Monday, August 29, 2011

Jean-Marc Burgaud 2010 Regnie Vallieres

Medium-dark cherry red, no petillance visible.

Cherry and blackberry smells.

Bright cherry and blackberry flavors, a whole range of Prunus flavors.

Excellent full-bodied bottle, $20.00. The new style of Beaujolais that doesn't label itself Beaujolais. I hope they come back to full disclosure but not to the time when the whole appelation used only two or three different clones of Gamay and of yeast.

Friday, August 26, 2011

Guado al Melo 2007 Bacco in Toscana Bom Ba Ba Ba

I reported on the 2006 bottling here.

Almost-opaque purple-red color.

Smell of black cherry and plum, leather and oak.

Tart dark stone fruit flavors, lingering acid finish that begs for a tomato-sauce accompaniment.

Very good bottle for $19.99, same price as last year, a quality of which I approve heartily.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Tir na N'Og 2006 McLaren Vale Old Vines Gremache

Rather cloudy dark cherry red.

Complex smells, leather and meat and ripe plums, oak.

Rich dry plum flavor, meaty, a big wine.

Excellent full-bodied bottle. $29.99. Again, a big wine.

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Confraria 2010 Moscatel Vinho Regional Lisboa

Very pale straw, extremely pitillant on the glass.

Sweet smell of honey, candied preserves,

Off-dry flavor of honey, candied peach and apricot. extremely pitillant on the tongue.

Very good light-bodied bottle, 10% ABV, $12.99

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Lagone 2008 Aia Vecchia IGT Toscana

A blend of Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, and Merlot.

Deep dark cherry red appearance.

Cassis smell, plum, new oak.

Dry fruity plum and black cherry flavors, oak, long acid finish.

Very good full-bodied bottle, $16.99.

A note from my friend, Marjorie Partch:

We have been reluctant to intrude with this tragic story, but also hoping that this community would rally around one of its longtime members in her time of dire need. Mrs. Dorothy Partch taught English at Brien McMahon High School for 20 years, retiring in 1994. In 2003, she suffered a mild stroke, and her daughter Marjorie (Class of 1975) moved back home to take care of her. Last year, Mrs. Partch had a more severe stroke, and Marjorie, her POA, Health Care Representative, etc. etc., brought her to a nursing home for rehab. She was due to come home last Summer. But when the nursing home learned that the house was still in Mrs. Partch's name, they decided instead to bypass her daughter's legal authority and keep Mrs. Partch against their wishes. They had a real estate attorney appointed as Mrs. Partch's Conservator (guardian), seized all their joint accounts, and are trying to take all their belongings and property to keep Mrs. Partch isolated, neglected and abused (according to the Dept. of Public Health), rather than letting her come home, where she would be treated by her own neurologist, therapists and her loving daughter.

To learn more, and to help, click here.

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Melville 2009 Santa Barbera County Viognier Estate - Verna's

Greenish-yellow color. Petillance is quite evident on the glass.

White pepper smell, river rocks, just past-ripe pears, a bit of wildflower bouquet at the end.

Off-dry apple, pear, orange, honeysuckle flavors, bits of warmth and bitterness at the end.

Excellent medium-to-full-bodied bottle. $24.99

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Santa Rita 2007 Colchagua Valley Carmenere Single Estate

Extremely dark near-opaque purplish red.

Blackberry and oak smells.

Blackberry flavor, blueberry, oak and tannins at the end.

Very good medium-to-full bodied bottle. $19.99

Monday, August 8, 2011

Carpene Malvolti nv Sparkling Kerner Brut

Very pale yellow, many streams of small bubbles.

Smell of honeysuckle and of ripe peaches.

Off-dry to slightly sweet flavor of ripe apples, ripe peaches. Occasionally it seems thin and tastes of nothing so much as club soda.

Good-to-very good light-bodied bottle of fizz. My first experience with Kerner. $23.36.

Friday, August 5, 2011

Sigalas 2008 Santorini "Barrel"

As Krakatoa was to the late 19th Century AD/CE, so Santorini was to the 17th century BC.

Rich golden straw color.

Smell of peaches, oak, lemon pledge(!), alcohol.

Dry flavors of apple, butter, oak, minerals.

Excellent medium-bodied bottle, $26.50. Word has it that this greatly rewards aging, but I can't testify to that.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

A.Diehl 2009 Pfalz Dornfelder

Medium-dark cherry red, a bit petillant.

Smell of sweet blackberry soda.

Taste of strawberry, red cherry, not a smitch of oak. Slightly petillant on the tongue, but only slightly.

Good light-weight bottle, I think it'd work well with the Indian food (Example: Potato Samosas. Yum. Saag Paneer. Bet that'd work just fine too.) that I've found to be a good match with unoaked cru Beaujolais. $14.50 / 1 liter