A Few Recent Tastes XXVII

2018 Henschke Barossa Valley Henry’s Seven. Trim and immaculate, the soft violet core yields to a washed out crimson, brick red approaching the fully hued rims, I can see this looking prematurely aged. Pleasing briskness to the nose, gets right down to it, succinct currant, cherry,blueberry scents then splays out pork rinds, lavender, orange pulp, mesquite smoke, the oak isn’t overdone and to me seems consciously kept in check. Medium-bodied, tannic framework but the acidity keeps the roof up. Super fresh and sleek while recognizably Australian, aims to blend the orange/lemon citrus, eucalyptus, pressed flowers into a whole. Molasses crisp, cookie. Sour blueberry, boysenberry, blackberry fruit snaps the towel at you. Clean finish. I find this superlative within its idiom. 67% Shiraz, 17% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre, 6% Viognier. (Screwcap)

2005 Torbreck Shiraz Barossa Valley RunRig. A mix of crimson and black, not seeing much purple left, nice cleanliness and the rims full. The caramel and butterscotch still the first thing to register in the nose, molasses BBQ, a eucalyptus laden alcoholic lift, light plastic to band-aid thing but negligible, the plum, black currant fruit just starting to get to the prune stage. Medium-bodied, comes across as having shed weight to its betterment. Some surprise to the high level of acidity which at this stage can now shave off excess flab. Leather, beef jerky, grill fat, the acidity isn’t able to get it to the archer olive or grapefruit point. Lots of eucalyptus and florality. Only the merest loss of fruit intensity, the same plum, currant blackberry fruit drinks youthfully. Budged moderately from a 2013 sampling, if this is ever going to turn into a wine with meaningful tertiary qualities it ain’t happening soon. 95% Shiraz, 5% Viognier.

2016 d’Arenberg Mourvèdre McLaren Vale The Twenty Eight Road. Intensely saturated crimson-violet color, no sediment nor blemishes, has that “baroque” look. The nose is densely packed to a fault, little room for the cranberry, red currant fruit to stretch, sort of earthy, sort of grassy, sort of wooly, you hedge on anything which comes to mind. Medium-bodied, wiry and extra firm, you could bounce a quarter off it. The tannin is astringent and way too powerful for the primary material to have a fighting chance, not sure that time in bottle would help. Sour red fruits, hint of grapefruit, poor soil and stone. Not getting much oak presence, if any. Not a bad wine but no clue whatsoever when it might be ready. (Screwcap)

2016 Penley Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Coonawarra Tolmer. Inky purple core effortlessly reaches opacity, the crimson to brick red rims fat with some glow. The nose presents some classic Cabernet elements that do get the obligatory frat hazing of toffee, caramel, butterscotch oak, poking through the racks to find cedar, meadow grasses, bell pepper, graphite and rich and not overly sugary black fruits. Medium-bodied, admirable compactness yet the overall dryness slows down pacing and truncates the finish. Ginger, incense, cedar and orange peel provide satisfactory makeup and the semi-sour black currant, blackberry fruit dense with a savory side. The tannin lacks a fine grain but presence is evident. Comparable to its price peer group in California. (Screwcap)

2018 Kilikanoon Riesling Clare Valley Killerman’s Run. The coloration is like worn gold but the glow gives it presence, minimal shine. The nose has girth but remains nimble, smells like a Spaldeen ball got wedged in your nostrils, then serves up orange blossom, lilacs, spearmint, spicier when warmer, the pear, apricot, red apple scents simple and demure but in this instance who cares. Medium-bodied, the acidity cuts in broad swaths like a machete, no death from a thousand cuts. The rubber here gains a diesel slick element. Naval orange, lemon citrus leaves a residue like when you cut it in quarters and then have to wash your fingers when done. The fruit has what I call a “passive dark cellar aged” quality, starting to shrivel and concentrate but still has the juice. Pineapple, apple, apricot, nectarine, can see it turning more sour tropical with age. Just enough minerally notes that you wish it had more. Very good wine, neutral enough to go with a lot of different dishes. (Screwcap: Stelvin Lux+)

2018 Bedrock Cabernet Sauvignon Moon Mountain District Monte Rosso Vineyard. Plain ruby-violet with a hint of brick, clear but not particularly shiny, has an old school Cali Cab look. The plump fruit in the nose now favors raspberry, red cherry, and blackberry but not high-toned enough to not expect “darkening” over time, behind this it’s loaded with cedar, graphite, cigar ash, and then a mild grassiness, the oak treatment discernible but not looking for the spotlight. Medium-bodied and lowkey, quickly shows some tannic grit while in turn serving up those tart red fruits to keep the caboose in motion. Feels like it also has more acidity than you’d expect. Similar backup here as in the nose, more of an incense emphasis. It does run a tad hot, adding more tingle than you’d want. Still, a great deal of pleasure to be had and certainly has the stuff to go the distance.

2018 Bedrock Zinfandel Wedrock Wedding Cuvée (MK Red Wine). Blackish crimson in color, excellent clarity given its darkness. Dusty, parched earth led nose, the proverbial “dust bowl,” licorice, eucalyptus, orange peel, suggestion of leather, tough nosed black cherry, black currant, blackberry scents, in no way underfruited, perhaps marked most by the absence of oak. Medium-bodied, very well structured but to me in a way which gives it gravitas today rather than “check back in ten years.” Stones and tilled dry soil, some anise and sweet cooking herbs. The citrus shows more tart edge here. Some green apple infiltrates the currant, cherry, mixed berry fruit, not as “black fruited” albeit right now of the three vineyards Pagani has the deepest stamp on it. Nice mentholated lift at the end. One must assume you don’t craft a “backward” wine for one’s wedding while still wanting many a bottle to last through anniversaries to come. Opened up well over the evening. Grapes sourced from Bedrock Vineyard, Old Hill Ranch, Pagani Vineyard.

2018 Sandlands Mourvèdre Contra Costa County. Vibrant cranberry red to violet, the surface just about glistens, beautiful looking wine. Tough minded nose, not cruel but certainly like to roughhouse, plenty of stone, sand, dry wool, white citrus pulp, fallen tree wood, the blackberry, cranberry, red cherry scents dart and jab. Medium-bodied, curiously enough it’s much more approachable in the mouth, this with recognition of the serious tannic punch. The red fruits are sour and tangy but not unfriendly and last completely through the finish. Zippy white grapefruit accents, now and then seems to ad some lemon. Mildly grassy, more by way of that sand and stone, seems on the way to ashen. Then a switcharoo with retronasal florality. I like this type of wine, not sure of its long term possibilities, suspect it might seem greener as the fruit fades.

2016 Banshee Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast El Pino. Purple core darkened by what I’d guess is some red bricking where a lighter shade used to be, the rims a dull rust red, clear, doesn’t look old but has lost any youthful veneer it might have once had. Dense, sticky texture to the nose, eucalyptus and trace of black licorice, the fruit watermelon, raspberry to strawberry, an odd element of raw pie dough, almost leesy at times. Full-bodied, squats squarely on the tongue. Residual tannin, not much acidity, lacks freshness for its age. The minute floral, citrusy swipe covered over by a briny nuance. No lack of blueberry, blackberry, cherry fruit but it’s sluggish at best. Not sure what to make of this, the bottle is not flawed as far as I can tell but expected a sleeker package. Paid for, bottle gets finished.

2014 Olga Raffault Chinon Les Picasses. The inner core is a dark purple but the brick red invades enough to fashion wide rims, as is often the case with this producer the hues are of an older wine but it doesn’t look “old.” The nose has contoured edges without feeling restrained, like a happy sandbox of black peppercorns, dried sliced green pepper, ash, naval orange zest, mud caked volcanic rock, the mixed black fruit scents graciously weave into the whole. Medium-bodied, quite bottom heavy so there’s more booty grind than throw your hands up in the air. The red currant, cherry, boysenberry fruit more forward here so it comes off as simpler. Drying texture, the tannin starting to clump up some as it matures. The bell pepper element to me is proportionate. Tree bark, mounded brush, kind of like early November when there’s hope for a nice day before it’s consistently cold and withered. This is 5-6 years in and don’t see any reason it wouldn’t become more and more interesting over the coming years.

2004 Texier Côtes du Rhône Brézème Domaine de Pergault. Still cloudy after days of standing up, very fine silt, good deal of purple left in the core, the broad rims rust red with noticeable diminishment at the outer limit. Plump nose of plum, black cherry fruit, damp meadow grasses, anise, camphor, days old black olive pits, momentary hints of tomato skin. Full-bodied, pliant and insinuates itself into each mouth crevice. Tannin resolved, acidity feels softened some as well. Layers of black fruits smother the palate, yet not to the detriment of tertiary development, no lack of leather, tar, olive tapenade, and a cedar to celery aspect. Mix of naval orange and white grapefruit, minimal sour bite. No oak of note. The sleekness of its youth replaced by the generosity of age. If drinking Northern Rhône Syrah should be a slasher flick to you, this isn’t your wine. It brought a big smile to my face.

2018 Filliatreau Saumur-Champigny La Grande Vignolle. Lush purple core, deeply saturated scarlet rims, spotless, fills the glass with warmth. The nose is herbaceous in a tart manner, not drying but brisk, bell pepper is there but should not offend those, err, offended by it, wastes little time bouncing out the plum, black currant, blackberry, sometimes apricot fruit to soak into your nostrils, tea leaf, sage, right nor it’s super-primary and really no getting past that. Medium-bodied with a squishy belly, plenty to hug so in line with the nose. Ripe currant, blackberry to blueberry fruit with enough sourness to balance the sweetness. Tobacco ash, stone and indistinct citrus give it some grounding. More floral towards the finish with something reminiscent of menthol. Tannin has some oomph while at the same time gives in order to please. So young it’s hard to make a defensible guess but I’d call it a drink now for raw pleasure, medium term ager. (Synthetic Cork: Nomacorc PlantCorc)

2019 Chidaine Gamay Noir Touraine. Transparent throughout, plum purple core fades slowly to a dark ruby. There’s a suggestion of damp wool and leather to the nose, short-lived as the quite ripe cherry, blackberry, almost currant fruit, something close to old cigarette ash and stone dust appears as it dissolves. Medium-bodied, the acidity is adequate but just. If there’s a candidate for Loire Gamay “fruit bomb” this is it. Gusher of raspberry, blueberry, strawberry fruit, sugary sweet. Nice underlying stoniness. Maybe something vegetal due to the general overripeness. Pinch of cocoa. The lemon citrus in turn a mix of sweet and sour. For basic, uncritical quaffing this is more than fine but I’d say it would be hard to peg as Gamay served blindly. (Composite Cork)

2015 Domaine la Berangeraie Cahors Cuvée Maurin. Blackish Core with worn old brick rims, oddly displays a nice surface shine in counterpoint. The nose is coiled in on itself and what time was given it didn’t budge it much, compacted black earth, cedar, whisper of white citrus, no funk but who can tell until it unwinds, succinct black currant, plum, black cherry fruits and that’s putting it lightly. Full-bodied, admirable throwback tannin that kicks you hard in the nads. Any embellishment speaks of a wine older than its age, potpourri, incense, book leather, cedar chest, this seemingly intentional and not a sign of flaws. In the mid-palate the white grapefruit shoots upwards to break up the monotony. Same dry chunks of earth as in the nose. Could probably leave half the bottle open and corked for a week and it would leave the same impression. Which actually was why I started to like Cahors back when.

2016 Anne de Joyeuse Limoux Rouge La Butinière. It has a dark purple core. It has dark scarlet to ruby rims. I am shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here. The nose sucks you in like a beanbag, juicily ripe black currant, blackberry, cherry fruit of relentless character, there is an unsettling peanut shell and barnyard dirt element, otherwise cocoa, brown tobacco wrapper, not plastered in cosmetics. Full-bodied, nothing special about the tannin or acidity but stays nimble enough. Dusting of flowers and citrus without much lingering. Can’t speak to its élevage but not getting much oakiness. Good leatheriness. Full ripeness without excess in the currant, plum fruit. Finishes without any flair but not short. Perfectly acceptable table wine. Unspecified percentages of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Malbec.

2017 Pinon Vouvray Brut. Nice big mousse on the pour, then a light surface dusting, the bubbles more unorganized than beads. Basic yellow gold color, nothing of note. Lemony nose supported by crushed stone then sweetens up with brioche, caramel notes, non-obtrusive yellow apple, pear, apricot scents, preferred it colder, got too fat when warm. Full-bodied with a heft driven firmness rather than muscularity. The lemon citrus joined by a slight tangerine edge. It is more minerally and stony than you’d guess based on the nose. The fruit flavors lack the cut to parse them apart but it’s by no means underfruited. Pétillance consistent from start of bottle to last glass. Kind of clunky at times but not bad for $20. (Composite Cork: Mytik)

2019 Mosse Vin de France Magic of Ju-Ju. Bright, shiny surface to the yellow gold color, somewhat flatter beneath and at the rims. Good penetration to the nose, notes of tine pebbles and mineral dust, dried grass lead the way before tangerine spritz, taut apricot, pear, almost pineapple scents, as it warms develops a suggestion of jalapeño, given this uncommon blend I’d say the Sauvignon Blanc ascendant in the nose. Close to full-bodied, no lack of heft. The acidity wields a sharpened blade without malice. Arguably greener and more briny here even as likely the Chenin lends a honeyed touch. Citrus juicy and active, naval orange to pink grapefruit. Admirable consistency of presentation start to finish. Then releases a full mouth perfume during and after your swallow as your tongue left to tingle. I like this very much. 40% Chenin Blanc, 30% Sauvignon Blanc, 30% Muscadelle.

2017 Castello Conti Colline Novaresi Spanna. Touch of violet but mainly bright cherry red, crisp and transparent, nice fullness at the rims. There’s sufficient twiggy, earthy accenst to the nose to not let the maraschino cherry, raspberry fruit scents gain too much sway, some campfire kindling too, grapefruit pith, outside of the fruit nothing “pretty” about it but not ugly either. Medium-bodied with an expansive quality, wastes no time covering the palate. Mouthwatering acidity keeps it nimble. Needed as follows up on the nose with sugary, candied cherry, red berry fruit. The grapefruit gets sweeter here, retains tang. Cleaner, like someone washed the earthiness intentionally. Extremely drinkable and even keeled, don’t know anything about the producer or winemaking but to me straddling the traditional/modern divide. (Composite Cork: Diam3)

2017 Adriano Ramos Pinto Douro Duas Quintas. Glowing blackish purple base, muscular scarlet to magenta rims, looks “serious.” In the nose notes of cocoa powder and dark roasted coffee beat all else to the punch then there’s an herbaceous, borderline vegetal element, afterwards menthol, orange blossom, and a parade of sugary black fruits roll over the aforementioned. Medium-bodied, dry and uneven due to the prune, raisin touch to the otherwise plum, currant fruit. Here that menthol thing really takes over, evokes licorice as well. Acidity went fishing and the tannin reduced to a clump at the end. Molasses and caramel linger most powerfully. Only had the 2009 of this bottling before and met low bar expectation based on that. Fine backyard BBQ wine, that’s it. 45% Touriga Nacional, 30% Touriga Franca, 25% unspecified other varieties.

2016 Dow’s (Symington Family Estates) Douro Vale do Bomfim. Saturated violet core, dark enough to just achieve opacity in the core, barely shifts into ruby red at the rims. There’s a green undercurrent to the nose, brings notes of bell pepper and asparagus, light band-aid as well, the bluntness of the mixed black fruits prevents them from unfolding in the nostrils, there might be some creamy oak buried in there too. Medium-bodied, firm tannin but no astringency nor obvious underripe phenolics. Foursquare but at least here the plum, black currant, boysenberry fruit shows up first at the party. Mixes in violets, white citrus, cedar, camphor. Potable, needs food. Just don’t smell it. 40% Touriga Franca, 20% Touriga Nacional, 40% unspecified field blend.

There’s a Sandlands Mourvèdre?

Geez. Hopefully that wasn’t at one sitting! Those are some young wines! Many better years ahead for just about all of them

Marc has very thorough notes on an eclectic group of wines which I appreciate. I’m sure these are notes gathered over a bunch of different tastings/dinners.

Thanks for the notes Marc!

They label it Mataro (same grape), spaced this when posting.

Mourvèdre, Mataro, Monastrell. I am sure there’s plenty other names for the grape, I think these are the main ones.

No, one can pretty much surmise the timeline of consumption since the date of the previous post in the Roman numeral sequence.

I actually like young wine, there’s a different type of challenge than with older wine. My main problem here is that I tend to overfetishize tasting something “new” (producer, vintage, grape, etc.) so I ignore all the wine I already own in my collection. It’s a character flaw and my ongoing hope is to post notes on older wines as that would generally mean I am drinking down my stock rather than indulging in the mere pleasure of knowing I possess X or Y bottle. A common problem among wine collectors.

Same here. Lots of younger wines being consumed, and amazing older bottles continually waiting for the right moment, right food, right company.

I do appreciate the Bedrock and Sandlands notes, as I have limited stock of all those wines.

I forgot to report back and correct my post after I looked the wine up.

Nice notes. I appreciate the Aussie ones, you don’t see many TNs of them on this board. I’m a big fan of Run Rig.

I think we can all sympathize, though I enjoy wine that has sat for awhile, I still like to taste the “latest-and-greatest”.