2025 Schloss Gobelsburg Austria, Kamptal, Cistercien Rosé ($17.99, 12.0%). Lightest of pinks, that “onion skin” look, minute bubbly residue on the inside of the glass, fine brightness. Fresh red berries to the nose, perhaps the power of suggestion but next up is a healthy dose of whipped cream, pulls together some minerally bite and mixed grapefruit notes, whatever that creaminess is it creates a good amount of fleshiness. Medium-bodied, firmer than the nose lets on, the grapefruit, lemon citrus and mineral powder take a decisive lead. Acidity close to teeth rattler territory. Fruit adopts a tart profile. Long, energetic finish. Have not been able to find this locally in recent vintages, happy to find it now, multiple bottle purchase. (Screwcap)
2022 Scherrer Zinfandel, Alexander Valley, “Old and Mature Vines” ($44.00, 14.8%). Subtle gauziness to the warm plum purple to red hues, full rims, inviting. The nose feels like a twisted wet towel, all coiled and taut, to the contrary the brightness in the blueberry, cranberry, boysenberry scents shines clearly, formidable citrus component pushes the eucalyptus and grill fat notes out of the spotlight, seems dustier as it opens over time. Medium-bodied, plants itself on the tongue with authority. I can’t say I am registering all that much acidity or tannin yet it is very well structured. Energetic mixed berry fruit both sugary and tart, the latter more so through the finish. Smoky, savory garden herbs. Hits all the right notes, better experience than the 2021.
2021 Fogline Zinfandel, Sonoma County, Rockpile, Rocky Ridge Vineyard ($58.00, 14.7%). Dark, dusky purple core stops at the edge of opacity, the rims a duller brick red which makes it look slightly older than it is. At first the nose is a salami fest, meaty and earthy, the alcoholic fumes maybe accentuates this, is there an olfactory equivalent of “hollow mid-palate,” plum, currant fruit break the surface before it all dissolves. Full-bodied during the attack losing weight moving forward. Creates an impression of acidity, have not seen the technical report. The fruit is more apparent here. Combined with the unrelenting caramel, molasses aspect there’s sufficient sweetness to account for any loss in body feel. Tacky mouth feel after a few more sips. Menthol, sure. Throwback style Zin, high octane and you feel it right off.
2015 Once & Future Zinfandel, Sonoma Valley, Bedrock Vineyard ($42.00, 14.7%). The purple core mutated into a duller blackish cast, broad blood red rims, same general coloration as on release just with added age. The nose is fleshy but wearing jeans a size too small, not a lot of wiggle room so the plum/prune, cassis scents don’t fully release, truncated menthol as well, dose of sandy silt, poor dirt, fairly monochrome. Medium-bodied, here that clench helps in terms of focus. Tannin arguably more than the fruit can handle, felt this way through two previous tastings. Pressed flowers, light menthol, oak has a lessened presence. Not much length. Okay but just that, not gonna think about it any more.
2017 Sandlands Syrah, Monterey County, Santa Lucia Highlands ($35.00, 12.4%). Youthful “stainer” of purple and deep magenta, nothing suggests it wasn’t bottled yesterday. The nose is reticent to mute, not unlike on release, blue and black fruits run a gauntlet of stone and sand to get heard, something similar to “garrigues” but to my olfactory sense little suggests the Syrah grape. Medium to full-bodied, time has tamed the tannin a little, underscore little. The blackberry, blueberry fruit benefits from this. Suggestion of bacon fat, maybe my wishful thinking. Pressed flowers, dried grasses and more hard rock. I will go so far as to call it one dimensional. Don’t hate the player, hate the game. I’d be a monkey’s uncle if it becomes a swan one day. Lotta mixed metaphors there. (Vinous only gave it a 92 so you know it sucks.)
2018 Sandlands Syrah, Monterey County, Santa Lucia Highlands ($35.00, 12.8%). Fully opaque dark purple, admits of thin garnet rims where the clarity becomes evident, looks young. Quite floral nose, violets and lavender, little bit of pine, ripely concentrated blackberry, blueberry fruit scents, gravel and sand, after that on the neutral side, don’t get much tertiary development. Medium-bodied, tannin evident without being all that drying. Fruit shows well during the attack then trails off, flavorful while it lasts. Pastilles, grapefruit pulp, more of that inert stone stuff. Pleasing pucker at the end. I wasn’t crazy about this on release and went with “it’s shutting down.” Given this experience there might have been some of this, however, probably just lacks resonant depth.
2017 La Porte Saint Jean Cabernet Franc, Loire, Saumur-Champigny ($49.99, 12.5%). Given its more or less “middle age” the purple to crimson coloration makes it seem older, however, there’s a visual warmth ot which adds an energetic feeling. The nose has a pregnant character like it’s holding back a bigger release, spring meadow musk, lavender, almost spicy at turns, ample plum, black cherry scents, and of course a healthy dose of well blended in bell pepper. Medium to full-bodied, leaves an impression of thickness more than sheer weight. Layers of sweet dark fruits. To me tastes like there’s a good creamy oak element too. Tannin definitely there, on the astringent side towards the finish. Underripe phenolics? Naval orange, more lavender, and Indian mukhwas. The bell pepper less present for those who care. Not perfect but I am digging it and this seems to be the right time.
2023 Natalie Richez Pinot Noir, Burgundy, Auxey-Duresses ($49.99, 13.0%). Normal violet to hues, washes out some at the rims, average brightness. The nose betrays some matchstick at first, however, there’s an over abundance of blue and red berry scents so that with a medicinal quality nothing sticks out as overtly missing, any terroir not given expression. In the mouth it is short of medium-bodied and presents a profile of complete joviality. As in the nose, nicely ripe red to blue berry fruit. Cinnamon and white citrus zest interplay. Caramel accents flit in and out on the margins. Open for business, super agreeable and fun. Not sure much else needs to be said.
2014 Domaine d’Aupilhac Languedoc, Les Cocalières ($24.99, 13.0%). Soft filminess to the diminished purple and now bricking core, the rims have a light yellow tint. when first opened serious reductive funk in the nose, slowly resolves into campfire smoke, graphite, tar, patchouli, there’s fruit in there but too much else going on for it to hold your gaze. Light-bodied, time has shed weight. Tannin resolved, acidity moderate. Leather, more asphalt and tar, like driving through a highway repaving project. Bright cherry, blueberry, raspberry fruit, makes it to the finish. To my mind the good type of brett. Waning grapefruit accents. Lacks the crackle of when first tasted in August 2017 but aging hasn’t brought it to its knees. Still, should not have pushed it this far. 40% Syrah, 30% Mourvèdre, 30% Grenache.
2024 Cornu-Camus Pinot Noir, Burgundy, Pernand-Vergelesses ($32.99, 12.5%). Transparent, even so the violet-ruby has a glow to it with buffed up shine, attractive. Penetrating nose, at first struck me as alcoholic, lots of stone and pebble notes, dusty with a hint of tar, laser focused blackberry, blueberry scents, perhaps it is just borderline painfully young. In the mouth it is light-bodied, tannin an inch or two too big for the raw material, however, it expands across the palate and softens as it does. More stoniness. Pinch of ginger. Not getting much by way of citrus. Oak (if any) is very neutral. Going with it needs more bottle time.
2023 Charles Joguet Cabernet Franc, Loire, Chinon, “Cuvée Terroir” ($26.99, 13.5%). Clean, staining purple, as much hue as possible short of a saturated glow, vivid ruby rims, quite attractive. Densely packed nose of leather, tree logs and barks, wood smoke, to a lesser extent tar, muscular plum, blackberry scents, the bell pepper noticeable but has no fresh snap so relatively easy to ignore. Medium-bodied, round and squishy, soaks into the mouth pores quickly. Tannin has a soft gritty quality but nothing too strong. Herbaceous and leathery aspects out shadow the rest. Fruit is ripe, trails off at the end into a semi-bitterness. To underscore more herbaceous than bell pepper driven. The more I drank the less I liked it. Nothing horrible but would not buy again.
2010 Louis Boillot Pinot Noir, Burgundy, Pommard, Les Croix Noires (13.0%). Not much purple, lots of red rust and more fiery orange at the rims, seems to have a natural gauziness but not “cloudy” per se. Oh yeah, there’s sous bois in the nose, piles of wet leaves, twigs on top of damp earth, something like witch hazel or rubbing lotion, roasted touch to the red fruits, big nostril presence, minimal subtlety. Medium-bodied while big bellied, no jelly the flesh is firm. Comes off to me like it was probably way tannic in its youth. The fruit is diffuse with that same roasty quality, brings with it a certain metallic flavor. Potpourri, lavender add to the inner mouth perfume. Finding it difficult to warm up to it.
2025 Thibault Boudignon Cabernet Franc, Loire, Rosé de Loire ($24.99, 12.5%). Metallic pink tinted orange, average shine, weak rims. The nose is round without being all that open, fresh berries contrasted against a sandy feel, find it dusty overall, even the herbaceousness seems dry. In the mouth it’s medium-bodied, compact and riven through by withering acidity. Attenuated fruit, short and in turn contributes to a basically short finish. More dusty desiccation. Really not finding much going on. Not for me, going to open another bottle, wife will probably think it sucks too. 90% Cabernet Franc, 10% Grolleau. (Composite Cork)
2011 Faiveley Pinot Noir, Burgundy, Mercurey, La Framboisière Monopole ($29.99, 13.0%). Moderate cloudiness to both the purple core and aggressively rust red rims. Seriously reductive nose that does not resolve, the diffuse funk cloaks the red fruit, there’s a lot of “medicinal” notes and merde. Light to medium-bodied, there’s apparent volatility right out of the gate. Stewed fruit, hazelnut, indistinguishable citrus. Tannin shows most through the finish. A mentholated lift sort of redeems it, yet, in the end the scents point to a wine which has naturally met its denouement. Having had this in its youth this seems premature but that is the way the cookie crumbles.
2025 Seehof Pinot Noir, Rheinhessen, Rosé AP #10 ($19.99, 12.0%). Looks like a diluted orange wine, more glow than shine, not much going on visually. Nose has a leanness to it without it seeming wanting, feels natural, chalk and stone dust, underripe lemon, the apple, raspberry scents flit in on the late side, thrusts forward confidently, question is to where. Medium-bodied, tight and coiled to strike. The acidity has a bad attitude and don’t piss it off. Fruit evanescent here too, it’s all citrus and stone. For all this, there is a charm to its honesty. Not selling any false bill of lading. So, you like it or not. Tightens up on the finish. To my taste not on par with the 2024 or 2023. But like the 2023 this might be a different story 6-8 months from now, willing to be generous on this score. (Screwcap)
2007 Selbach-Oster Riesling, Mosel Saar Ruwer, Zeltinger Sonnenuhr, Kabinett AP #27 ($25.99, 8.5%). Maturing day-glo yellow, strong lime green influence, the glow is almost eerie in intensity. Blowsy, full nose, texture is the best part, meaningful rubber component, gregarious naval orange, lime citrus, same for the peach, nectarine, pineapple fruit, no rough edges to be found. Full-bodied, soft and languorous, my tongue ain’t registering much by way of acidity. Super sweet canned fruit cocktail. Same for the citrus. Honeyed. Maybe a touch minty. Even at this age it’s a total fruit bomb. (Screwcap)
2023 Marchesi di Barolo Nebbiolo, Piedmont, Langhe, “Sbirolo” ($24.99, 14.5%). Light crimson to zinc orange, transparent, nothing out of the ordinary. Tight nose of maraschino cherry, pine, and graphite to tar, thickens through the dissolve, average persistence. Light-bodied plus, the tannin cuts in and out. As a result, just when things are starting to stick they become unstuck. Lot more grapefruit here. More stone than tar. Fruit sweet but lacks concentration. Pretty much average in every way. Which is sorta, kinda the producer’s rep. No?
2024 Angelo Negro Nebbiolo, Piedmont, Langhe, “Angelin” ($19.99, 13.0%). Incredibly light and transparent, looks just like cranberry juice, spotless. Candied cherry and raspberry scents frame the nose well, everything else is on the light side, tar and lavender scrub, not a lot going on but it is clean and unvarnished. Light-bodied with a sappy mouth texture to help it cling. Feels sort of more acidic than tannic but not really other. Same sour candied fruit. Grapefruit notes. Brown dirt. Since it didn’t start off with much can’t say it trails off at the end. Disappointing. (Composite Cork)
2001 Muga Tempranillo Rioja, Reserva ($20.99, 13.5%). Dark cough syrup red, almost maroon, fiery orange to yellow rims, pretty good clarity. Smoky, minerally nose, campfire ashes, residual dill notes, fruit has trailed off but not too much, maraschino cherry, blackberry, no flaws except the unraveling makes it seem more alcoholic. Medium-bodied, a little rounds it out nicely and resolves the pucker when first opened. Leather, beef jerky tar and more smoke, everything here says older wine. A lot more herbaceous than in the nose. Fruit solid enough. Little past peak but I am digging it. 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, 10% Graciano and Mazuelo.