2004 Beaujolais Blanc, Jean-Paul Brun, France
The label says chardonnay, but it tastes like generic white without the varietal character. It's dry and has good acidity, but little depth or flavor interest. Moderate intensity and length. Close-out price $10, regular price $14.2003 Terrabianca Chianti Classico "Croce" Riserva, Italy
Rating: Good
Brighter and fresher than the Cirò just below, more tart, but also without its depth. Sour cherries dominate, with a bit of tannins. Medium-bodied with moderate length. Good accompaniment to Lasagna. Close-out price $18, regular price $26.1999 Librandi, Cirò Duca san Felice, Riserva, Italy
Rating: Good ++
Wood and some tannin in good balance with dark cherry fruit, good acidity, all well-integrated from aging. Medium-bodied with some depth and a fairly long taste. Close-out price $13, regular price $19.2002 Giant Steps Pinot Noir, Yarra Valley, Australia
Rating: Very Good -
Nicely perfumed and aromatic, but generally light in body and color, with high acidity and raspberry fruit. Mercifully, not burdened by tannin or wood to make the wine more than it really is. Moderate length of taste. The 2001 version was better. Close-out price $20, regular price $30.2002 Mission Hill Syrah S.L.C., Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
Rating: Good ++
That's right - a Canadian Syrah. Good concentration of blackberryish fruit without sweetness, lots of acidity, some tannin and mild wood, flavorful without being heavy. There's some complexity emerging so some more aging would seem called for. Good intensity and length. Close-out price $20, regular price $40.2004 Coopers Creek Riesling, Marlborough, New Zealand
Rating: Very Good -
Good riesling character with some floral aroma. Off-dry at the level of halb-trocken or so, but with only moderate acidity. Moderate intensity and length; pleasant to sip, but not eye-opening. Close-out price $8, regular price $16.2004 Carneros Creek Pinot Noir Reserve, Carneros
Rating: Good +
Everything one might like in a California pinot noir, expansive floral perfume, good raspberry fruit with good acidity. No noticeable residual sugar nor hardness - any wood in perfect balance with the fruit. Medium-bodied with depth and a delightful long taste. A great deal at a close-out price $17, regular price $24.2000 Château Jean de Gué, Cuvée Prestige, Lalande de Pomerol, France
Rating: Very Good
A bit hard with strong acidity and some oak, moderate intensity without much depth or length. Basically without charm or cabernet character. Some was used for cooking, and I blended the rest with the Jeriko Syrah (below) with the intent of using the Syrah's touch of softness and sweetness to alleviate the austerity of this wine. The result improved both. Price unknown.2003 Gran Coronas, Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva, Torres, Penèdes, Spain
Rating: Good -
Mostly cabernet with some tempranillo, although the former doesn't stand out in the "cedar box" or "blackcurrant" sense. Well put together, with some firmness from tannin and very good acidity. Moderately long taste. A good deal at the close-out price of $9, regular price $13.2003 Jeriko Estate Syrah, Mendocino
Rating: Good ++
Seems somewhat diffuse, without real firmness, and just a touch of sweetness. Good fruit, some tannin, good intensity and moderately long taste. Close-out price $12, regular price $24.2005 Ascheri "do ut des" Verduna Pelaverga, Piemonte, Italy
Rating: Good +
As close to sour cherry as one is going to get: very tart, relatively light in color and short in taste. Surprisingly, also tannic. It did develop some over time. Accompanied a mildly spicy shrimp dish, and manicotti on a second occasion. Appeared better with some chill on it. Close-out price $12, regular price $16.2001 Ockfener Bockstein Riesling Spätlese, Dr. Fischer, M-S-R
Rating: Good
Moderate riesling character, without much intensity or charm; moderate length. There's not enough of the Saar flintiness or riesling aroma. Sweetness somewhere between Kabinett and Spätlese. Dr. Fischer, which used to be one of my favorite producers, seems to fallen on bad times lately. Regular price unknown - bought some time ago.2002 Piesporter Goldtröpfchen Riesling Spätlese, St. Christopher, M-S-R
Rating: Good +
Somewhat pallid and low-key, certainly for a famed vineyard. Sweetness somewhere between Kabinett and Spätlese. Also suffers from some mustiness, probably due to the cork, a too-frequent problem with German wines. Close-out price $10, regular price $17.2004 Pouilly-Fuissé "Les Chevrières", Élevé en fût de chêne, Cave de Chaintré, France
Rating: Good -
Good intensity and some balance, but not the acidity or oak to give it more than a hint of white burgundy character. Moderate length. Close-out price $13, regular price $21.2004 Malbec Reserva, Luigi Bosca, Mendoza, Argentina
Rating: Good +
Deep dark color with purplish tones. Lots of intense blueberry fruit with moderate tannin and some wood. Full-flavored rather than elegant, with a fairly long taste. This wine has enough structure and acidity for the fruit, tannin and wood to come to balance in a couple of years. Close-out price $9, regular price unknown.2004 Pinot Bianco (Weisβburgunder), J. Hofstätter, Südtirol-Alto Adige
Rating: Very Good -
Good, characteristic pinot bianco, with moderate intensity and length. I'd prefer a little more freshness and a little less softness, but that lack may be a consequence of age. Close-out price $14, regular price $19.2006 Bucci, Verdicchio Classsico Superiore, Castelli di Jesi, Italy
Rating: Good +
This wine takes Verdicchio a long way from the light, mild innocuous versions that used to characterize, but it is a Classico Superiore. Tending toward full-bodied with a touch of oiliness, fairly long balanced flavors. The fullness comes at the price of some acidity. Close-out price $10, regular price $20.2003 Axel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Colchagua Valley, Chile
Rating: Good ++
Very full-flavored, some tannin and structure, enough acidity for flavor interest. Very dark color, some cabernet character, but robust rather than elegant and fine. Fairly long taste, more blackberry than currant and cedar. Close-out price $16, regular price $22.1995 Pyrus, Lindemans, Coonawarra, Australia
Rating: Good ++
At thirteen years, not showing any age in taste or color. Very good acidity, some firmness and complexity, and a fairly long taste. Closer to French style without French leanness masquerading as terroir. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec, with proportions presumably in this order. Many bottles mispriced at a very low lose-out price of $7, regular price $10; others at a close-out price of $25, regular price $34 (now which ones did I buy?).
Rating: Very Good -
Red-tag close-out sales this month:Whites:
2004 Pinot Bianco (Weiβburgunder), J. Hofstätter, Südtirol-Alto Adige, Italy ($10, orig. $15) 2004 Pouilly-Fuissé "Les Chevrières", Cave de Chaintré, France ($13, orig. $21) 2005 Sancerre, Cuvée des Moulins Bâles, Célestin Blondeau, France ($13, orig. $19) 2004 Beaujolais Blanc, Jean-Paul Brun, France ($10, orig. $14) 2004 Coopers Creek Riesling, Marlborough, New Zealand ($8, orig. $16) 2006 Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand ($10, orig. $14) 2004 Spy River Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand ($10, orig. $??) 2005 Cristina Ascheri Gavi, Piemonte, Italy ($10, orig. $15)
Reds:
1995 Pyrus, Lindemans, Coonawarra, Australia ($7, orig. $10)
($25, orig. $34)2003 Axel Cabernet Sauvignon, Colchagua Valley, Chile ($16, orig. $22) 2002 Mission Hill Syrah S.L.C. VQA, Okanagan Valley, Canada ($20, orig. $40) 2001
2003Casa de Santar Dão Reserva, Portugal ($4, orig. $??) 2005 Ascher "do ut des" Verduna Pelaverga, Piemonte, Italy ($12, orig. $16) 2004 Luigi Bosca Malbec Reserva, Mendoza, Argentina ($9, orig. $??) 2003 WillaKenzie Estate Pinot Noir, Triple Black Slopes, Oregon ($15, orig. $22) 2004 Carneros Creek Pinot Noir Reserve, Carneros ($18, orig. $24) 2003 Jeriko Estate Syrah, Mendocino ($12, orig. $24) 2002 Wither Hills Pinot Noir, Marlborough, New Zealand ($29, orig. $40) 2002 Giant Steps Pinot Noir, Yarra Valley, Australia ($20, orig. $30)
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