Tasting Notes From February 2004

Merry Edwards
2001 Pinot Noir
Russian River Valley
Fragrant with cola, cherry, and orange/citrus flavors. Medium-bodied on the palate with tangy, citrusy cherry fruit. Some subtle notes of forest floor. Well made Pinot Noir, slightly too far to the citrus end for my Pinot tastes. $30

Marquis Philips
2001 Shiraz
9 Mclaren Vale
Yummy once again. Effusive, sweet blackberry vanilla Shiraz juice. Oozing with fruit. Creamy, lush. Nice! $25 Dinner Out at Suze with Mona

Zenith
2002 Sauvignon Blanc
Marlborough
This tasted like it might have been open a couple days, but overall had nice flavors. Tangy grapefruit with a dusty, dry quality. Decent. By the glass at Suze.

Marquis Philips
2002 Merlot
South East Australia
14% alcohol. This wine's nose was quite different than my memory of the last time we tasted it. Superripe - even overripe on the nose with a suggestion of Port. Some chocolate, lots of plummy black fruit. On the palate the wine is full-bodied but seems to be lacking in concentration of flavor. Overall a decent quaff, but way different than the last bottle. $14

Carlisle
2001 Two Acres
Russian River Valley
14.8% alcohol. The blend includes Mourvedre, Petite Sirah, Valdepenas, and Alicante Bouschet. 200 Cases produced. Obviously Mourvedre on the nose, with aromas of wax, a bit of eucalyptus, and minerals. Also shows some spice, plum and red berry fruit, and minerals. The palate is rich, and "sweet." While tasty and interesting, this was not the best showing for this blend. Our first sample of the 2001 vintage. $28

Nigl
2002 Gruner Veltliner
Kremser Freiheit
11.5% alcohol. Medium-bodied, dry talc, minerals, quinine, and tangy lemons. A nice change of pace. $18

Kaesler
2002 Stonehorse GSM
Barossa Valley
60-32-8. 15.5% acohol. Tightly wound, showing traces of smoke, tar, red and black berry fruit, and some new oak. Full bodied with tannins that could stand to soften some. Sweet black fruit underneath. This carries its hefty alchol very well. Interesting wine. $18

Behrens and Hitchcock
2000 Merlot
Oakville Fortuna Vineyard Napa Valley
15.5% alcohol. Perhaps the best showing for B&H Merlot yet for me. On the nose it smells like raw oak, old wood, creosote, and restrained black fruit liqueur. On the palate it is full bodied, intensly fruity, sweet, low acid, and fairly well balanced, despite the lofty alcohol. Actually smells a little tannic, though it doesn't taste it. Nice. $45

Darioush
2002 Viognier
Napa Valley
This was either an off-bottle or the wine is rapidly aging. Mona actually asked me if this was a Chardonnay. Lightly lemon apricot on the nose, seems to be carrying a lot mineral and oak. Eh. $30

Carlisle
2000 Syrah
Dry Creek Valley
15.8% alcohol. Intense and dense. Initially Oz-like for its plush black fruit and hint of Vanilla. Then a bit meaty and spicy with a touch of eucalyptus. Big, rich sweet blackerry and vanilla cream fruit. Nice. $36

Guffens-Heynen
2001 Macon Villages
Les Chavignoles
On the nose the first second suggests a hint of skunk that rapidly retreats into a toasted hazelnut flavor. The nose also has slate, grass. The wine seems a different beast on the palate with lots of open, sweet, rich white fruit. No slouch. $40 Valentines' Day at Lola

Rene Barbier
2000 Priorat
Clos Mogador
A wow wine. Decanted about 40 minutes while we enjoyed the Macon Villages. Toasty charred oak and minerals on the nose. Tar, espresso. Rich fruit that is slightly tight. Tobacco leaf. This wine screams "Cabernet" at me, but Van Roberts indicated it was a blend that included Grenache and even maybe some Pinot Noir. $70 Valentines' Day at Lola

A Blind Tasting of Southern Hemisphere Wines at Suze

Trevor Jones
2002 Chardonnay
Virgin South Australia
Blind white 1 - Initially I thought Sauvignon Blanc, then a waxy quality made me think Chenin Blanc or a Rhone variety. ON the palate the wine is slightly sweet which further suggested Riesling or Chenin Blanc. Tropical fruit. A pleasant quaff and a baffling surprise for a blind taster. $14

Spy Valley
2003 Sauvignon Blanc
Marlborough New Zealand
Blind white 2 - Spicy grapefruit - tangy smelling with minerals and perhaps a bit of petrol. Sweet lime and tropical fruit flavors on the palate with a touch of green pepper dustiness in the finish. Slightly bracing but nice. $10

Cousino Macul
2001 Cabernet Sauvignon
Antiguas Reserva Maipo Valley
Blind Red 1 - Rich nose of velvet, tannin, clearly a Bordeaux variety. Sweet on the palate - softer than the nose suggests. Ripe cherry, smoke, "jungle funk", caramel. Medium-bodied. Inexpensive? Yes as it turns out. $13

Clarendon Hills
1997 Shiraz
Brookman Vineyard
Blind red 2 - Sweet nose of liqueur, Port, rich smelling, meat, smoke, and a definite suggestion of BBQ sauce. Smoky palate with more BBQ. Sweet fruit with a vinegar tangy finish. Interesting and strange.

D'Arenberg
2001 Mourvedre
Twenty-Eight Road McLaren Vale
Blind number 5 - Tannic aroma - smells Bordeaux-like, like it might be something like Malbec. Polished currant fruit. Rich sweet palate with a slightly tangy finish. Tastes as if it has good breeding, though with a slightly high-toned finish. Surprise again. I missed this one by a mile.

Conch Y Toro Terrayuno
1998 Cabernet Sauvignon
Maipo Valley
Blind wine 6 - High-toned Bordeaux variety on the nose. A strange bell pepper quality. Not underripe on the palate. Well-balanced, a little soft. Decent, though not quite up to the level of 5. This is a good value. $12

Concha y Toro
1999 Don Melchor
Puene Alta Chile
Blind wine 7 - Aussie? Very polished black and red berry fruit. Sweet, plush, balanced. Nice, if a bit monolithic.

Fox Creek
1999 Cabernet Sauvignon
Reserve McLaren Vale
Blind wine 8 - Oaky and out of balance. $46

Wynn's
1998 Cabernet Sauvignon
John Riddoch Coonawarra
Blind wine 9 - Smells of oak and tannin with mint. Cabernet Sauvignon-like. Medium-full bodied with menthol and fruit. Hmm?

Muddy Water
2000 Pinotage
Waipara New Zealand
Blind wine 10 - Sweet nose that suggests Riesling or Viognier. My notes are missing further content.

Almaviva
2000 Almaviva
Puente Alta Chile
Blind wine 11 - Rich nose with a touch of bell pepper. Rich and balanced black currant fruit. A bit monolithic, but this is nice. Slightly austere. $35

Hengler View
2000 Shiraz
Barossa Valley
Produced by a high school as a project. Aroma of mildew, like the howdyshell house. Decent plump fruit otherwise. Eh.

Possums Vineyard
2002 Shiraz
McLaren Vale
15% alcohol. Blackberries and vanilla on the nose. Smells sweet like a Marquis Philips wine, but has more structure. Rich concentrated palate with just a trace of tannin lending structure. Excellent length. Not bad. $28

Blind, “Bring a Wine You’ve Never Had” Tasting at Campisi’s

Francois Pinon
2002 Vouvray
Cuvee Tradition
Blind white 1- Pale, undistinguished appearance. Waxy minerals on the nose. A suggestion of petrol. Thick mouthfeel with not much fruit for its sweetness. Good sweetness and weight. I suspected this was a Marsanne or Roussanne.

Casa de la Ermita
Jumilla
Blanco
Blind White 2 - Viognier? That was my first guess on smelling this wine. Floral tangerine orange rind and minerals. Sweet weighty fruit. Low acid, plump. A slight hint of soapiness. I suspected this was a North California Viognier. Decent, and a decent value. Who would have guessed Spain? $13

Yves Cuilleron
2002 Marsanne
Vin de Pays
Blind white 3 - When I tasted this wine at home, just before the tasting, I found it showing some floral fruit and pleasant sweet lemony fruit. Some minerals. At the tasting it was off. Traci described it as having the heft of Chardonnay but not the flavor. It even suggested some oak. Hmm? $18

Josef Leitz
2002 Riesling
Kabinett Rudesheimer Klosterlay
Blind white 4 - Petrol, mineral, and slate on the nose. Quite sweet on the palate. John raves, I don't quite get it.

Luca
2001 Syrah
Altos de Mendoza Argentina
Blind red 1 - Rich redolent of French cooperage - in a reasonably good way. Coffee and toffee, and a hint of smoky swimming pool water?. I was having trouble guessing the variety and my initial thought was Petite Sirah. Rich, sweet attack, thick red and black fruit, slightly elevated acidity in the finish. Maybe a really big Pinot Noir? Clearly new world. Very nice. My wine of the night. $35

Cave de la Tain
1990 Hermitage

Blind red 2 - Translucent ruby - slightly cloudy. Smells of secondary fermentaton on the nose along with strawberry fruit. Sweet strawberry fruit on the palate. Horse hair. Eh…sorry traci.

La Sirena
1997 Sangiovese
Juliana's Vineyard Napa Valley
Blind Red 3 - Light color - looks like a Pinot Noir. Orange and cherry fruit on the nose. Light, lacking in concentration. Sweet cherry fruit. Watery. Pass. What a disappointment from Heidi Barret's hands. $40

Domaine de Mourchon
2000 Cotes du Rhone Village
Grande Reserve Seguret
Blind red - 4 - Dark with a translucent edge. French Rhone nose of olive tapenade, roasted fruit and burnt tires. Rich sweet plummy fruit on the palate with some chocolate. Finishes soft afterall. Nice little CDR. 14.9%.

Abel Mendoza
2001 Rioja

Medium-deep in color. Has an American oak nose and cheap cherry fruit. Acidic, monolithic. I heard tannic also mentioned. So-so. Pass.

Ridge
2001 Zinfandel
Pagani Ranch California
Blind red 6 - Sweet nose of reduced caramel, burlap, alcohol. Smells like Amarone. A whiff of cork? A big rich, sweet wine with caramel, cherry cola, and black fruit. Not bad, but the fruit seemed a little muddy and stewed for my taste.

Loring
2000 Pinot Noir
Clos Pepe Vineyard
Translucent ruby in the glass. The nose shows toasty oak, chunky red berry fruit, and scents of mushroom and forest floor. Medium-full bodied with more sweet red fruits on the palate with a tangy finish. Decent, slightly underwhelming. $42

Mas de Avelyans
2001 Syrah
Vin de Pays du Gard
Wow this wine rocks! Deeply colored, aromas of creosote, spice, honey suckle, liqueur, pepper. Medium to full in weight with rich, balance sweet, dark fruit. Bravo Value! $12

Castell del Remei
2001 Gotim Bru
Costers del Segre
The label notes this has Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. I would have guess it had some Grenache in it otherwise. On the nose it has a rich black fruit aroma framed with a little toasty oak and a "dark" smell like tar or creosote. Sweet, rather simple fruit on the palate that seems a little bit lacking in concentration. Mona really enjoyed it. Could use a bit more stuffing. Moderate acidity keeps it fresh. $13

Carlisle
2001 Zinfandel
Sonoma County
15.9% from vineyards in Dry Creek Valley and Russian River Valley. Includes some Carignane and Grenache. Gorgeous nose has gotten more raisined with bottle age. Luscious dark berry fruit. Concentrated figs, honey, blackberry liqueur. No real sense of the high alcohol. Nice. Drink now. $19

Kendermann's
2001 Dry Riesling
Pfalz Vineyard Selection
12% alcohol. Lives up to its name - a mostly dry Riesling with pretty tropical fruit, mineral, petrol flavors. Light in body. Pleasant value. Slightly tart finish. $10

Frenchies at MoMo’s

Champalou
2001 Vouvray

Blind white 1 - Funky corked smelling nose - glue and rubber. Sweetish palate with waxy tropical fruit. Seems like a Chenin Blanc. Eh.

Jean Louis Chave
1991 Hermitage
Blanc
Blind white 2 - Golden color. Unusual nose initially like a kitchen sink with stinky vegetable remains in it, but that blew off and seemed to have a smoke and honey quality. Thick mouthfeel with lots of honey flavors. Seems a bit lacking in stuffing, but tasty. This wine grew on me. My first Chave.

Domaine Vacheron
2002 Sancerre
Blanc
Blind white 3 - lime, a whiff of Irish Spring soap, talc, minerals, grapefruit. Deceptive balance of sweet citrus fruit and acidity on the palate. Lemon lime fruit. Yummy Sauvignon Blanc. $20

Nicolas de Bourgueil
1999 Cabernet Franc
Cuvee du Domaine
Blind red 1 - Dry, dusty colive. Deep, dark impression. Leather. Cherry, cherry cola, later violets. Sweet peppery herb fruit. Plush. This was difficult to peg as Loire Cabernet Franc. Not bad.

Domaine Combier
1998 Croze Hermitage
Rouge
Blind red 2 - Deeply colored. The nose is redolent of black olive tapenade with some black cherry fruit. Rich, with some serious tasting slightly austere peppery red fruit. The olives in this is a little overwhelming.

Chateau Poujeaux
1996 Moulis

Blind red 3 - Deep, tannic smelling - likely Bordeaux. Tight, somewhat tannic palate. The tannin gives the impression of body. The palate is slightly hollow though, lacking sufficient fruit.

Alain Graillot
1997 Croze Hermitage
Rouge
Blind red 4 - Sweet nose, yet laden with olives, cinnamon, salt, and Northern Rhone funk. Slightly savory and masculine on the palate. Decent.

Baumard
1994 Quartz de Chaume

Sweet White - Canned tropical fruit. Sweet, thick, a bit too sweet really. Okay. I don't really get these wines.

Jean Reverdy et fils
2002 Sancerre
La Rhein Blanche
This wine seems to be more about texture and less about fruit...not that it lacks fruit, but the fruit it has is dominated by lime and tart citrus flavors. The wine has tons of wet slate or wet raw granite on the nose. Medium-bodied with very racy acidity. Not bad for the $10 I paid. $10

Pride Mountain
1999 Merlot
Napa & Sonoma Counties
Initially it smells closed and a bit like wet cement - consensus was not corked - then as it opens, mocha, red berry fruit, toasty oak. Never really blossoms in the glass but remains a tasty, rather intense, Merlot. Not worth $48, sorry. This might open some with additional time. $48

Chateau de Beaucastel
1999 Cotes du Rhone
Coudoulet de Beaucastel Blanc
This wine didn't receive proper storage, but that may not have been an issue. Golden color in the glass. The nose hints at oxidation, watered-down pear juice, apples. Full-bodied without much fruit or stuffing. Has some sweetness from the meager fruit and the alcohol. Overall, not stunning, but not bad for a white Rhone that cost me $5. $5

Hartford Court
2001 Zinfandel
Fanucchi-Wood Road Vineyard Russian River Valley
16.1% alcohol. Pretty nose laden with clove spices. On the palate the wine is rather tight and austere. Some sweet black fruit, but also a strong, tightly wound core of earth, leather, and meat that diminishes my enjoyment of the wine. Okay, but needs to resolve and show more fruit. The nose is this wine's best attribute. $30

Cheers!
James

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