BACK ROOM WINES in Downtown Napa
2007 Selvapiana Chianti Rufina. Very nice wine for $16! Earthy, funky (not bretty) and very savory and leathery, with nice cherry fruit and moderate acidity. I did not really like the 2006 vintage of this wine, but this showed very well. 90+, especially given the price.
2007 Marco Felluga Refosco Dal Peduncolo Rosso "Ronco Dei Moreri" My first Refosco, and I liked it. The palate strongly reminded me of an earthier, savory, old school Rioja....more so than a Rhone wine. Very, very meaty, with nice dark plum fruit. Delicious with stews or roasted meat, I would imagine.
2008 Ajello Grillo - Catarratto Sicilia IGT. This was kind of a wow wine for me at $13! Extremely floral, mineral, and herbal, with a fantastic nose and piercing acidity. Delicious with food, I would imagine.
From my cellar:
2003 Sella & Mosca Cannonau di Sardegna Riserva. A first for me. For some reason, I thought this was Carrignane. But...a quick google confirmed grenache. (And, it looked, smelled, and tasted like Grenache
) Despite the hot year, this was a light ruby in color. Delicious garrigue-y nose, which followed through on the palate. No annoying candied strawberry notes, instead very savory herbal flavors overlying a wine with nice acidity and balanced red fruit (just a hint of the dread berry). Very nice quaffer, would buy again. No alcohol, no jamminess. Harold, my Austrian wine drinking buddy, noted that he had visited the winery and his impression was that Sardinian wines are lighter, reflecting a cooler climate. Very nice! My notes indicate I paid $14 for this wine. Wow. Steal! 2004 Sequoia Grove "Stagecoach Vineyard" Syrah. Very meaty, savory, animal-ly on the nose. Palate was light and elegant for a Napa Syrah from the hot eastern foothills of the Napa Valley. Red fruit, anise, clove. I have always enjoyed this winery's Syrahs, and for $20 it was a steal of a deal
2004 Chateau D'Armilhac Pauillac Not really ready yet, perhaps, but you know, even a slightly hard, not particularly fruity Bordeaux is enjoyable. We followed this with a local Merlot, and the latter just tasted somewhat confected, harsh and somehow "artificial" and sweet in character. I love Bordeaux. We slurped it down. Definitely savory and herbal and very structured, with currant fruit underneath the tannins and a soy note. Tannins were there but not drying or obtrusive in any way. Very fine!
