Wine Regions & Grapes
Sampling of Wineries
Acorn Andrea Oberto Atlas Peak Benziger Beringer Blandy's Bodega Navarro Correas Burgans Cantina Terlano Chimney Rock Chronicle Domaine Carneros Domaine de la Mordoree Dow's Dr. Loosen Emilio Lustau Fonseca Foxen Gaston Riviere Glen Ellen Hess Collection Innocent Bystander Kendall-Jackson Korbel La Caudrina Luna Vineyards Madeira Wine Company Martin Codax Masi Merryvale Mulderbosch Navarro Vineyards Pahlmeyer Roederer Estate Ruggeri Sawyer Cellars Sbragia Six Sigma Winery St. James Steltzner Vineyards Trinchero Winery Trione V. Sattui Winery William Fevre Wilson Winery
Monthly Archives: September 2008
Dessert
Falesco, Lazio IGT, Pomele 2003 Lots of raisined fruit and alcohol in the nose and fresh sweet berries in the mouth – perfect for a lightly sweet berry dessert as there is refreshing acidity to balance the residual sugar. 100% … Continue reading
Posted in Aleatico, Italy, Lazio
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The other Montepulciano
In this flight we see two tiers of wine from Nicodemi. Nicodemi, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC 2006 There’s tar and black fruits mingled with a bit of cheese rind and earth in a very tannic profile. This wine features a pronounced … Continue reading
Posted in Abruzzo, Italy, Montepulciano
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Adriatic leaning
ColleStafano, Verdicchio di Matelica DOC 2007 Minerality and stones fruits come out in the nose. The mouth is refreshing and fruity like peaches with the acidity of a lemon – nice. The grapes are organically grown. Estate bottled in Castelraimondo … Continue reading
Posted in Italy, Marche, Verdicchio di Matelica
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Ode to Rome
Fontana Candida, Frascati DOC, Superiore, Secco 2006 There’s a light sense of herbs and flowers in the nose and melons after about 15 minutes. The mouth is rather light on flavor and acidity with a bit of heat. Bottled in … Continue reading
Posted in Castelli Romani, Frascati, Italy, Lazio, Malvasia, Trebbiano
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Mountain Port
Mountain Grove Cellars, Ozark Mountain, Ruby Port nv There are prunes and a touch of alcohol in the nose. The mouth follows through with the same with a baked fruit and walnut tart character – moderately sweet making it a … Continue reading
Posted in Missouri, Port
2 Comments
Golden wine
Selvapiana, Vin Santo del Chianti Rufina DOC 2001 Raisins and a spiritous character in the nose. The mouth features caramel and toffee and a subtle sweetness that would make it best consumed by itself after dinner in the cold of … Continue reading
Posted in Italy, Rufina, Tuscany, Vin Santo
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Tuscan sea to famed hilltop
Tenuta Argentiera, Bolgheri DOC Poggio Al Ginepri 2006 There’s a light earthiness and a sense of brambles in the nose. The mouth is soft and easy drinking with leather, a moderate amount of tannic grip and acidity. Estate bottled in … Continue reading
Posted in Bolgheri, Brunello di Montalcino, Italy, Sangiovese, Tuscany
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Spiny wine
Sergio Mottura, Orvieto DOC 2006 There are fresh tropical fruits and garden herbs in the nose. The mouth is rather broad with moderate acidity and a little warmth and a bit of astringent grip – a little disappointing. The grapes, … Continue reading
Posted in Italy, Organic grapes, Orvieto, Umbria
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Earthiness embraced
Domaine Monpertuis, Vin de Pays du Gard, Vignoble de la Ramiere, Cuvee Counoise 2005 Unfortunately this wine has quite a bit of brett and lots of astringency and is just too rustic for many. 13% $9.99 at Bottle Barn
Posted in France, Gard
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The real deal in Dry Creek Valley
Fred Peterson has a winemaking resume to rival many. He’s been at some of California’s most famous estates, working in Monterey, the Santa Cruz Mountains and Sonoma County. Just over 20 years ago he took up the building of his … Continue reading
Posted in California, Carignane, Dry Creek Valley, Mendocino County, Sangiovese, Sonoma County, Zinfandel
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The wine that keeps on giving
Small Vines, Russian River Valley, Pinot Noir 2006 This is a wine of dense concentration from biodynamically farmed grapes. Upon first pouring the nose is quite tight so give it some time to open. The mouth is packed with red … Continue reading
Posted in California, Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County
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Sauvignon that sings
Dutcher Crossing, Dry Creek Valley, Sauvignon Blanc 2007 This Sauvignon smells of sweet and ripe tropical fruit. The fresh fruit continues on the palate where there is a softer, rounder feel than with many Sauvignon. Don’t get me wrong, I … Continue reading
Posted in California, Dry Creek Valley, Sauvignon Blanc, Sonoma County
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Steen
Sebeka, Western Cape, Chenin Blanc 2008 This is a softer version of Chenin than you might expect from South Africa. While the Chenin produced at Mulderbosch and Thelema have electrifying acidity, this has a softer touch of the acid hand … Continue reading
Posted in Chenin Blanc, South Africa, Western Cape
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Urbane class and Dry Creek Valley
Downtown Healdsburg has become a destination for luxurious wine and food experiences. One of the venues in which to indulge, just off the square, is the tasting room of Williamson Wines. The beauty of the tasting that Bill and Dawn … Continue reading
Posted in California, Dry Creek Valley, Merlot, Sonoma County
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Almost to Spain
Les Clos de Paulilles, Banyuls Rimage 2005 There are stewed fruits and raisins to smell while the mouth is a supple presentation of evolving fruit and moderate sweetness that is crying out for dark chocolate. The grapes are 100% Grenache … Continue reading
Posted in Banyuls, Fortified dessert, France, Grenache, Roussillon
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Superstar
Meo-Camuzet, Morey-Saint-Denis 2004 At Les Grands Jours in the spring we were treated to a few of the domaine wines which were everything the reputation leads one to expect. With this wine we taste a bottle from the negociant line … Continue reading
Posted in Burgundy, Morey-Saint-Denis, Pinot Noir
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Their regional wine
Robert Groffier, Bourgogne, “Pinot Noir” 2005 The house style does not oppose earthiness and the bit of brett I picked up earlier in the spring is a bit more in the horse blanket zone now. In the mouth the earthiness … Continue reading
Posted in Burgundy, France, Pinot Noir
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Beau
Louis Jadot, Beaujolais-Villages 2007 Clean berry and cherry fruit with a little minerality. The mouth is fruity with a light body, characteristic acidity and just a hint of tannic greenness – an easy picnic quaff. Eleve et mis at 71570 … Continue reading
Posted in Beaujolais, Burgundy, France, Gamay
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North of Beaune
William Fevre, Chablis, Champs Royaux, 2007 There’s a sense of stones and wet pavement in the nose. There are tangy green apples in the mouth that go on for a long time – very refreshing. Champs Royaux is a special … Continue reading
Posted in Burgundy, Chablis, Chardonnay, France
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Value Chardonnay
Verget, Macon-Vergisson, “La Roche” 2006 Lots of fresh ripe red apples in the nose – you can taste them in your mouth with a nice tang of acidity in this light-bodied wine. From Jean-Marie Guffen, whose Chardonnays have been a … Continue reading
Posted in Burgundy, Chardonnay, France, Macon, Macon-Vergisson
2 Comments
Lagrein
Cantina Terlano, Alto Adige, Gries, Lagrein, Riserva DOC 2004 This is still a baby with ample structure and notes of tar and earth. There’s a sense in which this reminds me of a young and reductive Northern Rhone Syrah. Let … Continue reading
Posted in Alto Adige, Italy, Lagrein
2 Comments
Going east in Italy
Bastianich, Colli Orientali del Friuli, Tocai Friulano DOC 2006 Herbaceous with a sense of canned vegetables, lowish in acidity with a creamy character – disappointingly low in concentration. Estate bottled in Cividale del Fruili 13% $18.00 at Traverso’s Bastianich, Venezia … Continue reading
Posted in Colli Orientali del Friuli, Friulano, Italy, Refosco, Rosé, Venezia Giulia
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Piemonte specialty
Banfi, Rosa Regali, Brachetto d’Acqui DOCG 2007 This ’07 is perfectly fresh with plenty of flowers and fresh strawberries. Serve this with fresh berries after dinner to match the sweetness. The ’05 tasted one year ago was sweet and with … Continue reading
Posted in Brachetto, Brachetto d'Acqui, Italy, Piemonte, Sparkling sweet
Tagged Banfi
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Wet your appetite
Cinzano, Vermouth Rosso nv This has proved to be a good value vermouth, not with the intensity of those of Carpano or Quady, but the price is right when you’re on a budget; it’s also more widely available. You could … Continue reading
Chenin shines
Leo Steen Dry Creek Valley Saini Farms Chenin Blanc 2007 This wine was excellent in ’06 and even better this time around. There is the mineral nerve that we associate with Savennieres and the ripeness of fruit that we associate … Continue reading
Tasty treats in the Russian River
Dutton Estate Every Friday through the end of September and most of October, Cynthia Newcomb at the Dutton Estate is creating a special dish to pair with one of the wines on offer in the tasting room. When I visited … Continue reading
Posted in California, Chardonnay, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County
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A honeymooner
Stone Hill, Hermann, Estate Bottled, Norton 2005 The nose features the smells of black fruit, compost, tar, cinamon and floral notes like violets. There’s equally a vast medley of flavors on the palate with plenty of backbone. The tannin and … Continue reading
Posted in Hermann, Missouri, Norton
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On your mark…
Marques de Caceres, Rioja, Reserva DOC 2000 The house style is soft and oaky with an appropriate acidic frame. The 2000 at this stage, 8 years on smells delightful; there’s sweet vanilla, earth and some stewed, evolving fruit and veg. … Continue reading
Posted in Rioja, Spain, Tempranillo
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