Tasting Notes From April 2006

Behrens and Hitchcock
2001 Merlot
Napa Valley
As seems to always be the case with B&H wines, this wine has a slight reduced glue or rubber aroma. A little bit inky with dense chewey fruit. Not likely to be picked as a Merlot. Okay. $42

Carlisle
2000 Two Acres
Russian River Valley, Red Wine
15% alcohol. Animalistic red waxy fruit with a touch of spicy eucalyptus on the nose. Somewhat complex smelling. Improving based on my recollection of the last time I tasted this.

Carlisle
2003 Zinfandel
Carlisle Vineyard, Russian River Valley
Saturated, deep purple garnet with some translucency. Aromas of maple syrup, red fruit and a touch of eucalyptus. Little bit of raisin-prume. Dense, sweet and tangy red f

Carlisle
2004 Three Birds
Sonoma County
Spicy nose of pepper, eucalyptus, and red berry fruit. Touch of liqueur. Bright, slightly tangy red berry fruit. Lush, sweet tart. Zingy nose. Nice. $20;

Casa Mireles (Hug Cellars)
2005 Romanze
Rose, San Luis Obispo
Moderately pale in color with a salmon-pink hue. Aromas of ripening fruit with some vegetation and herbs. The palate shows a sweet attack with coppery watermelon and underri

Celler del Roure
2003 Maduresa
Valencia
Somewhat rustic nose of earth, smoke, sweet creosote covered fruit. Similar flavors on the palate. Clearly old world. Medium-full bodied with a little tannic bite. Okay.

Chapoutier (Domaine de Bila Haut)
2003 Occultum Lapidem
Cotes du Roussillon Villages Latour de France
The cork on this wine was totally soaked through. The nose shows leather and brett, turning with earthy and vinegary in the glass. $2

Clarendon Hills
1998 Syrah
Brookman Vineyard, Clarendon
Aromas of hickory, mesquite and pickle barrel on the nose. Underlying this is some black berry fruit. The palate has somewhat sour black, tangy fruit. Leather and tamarind. Some e

Copain
2003 Pinot Noir
Hacienda Sequoia, Anderson Valley
Blind red 4 - Deeply colored - the darkest of the lot - with a flourish of apricot or floral aromas of the nose. Dense, dark red berry fruit. Decidedly the best wine yet. Penetra

Copain
2004 Viognier
Catie's Corner, Russian River Valley
Bright, lemony nose. Not heavy with stone fruit. Concentrated, somewhat full-bodied. Not overly sweet. Smells a little sour on the nose. Okay. Pinots at Campania

Dehlinger
2001 Pinot Noir
Estate, Russian River Valley
Blind red 2 - Color shows some fading to tawny. Somewhat rich Pinot fruit nose - tomatoe skins, herbs, cherry fruit, anise. Tangy red cherry fruit on the palate. Metallic. Perhaps

Domaine Beaurenard
2003 Chateauneuf du Pape
The nose on this was different, sort of a concoction of minerals, earth, balsa wood, and a spicy herb. It came across a little bit like cork taint. Looking for guidance, I read RMP's description

Fombrauge
2003 St. Emilion
Not likely to be mistaken for a new world wine, but this still has excellent ripeness for Bordeaux. Characteristic aromas of old wood, slight menthol, plummy black fruit. Concetrated with slightly cottony tannins

Fontodi
2001 Chianti Classico Riserva
Vigna del Sorbo
Deeply colored with typical aromas of dried cherry fruit and a touch of leather. Dense and somewhat chewey. This had lost some good qualities from the previous day according to John

Garretson
2003 Grenache
Paso Robles
Savory burnt strawberries. This isn't really my cup of wine.

Hug Cellars
2004 Syrah
Central Coast
Primary black berry fruit. Concentrated with a plush black fruit entry. Maybe just a hint of tank fermentation (carbonic maceration) on the nose, but I doubt it was aged in anything but barrels and

Ipsum
2004 Rueda
White Wine
60% Verdejo and 40% Rueda. Pale color. Citrus and green ber nose somewhat reminiscent of Sauvignon Blanc. Minerals. Tangy, slightly less than concentrated citrus fruit. Tangy finish. $10;

Jaffurs
2004 Viognier
Santa Barbara County
This was our starter wine at Rialto in Boston. $60 off the list. I believe Jaffur's Viognier carries a more site specific desigation, but I didn't get a chance to peruse the label. More restr

Kaesler
2002 Shiraz
Stonehorse, Barossa Valley
15% alcohol. Sweet black fruit nose with an undercurrent of black tea. Sweet attack with concentrated, thick blackberry and boysenberry fruit. Turns a bit tangier in the finish. Pretty good

L'Aventure
2003 Cabernet Sauvignon
Paso Robles, Estate
Inky in the glass. Intense and extracted smelling but rather closed on the nose. Some black fruit. Cedar. The tannins in this are chewey but the underlying fruit is obviously there

Loring Wine Company
2003 Pinot Noir
Brousseau Vineyard, Santa Rita Hills
Deeply colored and nearly opaque. The nose on this wine shows some smokey barrel and tar aromatics. The palate is different with concetrated black and red berry fr

Merry Edwards
2001 Pinot Noir
Olivet Lane, Russian River Valley
Blind Red 3 - Metallic black cherry fruit and a touch of licorice on the nose. Sweet black cherry fruit on the palate. Turning tangy in the finish. Nice palate. Pinots a

Oro de Castilla
2004 Verdejo
Rueda
100% Verdejo. Fragrant, floral nose. Exotic smelling. More high-toned than most Viognier though. Has a citrus cut to it. The palate sweet citrus and white fruit flavors. Medium bodied. Good. $15;

Piper Hiedsick
1995 Brut
Vintage
Rich, toasty-yeasty nose with a touch of cherry stones. Ever-so-slightly sweet with fruit on the palate. Good. Pinot at Campania

Prado Enea
1995 Rioja
Blind 1 - Slight tawny hue. Aromas suggest old world. Some menthol and dark fruit. Slightly tart. The acidity is the only thing about this that makes me think Pinot. Sour cherry fruit on the palate. Okay. Pinots at C

Pride Mountain
1999 Cabernet Franc
Sonoma County
Leafy earthy aromas. This wine has tamed down considerably. Approachable, somewhat soft black and red fruit. Rather easy to identify as Cab Franc. Medium-bodied. Drink up. $48; Randy P.

Red Car
2002 The Table
Thompson Vineyard, Santa Barbara County
Sweet new oak nose. Something like powdered sugar and rubber. Sweet concentrated attack. Polished slightly high toned red rhubarb blackberry fruit turning more savory and ea

Rolf Binder
2003 Shiraz
Heysen, Barossa Valley
Sweet Barossa nose of syrupy black fruit. Boysenberry. Some smoke and spice. Vanilla. Round and supple. Maybe a little woody in the finish, but good. $26;

Terrabianca
2001 Campaccio
Toscana Rosso
Correct sour red cherry fruit with some dried herbs and leathery components. Moderately intense. Okay, but I can't get excited about this. Maybe if it were $10-$15 less expensive. $30;

Turley
2002 Charbono
California
I missed the appellation on this wine - I think it might be Napa Valley. The alcohol was listed at 13.9%. The nose on this suggests sweet, plump black fruit with some rustic nuances. The palate is concen

Turley
2003 Zinfandel
Old Vines, California
something like 16% alcohol. Rich nose that smells velvety and quite Port-like. Extracted and spicy. Sweet pruney-raisiny attack. Slightly hot. Okay. Not the best Turley I've tasted. $30;

Villa Creek
2004 Garnacha
Denner Vineyard, Paso Robles
100% Grenache, 16.2% alcohol. 100% from Denner Vineyard. Aromas of leather, ripe strawberries, some kind of dark berry (loganberry?). Kirsch, vanilla, spices, pencil lead. Complex

Villa Creek
2004 Willow Creek Cuvee
Paso Robles
60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and 20% Mourvedre. 16% alcohol. Aromas of sweet dried leather, dried fruits, red fruits. Fresh, sweet kirsch attack. Softer and more approachable than the Mas de

Zind Humbrecht
2004 Gewurztraminer
Alsace
Nice value Gewurztraminer with tropical lychee fruit on the nose and a slight bitterness. Lots of interest. Fuller bodied with good concentration. $20;

Zind Humbrecht
2004 Riesling
Estate, Alsace
12% alcohol. Petrol on the nose with gravel, metal, and some kind of white fruit. Medium-full bodied. Dry with a tangy edge. Nicely concentrated. Good. $20;

Cheers!
James

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