2022 Schloss Gobelsburg Zweigelt, Austria, Niederösterreich ($15.99, 12.5%). Perfectly clear and spotless, the core a darkish scarlet with brighter garnet rims. Peppery nose with a distinct herbaceousness, blend in the white grapefruit and the pretty red cherry, berry fruit scents can’t find their footing, great overall pungency. Light-bodied, tense web of tannin and acidity both keep it held together. White pepper definitely leads here too while plays better with others. Close to minerally but going with pebbles and dirt. Fruit has most zing during mouth entry. Clean finish. My wife was “ehh” on it but I think for the price it’s quite the nice buy. (Screwcap)
2002 Huet Chenin Blanc, Loire, Vouvray, Clos du Bourg, Demi-Sec ($34.99, 12.0%). Yea, it’s a 2002 Huet! About as much gold as bronze, clean and bright, looks its age, maybe a bit younger. The nose dominated by blood orange, tangerine citrus next to persimmon, pineapple, nectarine fruit scents, diesel fumes/smoke, on the heavy side, sure there’s some baking dough notes but, to me, little suggests oxidation (nor the dreaded premox which is a moot issue given it’s 24 years old). Full-bodied, ginger spice, honeysuckle, mint, and pine sap fashion an agreeable mouth entry. The acidity is definitely a slacker but it never had cut even in its youth. Glazed citrus, poached pear, apricot paste, definite concentration going on. More like cinnamon, nutmeg here. Still not getting undue doughiness. What could be wrong with me? For whatever reason the bottle continued to be consumed.
2021 Domaine de Souch Southwest France, Jurançon Sec, “Cuvée Domaine” ($47.99, 13.5%). Dark, shiny/glowing yellow, close to the color of pineapple, full into the rims. Minerally, smoky nose with ability to pierce with ease, tropical fruits and tangerine, minimal let up, at times there’s a creamy vanillin aspect but gone as quickly as it appeared. Medium-bodied, has all that “tension” stuff people talk about. However, the acidity isn’t out for blood and just does its job without fanfare. Kumquat, papaya, star fruit and les peach keep the energy up. Lots of citrus. Tingly finish, extends nicely. Something leesy maybe going on albeit the word on the street is there’s no malo. I dig it, would be good counterpoint to something like jamón Ibérico or salted cod, fistful of salt. 60% Gros Manseng, 30% Petit Manseng, 10% Courbu. (Composite Cork: Diam5)
2022 Terres Dorées (Jean-Paul Brun) Gamay Noir, Beaujolais, Moulin-à-Vent ($24.99, 12.0%). Unblemished purple to garnet, darkly saturated, seems more immobile than bouncy even with the lively colors. Attractive fullness to the nose, blueberry, blackberry scents, violets, anise, gunflint, the downside of the density is can’t split the bits apart. Full-bodied, spreads itself cheek to cheek and takes its time soaking in. Good snap in the fruit. Doesn’t seem tannic in an obvious way but it is darn dry. Floral and citrusy framed finish with a healthy brush of licorice. I like it but I expect so much from this producer that anything less than superb seems like a disappointment. (Synthetic Cork)
2024 Martin Texier Rhône, Vin de France, “La Preyna” ($32.99, 12.5%). Transparent, light ruby-violet hues, fills well into the rims, nothing of real note. Pleasing hard candy aspect to the berry fruits in the nose, lemon drops, fresh flowers, suggestion of leather and brown earth, leans on purity over complexity. Light-bodied with a stickiness which adds presence. In turn, good job of turning more airy before the finish. Acidity is okay, tannin absent. Fine blueberry, strawberry, apple fruit. Floral. Contours are soft. Modicum of stoniness at the end. Fresh. If $33 is your “everyday wine” price it’s a win. Needs lighter food, no very strong sauces or such. 75% Cinsault, 25% Grenache.
2025 La Pépière Melon de Bourgogne, Loire, Muscadet, “La Pépie” ($14.99, 11.5%). Faint straw gold with a soft, warm glow, average shine. Nose pregnant with green melon, pear, peach fruit, expansive, standard lemon peel and crushed seashells underneath, nice salinity, leans forward more than lifts. Full-bodied, round and on the softer side. Acidity maybe a bit below average. Substantial fruit here too, particularly that melon. Chalk and shells, oil smoke, citrus holds off until later. Blunt finish, turns dry. I like it but something feels incomplete. (Composite Cork: Diam2)
2024 Saint Cosme Syrah, Rhône, Côtes-du-Rhône ($15.99, 14.5%). Fully opaque, dark stain of purple with thin, glowing magenta rims, with very good shine definitely catches your eye. Heavily perfumed nose, black currant, plum scents, decidedly primary, which is the whole idea. Full-bodied attack, loses heft through the mid-palate into a weak finish. The black fruits have a sour edge which gets up out of the beanbag chair. Particularly with the ample white grapefruit accompaniment. No real tannin but the citrus makes it come across as acidic. In keeping with the wine’s style over decades. Good value for something to bring to a party and forget you just did that.
2022 Château Valoussière Languedoc, “Cuvée de Pere et Filles” ($39.99, 14.5%). Fully opaque purple color, magenta rims, glowing throughout, almost too dark to look saturated. Floral and musky, wet wool, slabs of plum, cassis and cherry destined for prune one day, tilled loamy earth, orange spice, clove, the texture of the old wet cotton ball stuffed up the nose. Full-bodied, feels massaged and clumpy, minimal natural flow. In its favor there is oodles of fruit, which nicely veers some towards cranberry, blueberry. Baking spices, swipe of toffee and molasses. You could scoop up the tannin, throw it against the wall and it would stick. Just a basic+ wine that isn’t close to its price tag. But nice enough in the glass. Unspecified percentages of Syrah, Grenache.
1998 Baumard Chenin Blanc, Loire, Savennières, Clos du Papillon ($21.99, 12.5%). Fully bronzed color, shiny and looks good. Then, smell, not so much, clearly oxidized, dough is about all that’s left, remains of naval orange, apple to peach fruit, beyond the dough the biggest part is an oil field on fire. Full-bodied, flat with zilch acidity. Puckering, again all the fruit is shot. And that’s as far as I am going to go in describing this wine.
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)
2021 Produttori del Barbaresco Nebbiolo, Piedmont, Barbaresco, Paje’ Riserva ($79.99, 14.5%). Light violet to darker scarlet, full rims, looks like it “should.” Pungent cloud of a nose, leather and floral musk, tar and graphite, cedar, bay leaf, cherry liqueur, decanting didn’t do much to help the elements separate more clearly. Medium-bodied, taut, and — big duh — tannic as hell. The red to blue fruits tangy and here the citrus edge highlights that further. Leans more on incense and cedar. Clean in terms of earthiness or leatheriness. Less florality. To me all this adds up to a wine not ready to give up the goods. But, hey, if one never tries these wines young there’s no point of comparison for down the road. Can’t see it becoming more “cerebral” or imbued with “finesse” though.
2024 Bruna Vermentino, Liguria, Riviera Ligure di Ponente ($30.99, 12.5%). White straw hue, sufficiently shiny to avoid full transparency and layer some, pretty without coloration for effect. Minty nose, violet pastille, soft lemon to white grapefruit notes, the fruit to me mostly kiwi, pineapple to mango, again more verve than bite, too full to lift much but that can be a good thing too. Close to full-bodied, particularly as there isn’t a lot of movement on the palate either. Same array of fruit, more peach, tart and pulls up semi-short. Spicy. Lemon meringue. General roundness does create a sensation of expansion. Not much else going on. I would not choose this for casual sipping. (Composite Cork: Diam5)
2024 Stefanino Costa Nebbiolo, Piedmont, Langhe, “Cabora” ($21.99, 13.5%). Washed out ruby to garnet hues, the sparkle and transparency are there but not a wine to have many visual expectations. Weirdly it shows more alcohol to me than it should at 13.5%, wafts of cherry and red berry fruit scents, white grapefruit pith, stones and poor earth, smells like it hasn’t had a good hot meal in a few days, lean. Light-bodied, acidity impels it forward at a brisk clip. Tannin a little stemmy but generally swept up in the momentum. Just enough candied aspect to the fruit ot keep it in view. The pink grapefruit vastly expands its footprint. Replicates the experience in the nose. Could characterize it as an old school throwback, unsure of how vintage conditions play into what is in the glass. (Composite Cork: Diam3)
2021 Produttori di Nebbiolo di Carema Nebbiolo, Piedmont, Carema ($31.99, 13.0%). Transparent ruby red,tiny bit of filminess, washes out slightly at the rims. Bright maraschino cherry scents, tar, pine, has a sort of “alpine” character, breezy lift, more pure than complex, not a lot more to say. Light-bodied, tannin an iron spider web. Nice addition of white grapefruit to the array. Fruit not as sweet as the nose suggests, more tang. Tar, fallen leaves, pine and scrub. Earthier finish. Very consistent start to finish. Can’t see it changing much, maybe softening some. Solid entry level wine.
2024 Giuseppe Nada Nebbiolo, Piedmont, Langhe ($24.99, 13.5%). Thin veneer of clay reds and oranges in the glass, fully transparent, unblemished. The nose displays a certain reticence, most of the initial impression is a lifting medicinal quality supported by older pressed flowers and lemon and grapefruit zest, meager fruit, suggestion of anise with more air time, not much more to say. Light-bodied, feels likes it tries to round out but can’t. Tannin bigger than weight. Credibly close to maraschino cherry concentration, needed as an anchor. Green finish. Elevates over the acceptable threshold. (Composite Cork)
2024 Produttori del Barbaresco Nebbiolo, Piedmont, Langhe ($22.99, 13.5%). Gets close from ruby to clay red, clean and bright, pleasing shine, pretty. Floral, fragrant nose, good pungency, herbs and spices, cleansing sensations, resonant cherry and strawberry scents, does hit a brick wall as it dissolves. Close to medium-bodied, smoky and leathery. Tannin moderate, same for the acidity. Yet the fruit doesn’t spread out. Citrus bites and tames the fruit further. Garden herbs but not grassy per se. Crunchy, stony finish.
2020 Ondalán Graciano, Rioja, Rioja Alavesa ($32.99, 13.5%). Grimy dark purple, warmer garnet rims, clean but not much visibility, average shine at best. The nose speaks of some reduction, fart, rubber before leather and charred bacon fat, herbal, the fruit reddish to bluish, not that present, medicinal, kind of a puncher although it does release nicely during the dissolve. Full-bodied, round and texturally smooth. That’s about it for smoothness as the same reductive qualities hold sway here too. Super roasty and biting. To me more acidic than tannic. Like licking charcoal doused in cough syrup. With a side dish of tar. The fruit isn’t bad at all but had no chance here. I don’t know why but I keep trying mono cépage Graciano from Rioja thinking this time it will be different. In this instance it helped that it was on sale for $13 less than the quoted sticker price. I blame society.