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Tasting Notes
September/October, 2010

Tasting Notes Contents Page

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

Argentina Bordeaux  Calif/USA  Dessert/Sparkling Germany  Italy Loire

Alsace (except dessert/sparkling)

1996 Gewurztraminer "Hengst" (Zind-Humbrecht)

Not a stunning Hengst, this is nonetheless solid and holding well, dense and spicy, with a lot of that typical bitterness on the end of the drier wines---at this point it is pretty dry and powerful, a good dry-ish example of this wine. This could've used a little more sweetness, though, in my view to balance it out.  Drink up. 89 points.

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Argentina (except dessert/sparkling)

2006 Tannat - Malbec "Salix Vineyard" (Doña Paula)

Opening sweet and rather straightforward, laced by oaky, vanilla nuances, this wine has a rather elegant mid-palate and some laid back charm at first, but little complexity. It does respond very positively to air, showing some modest bursts of tannins that become increasingly powerful as it airs out, and I was pleased to see it integrate the oak somewhat as time went on. It showed both more character and fruit focus at that point. I warmed up to this as it aired out and began to seem more like wine than a sweet concoction, showing some gravitas and dryness on the finish, even if there was always that bit of vanilla in the background. Few wines change as much with air, actually--the power on this wine is not immediately apparent and would be easy to miss after a quick sip. It became quite an interesting drink, with a tasty finish, as the fruit poked up and the oak receded, to the point where I began to wonder if the wine was actually in balance, given its power and astringency on the one hand, and alcohol and modest mid-palate on the other. I gave it a lot more air until I finally got the tannins calmed down. I'd have to say what was left at that point was nice, but not overly impressive, a bit crisp and straightforward with little complexity and the alcohol suddenly showing too much. This still has many merits and a decent price point (mid-$20). 88 points.

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Bordeaux (except dessert/sparkling)
2003 Chateau Haut-Marbuzet

Quite lovely at the outset, this is tinged with a little vanilla from oak, seeming lush and sexy, yet not at all jammy or heavy. The mid-palate is actually rather modest, if anything. It becomes  a little more intense with air, but always retains a certain sexy, what-me-worry demeanor that should make it a crowd favorite. I'm not sure this will be the best aging Haut-Marbuzet (I've enjoyed the '89 of late....), but that is not usually why people buy Haut-Marbuzet, and it is worth noting that this still seems primary, young and fresh. 89 points.

1996 Chateau Cheval Blanc
This doesn't have the sex appeal of a lot of Chevals I've had, but in fairness, it was also wound pretty tight, showing some significant tannin on the finish, and it was a bit closed. Elegant in the mid-palate, rather pointed and focused, this seems to me to be more about potential at the moment than about current pleasure. I'm not sure this will turn into a really interesting Cheval Blanc, but I am pretty sure you need to wait at least five years, maybe more, before you'll find out. The good news is that its structure and balance should allow it to age quite gracefully. 91 points.

1990 Chateau Pavie
It was not surprising that this has thinned some, but it was surprising that it still exhibited a fair bit of tannin and pure power. Its brightness and perkiness give it a rather silky texture once past the tannic burst, and there are earthy nuances that emerge on the nose and palate. I rather found myself warming up to this, liking it more than I thought I would from the first impression. The tannins may outlive the fruit, though. 90 points.

1998 Chateau Faugères
This value wine from St. Emilion was one of the good deals of the vintage. It opened curiously flat and dull, and I had some fear it was showing its age. What it really needed was about 35 minutes of air, at which point the ripe tannins showed up, the wine seemed to have some vibrancy still, and it did not seem quite as sweet, simple and dull. This is still drinking nicely, without noticeable decay, and I think it is as good as it will get. 89 points.
 

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California/USA (except dessert/sparkling)

1995 Cabernet Sauvignon "Estate" (Chateau Montelena)

Surprisingly delicate on opening, this fleshes out a bit in the glass, but always seemed to me to be a rather elegant Montelena. It gains complexity in the glass as it airs out, and lingers in appealing fashion. Some bursts of tannin pop out, but while this has not developed much in the bottle and still seems young, it is quite approachable. Give a few more years to allow it to develop a little more complexity. 92 points.

2001 Pinot Noir “Cuvée Catherine" (Kistler)
Checking back in on this Pinot, it is good to note that it is evolving well. Its mid-palate has that nice elegance, but it seems increasing palate coating and mouth gripping these days, the structure standing out a little more, too. It remains quite delicious, but its focused intensity makes it quite interesting these days, too.  94 points.

1999 Cabernet Sauvignon (Jones Family)
On my last visit to this wine, it seemed wholly disjointed, but I saw it knit together with some air. It is singing nice melodies now, perfectly integrated, rather sensual and beautifully balanced, with subdued tannins and a gentle feel. Like most '99s, there is always the feeling of something missing--a little depth, a little finish, a little intensity. But it hangs together well and is a pleasure to drink. 90 points.

2007 Cabernet Sauvignon "CrossBarn" (Paul Hobbs)
Rather powerful on opening, but without a lot of depth or mid-palate concentration, this shows bright and with some sweet oak nuances, and it then evolves nicely into a gentler, friendly wine. A little more impressive on opening than after evolution, this wine flattens a bit with air and seems a bit more straightforward with time. It still is a lot of fun at a decent mid-$20s price point. Drink this in the short to mid-term and take it for what it is, and you should be quite happy. 88 points.

1995 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve (Simi)
This has its moments--just not enough of them. It opens fairly simple, laced with sweet oak and licorice. With some air, it melds together nicely, showing some Bordeaux-like character, tertiary notes and a touch of char. It continues its evolution rather too fast, aging quickly and flattening. I'd want to drink this in the near future. It won't fall off the table, but it is probably not going to improve. 87 points.
 

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Dessert/Sparkling

2007 Riesling "Cluster Select Late Harvest" (Navarro)
After a superlative 2006, Navarro scores again with this brilliant dessert wine, which shows off Navarro's skill at making very sweet, yet beautifully balanced wines with zesty acidity. This lingers beautifully on the finish and while it is delicious enough to make you drool, its acidity prevents it from ever becoming cloying. 95 points.

2007 Monbazillac (Belingard)
Laced with vanilla notes from oak, this Sauternes wannabe is fragrant and soft, aging pretty fast and fairly straightforward. Pleasant enough, it had more oak than it needed, and the fruit had some difficulty emerging at times. 86 points.

2000 Brut "Franciacorta" (Le Marchesine)
This was a lot of fun, with a touch of toast and truffles on opening, resolving into a clean, fresh and pure wine, with a light, elegant and sunny demeanor. It was a bit too light at times and the finish was average, but it was a very pleasing, French-styled sparkler that has held beautifully. 87 points.

2002 Passito di Pantelleria (Colosi)

Bright and juicy with a nice meld of fruit and sugar dribbling over the palate, this got better as it warmed, and I really liked its occasionally piercing acidity. Lingering, tasty and well balanced.  90 points.

2007 Florus Moscadello Late Harvest (Banfi)
Thick on the edges, but quickly rounding into form, this is light and tasty, with a charming demeanor and a little sugar on the finish. It is not quite as aromatic as I expected. 89 points.

2003 Passito "I Capitelli" (Anselmi)

Focused, tightly wound and rather penetrating, this had a dried orange rind nuance that made it rather appealing and quite interesting. Probably this one would work best with somewhat drier desserts. 89 points.

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Germany (except dessert/sparkling)

QPR Winner 2009 Riesling Spatlese "Ockfener Bockstein" (Dr. Fischer)

I was not overly happy with this young Riesling on opening. It was tight and bright, and showed very little, was a bit austere, and just ok. I stuck it away for awhile and sometime later it was a rather different wine, showing a little more sweetness, better harmony between acid and sugar, while still remaining pointed and focused. A bit compact, it has fine purity of fruit in the mid-palate, classic aromatic and very tasty finish--after it evolves. It is around $15.00 retail and should show better next summer. 88 points.

2009 Riesling Kabinett "Hofberg" (Adam)
This lovely Kabinett is tightly wound and beautifully constructed. It opened beautifully with some air, turning into that perfect, lovely combo of acidity and sugar that Mosel Rieslings do better than any thing else in the world. Persistent and focused, it lingered nicely and I liked it more and more as we sat. I have heard some horrid price points for this, even over $30, but also know some who got it around $22, which is pricey but worth it. 90 points.

1999 Riesling Auslese "Koberner Weisenberg" (Von Schleinitz)
This is a good example of how age can tame the sugar. When young, it was like a candy confection, it seemed so sweet. Now, it seems so perfectly balanced, with the acidity more perceptible and the balance just perfect. Showing far better structure than I originally thought it had, it seems youthful and fresh, hardly showing its age at all--unless you had encountered it young, like I did. 92 points.

2001 Riesling Kabinett "Johannisberer Erntebringer" (Schumann Nagler)
Opening nicely, this seems a bit delicate but sprightly, bright and charming, well balanced. Its finish is modest and it just seems to disappear in the mouth, though, showing no signs of decay at its age, but obviously becoming rather reticent. If you've got 'em, drink 'em. 86 points.

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Italy (except dessert/sparkling)
1997 Barolo "Rocche del Falletto --white label"
This has been an interesting Giacosa since I first tasted it, often seeming unusually plush. In my last adventure with it, I made the mistake of decanting it a couple of hours and it seemed flat and boring, easily overshadowed by several less expensive and heralded wines. This time--pretty much pop 'n' pour, with much better results. As soft as this seemed on opening, it woke up nicely, showed fine acidity and some grip, and proved it had some backbone and complexity. I can't say I was bowled over, but it was a pleasure to drink, increasingly complex and aromatic as time went on. 90 points.

1989 Barolo Bussia (Prunotto) -and- 1990 Barolo Bussia (Prunotto)
Let's take these together, a tale of two differently styled wines that started in very different places and wound up pretty close together. The 1989 started flat and dull, closed and showing pretty much nothing. The 1990 was another beast entirely, gripping, deeper and more intense from the outset. With air, the bright and succulent 1989 woke up, expanded in the glass and kept showing more of everything, fruit, complexity, tannins. The 1990, meanwhile, evolved beautifully, harmonizing, while retaining its intensity, showing a beautiful finish and lingering. Call them both 93 points, but if I had to choose, I would take the 1990 in a possible upset.

2004 Barolo "Cannubi" (E Pira e Figli-Chiara Boschis)
Much younger than the others (above) with which it was served, it was more primary and sweeter and stuck out like a bit of a sore thumb early on, as it lacked the complexity and earthiness of the others. That said, it was juicy and the fruit dribbled over the palate in a very appealing way that gave it a sexy component I don't normally associate with this grape so much. But that's not all there was--well balanced and succulent, it showed a nice backbone and good harmony, although there was a bit of astringency ultimately. Its placement in this flight did it a disservice, perhaps, but it wound up showing quite nicely. 92 points.

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Loire (except dessert/sparkling)
1998 Chinon "Clos de la Dioterie" (Joguet)

For those who can't wrap their heads around Loire reds, this is a wine they should try. I liked this on release. I liked it a few years later and thought it had fine potential. It is now even more open, expansive and fully ready--and simply gorgeous. The only concession to age is that the mid-palate has thinned a little. In return for that, you get a wine that is now perfectly harmonious, with not a hair out of place. With a gently caressing demeanor, a slightly earthy finish and an ethereal air, this wine has become remarkably elegant, charming and graceful. It lingers in pleasing fashion. Simply lovely. 92 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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