Tasting Notes From May 2002

I spent two weeks in South America on a business trip, so the tasting notes for May are abbreviated.

2122

lime and mineral nose in a subdued format. Medium-bodied with moderate fruit, and appropriate acidity. This was fine, but I really expected something more given the reputation of Cotat.

$30.00

2123

Etude
1997 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Yum. Great balance and harmony. Tannins, but they are happy and silky. Ripe red fruit with some nuances of earth, cedar, and perhaps tobacco. Delicious. This wine was part of an engagement celebration for myself and my future wife Mona.

$70.00

2124

Turley
1999 Zinfandel Tofanelli Vineyard Napa Valley

WOW! This raised eyebrows around the table. Beautiful nose of jammy fruit, high-octane Zin, and anise spice. Fruity and sweet tasting wth enough acidity to keep it from being cloying. Tasting it next to a Barsac, it was obviously not excessively sweet, but had that impression nevertheless. Great juice. Turley is a great Zinfandel producer without argument. This was also part of an engagement celebration with my fiance Mona.

$40.00

2125

Doisy-Verdrines
1997 Barsac

Great botrycized nose…apricot, some spice, wet balsa wood…Sweet and long on the palate. Like the Turley that preceded it, there was plenty of acid to keep everything harmonious. At this point, my palate was not quite accurate, but this was quite tasty.

$30.00

2126

Titus
1999 Zinfandel Napa Valley

Anise and spice nose…deep color but far from opaque. The palate is ripe and full-bodied but the acids in the wine give it an edgy, lighter feel. Nice wine for what we paid in a restaurant.

$33.00

2127

Chateau Montelena
1996 Chardonnay Napa Valley

Buttery nose with lemon and some toast. Light color, ripe, sweet, but with acid still fairly abundant. Crisp melon, lemon, mineral flavors.

$30.00

2128

Orin Swift
2000 The Prisoner Napa Valley

Attractive nose of liqueur, new wood, blueberry and tangerine? Full bodied with some prickly acids on the sides of the tongue. This wine is a blend of Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon with some other grapes thrown in as well.

$22.00

2129

Olivier Cuilleras
2000 Cotes du Rhone Visan Vielles Vignes

Somewhat "Grenachey" but ripe, with edgy acidity and good body. Better than most Cotes du Rhone, but not stellar.

$14.00

2130

Spelletich Cellars
2000 Zinfandel Shenandoah Valley

Explosive nose of anise, spice, Mona suggested flower petals. Ripe and a bit sweet. Alcohol is evident but not really a problem (17%). This is the best Zinfandel around for the money.

$23.00

2131

Joseph Swan
1991 Zinfandel Porter Bass Vineyard Russian River Valley

Balsa and freshly polished leather nose. Light in color with a touch of tawny. Fairly acidic and a bit reminiscent of Pinot Noir. Dead on second tasting…the palate retains nice sweetness but the nose smells of volatile acidity. Turned it into a nice salad dressing though.

$30.00

2132

Whitehaven
2000 Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough NZ

Intense nose like effervescent orange juice. Crisp palate. Nice wine.

$17.00

2133

Carlisle
2000 Zinfandel Alexander Valley

Yum…viscous high octane Zinfandel. Improved with air time. 16.9% alc. And has some Carignane in the mix.

$22.00

2134

Georges Duboeuf
2000 Moulin-A-Vent Domaine de la Tour du Bief

Grown up Beaujolais. Fruity strawberry zest nose, tart palate. Good with food I suppose.

$8.00

2136

Kathryn Hall
1998 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Sachrse Vineyard

Quite green and underripe with menthol, coffee, and acid. Avoid. Horribly overpriced.

$40

2137

Fransiscan
1999 Magnificat Napa Valley

Nice chocolatey wine with moderate to full body and average length. Formulaic, but fine.

$40.00

Cheers!
James

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