WTN: Brunello, Cab Franc, and more

1998 Casanova di Neri Tenuta Nuova Brunello. Maybe a year or so past peak? Still, classy Sangiovese with good acidity, bright cherry fruit, some earthy notes. Not earth shattering, but enjoyable.

2005 William Harrison Cabernet Franc I continue to love the wines of this Rutherford-based producer. They are NOT "Old World" style wines, but they are delicious! Fantastic cab franc notes...minerally, a hint, just a hint of bell pepper, gritty tannins but smooth. Very floral on the nose as well as the palate. Great cassis notes-not over extracted or over-ripe in any way. The mid 14% alcohol is not obtrusive. Lovely rich Napa wine that clearly expresses the location (dust???) and the varietal. Delicious...there is always a hint of funk in these wines...not laboratory pristine winemaking here.

2002 Hopper Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma Valley. All about the licorice here. Great acidity, nice cassis fruit. delicious maturing cab. Nice people, too.

2007 Tenbrink Cabernet Sauvignon From an upper Suisun Valley vineyard as one begins to climb into the hills. Distinctive Suisun Valley character-not a heavy fruit bomb, instead quite lean, with good high acidity (food wine) and cassis and licorice notes. High acidity...almost tartness....seems to be a common character of Suisun Valley wines. This would be a good dinner wine...it does not show heavy oak or excess ripeness at all. Quite nice! Nice folks, too. No retired financial manipulators/casino operators but long time Suisun Valley farmers. Abe from Scholium Project helps out here.

Hope and Grace Winery. Tasting room in Yountville. Tried their 2006 Lewelling Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon -stunning balanced wine. Already showing great cassis fruit, anise, tobacco notes....As above, fantastic, juicy acidity. The Malbec shared the winemaker's style...very enjoyable.

2006 Clos De L'Oratoire Ch. du Pape. We have watched this wine evolve as it is imo one of the best at the local Wine Styles. The powerful strawberry fruit and tannins are already mellowing, and the delicious gritty mouthfeel and earthy notes now meld with the fruit in a very nice fashion. Yum.

2005 Vitus Merlot. Loved the Cabernet Sauvignon. This tasted too sweet and confected. Not my style.

Ouch, it seems early for the '98 BdMs to be on the down slope.

Hmmm. I may be being too harsh or showing my lack of experience with the wines. It was in no ways bad...I just noted a little bit of a stewed/pruney note. Just a tiny bit....and I always associate that (correctly or not) with tiredness.

Believe me...we did enjoy it.

[David M. Bueker]

When I see the "Tenuta Nuova" I am immediately nervous. A few years back I ended up with three bottles of their 2001 (WS WOTY), and tasted one. It was so unlike Brunello that I put the other two in a charity auction.

Ah, so the fact that I actually greatly preferred a 1995 Felsina Beradegna I tried last year, or,for that matter, the 2007 Selvapiana Chianti Rufinna ($16!!!!! ) I tried two weeks ago means that I should not swear off Brunello as not worth it?!

Like my notes said, it was certainly enjoyable, but it did not rock my world.

[David M. Bueker]

IMNSHO: Brunello is the most overpriced wine for what you get. I have a few bottles, and every once in a while pick one or two up to try, but never get the bang I expect for the considerable bucks expended. There's so many fine Chianti Classicos out there that I see no reason to regularly spend the extra $ anymore.

Well...I can no longer evem AFFORD to buy Brunello, so it's a moot point.

With a little patience and searching you should be able find some very good '04 BdMs for a great price in the next year or two (much like the '99s a few years back).

Both the '93 and '95 Tenuta Nuovas showed well for me recently. I've been avoiding the '01 for now; maybe I should try one.

Brunello *is* overpriced, but then, so is Minervois and so many other regions, even in this terrible economic climate. As an alternative to Brunello and Chianti, I used to buy upper-end Vino Nobile di Montepulciano's, but those seem harder to find these days and are priced now as 'baby Brunello'. Qualitatively, I think Chianti is making a comeback from what were many wines after the 1990 vintage, when I feel like many properties didn't produce up to their potential, but I feel from the 2004 vintage onwards things have gotten better. Having good vintages like the 04 and 06 help too.