Tasting Notes - February 2005

Tasting Notes From February 2005

Pride Mountain
2003 Viognier
Sonoma County
Not a good showing for this wine. Buttery minerals. Somewhat austere. Too much oak? Not very good. $40 James' Half-Birthday

Mitolo
2003 Serpico
McLaren Vale
Juicy blackberry and black currant with lots of vanilla cream oak on the nose. The palate is a bit pedestrian and not as concentrated as the nose suggests, but the overally effect is nice. This was a relative bargain at Pappas Bros. Steakhouse for $63. $40 James' Half-Birthday

DiBruno
2003 Sangiovese
Stolpman Vineyard, Santa Barbara County
I was not as bowled over by this as Chris was, but it was decent. Touch of licorice on the nose with dense cherries. Slightly chewey and tangy red cherry fruit with a molasses and brown sugar quality. $17

Mas de Guiot
2003 Cabernet Syrah
Vin de Pays du Gard
A Bobby Kacher wine that blends 60% Cabernet Sauvignon with 40% Syrah. A bit compressed initially but nicely satisfying. Pepper, black plum and black currant with a hint of olive. Concentrated, chewey mouthful. $13

Chateau Cantenac
2000 St. Emilion
Deeply colored in the glass. Aromas of smoke and peat. Medium-bodied with slightly gritty tannins and a somewhat lean, hard finish. The nose also clearly shows some mocha and stems that give away the main varieties. 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Just okay. $20

Tomasso Bussola
2003 Valpolicella
BG
This wine did very little for me. Simple and merely vinous with red fruit. Medium-bodied with a slight tang. Nothing memorable. $12

Domaine Tempier
2003 Bandol
Rose
Lightly Corked. $30 Mo-Mourvedre at MoMo's

Veritas
1998 Pressings
Mourvedre-Shiraz South Australia
Blind Red 1 - Sweet nose of hickory, brown sugar. Rich but turning slightly green, slightly spicy, and slightly rustic in the finish. Tangy blood, iron, citrus. A 50% blend of each variety. Mo-Mourvedre at MoMo's

Clos Roque D'Aspes
2000 Faugeres

Blind Red 2 - Deep color with a clearing edge. Waxy animal fur edge to the nose. Fuller bodied with loa acidity. Has a softish side that make me think this was Spanish or Californian. Shortish on the finish. Okay. Mo-Mourvedre at MoMo's

Domain Bunan
1995 Bandol
Moulin des Costes
Blind Red 3 - Medium-bodied with a slightly rocky nose and finish. Difficult. My notes are pretty inadequate on this wine. Mo-Mourvedre at MoMo's

Las Gravas
2001 Jumilla

Blind Red 4 - Riper, warmer climate with cranberry fruit that strongly reminds me of canned cranberry relish from Thanksgiving. Likely Aussie? Not crazy about this, but it is okay. Apparently an upper-tier wine from Casa Castillo, and, of course, a Jorge Ordonez wine. $23 Mo-Mourvedre at MoMo's

Cline
2003 Mourvedre
Ancient Vines, Contra Costa County
Blind Red 5 - Bit of oak on the nose, then bark, fur. Sweet cinnamon attack with concentrated red fruit. Rich berry fruit. Highish, sweet alcohol. Decent. Mo-Mourvedre at MoMo's

Castano
2001 Solanera
Yecla
Blind Red 6 - Spicy citrus nose with bark, a touch of excess alcohol. A bit of red berry, but somewhat boring and one-dimensional. Hmm. $13 Mo-Mourvedre at MoMo's

Carlisle
2002 Two Acres
Russian River Valley
"Blind Red 7 - Bit reluctant initially on the nose. Smells dark and big. Bark. Rich concentrated dark fruit. ""Sweet and Dark"" kind of sums this up. The next day the leftovers tasted more typical with red berry fruit. Probably better in a year or two. $30" Mo-Mourvedre at MoMo's

Les Clos du Caillou
2001 Cotes du Rhone
Tres Vielles Vignes
Blind Red 8 - Ringer? Foreign smelling with building richness. Sweet. Syrah and Grenache? Nice. An impressive Cotes du Rhone once it was unveiled. Mo-Mourvedre at MoMo's

Domaine Tempier
1989 Bandol
La Tourtine
Blind Red 9 - Funky initially - with a bark edge. Full-bodied. Red fruit. Decent. After the unveiling I am surprised by the youthfulness of this wine. Mo-Mourvedre at MoMo's

Chateau Musar
1993 Gaston Hocher
Lebanon
LAST RED - Rich, older. Cedar, hickory, iron. Funky bandaid. Huh? Ehh. Mo-Mourvedre at MoMo's

Gunderloch
2002 Riesling
Auslese Nachenheim Rotenberg
Corked Mo-Mourvedre at MoMo's

Montepeloso
2002 Eneo
Toscana IGT
Sweet oak nose. Molasses? Cherry, dried cherry. Deeply colored. Slightly chewey on the attack then turning more tangy in the finish. Late herbs and black fruit. Bark. Clearly old world, but international in style. Pretty good. $30

Hartford
2001 Zinfandel
Fanucchi-Wood Road, Russian Rivery Valley
Corked $30

Kumkani
2002 Shiraz-Cabernet
Stellenbosch
From screw cap. 75% Shiraz and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon. Peppery and slightly green nose. Graham crackers. Slightly austere. Medium-full bodied with a tart, early finish. Eh. $12

Cheers!
James

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