These are all of the other wines that I tried at the Wine Expo last weekend - Spain, Rhône, California, Georgia, etc.
2009 Telavi Wine Cellars Mtsvane-Kisi Kondoli Vineyards Telavi District “Marani”
Georgian blend of Mtsvane and Kisi grapes – both are white. Medium-bodied, dry, spicy, well balanced, with good underlying acidity. Shows apple, citrus, and mineral notes. Very good.
2008 Telavi Wine Cellars Mukuzani “Marani”
100% Saperavi from the Mukuzani region in Georgia. Moderately full-bodied, dry, well balanced, smooth, tending toward a modern style, with lightly spicy red and black fruit notes. Good/very good.
2009 Telavi Wine Cellars Tbilisuri “Marani”
100% Tsitska; as far as I can tell, Tbilisuri is a regional appellation for a semi-dry white wine from this grape. (I am guessing that the grapes are from near Tbilisi?) Light to medium-bodied, off-dry, elegant, fresh, and well-balanced, with tropical and stone fruit, and apple notes; shows a bit of minerality. Very good.
2005 Lambouri Winery Maratheftiko Pafos
Maratheftiko is an indigenous red grape from Cyprus; Pafos is the region. Outsdie of KEO Commandaria, this is the only Cypriot wine that I have tried so far. This is definitely made in a moderan style, with a coconut-scented nose. Full, dry, balanced, moderately tannic, with notes of dark berries, spices, and vanilla. Well made and certainly quite drinkable, but I would have preferred a less oaky style that brought out more of the varietal and regional character, especially from such a little-known grape and region.
2009 Schloß Vollrads QbA Rheingau
The only German wine that I tried at this event, mostly because I had never had any of Vollrads’ wines before. The German selection was definitely better two years ago, when Leitz and Dr. Heger had tables, along with reps from Rudi Wiest and Valckenberg Selections. None were here this time – I hope to see some of them back in the future!
This QbA is light in weight, off-dry to lightly sweet, with moderate acidity; simple and correct, with peach and mineral notes. Decent; not as good as Dragonstone as far as Rheingau QbAs go.
2007 Domaine de Mourchon Côtes-du-Rhône-Villages Seguret “Tradition”
A blend of Syrah, Grenache, Cinsault, and Carignan. Rather funky nose. Moderate in weight, restrained, with moderate acidity and tannin. Shows spicy/earthy notes of dark berries. Good(+?).
Odd note: Domaine de Mourchon also makes a skin lotion with reservatrol.
2004 J. Vidal-Fleury Côte-Rôtie Brune et Blonde
95% Syrah/5% Viognier. Full, elegant, well balanced, moderately tannic, with dark fruit, earthy, herbal, spicy, and lightly oaky notes. Very good (+?).
2007 Cave de Tain Crozes-Hermitage
A basic, medium weight Syrah, mildly oaky, well balanced, with dark fruit and spice notes. Good, but could be more interesting. Cave de Tain produces almost half of the wine from Crozes-Hermitage.
NV Gloria Ferrer Va de Vi Ultra Cuvée Sonoma County
89% Pinot Noir, 8% Chardonnay, and 3% Muscat (not sure which Muscat variety). Light to medium-bodied, off-dry (Ultra Cuvée does not mean Ultra Brut), well balanced, with good mousse and underlying acidity. Fruity, somewhat floral, lightly yeasty, with pear and melon notes. Good.
NV Freixenet Cava Brut Elyssia Gran Cuvée
40% Chardonnay, 30% Macabeo, 20% Parellada and 10% Pinot Noir. Full-bodied, dry, and round, with good mousse/moderate acidity. Biscuit nose; tastes of apples and pears, with a chalky note. Good.
NV Segura Viudas Cava Brut Rosé
80% Trepat, 10% Grenache, and 10% Mourvèdre. Spicy nose. Medium-bodied, dry, with good mousse, albeit somewhat disjointed on the palate. Shows notes of red berries, red currants, paprika, and bricks.
1995 Vinicola de Castilla Tempranillo Gran Reserva La Mancha “Señorio de Guadianeja”
Light to moderate in weight, with good underlying acidity; definitely mature, oaky, with slightly roasted cherry/berry flavors, and leather and tea notes.
1994 Vinicola de Castilla Cabernet Sauvignon Gran Reserva La Mancha “Señorio de Guadianeja”
Oaky/spicy/herbal nose. Fuller, with some tannin that hasn’t fully integrated, although the fruit seems to be fading at this point. Definitely oaky tasting, with somewhat muted plum and berry flavors, plus notes of tea and spices.
2008 Wither Hills Pinot Noir Marlborough
Did not take any notes at the time. I recall it being a simple, correct, New World Pinot, without any excessive new oak.