2001 Montevina Sangiovese, Terra d'Oro, Amador County
Lots of warm fruit with some sour-cherry character. Clove-cinnamon spice adds complexity to the depth that this wine offers. Dark color, more than medium-bodied. Soft tannins and some wood. Acidity is a bit low but that doesn't seem to matter. Fairly long taste. An incredible deal at a close-out price $9, regular price $12.2000 Volnay, J. M. Boillot, France
Rating: Very Good +
Fairly dark color, lots of sour-cherry fruit with noticeable tannin. Mild aroma, moderately long taste. With all the fruit and tannin, it should be able to age for a number of years yet, to soften tannins and perhaps develop some complexity. Close-out price $10, regular price $14 (half-bottle).2001 Volnay, Bitouzet-Prieur, France
Rating: Very Good -
Light-colored, mild aroma, good acidity. Well-balanced, with moderate sour-cherry fruit, little tannin or wood. Moderately long taste. Good with food, but I expected more pinot noir characteror terroir for the price. Restaurant price at Craigie Street Bistrot $85.2001 Santenay "Les Chainey", Domaine Bachelet, France
Rating: Good ++
As a recent acquisition, I had hopes for a minor white burgundy at a bargain price. A good wine, well-balanced, medium-bodied, a bt soft, fair length, golden color, but without special character. Close-out price $17, regular price $24.2002 Chablis Premier Cru Vaillons, Louis Michel & Fils, France
Rating: Good +
Although this chablis had more acidity than the one just below, and a bit more of the white-burgundy character, I expected more than there was. Golden color, well-balanced, with good length, but not with the crispness or touch of wood that would make this notable. Close-out price $23, regular price $30.2003 Chablis, Vincent Dauvissat, France
Rating: Good ++
Although 2003 was a very hot year that I've avoided in wine-buying, I thought Chablis with its usually higher acidity and flintiness might produce a fuller-bodied wine reminiscent of more southern burgundies in temperate years. Not so with this. It was somewhat fat, and a bit low in acidity, without the white-burgundy character that I look for - it seemed more generic. Medium-bodied with fair length. Close-out price $20, regular price $29.2001 Montes Pinot Noir, Limited Selection, Oak aged, Casablanca Valley, Chile
Rating: Good +
Lots of cherry/blackberry fruit, good pinot noir character, light tannin but also, alas, too much oak, which gives it more than a tinge of bitterness. With the fairly long taste, less wood would have made it a much better wine, and would make it a great bargain. Close-out price $10, regular price $14.2004 MacMurray Ranch Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast
Rating: Good +
Good pinot noir aroma and taste, with some structure from light tannin and oak to go with solid cherry fruit. Moderately dark color, sufficient acidity and a fairly long taste. Accompanied Roast duck breast at The French Corner restaurant in Cooperstown, N.Y., for $36 a bottle.NV Salmon Run Pinot Noir, Dr. Konstantin Frank, New York (Finger Lakes)
Rating: Very Good
Mild pinot noir aroma, some varietal character in the taste. Relatively light-bodied with good acidity and sufficient flavor; color darker than one might expect. Moderate length. A good wine to accompany Tuna au poivre at the Hoffman Lane Bistro in Cooperstown, N.Y., for $5.75 a glass; the winery lists $15 for a bottle.2002 Montes Alpha Syrah, Apalta Vineyard, Colchagua Valley, Chile
Rating: Good
Almost impenetrable dark red color with purplish tinges. Immense cherry/blackberry fruit with substantial tannin, some wood and some clove spiciness. Full-bodied, with moderately long taste, yet with all the fruit, the wine appears to be holding back, probably because the acidity is somewhat lower than what I would prefer. Close-out price $13, regular price $18.2002 Pinot Bianco, Jermann, Venezia Giulia
Rating: Good ++
Given that the Jermann 2004 Pinot Bianco was so good, I had high hopes for this one. Maybe it was the age, but this 2002 had no distinct varietal character and was a bit low on acidity. Lots of flavor and a decently long taste, and golden color made it good but not special. Medium-bodied with a touch of fatness. Close-out price $20, regular price $29.2002 King Estate Pinot Noir, Oregon
Rating: Good +
Lots of sour-cherry and cherry fruit, with some backbone from good acidity and just enough tannin and oak. Good depth with a touch of spice and complexity, nice balance, and a fairly long taste. Varietal aroma, though not as florid as many Californian PNs; also not as acidic as many Burgundies. Deep red color with perhaps just a slight tinge of purple, so this wine can hold and possibly develop for some time yet. A fine accompaniment to grilled lamb. Close-out price $18, regular price $25.2004 Omaka Springs Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand
Rating: Very Good
First taste and aroma appeared very grassy, but then subsided into a balanced and flavorful SB. Unmistakeable Marlborough character, with said grassiness and refreshing acidity, but also lots of fruit with some depth and without astringency. Long taste. Compares well with one of our favorites, the 2004 Whitehaven. Unfortunately there was only one bottle on the close-out table. Close-out price $11, regular price $16.2001 Pinot Blanc Seeberg, Prieler, Burgenland, Austria
Rating: Very Good
Pinot blanc in the chardonnay style: tending toward full-bodied, lots of extract with just a trace of bitterness, some fatness with reduced acidity. Wood is well-integrated. Intense, with depth, and a fairly long taste. Deep golden color. Well-made, with good varietal character. Close-out price $13, regular price $20.2001 Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva, Fabrizio Bianchi, Italy
Rating: Good ++
Has the sour-cherry taste of a chianti, with very good fruit and some firmness from tannin and wood, but well-integrated. Medium-bodied, some aroma and a bit of complexity, with a fairly long taste. Avoids all the flaws that Chianti often has and that makes me cautious to buy, such as tart thinness, or too much wood or tannin. Close-out price $15, regular price $21 (covering $30 price tag).2005 Tres Ojos Rosé, Calatayud, Spain
Rating: Very Good
A blend of 50% garnacha and 50% tempranillo. Just as good as I remember the 2004 to be: much darker than most rosés, very flavorful, dry, fairly long taste. It carries the 14.5% alcohol level quite well, but that could be a bit much for a summer wine. Lots of purple in the color, a characteristic of young garnacha. A great buy at a sale price 2 for $14.
Rating: Very Good
Red-tag close-out sales this month:Whites:
2004 Omaka Springs Estates Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand ($11, orig. $16) 2001 Pinot Blanc Seeberg, Prieler, Burgenland, Austria ($13, orig. $20) 2003 Chablis, Vincent Dauvissat, France ($20, orig. $29) 2001 Santenay Les Chainey, Domaine Bachelet, France ($17, orig. $40)
Reds:
2002 King Estate Pinot Noir, Oregon ($18, orig. $25) 2001 Montevina Sangiovese, Terra d'Oro, Amador County ($9, orig. $12) 2002 Montes Alpha Syrah, Apalta Vineyard, Colchagua Valley, Chile ($13, orig. $28) 2001 Montes Pinot Noir, Limited Selection, Casablanca Valley, Chile ($10, orig. $14) 2002 Pernand-Vergelesses "Les Boutières", Reserve, Vielles Vignes, Domaine Marius Delarche, France ($10, orig. $14) 2000 Volnay, J. M. Boillot, France ($10, orig. $14)
Half-bottle
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