2000 Viña Rufina Reserva, Bodegas Santa Rufina, Cigales, Spain
Fairly full-bodied, with lots of blueberry/blackberry fruit, and deep dark color. Surprisingly soft, with moderate acidity and some gentle tannins - I expected a Spanish wine to have some firmness. Fairly long, flavorful taste, with a bit of butteriness and a touch of clove. I wouldn't be surprised if this rates highly as a Parker fruitbomb. Price unknown.2003 Gigondas, E. Guigal, France
Rating: Good +
Medium-bodied with some depth, good syrah fruit, and sufficient acidity and a touch of tannin to give it some structure, even in the hot 2003 vintage. Fairly long taste. Close-out price $18; regular price $26.2006 Wither Hills Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand
Rating: Good ++
There's a lot to like: Fresh acidity, dry without being austere, full flavor and depth without heaviness, with some complexity and a long taste. Grassiness peeks out but is well-integrated over-all. Close-out price $10; regular price $15.2003 Calera Pinot Noir, Central Coast
Rating: Very Good
Bought some time ago. Wonderfully aromatic, with perfumed raspberry character. Medium-bodied, a touch of firmness, but no intrusive tannin or oak. Some depth to the fruit, with a fairly long taste. I've always enjoyed Calera's blended PNs. Regular price $26, with 25% discount.2003 Mission Hill S.L.C. Sauvignon Blanc Semillon, VQA, Okanagan Valley, Canada
Rating: Very Good
The S.L.C. designation stands for Select Lot Collection, and represents a more exalted level. However, this wine doesn't taste that special: it lacks charm, with a bit of hard and dried-herb character. One can taste some SB, but the semillon doesn't add any aroma or softness, as it often does. Moderate intensity and length, without much depth. Deep golden color signifies some age. Close-out price $15; regular price $30.2005 Shepherds Ridge Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand
Rating: Good +
Not quite my style. There's lots of extract and some heaviness rather than the bright acidity and crispness of most Marlborough SBs. There's just enough grassiness to identify it; the taste is moderately long. I will say that it improved over time, from a wine I disliked on first opening to one that tasted good a few days later. Apparently made by Wither Hills, whose 2006 I liked a lot better. Overall, an example of why one should "try before you buy", even at a close-out of price $10, and a regular price of $20.1999 Kreuznacher Krötenpfuhl Riesling Auslese, Paul Anheuser, Nahe
Rating: Good
The color is past deep golden into a brownish tinge, and so shows the wine to be past its prime. Still, with its sweetness just on the border of Spätlese and Auslese, that does not affect it negatively. There is just not much depth and length, moderate acidity, and just a subdued level of taste, certainly not the lusciousness one would wish for from an Auslese. This is probably reflected in the close-out price of $10, and regular price of $13.2005 Falanghina, Borgo di Colloredo, Molise, Italy
Rating: Good
Opened at the same time as a 2001 Niersteiner Hipping Riesling Spätlese, Georg Albrecht Schneider, Rheinhessen. The wines are not that dissimilar: the sweetness level is about the same, and the length drops off quickly for both. The Niersteiner has more of a luscious peach-apricot flavor though.
A new wine and a new grape to me, brought for a dinner with grilled wahoo (swordfish-like), but a very good one. Very well balanced, medium-bodied with some substance and complexity, golden color, and a fairly long taste. Regular price about $19.2004 Chasselas, Vieilles Vignes, Valentin Zusslin, Alsace, France
Rating: Very Good
With old vines, there's a bit of depth, moderate intensity and length. Dry, without austerity, like a smaller-scale pinot blanc. Golden color. A reasonable house white that improved over time. Close-out price $11; regular price $16.2001 Wallufer Walkenberg Riesling Spätlese, Toni Jost (Hahnenhof), Rheingau
Rating: Good
A fine wine from a favorite producer in the Mittelrhein (apparently with vineyards in the Rheingau too). Spätlese sweetness with very good acidity to complement grill-roasted smoked chicken. Peach and pineapple flavors with lovely riesling aroma. Medium-bodied with a long taste. It still tastes young and fresh, not as full and often spicy as a Rheingau. Original price $16.2004 Mâcon-Charnay "Le Clos Saint-Pierre", Verget, France
Rating: Very Good
Hints of a good white burgundy: dry, with good acidity, a touch of oak and chardonnay fruitiness. Moderate intensity and good length. Close-out price $14; regular price $18.2005 De Loach Pinot Noir, OFS, Russian River Valley
Rating: Good ++
Aromatic and flavorful, but not heavy. Moderately dark color, fragrant pinot noir character with fairly long taste. Light on tannin and wood, balancing acidity and raspberry fruit, with a touch of clove. OFS stands for "Our Finest Selection", which means that the regular price of $20 (should be closer to $30) and the close-out price of $14 is a great deal.2006 Tohu Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand
Rating: Very Good -
A fine NZ SB with intensity and some depth and a fairly long taste. Well-balanced, with only a tinge of grassiness, and good acidity. Sale price $14.2003 Dierberg Pinot Noir, Santa Maria Valley
Rating: Very Good
Full-bodied, with lots of blackberry flavor, and a long taste. Some tannin and and wood, but well-integrated. Very flavorful, but still recognizably pinot noir. Close-out price $25; regular price $50.
Rating: Very Good
Red-tag close-out sales this month:Whites:
2004 Macon-Charnay "Le Clos Saint-Pierre", Verget, France ($14, orig. $18) 2004 Chasselas, Vieilles Vignes, Valentin Zusslin, Alsace, France ($11, orig. $16) 2006 Scharzhofberger Riesling Spätlese, Vereinigte Hospitien, M-S-R ($18, orig. $23) 2001 Erdener Treppchen Riesling Spätlese, Erben Stephan Ehlen, M-S-R ($12, orig. $22) 2005 Mission Hill Vidal Ice Wine, VQA, Okanagan Valley, Canada ($15, orig. $30)
[187 ml]2003 Mission Hill S.L.C. Sauvignon Blanc Semillon, VQA, Okanagan Valley, Canada ($15, orig. $30) 2005 Shepherds Ridge Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand ($10, orig. $20) 2006 Wither Hills Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand ($10, orig. $15)
Reds:
2004 Bogle Vineyards Phantom, California ($14, orig. $20) 2005 Ponzi Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley ($24, orig. $34) 2005 De Loach Pinot Noir, OFS, Russian River Valley ($14, orig. $20) 1998 Marsannay Les Ouzeloy, Joseph Roty, France ($20, orig. $40) 2000 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Sinards. Perrin & Fils, France ($26, orig. $38) 2003 Gigondas, E. Guigal, France ($18, orig. $26) 2003 Casa Lapostolle Syrah, Cuvée Alexandre, Requinoa Vineyard, Rapel Valley, Chile ($15, orig. $22)
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