Taylor Fladgate Porto Late Bottle Vintage 2000
Porty and pruny – w noticeable alcohol – true to type and sometimes the wine seems to have the alcohol integrated even better than usual. Bottled in 2006 in Oporto, by Taylor across in Vila Nova De Gaia. 20% $17.99 at Bottle Barn Taylor
Fonseca Porto 10 Year Old [...]

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Gran Sasso, Puglia, Primitivo IGT 2005
Tasted in May ‘08 this wine was blooming with brett and would repulse most consumers. A bottle tasted later in the summer proved to be a different animal. Oaky and earthy with new world fruit, an appropriate amount of acid to brighten the wine and some tannin. Thus it lacked [...]

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Isole e Olena Chianti Classico DOCG 2003
Tonight’s bottle showed some herbaceousness and tannic grip, as well as evolving fruit. The bottle opened earlier in the year showed classic cherry fruit and complexing earthiness with some evolution and stewed fruit. 85% Sangiovese, 10% Canaiolo and 4-5% Syrah and other grapes. Estate bot in Barberino Val [...]

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This flight pairs two of Italy’s well-known white grapes. Vernaccia from Tuscany and Vermentino from the island of Sardegna. Classically the Vernaccia has been described as crisp and full of minerality while the Vermentino was known for its broader, almost flat feel on the palate. Yet with better viticulural practices, reductive winemaking [...]

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Jocelyn Lonen Napa Valley Zinfandel Port 2004
This wine combines sweet fruit, an essence of chocolate and spirit.  One of the class affectionately described it as like a chocolate candy filled with liqueur,  ‘alcohol in an envelope of something sweet’. 100% Zin, sold out at the winery. P&B Napa 18.2% $21.99 (375) at Traverso’s Jocelyn Lonen

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This flight features 5 Zinfandel from 2001 to 2005 sourced from Napa and Paso Robles.
Eberle Paso Robles Zinfandel 2005
Like eating a sweet cherry pie, this wine combines rich fruit, glycerol and oak into a viscous delight.  Even with the high number, the alcohol is completely integrated at this point in time. This originates from the [...]

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Marsala is known the world over but like Madeira it often gets categorized as a mere cooking wine. This is unfortunate as the flavors can delight and since the wine is out of fashion, it’s price point is attractive.
Florio
Marsala DOC Fine Ambra Secco
Marsala DOC Fine Ambra Dolce
The former makes a nice aperitif in that [...]

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Cantine Rallo Moscato di Pantelleria DOC 2003
This is the second bottle of this vintage tasted this year.  The Muscat comes through (known as Zibibbo in this part of the world).  During the last tasting we placed it side by side with a Passito from Donnafugata and they made a nice contrast.  Both were delicious. The [...]

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Planeta Sicilia IGT La Segreta Rosso 2006
Black fruits, mintiness and a moderate amount of extract and some light structure make this an easy drink. 50% Nero d’Avola, 25% Merlot, 20% Syrah and 5% Cab Franc grown at 100-250 metres, 9 tonnes per hectare, vertical trellis, all stainless, estate bot in Menfi (AG) 13% $15 at [...]

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This flight shows two budget Island reds with different personalitites. Nero d’Avola also goes by the moniker Calabrese.
Feudo Arancio Sicilia IGT Nero d’Avola 2005
This wine carries on value shown in the 2003. One of the class described the smell as ‘chocolate covered cherries’. The wine is a simple light-bodied dry quaffer. [...]

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Southern Italian white table wines have improved by leaps and bounds over the last decade. As in other hot winegrowing regions, temperature control in the cellar is making the difference between wines that smell like nuts and varnish versus fresh fruit and other primary grape aromas.
Argiolas Vermentino di Sardegna DOC Costamolino 2006
The smells of [...]

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Blandy’s Madeira 5 Year Old Malmsey nv
This wine is quite consistent in displaying complexity, sweetness and balancing acidity.  Again today’s bottle wraps caramel and butterscotch into a good value fortified dessert wine. For me it’s so good with Rocquefort. Produced and bottled by the Madeira Wine Company in Funchal 19% $23 for a full bottle [...]

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Fratelli Revello Barolo DOCG 2003
This is the Revello’s regional bottling and it’s no slouch. Tasted earlier in the year, I wrote: spot on for the price, with new world styling of chocolaty oak and ripe fruit along with massive tannin and classic licorice. Now in September this wine still shows its licorice in a very [...]

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Barbera can deliver berry flavor with the acidity to keep up with acidic dishes. This flight featured two examples from either side of the Atlantic. The first time the California offering was from Seghesio. Tonight we line-up a wine from Jeff Ruquist.
Andrea Oberto Barbera d’Alba DOC 2006
Recent bottles of this estate’s Dolcetto and [...]

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Gewurztraminer has its detractors out there, yet I remain a fan. This flight features two regions that embrace this variety, Mendocino County’s Anderson Valley and sunny Alsace in the eastern reaches of France.
Handley Anderson Valley Gewurztraminer 2006
This wine radiates roses and parfume, in a light-bodied format with a hint of RS, classic touch of bitterness [...]

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Domaine Weinbach Alsace Reserve Pinot Blanc 2005
This is a gem.  There is fresh citrus, stone fruit and floral notes to smell.  In the mouth there is a moderate+ amount of acidity and the taste of citrus.  This is a very refreshing Pinot Blanc. The Faller family has been a leader in biodynamic viticulture in Alsace. [...]

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Zenato Delle Venezie IGT Pinot Grigio 2006
This regionally-labeled bottling has been a good value high-acid white. The 2005 emphasized citrus notes. The 2006 tasted in this class showed fruits ranging from citrus to tropical. There is a new world freshness, with a healthy dose of acidity and a little phenolic grab and minerality. This [...]

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Meyer Family California Port nv
This wine was described by one of the students as tasting like a ‘rum raisin chocolate bar’.  I can’t improve on that.  This wine has complexity, some palpable alcohol as in these wines from the Douro and the silky texture of a fine tawny, with a more youthful appearance.
I recently shared [...]

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This flight features two Mendo wines, one Zinfandel and the other Primitivo.
Chiarito Mendocino Estate Bottled Zinfandel 2004
Quite structured with concentration of berries to keep up - a little warm. There’s 11% Petite Sirah in the final blend. Aging was 21 months in French oak, egg white fined and bottled unfiltered. GP&B Ukiah 15.1% [...]

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The Russian River is known best around the world as the home of great New World Pinot Noir. But we can’t count out the Zin. There are old vineyards delivering concentrated flavors and wines that can be known for their elegance and acidity, descriptors that don’t always come up in the roster of [...]

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Wilson Winery Dry Creek Valley Sawyer Vineyard Zinfandel 2005
This is definitely jammy with a healthy dose of black pepper.  In the mouth the same jammy fruit and black pepper come through in a structured, tannic package.  You might remember the big prizes that the Wilson’s have taken home from the Sonoma County Harvest Fair - [...]

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La Montecchia Colli Euganei DOC Fior d’Arancio Spumante Dolce 2005
Fresh and full of orange blossom and ginger just like Moscato d’Asti. The taste is strongly reminiscent of ginger ale; perhaps this is adult ginger ale. Today’s bottle was also showing some bottle development that was complementary to the floral notes. Prod by Conte [...]

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Valpolicella is a fascinating area where red wines are constructed from varying degrees of dried grapes. This flight runs from straight-on harvested fruit to all raisins, yet each of the wines is dry.
Allegrini Valpolicella Classico DOC 2005 The first taste of the 2005 was very clean and fruity with good acidity [...]

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In the Veneto there are other red wines to discover, beyond the usual suspects Valpolicella and Bardolino.
Vignalta Colli Euganei DOC Rosso Riserva 2001
Soft and light-bodied, this wine shows cherry fruit with herbaceous notes and a complexing hint of bandaids. This is a blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet. P&B in Arqua Petrarca 13% [...]

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Gini Soave Classico DOC 2005
Stone fruit characteristics yet losing freshness - disappointing compared to previous tasting of the same vintage.  Yet, all is not lost.  I just purchased another bottle, same vintage same source, and the wine is spot on.  There is a lovely smell of sweet peaches.  The mouth shows the same fresh peach [...]

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Ruggeri Argeo Prosecco nv
Not much concentration and very little sense of Prosecco bubble gum qualities - disappointing 11% $14.99 at Traveso’s
 Ruggeri Prosecco di Valdobbiadene DOC Santo Stefano Dry nv
Sweet with classic bubble gum flavors. Latest bottle was unfortunately corked.  This wine is mostly Prosecco with some Verdiso and Perera sourced from Santo Stefano, San Pietro [...]

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Tempranillo plays a key role in the Spanish region of Rioja and along the river Duero aka Douro on the other side of the border in Portugal. In the latter country Tempranillo goes by the name of Tinta Roriz or simply Roriz. This flight looks at Tempranillo in varying percentages from both countries [...]

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Eno Mendocino County Eaglepoint Ranch Grenache 2005
Soft and full of lolly, 11 mos in neutral French oak, P&B in Berkeley 14.5% $19.99 at BB enowines.com
Vinicola del Priorat Priorat DOQ Ònix Classic 2005
Dense berry and cherry fruit with ample structure, 50% Garnacha, 50% Cariñena, vines avg 60 years old, on shards of slate called llicorella, all [...]

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Lustau, Sherry, Denominación de Origen, Solera Reserva, Light, Manzanilla, Papirusa nv
Classic bruised apples and freshness with lots of almonds. Grab the olives for this one. This Palomino-based wine is matured in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Bottling code: 7255 in Oct. ‘08, 7255 in April 2009. 15.5% $14.99 at Bottle Barn and $17.99 at Traverso’s emilio-lustau.com
Lustau, Sherry, [...]

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Fâmega Vinho Verde Denominação de Origem Controlada Vinho Branco 2006
Lean and green and pétillant – a great value example; petillance is gone with the second bottle in September but still the phenolic mineral grab and blazing acid are apparent. The latest bottling code is # 0707098; Not an Alvarinho-only Vinho Verde as their are [...]

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Pahlmeyer Napa Valley Merlot 2004
This Merlot smells of blueberries. In the mouth the fruit is quite dense, there’ a little warmth, moderate acidity, light body and a long finish. 13% Cabernet Sauvignon and 19 months aging in French oak, yet there’s an elegance. It’s a pleasure to taste an expensive Merlot that [...]

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The barrel tasting at this year’s Wine Song struck a Rhône theme.  Mendocino vintners sampled their latest bottlings and barrel samples from recent vintages.  How they manage to juggle the concurrent harvest and pouring at this event amazes me. 
Wines to pay attention to:
Philo Ridge Mendocino Viognier 2006
This wine has the classic Viognier smell of peaches [...]

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