Tried these four over the weekend:
1. Zerran GarnatxaBlanca Dd'O: MontSant (14%) Bodegas Ordonez/Falset 2012: Light gold color; rather fragrant/floral/carnations/appley/pear biit stony/mineral/lanolin quite attractive nose; soft/fat floral/carnations/apple/pineapple slight tangy/metallic/stony/earthy pleasant flavor; med.long soft floral/carnations/apples/pear some stony/metallic finish; nothing profound but an attractive white at a fair price. $17.00 (AV)
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2. Toccata Freisa LosAlamosVnyd/SBC (13.5%) 2008: Med.color; some earthy/dusty rather floral/fragrant/lilacs/slight Nebb-like/bit Dolcetto-like grapey light pungent/tarry/licorice slight smokey/oak quite interesting nose; soft/lush floral/lilacs/grapey/bit Dolcetto-like/licorice slight tarry/pungent earthy flavor w/ light/hard/bitey tannins; med.long bit vanilla/oak some floral/lilacs/perfumed bit tarry/licorice/earthy finish w/ some hard tannins; a bit of the Nebb fragrance but more like a Dolcetto d'Alba; lacks the brightness & perfume of a Freisa; decent enough Calif red but just that. $20.00
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3. Bodega TasoLaMonja Romanico Dd'O: Toro (Tinta de Toro; 15-20 yr old vnyds; 6 mo. in Fr.oak; 14.5%; EB) Valdefinjas/Zamora JorgeOrdanez 2011/L028: Very dark color; very strong grapey/Garnacha-like/earthy/dusty huge fruit/black cherry/licorice/RCCola some toasty/oak/vanilla/Rioja-like bit pungent very attractive/rich nose; rather alcoholic some black cherry/cough syrup/huge fruit/boysenberry/framboise/RCCola rather vanilla/toasty/oak flavor w/ soft/smooth tannins; long huge fruit/boysenberry/black cherry/RCCola/cough syrup strong toasty/vanilla/oak bit alcoholic finish w/ some hard/firm tannins; needs 2-6 yrs; very fairly priced. $19.00 (AV)
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4. PlanetOregon PinotNoir (A Populist Product; 13.2%; www.PlanetOregonPinot.com) TonySoter/Dundee 2011: Light color; very attractive brighht/cherry/PN slight walnutty/earthy light pencilly/oak rather pretty nose; tart light/Pinot/cherry/earthy/walnutty light toasty/oak very drinkable lightweight flavor; med.short light/Pinot/cherry/walnutty/earthy light toasty/oak finish w/ light tannins; a fairly classic/bit quotidian OR Pinot at a fair price.
$22.00 (KK)
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And a wee BloodyPulpit:
1. Toccata: This is the label LouisLucas/L&L uses for his Italian varietals from his vnyd in LosAlamos. Freisa is a cross between Nebbiolo and some unknown/probably extinct variety. It is planted sparsely in the Piemonte, but mostly up towards Torino. It has (as made in Italy) many of the same floral aromatics that bless Nebbiolo and some, but less, of that Nebbiolo tannic bite, and generally a bit fuller in flavor. It is often made as a frizzante, sometimes slightly sweet, wine. It's a variety they should be pursueing more in Calif and WashState.
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2. Toro: Tinta de Toro is nothing more than Tempranillo. But because of its outsized fruit, it reminded me much more of a Priorat Garnacha than Rioja, and lacked the high-toned/cherry notes I find in Tempranillo. It was very much a modern-style Spanish red and, because of the huge-fruit, became a little boring after a glass or two. A good wine...in small doses or applied topically behind the ears.
Tom