Saturday, August 30, 2008

Wine Musings Vol#62


Wine of Merit: ****+Araujo, Eisele vineyard, Napa Valley, cabernet sauvignon, 2003: Wow. Just majestic. I have a very special place in my heart for this wine. I love the way it imparts the terroir of the Eisele vineyard, with its broad leaf tobacco, deep, lush red and plum fruit, its chocolate mint and its autumnal, peppery sandalwood. Great, almost endless depth, great, flinty minerals, this wine is still young, primal and brooding. Striking and hewn across the mid palate, this wine has an endless reserve of strength that it can and will undoubtedly call upon as it continues to age. The finish is fine and furry but here again clearly built for the long haul. A wine that will offer great enjoyment anytime it is opened from now thru the next few decades I am sure. Wonderful.

***++Domaine des Comte Lafon, Mersault, Burgundy, 2004: I have been less than impressed by some Comte Lafon wines in the recent past, but this delivers. Offering lovely, nuanced complexity, this wine is all bright lemon curd, key lime, verbena, marzipan and a vanilla bean, with a pear crème brule thing that I just find delicious, all with lithe weightless yet vibrant intensity. The palate hints at minerals and moves front to back with silky smoothness, integrating more candied citrus and white fruit elements with little effort. The finish has a perfumed spiciness, with a candied ginger lingering sensation. Just a dynamite, delicious wine. Loved it.

***Pali Wine Company, Inman Olivet vineyard, Russian River Valley, pinot noir, 2006: Delicious. This wine is made by Brian Loring. I typically dig his wines so I thought I would give this one a try. I was first intrigued by the screw cap. Not typical on a $50 bottle of wine. I like the pluck! The nose of this wine is still primal and sorting itself out. That said, there is no doubt it is an RRV wine; all bright black cherry, cola, cream and green tea. The palate adds Malabar pepper, Kenyan coffee and nutmeg. Racy and a tad nervous, the acids are bracing and lively, though the mid palate is a bit vague and a tad medicinal, surprising for a low alcohol wine (13.9%). The finish is also lively, peppery and medium long. Nice!

**++Miner Family, Napa Valley, cabernet sauvignon, 2001: A nice quaffable glass of red wine. Age has helped this wine soften and nuance, offering red raspberry and black fruit, dark, dusty baker’s chocolate, soy and some nice briar. The palate is velvety if a touch vague and the finish is medium length offering lovely, integrated Asian spice and more chocolate. Really, a very nice food wine that I very much enjoyed. Yum.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Wine Musings Vol#61


Wine of Merit: ***+Chateau Beychevelle, St. Julien, Bordeaux, 1989: Classic elegance. As a huge fan of southern St. Julien wines, I have always felt that Beychevelle should be capable of better things…the gravelly vineyards, the history, the vicinity to Ducru and Gruaud…and the 89 shows some of that potential. Not that this wine reminds me of the others mentioned…it is lighter, more feminine…perhaps more Margaux-like. Not overly structured or showy, this wine is instead sophisticated and nuanced, with lovely, perfumed red and black berry fruit, floral rose petal, chocolate mint and sandalwood incense spice. Lithe and clean on the palate it is still coating and offers nice integration, great minerals and balance. The finish is firm but fine and surprisingly long. A dynamite wine from an extraordinary vintage.

***Paul Hobbs, Richard Dinner vineyard, Sonoma Mountain, chardonnay, 2002: Full throttle…really all singing all dancing. Deep golden hue, thick, opulent lemon custard, linseed, candied orange zest, honeyed fig, hazelnut. Oily, viscous palate…a bit of heat on the long, spicy finish. 14.8% alcohol boys and girls. Huge wine. Not degrading but I am guessing perhaps even better on release. Still…Delicious!

***Flowers Winery, Estate vineyard, Sonoma Coast, chardonnay, 2002: Aging gracefully. Golden hued, the wine is still vibrant and full of life: keylime, honeysuckle, marzipan, white peaches and minerals. Bright, racy palate, with more minerals and almond paste. Like the Hobbs, probably better on release but still very much worth drinking. Great!

**++Double Diamond, Amber Knoll vineyard, cabernet sauvignon, 2005: Experts only! Actually, this wine is very approachable and pretty wide open. Made for Schrader by Thomas Rivers Brown. Open knit and juicy, I do not think this wine is particularly age worthy. Pop and pour. Nice nuances of church incense, soy, chocolate and licorice, some rose petal, eucalyptus and sandalwood. The palate feels very Silverado Trail to me (it is actually Lake county), lively but already resolved, spicy, peppery with more of that succulent red berry / black cherry fruit. Very nice if not particularly complicated or sophisticated. A good glass of red wine over the short term. I also like the 75 wine cellars execution of this vineyard, perhaps even a tad more.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Wine Musings Vol#60


Wine of Merit: ***++Chateau Gruaud Larose, 2nd growth, St. Julien, Haut Medoc, Bordeaux, 2005: Wow. What a stately wine. Believe the hype for this vintage. I am a gruaud head and was surprised when my Dad opened this up – I imagined that it would be impenetrable at this age. Instead it was a joy. No question that this wine is still primal and still a brute – but it is perfectly balanced, limitless in its depth and well integrated front to back. Great black fruit, chalk a touch of loamy soil, this wine will progress and nuance as it ages. Now it can be enjoyed for its succulence, power and grace. Wonderful wine – I’m excited I got a case! What a buy at $50 a pop!

***+Eric Texier, Brezeme, Vielles Vignes Perqualt, Cote du Rhone, 2005: I have commented on this wine in the past and was less than overwhelmed. Well, it has hit its stride and then some. Wonderful, meal in a glass nuances and textures. Dynamite wine that offers so much more than what I think of as typical CDR (in fact it is 100% syrah). Rosemary, black olive, lavender, tar, scorched earth…just layers and layers. Lots of thick, ripe mixed berry pie just unloads from the glass. Wonderful, velvety mouth feel and considerable depth. Coating front to back. Fine, sweet medium length finish. Delicious and a great value. Drink or hold.

***Fattoria Le Puppille, Saffredi, IGT, Toscana, 2004: A remembrance of our recent trip to the Maremma …and what a wonderful concoction of cabernet, merlot and alicante! Initially a bit reticent from the glass, this wine filled out quickly. Like many of the French varietal oriented Maremma wines, the varietal nature of the grapes cannot but be influenced by the wonderful, exuberant “Italianess” that the Maremma imbues into its soils. Very much in a fruit driven style, the nose of this wine is juicy, ripe blackberries and sugarplums, floral lavender, rosemary and pine needles, earth and a wonderful, powdery “C Howard Violet Chewing Gum” thing that I adore and that fills the senses. Surprisingly, the palate showed some thinness in the middle, though it added a very nice black pepper and leather note to the fruit and flowers. The finish was long and chewy. While I often take serious points away for a lack of integration and balance, this was a very nice wine. I have read where some have afforded this huge scores…I would consider it fun and very much worth a romp. At $80 this seems upside down to me.

**Walter Hansel, Estate, Russian River Valley, chardonnay, 2002: Past its prime. Walter Hansel makes wines that impress a great deal at first blush – the term “burgundian” is often thrown about. Not this time. Tell tale dark golden hue. Wine offers lovely minerality , some white peach but mostly faded fruit and a touch of madiera. Lots of hazelnut from toasted oak barrels. Palate is still firm and a bit racy. Lots of spice and a slight bitterness on the finish. A style of wine that flatters in its youth but struggles with bottle age.