Saturday, September 17, 2011
Donkey & Goat Isabel's Cuvee Grenache Rosé Mendocino
Kudos to my friend Richard for introducing me to this wine - in fact to the producer in general. What a fun, funky line-up of wines they have, and all made by hand. As in no machinery involved. As in foot-stomping the grapes like Lucille Ball. The first thing you notice about the wine, aside from it's maraschino cherry color, is that there is about a half-inch of sediment in the bottom of the bottle. The wine is aged on its lees - unusual for rosé - and clearly not fined or filtered. This is just about unheard of. And I LOVE it.
The aromas are all framed within the context of this sweet yeastiness. There is fruit, but it's like an angel food cake with strawberries and cherries poured over the top. But the fun really starts in the mouth. There is a hint of spritz - either from the screw cap or made that way intentionally - which, in combination with fresh acidity, makes the wine vibrant on the palate. There is a tiny bit of residual sugar, too. Not enough to make the wine taste sweet, just juicy with cherry and red berry fruits. There's also a little tannin, adding texture to the mouthfeel that is not at all unwelcome.
I honestly cannot find anything about this wine that I don't like. Except the fact that I only have one bottle, and only 4 places in the state carry it.
Vintage: 2010
Region: Mendocino, California
Grape: Grenache
Price: $20
Monday, September 12, 2011
2005 Tenute Sella & Mosca Carignano del Sulcis Terre Rare
Carignan is not a grape with a great reputation. It is a frequent blending agent in the south of France, and in the past has contributed to Europe's "wine lake" issue. However, it has been grown on the Italian Island of Sardinia for a vey long time, and there has its very own DOC, Carignano del Sulcis. Although Italy's DOC system is not without its faults, and some wines that many people feel unworthy have been given DOC and even DOCG status, I live in hope of finding good wines in unexpected places.
The wine is a deep garnet in the glass, with significant browning towards the edges, due to bottle age. It is quite clear, indicating to me that it was fined and filtered before bottling. The aromas aren't robust, but I do get some hints of molasses, prune, and something almost cheesy. Like cheese rind. Not exactly fresh in the nose.....
The palate doesn't tell much of a different story. Maybe it's over the hill and has started to break down, but this is not a tasty wine at all. The first impression I get is a sunburnt fruit flavor that borders on metallic - like a tarnished silver spoon in your mouth. It improves somewhat with acquaintance, with some black pepper and stewed cherries coming out. The acid is good and the tannins are smooth, though the alcohol is a bit high. Unfortunately, through it all, that silver spoon taste remains, hanging on the finish long after the fruit has dissipated. Apparently Carignan can deserve its reputation sometimes....
Thumbs down.
Vintage: 2005
Region: Sardinia, Italy
Grape: Carignan
Price: $16
The wine is a deep garnet in the glass, with significant browning towards the edges, due to bottle age. It is quite clear, indicating to me that it was fined and filtered before bottling. The aromas aren't robust, but I do get some hints of molasses, prune, and something almost cheesy. Like cheese rind. Not exactly fresh in the nose.....
The palate doesn't tell much of a different story. Maybe it's over the hill and has started to break down, but this is not a tasty wine at all. The first impression I get is a sunburnt fruit flavor that borders on metallic - like a tarnished silver spoon in your mouth. It improves somewhat with acquaintance, with some black pepper and stewed cherries coming out. The acid is good and the tannins are smooth, though the alcohol is a bit high. Unfortunately, through it all, that silver spoon taste remains, hanging on the finish long after the fruit has dissipated. Apparently Carignan can deserve its reputation sometimes....
Thumbs down.
Vintage: 2005
Region: Sardinia, Italy
Grape: Carignan
Price: $16
Sunday, August 28, 2011
2006 Bodegas Alejandro Fernandez Ribera del Duero Pesquera Crianza
Hurricane party! Tropical Storm Irene has been, happily, much less destructive than it may have been, and I am celebrating by hunkering down with my girls, watching Pride & Prejudice and popping the cork on this special bottle that I've been saving for quite some time. Along with Vega Sicilia, Pesquera is one of the most famous and highly-prized wines from Ribera del Duero, a region of Spain largely disregarded until the rise of these two houses.
Although it hails from Ribera del Duero, in which winemakers are allowed to use Cabernet Sauvignon in their wines (unlike Rioja), Pesquera makes its wines with 100% Tempranillo. Also unlike Rioja, Ribera del Duero tends to use French oak for their barrels instead of American oak, leading to more restrained oak presence with less overt dill and vanilla aromas. Crianzas spend at least 12 months in these French oak barrels, and must be aged at least 2 years before release. In the glass, the wine shows it age through its color, dense garnet with some significant orange-brown towards the rim.
The aromas are nutty tend towards vinosity, with but there is still freshness here - red raspberries and juniper, in particular. On the palate there is something almost briny, leading to the edge of freshness. It is reminiscent of the seaside in the sense that this briniess marries with a slightly green element to produce a hint of beach grass or sea breeze (or is that just Irene blowing through my windows?). But there is less ethereal substance here. The raspberries persist, as does the nutty brown butter from the nose. The texture is silky, with tannin, acidity, and alcohol all in delicate balance. The finish is alive with juniper and bright red berry, and lasts minutes.
An impeccably made wine, and this the perfect occasion to enjoy it.
Vintage: 2006
Region: Ribera del Duero, Spain
Grape: Tempranillo (Tinto Fino)
Price: $34
Although it hails from Ribera del Duero, in which winemakers are allowed to use Cabernet Sauvignon in their wines (unlike Rioja), Pesquera makes its wines with 100% Tempranillo. Also unlike Rioja, Ribera del Duero tends to use French oak for their barrels instead of American oak, leading to more restrained oak presence with less overt dill and vanilla aromas. Crianzas spend at least 12 months in these French oak barrels, and must be aged at least 2 years before release. In the glass, the wine shows it age through its color, dense garnet with some significant orange-brown towards the rim.
The aromas are nutty tend towards vinosity, with but there is still freshness here - red raspberries and juniper, in particular. On the palate there is something almost briny, leading to the edge of freshness. It is reminiscent of the seaside in the sense that this briniess marries with a slightly green element to produce a hint of beach grass or sea breeze (or is that just Irene blowing through my windows?). But there is less ethereal substance here. The raspberries persist, as does the nutty brown butter from the nose. The texture is silky, with tannin, acidity, and alcohol all in delicate balance. The finish is alive with juniper and bright red berry, and lasts minutes.
An impeccably made wine, and this the perfect occasion to enjoy it.
Vintage: 2006
Region: Ribera del Duero, Spain
Grape: Tempranillo (Tinto Fino)
Price: $34
Thursday, August 18, 2011
2004 Heron Merlot Vin de Pays d'Oc
I'm being good to my budget, and drinking some cheaper wine. No more $30+ bottles for me for a while. Nothing wrong with a good vin de pays (assuming that this wine is, in fact, good). The density of color is moderate garnet with some significant browning towards the rim. The aromas are muted, though it's possible I just can't smell anything due to the abnormal amount of pollen in the air today. I swear my neighbors have a pollen machine akin to those beasts that spew fake snow all over the slopes in the winter. Anyway, what I do smell is mostly oak- and age-related - dark chocolate, hazelnut, and maybe some dark berry jam.
On the palate, it's a little abrasive, between the reasonably high alcohol, tannin, and acid. They're all pretty well in balance, but they're all quite high. There's not much fruit, and what there is comes across as somewhat dusty. Not a great wine, but it's drinkable, and the finish is quite long and nutty. It'll do.
Vintage: 2004
Grape: Merlot
Region: Languedoc-Roussillon, France
Price: $11
On the palate, it's a little abrasive, between the reasonably high alcohol, tannin, and acid. They're all pretty well in balance, but they're all quite high. There's not much fruit, and what there is comes across as somewhat dusty. Not a great wine, but it's drinkable, and the finish is quite long and nutty. It'll do.
Vintage: 2004
Grape: Merlot
Region: Languedoc-Roussillon, France
Price: $11
Friday, August 5, 2011
2003 Lacoste-Borie Pauillac
I haven't really done anything to earn a nice Bordeaux for tonight. Call it a reward for going to the laundromat two weeks in a row, maybe? Of course, I've used put my entire wine budget for the week, so I'll be paying for this bottle by Tuesday when I have to drink water (the horror...).
The bottle age is certainly showing on the rim of this ruby red wine, with significant browning towards the edges. The wine is not particularly dense in color; it almost looks like a weighty new world Pinot Noir. But in aromas, I wouldn't mistake it (I hope) for anything but a Bordeaux. The nose is earthy, flinty (but not in a struck match kind of way), with more than a hint of sour red cherry and red currant and a bit of barnyard. I also get some new oak aromas, predominantly cocoa and toast.
It's not as big in the mouth than I might have expected from such a landmark year for Bordeaux, but it's certainly an estimable wine, nonetheless. More sour cherry, moderate acid and slightly scratchy tannins, all in balance with the alcohol. There's not bitterness, but I am sensing a faint metallic taste that is detracting a bit from my enjoyment. It disappears on the finish, however, giving way to some serious earthiness - like a forest floor in fall. I'm not kidding! Leaf litter, turned earth, and some sour berries dropped off of plants for good measure. This may not be an appealing description, but it's actually quite enjoyable. Just don't go telling people that I told you to go lick a forest floor. Drink the wine instead.
Vintage: 2003
Region: Pauillac, Bordeaux, France
Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot (proportions unknown)
Price: $37
The bottle age is certainly showing on the rim of this ruby red wine, with significant browning towards the edges. The wine is not particularly dense in color; it almost looks like a weighty new world Pinot Noir. But in aromas, I wouldn't mistake it (I hope) for anything but a Bordeaux. The nose is earthy, flinty (but not in a struck match kind of way), with more than a hint of sour red cherry and red currant and a bit of barnyard. I also get some new oak aromas, predominantly cocoa and toast.
It's not as big in the mouth than I might have expected from such a landmark year for Bordeaux, but it's certainly an estimable wine, nonetheless. More sour cherry, moderate acid and slightly scratchy tannins, all in balance with the alcohol. There's not bitterness, but I am sensing a faint metallic taste that is detracting a bit from my enjoyment. It disappears on the finish, however, giving way to some serious earthiness - like a forest floor in fall. I'm not kidding! Leaf litter, turned earth, and some sour berries dropped off of plants for good measure. This may not be an appealing description, but it's actually quite enjoyable. Just don't go telling people that I told you to go lick a forest floor. Drink the wine instead.
Vintage: 2003
Region: Pauillac, Bordeaux, France
Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot (proportions unknown)
Price: $37
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
2004 Elderton Shiraz Barossa
Thanks to a cooling thunderstorm this afternoon, I feel comfortable opening up a big Australian shiraz without having to put it in the fridge first....
Since it has some bottle age on it, the wine has some browning towards the edges, as expected, but the core remains dark and dense. Not quite inky, and it has lost any hint of blue tones, but it is an opaque garnet. The nose is heavily marked by oak, coming across as vanilla, clove, and butter and more than a bit of smoke. There is fruit here, too; dark stewed berries, though, not a fresh fruit in sight. (Or in smell, as it were.) No doubt this is a hot-climate wine. I'm hoping the alcohol doesn't cause me to begin breathing fire.
Huh. This wine is so much bigger and denser in the nose than it is on the palate. I mean, it's not a pinot noir, and there is some hefty alcohol to be sure (no evidence of fire-breathing as yet, though), but I do not get the feeling that I am chewing on a 2x4, nor am I bathing in black cherry pie filling. The wine has a nice balance of toast and black currant fruit, plenty of acidity to give it a lift, and some fine, silky tannins for texture. Yes, the alcohol is high, and I'm getting a little tingle in my tummy from it, but it's not nearly as overpowering as it could be. I think this is going to pair very nicely with the (extremely elegant) dinner I have planned - chili on a baked sweet potato. (Hey, it's healthy.)
Vintage: 2004
Region: Barossa, Australia
Grape: Shiraz
Price: $35
Since it has some bottle age on it, the wine has some browning towards the edges, as expected, but the core remains dark and dense. Not quite inky, and it has lost any hint of blue tones, but it is an opaque garnet. The nose is heavily marked by oak, coming across as vanilla, clove, and butter and more than a bit of smoke. There is fruit here, too; dark stewed berries, though, not a fresh fruit in sight. (Or in smell, as it were.) No doubt this is a hot-climate wine. I'm hoping the alcohol doesn't cause me to begin breathing fire.
Huh. This wine is so much bigger and denser in the nose than it is on the palate. I mean, it's not a pinot noir, and there is some hefty alcohol to be sure (no evidence of fire-breathing as yet, though), but I do not get the feeling that I am chewing on a 2x4, nor am I bathing in black cherry pie filling. The wine has a nice balance of toast and black currant fruit, plenty of acidity to give it a lift, and some fine, silky tannins for texture. Yes, the alcohol is high, and I'm getting a little tingle in my tummy from it, but it's not nearly as overpowering as it could be. I think this is going to pair very nicely with the (extremely elegant) dinner I have planned - chili on a baked sweet potato. (Hey, it's healthy.)
Vintage: 2004
Region: Barossa, Australia
Grape: Shiraz
Price: $35
Thursday, July 28, 2011
2007 Hamilton Russell Chardonnay Hemel-en-Aarde Valley
I'm taking a serious risk with this wine. The last Hamilton Russell I tasted, the 2008 Pinot Noir, was categorically the most disgusting wine I have ever enountered. The best description I can come up with is that it tasted like the Michelin Man rolled around in a big pile of trash, then set himself on fire. Nasty! But in general, this firm has a good reputation, so I decided to give them a second chance.
As it has some bottle age on it, I'm not surprised to see that the wine has a fairly deep yellow-gold hue, tending almost to brown. The aromas are also indicative of age, with honey and butter outweighing the white flowers and green apple. There is definitely some oak in the wine; however, there is no sign of a self-immolating Michelin Man, so I am encouraged.
On the palate...it's beautiful. Hamilton Russell has certainly redeemed itself in my mind. The flavors are fresh - not at all oxidized as they could be in a 4 year old Chardonnay - with loads of lemon and green apple and a perfectly balanced touch of oak for creaminess and a hint of bitterness at the back of the mouth. I'm astonished at how youthful this wine tastes. There is no one flavor or element out of place. It's simply delicious.
So the lesson here is simple: if you ever come into contact with a Hamilton Russell wine, avoid the Pinot Noir like the plague it is, and embrace the lovely chardonnay.
Vintage: 2007
Region: Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, South Africa
Grape: Chardonnay
Price: $26
As it has some bottle age on it, I'm not surprised to see that the wine has a fairly deep yellow-gold hue, tending almost to brown. The aromas are also indicative of age, with honey and butter outweighing the white flowers and green apple. There is definitely some oak in the wine; however, there is no sign of a self-immolating Michelin Man, so I am encouraged.
On the palate...it's beautiful. Hamilton Russell has certainly redeemed itself in my mind. The flavors are fresh - not at all oxidized as they could be in a 4 year old Chardonnay - with loads of lemon and green apple and a perfectly balanced touch of oak for creaminess and a hint of bitterness at the back of the mouth. I'm astonished at how youthful this wine tastes. There is no one flavor or element out of place. It's simply delicious.
So the lesson here is simple: if you ever come into contact with a Hamilton Russell wine, avoid the Pinot Noir like the plague it is, and embrace the lovely chardonnay.
Vintage: 2007
Region: Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, South Africa
Grape: Chardonnay
Price: $26
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