2003 Chablis Premier Cru, La Forest, Domaine Dauvissat-Camus, France
Does not taste like a Chablis, and not even French. With low acidity, some fatness, and some oak, I'd identify it as Californian, and that's not a compliment. There's even a touch of bitterness, perhaps from too much extraction. Golden color, moderately long taste. I know it was a hot year, but it's not even close to the lean flintiness one expects. Was this made for the American marketplace? Close-out price $15, regular price $30.2002 Meursault, Michel Lafarge, France
Rating: Good
Only some white burgundy characteristic: moderate acidity, otherwise well-balanced, but a little too much body. Moderate intensity and length. Close-out price $29, regular price $44.2005 Cheverny, Le Petit Chambord, François Cazin, France
Rating: Good +
It's a Loire wine, so one might hope that it would taste similar to Sancerre or Pouilly-Fumé, with bright acidity, barely ripe honeydew flavors and superb balance. Alas, not so: the acidity is subdued and there's a mellowness that one associates with residual sugar. Apparently, Cheverny is 70% sauvignon blanc and 30% chardonnay by law; here neither varietal gives the wine a special character. Moderate intensity and length. Close-out price $9, regular price $13.2004 Terlan Sauvignon Winkl, Alto Adige
Rating: Good
With none of the crispness I would associate with a sauvignon blanc, it has more body and is fuller, yet without real flavor interest. Moderate intensity and length. Close-out price $13, regular price $26.2000 W. H. Smith Pinot Noir, Hellenthal Vineyard, Sonoma Coast
Rating: Good
There's good blackberry fruit that's developed depth and complexity with age, with tannin and oak to give it firmness and some austerity. The taste is quite long. On the other hand, the excess of wood that leads to some bitterness in the taste, first noted in March '06 hasn't gone away, and still detracts from the wine. Close-out price $19, regular price $27.2000 Pommard 1er Cru, Les Grands Epenots, Vielles vignes, Vincent Girardin, France
Rating: Good ++
Definitely in the French style, with the underpinning of good acidity supporting sour-cherry/raspberry fruit of some depth and intensity. Fairly long taste, with nice varietal character. Tannin and oak are well-integrated. Close-out price $24, regular price $34.2005 Savigny-Les-Beaune, Les Vermots Dessus, Vincent Girardin, France
Rating: Very Good
Medium-bodied and a bit fatter than I prefer. It lacks the bright acidity that gives a good white burgundy its definition. Otherwise it's well-balanced with a moderately long taste, with wood kept in check. Close-out price $28, regular price $36.2004 Cappezana Barco Reale di Carmigiano, Conte Contini Bonacossi, Italy
Rating: Good ++
Very tight austere package at this point, with good sour-cherry fruit but also a fair amount of wood and tannin. Some time in the glass let it open up a bit to develop some flavor interest and some moderate length. It probably won't develop charm but should open up with a number of years of age, although the acidity is a bit low; it'll be interesting to see if this will happen. Close-out price $12, regular price $18.2006 Borsao, Bodegas Borsao, Campo de Borja, Spain
Rating: Good +
Still one of the great wine bargains around. Lots of blackberryish fruit, with some softness but also wood for structure. More than medium-bodied, with lots of flavor, and a moderately long taste. Sale price 2 for $14.2004 Fess Parker Pinot Noir, Ashley's Vineyard, Santa Rita Hills
Rating: Good +
Full-bodied, with immense extract of blackberry fruit, lots of wood and some tannin, an alcohol level of 16.1%(!!!), and a long complex taste. If pinot noir is feminine, then this is a contest-winning amazon weightlifter. And despite the high alcohol content, there's a touch of residual sugar! Way too much of a good thing - it may win tastings - but it's hard to know what food to pair it with. Close-out price $28, regular price $56.2003 Spy Valley Pinot Noir, Marlborough, New Zealand
Rating: Good ++(?)
A very well-proportioned wine, medium-bodied with some depth, good acidity, cherry/raspberry fruit with some perfume, and with good length. Somewhere between burgundy and California style. Food-friendly and a pleasure to sip as well. Close-out price $22, regular price $44.2003 Chablis Premier Cru Fourchaume "vignoble de Vaulorent", Domaine William Fevre, France
Rating: Very Good
There's none of the flintiness and acidity I expect of a Chablis, nor would I easily identify it as a white burgundy or chardonnay. Good intensity and some depth, a bit of oiliness, with a fairly long taste. Golden color. I've generally avoided 2003s but had hopes that Chablis would escape the overripeness of that hot year. Close-out price $29, regular price $50.2004 Gleisweiler Hölle Riesling Kabinett, Theo Minges, Pfalz
Rating: Good +
Well-enough made, but unexciting. There's nothing that jumps out of the glass: there's some riesling fruit, moderate acidity, and a long enough taste. The sweetness is at the lower end of Kabinett. Close-out price $12, regular price $18.2005 Grüner Veltliner Hochterrassen, Salomon - Undhof, Kremstal, Austria
Rating: Good +
Very good acidity, very dry, medium-bodied, with some aromatic character. Fairly long taste. It's well-made, but I find that the austerity gets in the way of sipping pleasure - this is better with food or for fans of a bone-dry wine. Close-out price $10, regular price $20.2004 Santenay "En Foulot", Domaine Saint-François, France
Rating: Good +(+)
Small-scale, with very good acidity, and some subdued white-burgundy character. Medium-bodied with moderate intensity. It's interesting that a very dry Grüner Veltliner (just above)sampled at the same time brings out the fruit and wood that's otherwise only peeking out. Moderately long, clean taste. Close-out price $24, regular price $35.1998 Talbott Pinot Noir, Case Sleepy Hollow Vineyard, Monterey County
Rating: Good +
Burgundian acidity with cherry-raspberry fruit, and nice perfumed aroma. Medium-bodied with some complexity and a very long taste. Very well balanced - a light hand with tannin and wood. Not showing any age, not even an orange rim. Definitely worth the close-out price of $28, or the regular price of $40.1999 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Champgains, Domaine Amiot Guy et Fils, France
Rating: Very Good +
Deep golden color, but the wine does not taste over the hill, despite my concern over its age. Well-balanced, good acidity, but the white burgundy character is somewhat subdued. Fairly long taste. Close-out price $29, regular price $50.2005 Montes Malbec Reserve, Colchagua Valley, Chile
Rating: Good ++
Very dark, blackish-carmine color. Deep dark red, intense blueberry fruit, like zinfandel without the touch of sweetness. Structure from tannin and some wood, moderate acidity, fairly long taste. There's a lot to like, and it may gain some complexity from age. Close-out price $7, regular price $11.
Rating: Good ++
Red-tag close-out sales this month:Whites:
2004 WillaKenzie Pinot Blanc, Willamette Valley, Oregon ($13, orig. $20) 2004 Terlan Sauvignon Winkl, Alto Adige, Italy ($13, orig. $26) 2005 Salomon - Undhof, Grüner Veltliner Hochterrassen, Kremstal, Austria ($10, orig. $20) 2005 Savigny-les-Beaune, Les Vermots dessus, Vincent Girardin, France ($28, orig. $36) 2002 Meursault, Michel Lafarge, France ($29, orig. $44) 2003 Chablis Premier Cru, La Forest, Domaine Dauvissat-Camus, France ($15, orig. $30) 2005 Cheverny, Le Petit Chambord, François Cazin, France, France ($28, orig. $36) 2006 Botrytis Semillon, Peter Lehmann, Barossa Valley, Australia ($10, orig. $15)
[Half-bottle]
Reds:
2004 Los Vascos Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, Colchagua, Chile ($12, orig. $17) 2005 Laetitia Pinot Noir, Limité, Arroyo Grande Valley ($25, orig. $37) 2005 King Estate Pinot Noir, Oregon ($21, orig. $30) 2004 Fess Parker Pinot Noir, Ashley's Vineyard, Santa Rita Hills ($28, orig. $56) 2004 Carneros Creek Pinot Noir, Reserve. Carneros ($14, orig. $20) 2003 Spy Valley Pinot Noir, Marlborough, New Zealand ($22, orig. $44) 2004 Capezzana, Barco Reale di Carmigiano, Conte Contini Bonacossi, Carmignano, Italy ($22, orig. $44)
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