Monday, December 29, 2008

Prunotto 2006 Barbera d'Asti Fiulot

Medium dark red color.

Plum/prune smell, some oak.

Slight petillance, tart plum and prune fruit flavors.

The next day it remains a high-acid juicy bowl of stone-fruit. Tangy!

This proved an excellent accompaniment to a festive holiday lasagna. While I'd hunt for a cheaper version that tasted as good, if none jumped up I'd pay $19.49 for another bottle. Quite nice.

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Primaterra 2007 Puglia Primitivo

Inky-dark opaque purple/red color.

Plum and oak smell.

Plum, prune, black cherry fruit flavors. There's oak, but not solely new oak.

The next day same as it ever was.

Ampelographers have determined that Primitivo is the same grape as Zinfandel, though they are have usually been made into different styles of wine. This bottle is, I'm guessing, aware of California Zin. Not a slavish follower of it, but aware.

Tasty wine, a fair buy for $10.99, I'd buy it again to accompany a simple dinner of pasta and tomato. On reflection, if this is meant as an alternative to basic chianti, maybe it is a bit too expensive.

Thursday, December 25, 2008

Gloria Ferrer non-vintage Blanc de Noirs

Medium pale amber / copper color, vigorous tiny bubbles.

Smell of cherries and bread dough.

Taste of red berries, sweet red cherries, toast.

As so often is true of New World sparklers, exuberant fruit is expressed in sound winemaking, but there's a finesse that's seen in good Champagne but missing here. Still, this is a remarkable expression of Pinot fruit, and I'd buy it again for $19.99. I still prefer my Bollinger, but the difference in price argues strongly for this.

And Merry Christmas!

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Delas 2007 Cotes-du-Rhone Saint-Esprit

Dark red / purple color.

My first thought on opening the bottle was that this smells like Beaujolais, strawberry and red raspberry. A bit unusual for a Rhone wine, but I like Beaujolais, so it's not a disaster.

Flavor bears a resemblance to Beaujolais as well, red berries over a bit of oak.

The next day still the same.

Pleasant simple fruity wine, $10.99 seems an entirely fair price.

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Rivola 2005 Sardon de Duero Abadia Retuerta

Inky dark near-opaque purple/red.

Cedar smell, a pencil box inside a hope chest. Can't name anything else in there.

Tannins and oak predominate. There's dark stone fruit under there, but it's well-hidden. I fear splinters.

The next day no noticeable improvement.

$15.49 for Spanish red wine the way I remember it. I didn't use to like Spanish wine. I wouldn't buy it again. It'd be interesting to know if it'll improve with time, but not on my own dime.

Friday, December 19, 2008

Fontanafredda 2005 Piemonte Barbera Briccotondo

Dark purple / red color.

Smell of leather, black raspberry, and plum.

Tastes of prune, plum, black cherry, blackberry, all balanced with tart acid.

The next day largely unchanged.

Simple and pleasant, fruity wine with a bit of complexity, an entirely reasonable buy at $11.99.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Mumm Napa non-vintage Rutherford Brut Prestige

Very pale straw color, tint of green. Vigorous bubbles.

Citrus and melon smells, a bit of just-popped toaster.

Canteloupe, grapefruit, fresh-baked bread, maybe cherry. Brut, for sure, but the end is a bit too sweet for my taste.

I'd buy again for $19.99, but I've got more New World sparklers to try first.

It's not champagne. Even if it's improved by the addition of well-aged reserve wine it's still not champagne but it's quite acceptable fizz all the same.

Monday, December 15, 2008

Jean-Luc Colombo 2006 Vin de Pays d'Oc Viognier La Violette

Pale straw color.

Wildflower smell. The name and the rear label advertise the scent of violets. There are pears and peaches as well.

Ripe pears, peaches, tastes the way wildflowers smell. Thick-seeming mouthfeel.

The next day largely unchanged: still a medium-weight wine worth some contemplation.

I think this $12.99 bottle is my favorite Viognier so far, exclusive of a long-ago-tasted Condrieu, and a serious bargain. I'll continue searching for budget Viognier, but I'll be quite happy even if I can't better this.

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Oxford Landing 2005 South Australia GSM Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre

Dark clear garnet, tending towards purple.

Smell of leather, raspberry, black cherry, oak.

Tastes of blackberry, plum, black cherry, a bit of refreshing bitterness at the end.

The next day still very nice.

Think of it, perhaps, as an Australian interpretation of Cotes du Rhone. A juicy bowl of fruit.

I think it's a pretty fair bargain for $13.99 and can imagine buying it again, but there are a lot of nice $14 bottles.

Friday, December 12, 2008

Chandon non-vintage California Blanc de Noirs

I find my self-imposed restriction of blogging only bottles that don't exceed $20 forbids me to enjoy Champagne, or at least to do so with an audience. I shall, therefor, explore fine California sparkling wine and, that done, similar from other places.

Medium straw color, fine small bubbles.

Fruity fresh-baked smell, intriguing strawberry notes.

Toast and red fruits, fun and unserious: chewy Pinot goodness!

I don't think you'd likely mistake it for Champagne, for more than a few moments, but it's an entirely creditable sparkler all the same. I wonder if my reaction would be even more positive if I were tasting blind.

For $18.79, I'd buy it again, but there's a world of tasty California sparklers, with and without the names of reputable Champagne houses. My reference Champagne is Bollinger and they have no New World representation. Pity!

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Castello Monaci 2006 Salice Salentino Liante

Near-opaque ruby color.

Cherry / plum smell, with some oak.

Cherries and prunes in the smooth flavor, with some oak, a bit of cleansing bitterness in the finish.

Pleasant full-bodied dry red, a good match for flavorful "peasant" food, this'll stand up pretty well to tomato sauce, which requires a fairly big red.

The next day still smooth and full of flavor.

I'd buy again for $11.99, this is a good bargain.

This map shows that Salice Salentino is grown in the "heel" or the Italian boot: Puglia.

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Fairview 2006 Coastal Region Viognier

Very pale straw color.

Grapefruit / pear smell, and peach.

Ripe peach flavor, a bit of grapefruit.

The next day I can find no change.

More intense ripe fruit flavor than the California Viogniers I've recently tasted. Even so, the fruit is well-balanced with clean citrus-like acid.

I might buy this again for $18.79 but first I'd keep looking for even better less expensive examples. I'm also going to try the quite pricey Condrieu again to remind myself of the pinnacle this grape can reach and to see if these lesser expressions are really any bargain. I'm missing an apricot-like character that perhaps I'm misremembering.

Hugh Johnson's 2009 Pocket Wine Book says Fairview was South Africa's first Viognier maker.

Monday, December 1, 2008

Las Rocas de San Alejandro 2006 Calatayud Garnacha

Extremely dark purple color.

Plum and cherry smell, mild oak, perhaps the smell of the fruit pits, too.

Sweet plum / cherry flavor, trace of oak.

Fruity, restrained oak, good balance of fruit and acid. This wine doesn't prompt much contemplation, but it does provide plenty of simple enjoyment.

The next day largely unchanged: still a juicy bowl of ripe fruit! ("How much does a grecian urn?")

I don't think Grenache, even from old vines as this is said to be, is this dark-colored unless blended with at least a bit of a dark wine. I propose Malbec, (aka Cot "the Black Wine of Cahors") but I have no evidence that this is true.

I'd very cheerfully buy this again for $11.99.