2019 Shaw and Smith Sauvignon Blanc Adelaide Hills. Pale white to yellow straw color, faint glow, attractive for its relative lack of color. Nose has good erect bearing, very lightly grassy with a sauna stone smokiness, nothing close to cat pee, a floral musk drifts through without lingering, develops a nice briny quality as it warms, more grapefruit than kiwi, pineapple, green apple scents. Medium-bodied, plenty of acidity yet seems to flatten across the tongue rather than slice and dice. That pickle brine explodes here bringing with it a side of jalapeño. Very citrusy as well, the ripeness takes the edge off the former. Loses most of the grassiness, maybe more flinty or minerally in turn. Savory pineapple, passion fruit, mango fruit. I like it, the price is fair, may have too much distinct personality for some. (Screwcap)
2012 Turley Zinfandel Paso Robles Ueberroth Vineyard. Dusky crimson inflected purple color, completely opaque like a muddy river, more rust red rims. The nose is all about the interplay between fresh beef jerky and bodaciously ripe plum, boysenberry, cherry scents, almost a passive-aggressive tango, that any eucalyptus, grapefruit, tomato skin slips in is quite the feat. Full-bodied, satiny so its weight glides across the palate so you know it’s there and you know when it’s not. Spiced orange pekoe tea, ginger root, menthol and anise perk up the close to dried fruit currant, plum, blackberry fruit, not pruney per se. Without being tannic its sheer density structures and it never feels sloppy nor lazy. Floral musk and fruit fill the finish. For me, this is what indulgent Zinfandel can be and a testament to the consistent greatness of the vineyard.
2017 Lagier Meredith Zinfandel Mount Veeder Tribidrag. Dark, glowing purple color, like a black light, rich scarlet red rims. Bracing nose of menthol, cranberry, blueberry fruit and sour citrus pulp, fills it out with mountain scrub and a touch of smokiness, getting very little if any oak presence. Full-bodied, dense and chewy, sufficient tannin to prevent a complete palate soaking. The citrus element really comes through here. Stony, earthy, stays in the bass register. No lack of flavor in the plum, blackberry, blueberry fruit but it lacks a free flowing expressivity. Which I’d attribute to the likelihood of it slowly shutting down for a bit. Does perk up with air time but I’d leave any other bottles alone for 4-5 years.
2018 Ridge Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley East Bench. Dark garnet to purple in color, flush through the rims, not overly saturated. Straight ahead “Zinberry” fruit in the nose, Indian cooking spices and some pine, not getting much creamy oak off it, cleansing without it seeming like alcoholic heat. Medium-bodied and closer to light, if it makes sense it has volume without the excess weight. Sufficient sourness to evoke blueberry, cranberry mixing into the darker cherry, blackberry base. Maybe cedar but here even less oak presence, albeit aged 12 months in a mix of new and aged barrels. Moments of eucalyptus or pine but short-lived. If a wine can be essentially all about the fruit and yet not be a “fruit bomb” this might be it.
2018 Harrington Syrah Marin County McEvoy Ranch. Dull purple to crimson, rust red, no particular shine nor glow, just broods in the glass. Briskly penetrating nose, borders on rude, olive pit, beef jerky, grapefruit pith, tarry smoke, tobacco ash, slowly settles down into cassis, black cherry, blackberry scents, slightly poopy now and then, can see this developing meaningful tertiary aromas over time. Light-bodied, so much acidity and then tannin that the chance of it soaking into the palate is close to nonexistent. parched, stony earth, sun cracked leather, green olives, cured meats, grapefruit/lemon citrus. It has it all but it comes to a screeching halt at the mid-palate. There’s nothing left at the finish but a waft of smells which evoke resurfacing roadways. There’s promise here but some fruit has to outlast the structure. This is a vineyard that fits the style of many favored producers and hopefully some will try to grab new vintages of this fruit.
2018 Sandlands Refosco Napa Valley. Solid purple core, no lack of hue depth, the magenta rims close to violet as well. There’s a roguish roughhewn quality to the nose, leather, loamy earth, clay, marjoram and black cardamom, flirts with a dry herbaceousness, the plum to black currant scents blunt, in no way underfruited. Full-bodied, muscular and tannic, comes off as more backward than the 2017. Floral and citrusy, has sufficient zest to breathe life into the same foursquare dark fruits. Earthy in a dry, clean manner, nothing even close to sous bois or the like. Doesn’t matter how many glasses or sips you carve the bottle into, no change. Didn’t feel like saving some for a “day 2” assessment. Needed the injection sooner.
2006 Beau Vigne Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Reserve. More black than purple at this point, sunset red rims of good width, certainly looks like an older wine. The nose marred by alcoholic heat, the parts don’t seem to be aligned in any one direction, mint, violets, damp cedar and no lack of creamy oak, at this stage more leather than fruit, hard pressed to parse out any particular fruit scents. Medium-bodied, extremely plush and soft, almost squishy. Here there’s no lack of syrupy cassis, plum, cherry fruit, lasts into the finish. No structure, either present or remnant of times past. Leather, not quite volatile enough for shoe polish, campfire smoke. To me it’s unraveling (were it ever raveled) but given that palate coating feel and depth of fruit an argument could be made that it met the expectations of the outset.
2017 Lagier Meredith Syrah Mount Veeder. Garnet tinged purple, not all that dark and mostly transparent up close, flat reddish rims. Sinewy lift to the nose, scrapes your nostrils on the way up, violets, pulped oranges, trace of eucalyptus and mountain scrub, nothing singular leaps out of the mixed black fruit scents, texture the most compelling part right now. Medium-bodied, achieves full palate coverage and soaks in ever so slowly. Here the oak and innate nature gives it a smokiness along with leather, burnt toast and coffee bean. The citrus lacks sharpness and falls back into the mix, however, the florality really explodes. More steadiness than flash in the cherry, plum, black currant fruit. Kind of feel like I just got to this too late in the release cycle and it’s already shutting down.
2018 Bedrock Syrah California. Dusky purple to cranberry red, well-hued without any saturated glow. There’s an earth/dirt inertness to the nose, flattens the blueberry, blackberry, raspberry scents some, vaguely floral, fills the nostrils well and has some lift but lacks a distinct character, for good or bad. Medium-bodied with firming tannins, however, softer and more approachable than suggested by the nose. Mixes in ginger spice, orange peel and something close to coffee bean, sense some oak but it’s minor and if there’s such a thing comes off as “used oak.” The blackberry, boysenberry, red currant fruit starts off well but hits a wall short of the finish, could be the tannin. Seems comfortable with itself, “warts and all,” which goes a long way. Grapes sourced from Hudson, Griffin’s Lair, Alder Springs, Weill, Shake Ridge Vineyards, etc. (Composite Cork: Diam10)
2015 Tensley Syrah SBC Tensley Vineyard. Opaque core more black than purple, rust red rims, looks matured. The nose is on the volatile side, leather, poop, peanut shells, and camphor before getting to the blueberry, boysenberry fruit scents, some vanilla and grill smoke in there but doesn’t seem too oaky but could just be cloaked by the aforementioned. Medium-bodied, still a little rough in the mouth with the acidity slashing here and there and an unnatural sourness to it. Much more floral here and a whisper of green olives. While there is a foundational oaky creaminess here too it’s not overdone. The dark berry to currant fruit lasts fully into the finish. Nowhere near as good as a bottle consumed July 2019 but I’d chalk this up more to bottle variation than a sign of having peaked.
2018 Idlewild North Coast Flora & Fauna White. Deep and glowing yellow color, luminescent more than shiny. The nose has a playful florality as well as lightly honeyed quality, tangerine zest, apple, pear, apricot fruit, perhaps nutty now and then, finishes with a suggestion of chalk dust. Medium-bodied, moderate acidity, feels clean. Quite citrusy, emphasizing lime, tangerine, mandarin orange flavors. Violets and lilacs assist in lifting the ripe melon, pear, apricot fruit. Picture perfect agreeability, could argue it is weaving itself tight enough that the constitutive elements losing some clarity. Preferred it well chilled over nearer room temperature. Unspecified percentages of Muscat Canelli, Arneis, Cortese.
2009 Filliatreau Saumur-Champigny La Grande Vignolle. Good amount of purple remains in the core, likewise the ruby further out maybe just starting to brick, vigorous and clean. The nose displays a highly credible amount of cherry, red currant fruit scents, filled out by a pleasing array of tobacco ash, crushed stone and bell pepper, more open than heavy, lingers well. Medium-bodied, tannin massaged away but the acidity perks it up some. Here that same fruit comes close to raspberry, taking on a tart “red fruit” character. The tobacco ash reminiscent of volcanic ash, more smoky than leafy. The bell pepper ever-present yet woven in well, you’d have to really hate on pyrazines to get annoyed. Very comparable to an excellent bottle consumed June 2018.
2017 Gabin et Félix Richoux Irancy Rouge. Plum red to purple in color, nicely glowing, easy on the eyes. There is a tarriness to the nose, close to smoky at times, stony dirt path, the red fruit scents are there but never fully release, at times getting a menthol-like floral aspect but short-lived. Medium-bodied and grows more tannic as it opens. No lack of red cherry, raspberry, maybe blackberry fruit, more steady than charming. More like asphalt here than tar but the latter is there. Doesn’t lose weight or momentum on the back half. Tea leaf, violets, mukhwas, lots of retronasal action. Unsure of when the tannin will resolve and how much fruit will be left but overall nice package and pretty decent value.
2010 Jules Desjourneys Moulin-à-Vent. Dark purple that barely shifts into plum red at the rims, the liquid is clean but it still sort of looks murky, close to opaque. Thick floral musk dominates the nose, spiced orange peel, no lift and feels heavy in the nostrils, the fruit plummy and dense, at times it comes close to tomato skin. Full-bodied, mildly tannic, not perceiving much acidity. Really presses down into the palate, not immobile but close. Same unusual plum, cherry fruit, no berry zing. Violets, even rose petals. Mutter of leather. First go with this producer, having been angling for some time, hard to find at a price willing to pay. Certainly stylistic and touched by winemaker intent, might even consider it polarizing. Cork was in fantastic shape, fill fine, every reason to believe bottle is representative. Will seek out the producer again but not really in my wheelhouse based on this.
2019 Thomas-Labaille Pinot Noir Sancerre l’Authentique Rosé. Bright pinkish orange which has a day-glo look in the glass, flickers at differing angles. Airy nose, lifts almost as you try and sniff it, playful strawberry to cherry scents, chalk and stone dust, lemon zest, steadily develops a more herbaceous quality as it warms. Breaks into medium bodied territory due to the acidic spine but otherwise light and fluid. Lemony, chalky, curious bit of cocoa. The raspberry, strawberry, rhubarb fruit has a certain transparency to it, like it’s a membrane. Savory finish filled with garden herbs. The wealth of constitutive components a decided plus. Liked it as much cold as warmer. (Composite Cork: Diam3)
2019 Domaine de Sulauze (Lefévre) Coteaux d’Aix en Provence Rosé. Yellowish-pink, onion skin look to it, clear, not especially shiny nor dull. Strawberries and stones in the nose, openly knit and airy, some lemon peel and then bubblegum, playful and not interested in being “serious.” Medium-bodied, a lot more juicy than dry, however, possesses credible acidity and at times even feels tannic. Red apple, strawberry, maraschino cherry fruit with lemon curd before a curious briny edge develops. Moderate herbaceousness, some stream water and pebbles. If you want a dry, crisp rosé with a steely spine, this is not that. A casual sipper for the porch on a hot summer eve. 60% Grenache, 15% Cinsault, 10% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre, 5% Vermentino. (Composite Cork)
2019 Olga Raffault Chinon Rosé. Light glow to the salmon pink color but not much shine, loss of hue at the rims. Plenty of lift to the openly knit nose of red berry juice, mineral dust, orange peel, jalapeño, the bell pepper comes through more than usually found in a rosé. Medium-bodied, stands its ground with some tannic punch. Lemon, orange citrus adds moderate tang to apricot, cherry, raspberry fruit flavors. Minerals, stone dust and that dry bell pepper element glue it all together. Admire its firmness and not sacrificing general flavor for it. Would respect an argument that it could age medium term with upside. (Composite Cork)
2019 Commanderie de la Bargemone Coteaux d’Aix en Provence Rosé. Onion skin to washed pink in color, nice clarity and shine but barely looks like it’s there. Big, gregarious nose of bubblegum, strawberry, cherry fruit, violet pastille, and a suggestion of stream pebbles, clean and fresh for sure, complex not so much, but does it really matter. Medium-bodied, study in contrasts as it feels sort of tannic in how it grips while the ripeness imbues it with a general softness. Much more citrusy than the nose hints at, does its best to firm things up. The stony, mineral water styled component matches the fruit pace for pace, as a result the strawberry, apple, raspberry flavors start to unravel through the mid-palate. Good not great wine, can’t decide if I liked it better chilled or closer to room temperature. 40% Grenache, 25% Cinsault, 20% Syrah, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. (Synthetic Cork)
2019 Bernard Baudry Chinon Rosé. Metallic salmon pink color inclining towards onion skin yellow, holds the light inside nicely. Limestone, stream pebble stoniness to the nose, the sort where there’s no concomitant earthiness involved, soft grassy element, the strawberry, red cherry scents perfunctory, as it warms a sort of briny note wafts in and out. Light to medium-bodied, benefits from consistent acidity throughout, pushes it along when it loses steam. There’s green apple and pear blended into the red berry base, adds to erect bearing. The stoniness and mineral water arguably takes up more territory than is beneficial. Finding the tart pucker tiring as the bottle gets consumed. (Composite Cork)
2015 Charles Hours Jurançon Sec Cuvée Marie. Bronzed gold hue, if you didn’t know this is its correct coloration you might think it was oxidized. Consistent, lowgrade sauna smokiness in the nose, garden herbs, oil slick, pineapple, nectarine, green apple fruit scents, not as pungent as its best years. Medium-bodied, tangy with the fire stoked by zesty acidity. That said, flattens out by the finish. Super-sour pineapple, star fruit, apple flavors. Diesel, oil accents, pine sap, sage and oregano, keeps throwing stuff at you to see what sticks. Needs to warm to show its breadth but too warm and it feels hot. Satisfying but to me not up to par with say an epic vintage like the 2004. 90% Gros Manseng, 10% Corbu.
2011 Vallana Colline Novaresi Spanna Cuvée Bernardo Vallana. More of a suggestion of purple than any for real, rust red to dried blood red with a yellowish orange rim, liquid pretty clear. The core of maraschino cherry losing some grip in favor of tar, parched earth and pulped grapefruit, minor note of black licorice develops over time but on the whole it’s taciturn. Light-bodied and the tannin takes awhile to get used to but if given enough time this wine opens into something quite nice. Good deal of anise, licorice as well as spices, cedar and a mixed citrus zing. The cherry, raspberry fruit fills the attack well but alas unravels before the finish. Not quite rustic but close. If I had any more I’d drink them in the near term. (Composite Cork: Diam5)
2018 Bussoletti Ciliegiolo di Narni 05035. Violet to cranberry red, if lightly hued it fills it up right to the outermost edge. Stinky nose of tarry edge, damp worn saddle leather, merde and wet iron shavings, still for all that it draws you in, the red cherry, red berry scents languish in the background. Light-bodied, starts off sappy and clingy before the acidity slowly shaves it away. Much riper and forward fruit here, raspberry, strawberry to bing cherry. White grapefruit, stone and mineral chunks more or less take up the remaining space. Nowhere near as funky as in the nose, maybe not given sufficient air time to resolve. Interesting, would have a use but off the cuff not sure what that would be. (Composite Cork)
2017 Cataldi Madonna Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Malandrino. Dark ruby-purple core, glowing garnet rims, looks like they wanted to max out the saturation, unblemished liquid. Plummy nose, richly fruited, has a vague dustiness more like mineral powder than poor dirt, finds some balance via a grassy lift, started out boring but grew on your over time. Medium-bodied, behaves like it wants to throw the tannin at you through the mouth entry so that’s out of the way. Afterwards, there’s not much interference with the abundant black fruits. To be fair, much more ripe than juicy or sweet and it releases at the end through notes of potpourri and incense. Back around the 1999-2002 vintages I used to like their Tonì bottling. But haven’t had one of their wines since 2009. This is pretty good and one of those “split the difference” bottles for when you are consuming among more plebeian palates. (Composite Cork)
2017 Cantine Bove Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Feudi d’Albe. Crimson red tends to cloud over any purple, slightly lighter blood red rims. Dusty, earthy, even twiggy nose, throwback rustic style even with a whiff of cocoa, the cherry to dark berry fruit scrub your nostrils close to raw, over time some citrus appears but it gets swallowed into the overall bracing effect. Light-bodied, the huge tannic and acidic structure makes it firm without excess weight. Sour Italian, plum, blackberry fruit, lasts through the finish nicely if you can still feel your mouth. Not as earthy here but more citrus, maybe even a touch of florality. Initial experience with the producer, impressed insofar as it is used as a food wine. (Composite Cork)
2019 Bonincontro Vittoria Frappato Melovivo. Bright, sparkling ruby-violet color, more pinkish at the rims, fully transparent. The sourness of the nose matched by fullness, the cranberry, raspberry scents defanged some by florality and it does continually expand into a more fluffy nostril texture, little bit of stone, ash residue as it drifts away. Light in body but dry and tannic enough that it feels like a punch to the jaw. More of the dusty stone plus earthiness. The addition of cherry makes the red berry base fuller and less sour. Citrus accents grow with air time. I like it but don’t love it. Starting to think that Frappato may not be my thing. Have always enjoyed the one made by Occhipinti but priced out of that, some corners must be cut. (Composite Cork)
2017 Cenatiempo Biancolella Ischia Bianco Kalimera. Unusually dark gold color, solid glow, its dullness does not diminish presence in the glass. While it achieves richness in the nose, punctured by a pervasive smokiness and dusty minerality, apricot paste, spiced orange peel, blanched nuts with something close to lactose, once it warms you cut more cut in the pineapple, guava fruit scents. Full-bodied, expands steadily across the palate while avoiding sluggish heaviness. The acidity could be characterized as “plus” level but not really a match for the general heft. Noticeably floral in a front-loaded manner, afterwards it’s tangy pineapple, papaya, nectarine fruit and some accompanying minerality. The citrus retains a sour candied feel, pairs with a ginger root component. Lot going on here, good wine, not really a casual sipper, needs food. (Composite Cork: Diam3)
2016 Durant Vineyards Pinot Noir Dundee Hills Dove. Simple ruby-purple color, nice depth of color with a soft gauziness. Nose offers baking spices, incense, cedar without seeming oaked in an exaggerated manner, strawberry to blackberry scents, full and capable of a few high notes, orange zest, that’s about it. Full and plush mouth feel, layers itself, not unmannerly yet nothing subtle going on. Much darker fruit here, cherry, blackberry boysenberry, more thick than fluid. Ginger, violet pastille, orange reduction. If there’s a high level of acidity I’m not getting it. Flavorful, distinguishes itself in no manner.
2018 Cabeças do Reguengo Alentejo Portalegre Respiro. Light, slightly washed out watermelon pink-red, fully transparent. The nose is poopy at first, takes its time shifting into muddy grass, damp smoke, a slight embellishment of both white grapefruit and metallic minerals, the cherry to dark berry fruit too taciturn to shift its gears into a more friendly position. Light-bodied, the tannin not shy about smacking you about and the acidity would kick once you’re on the ground. Floral with a sour lemon component, keeps zigging and zagging, you pucker than start to relax as semi-candied cherry, raspberry flavors settle in. Asphalt, graphite and a green grassiness rule the finish. Maybe it’s the nature of the blend but couldn’t really “grok” it and after awhile stopped trying. Unspecified percentages of Alicante Bouschet, Grand Noir, Trincadeira, Manteúdo, Uva Formosa, Vale Grosso, etc.
2019 Amesguren Ameztoi Txakoli. Pale white to yellow straw hue with the requisite bubbles clinging to the glass, has some glow to compensate for the dullness. Nose of mineral water, lemon peel, cleanly washed stones, and apricot to peach pit scents, unadorned save for momentary mutters of whipped cream. Light-bodied but had solid breadth and palate coverage, the acidity almost like a tingly glue rather than separate and lift. Minerality, chalky, some seashell notes. Lemony too with a hint of lime. Underripe apple, pear fruit, same orchard pit nature. Not as dry nor cutting as I recall previous vintages to be so colder likelier better. A great match for shucked raw oysters. (Screwcap)
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