November/December, 2006 Tasting Notes, Mark Squires' E-Zine on Wine

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.

This wine seemed so young for its age, so impeccably balanced, so pristine. Maturity has done interesting things for it, moderating the sugar, granting some grace and elegance, while leaving some richness on the finish. Its richness was finely delineated. It will not improve any further, but is fresh and showing beautifully now. 94 points.

1998 Shiraz (Paxton)
This seems mature, acidic and piercing, with good concentration and a certain lushness around the edges. The oak is very integrated. The finish is a touch bitter, and the alcohol shows as the wine airs out. This is a rather restrained wine in terms of oak treatment, but it seems to be maturing quickly, and I doubt it has anyplace good left to go. 87 points.

This opens with a nose of kirsch, which promises very ripe, perhaps overripe fruit. The fruit is sweet, raspberry-nuanced, but after that initial flamboyant touch, the wine actually shows some balance, an elegant mid-palate, with moderate tannins for support. It has some grip and focus, but at this point in its life, it also seems rather routine once past that flamboyant burst. 88 points.

This has a nice, mature mouthfeel, but is laced with green notes, vegetal aspects that are offputting. From this bottle at least, this is a big disappointment if you're opening a first growth. It seems very bright, and the finish is average. 88 points.

This is very bright, with shards of acid on the finish, and an elegant mid-palate. As it airs out, you get steel and some minerals, and then it expands gradually in the glass. No oxidation here. Very pretty. 93 points.

The cork was saturated, but if this was not a perfect bottle, it sure showed pretty well. Big and velvety, with hints of game on the end, it seemed complex and distinctive, while still being flavorful and rich. It has a big finish, lingering, with grip. It is bright around the edges and remains lively despite its size. From this bottle at least, the tannins seemed fairly well controlled and the bottle drank quite well. Full bodied and caressing, this drank beautifully. 94 points.

This opened fairly simple, with decent weight and one-dimensional cherry fruit. Some time and air allowed to gain some weight, and more importantly, some character. It remained a bit on the straightforward side, though, although it was very tasty, and the texture was velvety. It seemed youthful, with no tertiary notes, yet there was little tannin evident. It is a good time to drink this. 92 points.

Tinged with strawberries, this showed beautifully, cool and refreshing with hints of game, and an expansive mid-palate. It is gradually aging, showing an occasional tertiary nuance. It is very bright and lively, with ripe tannins on the end. It was a pleasure to drink this. 92 points.

The color is light enough to be called "see through." The cork was saturated. It is a village wine from an off vintage. DOA? Not really. The wine's acidity carries the fading fruit, and it actually has enough life left to improve briefly, and it has some body. There is little evidence of decay or oxidation. It is fading, admittedly, but it is going kicking and screaming, obviously unwilling to give up the good fight. This had its moments. 83 points.

Continuing the run of fine '90s Syrahs from Swanson, the '97 is fully mature now. I remember some people claiming this had too much oak, but in fact, the oak has well integrated, and in a flight of various Syrahs from around the world, this seemed the closest to an Old World, French one--not that it's French. There is lushness around the edges still, and the fruit retains some sweetness, which trails off into a medley of maturing flavors. The mid-palate is mid-weight, and the texture appealingly sensual. Very nice, although admittedly I liked it slightly better a couple of years earlier. This can still be held, but is giving signs that it needs to be drunk in the next few years. Note that these age fairly well for inexpensive California Syrah--the 1994 is still drinking beautifully and the 1992 has not given up the ghost. 91 points.

1990 Zinfandel "George Hendry Vineyard - Vintner's Reserve" (Rosenblum)
Dry and light, this soft, very mature Zin has probably seen better days. While it doesn't reek of decay, it is so muted and reticent that it hardly seems to be "there," despite some adequate weight. 83 points.

1990 Zinfandel "Rossi Ranch" (Topolos)
Still fairly big and powerful, and still rather flamboyant, this shows heavy gamey notes, some char and excellent weight. Distinctive, even if slightly annoying at times, you will still find yourself searching for a variety of descriptors when you taste this. 83 points.

2004 Zinfandel "Zen Ranch - Heritage Selection" (Bianchi)
This has few redeeming values. It is filled with flamboyant, candied, rather artificial-seeming flavors. Underneath, there is very little, no structure, a thin body, a tart, utterly charmless demeanor. Soft, sweet, simple and completely undistinguished, this is offputting at worst, and simple at best. 82 points.

1999 "Geyserville" (Ridge Vineyards)
Quite charming, this wine is a bit compact now, but rather elegant and flavorful, with bursts of flavor in the background and on the finish. There is a fair hit of oak surrounding the fruit, but the fruit is easy enough to find. It is not particularly intense, and has an average finish. 89 points.

1993 Cabernet Sauvignon (Quilceda Creek)
Bright and focused, this is a bit light in the mid-palate and ultimately fades with air, but while it is a prime time wine it is clean, charming and quite tasty. It is a very elegant performance. 89 points.

1987 Dominus
Full bodied, with touches of green around the edges, this shows some intensity still, and focus. With air, it shows itself to be fully mature, and expands, throwing off hints of game. It is velvety and delicious, coating your mouth with fine fruit. 93 points.

Ridge Monte Bello Vertical: 1990-1993, 1995, 1996, 2000-2002
Let's take these mostly modern Monte Bellos all at once. For the record, the 1997-99 were missing and the 1994 was corked. The 1990 was, like most of the mature wines, a dead ringer for a Bordeaux. It was fully mature, and to my mind cracking a bit. The weight was good and the texture nice, but the fruit seemed overly mature, a bit beyond what you would expect even from its vintage date. It still had its moments and many liked its classic nose. 86 points. The 1991 was to my mind one of the finest wines from one of the finest vintages in California's history. This bottle did not show quite as well as my last, but it was still very fine. It opened rich and full bodied, probably the deepest wine here. It is mature now, with tertiary notes becoming obvious with air, and it is fully ready to drink. It is not likely to improve. That said, it is currently a lush beauty that was simply delicious, a consensus pick for wine of the night. 96 points. The 1992 was another beauty. It opened sweet and velvety, with bits of tar and tobacco on the finish, some tertiary notes obvious, but still dominated by sweet fruit. It has some intensity still. It begins lush, but as it sits, it does thin out a bit. This wine didn't have the depth or finish of the 1991, but it was attractive enough to make it one of the top wines of the evening. 94 points. The 1993 was quite lovely on opening and I imagine a few years back it would've seemed even better. As time goes on, it is revealing itself to be a bit short. It is still delicious and evolved nicely with air, showing a graceful elegance, even if the finish was short and the depth was modest. 90 points. The 1995 was marred by some funk that seemed to me to be reductive nuances. Other than that, it was well focused and nicely structured, with a certain intensity that the older wines no longer had. If you don't mind the funk, or if other bottles are cleaner, you could do a lot worse that this full, youthful wine. 92 points. The 1996 is another of the Monte Bellos I've greatly admired over the years. As with so many of these wines, it evoked many Bordeaux comparisons. It is intense and focused, with lovely sweet fruit and an elegant mid-palate. There were traces of tobacco and tertiary nuances around the edges. This did not show quite as well as my last bottle, but it was still pretty fine. 94 points. The 2000 is classic and rather delicious, but also a bit short and simple. Positioned after its more powerful siblings, like the 1996 and 1991, it could not impress us very much. For the vintage, it was a pretty good effort, though. It is youthful and primary, oak-dominated at the outset. It will be early maturing and with some air, it began to drink quite well. 89 points. The 2001 is going to be a great Monte Bello, and it was my second favorite wine of the night. Young and tight, despite decanting, this slowly expanded in the glass, revealing multiple layers. It is very focused, and well structured, likely to age very, very well. 95 points. Finally, the 2002 was lovely, lush and round, with oak-smoothed edges. It is, of course, very primary and in need of some time for its parts to integrate. It expanded and evolved nicely in the glass. While I don't think this will ever match the intensity of the better structured 2001, it certainly will have its share of fans for its rich, sexy demeanor. 94 points.

Dessert/Sparkling
NV Champagne Brut "La Française" (Taittinger)
Bright and a bit simple, this entry level sparkler has a decent finish for its status, and a lemon-lime note. There is not much toast, or intensity. Pleasant enough, it has little distinction. 86 points.

NV Champagne "Prélude" (Taittinger)
This Cuvée is all Grands Crus. I rather liked this wine, which has some toast, and is of medium weight. It has nice balance, but the distinguishing feature is that it seems unusually ripe and rather full in the mouth. It is not quite sweet--so I hesitate to use the word in a Champagne review for fear of misunderstanding--but it is a long way from austere. As it airs out, it gets drier and the sweet fruit calms down. This is a very exuberant Champagne that a lot of folks will like, but for those who prize intensity and toast, it may not quite be their preferred style. 89 points.

1999 Champagne Brut (Taittinger)
This is dry and focused, with nice toast on the finish. It has a nice, leesy note that lingers is and is much appreciated. Elegant in weight and style, it is a charming Champagne likely to be appreciated by most everyone. 90 points.

1996 "Comtes de Champagne" Blanc de Blancs Brut (Taittinger)
This is tight and unready, showing lots of acid, and a closed, brooding demeanor. It is deceptive in that, as often tends to be the case with Taittinger, it is elegant in weight and impeccably balanced. Still, this kept expanding in the glass, and showing better and better with air. It needs a couple of more years in the cellar to acquire some character and blossom. Note that the suggested retail price on this is $140, but that is one reason why I do not always publish suggested retail prices. I know someone who recently bought it for about $90. So, shop around. 94 points.

NV Champagne "Cuvée Prestige" Rosé Brut (Taittinger)
This is sharp, with raspberry nuances on the nose, which is fragrant and appealing. The finish is respectable, but not terribly distinguished. The wine is bright and lively, elegant, with pleasing flavors and good focus, a pink everyone will like. 89 points.

1999 Champagne "Comtes de Champagne" Rosé Brut (Taittinger)
This is intense and focused, with a lot more heft, a better finish and more class than the non-vintage pink. It shows some toast on the end, after beginning as a fruit forward wine, but the flavors are lovely, and there is piercing acidity to support them. This should age well and develop nicely in the cellar. I would hold it a year or two more for best results. 93 points.

2004 Riesling Ice Wine (Henry of Pelham)
This Ice Wine is unctuous and very sweet, with a big, pungent nose that tells you exactly what you're going to get in terms of both sweetness and thickness. It has a certain cling Peach quality, a little syrupy, with botrytis evident and some focus. I loved the finish, and the wine is simply delicious. You may not need dessert with this--it is pretty much self-sufficient. 94 points.

1999 Riesling Eiswein "Bechtheimer Rosengarten" (Machmer)
Notes of pear lead this off. While it is a bit rich on the end, it seems curiously reticent for an Eiswein, and rather routine. It is pleasant and sweet, but of little distinction, although there is that thickness at the end. The acidity seemed modest, too. 88 points.

1997 Champagne Brut Rosé "Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon" (Billecart-Salmon)
Rich and toasty on the finish, yet with fine grip and acidity, this elegant wine marries grace and penetration. It is a bit austere and very dry, but it shows enough toast to be friendly, not overbearing. 90 points.

2005 Riesling Beerenauslese "Zeltinger Schlossberg" (Selbach-Oster)
Way too young to really show well, this holds lots of promise. It expands with air, becoming richer , and showing better acidity and minerals all the while, too. It is sweet and delicious, round and penetrating. Throw this puppy in the cellar, however friendly it may seem young. 94 points.

1998 Gelber Muskateller "Ruster Ausbruch" (Heidi Schrock)
Thick and rich, with syrup in the middle, this delicious wine has enough acid to cut through the mid-palate, and rescue it from boredom. The rest is pure hedonism, as the flavors and finish capture your palate. 94 points.

Germany (except dessert/sparkling)
1990 Riesling Spatlese "Schlossbockelhemier Felsenberg" (Paul Anheuser)
It opens with more acid than fruit, and clearly in the long run the acid will outlive the fruit here. There is a mid-period where the wine warms up, the fruit asserts itself, and there is a rather attractive finish, mingling with well integrated sugar. There were moments when I rather liked this a lot, and they lasted a reasonable time. By the end of the evening, the fruit was significantly faded, though, and it is pretty clear the acid will impart some verve to this maturing wine long after there is no fruit left. Still, there is lot to like at the moment. 88 points.

1989 Riesling Auslese "Brauneberger-Juffer-Sonnenuhr" (Willi Haag)
This is a wine that is mature but vibrant still, with its various parts, fruit, sugar and acidity, mingling together beautifully to create an integrated whole. It is just lively enough, and a pleasure to drink. It is off dry but the sugar is restrained and mature. 91 points.

Italy (except dessert/sparkling)
1999 Cabernet Sauvignon (Marchese Di Villamarina—Sella & Mosca)
This is a solid little wine, earthy, but bright, with a gently maturing feel. If there is a complaint, it seems a bit older than it should, although that may just be a variable storage issue. The structure is modest, and the tannins have resolved sufficiently to make this attractive to drink now. 89 points.

There is a lot of cat pee here, not much grass. As with most Silex bottlings, it is powerful and rich, yet tightly wound. At its young age, it is downright exuberant, not to mention mouthpuckering, with lots of acid on the end. Some time in the cellar may make this rounder and more like some of the fine, mature Silex bottlings on which I have reported lately. Others may like how it shows right now. 92 points.

Light in color, simple in flavors, this grapey, rather modest Cotes du Rhone is thin, with a modest finish, and a hint of bitterness around the edges. It is simply an uninspiring, thoroughly mediocre Cotes du Rhone that does not excel in any fashion. 83 points.

Sappy and sweet, this young 2004 is rather exuberant at the moment, with some game on the end and some firm tannins. When it comes around in a few years, it should be a nicely balanced, rather elegant presentation, not likely to be truly distinguished, but certainly quite enjoyable. 88 points.

Spain (except dessert/sparkling)
2003 Finca Sandoval
Dark and intense, this mostly Syrah-based wine (80%) is a fancy, proprietary blend that delivers. It is focused and occasionally piercing, but it evolves nicely with air, and sweet fruit pokes through. It is is ultimately quite delicious, and has the structure to age easily for a decade. 92 points.