- 2003 St. Urbans-Hof Piesporter Goldtröpfchen Riesling Kabinett - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (9/26/2011)
Didn't take notes, but there was no way I could tell this was a 2003 vintage. Lots of minerals, great balance, some secondary notes, a mixture of cirtus and tropical fruits on the medium bodied palate, and a long finish. Wonderful now, but will last many years. (A-) - 2004 Domaine Saint Antonin Faugères Cuvée Magnoux - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Faugères (9/20/2011)
Deep brick in colour. A fairly light nose with red fruits, game, talc and a slight herbal note. Medium bodied on the palate, and the wine is as much about minerality as it is about fruit. A chalky, stony note dominates, and there's iodine and gamy notes too, as well as cherries. Quite an interesting, unique wine, very unusual for Languedoc (less ripe and more complex than normal, with a striking purity after a few hours decant. Better than my first bottle, and sad to say this was my last bottle - I'd love to keep trying it over the next several years (A-/A). () - 2007 Saviah Cellars Syrah Stillwater Creek Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley (9/14/2011)
Hazy notes from several days ago. Had this with a cool climate syrah from NZ, and the juxtaposition between the two was quite something. Where the Man 'o War was relatively restrained, like a prim and proper, old English Setter, this was a hyper labrador puppy, laiden with gobs of fruit and very ripe. But I liked both: it was hard not to love the flavours here, even though it almost veered into ultra-ripe territory. Not a complex wine by any means, but a very tasty one! (A-) - 2008 Man O' War Vineyards Syrah Dreadnought - New Zealand, North Island, Auckland, Waiheke Island (9/14/2011)
Hazy notes from several days ago. This was an impressive wine. I enjoyed the balance of fruit, acid and oak here; medium-full bodied, a nice coolish climate syrah that straddled the Old and New World Redfruits and black olives on a silky palate. (A-) - 2006 Craggy Range Syrah Gimblett Gravels Vineyard Block 14 - New Zealand, North Island, Hawkes Bay, Gimblett Gravels (9/14/2011)
Notes from the second night open. Medium brick in colour with purple tones. A moderate nose of cherry, plum, meat and iodine - very interesting. This is not a typical New World syrah on the medium-bodied palate by any means. That is, this isn't a rich, high alcohol style. Indeed, it is quite restrained with highish acidity and green olive, cranberry and even capsicum notes, with slightly scatchy tannins on the finish. Quite young still, I think. An interesting wine that isn't showing its best right now (at least, not this bottle). (B+) - 2005 Château de la Roulerie Anjou Les Terrasses - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Anjou (9/5/2011)
Hazy notes from a wine dinner several days ago. I really enjoyed this chenin, and thought it is aging well, developing classic chenin notes, with a nice balance of fruit and acid. Drink now or hold several years. (B+) - 2000 R. López de Heredia Rioja Blanco Crianza Viña Gravonia - Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja (9/4/2011)
Hazy notes from a wine dinner last night. I always enjoy these Heredia whites, as they have so much going on: slight oxidation, minerals, lemon and apricot. (A-)
- 2008 Boekenhoutskloof Sémillon - South Africa, Coastal Region, Paarl, Franschhoek Valley (9/4/2011)
This really impressed at a dinner party last night. I didnt take notes, but was impressed at the balance between the fruit and oak here. Nice concentration and intensity. (A-)
- 2009 Dr. Loosen Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Kabinett - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (9/4/2011)
Had at a wine dinner last night. No notes, but everyone enjoyed this wine, which seemed to have a little more acidity than many 2009s I've tried. Very nice. (A-) - 2006 M. Chapoutier Côtes du Rhône Villages Rasteau - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône Villages Rasteau (8/25/2011)
Notes from second night open. Deep brick in colour. A basic nose, with ripe plums and smoke. Medium-full bodied on the smooth, velvety palate. Again, fairly simplistic on the palate, but there's very tasty plum, cherry, chocolate and herbs on show. Quite rich for a 2006, but not quite over the top. Solid CDR-V, and good QPR. Ready now, but will last a few years yet. (B+) - 2010 Jules Taylor Sauvignon Blanc - New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough (8/22/2011)
Awards at wine shows don't always mean anything, but the accolades here seem warranted. This is a first rate NZ SB, with no 'extreme' SB characteristics, great intensity and balance, a wonderful cordial-like texture on the palate, and perhaps most importantly, is a great, refreshing wine on a hot day. (A-) - 2002 Voyager Estate Cabernet Sauvignon - Merlot - Australia, Western Australia, South West Australia, Margaret River (8/18/2011)
Notes from 2nd night open. Very deep brick in colour, with some purple in there as well. A deep nose too, of cassis, cedar, earth and tar. Full bodied on the palate, with concentrated blackcurrants, black cherries, cedar and a hint of tar and mint. Some ripe tannins give it structure. This is a very impressive wine, and I agree with others' comments about its Bordeaux-like character. Great now, but there's no rush at all. (A-)
- 2006 Château du Trignon Vacqueyras - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Vacqueyras (7/20/2011)
Notes from second night open. This has smoothed out and opened up a bit from the first night. Still deep brick in colour, with a bit of bricking on the edges. Redfruits, earth, smoke and garrigue on the nice, complex nose. Medium-full bodied on the velvety palate, with a similar profile as the nose, but some cherries and blackfruits as well. Really drinking nicely now, but will last several more years. Impressive Vacqueyras. (A-) - 2003 Bodegas Alejandro Fernández Ribera del Duero Tinto Pesquera Reserva - Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero (7/18/2011)
Hazy notes from a few days ago. Decanted several hours. I enjoyed this more than I thought I would, given the other notes on this bottling. There was a fair bit of oak still, which again didn't thrill me, especially American oak, but somehow it worked with this wine. Rich plums and coffee are the flavours I remember most from this medium-full bodied wine; tannins were almost completely resolved, and there was good balance overall.. Maybe this wine is finally starting to come around? (B+/A-) - 2002 Bischöfliche Weingüter Trier Ayler Kupp Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (7/13/2011)
Hazy notes from opening it last night. Light gold in colour, with a lovely, classic nose of mainly stonefruits and minerals. This is aging nicely, with great balance, just off dry, with again mostly stonefruits and minerals on the medium-bodied palate. Drinking nicely now, but no rush. (A-)