferred by everyone. It was as if (I don't know this to be a fact; it is an analogy) the Kosher wine was heavily filtered and stripped of a little character. However, the difference was small and the wines came from different cellars.  This is an experiment I'd like to repeat on this and other wines. 88 points. 

2003 Chateau Pontet Canet
This is lovely, dark, sweet, soft and velvety, the texture caressing the palate. Yet, there is also grip and intensity on the finish, ripe tannins supporting the elegant mid-palate. This is impeccably balanced and a pleasure to drink. It shows no hint of maturity, but typical of modern styled wines, it drinks perfectly well now, too. If anything, this slightly exceeds my expectations based on my early look at it. This note references the Kosher bottling. See notes under the Weinstock Cabernet. 93 points.

1989 Chateau Pichon Lalande
Bright, gentle and succulent, this charming wine is neither heavy nor rich, but dribble fruit over the palate due to its acidity. It grips the palate as a result, despite very refined tannins. With air, some typical olive nuances emerge. This is charming and complex, even if it does not always seem to have the grip and depth to be a superstar. It is drinking nicely now. I like where it is, relatively gentle, but not too mature and still lively. 93 points.

2005 Chateau Bellefont-Belcier

This is a wine I have rarely encountered. In this vintage, it is a very nice success. Silky and with a rich feel, it has a very dark color and vanilla overtones from oak. The tannins are ripe and in the background. It seems more sumptuous than it is--the mid-palate is actually quite light. It has a kick, too--the alcohol hits 14.5%. 90 points.
 

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California/USA (except dessert/sparkling)
2007 Chardonnay "Biagini Vineyard" (Clos LaChance)
Samples from Clos LaChance shows some interesting things this issue--I liked this Chardonnay best. It is a small production Chard (286 cases, $35) from the Santa Cruz Mountains is big and full bodied. It shows some oak at first, but since it only had 40% new French oak, it comes around rather quickly. Its intensity picks up with air, and the alcohol (14.5%) shows just a bit. It seems sweet, fruity, mouthcoating and ripe--yet it is very well balanced for its style, fruit forward, not particularly steely, but rather attractive. 89 points.

2007 Chardonnay "Liebeler Vineyard" (Clos LaChance)
This bottling (234 cases, $35), as opposed to the Biagini reviewed this issue, is more Burgundian in style. There is a touch of oak up front (it had 50% new), but it is bright and elegant, with a nice, lingering finish and a sometimes serious demeanor.  This lacks the depth of the Biagini, and it is more austere. Overall, it is quite charming, though.  As with the Biagini, it shows some alcohol (14.5) occasionally, but it is not particularly intrusive  87 points.

2003 Pinot Noir "Kistler Vineyard" (Kistler)
Sharp and intense, this wine is surprisingly elegant despite its ripe fruit. As it airs out, it seems quite charming, with a raspberry overlay. Despite its elegance, it has a certain feel of solidity to it--it may not be deep and jammy, but it doesn't fade or seem thin, either. 91 points.

2006 Pinot Noir "Russian River Valley" (Porter Creek)
Bright and intense on opening, and a little harsh, this smooths out rather nicely, coming together in solid, if sometimes stolid as well, Pinot Noir with good depth and focus. The fruit seems a bit more muted, as the structure dominates initially. This is a pretty nice value--probably around $30 in most places. 89 points.

2006 Pinot Noir "Biagini Vineyard" (Clos LaChance)
This ($50, 232 cases) is another small production wine from Biagini Vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains. It has some heat early on, as its alcohol (14.5%) shows a bit. Ripe and intense, this has a broad, tomato note on the palate, which seems expansive, not to mention a bit stolid. The finish is average.  Those who prefer the silky, raspberry dominated version of Pinot Noir will not find this particularly attractive, but it does have some merits, including intensity of flavor. The winery's own tasting notes find lots of cola flavors--with air, those do indeed appear. With more air still, a note of austerity creeps in, which is actually welcome. This wine might benefit from being drunk a bit on the cooler side.  Drink now-2016. 88 points.

2002 "Blend 352" (Core)
I've not been happy with how the '02s from Core have evolved--later vintages are superior in structure, I think--but this is holding on and is probably the best of the group. It also seems a bit different than the bottle I had a couple of years back.  It is not quite as soft as the earlier bottle, but the alcohol shows a bit more as it airs out. It has a sturdy feel to it and drinks decently, but it continues to lose some of its charm, even if it seems to show more power in this incarnation. 86 points.

2006 Syrah "Hopland" (Erle Family)
To its credit, this has an elegant mid-palate and a rather charming initial presentation, the only flaw there being the heavy oaky overlay. The suave feel is lost a bit as the wine airs out, revealing little depth, a touch of alcohol and not much more. It ultimately seems pleasant but a bit one dimensional. This sample came with some Erle Family wines from Israel. We have here a winemaker (Ari Erle) making wine under the same producer name for both his Israeli venture and his Mendocino County winery. To be sure, various companies (like the owners of Chateau Lafite) have interests in many places, but it will be interesting to see if there is any synergy here in the future. The winemaking styles seem similar. Hopefully, the terroirs will remain separate and speak for themselves.  86 points.

2005 Cabernet Sauvignon "Cellar Select" (Weinstock)
Pleasantly fruity, with just a bit of a tannic backbone, this easy drinking Cabernet is fun at times, along the lines of an every day wine or house pour at best. There is some black cherry fruit, but the flavors are more associated with oak, and there is a bit of a Beaujolais-esque texture, a touch of bubble gum as well that gives it an odd nuance. It is straightforward and one dimensional. This is a Kosher cuvée, which, like the other Kosher wines on this page, have been dribbling in as samples since my reviews of Israeli wines (which, however, are not in fact all Kosher). It is interesting to compare and contrast what else is available in the field. There are some very good non-Kosher producers who also, not surprisingly, turn out very good Kosher bottlings, like Chateau Guiraud and Peraj Ha'abib. In general, however, my sense is that wines oriented just to the Kosher market, notwithstanding improvements since the days when I was a young drinker, will have to step up their game to keep pace with the increasing quality and diversity coming out of Israel. This is Mevushal, a subset of Kosher laws; not all of the others are, an important distinction. Check individual notes carefully. 83 points.

2007 Zinfandel "Old Vine Lodi" (Baron Herzog)
Clocking in at 14.5%, this seems to do a good job of holding its balance for the most part, although the alcohol begins to show with more air. The oak and extreme overripe flavors that one often sees in Zins are not on display here, though. It improved briefly with air. That said, it has a certain straightforward demeanor, with a certain bubble gum nuance, making it seem one dimensional and not likely to evolve, despite its young age. This is a Kosher cuvée (see the note under the Weinstock Cabernet, above). This is also Mevushal, but I'd say this retains a bit more character than the Weinstock. 84 points.

2008 Chenin Blanc Late Harvest "Clarksburg" (Herzog)

This opens seemingly sweeter than the 10.43% residual sugar number revealed on the label, without much delineation, structure or focus. That said, this low alcohol wine (10.35%) improves with air, showing some brightness around the edges and become rather charming. It is a touch cloying at times, although quite flavorful, with cling peach and pear-in-syrup notes, along with some orange peel. There is not a lot of structure, but it has its moments. This is Kosher and Mevushal. See the notes under the Weinstock Cabernet. 86 points.
 

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Dessert/Sparkling
2003 Sauternes (Chateau de Myrat)
This relatively obscure Sauternes did a great job in this vintage. This gorgeously balanced wine is utterly harmonious--not particularly deep or powerful, but ripe, yet impeccably balanced in all respects--fruit and oak in particular. I sometimes have a problem with the aggressive oak treatment on many Sauternes. There are hints of vanilla, but not the overwhelming oak treatment one finds in some Sauternes. I doubt this has the power or structure to age quite as well as some of the bigger Sauternes--but it is a beautiful performance, elegant, flavorful and utterly charming. 90 points.

2004 Riesling Eiswein (R. Muller)
I liked this a lot, but it is not for those who shy away from acidity. The piercing acidity here stands out and dominates the fruit and the sugar, making this Eiswein rather austere and penetrating. It is still quite interesting--but sure not for those looking for more luscious dessert wines. 91 points.

2004 Port LBV (Porto Cordovero)
This LBV is soft and sweet, with modest structure and focus, but a very sugary finish. Its laid back, relatively unstructured demeanor makes this a bit too simple--all about the sugar--but it is quite tasty with a classic flavor profile and aromatics. It clocks in at 20% alcohol. As it aired out, the sugar faded a bit, and what was left was not nearly as interesting. The alcohol became more noticeable, the finish was a bit short and it seemed thinner. Although I liked it less with aeration,  I confess that this was a guilty pleasure early on as it was simply delicious and hard to keep my hands off of. That said, the price points I saw online for this bottle, at over $40 a bottle, seemed quite high.  It is made from properties of Taylor, and Yeatman. By comparison, a Taylor Fladgate LBV is about half the price. This is Kosher, but not Mevushal.  See the notes under the Weinstock Cabernet. 85 points.

2006 Moscatel "Old Vines" Malaga (Jorge Ordonez)
Sweet and syrupy, this rich and delicious wine is marked by apricot and peach nuances that linger on the finish. This was fun to drink from start to finish. 94 points. 

2004 Esencia (Jorge Ordonez)

Beautifully balanced, elegant and light on its feet, this could not be more different than the Moscatel, above.  Bright and ethereal, it is utterly charming, but ultimately I found it a bit lacking in distinction and not as impressive in 2009 as perhaps it should be. 90 points.

1990 Sainte Croix du Mont Reserve (Chateau de la Rame)
This Sauternes-like wine is drinking beautifully and aging beautifully. Bright and succulent, it seems gentle and harmonious, but not fading or decaying. There are some apricot and peach nuances in this beautifully balanced wine. The lingering finish is delicious. 91 points.

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Germany (except dessert/sparkling)
2002 Riesling Spatlese "Abtsberg" (M. Grunhaus)
Since I saw it last a four or five years back, this has come around nicely and has settled in. The mouth puckering acidity is not quite so forbidding now. There is a lemon note on the finish, but nothing shrill. It has surprisingly good depth, and its components have integrated well. The finish is flavorful, with a viscous quality. 89 points.

2004 Riesling Auslese "Ockfener Bockstein" (St-Urbanshof)
This quite charming Auslese is rather dry, deep but austere for an Auslese with good acidity and penetration. Like many 2004s, it is rather precocious, though, in fine balance and approachable very young. This may not have the very rich, very sweet up-one-pradikat feel many Auslesen have--but in its own right it is both delicious and fine. AP 3 529 290 024 05. 90 points.

2007 Gewurztraminer Kabinett "Durkheimer Nonnengarten" (Darting)
Charming, rather sweet for Kabinett, pleasant and easy to drink, this wine has little depth or concentration--when the sugar fades not much is happening--but makes up for that with its sunny, debonair demeanor. 86 points.

2005 Riesling Spatlese "Munsterer Dautenpflanzer" (Kruger-Rumpf)
This does nothing wrong and is quite enjoyable, but still left me a little blah and bland. It seems easy and pleasant, off dry and well balanced, with a modest finish, but broad flavors. It does not have much intensity. It is a wine with some charm, and a middle of the road feel. 87 points.
 

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Italy
2003 Oreno (Tenuta Sette Ponti)
Rich and ripe, this wine acquires character with air, showing some earthiness, a touch of game and a brighter demeanor with time. Relatively ripe tannins provide support and vibrancy as well. On the whole, this shows very well, and is drinking well on the early side. 90 points.

1998 Montiano (Falesco)
I was seriously underwhelmed with this when I last had it, but this deserves an uptick, as it is drinking beautifully now. Bright and succulent, very elegant in the mid-palate, this is a wine that dribbles what it has over the palate and has opened up beautifully. It is perhaps not in perfect balance between acidity, fruit and depth, but on its own terms, it is very attractive and a pleasure to drink. 90 points.

2001 Brunello di Montalcino "Manachiara" (Nardi)
Not yet ready to drink, this powerful Brunello looks to be a beauty--looks to be, because its tannins emerge fairly quickly early on and grab your palate. It has depth and elegance, though, a tightly wound mid-palate and the ability to age gracefully for another 20 years or so, I think. It will probably be better drunk around 2013-2015. 92 points.

2005 Gewurztraminer "Lunare" (Kellerei Cantina Terlano)
A funky nose spells problems for this wine, as it dominates the discussion. It is hard to get past it. It is also dry and bitter, making it hard to find the fruit. Whatever merits this had, seem no longer applicable. 80 points.

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Rhone/South/SW France (except dessert/sparkling)
1990 Gigondas (Montmirail)
Funky and light, this aging Gigondas still has something to offer, namely, flavor and a crisp, easy drinking demeanor. It may not be at peak, but it is not quite dead yet, either. It still has some charm and pleasing strawberry nuances. 86 points.

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Spain (except dessert/sparkling)

1996 Tinto (Clos Mogador)
Maturing and light in the mid-palate, this is nonetheless quite charming and well structured. As it airs out, it takes on the demeanor of a mature Bordeaux, with some earthiness and tertiary nuances. It also has lovely red fruit, and the tannic punch to hold decently in the cellar for several more years, despite the mature notes on the fruit. It is charming and elegant. 90 points.

2001 Reserva (Castillo Labastida)

Bright and sweet, this opens with some oaky notes, but keeps getting better with air, showing power and focus, as well as the ability to develop impressively in the glass. Although I did very much like how this evolved, it seemed one dimensional on opening, turning a bit austere with time. 89 points.

2008 Moscatel Seco "Botani" (Jorge Ordonez)
I don't think I'd call this classic Moscatel--it is very herbaceous, very green, very grassy. That said, it is also exuberant and quite tasty, beautifully balanced and charming. Just don't object if you find it more like Sauvignon Blanc. 88 points.

2005 Les Terrasses (Alvaro Palacios)
Quite lovely, this impeccably balanced wine is approachable but a bit mute on opening, but evolves into an utterly charming, beautifully constructed wine. The mid-palate is on the elegant side, and there is some piercing intensity that arises with air. It does not seem particularly complex, but it is awfully tasty.  90 points.

2000 Numanthia
I haven't had this in awhile, but it has come together beautifully. Rich and full bodied, it sweetens with air and coats the palate, showing delicious fruit and grip on the finish. Despite its full bodied feel, it never seems thick or jammy, rather, just right, and perfectly balanced. It seems a lot more like Tempranillo than it did on my first taste on release, but it still is not exactly your old traditional style. This is sweeter and richer. 93 points.

2005 EL26 (Elvi)
This starts a lot better than it finishes, but is pretty nice overall. It is gamey on the nose, and you will have to deal with that first. I rather liked it. Bright and elegant in the mid-palate, it seems quite charming overall, with ripe tannins and a succulent finish. It thins fast, though, and is a lot less interesting when it does. This is Kosher, but not Mevushal.  See the notes under the Weinstock Cabernet.  88 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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