Chateau des Jacques 2006 Moulin-a-Vent Clos du Grand Carquelin

I begin an exploration of a trio of Louis Jadot / Chateau des Jacques single-vineyard cru Moulin-a-Vents, with a bit of age on them!

Deep garnet color.

Cherry / berry smells, with a bit of vanilla oak,

Warm cherry/blackberry/strawberry/blueberry fruit flavors, restrained oak.

Fairly complex, full-bodied Beaujolais, $28.23 / bottle. As serious a Beaujolais as I've ever had. I don't think I've before had a Beaujolais that could stand up to a dose of new oak, but it's not out of place here.

Chateau Moulin-Favre 2009 Chiroubles Vieilles Vignes

Deep near-opaque garnet color.

Mild strawberry and blackberry smells, alcohol smell develops.

Berry / cherry flavor, warm finish.

Good light-to-medium-weight $17.99 bottle. Fairly high-alcohol Cru Beaujolais without special merit. Once a common style, I take it.

Robert Sinskey Vineyards 2009 Los Carneros Abraxas "Vin de Terroir" Scintilla Sonoma Vineyard

47% Pinot Gris, 23% Riesling, 17% Gewurztraminer, 13% Pinot Blanc.

Pale color of mass-market American lager, petillance forms many bubbles on the glass.

Sweet smell of baked apple, with cinnamon, bunches of showy flowers, a whole rack of jars from Spice Islands (tm), fresh sun-dried laundry.

Dry fruity flavor, ripe apples and pears, acid at the end is emphasized by considerable petillance on the tongue.

Excellent medium-to-dull-bodied sipping white for $39.99/bottle, quite a reward for the nose and the palate.

Update: A subsequent bottle proved a nice accompaniment for a supermarket-prepared hot lunch of a "General's Chicken" that was spicy-hot and near-Polynesian sweet.

Conti Sertoli Salis 2004 Terrazze Retiche de Sondrio IGT Il Saloncello

Dark purple maroon color.

Cherry, cassis, and raspberry smells, some new oak.

Soft cherry/berry flavor at the beginining, acid builds to the end. Oh! Isn't food-friendly just what wine ought to be?

Excellent medium-to-full-bodied bottle for $24.99. If you'd asked for my favorite red six months ago I might have named Barbera. Now, though, Nebbiolo is coming up fast.

Chateau des Jacques 2009 Moulin-a-Vent

Very dark garnet color.

Full blackberry smell with a hint of wood.

Very fruity blackberry, strawberry flavors, good intensity through the long end.

Excellent medium-bodied wine at $18.99 / bottle.

Chateau de Bonhoste 2009 Bordeaux Blanc

Very pale color, slightly petillant.

Smells of pear, citrus, lawn, and cat box.

Dry flavors of pear, lime, an unidentifiable organic.

Good medium-bodied bottle for $15.99. Like the Domaine Saint Roch 2009 Touraine Sauvignon I recent;y enjoyed, this is nice, but a step less so.

Domaine Saint Roch 2009 Touraine Sauvignon

Very pale straw color. One review I read said goldenrod: I don't agree.

Smell of ginger ale, pear, hints of freshly mowed grass and cat-pee.

Dry pear flavor, lime, mineral.

Very good medium bodied wine for $16.99. Historically, I'm repelled by the mouthfeel of Sauvignon Blanc. Wonder where I learned that, this is quite nice.

Cesarini Sforza 2002 Trento "Tridentum"

Restrained long-lasting streams of tiny-to-small bubbles.

Apple smell, toast.

Dry apple and pear flavors, touch of cherry by the end.

Good fruit-forward medium-bodied Champenoise 80% Chardonnay / 20% Pinot Noir Italian fizz @ $24.99 / bottle. (It's not your father's Spumante!)