Monday, May 31, 2010

Coppo 2005 Barbera d'Asti L'Avvocata

Medium-dark color, a bit petillant.

Smell of plums, dark cherry, oak.

Sweet fruit flavor, plum and prune, tongue-tingling petillance, alcohol warmth at the end. All in all, an inferior bottle for $16.99, from a maker who produces some better examples.

Friday, May 28, 2010

Jean Saint Honore 2005 Pouilly-Fuisse

Rich straw color, tinted green.

Oak and flint smells, apple fruit.

Flavors are buttery, oaky, mineral, peach and pineapple.

A few years ago, Pouilly-Fuisse was a bottle for the wine-snob-wanna-be: an affordable wine without much merit, thin and harsh. This is a good-enough bottle for $16.99,food-friendly and not lacking in fruit.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Taylor Fladgate 2003 Late-Bottled Vintage Porto (Bottled in 2009)

Quite opaque purple color.

Brandy alcohol warmth dominates the smell, then prune, black cherry.

Sweet prune danish flavor(minus the pastry)(or crumbs,) vanilla. Alcohol warmth at the end.

I've never had an LBV before, but this is a fine full-bodied $20.99 bottle, dessert for a few days.

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Viticcio 2007 Toscana IGT "Bere"

This IGT from Tuscany is 50% Sangiovese, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot.

Very dark color, nearly opaque.

Black cherry and leather smells, violets.

Fruity goodness, Chianti-like, but with Cab/Merlot adding a cherry/berry super-structure just when the wine threatens to get a bit thin in the middle.

Medium-bodied wine, very good bottle for $15.99, food-friendly, super-Tuscan on a budget.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Bastianich 2008 Friulano

"By order of the European Union, harvest 2007 marks the first vintage that the grape variety formerly known as "Tocai Friulano" must be called "Friulano"

Pale straw color, petillance forms on the glass.

Smell of peach, apple, herbs.

Dry taste of fresh peach, citrus fruit, good food-friendly acid, zingy. Long finish, somewhat bitter at the end. Petillant on the tongue.

Very good medium-bodied bottle for $19.99. Versatile.

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Giacomo Bologna "Braida" 2007 Brachetto d'Acqui

The second Brachetto I've had. The first here back in January. Then I said "not something I'd want very often", oh well.

Medium-ruby color, fizzy-frizzante with big bubbles.

Sweet-smelling, honeyed, overripe peach smell.

Sweet muscat, honey flavor, peaches, trivial fun, an amusing dessert. Sweet berry soda. Gimme a tiramisu with a bit of chocolate painted on the dish.

Overpriced but fun bottle for $19.99.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Bishop's Peak 2006 Edna Valley Syrah

Very deep color.

Blackberry smell, oak, black pepper.

Blackberry jam flavor, oak, alcohol warmth at the end.

Good bottle for $19.99, medium-to-full bodied. I'd like it better if the oak was a little more restrained.

Monday, May 10, 2010

Henri Badoux 2007 Aigle les Murailles

My first Swiss wine, Henri Badoux is one of the few Swiss vintners to treat the USA as an important market.

Pale straw color, petillant pinpoint bubbles swim in suspension.

Clean floral smell, pear, freshly-clapped school eraser.

Totally dry flavor, lemon/lime, mineral, petillance added to the grape acids make it a food-friendly treat. Convention matches this with seafood, but don't be shy, this light-weight surprise will work well with any delicate-flavored meal and may well stand up to more robust fare. At $37.57, I paid extra for novelty.

Friday, May 7, 2010

Chateau Potensac 2004 Medoc

Opaque, lavender-color at the edges.

Plum, prune, and black cherry smells.

Dark stone-fruit flavors, oak, very much the way I think a Bordeaux is supposed to taste.

No bargain, but good enough for $37.67, great company for a simply-prepared steak. I shall reserve the case for just that use. (I hope my cardiologist ignores this blog. Safe bet, I guess.)

My thoughts on the 2005 here.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Abadia da Cova 2008 Ribeira Sacra Barrica

Opaque appearance.

Plum/prune smell over smell of oak.

Plum and prune flavors, some spicy oak in the finish.

Very good bottle for $25.99, full-bodied, fruit-forward, and food-friendly: just what I look for in a table wine.

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Herm. Donnhoff 1989er Oberhauser Brucke Riesling Spatlese Nahe

Rich golder/orange color. Petillance develops.

Fruity peach, apricot, tangerine smell, hints of diesel bus exhaust.

Off-dry peach flavor, ripe and rich, some petillance. Fruit sweetness is wonderfully matched with acid.

Proof that good Riesling ages as well as any white. I'm in awe of how much a fresh and fruity Riesling can improve in 20 years or so, even in a Spatlese(!) I have a few more bottles, so I'll see about it again in a few years more.