Manabu SAKUTA 100212,1601 Bonneau du Martray 1990 Corton-Charlemagne Pale golden yellow. Good aftertaste. 86/
Manabu SAKUTA 100212,1601 Leoville Poyferre 1975 Red Bordeaux (with tartar de servaillon;venison) Dark ruby. Mature Bordeaux. Short aftertaste. 80-85/
Manabu SAKUTA 100212,1601 Leoville Barton 1975 Red Bordeaux Deep ruby with long leg. Cedar, berries---. 87/
Manabu SAKUTA 100212,1601 Branaire Ducru 1975 Red Bordeaux Medium ruby with a hint of orange. Short aftertaste. 88/
Manabu SAKUTA 100212,1601 Gruaud-Larose 1975 Red Bordeaux (with white fish) Deep rose-ruby with long leg. Tough tannin. Good aftertaste of honey and berries. 89/
Manabu SAKUTA 100212,1601 Talbot 1975 Red Bordeaux Medium ruby-rose with good leg. Good flavor of berries, spicy weeds. Tough tannin. 91/
Manabu SAKUTA 100212,1601 Beychevelle 1975 Red Bordeaux Dark ruby. Good flavor of berries, plum and apricot and spicy aroma.Very soft tannin. 90/
Manabu SAKUTA 100212,1601 Leoville Las Cases 1975 Red Bordeaux (with very thick slices of roasted wild duck) Deep ruby with long leg. Good flavor of cedar and dried berries. 91/
Manabu SAKUTA 100212,1601 Ducru Beaucaillou 1975 Red Bordeaux Deep ruby. Tannic. Very good aftertaste. 92/
Manabu SAKUTA 100212,1601 Mouton Rothschild 1975 Red Bordeaux (Pauillac) (with beef) Deep ruby with long leg. Very noble taste and flavor. After meeting several country girls, I met suddenly with a noble lady. Very tasteful. 95/
Manabu SAKUTA 100212,1601 Latour 1975 Red Bordeaux (Pauillac) Deep ruby-purple. Very good flavor of sweet berries, cedar, and spicy vegetable. Very noble taste. Very good aftertaste of honey and berries etc. 96/
Manabu SAKUTA 100212,1601 Dorsheimer Pittermaenchen (Michael Schaefer) ? Riesling Auslese Donation of one participant. score? I am now very confident that blind tasting to name certain Ch. of St-Julien is for me, quite impossible.
Jim Kronman/SYSOP/CA 76703,431 Ch Boyd-Cantenac 1975 Red Bordeaux Given the interest in '75 Bordeaux recently (thanks to Manabu's posting, I decided to give Ch Boyd-Cantenac '75 a spin tonight. This Third Growth Margaux epitomizes the vintage: lots of tannin in relationship to everything else that's there. Nose and flavors of truffles and leather, a bit shy in the nose but good depth on the palate. With a grilled steak and mushrooms, it worked out quite nicely but I was not overwhelmed... I have a couple more of this, and I don't think I'm going to wait for it to come around!
Jim Kronman/SYSOP/CA 76703,431 Egon Muller 1983 Sharzhofberger Spatlese Another recent cork popped: Egon Muller 1983 Sharzhofberger Spatlese. Nice rich yellow color. A bit shy in the nose; what's there is characteristically steely and there is a whif of diesel. Nice rich texture, firm acidity. The class comes out in this wine in the flavor -- great, creamy depth -- and a finish that goes on and on.
Jim Kronman/SYSOP/CA 76703,431 Monticello 1989 Cabernet Sauvignon I have a disappointing wine to post ... Monticello 1989 Cab Sauv bottled with Stanford University Alumni Assn label (gift from a friend who went to you-know-where <g>). I'm generally a fan of this winery's product, but this wine has an overwhelming sweat-sock aroma from the malolactic fermentation that spoils anything else that might be going on here. Yuck!
Jim Kronman/SYSOP/CA 76703,431 Buena Vista 1993 Carneros Gewurztraminer OK, tonite it's Buena Vista 1993 Carneros Gewurz. Medium yellow-straw. Rather earthy, oily nose is neither grapefruit nor diesel; a bit of a puzzlement. Nice texture on the tongue -- a bit of sweetness and decent acidity. Not a wine to cellar but enjoyable now. Medium finish.
Jim Kronman/SYSOP/CA 76703,431 Conn Creek 1990 Napa Vly Merlot I can report a so-so wine tonight: Conn Creek 1990 Napa Vly Merlot ($14) suffers from an over abundance of malolactic "sweatsocks" in the nose but recovers somewhat with nice cherry and cranberry fruit flavors. It is quite soft in the mouth, however, indicating either a significant lacking in acidity or (more likely) some resid. I could like this one at a SRP of $8, maybe.
Jim Kronman/SYSOP/CA 76703,431 Quivira 1993 Dry Creek Cuvee A Rhone Ranger that's new to me: Quivira 1993 Dry Creek Cuvee ($12). The cepage is 60% grenache, 19% mourvedre and the rest zin and syrah. Nice cherry color. Cherry, strawberry and vanillin aromas and flavor. Light tannin, bright fruit. Nice wine for now and the near future.
Andrew Firth 100260,327 Domaine de Triennes 1992 Syrah. This wine was bought as a package along with some chardonnay and (the carrot) the lovely viognier. The domaine is run by Jacques Seysses( Domaine Dujac) and Aubert de Villaine (Romane Conti). The area is Var, 20kms from the Mediterranean,N.E of Marseilles. The climate is cool and gives a longer growing season, the height above sea level (400 metres) tempering the Med. heat. Although still in its infancy, the tried and tested varieties have been grafted onto wartime cinsault vines to give instant mature vine quality. Anyway, I opened a bottle of the Syrah for customer tasting and initially it was closed and tannic. (So that's why it wasn't selling.) As the afternoon wore on I tried it again (about two hours later). The fruit was showing slightly on the nose and a layer of pepper underneath. The tannin was still in evidence but the sheer colour and weight promised more. I took the half bottle that was left, home and poured it out for supper. *****!!! etc. That deep opaque colour extraction, The nose was like a smoked ham; peppery, spicy and fruit filled. The weight was medium but the complexity within it was just stunning. Apparently Jacques Seysses ships the old Chambolle Musigny casks from Dujac and bungs this wine in them. I reckon that this wine will last for at least another 5 years and take 2 years to mature properly. All this for #7.95 and a Vins de Pays. Pass me another!
Andrew Firth 100260,327 Ch. Climens, Rieussec and Yquem 1983/1986/1988 Sauternes Recently we had a blind tasting of Climens, Rieussec and Yquem 1983, 86 & 88 and I thought you might like to know the results. *1988* The vintage was superb overall. Yquem was voted the best because of it's weight and richness but for me the Climens was quite phenomenal and, without doubt, the best 1988 I have ever had. Rieussec was very good if a little one dimensional and similar in weight and richness to the Yquem. *1986* After all the rave reviews about 1986, it was outclassed by the other two vintages. I managed to get all three wines the wrong way round and to my shame put the Rieussec down as Climens. I thought the Rieussec was just about the best here. The rest thought the Climens was slightly better than the Rieussec but the Yquem came nowhere! The 1986's did not have the supreme balance and elegance of the 1988's nor the richness and ripeness of the 1983's. *1983* Drinking better than we all expected. They were all very rich,long,powerful and almost endless. All were superb with very great depth. Climens was light in colour and showed up the myth that the darker the colour the better the wine. I went for the Rieussec which just pipped the Yquem overall. In terms of overall quality this was one of the finest tastings we have done for consistent quality levels. Even those wines that did not get good marks were in fact great wines. The eventual results after much retasting were: 1st: Ch Rieussec 1983, 2nd:1983 Ch Yquem, 3rd:Ch Climens 1983 4th: Ch Rieussec 1986 5th:Ch Climens 1988, 6th: Ch Yquem 1988.
Jenise Stone/SL2/Alaska 74364,741 Guigal 1991 Cote de Rhone What a neat wine for $11. Served it last night with garlic-marinated oven roasted chicken with a fresh arugula pesto, asparagus on the side. Rich, earthy, with a perfect dose of barnyard--this was the perfect wine for the chicken and arugula. I have some of the Guigal Cote de Roties which I have not yet opened--based on this bottle, I can't wait!
Ed Flinn/AsstOp/CT 73127,1476 La Vieille Ferme 1992 Cotes du Ventoux "Le Mont" 6.99 - Deep purple color. Full smell of oak and strawberry. Full fruity flavor, follows the smell. Medium body, fruit balanced with acid, quite tannic. Long oaky berry finish. Like a big Beaujolais in small new oak.
Robin Garr/Sysop/Ky 76702,764 Gallo 1991 Northern Sonoma Estate Bottled Cabernet Sauvignon about $50. Startling deep reddish-purple in color, with almost a day-glo violet edge. Nose shows a little "lead-pencil" and cedar at first, very Bordeaux-like, but this quickly blows off to unveil a much more Californian minty eucalyptus. Rather disappointing in the flavor department, showing simple fruit with some acidity and soft tannins, but lacks the extract and complexity that I'd like to expect in a wine at this price point, seems short in the finish, and overall comes off a bit one-dimensional and even flabby. I just don't see a lot of long-term cellar potential in it, and would have a hard time justifying the price.
Robin Garr/A-Sys/KY 76702,764 Maison l'Aiglon 1992 "Grand Reserve" Saint-Chinian $4.79. Clear garnet color, with fresh black-cherry fruit aroma and full tart cherry flavor, a bit on the soft side; clean and consistent in a medium finish. Good wine, very good value.
Robin Garr/A-Sys/KY 76702,764 Chateau le Devoy Martine 1992 Lirac $9.99. Clear pale-gold color. Ripe pear and apple aromas and a whiff of fresh grass; crisp, lean fruit flavor backed by cleansing acidity; apples and pears linger in a very long finish. Very good wine, good value. Went exceptionally well with tonight's fish dinner, a steamed hebi (Hawaiian marlin) steak smothered with strips of red, yellow and poblano peppers sauteed with fresh ginger and garlic.
Robin Garr/A-Sys/KY 76702,764 Domaine de Bassac 1993 Vin de Pays d'Oc $5.49. Dark ruby color. Fragrant black-pepper aroma, with a tart red-fruit flavor focused on apple skin and black cherry, with a firm acidic backbone and soft tannins to give it structure. Apple-skin character lingers in a long finish. Very good wine, outstanding value. Went very nicely indeed with rare flank steak from the grill.
Robin Garr/A-Sys/KY 76702,764 Domaine de L'Ecu ? Muscadet de Sevre et Maine Sur Lie $9.99 Clear, light brass color. Simple, fresh white-wine grapes and a whiff of cantaloupe; crisp and juicy fruit flavor, fresh and clean and a boatload of it. Excellent match with a simply prepared fillet of Norwegian salmon with onions. Very good wine, good value.
Don Rice 73562,677 DeLille 1992 "Chaleur Estate" ($22) - Bordeaux blend. Softish but substantial tannins, ripe purple fruits and a good acidic backbone. Some baconey smokeyness from the oak.
Don Rice 73562,677 DeLille 1992 "D2" ($14) - 100% merlot. Less tannic than Chaleur estate with more of a slippery glycerin-like mouthfeel. Very lively and well balanced with the oak here showing as hints of vanilla. Yum!
Don Rice 73562,677 M. Lapierre 1993 Morgon (Beaujolais) Kermit Lynch imports Reticent nose with a whiff of sulfer that quickly blows off. Deep, nearly opaque purple color. Wonderfully soft, with moderate concentration. Very approachable and enjoyable. After trying many of the Duboeuff Beaujolais offerings over the past few years (including the Morgon) it's an eye-opener to see what other producers in the region can do! Despite Kermit Lynch's "mixed bag" of offerings, this one seems to pass muster very well (for me, at least).
Don Rice 73562,677 Ridge 1990 Bradford Mtn. Cabernet Sauvignon ($9.99) Alcoholic (13.8%) and extraordinarily fruity, with a certain sweetness to the raspberry-blackberry-like fruit. The label warns of "chalky tannins" that will need "at least two years to soften" but we found the tannins to be overpowered by the sheer torrent of fruit. Quite enjoyable. If the label didn't say Cabernet, I would have guessed that this was a Zin!
Arthur Johnson 74176,3252 Stags' Leap Winery 1991/1992 Petite Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon I tasted the '92 Stags' Leap Winery Petite Syrah (sic) and their '91 Cab at Wine Expo. My notes: Bear in mind this is the "other" Stags' Leap - _not_ Warren Winiarski's place. Not much gets out my way, so I tried the 1991 Stags' Leap Wineries Petite Syrah (sic) with interest. It was a big wine, but sure needs time. This deep black tooth-stainer was quite concentrated and seemed to have lots of extraction. It was less generous than I had hoped, but good things ought to happen here if you have patience and come from a long-lived family. The vines were planted right after Prohibition ended and seem in no danger of phylloxera, being planted on St. George rootstock. More approachable was their 1991 Cabernet Sauvignon. The prominent blackberry note in the bouquet made me wonder if there might be a little Petite Sirah mixed in here. In any case, this medium-bodied wine confirms me as a sucker for the current Stag's Leap District cabs (two of my current favorites being 1990 Shafer and 1991 Stag's Leap Napa and SLV). No veggies in evidence and drinks beautifully right now.
Arthur Johnson 74176,3252 Mas Des Bressades 1992 Syrah Robert Kacher, importer. This big dense bottle of fruit is a good buy at $11 and a fine alternative to Zin, to match with the same kind of food. Drips into the glass dark ruby and gives off promises of currants, mint and molasses. Pays off when it hits the palate too - the notes fill out the whole octave and the finish is very satisfying. Nice drinking for a drizzling winter night. (NOTE: Mas des Bressades also makes a Cab/Syrah blend which I haven't yet tried. Think I will now!)
Russ Davis 74757,310 Louis Carillon 1992 Puligny-Montrachet, white burgundy A nose of concentrated tropical fruit. On the palate, lots of rich fruit with good acidity. Still young, but enjoyable now. Served with salmon poached with white wine. score 89
Russ Davis 74757,310 Liberty School ? series two Cabernet Sauvignon Super, dark, purple color with a moderate nose of sweet black fruits. On the palate, a soft, easy drinking cab with a nice mouth feel and round tannins that even JPB would like(G). This should hold for a couple more years, because it improved over night. A great value for around $5.
Jon Lawry/GA Hobo 73352,1373 Springbok (South Africa) 1990 Pinotage The most beautiful girl in the world and I went out to dinner Friday night and we found a real treasure -- a Country French restaurant with great food and service and a real eye toward economics. It was durn cheap, to be honest. The wine list left a lot to be desired, but had some very acceptable choices, and I'm beginning more to follow the Hugh Johnson recco that you don't buy expensive stuff in restaurants anyway. I'd never had a South African wine, so decided to gamble and give the Springbok a swirl. It started off hard as a rock -- no fruit in the nose or taste. I gave a shot of it to our French waiter and it definitely wasn't his cup of tea! It did open up as the meal progressed to take on an almost port-ish or cognac-ish charachter -- not strong, mind you, but just a hint of brandy. Not much fruit ever came up, so I was a bit disappointed, but still glad I tried it. BTW, the restaurant is called La Violette and our waiter, who was great, is Philippe. They allow you to bring your own wine and charge a nominal corkage fee, if you wish.
Jon Lawry/GA Hobo 73352,1373 Dr. Fischer 1985 Ockener Bockstein Riesling Spatlese (Mosel-Saar-Ruwer) This was not one of the wines I have collected for my wife and my 10th anniversary, but I found it yesterday for $5, and decided to give it a try. It is gorgeous! The taste is very light of lemon and grapefruit, but with a squirt of sugar to push it just over into the sweeter column. None of this was forward, though, it is a very smooth, balanced, and delicious wine, and I think it has many years of life left. I'm going back to buy up any they have left!
Jon Lawry/GA Hobo 73352,1373 Heitz Cellars 1983 Cabernet Sauvignon A few months ago I found a bottle of this at a closeout sale. I feared it'd been abused, but it was cheap, so went for it. This past Sunday, the stupendous wife and I decided to whip up a really rich stew featuring beef short ribs, and needed something deep to go with, so armed with a backup Bordeaux, popped the cork on the Heitz (guess I had a fear of Heitz, heh heh). No reason to be concerned here. From the word pop it was glorious. Not an overly intense nose, but the flavor was full, plummy, smokey, and balanced. I think this wine has miles to go before it sleeps. I heard '83 was not a great year for Calcabs (??), and there are a few still in the bargain bin -- Ridge and DeLoach I saw last night -- would they be worth the risk?
Bob (JPB) Foster 75014,1054 Villa Mt Eden 1993 Pinot Noir Grand Reserve, Bien Nacido Vineyard, Santa Maria Valley ($14 full retial) Wow! Nice juice! Medium full PN nose with overlay of dust and oak (a brief off odor that swirled off after about 2 minutes) On the palate the big lush Central Coast kind of fruit with lots of depth flavor and richness. A big wine, lots of extract with very ripe dark fruit flavors (not that thin tart cherry fruit of oh so many PNs.) Lots of depth and complexity. Long ripe fruit on the finish with a kiss of oak. Lond lingering fruit flavors. (My score 91 pts and just think, at the discounteres it might get down to aroujnd $11!!) This wine clobbered stuff liked the 93 Beau Freres, 93 Kendall Jackson Grand Reserve, 93 Saintsbury (*both Carneros and Garnt), 93 Cosentino Punch Cap Reserve etc etc. It was the ONLY wine in the tasting worth buying.
SHARON S. HOWARD 76021,3117 Dominus 1990 Red Table Wine (Meritage) I've drunk it at least three times. Lovely wine, great now and should hold and improve perhaps. I served it blind to a very experienced wine fan who thought it was a love bordeaux and couldn't believe it was from Cal. It is our group's favorite Dominus vintage so far. Mouiex owns the entire operation as of this year according to the wine press.
Carl A. Philip 75447,2000 Calera Wine Co.'s 1992 Jensen Vineyard Pinot Noir Just tried Calera Wine Co.'s 1992 Jensen Vineyard Pinot Noir. It was excellent!!! Though young, it was delicious. It was slightly closed upon opening, but after about 30 minutes it opened up considerably. It had a wonderful bouquet, a beautiful, clear color, and a long, woodsy finish. The taste was of blackberry, though overshadowed by oak. I felt that, though still backward, this was the finest Pinot Noir that I have yet sampled.
Alex Strohoffer 70571,1635 Wolf Blass 1983 "Black Label" (80% Cabernet Sauvignon/20% Merlot) The wine was a lovely brick red/brown color with the aroma of plums and fruit. The taste was smooth, with well balanced acid, tanin and fruit. After 15 minutes the bouquet took off. It opened up with even more plums along with anaise/black licrice, green peppers, and fresh ground black peper. It was fantastic. After another 45 minutes (60 minutes total) it was already beginning to fall apart. It still tasted good, but the bouquet was past its prime.
Alex Strohoffer 70571,1635 Buena Vista 1993 Sauvignon Blanc It was as good as usual. Very clean and crisp flavors and a very nice straw-like color. You can not go wrong with this wine, especialy at about $6.50. I understand why it is consistantly a best buy.
Alex Strohoffer 70571,1635 Buena Vista 1993 Chardonnay It was good, but served too warm and thus did not show as well as it has in the past.
Alex Strohoffer 70571,1635 Haywood ? Cabernet Sauvignon It lived up to its price, but nothing exstordinary.
Alex Strohoffer 70571,1635 Fetzer 1993 Bonterra Chardonay It was excellent once more. This wine has proven to be a consistant performer. Excellent fruit aromas and flavors and a wonderfully buttery follow through. It is not by any means the driest Chardonay I have had, but definitely one of the best ones.
V MICHAEL STRAUS 74732,1566 BILLECART-SALMON NV CHAMPAGNE I had forgotten about this bottle, which came from a case that I bought around 15 years ago. Its color was nice golden. The nose promised more than I expected from memory of its youth, with mellow apple fruit, toast, yeast. The taste was one of those "nice find" feelings when you find one of those forgotten treasures that lasted. It was full bodied, the mousse was very soothingly fine and light, the taste was full of the mellow fruit promised by the nose, with delightful toast and yeast, it was silky smooth, perfect balance and altogether excellent -- seductive. When young, this Champagne showed signs of good ageability, but I had not intended to age it THIS long; what luck! I seriously doubt that the lighter style of NV Champagnes being foisted on us nowadays will have quite this ageing potential. Again, for me, this was proof that ageing well-made Champagne gives returns far above the price paid for the wine. Rate 92
V MICHAEL STRAUSS 74732,1566 LYTTON SRINGS, SONOMA 1990 ZINFANDEL - This try was from a recent acquisition of this bottling. Its color was, as before, almost opaque red/purple. The nose had pungent very ripe fruit which almost leaped out of the bottle as soon as it was opened, it also had spice and alcohol. The taste was full-bodied, an abundance of rich very ripe spicy fruit, heavy tannins with decently balancing acid, alcohol; it had a long, lingering finish. This is, as reported before, a big in-the-face Zin which would turn off people who don't like its assertiveness. We love it. Rate 90+
V MICHAEL STRAUSS 74732,1566 GUIGAL 1989 COTES DU RHONE - The color is still very deep red. The nose has the spiciness of black pepper, dark fruit, alcohol, wood, tar. The taste seemed a bit rougher than earlier bottles, but this could be because it was tasted next to the next wine, which has more finesse. It was, however, full of the fruit it started life with, but becoming more austere; the tannins were still strong with good balancing acid and it had a long austere fruit and alcohol finish. Good food wine at a good price. Rate 88
V MICHAEL STRAUSS 74732,1566 MOILLARD 1989 RULLY, CHANTE FLUTE - I served this with the Guigal for dinner because I wanted a comparison with friends who like wine but could care less about knowing about wine. They preferred this simple red Burgundy to the more robust Cotes du Rhone. Its color was medium/light red. The nose had good Pinot Noir character with a touch of alcohol and what seemed to be some wood and light spice. The taste has mellowed since my last taste and was very pleasing; it was easy to understand how my guests liked it more than the Cotes du Rhone's rustic character. The Rully has finesse even for its lower-category breeding, with really good fruit, decent tannins and an unobtrusive but brightening acid. It is really a pleasing wine, every time I taste it. Rate 90
Robert D. Baron 72614,1622 Ch. Beychevelle 1970 Red Bordeaux Janice & I drank a '70 Beychevelle last night. Altho it has (according to my notes) slipped a bit over the past few years, it still has the hallmarks of a good mature claret (breeding) with the (to me) typical St. Julien cedar-box nose. The tannins are pretty much a memory and with them the real backbone of the wine and so we must drink up what we have left before too long, I think.
Rob Schneider/MA 71321,301 various 1992/1993 Beaujolais Following a marvelous tasting Thursday afternoon in San Francisco with Craig Thompson and his "Les Chavalier du Jeudi" posse, my wife and I headed out to the Willowside Cafe in Santa Rosa for dinner. We drank a 1992 Foillard Morgon "Cote de Py" which made me glad I had purchased a '93 earlier in the day at Kermit Lynch. 1992 was a decidely weaker Beaujolais vintage than '93, yet the wine had good concentration and an absolutely marvelous perfume. Though no help to you, for Craig's benefit the nose was quite reminiscent of the Lapierre. For your benefit, the '92 Lapierre had a nose of wild flowers and hints of darjeeling tea (nutty aldehydes, my hardcore CA winemaking friends tell me). The "gang of four" Morgons are rather unusual beasts. As KL's newsletter says, these guys don't chaptalize, they use indigenous yeasts (not the the Duboeuf bubble-gum strain), and they do not use SO2 (thus those "nutty aldehydes"). I suspect that these wines don't keep as well as some that have been stabilized with sulfur, but they are delightful drinking now, and decidedly out of the ordinary. The wax capsules are a pain, however. AND, if you are, in fact, a fan of the Duboeuf style of Beaujolais, these wines probably aren't for you. That could make for a neat segue into a discussion of inaccurate archetypes, but I'll refrain. . . .
Craig Thompson/SF,CA 75017,2606 Foillard 1993 Morgon I had the '93 Foillard Morgan over the weekend and it was delicious! Drinking a wine like this is a revelation for people who think Beaujolais is Dubeouf. The wine had a wonderful perfume that literally jumped out of the glass. In the mouth it was quite lucious and warm and long lasting. I know it's hard to plonk down $17 for a Beaujolais, but of course none of us would think twice about doing that for a Burgandy or a Bordeaux. I think you'll like it.
Jim Holmes SL9 71773,3276 Andrew Will 1993 Merlot, Washington $21 (ouch) Nice nose with lots of fat cassis and blackberry, perhaps a bit of black pepper and oak also. Very nice fruit, moderate tannins and a wonderfully long finish. The wine seemed a bit too acidic, and air was *NOT* kind to it -- after 30 minutes the wine was even tarter and some of the fruit seemed to vanish. After an hour, there was quite a bit of tannic 'pucker' and much less nose. We liked the wine (at first, at least), but the price tag was way outta hand. Fair to good wine, fair to poor value.
Jim Holmes SL9 71773,3276 Ch. Rabaud-Promis 1988 Sauterne $17/375 The cork was wet when I pulled the capsule off -- Oh Oh! The bad feelings grew worse after the first sniff: ugly diesel, barnyardy stink and other off odors. Dang spoilt bottle! :-( The bad aromas unfortunately carried over to the palate. This bottle goes right back tomarrow. Guess I get to see how good the customer service is at the local hootch store. / / / Second attempt at this wine -- last night's was pretty bad and I thought it was a bad bottle. After tonight's retry I'm thinking the juice itself is bad. Same musky, dieselish nose with little of the honey & apricots I'm used to finding in Sauterne-style wines. There's a bit more mouth-fruit in tonight's bottle, but it's still not all that much. Finish is fair, but a little short and coarse. This isn't quite in the DNPIM category, but it sure falls in the poor value slot. :-( ** Later note: After another half-hour, I'm getting closer to calling this DNPIM. There's nice sugar, and a fair acid balance, but the off nose and flavors are pretty sad. :-(
Jim Holmes SL9 71773,3276 Wagner 1990 Johannisberg Riesling (Dry Fermented) Finger Lakes, NY Nice nose with green apples, melons and pears. Great fruit in the mouth with balanced acidity. Nice finish ending with apples and pears. Very nice wine, 'specially since it was a gift. Thanks, JT!
Lalor Burdick/MA 70310,476 GUNDLACH-BUNDSCHU 1992 BEARITAGE 1 x 750 ml, Bought: 02/13/95, $ 9.99, Marty's, Drank: 02/20/95, Note: Great taste, less filling! Drink soon. Nice dark bluish red color, but not saturated. Nothing to smell or taste at first, but after 1/2 hour, opened up. Spicy, zinny, wintergreen and oak, licorice. Not intense. Fruity mouth, not much tannin. Not a "fruit bomb", but a good slurper. Long finish.
Bob Spector/OKC 72773,1014 v.Simmern 1983 Eltviller Sonnenberg Spatlese Turning toward the dark gold, petrol nose with mangoes and other tropical fruit. Very off-dry and tending toward almost light auslese sweetness. I found it very pleasant. We all went quickly on to the other whites---my wife however hung on the rest of the bottle and finished it during the course of the evening. She likes sweet white wine! The wine has reached it's plateau. Actually I think it is not quite as good the last bottle opened about a year ago. I plan to drink my remaining two over this summer.
Bob Spector/OKC 72773,1014 Chateau de Cremat 1989 Bellet We've talked about this elsewhere. It is a small appellation behind Nice. The while varietal is made from the Rolle grape---of which I know basically nothing. The white is supposed to be chunky, fruity and spicy. This bottle however was very tired. Not much fruit and spice---lots of "chunk." Parker says drink within a year and he's probably go something there.
Bob Spector/OKC 72773,1014 Coulee de Serrant 1986 Savennieres This is one of two grand crus located in Savennieres. It's one of the longest lasting whites around. This one was probably the wine of the evening. Minerals, honey, pear quince, lime and a little petrol---it was all there. It was a wine that grabbed you and did not let go. Needless to say, there wasn't anything from this bottle left over.
Bob Spector/OKC 72773,1014 Monsanto 1985 "Il Poggio" I think may have a bad shipment of this wine. This was the second bottle I've tried and it is not very pleasing. I think it is plagued by excessive levels of acetic acid. I'm going to wait a while on the next bottle---but it is not the wine I've heard others rave about.
Bob Spector/OKC 72773,1014 ? 1988 Tignanello Clearly the best red wine of them all. It didn't have much competition. Deep purple with aromas and tastes of vanilla and red and black fruits. Long finish. IMHO not up to the 85 but others may differ on that.
Bob Spector/OKC 72773,1014 Gallo 1991 Cabernet Sauvignon See Robin's note on that. We all agreed that it was NOT WORTH IT.
Bob Spector/OKC 72773,1014 Banyuls 1982 Port? Vielles Vignes Medium colored, showing a lot of ruby. Lots of sediment. It resembled more of a sweet sherry than a port this time. I got raisins, prunes, smoked nuts and herbs. Everyone enjoyed it and general concensus was that it worked very well with the chocolate mousse cake served for dessert. (Add four more to the Banuls with chocolate crowd!!)
Bob Spector/OKC 72773,1014 Trevallon 1989 Cote d'Aix-en-Provence-Les Baux Lighter than either the 88 or the 90. A nose of leather, game, roasted nuts. Black and red berries--slight suggestion of cooked fruit--ripe tannins- medium-long finish. Not an overpowering wine the way that some Trevallons can be----but very, very nice. Right now I prefer this to the 88.
Dave Sit/NYC 71360,2142 Benton Lane 1993 Pinot Noir On your recco, I picked up a couple of bottles of the '93 Benton Lane Pinot Noir tonight at $11.99 each at Garnet. Got home and popped the cork of one of the bottles. It is a terrific bottle of pinot noir, and a great value too! Plenty of forward spicy lush fruit and good acidity. Very approachable and easy to drink. Good finish. I have to go back to pick up some more! (88/100)
Alain S/Zurich [CH] 100103,1757 Chateau Belair 1985 1er Gd. Cru Class B, St-Emilion (3/8 bottle) Marvelous color. It virtually appears to yell... "drink me, drink me". To be more specific; ripe translucent orange-red, with a light bright yellow-orange rim. Extremely clear. The yell fires back though, it wants to tell us that it should be enjoyed now, latest within the next couple of years otherwise it 'll lose. Sigh, why can't such nice wines be stored forever ? When it breaks down to nose, we have all of it here. Instantly after opening the bottle it's in between a waste dump and a Dunlop plant, mind you! After letting it breeze for an hour and within the glass it shows a remarkable change of appearance. Full bodied underline, not very much fruit, Merlot is undetectable. light alcoholic lingering of the more pleasant sort. After turning the back to the tire plant, probably "promising" is the best verb, although not very descriptive. Splendid underground that escapes with the light touch of singing sirens. Seducing taste of spices. Softened tannins that still provide for a remarkable backbone. Very well balanced acids, that could be a tad more aggressive - but then, after another sip, maybe not. Again, nothing for fruit- freaks. Baffled, this wine is supposed to have such a high share of Merlot, but this neither applies for the nose nor for the taste. It definitely has a sweetish edge to it which is hidden in quite some grandeur. It's more on the light edge with a lot of complexity. Now the aftertaste definitely deserves a paragraph of it's own. It seems to go on and on and on and... Pure candy ! Actually candy containing whole loads of cream. Far from sweet though, but very gentle. It tempts not to get your teeth brushed tonight and still goes on and on and on... No apologies if this note turned out to read prosaic. It's a wine with a very easy edge and a very complicated underline; a prosaic wine as such. It's one of the least aggressive Bordeaux I've ever enjoyed although it's most definitely quite a character. Only drawback is that it has to be consumed soon (1/2 bottles, that is). On the other hand, maybe that's not so much of a drawback :-) P/V ratio: Was able to acquire it at half price for ~10$ a pop (3/8), which makes is one helluva buy. It would make some fair to good value at rack rate.
Fred Rice 76274,1236 Ferrari-Carano 1993 Fume Blanc I tried the Ferrari-Carano '93 Fume Blanc last night. Very big wine with strong oak. Could stand up to chili but would be better with some smoked salmon. I was particularly pleased with the value: $7.49 a bottle at the Wine Discount Center in Chicago. It seems Ferrari-Carano is on a hot streak. Do they make a bad wine<g>?
Doug Powers 75717,2654 Sorrel 1983 Hermitage "Le Greal" Last night we tried a bottle of the 1983 Sorrel Hermitage "Le Greal" -- this wine, as I recall, was panned by Parker (I saw 3 bottles in a store, and confused his ratings of this with the '78, which I think he said was great). Anyway, I bought the 3 bottles, and when opened last night the wine was deep ruby red color, faint brickish edge, smoke and black pepper aromas, rich, dense, smoky fruit on palate, drinking well, loads of sediment, medium-long finish, a solid wine (though not up to the '83 La Chapelle).
Doug Powers 75717,2654 Les Ormes de Pez and Potensac 1982 Vins du Pays dUOc? Tonight with dinner we had the '82 Les Ormes de Pez and the '82 Potensac, two very inexpensive '82s which continue to amaze. The Ormes de Pez is the more evolved of the two, with a medium-ruby color, faint brickish edge, aromas of cassis, red currants and faint tobacco, on the palate medium-full redfruits w/ smoky notes, medium-long finish, ready to drink but a lovely wine at its peak. The '82 Potensac, made by Michel Delon (of Leoville-Las-Cases fame) is still medium-dark ruby color, no signs of browning, aromas of red cherries and faint vanilla, on the palate still somewhat youthful, medium-full redfruits, medium-long finish, this seems fresher and livelier on the palate but without the complexity of the Ormes de Pez. For me, the Potensac has always (before tonight) seemed tough as nails, while the Ormes de Pez was always more accessible. I'm looking to drink up my remaining few bottles of the Ormes de Pez, while I think the Potensac should last 2-5 more years at least (though I'm not sure it will continue to improve).
Robert W. Gibson 76242,1176 Catfish Vineyards 1992/1993 Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Zinfandel Have had '92 Pinot, '92 Chardonnay, and '93 Zinfandel, Catfish Vineyards over last few weeks. The Zinfandel was a bit awkward, with heat and port-life tastes, as well as some nice berry fruit hints of spice Still somewhat closed.. Mediocre, I think. The Pinot was better. Moderate structure, clean pinot tastes, without the candy/cola tastes that too often predominate in CA pinots in this price range. The star was clearly the Chard.
Robert W. Gibson 76242,1176 Steele 1992 Chardonnay Nutty, Vanilla nose with hints of Chablis-like mineral notes. Taste of tropical fruit and melon, with mineral undertones, carried by acidic tartness. Some creamy/buttery tastes I associate with oak underneath, but almost subliminal. Continued to evolve in glass showing what the Germans call "spiel" in their wines. Each time you tasted, some different attribute seem to come to the fore. After time, tropical fruit became more forward. We thought of tangerines and lichee nuts. Held its structure and complexity. This is one of the CA Chards most to my taste. No '92 left in my store, but bought some '93s hoping they will be as good.
Peter Creasey 75021,3606 Ridge 1991 Pagani Ranch Zinfandel Dark red. Pungent deep dark berry/plum fruit, rich vanillin/oaken spice, hint of licorice (?), voluptuous. Dark and foreboding on palate, chewy, good oak, full complex dark fruits, big alcohol that's not out of balance, tar, lots of spice, intense. Long full finish with some heat. Really an exciting wine! Served with sauteed calf's liver/onions, cous cous, and fresh squash.
Peter Creasey 75021,3606 BV 1969 Cabernet Sauvignon, PR 1) Country Pate' with BV PR '69--Customary captivating BQ, Bordelaise-like. Elegant and balanced on palate with ample measures of fruit/wood/light tannins, excellent fullness for a 26 year old Cab. Style and complexity lingers in finish.
Peter Creasey 75021,3606 La Croix Pomerol 1985 Red Bordeaux (Pomerol) 2) French Onion Soup served with La Croix Pomerol '85--Dark red. Simple BQ with pencil lead tone. Medium fullness and depth, very good if not inspiring Merlot flavors, enjoyable now and for the next several years (stood up well to the 24-hour retaste test).
Peter Creasey 75021,3606 Ch Mouton Rothschild 1985 Red Bordeaux (Pauillac) 3) Rack of Lamb, Polenta with Cheese Sauce, and Carrots/Zucchini served with Ch Mouton Rothschild '85--Dark red. Nice cassis in BQ, aromatic. Nice dimensions on palate with power plus style, holding together very well, slight dryness to black currant fruit. Superb Claret!
Peter Creasey 75021,3606 various California 1991/1992 Inexpensive Cabernet Sauvignons I sat on a tasting panel judging competition between lower price red wines recently. Category 1: Dunnwood Cab '91--Nice dry fruit, good balance. Charles Krug '91--Off-putting element lowered its rating to only good. Ch Julien Merlot '93--Big spice, fruit could be better. Fetzer Cab '92--Seemed to have more acid and less fruit, but good. Undarrago Cab '92--Attactive grapey fruit, light wine. Pedroncelli Cab '91--Good, but could have more personality. Deer Valley '92--Seems rather eviscerated while still good. I had the Dunnwood as the clear favorite on my card...which fact actually chagrins me as I find it offensive that they use the similarity of their name to big name wines as a commercial advantage. The group favorite was the Pedroncelli. Category 2: J Lohr Cypress Cab '92--Rich and plush, very good. Undurrago Cab '93--Spicy, good fruit. Napa Ridge North Coast Cab '92--Full, velvetty, very good. Monterrey Vyd Merlot '92--Slight astringency, decent fruit. Ch Julien Grand Reserve Cab '91--Sour, green, unacceptable. Monterrey Vyd Cab '91--Big acid, full on palate, good. My favorite here by a gnat's eyelash was the Napa Ridge followed by the J Lohr and then the Chilean wine. The group vote kept tying between Napa Ridge and J Lohr with the final nod, after a struggle, going to J Lohr. Both of these wines are safe bets. Between categories, the second category is several dollars more per bottle and the scores on my card reflected the differential, especially among the higher scored wines.
Brian Wilkie 100273,3006 Cuvee Bastide 1991 Faugeres Bought this one from a local merchant at around $10. It's the 1991 vintage and is just right for drinking. The vigneron is the Famille Alquier and Gilbert is the label name of the father whose tradition is preserved by the two sons. 100% schistous soil and a very low yield of only 26 hectos per hectare. Cepages are a mix of Syrah, Grenache, Carignan and Mourvedre. Kept in oak barrels for 8 to 12 months. This wine will age for 8 to 10 years and is best drunk after 4 or 5 years in your Cave. Astonishing power (13%) and subtle aromas of 'leather' with a long after taste which is more floral. Well structured and not too oaky at all after 4 years. Goes very well with a cheddar type cheese and, of course, roast red meats. This now joins Chateau des Estanilles as the finest maker of top quality Faugeres. The price is high for this Appellation but it is worth every cent! Must admit I tried another Alquier two years ago and found it extremely disappointing but this one is the 'haut de gamme' and compares very favourably with the other great wines of the Languedoc. What's more, you can find it available here as opposed to the chronic shortage of the Estanilles Faugeres/Syrah.
Stephen Haynes 71666,424 Robert Keenan 1979 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) An extraordinarily big-structured cabernet. Dark purple and opaque, with almost no signs of browning at the edges. Herbaceous cabernet fruit on the nose; still young bouquet; slightly hot, alcoholic smell. Alcohol is not evident on the palate, however. Still lots of fruit, but also lots of tannin. Tight structure with nice acidity. Finishes in bitterness; the least attractive aspect of the wine. This wine still has years to go, and there is enough stuffing there to give us hope it will stay the course, emerging with enough fruit intact to hold it a number of years in maturity. Im not going to touch another of mine until 1999.
ALAN BOEHMER 70524,411 Lockwood 1992 Merlot, Monterey $13 Very clear medium ruby color, attractive. Nose sweet and fruity; cherry candy, a little spice. Flavor follows. Not a trace of herbal, mineral, or vegetal components. Moderate acids and tannins. Very well balanced. Tastes unfinished; needs at least 2 or 3 years.
ALAN BOEHMER 70524,411 Clos du Bois 1986 Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley $12 originally. Wonderful dark wine. Deep aroma of cocoa and black fruits. Taste follows. Soft and seductive on the palate. I remember drinking this wine about 5 years ago and considering it a good, if ordinary well-balanced California Cab. Meanwhile, the cellar has worked its magic.
