A weekend spent camping was great. While we pitched a tent, built a campfire and peed in the woods, that was no reason to rough it when it came to our food or our wine. As I was outdoors, and did not have great light, I am going to a one number score for these wines.
With assorted nuts and cheeses, vegetarian chile and salad:
2007 Hermann J. Wiemer Riesling Reserve Dry
From perhaps the best Finger Lakes producer. Light copper gold in color. The nose is minerals with some grapefruit. Medium bodied. Dry, crisp and clean. On the palate, this is complex with great minerals and some lemon notes. Long finish. This is really good stuff. 92
2006 Terry Hoage Vineyards Grenache The Skins
Ruby in color, bright and mostly opaque. The nose is very nice with raspberries, strawberries and some cocoa. Full bodied. Lush texture. It took about 30 minutes to open. Once it did, there was great raspberry and strawberry fruit on the palate. More hedonistic than complex. No sign of the 15.6% Alcohol. 10% Syrah is added in and I think it makes for a lovely CdP style wine. 91
2005 Alain Jaume Vacqueyras
At about $16, this is a great deal. 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Cinsault. Purple/ruby in color. The nose has black raspberries, raspberries, grilled meats and chocolate. Full bodied. Complex and really drinking well. Layered raspberries, black raspberries and smoked meats. Nice balance. Nice finish. I need to get some more of this for the next few years.
2006 Saxum Broken Stones
63% Syrah, 24% Grenache, 13% Mourvedre. Purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose is big with black and red raspberries, grilled meats, smoke and gameiness. Full bodied. On the palate, despite its 16.3%, not hint of alcohol, until I tried to stand up anyway. Just delicious. Black and red fruits. Complex but youthful. Perfect for a campfire. 95
2001 Plenum Quartus
This is a joint venture of Ramozeiros from the Couro and Dievole from Tuscany. 50/50 of Touriga Franca and Sangiovese. Opened on Day 1, this was like prune juice and grain alcohol. Left for day 2. On Day 2, it just sucked. I spilled the entire bottle out. At 13.5% alc, the heat was searing, the fruit roasted. I am not sure if the wine was supposed to taste like this, but it was the worst bottle of wine I have had in quite some time. One of our friends, who regularly drinks Crane Lake, said he would drink it. Even he poured it out. Blech. Nice label though. NR.
After a day spent canoeing and a few beers including an outstanding Ommegang Chocolate stout:
With Thai Paneer in red curry sauce, salad, biscuits cooked on the fire:
2005 Pepiere Muscadet Sevre et Maine
Light golden in color. The nose is full of crushed shells, and slight lemony notes. Great acidity and balance. This is still open and showing well. Great balance. Dry as a bone. Excellent way to start an evening. 91
2006er Merkelbach Riesling Spatlese Urziger Wurzgarten
Light golden in color, clear and bright. The nose has wet stones and lemons. Slightly sweet. Light bodied. On the palate, this has nice minerals and lemons. Not too intense. More than slightly sweet. Still enough acidity to work with or without food. 89
2005 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir Clos Pepe Vineyard
Ruby/purple in color, mostly opaque and bright. The nose has cherries, macerated cherries and a bit of funk to it. Full bodied. On the palate, this is ripe and lush. Easy to drink. Some cherry cola notes but a lot of black raspberry too. A fun wine and great for the occasion. A bit hot with the Thai food, so we put this aside until after dinner and it went great. 90
2005 Lamborn Family Vineyrads Zinfandel
Made by Heidi Peterson Barrett. Ruby in color, mostly clear and bright. The nose has raspberries and is pretty simple. On the palate, this seems out of balance. 15.9%, it was not so much the alcohol as it was the acidity. We finish the bottle, but we all wondered if this was a correct bottle. 84