WTN: Benziger, El Molino, DeLille, Scarpantoni, JJ Hahn

[Jenise]

Sketchy impressions on some recent wines:

2005 Benziger Chardonnay, Sonoma
Benziger fell off my radar a long time ago, but a few bottles of this ended up in the overstock sale bin at a local store, so I grabbed them for light summer drinking and unfussy guests (we entertain a lot). This was a nice suprise: medium-bodied and well-balanced. Bright with a Macon-like ripeness that, by California standards, is a model of restraint. No toasted oak, no heavy malo, no overt sweetness, and fairly tame alcohol at 13.5%. For $11, a steal.

1991 El Molino Pinot Noir, Napa
The guy at Vino Volo at SeaTac airport had this nifty bottle from his own collection hidden behind the bar, and he brought me a taste. To earn another taste, I had to guess the vintage, grape and growing region. I said "It's a California pinot, about ten years out." So I missed the vintage, but my guess was good enough to earn that extra taste. Astonishingly good with smokey and spiced cherry fruit and mushroom notes. Why are El Molino wines, if they age like this, so rarely talked about?

2005 DeLille Cellars "Aix", Cab blend, Washington
Also tasted at Vino Volo. Juicy, ripe black and blue fruit with a youthful jubilance. With time in the glass, a chocolatey finish builds and tannins emerge. Good, but not sure if its serious enough to warrant the $39 price tag.

2000 Scarpantoni Shiraz, J Block, McClaren Vale
I took this and the following bottle to a friend's home for Easter dinner of roast lamb. Dense black fruit and licorice with the smokey-roasted quality I normally associate with some South African wines, with that velvet glove plushness so typical of McClaren Vale wines. Would go better with a cigar than with food.

1998 JJ Hahn "1914 Block" Shiraz, Barossa Valley, Australia
I bought this wine before I figured out that me and Barossa fruit are fairly incompatible, and I didn't love love love this wine. But I have to admit that after the Scarpantoni the Hahn's juicy plummy fruit with a tangerine-like acidity and fruit-cake spice was rather refreshing. For the table, easily the favorite of the two.

Re Benziger, I remember a 6 or 7 year old Benziger chard that absolutely wowed us when consumed with a chicken salad. Their reds seem to be heavily oaked, but also surprisingly pleasant when they've got some age on them.
Ines

[Jenise]

Ines, my friend! It's surprising how well some California chards age, even those without the overt acidity you'd think a requirement. I remember, quite fondly, some soft and creamy Sullivans that were absolutely immortal.

Hey, you got me in trouble yesterday. Remembering how well you scored on Superbowl Sunday, I decided that Easter might be a good shopping day at the auctions and I better not miss out. $758. I haven't told Bob yet.

YOU WIN! but Yeah, I had time to put in a few bids before we went to BH's house for Easter dinner. I could have easily bought LOTS of wine, but since I now have boxes stacked on the floor of my winecellar (and having assured Kirk that this would be a "temporary" storage situation, I held way back. I did get a mag of 1976 Ch. Lascombes for $50 though, and a 2003 Château Haut-Bages Libéral for $21 (bid on more but lost the rest of them...) along with 18 other bottles of assorted Bdx. and even some Foxes Island Chardonnay (NZ). So I have more boxes coming too. There must be something wrong with me. I CANNOT RESIST!

[Jenise]

YOU WIN! but Yeah, I had time to put in a few bids before we went to BH's house for Easter dinner. I could have easily bought LOTS of wine, but since I now have boxes stacked on the floor of my winecellar (and having assured Kirk that this would be a "temporary" storage situation, I held way back. I did get a mag of 1976 Ch. Lascombes for $50 though, and a 2003 Château Haut-Bages Libéral for $21 (bid on more but lost the rest of them...) along with 18 other bottles of assorted Bdx. and even some Foxes Island Chardonnay (NZ). So I have more boxes coming too. There must be something wrong with me. I CANNOT RESIST!

A mag of 76 Lascombes! That's hot--should be good in mag, but don't hold. The 750's are already tired.

My lot was what Bob and I call a "Polish shoot"--we ended up with 37 bottles. Three cases plus one bottle that will cost like $15 to ship by itself. HATE IT WHEN THAT HAPPENS. I fully expected to lose more bids, instead what I lost was every single pinot I bid on. My hot score was a '71 Haut Brion for $130. And I had a number of $50 bottles--a Kosta Brown syrah for curiosity's sake, 87 Chappellet Pritchard Hill Cabs, a Quintessa. Bought a whole case of Mer et Soleil chardonnay for around $20 ea, half the regular from 05 and half an unoaked version from 06. We open one bottle twice a year: the day the sun sets for the last time on our beach (after that it goes behind the ridge) around Mar 5th, and again when it reappears in early October. Also bought a case of Chianti to give a friend who will be returning from Italy any day now to face the final court date on a divorce proceeding from her jerk husband who fell in love via email with a girl he knew in high school 50 years ago and remet via classmates.com. Men!