Nice QPRs in an Italian white and Burgundy rose, plus others

WINE TALK
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  • 2006 Abbazia di Novacella (Stiftskellerei Neustift) Lagrein - Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Alto Adige, Valle Isarco / Eisacktaler (6/2/2009)
    A competent bottle of wine, but not as good as I hoped. Probably an unfair comparison, but one of the best Italian wines I’ve had was a 1999 Cantina Convento Muri-Gries I drank last year. That wine was complex with a range of flavors. This was just okay. I got the tire tread supposedly associated with Lagrein. There’s just a core of sourness though from the mid palate through the finish. Not acidity sourness, but more like beets or cranberries. The other major flavor are black fruits. Also, it seems lighter than the 12.5 percent alcohol. Just doesn’t seem to be a lot of wine there. My second Lagrein and now that I realize how special the Covento Muri-Gries was I’m even more ticked UPS broke one in shipping. Imported by VIAS Imports Ltd.
  • 2008 Primosic Friuli Isonzo Pinot Grigio - Italy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Friuli Isonzo (6/2/2009)
    Excellent and interesting wine. Bone dry on the attack but some fruitiness and honey on the finish give the sensation of sweetness. A solid core of acidity through out reminds you it’s Eyetalian. Nice texture and concentration. Lots of minerals. Also maybe a little bit of straw flavor. No spoof. Above average finish. Went well with sauces at LaVecchia and would match well with most seafood. Might be better in 2010. A steal for $10 from Odd Lots. Imported by Grape Expectations.
  • 1999 Granite Springs Petite Sirah - USA, California, Sierra Foothills, Fair Play (5/23/2009)
    A nice tooth-stainer Glenn said he purchased as a library release from the winery when they found out they had a few cases they didn’t know about.
    On the palate, mostly black fruit. Nice concentration. Good finish. Glenn mentioned violets, which I didn’t pick up. But it was an excellent match for the prime beef ribeye. My only complaint was that it had a tad too much oak.
  • 2007 R. Dubois & Fils Bourgogne - France, Burgundy, Bourgogne (5/23/2009)
    A nice earthy rosé that tastes like the grapes were drawing water and nutrients from the soils of Burgundy. This turned out to be the surprise wine of the Memorial Day Weekend get together. Glenn thought the Dubois was the best he’d ever had, topping the Dehlinger rosé . The first thing that jumps out at you is the earthiness. I love Roty Marsannay rosé and both the Dubois and the Roty rosés taste like pinot noir. The difference is that the Dubois just has that profound sense of place that I don’t get in the Roty Marsannay. Perhaps it’s the difference between Marsannay and Nuit-St.-Georges, where Dubois & Fils is located.
    The palate is crisp, clean and balanced. No cherries or softer fruit flavors. The tastes were more vegetable like, but that’s not to say it was vegetal. More rhubarb, dried spices and maybe beets. Glenn mentioned pomegranate. The mid palate was shortish but it had a nice finish.
    I’d still say Roty Marsannay and Ameztoi Rubentis are my favorite rosés. This is a little bigger and bolder than either of them. I’d like to get another bottle and compare it side-by-side with the Roty Marsannay, which seems to be more about finesse
    Purchased it at Odd Lots when I asked Morgan Miller for his best rose. It was $11. A Grape Expectations import.
  • 2007 Von Hövel Riesling Balduin Von Hovel - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (5/23/2009)
    Quite nice riesling with the Saar shining through. I liked it more than Glenn, who thought maybe it was a tad soft. Initially the nose was open a little bit but the palate was shut down. We vigorously decanted and massive amounts of spritz showed up. Glenn called it a science experiment. The nose had some petrol and some spice. The palate was more green apples and lime. Not real complex. Light and pure. The only downside is that it gave me a hankering for a more complex Saar. Still young and in no danger of fading.
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Steve,

Thanks for posting your TNs. I will definitely seek out some of the Dubois, as your description made me thirsty and it’s freakin hot here!

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This is technically a Spatlese…well that’s what they told me when they sold it to me. Always a nice gulp of the Saar but I do have an itching for Zilliken or Muller after . . . .

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I haven’t seen this around Portland yet, but I’m on the lookout. I wonder if the absence of fruit and presence of spice/beets is more a function of time than terroir? Either way, it sounds interesting!

I’ve had two bottles of '08 Ameztoi Rubentis in the past couple of weeks-- have you tried this vintage yet? It’s a lot like the '07. In other words, it’s still a favorite of mine too.

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Melissa:
I bought two of the 2008 Rubentis but haven’t opened one yet. The color is darker. I think I can still get some 2007s if I don’t like it.
Going down San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley, I bought two of the Ameztoi Rubentis from Spanish Table, two 2008 Tempier rose from Kermit Lynch for $32 each and four more of the Dubois rose at $11 each from Odd Lots. It was a rose road.