My favorite local gourmet grocery did their annual "big tent" tasting on May 1. Quite a few distributors present to present their wines, and I guesstimate that there were about 100 wines available to taste. I went in with a fairly focused idea of what regions I wanted to taste, and I hit those, plus whatever else looked interesting. Perhaps I got lucky, or just benefited from focusing my tasting, but everything I tasted was quite nice. Could have gotten through more wines, but I wanted to take my time, talk to the distributor reps, and enjoy myself.
My notes are presented below, organized by region, with the number in parentheses indicating the actually tasting order.
USA
Oliver Winery, Creekbend, Chambourcin Rose, Indiana 2009 (1)
Dark berry and plum, slightly sweet. Very nice. Excellent (87 - 90)
Oliver Winery, Creekbend, Chambourcin, Indiana 2008 (2)
Nice dark ruby. Dark cherry, berry, plum, and currant, with floral hints. Tart and tight. Needs time; will improve over the next 3 - 5 years. Very Good / Excellent (86 - 88)
Rex Hill, Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2007 (11)
Cherry/strawberry and blackberry. Some earth, but not a lot of undertone. Young and tart, with good potential. Give it another 3 years. Very Good / Excellent (86 - 88)
Ponzi, Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley 2008 (13)
Peach, pear, white flowers, stone, and cloves. Rich, focused, very Alsatian. Almost like an Alsatian Gewurztraminer, but with PG's distinctive fruit/mineral balance. Really nice. Excellent / Exceptional (89 - 91)
Burgess, Merlot, Napa Valley 2006 (15)
Nice Napa nose of cherry, dark berry, and leather/tobacco. On the palate, cherry, currant, plum, a bit citrus, tobacco, and hint of leather/earth. Big and full. fairly old world in style. Very nice. Excellent / Exceptional (89 - 91)
Italy
Quattro Mani, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2008 (3)
Dark cherry, red currant, plum, a hints of violets, and citrus tones. Tart, tight and young. The most serious Montepulciano d'Abruzzo I've had. Becomes quite pretty as it opens. Good value for $12. Excellent (87 - 90).
Giacomo Vico, Rosso, Langhe NV (4)
50% Nebbiolo vintage 2007, 50% Barbera vintage 2008. Cherry, with mushroom notes. Nice blend. Excellent (87 - 90)
Stefano Farina, Moscato d'Asti NV (17)
Peach, pear, apple, a touch of citrus, candied flowers, and mineral. Moscato d'Asti at its very best; perhaps the best I've had. Excellent (87 - 90)
France
Chateau Bel-Air-Ouy, St. Emilion 2000 (5)
Grand Cru. Third wine of Valandraud. Lovely St. Emilion nose of cherry, dark berry, and earth/chocolate. Similar on the palate, with a little tobacco. Classical and harmonious as befits a 2000. Approachable now, but still a little tart, and should develop nicely over the at least the next 5 years. Excellent / Exceptional (89 - 91).
Chateau de Nages, Costieres des Nimes 2007 (6)
Drak cherry, blackberry, fig, crystalized violets, and pepper. Nice, elegant, and traditional. Complex. Fantastic value for $13. Excellent / Exceptional (89 - 91)
Chateau des Tourtes, Blanc Tradition, Blaye - Cotes de Bordeaux 2008 (9)
80% Sauvignon, 20% Semillon. Nose like a New Zealand Sauv Blanc. Grapefruit, peach, grass, fig, and herbs. Bright juicy New Zealand style fruit. Sauvignon prominent, but Semillon comes through distinctly. Very nice. Very Good / Excellent (86 - 88)
Hugel, Gewurztraminer, Alsace 2006 (12)
Awesome floral/peach/spice nose. Similar on the palate, with peach, white flowers, stone, and cloves. A bit of apricot and citrus as well. Full bodied, rich, and focused. Excellent / Exceptional (89 - 91)
Christian Moueix, Merlot, Encore, Bordeaux 2005 (16)
Great nose. Cherry, blackberry, currant, plum, earth/chocolate, tobacco, leaf, and some citrus. Great body, with 2005 flesh and acidity. Nice savory quality. Right band fruit, and tastes very much of St. Emilion. I really like this. $13, and fantastic for the price. In fact, it shoudln't even be possible to get Bordeaux this good for the price. Best Bordeaux value ever!!! Excellent / Exceptional (89 - 91)
Spain
Gran Campino, Ribeiro 2007 (7)
Lemon curd, peach, banana, some creaminess. Medium bodied. Refreshing. Very Good / Excellent (86 - 88)
Mocatela, Airen, La Mancha 2008 (8)
Lemon, peach, floral notes, nuts, and grass. Full bodied. Refreshing. Very nice. Very Good / Excellent (86 - 88)
Misc.
Bitch Bubbly, South Australia NV (10)
Sparkling, dry Grenache rose. Strawberry, juicy blackberry, and mineral. I love it! Excellent (87 - 90)
Fred Loimer, Lois, Gruner Veltliner, Niederosterriech 2008 (14)
Peach, green apple, an nice citrus focus. Some stone/mineral. Good body, and nice finish. Excellent (87 - 90)
Ben Marco, Malbec, Mendoza 2008 (18)
Huge, grippy black cherry, raspberry, currant, briar fruit, tobacco leaf, raspberry leaf, a touch of citrus, savory tones with a touch of herbs, and Graves-style scortched earth. A bit smokey as well. Quite old world in style. Unlike any Argentine Malbec I've had, with all of the strengths, but with a refreshing level of original character and interest. And furthermore amongst the best Argentine Malbecs I've had. Excellent / Exceptional (89 - 91)