We had MarilynReisen & Rob over for apps this week and tried:
1. Ridge Chard MonteBelloEstateVnyd/SantaCruzMtns (14.5%; Bttld: 2/13; TwoAcreParcel; Drk: 12/12-12/22-12/27: EB) 2011: Med.dark gold color; strong toasty/butterscotchy/caramel/oak/toasted coconut very ripe/melony/Chard/spicy complex nose; soft very toasted coconut/toasty/caramel/oak lush/ripe slight mineral/chalky/saline ripe meony/Chard/spicy flavor; very long/lingering light chalky/mineral/saline very ripe/melony/Chard/spicy strong toasty/oak/toasted coconut finish; seems on the ripe side and loaded w/ new oak but you gotta believe EricBaugher that it'll make old bones. $60.00
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2. EugeneCarrel Jongieus AC: Vin de Savoie (MeBaC; Jacquere; 11.5%) 2013: Pale yellow near colorless; rather chalky/mineral/steely light pear/apple simple terroir-driven nose; very tart/metallic/steely/flinty/tangy slight pear/apple very lean/eviscerated flavor w/ very little fruit; med. very tangy/metallic/steely/mineral very slight apple finish; a quite lean/mineral/eviscerated white that displays the Savoie terroir. $12.00 (SFW&S)
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3. GranPassione Rosso IGT: Veneto (14%; 60% Merlot + Corvina) CasaVinicola Botter/Fossalta di Piave 2012: Very dark color; strong grapey/licorice/plummy/boysenberry light earthy/dusty nose; soft/fat very grapey/lush/plummy/licorice quite bitter/tannic earthy/dusty flavor w/ hard/fierce tannins; long plummy/licorice/black cherry cola soft/lush earthy/dusty very bitter finish w/ hard/astringent tannins; rather attractive nose but unpleasantly bitter on the palate; much like a junior Reccioto; avoid this wine unless you like bitter things in your mouth. $12.00 (SFW&S)
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4. Dom.Moutard-Diligent Val de Mer AC: Bourgogne (12.5%; www.DNSWines;" ...to preserve the aromatic pallet of our wines...") PatrickPiuze/Chablis 2012: Pale/near colorless; strong stony/minerral/metallic/chalky nose w/ no evident fruit; very tart/acid/screechy steely/metallic/grapefruity/tangy/chalky flavor w/ no fruit in evidence; short tangy/grapefruity/metallic/tinny/steely/chalky finish w/ no fruit showing; very austere/hurtey on the palate; like biting down on a strip of aluminum foil and feeling that jolt of electricity in your jaw; not a Chablis I would want to drink. $20.00 (SFW&S)
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. GranPassione: I was not at all passionate about this wine. Made by the appasimento process, where the stems are girdled 10 days before harvest, in order to dessicate the grapes, much like is done to produce Amarone. No Merlot character that I could pick up. The nose was rather interesting, but it hurt to put it in your mouth.
Tom