2017 Schild Grenache Barossa Valley Edgar Schild Reserve Old Bush Vines. Brush of purple to the core, on the main it’s a washed out brick red with orange rust rims, clean and fully transparent, the lack of coloration comes as a welcome sign. Sweet candied raspberry, strawberry fruit in the nose, the proverbial Jolly Rancher, underneath is a peppy earthy and grassy element, eucalyptus, getting close to wet wool. Light to medium-bodied, light on its feet, flits about like a meadow sprite. More tannin than expected but the acidity is what keeps the weave tight. Twiggy, tree bark, a cocoa note drifts through. Some gamey retronasal nuances. Same concentrated red fruits here. Yet, it has a more savory, lip smacking finish. Each sip has it growing on you and I’d say this is a wine that would show better with 6-8 more years on it. Yum. (Screwcap)
2015 Penny’s Hill Shiraz McLaren Vale Estate Vineyards Crackling Black. Blackish core with blood red rims, the liquid unblemished and possessed of good surface shine. Heavy cream and vanilla bean rise in the nose, met in turn by the well-layered cassis, cherry, blackberry scents, the monolithic profile broken up some by grill smoke and meat gristle, lilacs, olive tapenade, and quiet eucalyptus. Medium-bodied, more fluid than expected with a slow and steady acidic pulse. There’s more concentration than sugariness in the same black fruit array. The oak is crisp and bright and only mildly distracting. You get a welcome citric bite here and even maybe a herbaceous element, in the good way. Finishes a tad hollow. Not worth the price but there’s reason to expect a better wine with 4-6 years of sleep. One may note the leitmotif that I am finding most Australian reds over $30 USD not worth it. You can’t drink Yarra Yering every day. (Screwcap)
2017 Vinaceous Wines Shiraz Mount Barker Reverend V. Dark purple core with broad plum red rims, saturated to a soft glow, not out of control, certainly very youthful. Crisp nose of mown grass, white pepper, grill smoke, does not come across as all that oaky, there is a syrupy quality to the blackberry, cassis fruit, doesn’t change much with air. Medium-bodied at most but it does tend to glue itself to the palate. Here that white pepper becomes really explosive, a pleasing touch. Some mintiness and orange blossom, the sour red to blue fruits start of well but fall off perceptibly through the finish. Still, it’s a pretty enough little package, just depends on the price. (Screwcap)
2019 Koerner Riesling Watervale Gullyview Vineyard. Day-glo yellow, hums in the glass without any particular shine or brightness, sort of unnatural in an interesting way. The nose comes off as round and supple as well as at a certain remove, like watching a kite fly circles in the sky, lemon curd, mineral shards, slate, something close to jalapeño, tenuous fruit presence, apple, pear, apricot at best. A different story in the mouth, medium-bodied and even with steady, chunky acidity a lot more spills forth. Mint, orange peel, savory garden herbs, the fruit here takes on a decided tropical character with pineapple, papaya, guava then apricot, green apple flavors. Good weight through the finish. Wish it had more cut and decisiveness but nice enough. (Composite Cork: Diam5)
2017 Sandlands Merlot Coombsville Michael Black Vineyard. Minimal difference core to rims in darkness, a joining of violet with red magenta, saturated rims and nice surface shine. There’s a wiry quality to the nose which makes it evasive, has a eucalyptus led lift which shortens the presence of the blackberry, blueberry, green apple fruit, leaving a decent amount of caramel, buttered popcorn behind, suggestion of stony earth might augur well for when the oak gets knit in more. Medium-bodied, here the buttery oak more bombastic when first opened, slow to recede. Well-noted on the ashen stone and desiccated grass, this element pairs well with the sturdy tannin. Total acidity must be sort of high for the variety as still getting that green apple thing, along with cranberry, blueberry fruit. Clenched at the finish. A young wine in need of age, only scored one bottle so will likely never have a window into its matured state.
2017 Bedrock Barbera Amador County Shake Ridge Ranch. Warm purple core, filmy opacity, good width to the plum flesh red rims. The nose is wound around a core of dense black fruit, dangling off it inert leather, cow patty, peanut shell, vanilla fudge, cinnamon stick, just doesn’t go anywhere. Medium-bodied, the acidity squeezes in pulses and when it’s released there’s spiced orange, floral paste, incense and ginger. The fruit is full and ripe but not too sugary, plum, black cherry, blackberry flavors. Releases well through the finish so it lingers and then explicitly drifts off. Hesitate to call it chewy or earthy. Went back and forth on this one, walked away, revisited. In the end it’s a good Californian Barbera.
1997 Tom Eddy Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley. At this point the core is as black as purple, the rims run the gamut from brick red to orange rust to yellow, first few pours are clear. The nose needs a little time to wake up and stretch out, then it’s mainly cedar, leather, fried butter, old potpourri and eucalyptus, not lacking in cherry, dark berry scents but out of the spotlight, somehow the oak remains decisive and it has not gone all that tertiary. Medium-bodied, tannin on the whole subdued, offers some acidic punch past the mid-palate. Buttered popcorn, caramel oak shades show a zombie like resistance to death. Some dill too then cedar and some tobacco ash. Knowing what I was getting into don’t mind this all that much but the drying texture distracts the most. Here too no lack of fruit and it isn’t dried out. It’s like a wine that died trying to get out of the cocoon. Grapes sourced 40.3% Vyborny Gamefarm Vineyard, 22.9% Beckstoffer A-2/K-2 Vineyard, 15.3% Stout/Clark Vineyard, 12.6% Pedregal Vineyard, 8.9% Bella Vista Block 1 Vineyard.
2018 Idlewild Arneis Mendocino County Yorkville Highlands Wild Ruth Ranch. Day-glo yellow, an odd green glint sometimes at the edges, were it not for the glow it would appear dull. Lemony nose with a strong sense of cellar stored apple and peach, ripening at a glacial pace, maybe a touch vinous, sage and parsley, too sinewy for extended length. Full-bodied, not linear not round, just big and solid. Feels like it dropped from the sky into your mouth with a thud. Same lemon aspect first, behind it a touch of tangerine and honey. The acidity more throw more punches than jabs. Not ripe per se, but riper, peach, apple, pear fruit here. Kind of reminds more of aged Friulian wine than Piedmont. But I’m probably just talking out my ass.
2019 Domaine Mosse Vin de France Bisou. Pours with a little too much surface fizz for my liking but not entirely unexpected. Gauzy plum red to violet, pinkish rims, like looking through a translucent fabric curtain. The nose does betray a little volatility but not distracting, pretty red berry fruit, lilacs, orange blossom, some stoniness. Light-bodied, more interesting on the palate adding in bell pepper, white pepper, savory garden herbs to the mix. The acidity supple and fits the whole well. Big floral explosion in the mid-palate. Rhubarb, blueberry, strawberry fruit accompanied by ripe tangerine. Lush finish, sweet and savory. I have always found this producer criminally underappreciated and don’t get the lack of love. Unspecified percentages of Grolleau Noir, Pineau d’Aunis, Côt, Gamay, Grolleau Gris, Cabernet Franc.
2019 Domaine du Possible Côtes du Roussillon Le Fruit du Hasard. Gregarious ruby-purple color, textbook “red wine,” deeply hued, liquid unblemished. Dense floral perfume to the nose, raspberry, blackberry, not quite tart in profile for the expected blueberry, light patina of stony earth, impressive most for its cleanliness and purity. Medium-bodied, quiet echo of peanut shells then Orange spice, ginger, lilacs and currant, blackberry to maybe cherry fruit in full control of its ripeness and presentation. Wouldn’t typify it as “tannic” nor “acidic” while there’s nothing oft about it. Just as vibrant as it finishes as when it started. I would consider this another criminally neglected producer in the LDM book. 75% Carignan, 25% Syrah.
2019 Thivin Côte de Brouilly. Moderately dark purple core but most noticeable is the ruby dark enough to shade into scarlet, intensely hued. Intriguing saline, brine edge to the nose, then turns expansive and plumper with pulped oranges, cherry, blueberry fruit, sweet tea leaf, good purity for its richness but no sense of place conveyed. Medium-bodied, here the tannin helps it gain compactness and focus. Lacking some snap in the reddish fruit but nowhere near overripe. The citrus consistent throughout, now and then a minty note pairs up with it well. The finish gets a little twiggy, tree bark and autumn leaves yet clean. This first impression is that it’s a more elegant version of this bottling than previous experience suggests.
2019 Lapalu Beaujolais-Villages Vieilles Vignes. Youthful ruby-violet, shades more magenta at the rims, clean and bouncy. The nose feels like a flattened sponge that dried that way, sense of latent movement, allows for rhubarb, strawberry, apple scents, mixed citrus, walnuts and lowgrade leather. Full-bodied, can seem sour and in turn acidic but it’s sweeter from what I recall this bottling showing in previous vintages. Emphasis on thick red fruits. Earthier, twiggier near the finish, can’t shake that curious nutty element. Giving it air time didn’t really resolve much in its favor. Have enough respect fro the both the producer and bottling that may revisit but based on this I’d put this behind the 2018 and many paces behind the 2017.
2019 Domaine Pierre-Olivier Bonhomme Gamay Noir Vin de France Le Telquel. Dark, saturated purple core, equally heavyset red magenta rims, pretty much maxes out color intensity. Initial whiff of fart and band-aid blows off relatively quickly, behind it you find pretty violets, tart blue fruit, and a certain crunchy stoniness, more length than lift. Medium to full-bodied, immediate impression is of unevenness if not an undercurrent of volatility. Brown earth, pebble dust, sun baked leather give it some chewiness. Very ripe and very sour blueberry, boysenberry, cherry fruit flavors. After a few sips it seems more driven by tannin than acidity. This particularly acute through the finish. This is a bottling I have enjoyed in previous vintages, not sure what to say here. (Synthetic Cork: Nomacorc Classic Green)
2016 Château Grézan Faugères Héritage. Scarlet-purple color, decent clarity, deeply hued but not glowing. Wooly and medicinal feel to the nose, scrubbing lift without seeming alcoholic, peanut shells, pastille, chunky plum, red currant fruit scents, the more you sniff it the more it seems to slug you. Medium-bodied, from the start it goes in two directions. wake you up level acidity, mouthwatering. Then overripe, almost pruney plum, blackberry, cassis fruit. By the finish there is no détente. But you get more green apple notes. Indistinct wool, leather as well as sour orange. No moment where you relax and go “ahh.” But it’s not bad as far as everyday bistro wine goes. Which may be a comment on both the state of wine in France and how many boutique importers the US has. Unspecified percentages of Mourvèdre, Syrah, Carignan.
2016 Jean-Luc Colombo Syrah Rhône Méditerranée Les Collines de Laure. Dark purple bruise hued, thinnish scarlet to brick red rims, no cloudiness and good shine. No lack of poop and band-aid to the nose, moderate grassiness, mocha, requires a great deal of patience before the black fruits get out from under the funk. Medium-bodied, pronounced tannic skeleton impedes progression across the palate even as there’s a decent acidic pulse. Here you get a full array of youthful tobacco leaf, peppercorns, olive pits, to white citrus. The currant, black cherry fruit on the lean side or stifled by the structure. Much drier through the finish. While it has credible “typicity” in the end I found it uncouth. (Composite Cork: Diam3)
2017 Cuvée du Vatican Rhône Vin de France Benedictus de Vatican Réserve Sacrée. Transparent in spite of deep hue, looks more black from a distance, up close the cough syrup red dominates, not sure why but something is visually unappealing about it. The nose comes right out with it, slathering your nostrils with floral dew, syrupy blueberry, raspberry fruit, mocha, and sweet grill smoke, no sense of movement nor lift, ends on a plastic-like note. Medium-bodied, same general consistency here, oozes across the palate until veering into a truncated finish. Not finding palpable acidity or tannin. The florality and orange citrus feel more like makeup than a natural element. The dark berry fruit comes close to dried fruit concentration. Took a flier on this and rolled snake eyes. Unspecified percentages of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre.
2001 Christoffel Riesling Ürziger Würzgarten Auslese Trocken AP #3. Mildly darkening gold color, high level of bubbles clinging to the glass long after the pour, good clarity but a bit flat. Spicy nose of tangerine, blood orange citrus, dried pineapple and papaya, flaked dried garden herbs, soft stoniness, only when it warms do you get a quick whiff of lactose, tends to dissolve abruptly. Close to full-bodied, not stern but certainly firm and it has an Auslese profile without the unctuousness. Acidity feels softened, dry but not witheringly so. Tangy kumquat, pineapple, kiwi, nectarine fruit, keeps punching through an extended finish. Citrus here more pink grapefruit. Minor diesel, oil slick complement. Given it’s “trockenness” there’s little sense to me waiting for Auslesen tertiary elements to develop further, drinking fine enough now.
2017 Bibbiano Chianti Classico. More sunset red than purple to it, clean and transparent, more rust red at the rims. There’s an odd plastic note to the nose, otherwise licorice, potpourri, and syrupy raspberry, red cherry fruit, no guile whatsoever. Medium-bodied, a little spicy at first but then the blackberry, cherry, blueberry fruit spreads its juiciness into every mouth pore. Sandalwood with a touch of cedar, some more acidic than tannic, has some sourness to it. I can’t speak to the winery house style but if you put a gun to my head I’d guess “modern.” Nice wine for sipping and conversation, nothing wrong with that as long as you know that’s what you are buying.
2015 Quinta da Soalheira Douro Tinto. Same blackish purple I am getting used to with Portuguese red table wine. baroque crimson rims, like the hues you’d find in tapestries. Mild spiciness to the nose, witch hazel, immobile black fruits, ABV is not that high but there’s still a cleansing alcoholic rub to it. Medium-bodied, smooth with just enough grit to ensure you feel its progress across the palate. Sweet and sour blueberry, boysenberry, black raspberry fruit array, Nutmeg, cinnamon spice, cocoa power, maybe even coffee bean. Unsure of oak treatment but it’s not obtrusive. Some pucker through the finish. Nothing negative to say except even for a meager $13 I could probably find some French wine more apt to please. Unspecified percentages of Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca, Touriga Franca, Tinto Cão.
2016 Casa Ermelinda Freitas Palmela Doña Ermelinda Reserva. Blackish purple core, from what I can tell the liquid looks clean, moderate width to the brick red, crimson rims. Mint, vanilla fudge, toffee betray the oak presence, floral, hint of licorice, indistinguishable black fruits, could be from anywhere. Full-bodied without excess weight, there’s tannin below the surface struggling for air. If it could be dense and high-toned at once, this might pull it off, layers of plum, black currant, blackberry fruit with the wits about it to know when to stop. Just mild astringency at the end. Spicy, suggestion of citrus, does a good job of palate coverage without drawing attention to said fact. Not crazy about the oak but otherwise enjoying the drink. 70% Castelão, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Touriga Nacional, 10% Trincadeira.
2017 Sociedade Agrícola Adegamãe Lisboa Pinta Negra. Scarlet-purple throughout, slight darkening at the core, unblemished. Heady lift to the nose, menthol, Indian spices, a few waxy suggestions, spiced orange, in the end the fat dark berry fruit throws a shadow over all else. Soft and plush like a stuffed animal, and you want to squeeze it just the same. On the sweet side, a bounty of ripe plum, blackberry, cherry fruit. And although not registering much tannin nor acidity does not feel sloppy (and the absence of tannin translates to no green meanies). Cinnamon, nutmeg spices, same spiced orange with some lemon thrown in for contrast. Couldn’t be simpler but for $8 it’s a steal. 56% Castelão, 44% Aragonez. (Composite Cork)
2015 Caves do Solar de São Domingos Bairrada Tinto. Strong scarlet hue washes out the purple core, spotless and more or less transparent despite its overall darkness. Grill smoke, beef jerky and burnt kindling wood give this a sudden and jagged lift in the nose, too hyperactive, damp metallic black earth, the black fruits ripe but impossible to parse. Light to medium-bodied, plush and much, much more accessible in the mouth. Spiced orange, ginger, floral paste pretty up the plum, cassis, black cherry fruit. There is a consistent, lowgrade volatility to the acidity but not horrible, almost adds interest. Somewhat mentholated finish. Continuing the “deep dive” into Portugal, for $10 this ain’t all that bad. 40% Baga, 30% Touriga Nacional, 30% Tinta Roriz.
2017 Casa Ermelinda Freitas Palmela Doña Ermelinda. Flat purple core, yields easily to more crimson, brick hues, kind of dull glass presence. Smoky nose, reminiscent of charcoal briquet, arguably with an alcoholic burn, not much nuance but an abundance of plum, dark berry fruit scents. Medium-bodied, round and fairly supple, seems to managed the maturation process evenly enough. Ginger spice, mint, anise and orange peel, more adornment to the ripe fruit core. Before you swallow there’s a note of green apple, sour. The grill smoke, charred wood is there but much less obvious than in the nose. Competent wine and no problem paying the $10 for it. 45% Touriga Nacional, 30% Touriga Franca, 25% unspecified other varieties. (Composite Cork)
2014 Torre de Coimbra (Ares da Bairrada) Bairrada Reserva. Deep purple core gets close to black, glowing crimson red rims. Simple nose of plump black cherry, plum fruit, not overripe, a little meadowy freshness and mint and that’s it. Light to medium-bodied, astringent, there’s a nice mentholated to minty aspect that gets lost in the shuffle. Can appear chocolaty now and then, there’s an inert quality to the plum, cassis, blackberry fruit. It’s not a flawed wine by any stretch, it just doesn’t “go anywhere” and as a result you forget you are even drinking it. Unspecified percentages of Touriga Nacional, Baga, Alfrocheiro.
2019 Quinta do Regueiro Alvarinho Vinho Verde Monção e Melgaço Foral de Monção Old Vines. Glowing “black light” yellow, the liquid inside the glass is dull but it still radiates. The nose starts right off with a huge dollop of whipped cream, once that settles in there’s orange blossom, mint, honey and a touch of sauna smoke, the apple, apricot, peach fruit succinct without ever seeming attenuated, sparkly dissolve. Medium-bodied, spreads what it has evenly across the palate and you feel its weight start to finish and cheek to cheek. The floral dimension grows here to potpourri levels and it’s drier than the nose suggests, this without standout acidity. The citrus juicy and the pear, apricot, star fruit flavors have very good stature. Grows on you and I think I like it better getting warmer, the flavors resonate more. (Screwcap)
2018 Bodegas Paniza Syrah Cariñena Fábula de Paniza. Fully transparent, slightly diminishes the vibrancy of the purple to magenta coloration, glows in spite of seeming washed out. The nose offers a mentholated scrubbing sensation alongside a smidge of white pepper, violet pastille, some butterscotch lingering off stage, red currant, cherry fruit scents, doesn’t unwind much. Medium-bodied and the same cannot be said of the palate where it lays it all out and quickly so. The sweet caramel can be a bit much but to its credit it also delivers the white pepper, beef jerky and florality desired. Can appear herbaceous at times. Supple, va-va-voom cassis, maraschino cherry, blackberry fruit. It flows so easily there’s no time to negatively dissect it. Had zero expectations of it but in the end thought it could pass for an uber-ripe Collines Rhodaniennes Syrah. (Composite Cork)
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