2002 Montagny, Les Joncs, Faiveley, France
Nice balance of fruit and acidity, but s bit of extra wood makes a touch more austere than most. Medium-bodied, with fairly long taste. Still a light golden color. Close-out price $16, regular price $30.2004 Felton Road Pinot Noir, Central Otago, New Zealand
Rating: Very Good -
Good raspberry/cherry fruit, refreshing acidity, medium-bodied, with floral aroma, and inobtrusive tannin and wood. Fairly long taste that asks for sipping rather than drinking. Close-out price $16, regular price $24.1999 Villa Mt. Eden Zinfandel Grand Reserve, Mead Ranch Vineyard, Napa Valley
Rating: Very Good
Full-bodied, with warm blackberry fruit providing lots of flavor, giving it depth with a touch of complexity. Sufficient acidity, mild tannins and inobtrusive wood give some structure. Very dark color. Fairly long taste. Close-out price $11, regular price unknown.2002 Penfolds Kalimna Shiraz, Bin 28, South Australia
Rating: Very Good -
Full-flavored with lots of raspberry fruit, but with a softness that asks for more acidity. Some tannin and moderate wood to give it firmness. Moderately long taste without much complexity. Close-out price $14, regular price $20.2002 Piesporter Goldtröpfchen Riesling Spätlese, St. Urbans-Hof, M-S-R
Rating: Good ++
At the border between Kabinett and Spätlese sweetness, with a bit less acidity than expected. Nice floral riesling aroma, moderate intensity, with a fairly long taste. Acccompanied roast chicken very well. Close-out price $17, regular price $24.2002 Ladoix, Bois de Gréchons, Claude Chevalier, France
Rating: Good ++
Tasted before dinner, it appeared to be a fine white burgundy, with the typical balnce of fruit, acidity and wood. Somewhat on the lean side, it was a bit more like a Chablis. It looked and tasted still fairly young. With dinner of broiled salmon, surprisingly, it seemed to disappear into a more generic wine. Close-out price $25, regular price $35.2003 Coopers Creek Sauvignon Blanc Reserve, Marlborough, New Zealand
Rating: Good ++
Compares favorably with one of my favorites, the 2003 Drylands Sauvignon Blanc. It's just a little softer but also has a touch of welcome austerity. Well-balanced with integrated grassiness, and a fairly long taste. Close-out price $13, regular price $20.2004 Meddersheimer Rheingrafenberg Riesling Qualitätswein, Quarzit, Hexamer, Nahe
Rating: Very Good -
A Qualitätswein ("ohne Prädikat", i.e., without attribute) that has Spätlese sweetness. Lots of riesling fruit and intensity, good acidity, and fairly long taste, but not particularly fine, complex or elegant. Still, there's lots of room to improve with ageing. Sale price $13.2002 Marsannay "Les Favières", Domaine Fougeray de Beauclair, France
Rating: Good ++
High acidity with moderate sour-cherry fruit, mild bouquet, little tannin or oak, no complexity, and moderately long taste. Goes well with food, but not much of a sipping wine. Sale price $20.2003 Meddersheimer Rheingrafenberg Riesling Kabinett, Hexamer, Nahe
Rating: Good +
Lovely riesling aroma, pineapple and peach flavors, very good acidity, moderate intensity, fairly long taste. Light golden color, Kabinett-level sweetness. Could have a touch more intensity, but a delightful wine to sip and drink. Close-out price $11; regular price unknown.2002 Rully 1er Cru "La Bergerie", Vieilles vignes; vin non filtré, Vincent Dureuil-Janthial, France
Rating: Very Good -
Well-balanced, but a bit soft and unexciting. Good intensity and length of taste, could use a tinge more acidity. This seems to be the Durueil-Janthial house style, and I prefer leaner ones a bit more. Close-out price $24; regular price $32.2001 Lafond Syrah SRH, Santa Rita Hills
Rating: Good ++
Good fruit, soft tannin and mild oak, gentle acidity, but without much structure. Deep color, no particular complexity, moderately long taste. Close-out price $14; regular price not known.2003 Johannisberger Klaus Riesling Kabinett, Prinz von Hessen, Rheingau
Rating: Good +
In contrast to the Dürkheimer Michelsberg below (open at the same time), this one has less intensity, though nice riesling aroma and taste, good acidity, the sweetness of a true Kabinett, and lingering taste. The color is light gold, and the wine has elegance rather than power, but could use a bit more intensity and depth. Close-out price $11; regular price $16.2003 Dürkheimer Michelsberg Riesling Kabinett, Darting, Pfalz
Rating: Good +
Note added 6/8/07: When tasted again recently, the wine showed more character, with some of the depth and a touch of spiciness that an aged Rheingau riesling will gain. Was it bottle variation, or different tasting circumstances? In any case, the more recent taste is better conformance with the reliability I expect from Prinz von Hessen as a producer.
Rating: Very Good -
Some typical Pfalz wine characteristics: lots of intensity with honeyed spiciness, very flavorful, subdued acidity, sweetness more like Spätlese, deep golden color as if already well-aged. However, the taste does not linger at all, dropping off very quickly. To savor it, one has to quickly follow one sip by another. Close-out price $9; regular price $13.
Rating: Good +
Red-tag close-out sales this month:Whites:
2003 Drylands Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand ($10, orig. $16) 2003 Coopers Creek Sauvignon Blanc Reserve, Marlborough, New Zealand ($13, orig. $20) 2002 Rully 1er Cru, "La Bergerie", Vielles vignes, vin non filtré, Vincent Dureuil-Janthial, France
[North Berkeley Imports]($24, orig. $32) 2002 Ladoix, Bois de Gréchons, Claude Chevalier, France ($24, orig. $32) 2003 Meddersheimer Rheingrafenberg Riesling Kabinett, Hexamer, Nahe ($11, orig. $??) 2002 Roero Arneis, Cristina Ascheri, Piedmont, Italy ($10, orig. $15) 2003 Montevina Sauvignon Blanc, California ($10, orig. $15)
Reds:
2004 Felton Road Pinot Noir, Central Otago, New Zealand ($16, orig. $24) 2002 Penfolds Kalimna Shiraz, Bin 28, South Australia ($14, orig. $20) 2003 Rosemount Shiraz, Hill of Gold, Mudgee, Australia ($14, orig. $20) 2001 Barolo, Stefano Farina, Italy ($20, orig. $30) 2004 Robert Hall, Rosé de Robles, Paso Robles, California ($7, orig. $10)
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