2020 Moric Blaufränkisch Burgenland. Trim violet to ruby-magenta, clean with a buffed up shine, lightly saturated. Dusty, stony earth with perhaps an edge of saline, some forest breeze lift, the black and blue fruits feel “crunchy” in the nostrils and fit well with the overall profile. Medium-bodied, pretty darn tannic and to me not without some volatility. The blackberry, blueberry, Italian plum fruit ripe enough to prevent the mouth feel from getting too dry. Again, sandy, stony earth dominates. Over time, white citrus rises to dominate the finish. Lively presence, hard to ignore even if the tannin does dampen the length some. Could see an argument that the wine is too young to strut its full stuff. Liked it, didn’t love it, can’t see buying it again at $30 (and I am sure the price will continue upwards as the producer has plenty of fans). (Composite Cork: Diam10)
2020 Bedrock Carignan Contra Costa County Evangelho Vineyard. Fat glow to the opaque purple core through the scarlet red rims, well saturated, clean as well. Nose of mountain scrub, pine, open air breezes, a touch of white citrus introduces the sturdy blueberry, boysenberry fruit scents, maybe some black licorice as it opens, any oak cream momentary, very enjoyable aromatics which leave your nostrils feeling fresh. Medium-bodied, the acidity is there, especially felt as you swallow. But it’s otherwise a round, supple and plush wine which keeps returning to the core of black and blue berry fruit. Sandy earth and crushed stone more than minerality. Getting a molasses element which elevates the overall sweetness. Then menthol and pine bring it through the prolonged finish. Little surprise that it is quite primary at the moment, have a bottle in the cellar to see what happens when the baby fat is gone.
2019 Gargiulo Vineyards Chardonnay Napa Valley Frank Wood Ranch. Green gold hue with average shine, faint glow, youthful and looks the part. The nose offers a subtle oak toast undercurrent, dewy pear, apple, melon fruit scents, floral, maybe cinnamon stick, all in all it’s on the subdued side. Medium-bodied with a fairly delicate finish, were it not for the oak toastiness it would be smoothly polished. Lemon-lime citrus featured through the attack, brings out more florality as well. Here the fruit runs more to peach apricot then melon. Stays under control as it warms to room temperature. Exceeded expectations, which truthfully weren’t that high, kudos.
2005 Lagier Meredith Syrah Mount Veeder. Black core with rust red rims, clarity and cleanliness are fine, looks like an older wine. The nose retains some lift but basically has concentrated into a singular mass, making differentiation difficult, menthol and cocoa, grill char, the plum, black currant fruit taking on a prunish profile. Full-bodied, although there is a slight problem pulling through to the finish. Fruit not falling off, blueberry, blackberry, cherry to plum offer sweetness but, again, sweating across the finish line. Lacks the mountain air freshness of youth. Molasses BBQ, spiced orange peel, menthol, the oak wasn’t huge to begin with but is barely noticeable now. There is a sourness throughout which I find distracting. At this juncture I am hard pressed to look for more tertiary development, so might as well chug it down while the fruit is around.
2019 Nalle Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley. The core is a blackish sort of purple, little saturation and not quite opaque, wide rims mostly brick red lightening to ruby. Billowing pungency to the nose focused on a core of blackberry, cherry, currant fruit, more mocha than menthol, light smokiness, has a “rugged” profile, gets right down to business. Medium-bodied, firm with some swelling in the mid-palate. Tannins are formidable but not that drying. Would not characterize it as oaky yet there is that consistent toasty, mocha thing. Metallic black earth lends more bite. Here too the black fruits are abundant while not too sweet. Chewy, throwback style which shows the grape variety still can crafted with good fruit and a relatively low ABV. 90% Zinfandel, 7% Petite Sirah, 3% Carignane.
2020 Sandlands Mataro Contra Costa County. Straightforward ruby-magenta to purple in color, clean with good shine, virtually indistinguishable visually from so many others. Thick floral musk to it, the cherry, blackberry scents close to grapey, some green apple, little bit of breeze through the pines, dollop of sweet baking spices and cocoa, smells like a tank sample. Full-bodied attack then the tannin clamps down and it sheds a lot of heft. The floral coating persists, getting more stony dry dirt than anything woolly. A squirt of white grapefruit comes out of left field. Dark berries, cherry and a bit of plum, the fruit has a solid core but can’t go ten rounds with the tannin. As it opened started to get a buttered popcorn thing at the end. In any event, this is a painfully young wine that’s really just “wine” now instead of a distinct variety with its commonly accepted descriptors.
2018 Metrick Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills Rancho la Viña Vineyard. Light cranberry red to violet, fine shine and clear, manages to hold its hue decently through the rims. The nose has a big, boisterous lift, menthol, cola bean, lemondrop, the alcohol does peek through some, the strawberry, raspberry scents lack staying power. Light-bodied, spicy with pleasing acidic pep. There’s a good deal more concentration here in the red berry to cherry fruit, hugs the tongue. Cola, ginger with orange to lemon citrus. Finish is a bit aggressive for its weight but generally speaking it has okay balance. But I can see how some folks would be put off by the alcohol’s obtrusiveness. Me I was catching a buzz. (Composite Cork)
2016 Ty Caton Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma Valley Moon Mountain District Caton Vineyard. Dark purple core, fully opaque, the thin rims showing brick to dried blood red, not necessarily maturing, perhaps was never youthfully saturated. Oak toast, mocha, mint to menthol appear first in the nose, good lift, the black fruits don’t gain traction even after giving it some air, runs a little alcoholic, not as bad as I might be making it sound. Medium-bodied, quite firm, the tannin upfront, however, appear to be slowly knitting in. Not that dry. Here the blackberry, black currant fruit shows more bounce. The oak continues to show a chocolate to vanilla edge, more toasty than creamy. Minor notes of tobacco, cedar, at this juncture not getting the sense that there’s substantial tertiary development down the road. Some pucker at the end. Could argue it is in an awkward phase. Needs meat. (Composite Cork)
1995 Château Langoa-Barton Saint-Julien. Reddish black core, falls short of opaque, bright sunset red rims with a hint of yellow. Sweetly fruited nose, cassis, cherry, blackberry, cedar and tobacco leaf, violet pastille, very light earthiness, it’s all about being clean and pretty, aromas last very well. Medium to light-bodied, tannins mostly resolved which enables a soft textural dissolve at the end. Heavier on the cedar, tobacco, tea leaf with added citrus notes. The black currant, blackberry fruit displays a more sour profile here and heading more to red fruits than plumminess. Graphite, pencil lead round out the finish. Comparable in overall quality to previous experience in September 2019 so would say on a nice plateau. Highly enjoyable. 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc.
2002 René Muré (Clos St. Landelin) Riesling Alsace Vorbourg Clos St. Landelin. Moderate shine to the dark orange color, no sign of browning, I should have made up it was aged in buried amphorae and sold it on WineBid for multiples of the $10 I paid. The nose has some punch to it, candied orange peel, rubber, has a certain waxiness, apple, pineapple, nectarine scents, smokier as it warms, no yeastiness or signs of oxidation, wouldn’t call it fresh but, again, has bounce and length. Medium-bodied, the acidity is broad and muscular and lends a tacky texture. Here there is a light doughy undercurrent. Lively citrus, orange, lemon to grapefruit. Sweetened by notes of molasses, honey. Definite tropical feel in the fruit, guava, mango, pineapple as well as peach, nectarine. Light herbaceousness through the finish. Compares well to previous bottle tasted October 2019 if not a touch better. Still, drink up.
2005 Mongeard-Mugneret Vosne-Romanée. The core violet on the main but plenty of bricking, rims showing a yellow aura, liquid is clean and no real sediment to speak of. Leather, rawhide make a big initial impression in the nose, followed on by a damp earthiness before opening into ginger root, cinnamon stick and mixed red and black berry fruit, while there’s a lack of clarity to the fruit scents there is no sign of overall weakness. Medium-bodied, maintains a firm tannic frame, any acidity more of a slap than a cut. Lavender, witch hazel, marjoram, something about it smacks of an “herbal remedy.” The fruit is fading but not absent, same muddled mixture. Finish is succinct and dry. I like its character and that it can challenge without depending on the fruit. Allowing for this, it is time to drink up this little village wine. 375 ml bottle.
2015 Domaine de Vaccelli Corsica Ajaccio “Granit” (Vermentino). While the golden hue has deepened it doesn’t look anything near old and has a bright glow to it, clarity is fine with nothing to note. The nose has a relaxed power to it, blending lemon, herbs, wet stone with pineapple, peach, guava fruit, any tropical bite tempered by the creamy nostril texture, especially as it warmed. Full-bodied, arguably more concentrated here than in the nose, which is saying something. The acidity more blanketing than soft but at the same time there’s no keen edge slicing through your palate. Finding the citrus as much lime as lemon and more prominent than the very ripe fruit. Minty with that same sweet garden herb touch. Despite the bottling name any granite influence seems slight. Very prolonged finish and the depth of the fruit without getting cloyingly sweet is impressive. Still, not sure I’d push it much further and even as a curiosity sure to disappoint those who suck on stones.
2010 Champagne Corbon Avize “Les Bacchantes” Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Brut. Clean golden color, pours a good bit of foam and there’s a massive swirling of visible bubbles throughout, crisp presence in the glass. The nose is sharp, direct and to the point, green apple, apricot, pear fruit scents, lemon peel, chalk dust, croissant flakes, really keeps the message simple. Medium-bodied, dry and minerally, prickly pétillance gives it energy. So much so that it never really relaxes and soaks into the palate so you can enjoy it. This substantially attenuates the apple, pear, peach fruit. Orange to lemon citrus. Nutty, bitter finish. Hard to know what to make of it, it is so linear and zippy that you don’t get any time to spend with it. No flaws which I can find but not to my liking, just about intentionally defies description.
2007 Domaine de la Pépière Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Sur Lie. Dark golden color betrays its age, has some glow to it otherwise flat and dull. The nose offers a substantial amount of yeast and dough notes, dominates the honey, orange zest, apple to peach scents, there’s some residue of sea salt and seashell but nothing like the chalkiness of its youth. Medium to full-bodied, flat mouth presence with no perceptible acidity. Does have a good jolt of lemon, orange citrus. The yeastiness there if less obtrusive. The fruit hanging on by a thin thread. Sort of herbal, botanical finish. It’s mostly shot but not horrible, interesting in that the synthetic cork did not seem to prolong the aging curve (of, of course, this bottle). Was kind of thinking it might have helped it remain more youthful or at least middle-aged. (Synthetic Cork: Nomacorc)
2018 Olga Raffault Chinon “Les Peuilles”. Nicely bright scarlet red influence through the rims and into the core, general warmth to the hues, spotless throughout. Noticeable fullness to the nose, grill smoke and wet leather make an initial impression, the earthiness also seems “damp,” while the fruit scents convey ripeness they are indistinct and close to a non-factor, I find only a whisper of bell pepper or anything herbaceous. Medium-bodied, tannic and in a way which conveys underripeness bordering on green. Cinnamon, nutmeg spice, cedar and leather. Here the plum, currant fruit able to find more concentration. However, length is a problem. As with the nose, not finding any herbaceousness. Disjointed and uneven, each sip feels like a complete stop and start, not a continuous drinking experience. (Composite Cork)
2001 Dönnhoff Riesling Nahe Norheimer Kirschheck Spätlese AP #6. Amber orange color betrays its age, still possesses the shine and clarity of youth. The nose is texturally concentrated while still showing some verve, apricot paste and pineapple, pine tar, orange marmalade, honey, a vague smokiness lurks around the edges, doughiness more noticeable as it warms. Full-bodied, layers the palate in multiple coats, enough so that it takes awhile to adjust to it and work the acidity into the mix. Quite fruit-driven, lush pineapple, papaya, passion fruit to nectarine and apricot flavors. Tangerine, blood orange to pink grapefruit intensify this further. Here you get a mild rubber note not found in the nose. Mint and tea leaf more than florality. The concentration results in a prolonged finish. In keeping with previous experience with the wine in March 2012, at this juncture for me I’d say it has peaked.
1998 Arnaldo Caprai Sagrantino di Montefalco “25 Anni”. Opaque black-purple core while the cleanliness is evident, a bit surprised that there’s no sediment adhered to the bottle, rims a strong brick red. The nose is well-stuffed and pregnant with plum, black currant scents, flowers and cedar, polished shoe leather, continues to show a good degree of toasty oak and vanilla bean influence. Full-bodied, smooth and fluid at a slowish pacing. The tannin has turned dusty and more or less holds off until clumping through the finish, feels like a decent amount of wood tannin. The black fruits doing great and push through credibly to the end. Can’t say I am experiencing much tertiary development, probably had the same degree of leather and stony earth in its youth. Chewy wine in search of meat fat. Enjoyed it at face value, a glass in realized no sense in looking for something not there.
2018 Vincent Wine Company Pinot Noir Willamette Valley. Mostly garnet red with a mild deepening to violet at the core, very light filminess to it. Brambly, woodsy nose of earth and brush, the cherry to raspberry scents have a liqueur like intensity while remaining second fiddle, showed darker fruit a few years ago, over time lemon zest accrues, good staying power. Medium-bodied, acidity feels average, still quite tannic but slowly releasing its grip. Here blueberry still prominent with cherry, raspberry mixed in. More white citrus than florality, helps crispen what’s otherwise chewy. Interesting in that the winemaker selected the “most ready and open barrels” but this still strikes me as in need of time and softening. In any event, more of a food wine than a sipper, did well with grilled chicken.
2007 Domaine Serene Pinot Noir Willamette Valley Dundee Hills Fleur de Lis Vineyard. Murky purple core, rust to brick red rims, looks somewhat flat and lifeless. Some cola and potpourri to the nose, almost mentholated, the fruit scents have settled into a genial plumminess, hardly any red fruit to speak of, nothing offputting like stewed tomatoes but no fresh liveliness either. Full-bodied, pulverized tannin and no acidity so it moves forward by dint of sheer weight. Echoes of orange spice, pressed flowers, caraway seed. Black cherry, plum, blackberry fruit all but shot, stops short of the finish. Air time just deepened its flaws. Seems like it was a decent enough wine when young. Probably should have been consumed 5-6 years from vintage date.
2020 Aslina Cabernet Sauvignon South Africa Stellenbosch. Good clarity to be found in spite of the near black core coloration, broad crimson red rims, extremely shiny surface otherwise tempted to call it “brooding.” Right off the nose has a substantial amount of green pepper and herbaceousness so that is sure to turn off some, otherwise there’s resonant cassis, plum scents, fresh tobacco leaf, tar and graphite, unevolved but promising. In the mouth it is full-bodied with moderate tannin, neither soft nor drying. Blood iron, tar, tobacco and slate give a fair showing before crushed underneath the black fruits. Here too the bell pepper is unavoidable. But I personally don’t mind this. Thick and chewy finish. Very little subtlety here but I’d give it props as a bacon cheeseburger deluxe kind of wine. But it is pushing it price-wise. (Composite Cork: Vinc+)
2020 Rustenberg South Africa Stellenbosch Simonsberg “John X Merriman”. Crimson inflected purple core, close to but not quite opaque, red rust to clay hued rims. Smoky, leathery nose, metallic earth, raw oak toast permeate the nose, makes me think of volcanic soil, the fruit mainly cherry to currant but mixes in reds and blues, some floral perfume, it doesn’t come across as “tight” but there’s not much staying power. In the mouth it’s medium-bodied and shows good polish and fluidity. Same general profile as the nose with more herbaceousness. The oak doesn’t dominate given the relatively lighter body. Tannin a bit rough but likewise is not a distraction. To me it just has that “South African” minerally, earthy edge that lingers longer than any fruit, no matter how ripe. One either appreciates it or not. I am once again in the midst of seeing where I stand. This particular wine is okay. 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 14% Petit Verdot, 7% Malbec.