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Tasting Notes
September/October, 2006

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  Austria  Australia   Bordeaux  Burgundy  Calif/USA 
Dessert/Sparkling  Germany  Italy  Rhone/South/SW France   Spain  

Alsace (except dessert/sparkling)
2004 Gewurztraminer "Heimbourg" (Zind-Humbrecht)
ZH's 2004 Heimbourg is a relatively restrained wine in terms of sugar, with some crispness, verve and general liveliness. The Gewurz bouquet unfolds slowly, and the finish is long, as it usually it.  This is intense, focused and well structured. 90-92 points.

2003 Gewurztraminer "Steinert" (Ginglinger)
Sweet, but dominated by botrytis notes, this manages to project some focus as a result. It is very ripe, but the caramel takes over.  It finishes rather nicely, but you may wonder why this isn't designated "VT." 88 points.

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Australia (except dessert/sparkling)

2002 "Integrity" Shiraz (Marquis Philips)  

Thick and heady, this resolves into a surprisingly, smooth, elegant mid-palate. It projects nice flavors, although certainly flamboyant, a bit candied. The wine's downfall is its overbearing alcohol level (16%), which it handles poorly. It seems obvious and harsh with every taste, and occasionally searing on the finish. For me, this was not a wine I could drink under any circumstances. 84 points.
 

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Austria (except dessert/sparkling)

2002 Pinot Noir "Unter den Terrasen zu Jois" (Umathum)
There is some good fruit here, along with some alcohol showing. There is a nice round texture, and nice depth, and it improves a bit with air. The bursts of alcohol are an intrusion, and the wine seems a bit on the simple side, though. 87 points.

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Bordeaux (except dessert/sparkling)
1990 Chateau Figeac
This feels full in the mouth, and the texture is appealing. It is tertiary, showing tar and tobacco, but it is lively and pointed, mature, but not dead. It is very persistent in projecting the tertiary notes, though, and this seems to me to be a wine that needs to be drunk in the near term. 88 points.

1990 Canon La Gaffelière
I've always liked this wine, and the years have been kind to it. It has a lush and smooth feel to it, and tons of charm. It can still improve in the glass, and the delicious fruit gets sweet and irresistible with a little air. It is fully mature, but holding beautifully. 90 points.

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Burgundy (except dessert/sparkling)

2003 Meursault "Desirée"  (Comtes Lafon)

Relatively rich, this seems big and bright, with some flint and steel on the finish. Despite the finish, the wine often seems a bit fat and simple, routine for its price and status. 89 points.

1993 Pommard "Vignots" (Leroy)

Powerful and deep, this sports big tannins, acid around the edges, and a touch of charcoal. It is hard to find much fruit flavor, though, and the finish has a touch of sourness. This is a big wine that seems relatively devoid of charm, and is all about power. It is more than a little rustic, and a serious disappointment for its status and price range. 88 points.

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California/USA (except dessert/sparkling)
2004 Pinot Noir "Hidden Block" (Varner)
Sweet cherries and nice aromatics lead this off. From young vines, it is probably best to drink it young, and it actually tastes rather good now. The easygoing nature is given a little life with some acid on the end, and the brightness on the finish works well. A bit on the simple side. Priced in the upper $30s, it may be a bit expensive for what it is, though. 87-89 points.

2004 Pinot Noir "Savoy" (Littorai)
Beautifully balanced and nicely structured, this has an elegant style, with a modest, some might say, appropriately Pinot-weight mid-palate. Good flavor, and some delicacy.   Around $50 a bottle. 88-91 points.

2004 Pinot Noir "Ryan" (DuMOL)
Modest structure combines with sweet fruit, with a touch of candy on the finish. There is thankfully a little acid, too, which cuts the simple sweetness and gives the fruit some life and energy. DuMOL is all the rage these days. I confess to being less impressed by most, but this is certainly a pleasing, well made wine. 87-89 points.

2004 Syrah "Eddie's Patch" (DuMOL)
I may be the only one, but I actually rather liked DuMOL's Syrah better than the Pinot Noir. Intense and powerful, with beautiful, sweet fruit, this is nicely cut with acid on the end, and shows ripe tannins, too. This, I could get used to drinking. 90-92 points.

2005 Syrah "Saisons des Vins L'Hiver" (Copain) QPR Winner 
I had not had the pleasure of trying Copain before. These wines deliver value. Supple, and of medium weight, this is stylish and friendly, shows typicity, and expands in the glass. It is, of course, very young and all over the place, and not exactly intended to be serious vin de garde, but it does the job for a fair price. Around $19 a bottle. This wasn't drinking too poorly now, but a year or so in the cellar wouldn't hurt.  87-89 points.

2004 Syrah "Madder Lane" (Copain)
What this adds to the 2005 above is a little of everything--intensity, depth, tannins, acid. The elegantly constructed mid-palate is surrounded by power, and the tannins will mean that this needs a few years in the cellar. Around. $25 a bottle. 88-91 points.

2003 Syrah "Stolpman" (Ojai)
Another Syrah beauty from Ojai, one of the country's best Syrah producers. This is beautiful, with a full, sensual feel in the mouth, a texture you can only luxuriate in. It is well structured and powerful, with tannins for aging, and a mid-palate just right in weight for what this wine is doing. Excellent. 92-94 points.

2004 "The Tempest" (Realm)
This Bordeaux-blend is sweet but pointed, with drying tannins and an elegant mid-palate. It is finely crafted, focused, and a little delicate. The problem is not with the wine, but the price. At $65 a bottle, you'll have to decide if it is worth the money. The wines have a certain Margaux feel to them.  88-91 points.

2004 Cabernet Sauvignon "Farella" (Realm)
A fine mouthfeel, great balance, and focus lead this wine off. The producer obviously intends to craft wines with some elegance in the mid-palate, nothing heavy or thick. The fruit is flavorful, though, sweet and rather delicious, perhaps even a touch flamboyant. There are tannins here that will allow this to age and develop well over a decade or more, however, so expect this to settle down and show very well. About $75 a bottle retail. 91-94 points.

2004 Cabernet Sauvignon "ToKalon" (Realm)
From famous terroir, this Cabernet again shows very sweet fruit--some with whom I tasted thought it a little too sweet--and elegance in the mid-palate. The fruit is cherry nuanced, and the wine seems lighter than it is at first. It expands in the glass, picking up some badly needed weight. I found this growing on me as it sat in the glass. The wine has distinction and style. Whether you can handle the price is another issue. About $85 a bottle. 91-94 points.

2004 "Undici" (Palmina)
 I went from really hating this Central Coast Sangiovese, to rather liking it, to being in doubt. First, it is hardly a typical Sangiovese. It seems more like Pinot Noir. If there is anything resembling typicity here, I didn't see it. So, if that's your thing, fuhgeddaboutit. It opened hard, intense, heady and showing little of importance. It seemed light in the mid-palate. More importantly, it seemed charmless. Remember, this is very young. It got some air, and suddenly I was rather liking it a lot. It was ripe, smelled like fresh raspberries, and smelled more and more like Pinot Noir--although perhaps in flavor it was tending now a bit to Grenache. Again, no Sangiovese. With still more air, I admit I was less interested in returning to it. Its alcohol seemed to show, and it wasn't the most charming wine you'll ever see.  87 points.

2003 "Hard Core" (Core Wine Company)
This shows wonderfully, and I'm wondering if it is about the best wine I've had yet from Core. There is great structure, better than what I've seen early on, and some serious power, all put together in a mid-weight, elegantly crafted mid-palate. Beautifully balanced, very flavorful, and able to support some cellaring, this is a very well conceived wine from start to finish. About $350, roughly, a case retail. 91-93 points.

2004 "Rising Tides" (Linne Calodo)
I continue to see heat in many wines from this winery. I cannot get a grip on them. There is, to be sure, wonderfully sweet fruit here, and there are moments when you want to grab this and really love it. It is a blend of typical red Rhone varietals. The sweetness is, if anything, a bit overdone and the finish can seem a touch candied. But the wine is also harsh, and seems a bit hot and overbearing. Stick it in the cellar for 7 years and prove me wrong. At the moment, I'm unimpressed. About $440 a case. 84-86 points.

2003 Cabernet Sauvignon (Seavey)
For my money, this is the best value in high end California Cabernet. Usually available at the winery for around $65 with case discounts (individual bottle price from the winery is $78), it always shows distinction, serious aging capacity (the 1997 is not yet ready and the 1996 seems relatively primary), and intensity. This is bright, with red berry scents on the nose. The texture is smooth and caressing, but there are some familiar Seavey tannins underneath. This wine is not nearly as stern as the powerful 2001, to take a recent comparison, but it wouldn't be Seavey without structure to go with the delicious fruit. 92-95 points.

2003 Bacio Divino
One of the nicer Bacios, I've had, this shows fine depth and perfect balance, with tannins for cellaring on the finish. It seems to have the capability of developing some complexity and distinction with cellaring. It should be approachable young, and hold gracefully for more than a decade. 92-94 points.

2003 Cabernet Sauvignon "Stag's Leap District" (Cliff Lede Vineyards)
Bright and precise, this shows great typicity and and lingering flavors. It is a very reliable Cab, well balanced, with reasonable depth, for mid-term drinking. At around $50, it is pretty pricey, though.  89-91 points.

2003 "Poetry" (Cliff Lede Vineyards)
This Bordeaux-blend is lovely, dense and intense, tightly wound, with ripe tannins. It shows impeccable balance, fine fruit and a good finish.  It's pretty pricey, though, at $120 a bottle. A bit too much.  91-93 points.

2000 Cabernet Sauvignon (Chateau Montelena)
Unlike great Montelena, this already seems to be drinking well at its young age, and is expansive and seems to be maturing very fast. That said, this is a lovely 2000, a fair achievement in this very difficult vintage. It has perfect cab flavors, and a certain, earthy focus. Bright, persistent and elegant, it is a good choice for a Bordeaux ringer. All that said, it doesn't have much depth, and it is coming along rather fast for a wine in the rough price range of a $1,000 a case. A nice wine. Not a nice value. 89-91 points.

2004 Merlot Estate (Paloma)
This shows a touch more restraint than I've seen in some other young Palomas. It actually seems rather balanced and suave. Oh, there is all that tasty, ripe young fruit, to be sure, and this is no one's idea of an austere wine. It is, however, very easy going, not quite as dramatic as some other vintages I recall, and rather approachable now. It is unusually focused and refreshing. Around $650 a case.  89-91 points.

2004 Claret (Robert Foley Vineyards)
Oaky, rich and very ripe, this nonetheless has an easy charm to it that I have not always gotten in young Foley wines. The sweet fruit is delicious, and the tannins are very refined, making this a rather sexy, delectable wine. The only problem is the price, around $100 a bottle.  92-94 points.

2002 Pinot Noir "Fiddlestick" (Arcadian)
It opens bright with raspberries, and quickly turns to strawberries and rhubarb as it airs out. The texture is soft and appealing, but the wine's alcohol shows and is a fairly constant intrusion that everyone notes and complains about. When I could pay attention to the fruit, there were some things here I liked, but the balance on the whole seemed questionable. 85 points.

2001 Pinot Noir "Goldschmidt" (Failla)
Rather hot, intense and somewhat bitter on the finish, this is focused and piercing, has some good fruit in places, but it was hard to get past the heat showing on the wine. This needs some time to settle down, although I am not confident in a good result when it does. 84 points.

2003 Zinfandel "Pagani Vineyard Reseve" (St. Francis)
This has a suggested retail price of $37, which, I can only say, is a lot of chutzpah for a wine that seems more like a candy store concoction at times than a wine. It opens horribly, drenched in American oak flavors, with a sort of vanilla milkshake feel, and the alcohol showing. Some air helps it a little, and there is, finally, some evidence of fruit underneath that has not been totally destroyed by the aggressive American oak treatment. There is not much evidence of structure for a long while, although with air some tannins do finally pop out. It's hard to notice anything after the obliteration of this wine by the oak. It seems formless, like vanilla syrup.  There was not a moment when I actually wanted to drink this. If you are more tolerant of American oak, perhaps you'll lot it better.  The shame of it is, there is actually good fruit underneath. It's just real hard to find. 85 points.

1987 Dominus
From this bottle, this is a fully mature wine that is showing some cracks, and needs to be drunk. It is loaded with tertiary nuances, tar, tobacco, earth, rather bretty, and losing fruit. For all of that, the mid-palate is still respectable, and there is some flavor.  But this is a rapidly maturing wine now, that has passed its peak. 85 points.

2002 Grenache "Alphabet" (Sine Qua Non)
Soft and sensually textured, this shows sweet fruit, an elegant mid-palate and rather nice balance. There is a touch of game on the nose. The wine drinks very nicely, and seems already approachable. The tannins are very ripe. 90 points.

1999 Pinot Noir "Hirsch" (Williams Selyem)
This wine, dominated by the acidity, seems very bright. The mid-weight mid-palate has some roundness to it, but it dissolves into more acidity. The fruit flavors are present, but modest. This is a wine that has some pleasant aspects to it, but is of little distinction. I wouldn't hold it much longer, either. Although it will hold, I'm concerned that the fruit that is there will become uninteresting and leave little but the acidity. 87 points.

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Dessert/Sparkling
2003 Port (Niepoort)
I had this once in Portugal, when it was fully opened, and the fruit was simply glorious. The first word I could think of was "decadent." What I did not see was much structure, perhaps due to the aeration the wine had. In a second taste, I saw plenty of structure, powerful tannins, yet the fruit is still there. What this wine would need is hours of decanting. This is a vin de garde, something that you stick in the cellar and drink around 2023 minimum, probably better around 2033.  It has everything you could want in fine Port, structure, beautiful fruit, and a fine finish. $760 a case of 12. 94-96 points.

2003 Port (Pintas)
Powerful and pointed at first, this becomes sweet and seductive fairly quickly.  It is rich and delicious, a sexy Port that has enough structure to age and mature, and develop complexity. About $560 a case. 91-94 points.

2001 Riesling Late Harvest (Trefethen)
This opens austere, a little restrained, and dry-ish, seemingly for a wine harvested at 37 brix, but then, gosh. It turns from pears to peaches, and the lovely finish is just delicious. There is sure sugar on the end. At the end, I only wished there were more. 91 points.

1937 Colheita (Porto Rocha)
In a showing of older Colheitas from this producer, I think I liked this best--but it was a tossup with the 1966. That's an important qualifier, because the 1966 is about $2000 a case--bad enough--and this is more likely to be around $7,500. For that matter, the some of the others weren't too far behind. Still, this was a lovely Colheita. Rumor has it that some think they can only be drunk young.  This has beautiful nutty notes, bright acidity and surprising richness still. It is loaded with flavor, still has sweetness. Not that I will be buying any for $7,500 a case, but it is pretty good. 91-93 points.

1992 Port (Fonseca)
Decanted for some twelve hours, this showed soft and rich, with tannins resolved and in control. The flavor profile of the wine was simply delicious, sweet and chocolately, lingering and delectable. This was, frankly, probably a little over-decanted, but it sure tastes good. It is hard to keep a good Port down. 95 points.
 

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Germany (except dessert/sparkling)
2003 Riesling Auslese "Lorenzofer" A.P. # 35360161504 (Karlsmuhle)
From 500 ml. This is so rich and sweet, that perhaps it should be under "Dessert wines." It does have nice acidity, though, despite the very sweet finish and the rich, very deep mid-palate. It really tasted best the next day, at which point it was awfully tasty. 93 points.

2000 Riesling Spatlese "Dorsheimer Pittermannchen" (Diehl)
Soft, and quickly maturing, this wine shows some tertiary notes around the edges already. It is modest in flavor and finish, showing foursquare and fairly routine. It is a creature of its vintage, pleasant, nothing more. 84 points.

1999 Riesling Spatlese "Monzinger Fruhlingsplatzchen" (Emirch-Schönleber)
Cool and refreshing, this shows a wine just about to enter a tertiary stage, still fresh and young, but hints of tertiary nuances appearing. Similarly, the wine has nice acidity, but all of its parts are harmonious and very well integrated into the whole. Round and charming. Very pleasing. 88 points.

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Italy (except dessert/sparkling)
1998 Cepparello (Isole e Olena)
Earthy, intense, tannic and focused, this takes a while to open. It is full bodied for this type of wine, with beautiful fruit flavor, and a great mouthfeel. The finish is persistent and lingering, and the wine evolves gracefully. This is not to ready to drink. Come back in a couple of years, maybe. Drink 2008-2015. 94 points.

1997 Vigorello (San Felice)
Hard, charmless and intense at first, here is the second 1997 on this page that is showing some evidence of having closed down. It took some time for this to blossom, and when it did, it showed good fruit flavor with increasing sweetness to balance the often drying tannins. This should come around nicely with more cellaring. Drink 2009-2017. 92 points.

2000 "Il Borgo" (Cabreo)
In my regions, the local monopoly sometimes buys in bulk and acquires bargains. Most of them are not such great deals in a certain sense. That is, you are happy if they are worth the sales price. They are usually laughable at the original before-discount price. This is one of my favorite such picks, for just around $20. It has a red berry nose, delicious fruit, and an elegant, presentation, laced with just enough tannin and acid to prevent the wine from seeming boring. It is very Cabernet in style, and refreshing, mid-weight at best. Charming and tasty, albeit without much upside. Drink now-2011. 91 points.

2000 Tassinaia (Castello del Terriccio)
This opens very unattractively, overly earthy, with some bottle stink and game. With air, though, some nice fruit comes out, and the wine begins to regain its footing, seeming livelier and brighter. There is some barnyard and game, in a mid-weight, relatively gentle presentation. Drink now-2010. 88 points.

1988 Sodole (Strozzi)
Mushrooms and earth, are nuances here in this aging, not terribly attractive wine. The wine seems a bit flat, the fruit is a bit hard to find, gamey notes and acid dominate the presentation. It is hard to find the fruit, and this seems to be showing some age. 86 points.

1997 Brunello di Montalcino (Argiano)
This opened tight and tannic, hard and showing very little. The mid-palate is elegant constructed, and when the wine finally begins to open, the fruit is fragrant and beautiful. This was really hard to deal with at first, pointed, sharp and closed, but it evolves brilliantly.  Drink 2009-2017. 92 points.

1997 Barbaresco "Bric Balin" (Moccagatta)
This opens surprisingly lush, and you figure that the 1997 vintage has worked its mojo on this wine. It seems ripe, soft and sweet, although focused. Aeration changes it dramatically, and suddenly the tannins pop out, and the wine becomes, if anything, rather austere, requiring still more air. This is not, perhaps, the winery's best wine or bottling, but there is more here than meets the eye, and patience in cellaring will still be rewarded. 92 points.

2001 Barolo "Bricco Luciani" (S. Grasso)
Focused and mute on opening, this wine simply explodes in the glass with air. The tannins are relatively refined and this drinks surprisingly well for young Barolo, once it wakes up. It picks up considerable weight in the glass, and the great fruit is ripe and rewarding.  93 points.

2002 5Stelle Sfursat (Negri)
Focused and powerful, yet approachable, this Amarone imitator is full and very ripe on the finish.  The fine tannins and acidity pop out with air. It is  nice package, well put together, but not quite as full as top level Amarone. 89 points.

1990 Barolo "Sori Ginestra" (Conterno-Fantino)
This is not a big boy, and seems ready to drink, but it is still capable of improving in the glass.  With air, more and more acid appears, and the wine becomes a bit more intense, but also a bit less pleasing. There is lot here to like, but now and the next few years is a pretty good time to drink it, while it still has good fruit. 89 points.

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Rhone/South/SW France (except dessert/sparkling)
1999 Coteaux du Languedoc "Cote Rousse" (Domaine de l'Aigulière)
Not surprisingly, this wine is simply dominated by the brett, a trademark of this winery. Served blind, it initially fooled me because I could not actually taste the varietal with all the overlays of brett. I have come to live with the brett, but if they could ever control it a little, it would improve their winemaking dramatically. This is a bit too much. The wine does have a dark color, sweet finish, and hints of eucaplytus. There is not much tannin or grip at this juncture. The texture is soft and velvety. I have had better from this estate, but this certainly has its good points. 88 points.

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Spain (except dessert/sparkling)
1989 Gran Coronas Reserva "Mas La Plana" (Torres)
This well known "Black Label" bottling came into Pennsylvania at the relative bargain price of $20 as a re-release. This bottling as it ages has always been a dead ringer for Bordeaux, and so it is here, too. It holds well, but doesn't age quite as gracefully as top Bordeaux, though. This seems several years older than it is, and has some oxidative notes, some char and tobacco. It also has good acidity and a bright finish that rescues the wine, delivering its Cabernet Sauvignon flavors. It is modest in weight, and rather gentle otherwise; hard to find a tannin anywhere. This needs to be drunk. For the price I paid for it, you could live with it if you just really, really have to have something mature. Nothing to get excited about, either, and feels a bit past prime. 85 points.

2004 Yecia Monastrell (Bodegas Castaño) QPR Winner
This pure Monastraell (Mourvedre in France), is grapey and simple, with a touch of bubblegum, making me suspect partial whole berry fermentation. Still, it's a deal, tastes good, and the flavors are cut with a little acid. For a basic "drink now" quaffer, it performs its job extremely well. Probably a mere $6.50 a bottle. 83-85 points.

2004 Yecla Hecula (Bodegas Castaño) QPR Winner
This step-up in the lineup is a terrific buy. The fruit is tastier and more pure, and the wine adds structure, too, making it bright and tasty, for a mere $13 or so per bottle, depending always, of course, on how your local merchant buys and discounts. Drink now. 86-89 points.

2004 Gotim Bru Costers del Segre (Castell del Remei) QPR Winner
Simple and sweet, this is nonetheless appealing as an easygoing, drink-now wine that has pleasing fruit and a friendly demeanor. About $13 a bottle. 84-86 points.

2003 Rioja Crianza "La Montesa" (Palacios Remondo) QPR Winner
Nicely balanced, with sweet fruit, this elegant mid-weight wine is easygoing, with very ripe tannins and just enough liveliness.  It is a blend of Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano and Carignan. This has a certain suave, sophisticated feel to it, but not much intensity, and it will drink well young. About $17 a bottle. 86-88 points.

2004 Ribera del Duero (Dominio de Atauta)
Beautifully structured, this has flavor and power. The focused fruit is surrounded by tannins, drying to some extent but quite in overkill. On the finish there are beautiful fruit flavors. I had not had this before, but I thought it was potentially exceptional. Around $40 a bottle. 92-94 points.

2003 Sardon de Duero (Quinta Sardonia)
Nicely balanced, a bit light in the mid-palate, this does everything decently, but nothing in a distinguished fashion. It is meant to be and is very Bordeaux-like, and Bordeaux varietals are blended in with Tempranillo and Syrah. A kitchen sink. The finish is modest, and there are streaks of green throughout the wine that I rather disliked, as if the Petit Verdot or Cabernet Sauvignon was not entirely ripe. Pricey and rather disappointing for the price, this comes from Peter Sisseck (Pingus). Around $50+ a bottle. 84-86 points.

2003 Ribera del Duero (Aalto)
There are star winemakers popping up everywhere. At Quinta Sardonia, it is Sisseck. At Palacios Remondo, it is Palacios, and here it is Mariano Garcia, former winemaker at Vega Sicilia. This is lovely, smooth and rounded, with delicious black cherry fruit. The acidity makes the wine quite succulent and the fruit flavors are persistent and delicious. One hundred percent Tinto Fino (Tempranillo). About $50 a bottle. 91-93 points.

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