Tasting Notes From April 2002

2098

Abadia Retuerta
1998 Primicia Sardon de Duero

The nose shows pinched aromas of leather, "short" fruits, bay leaf, and a touch of funk. Medium-bodied, fairly balanced, but there isn't much going on in the palate. Cloudy appearance in the glass with a slight tawny haze to the otherwise rosy color. Blend of 60% Tempranillo, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 20% Merot. Interestingly, the label notes the grapes were harvested "before their phsyiological maturity." Also, 30% went through carbonic maceration, 30% cool maceration, and 40% hot fermentation with "a fastchange of deposits." I think "deposits" must mean vats or tanks, and the phrase means it was racked frequently. Any other thoughts? Interesting back label for $10 :)
$10.00

2099

Hawley
1999 Viognier Dry Creek Valley

Somewhat Bretty nose. Yeast and nuts. The palate is weighty, with some honey-like fruit, but on the whole this wine lacks varietal character. I would have guessed it was Marsanne or Roussane, not Viognier. Touch of orange juice when retasting.
$13.00

2100

Karl Lawrence Cellars
1998 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Yum nose, initially a bit oak, but with nice anise flavors. Gets me thinking american oak, but the website says French. Medium-full bodied palate with lots of herbs, cedar, and red fruits. Tannins grow with exposure. Gonna have to order some 1999. Minty.
$45.00

2101

Domaine Vacheron
2000 Sancerre

Great nose…lime, mineral, gooseberry, flint….effusive. Ripe palate with bits and pieces of sweet, tart, long. Probably versatile with food. Nice.
$20.00

2102

Stephan Asseo L'Adventure
1999 Optimus Paso Robles

Blend of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Zinfandel (45-45-4 or something). Sweet liqueur nose with heapin' helpin's of blackberry fruit. Full bodied, ripe, and long. The blend seems to give the wine unique textures. The attack is ripe and sweet with a lush texture, but mid-palate there is a sense of hardness or nerve which I attribute to tannin. Nice wine. Apparently a new wine from a Frenchman who owns a couple Chateau in St. Emilion.
$50.00

2103

Behrens and Hitchcock
1999 Merlot Alder Springs Ranch Mendocino

Initially closed. Decanted for about an hour. My opinion of it improved dramatically with time. Blueberry fruit with a lush, low-acid, chocolate milk texture. Yum. Impressive for Mendocino fruit. Doesn't show a lot of oak or anything, despite the texture it conveys.
$42.00

2104

Merry Edwards
1999 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

Wonderful blackberry fruit. Just lovely fruit. Slight translucency in the glass, but deeply hued. Medium-full body, very ripe, but not ponderous. Might see some nuance develop later on. Very tasty, but may disappoint lovers of Burgundy.
$33.00

2105

Spelletich Cellars
2000 Zinfandel Shenandoah Valley

oh, this guy's carrying some heft. High octane (17%), thick texture, sweet fruit. The alcohol is quite well concealed. Great spicy anise nose, long thick palate. I did not get any sense of residual burn from the alcohol. More importantly, Mona loved it and begged me to get more.
$23.00

2106

Luna
1999 Sangiovese Napa Valley

Yum. This one's going strong right out of the cool cellar. Cherry fruit, just a touch of earth, herb, and nerve, and great balance. Nose also shows some older wood and brown sugar. Showing really well and a damn fine wine for $12 (on sale). Went beautifully with my dinner of roasted cauliflower, chicken italian sausage, and herb-roasted portobello mushroom.
$12.00

2108

Santa Ema
1999 Merlot Reserve Maipo Valley Chile

This falls into the category of "Why the heck did I listen to the salesperson when I knew better?" Okay nose of blue fruit, dust, and glue, mint, and eucalpytus. Deep color but crystal clear at the rim. Palate is thin, medium-bodied, disjointed, and basically a nightmare. DNPIM.
$10.00

2109

Australian Domaine Wines
1999 Shiraz The Alliance South Eastern Australia

Despite Parker's rather high rec (88) I'm not that impressed. Good fruit, spice and American oak on the nose. Moderately intense. My palate likes it and then hates it alternately. Must be out of balance. Interesting bubble gum nose.
$18.00

2110

Reverie
1998 Cabernet Franc Napa Valley

Medium dense in the glass with a cloudy cast. Ripe nose with (in descending order) grapey,toasty notes, white pepper, earth, olive. Medium-full bodied and somewhat flat on the palate. Great nose, and I hope the palate catches up with some air. With time, blueberries, chocolate, creamy in the nose. The palate definetly began to open up and soften up. Nice wine when all was said and done.
$38.00

2113

Gallo of Sonoma
1997 Cabernet Sauvignon Barelli Creek Vineyard Alexander Valley

Effusive nose of sweet liqueur oak - smells like American Oak. Lots of sediment. Dark color. On the palate the oak is somewhat astringent. Sweet fruit with herbal nuances. Not bad. Not improving with age I suspect though.
$20.00

2114

Joseph Swan
1991 Zinfandel Frati Ranch Russian River Valley

Medium red color - red velvet maybe - with a definite cloudy character. Tea/tar/leaf and raspberry nose. Raspberry fruit with seeds? On the palate with more herbal funky character. Not especially good, but interesting. The wine is not over-the-hill but I suspect I would have liked it better a few years ago. Moderate acidity, medium length that peters out into lemony flavors. Mona suggested bubble gum on the nose.
$30.00

2115

Eberle
1999 Syrah Reid Vineyard Paso Robles

Well made, if chunky Syrah. Pepper and bacon notes along with ripe fruit. Good, not great.
$20.00

2116

Sheutz Oles
1998 Vesuvium Napa Valley

Blend of Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon. Ripe nose right out of the bottle of bittersweet chocolate. Rich, sweet, ripe, soft. Lacks structure and concentration, but it's fun to drink.
$30.00

2117

Domaine Sainte-Michele
1999 Coteaux du Languedoc

Rich nose of cedar, toast, ripe fruit, just a touch of herbal funk, pepper, and graphite. Deep color. Cinnamon? I'm guessing Mourvedre or Carignane play a role in this one. Nice Rhone Syrah character.
$11.00

2118

Talley
1997 Chardonnay Oliver's Vineyard Edna Valley

Apple juice and raw wood nose that I'm beginning to think characterizes Edna Valley fruit. Smoke, minerals and honey also hang around in the nose. Initially ripe and a touch sweet on the palate and then tapers off to a more citrusy tone. Pleasant, but hey, another Chardonnay basically. Not any sense that a year or two of aging has had much effect, but the honey flavor might be a result.
$17.00

2119

Pride Mountain
1998Merlot Napa-Sonoma Counties

Splash decanted and run through a venturi pipe gadget. Yum nose of bitter chocolate, toasty oak, and deep fruit. Sweet attack with an edge of acidity. Delicious.
$48.00

2120

Neyer's
1999 Zinfandel Pato Ranch Contra Costa County

The nose suggests balsa wood, leather, shoe polish. Acidity or alcohol prickles on the front of the tongue. Ripe, sweet, high alcohol. Brisk in many ways. Nice, but I wasn't overly impressed. 15.2% alc.
$25.00

Cheers!
James

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