Chateau Bertineau St.-Vincent, Lalande-de-Pomerol 2004 The nose is restrained upon first pouring with a little sense of stewed fruit coming through. When I opened this wine, there was some carmelized remnants of wine that leaked earlier. Thus I don’t know what sort of temperature or other abuse this bottle might have suffered so we’re not [...]

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Chateau Sociando-Mallet, Haut-Medoc 2004 The smells are a mix of earth, cedar, toasty oak and a fitting amount of the barnyard. The mouth if full of plummy fruit with grip. This is definitely leaner and tighter than the ‘05 which is quite seductive already. Give it at least 30 minutes to open up though the [...]

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Domaine de la Chanteleuserie, Bourgueil Cuvée Alouettes 2006 The previous vintage of the Cuvee Beauvais showed the characteristic green of Cab Franc from the area with enough fruit to back it up. This wine is a bit reductive and tarry with black fruit and minerality underneath. The wine is chewy, earthy and on the rustic [...]

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Jefferson and others in America’s early history admired the wines of Bordeaux and brought their passion to the early states. This line-up features a wine from the Virginia producer that so delighted us last week and a well-regarded fourth growth of Bordeaux.
Rappahannock Cellars Virginia Cabernet Franc 2006
There’s fresh red fruits and the herbaceousness and acidity [...]

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Domaine de Beausejour Chinon 2005
My notes from the 2004 say green and thin but OK if nothing else is available. The 2005 shows more fruit to smell but still has much that is green about it. In Sept. ‘08 this wine has more black fruit popping out amongst a light hint of bandaid and still [...]

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