2005 Kellerei/Cantina Tramin Südtirol/Alto Adige Weissburgunder/Pinot Bianco Tauris (Südtirol-Alto Adige DOC, Trentino-Alto Adige, northeastern Italy) 14% – no real notes taken on this wine, smell slight grapefruit rind and hints of cheese, nice nose, taste great balance among a host of elements, everything seems to fit together perfectly, good structure, slight but good acid, great background fizz, it just feels like solid stuff and I wonder if it has what it takes to go the long haul—all I know is that it tasted like really solid stuff to me, at 11 euro, I wish I had gone for another bottle to just leave it lying around and try it again in a few years
2006 Müller-Catoir Haardter Mandelring Pfalz Weissburgunder Kabinett Trocken (Pfalz, Germany) 12.5% – appears pale silver, quite reflective, lots of spritz clinging to glass, smell bit closed at first, quickly opens up with nice grapefruit, full and floral, beautiful sweet spices, wonderful nose, taste light with lots of embedded spritz (not obvious on tongue), delicious rind, lasting pleasant finish, what balance here, not sweet but enough sweetness to make the wide glide across my palate, a lively wine that is light yet playful with flavor, wonderful presence when paired with some great fried sausages (Fleischwurst and Weissbratwurst) and fresh horseradish crème fraiche, what balance here—wine delighted me both with food and without, great deal at 9 euro
1998 Louis Jadot (Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot) Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Ursules ([Pinot Noir], Beaune 1er Cru, Côte de Beaune, Burgundy, France) 13.5% –
DAY ONE: appears as see through grape juice color, bit of rusty edge, bit of haze, smell toothpaste and grape must, full intoxicating powerful on nose, taste silky viscous yet great flow, soft and seductive, spiced cherry, hint of meats, very pleasant savory oak and bacon, reminds me somewhat of barbecue.
DAY TWO: much more integrated and very pleasant mouthfeel, obvious oak has faded and been replaced by nice cherry and bark elements, pleasant.
DAY THREE: smell more toward licorice and candied port, taste very sedentary dark fruit, intense, bit of nuttiness (oxidation) coming through, intense but pleasant. Day 2 was the peak for this wine which was nice/pleasant, but nothing about it drove me wild, nonetheless solid, but pricey at 36 euro.
2000 Leroy Auxey-Duresses ([Pinot Noir], Village: Auxey-Duresses, Côte de Beaune, Burgundy, France) 13% –
DAY ONE: cranberry color, orange/clear halo, slightly reflective, smell heavy hanging fruit, slight cherry, dense tree fruit, smoke/gas/charcoal, mouthfeel butter, tightly bound, bit fanciful and very nice, taste slight spice—bitter elements of sweet spices of cinnamon/nutmeg/cloves, very interesting fruit, mouthfeel is nice and makes the dominant impression.
DAY TWO: bit more of pepper and herbs on taste, rich soft fruit still holding strong, but now more roasted quality (without feeling cooked/jammy), dark black fruit, pleasant buzz on tongue from finish. Overall, although it was the mouthfeel that made the dominant first impression, I was actually more impressed with the very fleeting impressions of tree fruit, the wine only danced a little bit on that front, but did so nicely, huge splurge at 43 euro, in the future, I’ll aim at experimenting toward the less pricey, but these two didn't turn out badly at all . . .
2001 Strappelli Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Opera (Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Abruzzi, Central Italy) 14.5% – appears intense dark color, not reflective, does not appear very young, great color, bit of haze, smell interesting vegetable elements, green onions, green peppers, maybe some gingerbread, overall very inviting nose, some cocoa powder that isn’t sweet lurking, smells something like an entire dinner in a glass, I loved it, taste cool on tongue, struck me as being a New World wine (as I understand the term), beautiful construction, but just a hair too much oak for my preferences, rough finish, little smoky, as things calm down a bit, the savory comes to fore: more green peppers, potatoes with chive sour cream, mayonnaise (odd, but true), mouthfeel is notable too—feels like precious metal/gold on tongue, beautiful stuff, a splurge at 25 euro, but worth it for me—I really liked the savory elements and the wine felt like it was a dinner in itself, but beware, this wine stains teeth and tongue! From producer: Temperature controlled fermentation for 13-14 days, then 15-20 months maturation in 225 Litre French oak barrels (30% new) before bottling. 4000 bottles produced. Grape: 100% Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, average age of vines: 30 years.
