Blog Ordinary

finis

2011-09-23T16:01:00.002-04:00

That's enough of that. This is an ex-blog.

Duchi Neri 2010 Friuli Grave Pinot Grigio

2011-09-19T19:52:00.002-04:00

Pale golden straw color.

Apple smell, citrus, cherry, mineral.

Apple and cherry flavors, long lemony finish.

Very good medium-bodied bottle, $16.99.

Bridao 2007 Ribatejo Vinho Tinto Classico

2011-09-16T19:23:00.006-04:00

"Century" candidates note: Castello, Trincadeira, and Tinta Roriz.

Near-opaque ruby color.

Cherry, plum, blackberry smells, some leather at the end.

Dark stone fruits, blackest of blackberries, long acid finish.

Very good medium-to-full-bodied bottle, $14.99.

Bump 2009 Sonoma Coast Sauvignon Blanc Adobe Vineyard

2011-09-13T19:56:00.005-04:00

Yellowish straw color, the slightest bit cloudy.

Smell of pear and grapefruit, hints of peach, later in the bottle there's a hint of cat pee.

Dry taste of pear, peach, grapefruit, a big bowl of fruit.

Very good medium-to-full-bodied bottle. $18.99.

Deux Montille 2008 Saint-Aubin 1er Cru, Sur Gamay

2011-09-10T19:45:00.007-04:00

Pale straw color, greenish tint.

Smoky oak smell, ripe pear, river-wetted stones.

Barely ripe pear flavor, crisp red apple, minerals, very mild oak. Some petillance on the tongue.

Excellent full-bodied bottle. I don't think I've ever before had a Chardonnay with such weight, and food friendly acid, too. Hats off! $39.91

Rene Leguin-Colin 2008 Bourgogne

2011-09-07T19:12:00.005-04:00

Dark ruby red, slightly cloudy when I shine a flashlight through it.

Ripe blackberry smell and leather, hints of oak.

Almost-ripe blackberry flavor, leather and oak, long tart finish that cries for something fat to cut through.

Very good medium-bodied bottle, $21.99. I bought a case abd will be consuming it over the next year or so.

Rimauresq 2009 Cotes de Provence cru classe

2011-09-04T20:40:00.006-04:00

Salmon pink orange slightly petillant on the glass.

Smell of home-made cranberry sauce and chalk.

Dry flavor of peach, green apple, cranberries and minerals.

Very good medium-bodied bottle. $25.99

Domaine de La Citadelle 2010 Luberon le Chataigner

2011-09-01T20:28:00.006-04:00

30% Grenache, 30% Mouvèdre, 20% Syrah, 15% Cinsault and 5% Bourboulenc

Pale salmon color, some petillance is visible on the glass.

Apple smell, cranberry, wildflowers.

Fruity dry flavor, tart apple, cranberry, petillance is noticeable on the tongue.

Excellent medium-bodied bottle, $18.99.

Jean-Marc Burgaud 2010 Regnie Vallieres

2011-08-29T20:29:00.006-04:00

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.

Guado al Melo 2007 Bacco in Toscana Bom Ba Ba Ba

2011-08-26T20:03:00.007-04:00

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.

Tir na N'Og 2006 McLaren Vale Old Vines Gremache

2011-08-23T20:48:00.000-04:00

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.

Confraria 2010 Moscatel Vinho Regional Lisboa

2011-08-20T21:31:00.006-04:00

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

Lagone 2008 Aia Vecchia IGT Toscana

2011-08-17T19:53:00.005-04:00

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:

2011-08-17T11:48:00.000-04:00

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.

Melville 2009 Santa Barbera County Viognier Estate - Verna's

2011-08-14T21:07:00.000-04:00

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

Santa Rita 2007 Colchagua Valley Carmenere Single Estate

2011-08-11T20:22:00.007-04:00

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

Carpene Malvolti nv Sparkling Kerner Brut

2011-08-08T20:48:00.006-04:00

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.

Sigalas 2008 Santorini "Barrel"

2011-08-05T20:14:00.003-04:00

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.

A.Diehl 2009 Pfalz Dornfelder

2011-08-02T20:06:00.003-04:00

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

Carpene Malvolti nv Viognier

2011-07-30T20:26:00.000-04:00

Pale straw color long-lasting streams of medium-sized bubbles.

Smell of peach and pear,

Off-dry to dry apple flavor, peach, toast, long-lasting crisp tart finish. Yummy peach jam.

Very good light-bodied bottle, $19.47.

Porzia 2009 Gavi

2011-07-27T19:42:00.009-04:00

Pale straw color, very slightly petillant.

Mild peach smell, fruity.

Off-dry apple / peach taste, floral flavors, minerals, slight petillance, pleasant tart acid finish.

Very good light-bodied bottle, $18.99.

Colleluce 2005 Vernaccia di Serrapetrona dolce

2011-07-24T20:34:00.000-04:00

Cherry red wine, vigorous bubbles raise a short=lived purple head.

Prune smell, more distinct red-wine smell than any other sparkling red I've tasted.

Sweet plum and prune taste, oak, bitter tannic end.

Interesting and unusual medium-to-full-bodied bottle, $19.47.

Terre de Trinci 2003 Montefalco Sagrantino

2011-07-21T19:41:00.000-04:00

Deeply colored opaque wine, red at the rim.

Leather and prune smell, woodland leaf litter at the end.

Plum/prune flavor, deep fruit over leather/organic stuff flavors.

Excellent full-bodied bottle, $26.50.

Carpene Malvolti nv Rose Carpene Cuvee Brut

2011-07-18T19:26:00.000-04:00

Deep orange pink. Long-lasting streams of small bubbles.

Strawberry smell.

Off-dry berry flavor, lingering dry finish.

Very good light-to-medium-bodied bottle. Good to bring to a party: simple fun!. $19.47.

Michel Guignier 2007 Morgon vieilles vignes

2011-07-15T19:56:00.000-04:00

Medium-dark ruby color.

Blackberry smell, strawberry, some alcohol warmth.

Blackberry and cherry and strawberry flavors, hints of oak in the finish.

Very good medium-bodied bottle, $17.00. A nice modern interpretation of Beaujolais.

Szigeti nv Gruner Veltliner Brut

2011-07-12T19:29:00.005-04:00

Pale straw color, many vigorous long-lasting streams of tiny bubbles.

Yeasty bread-dough smell, green apple, citrus.

Off-dry to dry green apple flavor, lemon, white pepper.

Very good, if simple, light-bodied bottle. $17.52.

M. Cosentino 2007 Lodi Tannat

2011-07-09T20:29:00.000-04:00

The darkest, most completely opaque wine I remember seeing.

Raspberry smell, new oak.

Raspberry flavor, black cherry, a bit of a sting from tannin.

Excellent full-bodied bottle, long ending, $22.99.

Liefman's nv Fruitesse Fruit Beer

2011-07-06T19:35:00.008-04:00

"contains Acesulfame K"

Medium cherry-red color, medium-to-large bubbles, long-lasting chalk-pink head that leaves a rim of lace after each sip.

Cherry soda smell, a bit of band-aid.

Cheap artificial-flavored cherry/berry candy flavor, soda sweet, thin tart finish.

During the first glass, I thought "drinkable", by the end of the second I thought not. Dumped. $10/750 ml. I won't buy again.

Fattoria Colsanto 2002 Sagrantino di Montefalco

2011-07-03T20:22:00.000-04:00

Quite thoroughly opaque, cherry red at the rim.

Smell of cherry, raisins, leather.

Flavor of black cherry, black plum, tannic finish.

Very good medium-to-full-bodied bottle, big flavor, $34.99.

Bourillon-Dorleans 2009 Vouvray sec La Coulee d'Argent

2011-06-30T20:11:00.000-04:00

Straw color.

Fruity peach smell, mineral, doesn't really very much resemble the scratch-and-sniff label. (I'm guessing that the same label-scent is available to any Vouvray producer who wants to pay for it.)

Off-dry-to-dry fruity taste, peach, lime, pear, long honeyed finish.

Excellent medium-bodied bottle. $28. Oh, just what I needed, a bottle I feel the need for more of!

Chartogne-Taillet 2002 Champagne redux

2011-06-27T21:52:00.000-04:00

A year ago I enjoyed a bottle of this wine and put the rest of the case away. Today, I opened a bottle.

Pale straw color, many streams of vigorous pin-point bubbles. I could (and did) copy & paste this from last year.

Smell of bread dough rising, pear.

Flavors of pear, peach into apricot, toast, with lemon at the end.

This remains an excellent medium-to-full-bodied bottle. I'm reminded why vintage Champagne is more highly prized than is NV Brut.

I'll open another bottle in a year.

Teruzzi & Puthod 2008 Toscana Bianca Terre di Tufi

2011-06-24T19:51:00.001-04:00

Winemaker says this is a blend of 80% Vernaccia, 7% Chardonnay, 7% Malvasia, and 6% Vermentino.

Deep straw color, gold glints in the deepest parts of the glass. Pinpoint bubbles of petillance form on its surface.

Peach and pear smells under plenty of oak.

Flavors of pineapple, peach, pear, lime.

Excellent medium-to-full-bodied bottle. $22.99. I generally don't favor big oaky whites, but this is well-considered, with a good blend of fruit balancing the wood.

Chionetti 2006 San Luigi Dolcetto di Dogliani

2011-06-21T20:08:00.000-04:00

Opaque appearance, purple at the edges.

Prune smell, a bit of leather.

Dry black plum flavor, black cherry, lively acid finish cuts through higher-fat food.

Very good full-bodied bottle, $23.99

Gurrutxaga 2009 Bizkaiko Txakolina Txakoli Izaskun

2011-06-18T20:37:00.008-04:00

Pale straw color, frizzante.

Floral smell, citrus, windy sunny day at high tide.

Taste of lemon, grapefruit, acid is boosted by dissolved CO₂.

Very good high-acid light-bodied bottle, $15.00. Works well with the same (sea)food as Muscadet Sevre et Maine.

Eraldo Viberti 1999 Barbera d'Alba Vigna Clara

2011-06-15T20:25:00.007-04:00

Opaque, reddish-purple at the edges.

Smell of prunes, cherry, leather.

Fruit dominates the flavor, black plum, black cherry, mild oak, long food-friendly finish that so characterizes Barbera.

Excellent medium-to-full-bodied bottle, $24.99. Impressive fruit for a wine with this much age on it.

Schramsberg 2007 Blanc de Blancs

2011-06-12T20:49:00.000-04:00

Deep straw color, many long-lasting streams of pin-point bubbles.

Citrus smell, pineapple, freshly-risen bread dough, hint of cloves.

Flavor of tart apple turnover with cinnamon, chewy pastry.

Very good medium-bodied New World sparkler, a bit sweeter than the advertised Brut, $22.91

Cape Mentelle 2010 Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc Semillon

2011-06-09T19:22:00.009-04:00

54% Sauvignon Blanc / 46% Semillon.

Very pale straw color, perhaps a tint of green.

Yep, that's mostly Sauvignon Blanc: smells of grapefruit, just-mowed lawn, and traces of cat pee and pineapple. You could tell it in the dark.

Dry fruity flavor, grapefruit, pineapple, hint of ripe peach, while there's a bit of petillance on the tongue, none is visible.

Excellent medium-bodied bottle, $19.99

A. Diehl 2009 Pfalz Spatburgunder rotwein trocken

2011-06-06T20:12:00.006-04:00

Spatburgunder is German for Pinot Noir.

Very dark garnet color.

Black cherry and strawberry smells, hints of leather.

Mild berry/cherry flavor, leather/organic something, nice acid ending, makes a good match for a light ham or, I imagine, chicken.

Very good light-to-medium-bodied bottle, $13.99. A QbA Pinot Noir at 14% ABV, this is clearly chaptalized.

Claire de Montesquiou Esperance 2008 Vin de Pays des Landes Colombard Vin de Soleil et Colombard

2011-06-02T20:41:00.000-04:00

Extremely pale color, petillance visible.

Citrus and lawn, bit of cat pee.

Tastes like it smells, very petillant.

Not horribly flawed but I find this unpleasant. I remember when it was common knowledge that Gascon wine was not for drinking but for distilling Armangnac. Still true, even if forgotten. $10.

Tell the truth: I bought it for a grape that I wasn't certain I'd tried before, so I got just what I paid for.

Robert Sinskey Vineyards 2010 Los Carneros Vin Gris of Pinot Noir

2011-05-29T20:37:00.000-04:00

Pale orange sunrise pink with a bit of petillance.

Ripe watermelon smell, strawberries, cherries, bit of citrus.

Strawberry flavor with watermelon, lemon and lime, petillance noticeable at the end.

Excellent light-bodied bottle, $29.99. Perfect as the humidity starts to climb.

Alejandro Fernandez 2004 Vino de la Tierra de Castilla y Leon Dehesa La Granja

2011-05-26T20:30:00.009-04:00

Aerated after opening.

Opaque appearance, purple at the edges.

I find it difficult to smell more than new oak, but there's black cherry and prune hiding in there.

Black cherry flavor, plum, prune, long tart finish.

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

Skouras 2009 Peloponnese White

2011-05-23T19:41:00.000-04:00

60% Roditis / 40% Moscofilero.

Pale straw color.

Melon/apple smell, flowers,

Dry apple flavor, lemon, fruity but dry.

Very good light-bodied bottle, $12. Defines "food-friendly".

Chateau des Reyssiers 2009 Regnie

2011-05-20T19:23:00.011-04:00

Served slightly chilled.

Dark purple color. Pretty violet edges.

Smell of strawberry, blackberry, oak in the background.

Strawberry and cherry flavors, oak hiding behind the fruit.

Excellent elegant light-to-medium-bodied bargain. $14.99.

Skouras 2008 St. George Nemea Aghiorghitiko

2011-05-17T20:32:00.017-04:00

Nemea was home to the Nemean Lion, the slaying of which was the first Labor of Hercules (aka Heracles, Herakles) assigned after he killed his wife and children while drive by Hera.

Dark ruby color.

Smell of plums, prunes, leather, and oak.

Dry taste of black cherry, black plum, and oak. After a week of not-noticeably-oaked wines, my first glass of this seemed all out-of-balance, but subsequent glasses seemed more pleasant. Admittedly, the 13.5% ABV may have contributed.

After consideration, very good fill-bodied bottle. $18.99. My introduction to this grape.

Chateau Ksara 2009 Bekaa Valley (Lebanon) Sunset

2011-05-14T20:38:00.013-04:00

60% Cabernet Franc, 40% Syrah

Orange color, tinted pink. Very pretty.

Smell of strawberry, red cherry, hint of spearmint.

Dry strawberry, cherry, rose-hip flavors. Bracing acidity.

Very good light-to-medium-bodied bottle. Makes a nice early Spring aperitif. $13.99.

WillaKenzie 2009 Willlamette Valley Pinot Gris Estate Grown Certified Sustainable Certified Salmon Safe

2011-05-11T19:04:00.009-04:00

Pale straw color.

Apple smell, grapefruit, orange.

Ripe melon flavor, fig, lime, barely off-dry, dries during the long ending.

Very good medium-to-full-bodied bottle, $21.99.

Pelissero 2007 Barbaresco Nubiola

2011-05-08T20:06:00.008-04:00

Dark ruby red.

Plum and prune smells, leather.

Dark plum, prune flavors, cinnamon.

Very good full-bodied bottle, $39.99. I believe another 5 or 10 years in the bottle will work wonders on this.

Skouras 2009 Pelopennese Moscofilero

2011-05-05T20:02:00.009-04:00

Extremely pale color. Distinctly petillant.

Smell of wildflowers and ripe peaches and plums.

Barely off-dry flavor of peaches, lemon, tangerine, petillant on the tongue. Perhaps a better match with spicy Asian-inspired chicken than Gewurztraminer ever was.

Excellent medium-bodied bottle, $18.99.

Pierre Sparr 2009 Alsace Gewurztraminer

2011-05-01T20:34:00.008-04:00

Straw color, greenish tint.

Room-filling perfume, smell of roses and gardenias, lychee.

Off-dry flavors of ripe apple, canned peach, floral notes.

Very good medium-bodied bottle, $17.88. I seek, though, a regular supply of a drier Gewurztraminer even knowing that it may end a bit bitter.

Zull 2009 Niederoserreich Blauer Portugieser Lust & Laune

2011-04-28T20:34:00.002-04:00

Served chilled.

Medium-dark purple color.

Strawberry, cherry, concord grape smells, some oak.

Berry/cherry flavors, light tannins, smooth and refreshing. Worked well to accompany roast turkey (with some of the trimmings) leftovers.

Very good light-to-medium-bodied wine, $16.98 / bottle.

Quattro Mani / Movia 2009 Goriska Brda Tocai (Exto) Gredic Vineyard (Slovenia)

2011-04-25T20:02:00.012-04:00

Movia is the winery. Goriska Brda is the place the grapes were grown. Slovenia was once part of Yugoslavia. Quattro Mani (Four Hands) is the Italian Negociant. Tocai is the familiar grape of what was once labelled Tocai Friulano but now the European Union forbids labeling Italian Tocai "Tocai". The EU, though, does permit Slovenian Tocai to be Tocai. While Aleš Kristancic, the winemaker, does so label this wine, he also uses "Exto," (presumably Ex-Tokai) creating branding useful in the inevitable event of EU mind-changing in case Slovenian wine becomes more fashionable.

Pale straw color, greenish tint.

Smell of ripe melon, spearmint.

Dry melon flavor, fresh lime, green apple.

Long tart (very tart, in fact) finish. Very good full-bodied white, unusual, $12/bottle.

Johanneshof Reinisch 2007 Rotgipfler Tradition

2011-04-21T20:03:00.012-04:00

There are only about 300 acres of Rotgipfler in Austria's Thermenregion and, as far as I know, nearly none elsewhere. Will this be the next Viognier?

Pale yellow/straw color, petillance both visible and audible.

Peach smell, black pepper, wet clean stones.

Peach and apricot flavor, petillant on the tongue, apple sauce, long tart finish.

Excellent medium-to-full-bodied, $17.99/bottle.

Casa das Mouras 2004 Douro Reserva

2011-04-18T20:45:00.001-04:00

Opaque dark red.

Dark stone-fruit smells, tobacco, oak.

Fruity flavor, prunes, black plums, black cherries, oak.

Excellent full-bodied wine. $22.99 / bottle.

Romano Clelia 2009 Fiano di Avellino Colli di Lapio

2011-04-15T21:20:00.000-04:00

A little over two years ago I first tasted Fiano, in the 2006 vintage of this wine. I've been conducting a little aging project and now a new vintage.

Extremely pale straw color.

Generous fruity peach and pear smell.

Fruity ripe peach flavor, I can hear the yellow jackets buzzing around the windfalls.

Excellent full-bodied white, $20.93/bottle.

Aragone 2006 Tuscany IGT La Mozza Maremma Toscana

2011-04-08T20:43:00.006-04:00

40% Sangiovese, 25% Alicante, 25% Syrah, 10% Carignan.

Opaque ruby color.

Smell of plum, prune, oak.

Taste of ripe black cherry.

Excellent red, ready to drink, not an awesome super-Tuscan blend but a damn fine one! 36.99 / bottle and a reasonable bargain even at that. I question its ability to further improve with age, but that's not an area in which I claim great expertise.

Valserrano 2008 Rioja Blanco Fermentado en Barrica

2011-04-05T20:06:00.005-04:00

Pale straw color.

Smell of oak, splintery, sawdusty, entmoot in green glass.

Oaky flavor, tart acid, oak and acid in an odd balance.

Good wine if fairly simple, medium-bodied, $19.99/bottle.

Alois Lageder 2009 Alto Adige IGT Pinot Bianco 'Dolomiti'

2011-04-02T19:46:00.013-04:00

Bright straw color.

Full rich smell, melon and apple and pear.

Fruity fresh ripe apple and pear flavor, peach, some pettilance on the tongue.

Very good medium-bodied wine, $16.99/bottle. Simple fun. Very good bargain.

Viticcio 2007 Chianti Classico Riserva

2011-03-30T20:14:00.009-04:00

Very dark ruby red.

Cherry and plum smells, new oak vanilla.

Intense black cherry flavor, plum, mild oak in the long finish.

Very good full-bodied wine for $27.99/bottle. Rewards some airing.

Yalumba nv Museum Reserve Antique Tawny Dessert Wine

2011-03-27T20:23:00.011-04:00

Orange/brown color.

Fresh made tea, walnut, and new oak smell.

Taste of sweet walnut pastry (not quite pecan pie), sugared ice-tea, surprisingly well-balanced with acid by the end.

Very good full-bodied sticky at $18.49/375ml.

Cascina Chicco 2007 Barbera d'Alba Granera Alta

2011-03-24T20:17:00.011-04:00

Opaque, ruby red at the edge.

Smell of blackberry, cherry, a walk in the woods after a rainy autumn day.

Taste of fruity cherry and blackberry at the beginning, tart acid dominates finish.

Very good full-bodied wine, $22.99 / bottle.

Mollydooker 2010 McLaren Vale Verdelho "The Violinist"

2011-03-21T20:11:00.011-04:00

Pale golden color.

Fresh clean smell, white peach, honeysuckle blossoms.

Fruity, dry, pineapple and citrus, food-friendly acid from the start, alcohol warmth in the long finish.

Excellent full-bodied white (the first dry white I've tasted for which there was no question that only "full-bodied" was appropriate) wine. $25.30 bottle.

Romano Clelia 2006 Fiano di Avellino Colli di Lapio redux

2011-03-18T19:28:00.011-04:00

Two years ago I enjoyed a bottle and put a few away. Last year I opened one. Now, it's time to do so again.

Pale straw color, bubbles of petillance form on the glass.

Smell has developed with time! Peach and apricot, pear.

Dry fruit flavor, ripe pear, peach, petillant tingle in the mouth.

At purchase, this cost $19.99 / bottle, and I said I was a bit disappointed. Disappointed no more, this has benefited greatly from a bit of age.

Ca' del Monte 2005 Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso

2011-03-16T20:41:00.003-04:00

Deep ruby color.

Black cherry / plum smell.

Dark plum flavor, dark chocolate-covered cherries, fruity sweetness from start to finish.

Very good, full-bodied, $18.99/bottle.

Herm. Donnhoff 1989er Oberhauser Brucke Riesling Spatlese Nahe redux

2011-03-13T19:44:00.006-04:00

Not quite a year since I last enjoyed this.

Orange color, tending brown.

Peach, orange smell, some diesel bus exhaust.

Tart tangerine flavor, plenty of fruit remaining, quite food-friendly fresh with acid. Coconut taste at end.

Past prime,I think, but still quite respectable, I still trust it for a few years.

Chateau des Jacques 2006 Moulin-a-Vent Clos de Rochegres

2011-03-10T20:04:00.002-05:00

Dark indigo color.

Cherry blackberry smell, with quite a bit of oak.

Tart black cherry/berry flavor, oak far in the background.

Excellent full-bodied cru beaujolais, $35.64/bottle. Balanced. Fruit-forward, ebullient.

Dr. Konstantin Frank 2007 Finger Lakes Gewurztraminer

2011-03-07T20:50:00.006-05:00

Pale golden color.

Sweet baked apple smell. Gardenias.

Off-dry apple flavor, acid builds to the end.

Very good medium-bodied wine, if a little sweeter than I like in a Gewurztraminer. $19.47/bottle.

Chateau des Jacques 2006 Moulin-a-Vent Champ de Cour

2011-03-04T21:01:00.002-05:00

Quite dark, nearly opaque, purple/red.

Cherry, blackberry smells. Oak hidden in the background.

Dry fruity cherry/blackberry flavor, mild oak in the finish.

Restrained medium-to-full-bodied wine, $35.64/bottle. Elegant.

Guado al Tasso 2008 Bolgheri Vermentino

2011-03-01T20:55:00.009-05:00

A brief white-wine break from Moulin-a-Vent.

Light golden color.

Sweet honey smell, ripe apple, grapefruit.

Dry apple and citrus flavor, rich, clean and food-friendly by the end.

Very good medium-bodied bottle for $19.99.

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

2011-02-26T20:16:00.012-05:00

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

2011-02-23T21:40:00.007-05:00

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

2011-02-18T20:56:00.019-05:00

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

2011-02-15T20:12:00.014-05:00

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

2011-02-12T20:32:00.007-05:00

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

2011-02-09T21:10:00.008-05:00

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

2011-02-06T20:29:00.008-05:00

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"

2011-02-03T20:47:00.021-05:00

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!)

Monsanto 2006 Chianti Classico Riserva

2011-01-31T20:00:00.007-05:00

I gave this a vigorous aeration.

Deep ruby color.

Plum and prune smells, tar, vanilla oak in the background.

Tar taste at first, later dry plum and cherry fruit, oaky vanilla, tannins soften, acid becomes more apparent.

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

Morgadio 2009 Rias Baixas Albarino

2011-01-28T19:50:00.012-05:00

Yellow straw color.

Mild smell of lime, clean laundry, river stones.

Tart taste of lime, Granny Smith apple, long acid finish.

Excellent medium-to-full-bodied bottle for $16.99.

Chateau Moulin-Favre 2009 Beaujolais-Villages Vieilles Vignes

2011-01-25T19:40:00.009-05:00

Dark purple color.

Warm strawberry smell.

Intense fruity strawberry / cherry / banana flavors, some petillance on the tongue.

Very good $14.99 medium-bodied bottle, good acid finish.

Attems 2009 IGT Pinot Grigio 'Venezia Giulia'

2011-01-22T20:55:00.006-05:00

Pale straw color, tending towards pink.

Mild ripe apple smell.

Soft, fruity, slightly off-dry apple flavor.

Good mild-to-medium-bodied bottle for $17.99. Fruit well-balanced with bright acid in the finish.

TJIC

2011-01-21T20:44:00.000-05:00

We must hang together, gentlemen...else, we shall most assuredly hang separately.

Villa Medoro 2006 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo

2011-01-19T20:34:00.006-05:00

Very dark cherry red color, some petillance.

Cherry preserves and pesto smells.

Robust fruits and herbs flavor, big flavor, food-friendly acid at the end, excellent pizza wine. At $35.99, an overpriced bottle. I ordered (and I think paid for) Villa Medoro's Rosso del Duca, but received their Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. Ah well, tastes good!

Chateau Moulin-Favre 2009 Morgon Vielles Vignes

2011-01-13T19:59:00.006-05:00

Dark purple-red color.

Warm fruity banana/strawberry smell.

Fruity strawberry flavor, long finish with outstanding acid.

Better-than-average bottle of medium-bodied cru Beaujolais for $17.99. Good fun without an emphasis on the cerebral.

Pra 2009 Soave Classico

2011-01-10T20:37:00.002-05:00

Pale straw color, petillance appears and quickly subsides when the wine is poured.

Smells of apples and walnuts.

Taste is of a big juicy apple. Long finish with good acid, still juicy.

Very good medium-bodied bottle for $17.99. Have European whites improved greatly in the last decade or two, or have my preferences changed during that time?

Azienda Agricola Barberani 2009 Polago IGT Umbria

2011-01-07T20:13:00.009-05:00

Dark cherry color.

Ripe blackberry smell, strawberry.

Fruity cherry/blackberry flavor. Black tea at the end.

Very good medium-bodied bottle for $16.99. Excellent pizza wine!

Felsner 2006 Rohrendorfer Leithen Gruner Veltliner Alte Reben

2011-01-04T19:35:00.012-05:00

Rich medium straw color.

Mango and melon smell, grapefruit, white pepper.

Dry apple and citrus, mango/peach. Good acid, long finish.

Very good medium-bodied bottle for $32.99.

Rolet non-vintage Cremant du Jura Brut Coeur de Chardonnay

2011-01-01T20:42:00.000-05:00

Extremely pale straw color, many vigorous long-lasting streams of pinpoint bubbles.

Fresh apple smell, wild-flowers.

Off-dry apple flavor, some bitterness in the long finish, particularly as the wine warms in the glass.

Adequate medium-bodied bottle for $33.33: cold, wet, and fizzy. The bubbles were the best part. Meh. I won't buy this again.

Saracina 2004 Mendocino County Syrah

2010-12-28T20:24:00.007-05:00

Opaque purple-red.

Vanilla oak smell, dark stone fruits, unsurprisingly, it reminds me of Chateauneuf du Pape.

Warm plum and prune flavors, meaty, oak, rich mouth-feel, long finish ending in alcohol warmth.

Quite good full-bodied bottle for $32.20, something nice on a cold Winter day.

Muller-Catoir 1989er Scheurebe Mussbacher Eselshaut Auslese

2010-12-25T19:59:00.000-05:00

Cork was dry and hard, center pulled out when I attempted to remove with a ScrewPull, wound up having to cut it out with a sharp thin knife, then filter through a Melita filter to get the cork crumbs out.

Orange-brown color, as commercial iced tea.

Sweet smell, commercial peach iced tea.

Sweet peach flavor, apricot, mango, soon thins to a brief tannic finish with bitter hints. Pleasant but well past its prime, I think.

Inadequate medium-weight bottle for $35.99.

Robalino non-vintage(?) Rias Baixas Albarino

2010-12-23T20:43:00.004-05:00

Pale golden color, some petillance.

Robust smells of grapefruit, wildflowers, freshly dried laundry.

Tart tastes of grapefruit, peach, weighty mouth-feel, food-friendly.

Outstanding medium-bodied bottle for $16.99. No mousy wallflower, this!

Arboleda 2007 Valle de Colchagua Carmenere

2010-12-20T21:38:00.001-05:00

Opaque in the glass, cherry red at the rim.

Vanilla oak predominates the smell, over-riding various dark stone fruits.

Plum and black cherry fruit, bittersweet chocolate, big taste of oak.

Very good full-bodied bottle for $18.99, over-use of new oak notwithstanding. Worked well as a pizza wine, as it did with cold leftover pizza.

The Chook 2008 South Australia VMR

2010-12-17T20:05:00.015-05:00

84% Viognier, 8% Marsanne, 8% Roussanne.

Pale straw color.

Aromatic melon smell, apricot, peach, with hints of summer flowers and cheap hard candy.

Dry fruity melon flavor, apple, peach/apricot, substantial oily texture, very good balance of fruit and acid. No noticeable oak.

Good medium-to-full-bodied $16.99 bottle.

Cantina Vignaioli 1997 Elvio Pertinace Barbaresco

2010-12-14T19:33:00.017-05:00

Bought a case. First bottle was definitely corked and was immediately poured down the sink. Subsequent bottles have, so far, been without taint.

Dark orange/cherry-red color with orange-brown at the edges.

Smells of strawberry, cherry, wet autumn leaves, menthol

Cherry/berry flavors, no noticeable oak, pleasant-yet-difficult-to-characterize organics, good acid, fully-integrated soft tannins.

Excellent well-aged full-bodied bottle of red for $59.99, though I had my doubts after opening that first bottle.

Atrea 2005 Mendocino County Old Soul Red

2010-12-11T19:11:00.013-05:00

46% Zinfandel, 34% Syrah, 11% Petite Sirah, 9% Malbec. It'd be amusing if these accurately represented the percent of red grapes grown in Mendocino, but I don't think it's so. (*)

Opaque, purple-red at the very edge, only the thinnest part.

Blackberry smell, red cherry, mild oak hidden beneath the fruit and alcohol.

Warm blackberry and cherry flavors, some tar and chocolate, long ending tends to get a bit soft. Zinfandelly alcohol warmth from beginning to end.

Very good big full-bodied bottle for $20.53.

Shingleback 2005 McLaren Vale Grenache

2010-12-08T19:59:00.013-05:00

I realize that buying this violates the common prejudice against buying Australian wines with animals on the label. I snort derisively at such rules, after the fact.

Opaque, cherry-red at the edges.

Big initial smell of oak, quickly settling down to cherry/strawberry. Smoky.

Cranberry and red cherry tastes, blackberry, vanilla oak at the finish. Wood blends harmoniously with fruit.

Very good medium-bodied bottle for $19.99.

Terra 2009 Lujan de Cuyo Sparkling Malbec

2010-12-05T19:25:00.022-05:00

The winemaker's site advertises this as produced by the "Chaussepied Method", which seems to be more commonly known as the Charmat process. This wine is sealed with an unfamiliar black synthetic "cork", brand marking is unclear, OPI or TOPI or YOPI.

Short-lived streams of small vigorous bubbles rise in a wine a bit too deeply-colored to call rose; a true red, if a light one. They quickly settle down to tiny bubbles lazily rising.

Mild blackberry smell. I think carbonation can tend to anesthetize the nose, yet many proper Champagnes have wonderful aromas.

Blackberry flavor, black cherry, sweet-seeming fruit that develops some tannic bitterness at the end.

Good medium-bodied bottle for $16.99. As with Australian Sparkling Shiraz, some of the appeal is novelty, but its not without inherent, if simple, virtues.

Qupe 2007 Santa Ynez Valley Marsanne

2010-12-02T19:38:00.009-05:00

Deep straw color, some petillance is visible.

Smell of honey and wildflowers, pear smells become more evident as the glass warms.

Taste of pear, white pepper, honey as the glass warms, mildly petillant on opening, some oiliness to the texture, long finish, satisfying acid.

Very good medium-bodied bottle for $19.57.

Corte Cariano 2007 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Terra Solinas

2010-11-30T20:08:00.026-05:00

The label features an artist's interpretation of a large bronze coin of Hadrian with the legend IMP CAES TRAIAN HADRIANVS AVG PM TR P COS II (abbreviated latin for Imperator Caesar Trajan Hadrian, Augustus, Pontifex Maximus, of Tribunician power, for the second time consul. Hadrian became consul for the second time in 117 AD. That year Trajan died and Hadrian acceeded to the "throne". (A later denarius of Hadrian).

Nearly opaque color, deep red at the rim with a purple-brownish edge.

Plum and prune smell, raisin, high alcohol content (15%) becomes apparent with time.

Dry fruity flavor of plum and prune, a little bitter almond at the finish, not blessed with an over-abundance of acid, but this doesn't suffer greatly from flatness.

Very good full-bodied bottle for $31.99. Budget Amarone, good fun.

Mastroberardino 2007 Sannio Falanghina

2010-11-27T19:21:00.014-05:00

Wikipedia suggests that that the Falanghina grape may have been a basis for the classical Falernian wine.

Medium-pale straw color.

Fresh clean sweet-seeming pear smell, melon, always-eager for another sniff.

Fruity dry apple/pear/peach flavor, long mineral finish, food-friendly acid, robust.

We'll never know what Falernian tasted like, but I'm quite intrigued by the notion that this excellent medium-to-full flavored $17.10 bottle may provide a clue.

Hopkins Vineyard non-vintage Western Connecticut Highlands Silver Label Methode Champenoise Sparkling Wine

2010-11-25T20:43:00.004-05:00

Made from Seyval and Vidal Blanc.

This year's Thanksgiving wine.

Very pale straw color, very vigorous streams of small bubbles.

Mild smell of pear and peach, just a hint of toast.

Dry flavor of pear and peach, very fruity, almost seems sweet at times (but quite Brut, in fact), brief mineral finish. (A hint of what a sparkling Viognier might be like.)

Very good bottle for $18.43. Admittedly, I want to approve of a Connecticut wine, and this isn't half bad but as I open bottles over time, I grow tired of it.