Wine Musings Vol#75

Wine of Merit: ***++Gravner, Estate, Friuli Venezia Giulia, ribolla gialla, 2000: I love this wine. Initially demure, with time and air it opens up to reveal that crazy Gravner complexity: All grilled fennel, celery seed, dried apricot, a hint of mandarin orange. Full and generous on the palate with more citrus, honeyed tobacco...yum! An unusual wine that demands your attention. Great stuff.

***++Feudi di San Gregorio, Patrimo, Irpinia Rosso, IGT,Campagnia, 2001: Delicious. Full throttle, this wine is 100% merlot yet never strays far from its southern Italian roots. Lush, flamboyant but still big boned and muscular, it offers ripe plum, licorice and roasted chestnut notes accompanied by espresso macchiato undertones that I just love. Coating on entry, it assaults the palate with staining concentration and grip. The finish is big but not overly so...nicely balanced with the rest of this bigger than life wine. A San Gennaro festival in a glass, complete with fireworks and zeppoli. Fantastico!

***+Fattoria Viticcio, Chianti Classico Riserva, Grieve in Chianti, sangiovese, 2001: Just delicious. Bright, vibrant boysenberry, plum and red currant fruit accompanied by nervy spice box and black pepper undertones. Ample mouth feel, good tannic backbone, long fine finish. Great food wine. The essence of Chanti Classico. At under $30, this wine is a steal.

***+Failla, Keefer Ranch, Russian River Valley, Sonoma, chardonnay, 2003: Drinking great right now. Surprisingly Burgundian. Sharp, mineral, lemon lime zest notes, marzipan, baking spices and linseed. Firm acidity. More minerals, ginger and a key lime custard note on the palate. Medium long, spicy finish. All in all a very nice chardonnay.

***Aston Estate, Experimental Lot, Sonoma Coast, pinot noir, 2004: This wine actually doesn't say Aston Estate on it. I am guessing it was from vines deemed too young to produce a finished wine...thus the experimental nature. Actually, this wine is every bit as finished as the other Aston wines. It has the signature dark, brooding black cherry nose, the forest floor elements, an note of baker's chocolate and white pepper in the background. Palate is coating and full. Finish is firm. Perhaps not quite as polished or sophisticated, it is nonetheless capable.

Wine Musings Vol#16

From notes taken May, 2006:

Wine of Merit: ****+Gaja Sperss Barolo, 1995: Mesmerizing. Wonderful depth and complexity. Aromas of black olive, provencal herbs, flint, grilled meats and deep, dark berry fruit. Smoke. The wine coats the palate, offering blackberry, rosemary and minerals. Hints of spearmint. The finish pretty much never ends, though it is nicely integrated with the mid palate. Monumental.

****Feudi di San Gregorio, Serpico, 2001: Inky. This wine is a youthful giant. The fruit almost seems chunky and raw. Mocha, violets and leather accompany the jammy, preserve like strawberry and blueberry fruit. Palate is thick and tannins are still overpowering. It clearly has all of the elements to be a star, it simply lacks the grace and coordination, though I am certain time will bring it all together. Patience required.

***+ Ridge Lytton Estate 1994: This is a selection of barrels from the hillside vineyards surrounding the Lytton Springs Winery in Dry Creek for the ATP program. It is a field blend of mostly zinfandel, with petite syrah and grenache mixed in. Maturing red/plum color. A wonderful nose of bramble, roasted plum, rosemary and coffee bean. The palate is youthful, revealing more fruit, white pepper, minerals and mocha. The tannins have been tamed somewhat though still pronounced through the finish. Surprisingly young. Nice!

**++Aia Cabernet, 2001: From Miner family winery. SLD cabernet with bright red fruit, saddle leather, cedar and grilled meats. Surprisingly soft on the palate, velvety with a fruit forward personality. Very nice, if a bit obvious.

****Wolf Family Vineyard Cabernet, 2002: Wow. This is a very sophisticated wine. The Wolf family took over the Inglewood vineyards awhile back and has been producing small lots of cabernet since the late 90s, I think. Karen Culler – who makes killer wines for Ladera and and her own label - makes their wine. This wine is sublime. Perfectly balanced and offering intense depth and great richness, the nose is tobacco, red fruit, cigar box and licorice. Approachable now though it is still showing baby fat, it will benefit from age and only get more interesting.

****+Kalin Semillion, Livermore Valley 1996: So good it scares me! I can count on one hand the successful semillions from the new world. OK – one finger. This wine sings. The clear glass bottle shows off the wonderful golden hue. The nose is crazy intense – vanilla / almond crème brulee, candied orange zest, apricot, honeysuckle and asian spice. Amazingly rich and oily. Great attack and intensity through the mid palate. Long. Tobacco and honey. Wow, a really yummy wine. At $30 a pop, this is a true steal.