2008 Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand
I was curious to taste whether Cloudy Bay deserved its exalted status, and pleased to see that it did not disappoint. Still, whether one wants to put down $35 for it, or whether it's twice as good by price as, say, Kim Crawford is open to question.2003 Pegasus Bay Pinot Noir, Waipara Valley, New Zealand
The wine itself was wonderfully balanced; there was very good acidity and a touch of leanness that gave it elegance. It's not a powerhouse nor intended to be one, but medium-bodied with a long taste. A wine to enjoy by itself or with baked salmon.
Close-out price $20; regular price $30.
Rating: Very Good +
Lovely pinot aroma, a bit light in color and body. Red raspberry with some complexity from age, with an orange tinge to the color. Fairly long taste, though a little more intensity would be welcome. Used as a sample of NZ PN in a class on New Zealand wines.2001 Morandé Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Reserve, Vitisterra, Maipo Valley, Chile
Close-out price $28; regular price $40.
Rating: Very Good -
Brooding dark color, with cabernet character and firmness, tannins to resolve and appropriate oak. Good depth and length, with a bit of the cigar box. Improved over several days, so it still needs a fair amount of aging. A great deal for the price.1999 Conde de Valdemar Vendimia Seleccionada Garnacha Reserva, Rioja, Spain
Close-out price $9; regular price $13.
Rating: Good ++
For the price, I expected more. Relatively light in color and body, and somewhat one-dimensionally fruity without great depth or length. Good acidity, moderate use of wood. I don't think it profited much from aging.2001 Niersteiner Hipping Riesling Auslese, Seebrich, Rheinhessen
Close-out price $19; regular price $25.
Rating: Good +
It's not easy to find an Auslese at this price; this one is not great but still quite good. The sweetness level is probably at the boundary of Spätlese and Auslese, and there is good acidity. Remarkably, the wine still tastes young, more of peaches than apricot. Moderate intensity, with the taste a bit short.2005 Pouilly-Vinzelles, La Soufrandière, Bret Brothers, France
Close-out price $10; regular price $16.
Rating: Good +
Bret Brothers do it again: Superbly balanced with intensity and a lingering taste. A touch of fatness is carried very well; there is a honeyed character without sweetness and with sufficient acidity. Whatever oak there is is perfectly integrated.2007 Tohu Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand
Close-out price $24; regular price $32.
Rating: Very Good
Compared to the quality of previous versions, this one was did not quite measure up. It lacked crispness and focus, with perhaps just a touch of residual sugar, and was none too long. Even the intensity was down a bit.2005 Elk Cove Pinot Noir, La Bohème, Willamette Valley
Sale price $14.
Rating: Good +(+)
Pinot noir aroma and taste, fairly dark color; fuller than medium-bodied; good acidity, with some structure and firmness, goodlkength. More robust than fine.2004 Erdener Treppchen Riesling Kabinett, Meulenhof, M-S-R
Close-out price $16; regular price $16 (half-bottle).
Rating: Good ++
Lower end of Kabinett-level sweetness; nice riesling character in aroma and taste, with a bit of peach and trace of pineapple. Moderate intensity and good length.2004 Talley Vineyards Pinot Noir, Arroyo Grande Valley
Close-out price $14; regular price $20.
Rating: Good ++
Very fine version of a California pinot noir: aromatic, but with some depth. Mild tannins and wood with a touch of firmness, medium-bodied with dark cherry/raspberry fruit, and some clove spiciness contributing to complexity. Fairly dark color; a long taste that's very enjoyable sipping. Served with oven-roasted chicken parts and root vegetables.2004 Sancerre, Georges Roblin et Fils, Château de Mainbray, France
Close-out price $29; regular price $40.
Rating: Very Good +
Very similar to the 2005 Régis Minet Pouilly-Fumé (below), with just a trace more austerity. Dry, refreshing acidity, some depth and good length.2004 Piesporter Goldtröpfchen Riesling Kabinett, Vereinigte Hospitien, M-S-R
Close-out price $8; regular price unknown.
Rating: Good ++
Clean and proper riesling aroma and taste, with good acidity, and a moderately long taste. Kabinett-level sweetness. Not a powerhouse but a nice wine of moderate depth.2004 Hattenheimer Pfaffenberg Riesling Kabinett, Schloss Schönborn, Rheingau
Close-out price $12; regular price $17.
Rating: Good +
The particular bottle tasted suffered from corkiness, imparting a musty overtone to what was otherwise quite a good wine with some depth and character. Peach-pineapple flavors with very good acidity and a fairly long taste made it a pleasure to drink despite the problem. I hope the next one is better.2005 Pouilly-Fumé, Vieilles vignes, Régis Minet, France
Close-out price $13; regular price $19.
Rating: Good ++
Clearly priced to move, because you don't ever find Pouilly-Fumé at $10. Tasted over a few days, it always starts subdued and then opens up some. There is the freshness from good acidity with pre-ripe honeydew flavors, and a fairly long taste.2004 Dolcetto d'Alba, Cascina Bongiovanni, Italy
Close-out price $7; regular price $10.
Rating: Good ++
Dark-cherry fruit with a touch of almond, some tannins and wood, a softness that could use a bit more acidity. Deep dark color. Moderately long taste.2004 Niersteiner Rosenberg Riesling Kabinett feinherb, J. & H.A. Strub, Rheinhessen
Close-out price $11; regular price $16.
Rating: Good +
The designation "feinherb" describes an off-dry wine, with an alcohol content of 11% indicating a low sweetness level. Better than I expected, with riesling character, moderate intensity and length. Sufficient acidity.2004 Stangeland Pinot Noir, Vintage Selection, Willamette Valley, Oregon
Close-out price $13; regular price $22.
Rating: Good ++
Lighter in color than most, some pinot aroma, medium-bodied. Good acidity, no noticeable oak or tannin, a bit austere; altogether close to burgundian. Moderately long taste. A new name to me.2005 Pouilly-Loché, Climat "La Colonge", Bret Brothers, France
Close-out price $22; regular price $35.
Rating: Good ++
A new appellation to me, but if this is any indication, quite a good one. Chardonnay character with a touch of vanillin, good acidity, and fine balance. A bit more than medium-bodied, with a fairly long taste. A touch leaner and so even better than the very good 2004 Viré-Clessé, Climat "La Verchère" by the same Bret Brothers.2008 Babich Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand
Close-out price $29; regular price $43.
Rating: Very Good +
The herbal notes immediately identify it as New Zealand SB. Medium-bodied, with good intensity, and good length. Dry, with a bit of austerity, but nicely flavorful. Babich is a producer with a reliably high quality to price ratio.
Close-out price $10; regular price $15.
Rating: Good ++
Red-tag close-out sales this month:Whites:
2005 Pouilly-Loché, Climat "La Colonge", Bret Bros., France ($29, orig. $43) 2004 Pouilly-Vinzelles, La Soufrandière, Bret Bros., France ($24, orig. $32) 2005 Chablis, Laurent Tribut, France ($14, orig. $21) 2005 Savigny-lès-Beaune, Clos des Guettes, Domaine Gagey, Jadot, France ($29, orig. $40) 2005 Pouilly-Fumé, Vieilles vignes, Régis Minet, France ($7, orig. $10) 2004 Niersteiner Rosenberg Riesling Kabinett feinherb, J. & H.A. Strub, Rheinhessen ($13, orig. $22) 2001 Niersteiner Hipping Riesling Auslese, Seebrich, Rheinhessen ($10, orig. $16) 2004 Hattenheimer Pfaffenberg Riesling Kabinett, Schloss Schönborn, Rheingau ($13, orig. $19) 2004 Piesporter Goldtröpfchen Riesling Kabinett, Vereinigte Hospitien, M-S-R ($12, orig. $17) 2004 Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spätlese, Studert-Prüm, M-S-R ($13, orig. $19) 2004 Erdener Treppchen Riesling Kabinett, Meulenhof, M-S-R ($14, orig. $20) 2004 Rüdesheimer Berg Roseneck Riesling Spätlese, Josef Leitz, Rheingau ($14, orig. $20)
Reds:
2003 The Four Graces Pinot Noir Reserve, Willamette Valley ($22, orig. $43) 2004 Stangeland Pinot Noir, Vintage Selection, Willamette Valley ($22, orig. $35) 2004 Talley Pinot Noir, Arroyo Grande Valley ($29, orig. $40) 2005 Elk Cove Pinot Noir, La Bohème, Willamette Valley ($10, orig. $16)
[Half-bottle]2004 Dolcetto d'Alba, Cascina Bongiovanni, Ital y ($11, orig. $16) 2001 Morandé Cabernet Sauvignon, Grand Reserve, Vitisterra, Maipo Valley, Chile ($9, orig. $13)
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