Yet more backlogged notes. Assorted reds here. Many excellent, some interesting, and some unusual.
The noteworthy
Chateau Pesquie, Les Terrases, Cotes du Ventoux 2003
Back on form after two corked bottles. Great nose. Cherry, blackberry, red plum, barnyardish earth, dust/cocoa, all with notes of black olive. Great structure and body; still firm. Should drink nicely for another 3 years or so. Fabulous value. Excellent / Exceptional (89 - 91) [12/25/09]
Bodegas Norton, Malbec, Mendoza 2009
Tart cherry, red currants, blackberry, and cassis, with hints of tar and vanilla. Tannins and acidity give it nice tone. Full bodied. The first Malbec I've really liked in a while. Under $10, and a very excellent value. Excellent (87 - 90) [12/25/09]
Columbia Crest, Grand Estates, Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley 2007
By the glass at a restaurant. Raspberry, red currant, cassis, attractive green notes, leather, and roses. Full bodied. Great tone and aromatics. Exceptional value. Excellent (87 - 90) [12/30/09]
Loud River, Roaring Red, Colchagau Valley 2005
Petit Verdot, Carmenere, and Cab Sauv. By the glass at a restaurant. Excellent, heady, intense nose of dark berry, cassis, and tabacco. Palate of blueberry, blackberry, cassis, chocolate, tabacco, and spice. Soft but spicey tannins. A little jammy, but with great acidity and tone. Full bodied and rich. Clearly showing nice Petit Verdot Character. A very excellent wine for $11. Excellent (87 - 90) [1/21/10]
Chateau Simmard, St. Emilion 1998
At a wine bar. Open two days, kept under vacuum. Medium garnet, slightest hint of brown. Nice, earthy nose of dark berry and barnyard. Hints of cherry upfront on the palate, then a personality of dark rapsberry, blackberry, currants, suggestions of chocolate, and earth. This does have some bottle funk when first poured, which takes a while resolve, but after that, it really is a very nice wine. I know that some intensely dislike Simard, perhaps due to its barnyard-style earthiness, which is a bit unusual in Bordeaux, but vive la difference - I liked both this and the 1995 quite a lot. Holding nicely, with perhaps another 3 - 5 years to go. Amongst the better St. Emilion's I've tasted. Excellent (87 - 90) [1/28/10]
Louis M. Martini, Ghost Pines, Merlot, Napa/Sonoma 2005
Deep purple. Wonderful nose; I could spend a good while just smelling this wine. Cherries, blackberries, plum, a touch of currant, with roses, mocha, brown spice, earth, and a hint of mint. Medium-full bodied, with exquisite balance. The best domestic (US) Merlot I've had, and perhaps the best varietal Merlot I've had period. Very old world, in the classic Louis Martini way, and in fact strikingly similar to a St-Emilion from a ripe but racy year. With its classic Martini grace and balance, this is a wine that age beautifully for 10 - 15 years. Exceptional (90 - 93) [2/28/10]
First time appellations for me
Domaine des Rozets, Coteaux du Tricastin 2007
Grenache, Syrah, and Cinsault. Medium-light ruby/purple. Very nice nose. Cherry blackberry, hints of tar, herbs, and mineral/espresso. Light bodied. Like a light bodied version of Cairranne. Nice. Good (83 - 85) [1/1/10]
Georges Duboeuf, Julienas 2007
My first experience with Julienas. Pure medium red. Cherry, raspberry, plum, and a hint of earth. Medium bodied. Very food friendly, and in particular well suited simple beef-based dishes (if there can be said to be a perfect match for Sloppy Joes, this is it). Rather than additional depth and uniqueness of character that the other Crus, e.g. Morgon, have, this has a similar character to a Villages, but qith greater depth, quality, and 'seriousness.' And for the price ($12) it is such a huge step up from a Villages that I might never bother buying a Villages again. Drink now. Very Good / Excellent (86 - 88) [3/6/10]
The very good
Napa Landing, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 2006
Nice Napa nose of dark red fruit, earth, and vanilla. Palate of cherry, tart red currant, cassis, chalky earth, touches of mineral, and vanilla. Medium bodied. Excellent value for under $10. I have reason to suspect this bottle had experienced some premature aging due to heat, but still, should drink well over the next 2 years. Very Good / Excellent (86 - 88) [12/24/09]
Reinares, Tempranillo, Vino de la Tierra de Castilla 2007
Cherries, blackberries, leather, and perhaps a touch of cocoa. Nice Tempranillo. Very Good / Excellent (86 - 88) [12/26/09]
Chateau Vieux Chevrol, Lalande-de-Pomerol 2006
Cherries and currants. A bit on the tart and firm side at this stage. Nice sense of undertones (although the room had a wood fire going and the wine's reported 'smokey' tones would certainly not have been noticed independently). Medium bodied. Good quality. Approachable now, but will improve over the next 5 years. Very Good / Excellent (86 - 88). [1/5/10]
Yellow Tail, Shiraz-Cabernet, SE Australia 2008
60% Shiraz, 40% Cab Sauv. Surprisingly nice nose. Personality of cherry, blackberry, plum, and cassis, with notes of roses, chocolate, and a pleasant vegetal note, almost like eucalyptus. Nice aromatics. Full bodied, and though it has some of the typical Yellow Tail jammy sweetness, it also manages to have good tone and balance. A tremendous success for Yellow Tail, possessing a measure of complexity and personality. And it may very well improve a bit over the next 3 - 5 years. Surprise! Excellent (87 - 90) [2/20/10]
The unusual
Broken Stone, Pinotage, Stellenbosch 2002
Bit of stinky bottle funk when first poured. Dark garnet. Exotic cranberry and nectarine nose. Cherry, cranberry, a bit of dark berries, and bell pepper/banana peel/rubber (not in a bad way, although not in a way everyone will care for). Suculent and savory in style. Drink soon, but it is in remarkably good shape. Very Good / Excellent (86 - 88) [12/17/09]
Blackstone, Rubric, Sonoma Reserve, Sonoma 2006
Initially promising grip and pleasant bitterness give way to a strange and somewhat awkward mass of jumbled dark fruits, with chocolate, juniper, and mint. Doesn't hide its 14.5% abv well. Attractive but boring. A mutt. 59% Cab Sauv, 10% Merlot, 8% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot, 8% Syrah, 7% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Sirah, 2% Tannat. Very Good (85 - 87) [12/20/09]
Weingut des Grafen Neipperg, Lemberger, Wurttemberg 2006
Cherry, raspberry, plum, and chocolate, with prominate forest floor notes. Best Lemberger (Blaufrankish) I've had. Excellent (87 - 90) [1/10/10]
Big House Red, California 2005
Sangiovese, Syrah, Carignane, Barbera, Zinfandel, Mourvedre, Montepulciano, Petit Verdot, Tannat, and Anglianico. Very interesting nose. Personality of black cherry, plum, hints of orange rind, plum tomato, hints of earthy tar, with tabacco/vegetal and forest floor notes. Very, very interesting. Unlike many kitchen sink blends, this does not taste like a mutt, but rather tastes very much like its primary compenent, Sangiovese, but augmented and given extra depth by the other compenents. Drink now or in the next 2 years. Good value. Very Good / Excellent (86 - 88) [2/4/10]
San Giulio, Malvasia di Castelnuovo Don Bosco NV
I had never even heard of this DOC before it was recommended to me as an alternative to Brachetto d'Aqui. Frizzante, 5.5% alcohol, and medium-full sweetness. Bright purple. Nose like grape soda. On the palate, dark cherry, raspberry, plum, and a touch of cranberry, with notes of violets and coffee. Frivolous and fun, an adult alternative for grape soda, but well made. Quite nice actually. Drink Now. Excellent (87 - 90) [2/14/10]