2019 Sandlands Carignane Contra Costa County. Luminescently glowing ruby-magenta to violet, hard to imagine deeper saturation. Moderately high-toned nose of sand, poor dirt and dried meadow grasses, the cranberry, raspberry, blueberry fruit scents compactly jab the nostrils, the ashen profile downplays any citrus element. Light to medium-bodied, gains oomph from a decent tannic skeleton, certainly seems to have the stuffing to age. Here the grapefruit to blood orange flavors able to eke out more space for themselves. The fruit sour without undue puckering. Same dusty pebble, sand grit as in the nose. Again, grassy but not “herbaceous” as in green. Were it French I’d be tempted to categorize it as a “vin de garde.” No lack of personality.
2018 Neyers Syrah Santa Lucia Highlands Garys’ Vineyard. Gentle glow to the purple to magenta hue, dark but not close to opacity, warm appearance. The nose is fairly lean and high-toned, plum to blackberry fruit, black olive pits, tar, brisk jab of white grapefruit, nice personality but finding it lacking in fruit aromas. Light-bodied and surprisingly lacking in body, almost as if it was a conscious decision to make it this way. Tarry and smoky, the tannin is really too strong for what primary material is at hand. Zippy grapefruit mixed in. Here too the mixed red and black fruit lacks staying power. The oak treatment isn’t severe but likely takes up more space simply because there’s nothing to absorb it. Haven’t really had a Neyers wine in quite a few years but in my memory they were not in this stylistic idiom. Sign of the times.
2018 Ser Winery Graciano Lodi Bokisch Vineyard. Vibrantly colored from the purple core through the cranberry red rims, fine clarity. The nose has a roasty, almost metallic, sort of ring to it, asphalt, the black currant to plum fruit scents feel slab-like in the nostrils, a real bruiser. In the mouth it’s full-bodied and very firm, as much from what feels like sheer muscle as tannin. Fruit forward, emphasizes the same thick black fruits. Touch citrusy but not in a consistent way. Rubber replaces the metal here, almost Riesling-esque intensity. Bit green through the finish. A whole heckuva lot going on, always respect it when a winery takes a chance bottling a “blending grape” on its own. Could be that it will be more integrated a few years down the road, has the structure to make the attempt. (Screwcap)
2007 Sineann Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard. The liquid is sleek with pleasing shine, the core much more black than violet, in turn the rims rust red with mild yellowing. The nose all but completely subsumed in vanillin to buttery oak, mint and potpourri, very boisterous all around, well scaled cassis, plum fruit scents, simply bored the shit out of me smelling it. In the mouth it’s full-bodied and layered so there’s insistent pressure downwards onto the palate. Not perceiving much tannin, alas wood tannin if anything. Walked away from the glass for 20 minutes but nothing changed upon the return. Mint embossed plum, black cherry, cassis fruit. Mix of Indian spices and pressed flowers. Uneven finish, loses integration. The thing is I think this is what it was supposed to be. Maybe the closure has infantilized it. (Glass Stopper)
2017 Fine Disregard Sémillon Napa Valley. Glowing yellow coloration with glints of green, clarity without much shine. Honeyed nose, floral, gets a bit smokier when allowed to warm, arguably grassy as well, the pineapple, kumquat, green apple scents taut and unyielding. Medium-bodied, a few sips is all it takes for a dry, tacky mouth feel to develop. Acidity is strong, maybe too much so for the primary material. Brine, wax, and sandy earth plus that greenness. Grapefruit citrus. Sour tropical fruit. Odd in that when ice cold I thought it needed to warm up, when warmed up I thought it showed better cold. It’s like all the fleshiness which could have made it fun was carved off it. I’ll stop there.
2020 Marcel Lapierre Morgon. Glowing throughout, touch of violet to the core, mostly a pinkish magenta, full rims, transparent with the very mildest of haze to it. The nose is high-toned with a lavender, violets sort of accenting, few citrus nuances but plenty of stoniness, biggest component is the vivid cranberry, raspberry, blackberry fruit, can see this getting earthier with age. Medium-bodied, stout tannin shortens the finish some. But for me no sense of underripe phenolics or greenness. Fruit level consistent start to finish, more crunch than juiciness. Here the citrus peeks out. Right now it’s a tightly woven package which merits a decant. I don’t cellar every vintage of Lapierre but I will this one.
2020 Domaine du Clos du Fief (Michel et Sylvain Tête) Beaujolais-Villages La Roche. Rich purple core with wide ruby rims, strong presence in the glass. Heavyset nose with dark blackberrry, cherry to even plum fruit scents, kiss of milk chocolate and grill smoke, very lightly floral, at this point it’s painfully primary. Medium-bodied, spreads itself wide to coat the palate. Comes across as more tannic than acidic, perhaps losing some perceptible “freshness” as a result. Rose musk, pressed flowers, maybe a touch of leather. Dark fruited here too. Close to brooding, certainly chewy. There is some astringency through the finish. Needs air to smooth itself out. Packs a lot of punch for under $20. (Composite Cork: Diam8)
2005 Stéphane Othéguy Côte-Rôtie “Les Massales.” Basic purple core, no real sign of aging, rims ruby to garnet, on the darker side and strong, no issue with overall clarity. There’s some nail polish to unsettle the nose, masks some of the abundantly ripe currant, blackberry fruit, leather, white pepper, black olive rounds it out, no blockbuster but good purity of purpose and lacks makeup. Light-bodied, glides unobtrusively into the mouth. Then the tannin clamps down some even as an acidic jolt makes it leap, kind of all hither and yon. The sour currant, plum, cherry fruit becomes the wine’s cornerstone all but by default. Much more citrus than the nose suggests, at the same time more oak cream as well. Tends more towards sous bois and earthiness than feral animality. Actually would prefer more wildness in its eyes. Still, a pleasing enough drop, were one to have any take advantage of the fruit now.
2015 Domaine Laleure-Piot Pernand-Vergelesses Clos de Bully. Just achieves a violet core, more garnet further out, on the dark side, fine clarity, rims flushed with color. The nose is spicy with a hint of brine and orange zest, the berryish fruit taut and punctuated, a smoky stoniness undergirds it all. Medium-bodied, the first thing to hit the tongue is candied cherry to red berry fruit, sweet but not juicy. Here the citrus more lemony and in keeping with the solid acidic spine. The spiciness most obvious through the finish and as an aftertaste. Fruit lasts fully to the end. Nothing “profound” but all the pieces are there and they are put together well. A fine accompaniment to garlic shrimp and butternut squash salad.
2019 Mas Coutelou Languedoc Vin de France “Classe.” Heavyset purple core with equally dense red magenta rims, deeply saturated throughout. The nose is pure fart at first, takes a good long while to moderate, eventually violets, black fruits, a vague mentholated aspect, and finally orange zest, takes patience. Medium-bodied, finish marred some by some astringency. Smooths out by mid-palate to offer plum, cassis, blackberry fruit with nice white grapefruit zest. Touch of cocoa, leather. Much purer than the nose, that’s for sure. Eventually it becomes a nice chewy Rhônish blend with a floral touch. 60% Syrah, 40% Grenache.
2015 Jean-Luc Colombo Côte-Rôtie “La Divine.” Dark purple core dulling to black, fairly wide blood red rims. The nose sorta pokes you like a stick, leather, tobacco leaf, grapefruit, that a smoky to roasty quality which seems mildly oak influenced, granite, the red currant to blackberry scents get right to the point, no excess. Medium-bodied, manages to fashion a round mouth feel while also displaying a perfectly acceptable level of tannin and acidity. Pleasing sourness throughout the currant, blackberry, Italian plum fruit. The cocoa to mocha thing persists, again to me signaling oak toast. Fine minerality and leatheriness, the white citrus absorbed into the whole. In summation, it hits most of the food groups you’d want but somehow the whole remains unmoving. Just lacks pizzazz if technically correct. 95% Syrah, 5% Viognier.
2019 Pascal Janvier Loire Vin de France (Pineau d’Aunis). Bright bing cherry red color with moderate deepening to purple in the core, sleek and shiny. Taut nose, more grassy than peppery, raspberry cornerstone to the fruit in the nose along with watermelon and cherry, turns smokier as it opens with notes of tobacco ash. Light-bodied, the acidity is adequate while it maintains a smooth and user friendly mouth feel. Before the drier finish the mixed berry, cherry fruit is syrupy and does its best to soak in. Fresher tobacco here with grapefruit citrus tartness. And more pepperiness, particularly towards the end. The elements are all in place but without the savage kick from acidity it lacks the 100 watt brightness the grape is capable of. (Composite Cork)
2019 Martin Texier Rhône Vin de France “La Preyna.” Reddish purple core with a more garnet red cast further out. Stony, minerally nose, rawhide and gets close to animal sweat, conversely there’s a core of candied cherries and red berry jam as well as a touch of orange marmalade and violet pastille. Light-bodied with a fluffy mouth feel which increases presence. The acidity provides most of the structure which isn’t insubstantial. The animal hide edge persists, detracting from the purity of the red fruits. Very leathery finish. While I appreciate the roughhewn nature of this wine it leaves too much funky aftertaste to really regard it highly. 'Nuff said. 75% Cinsault, 25% Grenache.
2005 Filliatreau Saumur-Champigny “La Grande Vignolle.” Blackish core surrounded by sunset reds and oranges before a mild yellowing at the outer rims. Initially the nose is all shoe polish and horsehide, very unpleasant, damp cocoa powder, perhaps maderized, certainly a roasted quality to the black fruits, eventually calms down some but it smells like a bottle past its prime. In the mouth it shows a prunish cast to the plum, cherry fruit as well as the aforementioned roast, golden raisin too. Not real tannin nor acidity to give it life or erectness. Notes of cough syrup. No bell pepper but maybe it is there and just submerged in the muck. The previous bottle sampled December 2020 was much better, albeit that one wasn’t great. Cork was in immaculate shape. I am going with this bottle is damaged, should be showing better.
1998 Zind Humbrecht Riesling Brand. Fully bronzed color, almost reddish, fairly strong through the rims and not without luster. The nose is pretty tight at first but bit-by-bit delivers a sizable rubber component and then doles out apricot paste, orange marmalade, wax, and wet sauna stone notes, there’s also an inconsistent bready toastiness as well. Full-bodied, does shed weight through the finish. Dry, semi-clumpy texture, does not move fluidly across the palate. Toastier and smokier here, less rubbery. The apricot, peach, pineapple fruit concentrated into dried fruit character but dries out in the bad way towards the end. A few milky notes. Brown sugar. Citrus not as pronounced as in the nose. Reminds me a little of how some moelleux Vouvray lose sweetness over time. Good, not great, bottle, not the “wow” wine it was on release.
2016 Heymann-Löwenstein Riesling Mosel Saar Ruwer Hatzenporter Kirchberg “Grosses Gewächs AP #7.” Looks somewhat flat but there is a glow to deepening golden color, mild green tint at some angles. Strong nose of rubber, oil slick and whipped cream, more lemony as it opens, does not strike me as especially fruity, succinct pineapple, green apple, apricot. Medium-bodied, acidity offers more brawn than subtlety, smoky and flinty from the first sip on. Here that whipped cream thing turns to bread toast, albeit just lightly buttered. Touches of mint, roses, and anything else close to “pretty” get caught up in the turbulent pineapple, passion fruit, guava flavors as well as white grapefruit citrus. Long, punishing finish. There’s a lot going on here but too much of it is all over the map. (Screwcap)
2019 Monte Bernardi Colli della Toscana Centrale Rosso “Tzingarella.” The liquid may be clear and close to transparent but there’s plenty of richness to the glowing purple core, likewise around the ruby rims. Quite floral nose supplying juicy blueberry, blackberry scents and a kiss of chocolaty oak, maybe a little fresh leather but right very much in an unevolved, primary state. Medium-bodied, here an astringency impairs the juiciness of the dark fruits, particularly at the finish. Otherwise it has a round mouth feel and content to soak in more than lift. The floral element supplemented by a burst of citrus and something vaguely mentholated. But, here too, a smattering of earthiness or leather at best. The abundance of fruit will please many an eager imbiber. 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 5% Colorino. (Composite Cork: Diam)
2016 Produttori di Nebbiolo di Carema Riserva (Nebbiolo). Crystal clear, a sort of cough syrup to red rust coloration, mildly more purple at the core, highly reflective surface. Core of cherry hard candy to the nose, no distracting greenness, weaves in potpourri, leather and poor stony dirt, not especially expressive but not a flaw, more so it’s just stripped down to basics. Light to medium-bodied, the tannins are not drying but do suck up enough moisture that you feel the elements start to pull in towards each other. Same hard candy cherry to red berry fruit, fine for what it is but maybe a bit lacking for longer term aging. Very citrus laden. Opens some with air. Probably best with lighter chicken or veal dishes, nothing too heavy.
2019 Cantina Terlano (Kellerai Cantina Terlan) Gewürztraminer Alto Adige “Tradition.” Fetching glow to the green-gold hue, consistent from core to rims. The nose treads a middle ground, not too blowsy nor steely, whipped cream and litchee nut, lemon and lime citrus sorbet, rose water, some apricot, pear fruit mixed in, here raw pungency works best over complexity. Medium-bodied, has what one might consider uncommon acidic grip for the grape and you feel it squeezing the palate. This compacts the vanillin, whipped cream for sure and most of the nuttiness into a more streamlined message. Citrus running more to naval orange and tangerine. Fruit getting more into pineapple, passion fruit but still good bit of ripe apricot. Concentrated florality, not a wafting mist. Allowing for the general existence of such, it’s a “food” Gewürztraminer, needs a complement. (Composite Cork)
2010 Bodegas Escudero Rioja “Serna Imperial Reserva” (Tempranillo). Modicum of purple left to the core, it’s mostly a rust red to dried blood red hue, average clarity. The nose at first is all creamy oak but it settles down into grill smoke, leather and plum/prune to cherry compote scents, minty now and then, however, all but completely lacking in freshness. Medium-bodied, sticks to the same script in the mouth. Vanilla, whipped cream, fudge, molasses flavors predominate, challenged only by concentrated dried fruit flavors. Tea leaf, orange peel, menthol provide a patina of makeup. There are many other Rioja wines which hew to tradition with a greater deal of finesse. 75% Tempranillo, 25% Garnacha.