2003 Cristina Ascheri Roero Arneis, Piedmont, Italy
Unusual varietal, but this one is indeed very good. Deep golden color, tending toward full-bodied, but superbly balanced and smooth. Long taste, a touch of honey without sweetness, and sufficient acidity. Somewhere between full-bodied chardonnay and pinot blanc without any of the excesses. A great deal at a close-out price $10, regular price $15.2004 Matua Valley Pinot Noir, Marlborough, New Zealand
Rating: Very Good
Kind of thin on body and PN character. Not enough aroma, intensity or length of taste to enjoy. Although it's not bad, others are better. Regular price of $14, less 20%.2006 Villa Maria Sauvignon Blanc, "Private Bin", Marlborough, New Zealand
Rating: Fair
Another fine 2006 NZ SB, flavorful with just a bit of austerity compared to the Babich (below). Some Marlborough grassiness, medium-bodied, good acidity and a fairly long taste. As usual, a very good deal at the regular price of $14, less 20%.2004 Malbec, La Posta del Vinatero, Paulucci Vineyard, Mendoza, Argentina
Rating: Very Good
Deep dark color. Lots of fruit without hardness, i.e., not much tannin or wood, reminiscent of a flavorful grenache. Lots of flavor with raspberry intensity, sufficient acidity, medium-bodied, fairly long taste. Restaurant price $35 at Karoun in Newton.2004 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett, Meulenhof, M-S-R
Rating: Very Good -
Very similar to the 2005 Kasler Nies'chen (just below), with somewhat more sweetness. Nice riesling floral aroma and taste, with good acidity. Flavors well-balanced but just a little subdued, with fairly long taste. Accompanied Thanksgiving dinner left-overs. Regular price $14 (Sam's Wines & Spirits, Chicago).2005 Kaseler Nies'chen Riesling Kabinett, Karlsmühle (Peter Geiben), M-S-R
Rating: Good ++
Nice riesling floral aroma and taste. Kabinett-level sweetness, with good acidity. Flavors well-balanced but just a little subdued, with fairly long taste. Accompanied Thanksgiving dinner. Regular price $18 (Sam's Wines & Spirits, Chicago).2004 Ransom Pinot Noir, Cattrall Vineyards, Willamette Valley, Oregon
Rating: Good ++
Color is fairly dark red. This PN shows substantial acidity, so the best fruit to describe it is sour cherries. There is varietal aroma and taste, a touch of clove, medium body, and fairly good length. Good fruit with some tannin and light wood. Overall though, the acidity is a bit too much, and is better for accompanying dinner than for sipping. Overall, I prefer the Siduri (just below) by a fair amount. Regular price $25 (Sam's Wines & Spirits, Chicago).2004 Siduri Pinot Noir, Santa Rita Hills
Rating: Good ++
Color is lighter than deep red, and shows a lack of clarity (unfiltered?). Everything else is what one would look for: warmth without sweetness, lovely bouquet with cherry flavors, sufficient acidity, some depth and complexity, and a long taste. Light tannin and wood are in balance. Accompanied Thanksgiving dinner of brined roast turkey with lots of good accompanying dishes (see last year for more detail). Regular price $27 (Sam's Wines & Spirits, Chicago).2005 Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand
Rating: Very Good +
The Whitehaven 2004 SB is especially good, while this one is a notch below. All the characteristics are there, and it's well-balanced with some elegance, but the intensity is somewhat subdued. The 2006 Babich SV (below) is more exuberant and flavorful, by comparison. Regular price $17 (Sam's Wines & Spirits, Chicago).2003 Seghesio Arneis, Russian River Valley
Rating: Good ++
An unusual and rare varietal, even in Italy, more so in the US. That said, it doesn't appear Italienate in its softness and moderate acidity. My best description is that it resembles a soft pinot blanc with floral riesling overtones. A bit more that just medium-bodied but not encumbered by wood, it has good fruitiness and a moderately long taste. Close-out price $12; regular price $17.
Rating: Good ++2006 Babich Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand
If this is an indication of the quality of the 2006 season, then it's a winner. Full-flavored but not heavy, very good acidity, some but not too much grassiness, and a fairly long taste. Well-balanced. The youth of the wine is evident in its fruitiness - it's a pleasure to drink now, but should hold well. Regular price $15, less 20% discount.2002 A to Z Wineworks Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon
Rating: Very Good
Everything one could want in a pinot noir: perfumed aroma, cherry-fruit intensity and depth, fairly long taste. There is no sweetness that too many Californians display, and just enough tannin and oak to give the wine some firmness. Accompanied chicken breasts with grapes very well, and was a pleasure to sip too. Regular price $22, less 20%.2005 Hogue Gewürztraminer, Columbia Valley, Oregon
Rating: Very Good
The same wine did not show nearly as well when tasted in June '04. Did it just develop from being closed-in over those two-plus years, or was it bottle variation? If it developed then that augurs well for other 2002 Oregon PNs that seemed hard and closed in some time ago.
More than off-dry sweetness, surprisingly good acidity for a gewürz, still a young wine with mild characteristic musty-apple flavor. Moderate intensity and fairly flavorful, moderately long taste. Will probably deepen with time. As with many Hogue wines, a great deal at a sale price of 2 for $14.2002 Saint Romain, Maison Ambroise, France
Rating: Good +
Good acidity, more austere than most white burgundies; does not have the true balance of fruit, oak and acidity that I prefer for enjoying each sip. Moderate intensity and length. Close-out price $23, regular price $32.2005 Côtes du Rhône Rosé, Réserve, Perrin, France
Rating: Good ++
Straight-forward, dry but not austere, mild aroma, some fruitiness, medium-bodied, moderate intensity and length of taste. A pleasant summer wine, or to accompany light food. Close-out price $8, regular price $11.2001 Loriñon Rioja, Reserva, Spain
Rating: Good +
A 2005 Tres Ojos Rosé, Calatayud, Spain, open at the same time, had more depth and character.
Lovely cherry aroma on first opening, which faded somewhat but then picked up again over time. Lots of fruit intensity, along with good acidity, solid tannin and noticeable wood. Moderately long taste. Needed time to soften and to gain some complexity: I kept it out and tasted it over several days, and it definitely softened without deteriorating. Unfortunately, other close-out bottles were gone by the time I finished the experiment. Close-out price $14, regular price $20.2003 De Loach Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley
Rating: Good ++
Sometimes a wine mag rating is right. This PN got a 72 rating from the Wine Specator, and deserves it. It's fairly thin, somewhat acidic, with not much of the pinot noir aroma and taste. The label, of course, raves about it, so caveat emptor. I combined it with a dry white to make a palatable rosé. Close-out price $7, regular price $10.2004 Château Graville-Lacoste, Graves, France
Rating: Fair
On the other hand, the 2001 version was really good, and a steal at the same close-out price.
Sauvignon blanc, just like the Sancerre (just below). Also dry, good acidity, but with some vanillin wood. Medium-bodied, moderately long taste. Always a good deal at the price. Close-out price $9, regular price $13.2004 Sancerre, Celestin Blondeau, Cuvée des Moulins Bâles, France
Rating: Good +
Textbook Sancerre: bracing acidity, dry, little if any wood, elegance without NZ grassiness. Medium-bodied, perhaps a bit lighter, with a fairly long taste. Close-out price $13, regular price $18.
Rating: Very Good
Red-tag close-out sales this month:Whites:
2004 Château Graville-Lacoste, Graves, France ($9, orig. $13) 2002 Saint Romain, Maison Ambroise, France (23, orig. $32) 2002 Pernand-Vergelesses, Marius Delarche, France ($21, orig. $30) 2002 Seghesio Arneis, Russian River Valley ($12, orig. $17) 2004 Pinot Grigio, Alois Lageder, Vigneti delle Dolomiti, Italy ($11, orig. $15) 2001 Münsterer Rheinberg Riesling Kabinett, Kruger-Rumpf, Nahe ($12, orig. $15) 2003 Cristina Ascheri Roero Arneis, Piedmont, Italy ($10, orig. $15) 2004 Pinot Bianco, Haberlehof, Alois Lageder (Tor Löwengang), Alto Adige, Italy ($13, orig. $19)
Reds:
2003 Sutton Cellars Pinot Noir, Suacci Vineyard, Sonoma Coast ($25, orig. $37) 2001 Loriñon Rioja Reserva, Spain ($16, orig. $25) 2004 Sticks Pinot Noir, Yarra Valley, Australia ($11, orig. $16) 2003 Los Vascos Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, Colchagua, Chile ($11, orig. $16) 2005 Côtes du Rhône Rosé, Réserve, Perrin, France ($8, orig. $11)
|
|
|
|