Falling leaves all around, leaving bare trees behind, and sunny days, grey days, many more days to come.
Gonon, Vin de France, Chasselas, 2011
11.5% Innocuous white wine, with pear and some slight lemon butter cream, almost has the weight and flavors of a Rhone white but without the added alcohol. Finishes with an herbal touch. B+
Patrick Jasmin, Cote Rotie, 2010
12.5% Totally surprised at how open and accessible this is. Medium-bodied, light plum, with a clean, savory finish. Very smooth tannins. I could see this becoming more floral with age. Perhaps fairly simple, but oh so delish. A-
Alzinger, Durnsteiner, Riesling - Federspiel, 2012
My first Alzinger, and not very impressive. Is crystalline, but simple, with lemon-lime flavors, dry as the Mojave, and a jalapeno finish. Not quite sure how this ages, as there is not much dimension to it at present. 12.5% Screwcap. B+
Francesca Castaldi, Fara, 2009
13.5% Rather deeply colored for a nebbiolo wine. Deep musky aromas with some licorice and slight menthol. In the glass, deep black cherry and black plums, a sappy finish. Somewhat short. Some pomegranate with air, and astringent tannins on the finish. This manages to come across as both husky and light at the same time, an interesting feat. B+/A-
La Bastide Blanche, Bandol, 2001
14.5% Deep and dark, full of mulberry and dark, oven roasted plums, savory and smooth, with only a whisper of barnyard. A little sweet and on the riper side, but probably why this comes across so well. For a 14 year-old wine, it is still youthful enough that I would say it could go on well for up to 5 years more, but right now it shows so well. A-
