I'm on an Italy kick these days, it seems. This wine, also from Tuscany, is one of the so-called "supertuscans," which essentially means that the winemakers didn't follow the rules set out by the Italian government, thus there wine is not "classifiable." This particular winemaker broke the rules by blending 15% cabernet sauvignon into his or her sangiovese. This often has the effect of taming sangiovese's prevalent acid and tannins, making for a more approachable wine, in the international sense.
This one is a lovely medium crimson in the glass, obviously still quite young as it hasn't taken on any browns or oranges, even towards the rim. I feel like I can sense some of the cabernet sauvignon on the nose, as there is a distinct aroma of currants, some green pepper, and some oak. But in the mouth, this is most definitely a sangiovese. Sour city. The tannins aren't overpowering, but are fairly wooly and unrefined. I would classify this as a "rustic" wine. The finish is short and bitter, and there isn't much in the way of fruit on the palette. A little currant and spice, perhaps, but it isn't pronounced. This wine will be fine with dinner, but I wouldn't just sit down to a glass of it unaccompanied (often how I feel about sangiovese-dominant wines). 83.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Sunday, November 28, 2010
2008 Poderi Sanguineto Rosso di Montepulciano
I am excited to taste this wine, not only because I've heard its praises sung several times, but also because I'm interested to see if I can taste the difference between wine from this bottle and the one I opened at a tasting at the wine shop a couple of weeks ago. Several of the wines at that tasting didn't perform up to expectations, and my colleagues and I wondered if they weren't experiencing some bottle-shock. Bottle-shock is a condition that wines undergo when they're disturbed in some way, such as in a rough transport. The flavors of the wine can become muted or disjointed for a few weeks following a "traumatic even."Some people do not believe that bottle-shock exists, and I haven't had much experience with it. I don't know if I'll be able to conjure up the experience of the wine from a few weeks ago, but we shall see.
The color is a deep garnet, darker than many sangiovese-dominant wines I've seen. But Rosso di Montepulciano is aged in oak at least one year, which can enhance color (and tannin). On the nose, I don't get a whole lot, but what I do get is delicate and perfumey. Some ripe red cherries, vanilla, and candied violets. In the mouth - heavenly! It is delicate but firm, with excellent balance between acid and tannin. It's a little hollow in the middle but the texture is creamy and the flavors are just lovely. There is a hint of juicy sweetness, cocoa, and toasty oak.
This wine is definitely not pure sangiovese - the acid and astringency are far too low. By Italian law, Rosso di Montepulciano must be at least 70%, but other grapes such as canaiolo nero and mammolo can also be added. Whatever blend was used, the wine is delicious, and I'm looking forward to pairing it with the sausage and polenta I have on the stove.
As for the bottle-shock, this wine tastes vastly different than the one I sampled in the shop. I remember a distinct stewed-tomato flavor in that wine, and it definitely lacked the delicacy of the bottle I'm tasting now. Certainly not proof that bottle-shock exists, but very interesting to note, nonetheless.
Recommended! 89.
The color is a deep garnet, darker than many sangiovese-dominant wines I've seen. But Rosso di Montepulciano is aged in oak at least one year, which can enhance color (and tannin). On the nose, I don't get a whole lot, but what I do get is delicate and perfumey. Some ripe red cherries, vanilla, and candied violets. In the mouth - heavenly! It is delicate but firm, with excellent balance between acid and tannin. It's a little hollow in the middle but the texture is creamy and the flavors are just lovely. There is a hint of juicy sweetness, cocoa, and toasty oak.
This wine is definitely not pure sangiovese - the acid and astringency are far too low. By Italian law, Rosso di Montepulciano must be at least 70%, but other grapes such as canaiolo nero and mammolo can also be added. Whatever blend was used, the wine is delicious, and I'm looking forward to pairing it with the sausage and polenta I have on the stove.
As for the bottle-shock, this wine tastes vastly different than the one I sampled in the shop. I remember a distinct stewed-tomato flavor in that wine, and it definitely lacked the delicacy of the bottle I'm tasting now. Certainly not proof that bottle-shock exists, but very interesting to note, nonetheless.
Recommended! 89.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
2006 Paso Creek Merlot Paso Robles
Poor merlot. It has such a bad reputation, ever since that guy in Sideways whose name I can't remember derided it vociferously. But this is a guy who drinks out of a spit bucket. So why do people listen to him??
Merlot is, perhaps, a little out of vogue right now, but it's an estimable wine, one of the varietal foundations of nearly all Bordeaux wines, and the sole grape used in Chateau Petrus, one of the most expensive and revered wines in the world.
This bottle is not Chateau Petrus. I seriously doubt I will ever be in the same room as Petrus, let alone have one in my apartment. But this is a wine from Paso Robles, a place where wine grapes have been grown since the late 1700s. Not bad for the "new world!" The wine in my glass is a deep, vibrant, gorgeous crimson with a tiny pink rim. The aromas are robust and savory, with earth, umami, and something biscuity in the background. And there is also some of that plum that one expects to find in a merlot.
In the mouth, it's a little aggressive - high alcohol and overt sourness make it a prickly and puckersome wine, and there isn't much fruit to balance it out. The wine does have excellent structure with mild but firm tannins, but it's just not a joy to hold it in my mouth. And it doesn't get much better once swallowed. Sourness and a slightly bitterness remain long after any fruit flavors have dissipated.
Not a wine to go out of your way to find. 83.
Merlot is, perhaps, a little out of vogue right now, but it's an estimable wine, one of the varietal foundations of nearly all Bordeaux wines, and the sole grape used in Chateau Petrus, one of the most expensive and revered wines in the world.
This bottle is not Chateau Petrus. I seriously doubt I will ever be in the same room as Petrus, let alone have one in my apartment. But this is a wine from Paso Robles, a place where wine grapes have been grown since the late 1700s. Not bad for the "new world!" The wine in my glass is a deep, vibrant, gorgeous crimson with a tiny pink rim. The aromas are robust and savory, with earth, umami, and something biscuity in the background. And there is also some of that plum that one expects to find in a merlot.
In the mouth, it's a little aggressive - high alcohol and overt sourness make it a prickly and puckersome wine, and there isn't much fruit to balance it out. The wine does have excellent structure with mild but firm tannins, but it's just not a joy to hold it in my mouth. And it doesn't get much better once swallowed. Sourness and a slightly bitterness remain long after any fruit flavors have dissipated.
Not a wine to go out of your way to find. 83.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
2008 Mark West Pinot Noir Sonoma County
This is a wine that does not smell good. It looks ok - a medium-pale ruby with a hint of orange. But it has an animal-like odor, barnyard and cow sweat, and something with a metallic tang, almost like blood. As much as the idea of this puts me off, I'm going to taste it anyway. If I must....
Huh. Not bad at all. I don't get any of the nastiness in the mouth that I got on the nose. The flavors are dominated by ripe cherry, but there is a pleasant earthy quality as well. I get a touch of residual sugar, which, along with the high alcohol content, give the wine a good weight in the mouth. The alcohol might be a touch high, leaving me with a tingly tongue, and I think the grapes might have been a little overripe when they were picked. I suspect this has something to do with the unpleasant aromas, and the fact that the finish evolves into a cooked or dried cherry for me. But all in all, it's quite a nice wine that I'm hoping will stand up to the spicy andouille and black bean soup simmering on the stove.
The foul aromas on the nose certainly detract from my overall enjoyment of the wine, but it certainly wasn't as bad as I was expecting. 82.
Huh. Not bad at all. I don't get any of the nastiness in the mouth that I got on the nose. The flavors are dominated by ripe cherry, but there is a pleasant earthy quality as well. I get a touch of residual sugar, which, along with the high alcohol content, give the wine a good weight in the mouth. The alcohol might be a touch high, leaving me with a tingly tongue, and I think the grapes might have been a little overripe when they were picked. I suspect this has something to do with the unpleasant aromas, and the fact that the finish evolves into a cooked or dried cherry for me. But all in all, it's quite a nice wine that I'm hoping will stand up to the spicy andouille and black bean soup simmering on the stove.
The foul aromas on the nose certainly detract from my overall enjoyment of the wine, but it certainly wasn't as bad as I was expecting. 82.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
2009 Pascal Granger Julienas Crus de Beaujolais
This wine smells like warm blueberries and cream. The universe should provide a choir of angels (or at least oblidge with someone playing Puccini with their windows open) whenever someone pops the cork on a bottle of this beaujolais. Beaujolais can have a bad reputation, often due to the grape popsicle fruitiness of the beaujolais you're likely to find on a supermarket shelf. This wine is the Stradivarius to Georges Dubeouf's plastic ukelele.
OK, perhaps I should taste the wine before I oversell it based on the aromas alone. It's also quite gorgeous in the mouth. Unlike most Beaujolais, I think this wine could actually benefit from another year or two in the bottle. It's quite delicious now, though, with tannins and acidity perfectly in harmony with the red berries, which are luscious, but not at all overpowering. I even get a little prickle on the tongue that could be a hint of pleasant effervescence. This wine is a superstar, and would be perfect - and I'm not just saying this because Thanksgiving is a week from tomorrow - with a big turkey dinner with cranberries and stuffing. Absolutely perfect. 91.
OK, perhaps I should taste the wine before I oversell it based on the aromas alone. It's also quite gorgeous in the mouth. Unlike most Beaujolais, I think this wine could actually benefit from another year or two in the bottle. It's quite delicious now, though, with tannins and acidity perfectly in harmony with the red berries, which are luscious, but not at all overpowering. I even get a little prickle on the tongue that could be a hint of pleasant effervescence. This wine is a superstar, and would be perfect - and I'm not just saying this because Thanksgiving is a week from tomorrow - with a big turkey dinner with cranberries and stuffing. Absolutely perfect. 91.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
2007 Dr. Burklin-Wolf Riesling QbA Pfalz Bürklin Estate
I didn't really feel like posting tonight, nor was I planning on opening another bottle of wine. But I ended up making some shrimp scampi that required me to open a bottle of white, and all I had on hand was this German riesling. I still wasn't planning on posting, but it turns out this wine is just too good not to share.
It's darker in color than I would expect from a German riesling, pure gold with a real brightness to it. The aromas do feature some of that petrol that rieslings often have (even though the Germans claim theirs never do), but there is more peach and caramel than anything else. I want to inhale this wine. The aromas are gorgeous.
And it's just as beautiful in the mouth. A tiny bit sweet, as many (but not all!) rieslings are, but with perfectly balanced acidity and fruit, and a medium-weighty mouthfeel which is just luxurious. The alcohol is higher than many German rieslings, likely because it comes from Pfalz, which is on the warmer side for riesling, but the wine is by no means "hot" in the mouth. The flavors in the mouth certainly include peach, but also something that I can only describe as muskmelon, which you probably don't know unless you're from Iowa. It's delicious, and I can't say enough good things about it. 90.
It's darker in color than I would expect from a German riesling, pure gold with a real brightness to it. The aromas do feature some of that petrol that rieslings often have (even though the Germans claim theirs never do), but there is more peach and caramel than anything else. I want to inhale this wine. The aromas are gorgeous.
And it's just as beautiful in the mouth. A tiny bit sweet, as many (but not all!) rieslings are, but with perfectly balanced acidity and fruit, and a medium-weighty mouthfeel which is just luxurious. The alcohol is higher than many German rieslings, likely because it comes from Pfalz, which is on the warmer side for riesling, but the wine is by no means "hot" in the mouth. The flavors in the mouth certainly include peach, but also something that I can only describe as muskmelon, which you probably don't know unless you're from Iowa. It's delicious, and I can't say enough good things about it. 90.
Friday, November 12, 2010
2002 St-Cosme Cote-Rotie
2002 was a disastrously bad year in France's Rhone Valley. It was cool and rainy, making for unripe, water-logged grapes. The wines tend to be herbal and rustic, and not very tasty. For that reason, I was able to buy a wine for $30 that would probably be going for $60 or more. I love saving money! The trade-off, of course, it that the wine could be disgusting.
It's a dark crimson at the core, lightening to brown and orange towards the rim of the glass. This is to be expected for an 8-year-old wine, as red wines tend to get lighter and more brown with age. The aromas do put me in mind of some herby green things, most particularly tobacco and green pepper, but more than that I get earthiness, molasses, and even some red cherry.
In the mouth...hoooooooooo, that's sour! Holy. Moses. It's like sucking on a cherry-flavored lemon. Given that I have been known to suck on lemons, this is not necessarily a bad thing for me, but I expect the general populace wouldn't agree. The tannins are more refined than I was expecting, and there is some smoke and cherry (make that sour cherry) flavor, but the wine is thin in texture and acid really does overwhelm everything. The finish is surprisingly long and pleasant, with evolving earth and smoke, which makes me want to take another sip even though I know what is in store.
All in all, I have to agree with the estimation that 2002 Rhone wines are not to be sought out, and are probably past their drinking peak at this time. More time in the bottle probably isn't going to help this sucker. But it wasn't awful, and I expect that I would really like a more favorable vintage of this wine. You know, if I could afford one. 82.
It's a dark crimson at the core, lightening to brown and orange towards the rim of the glass. This is to be expected for an 8-year-old wine, as red wines tend to get lighter and more brown with age. The aromas do put me in mind of some herby green things, most particularly tobacco and green pepper, but more than that I get earthiness, molasses, and even some red cherry.
In the mouth...hoooooooooo, that's sour! Holy. Moses. It's like sucking on a cherry-flavored lemon. Given that I have been known to suck on lemons, this is not necessarily a bad thing for me, but I expect the general populace wouldn't agree. The tannins are more refined than I was expecting, and there is some smoke and cherry (make that sour cherry) flavor, but the wine is thin in texture and acid really does overwhelm everything. The finish is surprisingly long and pleasant, with evolving earth and smoke, which makes me want to take another sip even though I know what is in store.
All in all, I have to agree with the estimation that 2002 Rhone wines are not to be sought out, and are probably past their drinking peak at this time. More time in the bottle probably isn't going to help this sucker. But it wasn't awful, and I expect that I would really like a more favorable vintage of this wine. You know, if I could afford one. 82.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
2009 Haut-Marin Cuvée Marine Vin de Pays des Côtes de Gascogne
The name is a mouthful - and I'm hoping the wine will be, too! This is a very inexpensive French white blend of, frankly, some pretty inauspicious grapes. Colombard and Ugni Blanc are much more often found in a jug than a bottle. But I've heard great things about this wine, that it's reminiscent of a sauvignon blanc, so I thought I'd give it a try.
In the glass, the color certainly looks like a sauvignon blanc - bright yellow with a touch of green. The aromas aren't strong, but they are very fresh - like a metal pail full of rainwater, and some tangy lemon, too. There is lemon on the palatte as well, along with very well-balanced acidity an alcohol (not an easy feat in a warm region like southwest France). It's a little hollow on the mid-palatte, and not terribly complex with some bitterness evolving on the finish, but overall it's a delicious wine. And at $10 a bottle, I could easily make this my "house wine," were I a restauranteur. 86.
In the glass, the color certainly looks like a sauvignon blanc - bright yellow with a touch of green. The aromas aren't strong, but they are very fresh - like a metal pail full of rainwater, and some tangy lemon, too. There is lemon on the palatte as well, along with very well-balanced acidity an alcohol (not an easy feat in a warm region like southwest France). It's a little hollow on the mid-palatte, and not terribly complex with some bitterness evolving on the finish, but overall it's a delicious wine. And at $10 a bottle, I could easily make this my "house wine," were I a restauranteur. 86.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
2009 Clifford Bay Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough
I'm having a really hard time sensing the aromas of this New Zealand sauvignon blanc. Not because it is not aromatic - I can tell that it is - but I'm making a Cobb Salad to go along with it, and all I can smell is bacon. After locking myself in the bathroom, I was able to detect that telltale tropical fruit and green grass aroma that I absolutely love about New Zealand sauvignon blancs. There is mango and tamarind and fresh green tomato. Lovely! The color is classic straw, and very bright to the eye.
I tasted it, and my first thought is..."Mmmm! This is a damn good wine for $9!" Seriously, $9! I think it was on sale, but still. This is a fantastic value. The aromas carry over strongly to the palate. There is some residual sugar, that brings along the sweet green tomato flavor, but it's not at all sweet. The acid is not particularly high or mouth-watering, though it seems mostly in balance with the sweetness and alcohol, and it has a surprisingly long finish, evolving sweetness and tamarind. There is even a bit of spritz on the tongue, maybe due to the screw cap; it's very pleasant. I think the only thing I would say needs some improvement is the acidity; it's just low enough to leave the wine lacking a little structure. 88!
I tasted it, and my first thought is..."Mmmm! This is a damn good wine for $9!" Seriously, $9! I think it was on sale, but still. This is a fantastic value. The aromas carry over strongly to the palate. There is some residual sugar, that brings along the sweet green tomato flavor, but it's not at all sweet. The acid is not particularly high or mouth-watering, though it seems mostly in balance with the sweetness and alcohol, and it has a surprisingly long finish, evolving sweetness and tamarind. There is even a bit of spritz on the tongue, maybe due to the screw cap; it's very pleasant. I think the only thing I would say needs some improvement is the acidity; it's just low enough to leave the wine lacking a little structure. 88!
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
2008 Clos du Bois Sauvignon Blanc North Coast
I've seen lots of bottles of Clos du Bois sitting on shelves, in peoples' fridges, even on wine lists. It's a ubiquitous wine - that I've never tasted! So, I thought I'd give it a whirl with the Sonoma north coast sauvignon blanc. It could be awful, it could be a great find...we shall see.
The color is right for a sauvignon blanc, a medium-pale yellow with a flash of green; sort of a straw color. The nose isn't saying much to me. There is some honeydew melon, some honeysuckle, and a bit of a yeasty smell (though I doubt this wine spends much time sitting on the lees), but it's very faint.
In the mouth...it's surprisingly pleasant! Sometimes mass-produced sauvignon blancs take on an off-putting bitterness and something I can't really describe except to say that it's kind of chemically. This doesn't have that. It also doesn't have a ton of acidity, probably because it hails from a relatively warm region, so it's a little flabby. But it actually has a bit of spritz (effervescence) and a nice weight to it, so is rather nice on the palette. I do get some pretty substantial alcohol burn (again, the warm climate at work). Whew! Ever put rubbing alcohol on a cut? Well, don't put this wine in your mouth if you have a canker sore. Trust me.
So the wine isn't particularly balanced in its elements, and the lack of aroma does detract from the overall enjoyment. Is it worth th $14 I paid for it? Eh, maybe. Is it worth drinking if someone hands you a glass? Sure. It would be good for pairing with an all veggie dinner, I think. I give it an 81.
The color is right for a sauvignon blanc, a medium-pale yellow with a flash of green; sort of a straw color. The nose isn't saying much to me. There is some honeydew melon, some honeysuckle, and a bit of a yeasty smell (though I doubt this wine spends much time sitting on the lees), but it's very faint.
In the mouth...it's surprisingly pleasant! Sometimes mass-produced sauvignon blancs take on an off-putting bitterness and something I can't really describe except to say that it's kind of chemically. This doesn't have that. It also doesn't have a ton of acidity, probably because it hails from a relatively warm region, so it's a little flabby. But it actually has a bit of spritz (effervescence) and a nice weight to it, so is rather nice on the palette. I do get some pretty substantial alcohol burn (again, the warm climate at work). Whew! Ever put rubbing alcohol on a cut? Well, don't put this wine in your mouth if you have a canker sore. Trust me.
So the wine isn't particularly balanced in its elements, and the lack of aroma does detract from the overall enjoyment. Is it worth th $14 I paid for it? Eh, maybe. Is it worth drinking if someone hands you a glass? Sure. It would be good for pairing with an all veggie dinner, I think. I give it an 81.
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