finis

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

Duchi Neri 2010 Friuli Grave Pinot Grigio

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

"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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

Carpene Malvolti nv Viognier

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.