Forlorn Hope "Que Saudade" Amador Verdelho 2007. http://www.forlornhopewines.com/que.htm
This was a lovely surprise. The bottle (alas only one) was kinda hanging around on one of the hidden shelves at WineStyles, so we opened it. Matthew Rorick is the winemaker for Elizabeth-Spencer, a negotiant winery centered in Napa Valley, and these are his off-beat side project wines. Anyway...it may seem an odd way to describe this wine, but I would nonetheless describe it as a combination of the best elements of sauvignon blanc (crispness, bright acid, grass and citrus notes) and a lightly oaked but flavorful Chardonnay (lemon curd, just a hint of vanilla). delicious, and we finished the bottle! 91 points, Bravo! Read the website. I am a sucker for literary pretentiousness!
2005 DiArie "Southern Exposure" Zinfandel. I'm posting another tating note because this bottle, while still quite delicious, was much spicier and bolder than the last one. Instead of black pepper and earth, we got soft red spice and more berry fruit. Quite nice!
2001 Tower Estate Hunter Valley Shiraz. Black pepper, bright cherry fruit (do they acidify their wines here? Still nice) and quite a bit of almost French funk/brett. 92 points. Barbecue wine!
2004 Trefethan Oak Knoll Estate Cabernet Napa Valley. I am really enjoying this estate. Only complaint would be that the fruit is a little bit "candied," but there are quite nice layers of herbs, savory notes, earth to complement the fruit. Interesting to see the tannic structure. I would not say the wine was "shutting down" per se, but the tannins did become more apparant in the last glass. 90 points.
2006 Catherine et Pierre Breton "Saint Louan" Chinon(Loire Cab Franc). New vineyard, I understand, for the Bretons. This may be my favorite Loire Cab Franc house! It complemented the amazingly tender pork roast from Napa's Fatted Calf charcutterie. Very dark garnet color-almost black with ruby highlights. Light mouth feel but not thin in any way...very elegant, instead. Typical sour plum Loire Cab Franc, but no real bell pepper notes. Instead, this was extremely smooth and earthy. I almost got a pleasant bitter note that I first described as leather. Very,very mineral-almost ferrous. Maybe it's this ferrous minerality, not the leather, I am tasting? No real tannins, I am guess this (or at least this vintage) is a drink now wine? Quite nice wine, I will buy again some time!
2007 Elizabeth Spencer Napa Valley Chardonnay. No Malo, no real oak...but the blazing minerality and fruit flavors do not need the oak. This was as mineral as what I imagine a good Chablis would be like. I'm not sure what the vineyard source was. Delicious-and $26. Matthew Rorick really has a good handle on elegance in white wines!
2005 Elizabeth Spencer Napa ValleyCabernet Franc. The bell pepper is certainly present here, but somehow it complements the fruit and adds a nice, refreshing blast of juicyness. Sadly, it is more expensive than the Breton, but still a very fine effort.
