2023 Nigl Grüner Veltliner, Kremstal, “Freiheit” ($18.99, 12.5%). Glassy pale hay hue with a green glint, pleasing shine, for the coloration looks substantial. The nose has a textural roundness to it despite the most prominent scents being white pepper, cut grass and sauna smoke, citrus more moderate, the fruit quieter still, peach, apricot, maybe apple. Full-bodied, round here as well, acidity average to average plus, does its best to shave off anything extra. Much more citrusy here, smoky and minerally, oily even. Most peppery as an aftertaste. Fruit ripe but not especially forward, contributes to semi-watery finish. On the whole dry enough. Basic entry level stuff, nothing more, and probably better out there at the price point. (Screwcap)
2020 Lagier Meredith Syrah, Napa Valley, Mount Veeder ($48.00, 14.7%). Fully opaque purple, thin crimson rims, could be made of sold stone, fine surface shine. The nose slowly swirls, like a merry-go-round on half power, the fruit isn’t overpowering but it still comes off as primary, trace of smokiness without a hint of oak, violet pastille, orange zest, not tight but by the same token not laying it all at your feet. Medium to full-bodied, acidity pulls it back right quick. Citrus grabs the mic. Pork crackings, green olive, saltiness expands as you sip. Ten times more savory than sweet, makes the fruit seem weaker than it is. Comes close to punishing at moments. It does crack the door open with time. All the elements are there but the weaving of the cloth hasn’t been finished yet.
2021 Prima Materia Sagrantino, Lake County, Kelsey Bench. Dark purple core sneaks into opacity, full into the rims with minor lightening, nothing unusual about clarity, cork end had some crud on it. Tilled black earth, and leather are the cornerstone of the nose, however, the lavender, thick mixed berry scents no slouch, fair amount of oak at first but blows off. Full-bodied without seeming ponderous, progresses at a steady pace. The cherry, plum, blackberry fruit coats the palate. Here the oak doesn’t really knit in and remains a force throughout. Only moderately tannic nevertheless the texture is dry. The florality skips along, noticed now and then. This is good juice, arguably 3-5 more years would do it good but don’t push it to the point the fruit loses its exuberance. (Composite Cork)
2017 Bedrock Russian River Valley, Papera Ranch Heritage ($39.00, 14.5%). Dark purple core, only sign of aging is the deepened crimson rims, clear and shiny. Smoky nose that is sort of off center, plastic and wet fur, stabilizes into coconut custard, vanilla bean and boysenberry, blackberry scents, no overt tertiary notes I can find. Full-bodied with a velvety fullness, no lack of rich layers. Definitely on the sweet side, jammy fruit flavors. Mild astringency through the finish suggests tannin there somewhere. Cedar, incense, orange peel and sage round it out. Having a tough time with this, very much enjoyed this on release and maybe I prefer the puppy jumping around. I am sure there is a possibility it is in a “dumb phase.” Approximately 50% Zinfandel, 40% Carignane, 10% Valdigue, Petite Sirah, Syrah.
2019 Prima Materia Aglianico, Lake County, Kelsey Bench. Core is a coin flip black or purple, edges into opacity, some width to the brick red rims, looks clear. The nose is stuffed, sort of wooly or cottony, something absorbent stuck up in there, asphalt and tar, echo of peanut shells, dark berry, currant fruit, nothing unique, caraway and sage, some cleansing action, otherwise it’s a haymaker that isn’t overly concerned where it lands. Medium to full-bodied and slimmer than I expected. Bountiful acidity and tannin both. The peanut shell, dried merde never quite goes away. No real “volcanic” aspect but not far off, true to type even if it is just mental. Each sip has it digging deeper in.Given its age not sure what I should be expecting from it. 95% Aglianico, 5% Montepulciano. (Composite Cork)
2016 Jean-Claude Lapalu Gamay Noir, Beaujolais-Villages, “Le Rang du Merle” ($41.99, 14.5%). Very dark from the purple core to the crimson rims, not filmy per se but some particulate, average shine at best. Expected initial stinky poo nose then layers of blackberry, cherry to plum scents, clove to ginger spice, can’t call it particularly complex, however, hits the pleasure node bullseye. Full-bodied, pours slowly into the mouth, sufficient residual tannin to prevent congealing. More plummy here while somehow the berry skews red. Spiciness takes it up a few notches. White citrus replaces the florality. Tingly finish even if there’s some sediment residue. Think this is what you’re going to get. My kind of wine whatever “should” have happened.
2023 Domaine Anita Gamay Noir, Beaujolais, Moulin-à-Vent, “Reine de Nuit” ($29.99, 14.0%). I’m going with opaque, luminescent violet to dark magenta, super saturated, spotless. Thick, dewy nose of crushed mixed berries, fresh potpourri, clove, given that curious note of brine, on the overpowering side, nothing subtle to be had. Full-bodied, smooth for its girth. Tannin slows it down, minimal acidity to speed it up. Full throttle fruit. Muddy earth and dirt caked pebbles. Taking this into consideration, it has a noticeably short finish. With a leathery aftertaste, not what I’d call clean. Strange beast, close to clumsy but not. Sort of surprised to see Rosenthal repping it. But, hey, everyone’s gotta make a buck.
2022 Le Petit Chambord (François Cazin) Loire, Cheverny ($16.99, 13.0%). Dark purple to scarlet red, imposing, clear throughout, full rims. The nose has a woolen, stuffy texture, plenty of fullness, minerally black earth, rawhide, light barnyard, the fruit mostly cherry, blackberry and some strawberry, witch hazel to menthol, nothing I’d consider “pretty” going on but none the worse for it. Medium-bodied, muscularly firm, tannin tends to freeze it in place. Generously ripe fruit without too much sweetness. Sweaty leather and earth and cedar, tastes like mainly Malbec. Smoky finish. Casts a shadow of white citrus. Rugged little wine, needs food for sure. Unspecified percentages of Pinot Noir, Gamay Noir, Côt.
2023 Schloss Lieser Riesling Mosel Saar Ruwer, Brauneberger Juffer, Kabinett AP #10 ($34.99, 8.5%). Light golden straw color, flat but wouldn’t call it dull per se, weak rims, this isn’t a wine I’d think much of visually. Wet slate, chalk, oil smoke together create a focused and borderline imposing nose, sinewy, more subtle power than length, the apple, cherry, apricot scents succinct, citrus shades more naval orange to me than anything else. Medium-bodied, generous while establishes a steadily grinding path forward. Any residual sugar is front-loaded and it’s all but fully dry by the finish. The acidity betrays any attempt at subtlety. The cherry, apricot, pear fruit sufficiently toothsome. Some oiliness, slate but not close to the nose. Covers a lot of ground to appeal to the many and pretty much pulls it off.
2024 Koehler-Ruprecht Pinot Noir, Pfalz, Rosé Kabinett Trocken AP #3 ($23.99, 12.5%). Yellow to orange in hue, not registering much pink, clear if dull, watery rims. Pleasant swirling action in the nose short of getting high-toned, while not complex every word is direct, cherry to raspberry fruit, wet limestone and minerals, lemon zest, doesn’t force itself on you. Medium-bodied, wiry more than lean, good tension. Acidity at a plus level. The fruit is sour, ripeness evident. Not tropical but offers more varied persimmon, cranberry, kiwi flavors. Minerality consistent from the nose. Credible freshness, not a casual sipper, more of a food wine. Does trail off at the end. Worth a shot. (Screwcap)
2024 Stein Mosel Saar Ruwer, Rosé Trocken AP #1 ($23.99, 11.5%). Bright metallic pink with a yellow tint, average shine, attractive enough. Fruity nose of watermelon, strawberry, apple and apricot, floral, minor chalkiness, touch of brine after it warms, approachably agreeable or maybe agreeably approachable. Medium to full-bodied, spreads its weight all around, not a lot of lift. Dry enough that not half as fruity as in the nose. Lot more citrus, compounds sourness. Length is very good. Getting more power than finesses out of it, preferred it well chilled versus warming. Nothing great nor lousy about it. Approximately 80% Pinot Noir, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot. (Composite Cork: Diam5)
2019 Vallana Nebbiolo, Piedmont, Colline Novaresi Spanna ($17.99, 13.0%). Immaculately clear rust red with a tint of orange at the rims, buffed up shine, attractive. Smoky and tarry nose but the maraschino cherry steals the show, gosh darn primary, low level white citrus, camphor, openly knit and spreads quickly. Medium-bodied, the acidity comes across as slightly volatile. Minimal tannin. Candied cherry, red berry fruit, sweet duh. Flows smoothly start to finish in spite of any volatility. Leather and more sous bois than smokiness. Succinct, tangy end. At the time of this writing it’s pop and pour so maybe time open resolves some of that volatility. (Composite Cork: Diam5)
2022 Casanova di Neri Tuscany, Toscana, “IrROSSO” ($25.99, 13.5%). The purple to scarlet coloration has amild dusky look, not close to opaque, rims as full as the core. Dense nose of cherry, plum fruit, cedar, lavender, generally floral, pleasing in a direct, non-threatening way. Full-bodied, sheds sufficient weight as it progresses to avoid sluggishness. While sour, the full ripeness of the dark fruits more than evident. Tannin moderate, is noticeable. More smoky here, less floral. Not getting any oak bludgeoning. Nice tingle at the end even if it’s short. respectable “trattoria red” but I suspect the producer name is the reason behind the price (which to me is not warranted). Majority Sangiovese, small percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon. (Synthetic Cork: Nomacorc Select Green 300)
2023 Gota Wine Vinho Verde, Atlantic Coast Vineyards [I think this is an official designation now], “Azahar” ($14.99, 11.5%). Glowing yellow color, in some ways diminishes shine while increasing visual presence. Smoky, flinty nose with strong lemon zest, apple to pear fruit with some pineapple, guava, muscularly fills the nostrils. Medium-bodied, firm here as well, acidity swings a club at anything that moves. That said, the lees aging is very evident from the first sip, softens things past the mid-palate. Citrus more flavor than bite. Expected the fruit to come off more tropical on the palate but went in the other direction. Doughiness accelerates as it warms. And it puts on weight. Needs some kind of shellfish to cut the body. Very good, not a sipper to me. 50% Loureiro, 50% Arinto. (Composite Cork)
2024 Quinta do Regueiro Vinho Verde, Minho, “Trajadura-Alvarinho” ($15.99, 12.0%). Pale greenish gold, fairly dull, washes out at the rims. Full nose like the proverbial wet cotton ball, not really “dense,” lemon to tangerine citrus, ginger, peach, pear to apricot scents, chalky, easygoing and amiable. Medium-bodied and slimming down as it progresses. Acidity is good, not out for blood. Tangy fruit and more general cooking spices. Yet overall a bit sweet. Blood orange to tangerine citrus. Vague herbaceousness. Its heft takes it out of “poundable Vinho Verde” range for me but tastes real nice. Honestly, I think all the poundable stuff is still like $7.99. Keep it well-chilled. Unspecified percentages of Trajadura, Alvarinho. (Composite Cork)
2022 Susana Esteban Alentejano, Portalegre, “Aventura” ($21.99, 13.0%). Clean and deep ruby-violet color, youthful, could see it bricking over time. Nice little bit of leather, animal fur but not in an unclean manner, lots of mixed berry fruit, candied cherry, not much else to say. Light to medium-bodied, webby tannin, tacky mouth texture. Short finish. Decent fruit. Modicum of citrus. Elements which sound like just about any other wine. Because it’s wine. No overt flaws. The bottle was open so I drank it. Not much more to say other than I could probably get the same experience at half the price. 40% Aragonês, 40% Touriga Nacional, 20% unspecified traditional varieties of Portalegre. (Composite Cork: Diam5)