2001 Wallufer Walkenberg Riesling Kabinett, Toni Jost (Hahnenhof), Rheingau
An excellent year, a very good producer and a minor village add up to a very fine wine. There's Mosel-like acidity to go with some Rheingau spiciness to provide depth and intensity. Lovely Riesling aroma and taste, with only Kabinett-level sweetness, and a long taste. Golden color.2002 Talley Vineyards Pinot Noir, Arroyo Grande Valley
Rating: Very Good
Deep and dark-colored, with lots of dark fruit, tending toward full-bodied. When first opened and tasted, it seemed to have an off-putting bit of sweetness to it; left in the corked bottle with the wine at shoulder level, that had disappeared three days later. The wine not only didn't deteriorate during that time, it opened up and developed some, arguing that it will age well. There's lots of depth, good PN aroma and taste, and a long taste for savoring. Close-out price $17, regular price $24.2002 Pegasus Bay Sauvignon Blanc, Waipara, New Zealand
Rating: Very Good + (?)
Deep golden color testifies to its age. Between medium- and full-bodied. Has a touch of grassiness and good acidity to go with a bit of fat- and softness, probably due to a little residual sugar. Fairly long taste. This wine may never have been in a refreshingly crisp style that I prefer, and certainly is not now. Close-out price $15, regular price $20.2001 Savigny-Les-Beaune, Les Vermots Dessus, Vincent Girardin, France
Rating: Good +
True white-burgundy character at a bargain price, even the regular one. Deep golden color, still good acidity, with a trace of fatness. There is just a tinge of bitterness, whether from extract, wood or age. Mild aroma, medium-bodied, with a taste that could be a bit longer. A great buy at a close-out price of $12, with regular price $17.2001 Melville Pinot Noir, Santa Rita Hills
Rating: Good ++
Despite its eye-opening 15.1% alcohol level, this is not a monster wine. Medium-bodied with lots of fruit and some PN floral aroma, with moderate tannin and wood, sufficient acidity, and a bit of complexity. Fairly long taste. Close-out price $20, regular price $30.2003 Seghesio Barbera, Sonoma County
Rating: Very Good -
Not your Italian Barbera, which is often fairly acidic without much complexity, and more of a dinner than sipping wine. This one has lots of blackberry/plum fruit, and a deep dark red color with a tinge of purple. There is softness due to relatively low acidity, and mild wood and tannins. The taste is fairly long and intense, and developed some complexity over a few days. Close-out price $13, regular price $18.2001 Rodney Strong Pinot Noir Reserve, Jane's Vineyard, Russian River Valley, California
Rating: Very Good -
Robust rather than refined, with lots of dark-fruit flavor, along with tannin and some wood. Has some backbone but is not austere. Pinot noir character is a bit hidden, i.e., the wine is not as florally perfumed as many Californians. Buttery on first opening. A bit more than medium-bodied, with some depth and a fairly long, balanced taste. It has all the components to age well, and has a chance to develop some complexity. Close-out price $18, regular price $24.German Wine Tasting at Brookline Liquor Mart (BLM): Very wide mix of years, varietals and styles - too wide for any theme or general observations.
Rating: Good ++
The good old Wine Spectator gave it a 78 rating, which makes me wonder what they were tasting. It may not be classic PN, but has a lot more character than that.
Note added 3/9/08: What a difference almost two years makes. Everything has come together to make a balanced and fine wine, with a good deal of varietal character in floral aroma and taste. Medium-bodied with depth and some complexity, with a warm but not sweet taste of some length. This one almost made it into my "excellent" classification.
Rating: Very Good +2003 Pinot Noir Rosé, Villa Wolf (Dr. Loosen), Pfalz2005 Sacred Hill Sauvignon Blanc, Whitecliff, East Coast, New Zealand
Very light pink color, light bodied, mild aroma, a trace of sweetness, good acidity. Pleasant and undistinguished. According to the BLM tasting notes, the J. L. Wolf estate was taken over by Dr. Loosen (well-known for fine Mosel wines) in 1996 with the intent of making world-class dry wines. If so, he may have some way to go. Price $12.50.2000 Pinot Noir QbA, August Kessler, Rheingau
Rating: Good
Dry, light-colored and light-bodied, some pinot noir aroma, good acidity, moderate length. Price $19.2003 Gewürztraminer, Valckenberg, Pfalz
Rating: Good
According to the BLM hand-out, pinot noir is planted on steep vineyards with 40-50-year-old vines. Kessler vineyard-labeled PNs (Spätburgunder) are sold for $65 and higher! I've always wondered how good those really are at that price.
Just a little off-dry, good varietal aroma and taste of musty apples, with a trace of bitterness. Characteristic of gewürztraminer, the acidity is none to high. Moderate length. Price $13.2005 "Dragonstone" Rüdesheimer Drachenstein Riesling QbA, Josef Leitz, Rheingau
Rating: Good +
Spätlese sweetness and moderate acidity, good intensity and length, varietal character. Very young. The prominent "Dragonstone" labeling is presumably marketing to avoid the Rüdesheimer Drachenstein name, which is given on the back label. Price $18.2002 Piesporter Goldtröpfchen Riesling Spätlese, Grans-Fassian, M-S-R
Rating: Good +
A wine of real depth and lovely balance, good acidity, long taste of some intensity, as it well should be at a price of $33.1971 Ockfener Bockstein Herrenberg Riesling Auslese, Adolf Rheinart, M-S-R
Rating: Very Good +
A super vintage, fine vineyard and excellent producer but, alas, over the hill by at least ten years now. The color is deep gold with a touch of brown, the sweetness has faded and acquired some tea-leaf notes. There is a touch of apricot and good intensity but the taste, starting well, drops off quickly. It's a wine crime to let something with this pedigree become senile. Price $60.2004 Niersteiner Ölberg Riesling Eiswein, Seebrich, Rheinhessen
Rating: Good
Golden color. Concentrated and deep, with peach flavors that will age to apricot. Superb acidity. Long taste. Very young, and will want at least some ten years of age. Price $28.50 for 375 ml bottle.
Rating: Very Good +
Vibrant acidity, dry, grassiness kept in check, with good intensity and a fairly long taste. Well-balanced, and noticeably better than the Sileni (just below, open at the same time). Good match to broiled salmon. Not all good SBs have to come from Marlborough. Regular price $15, less 20% discount.2005 Sileni Sauvignon Blanc, Cellar Selection, Marlborough, New Zealand
Rating: Very Good -
Very good acidity, some grassiness, some softness probably due to a touch of residual sugar. Intensity somewhat lower than most 2005 NZ SBs, and taste is none too long. Pleasant, but there are better ones. Regular price $13, less 20% discount.2002 Rutherford Ranch Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley, California
Rating: Good +
Well-balanced, with a good flavor intensity and moderate length. It avoids the flaws of many California PNs, such as too much vanillin wood, low acidity or attempts to make SB like chardonnay. Very similar to the 2003 Hogue Fumé Blanc (open at the same time), with the Hogue having just a touch of vanillin. A good deal as a house white at a close-out price $9, regular price $12.2005 Coopers Creek Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand
Rating: Good +
Flavorful, but a bit fat and perhaps showing a trace of residual sugar. There's not quite the vibrant acidity and sometimes a bit austere dryness of the other 2005 SBs so far. Reliable and usually a good buy, but I prefer the others this time. Tasted once at a small gathering, without food. Price is probably around $13, often on sale for $10.2001 d'Arenberg Pinot Noir, Feral Fox, Adelaide Hills, Australia
Rating: Good +
Lovely PN aroma, some tannin for structure, delightful cherry/plum fruit of moderate intensity and some depth, and fairly long taste. Color a touch light. Very like a good Acacia PN from California. Close-out price $19, and worth it.2003 Pinot Grigio, Plozner, Friuli
Rating: Very Good +
Dry, but not austere; well-extracted, and just on the edge of bitterness, so that it has good intensity and some depth; moderately long taste. Close-out price $11, regular price $16.
Rating: Good ++
Red-tag close-out sales this month:Whites:
2001 Pinot Bianco, Jermann, Venezia Giulia, Italy ($20, orig. $29) 2002 Pegasus Bay Sauvignon Blanc, Waipara, New Zealand ($15, orig. $20) 2001 Savigny-Les-Beaune, Les Vermots Dessus, Vincent Girardin, France ($12, orig. $17)
Reds:
2001 Rodney Strong Pinot Noir Reserve, Jane's Vineyard, Russian River Valley ($18, orig. $24) 2002
2003Talley Pinot Noir, Arroyo Grande Valley ($17, orig. $24) 2003 Seghesio Barbera, Sonoma County ($13, orig. $18)
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