Susan & I tried these three at dinner last night:
1. TablasCreekVnyd EspritBlanc de Tablas Estate/AdelaidaDist/PasoRobles (13.0%; 55% Roussanne/28% GrenacheBlanc/17% PicpoulBlanc) 2015 : Med.dark gold color; very strong Rouss/honeysuckle/honeyed/floral slight graham cracker very slight nutty very fragrant/perfumed rather complex beautiful aromatic nose; lightly tart/tangy/citric strong honeyed/honeysuckle/Rouss/floral/gardenias slight graham cracker/nutty quite rich/lush fairly complex flavor; very long/lingering very strong Rouss/honeyed/honeysuckle/floral bit graham cracker balanced/lush finish; a beautiful still very primary Rouss and just starting to show a slight nutty/oxidative character; should easily go at least another 10 yrs and really develop. $26.00 (VIN)
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2. Darby PurpleHaze ColumbiaVlly RW (14.6%; www.DarbyWinery.com; Bdx Blend + Syrah) 2015: Very dark/near black color; very intense plummy/chocolaty/ripe/licorice some vanilla/toasty/Fr.oak strong blackcurranty/plummy/Cab bit floral/lilacs complex beautiful nose; bit soft/fat intense plummy/blackcurranty/blackberry ripe/chocolaty/licorice/pungent light toasty/Fr.oak/vanilla/pencilly flavor w/ light soft/ripe tannins; very long soft/rich/lush/fat strong blackcurranty/Cab/licorice/chocolaty some toasty/pencilly/Fr.oak finish w/ modest ripe tannins;loads of ripe Cab/Syrah fruit; not a lot of structure but really good drinking at a great price. $20.00 (vSC)
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3. Weingut Schrock Spatlese (11.5%; 40% WelschRiesling/40% Furmint/20% SauvBlanc) Rust/Burgenland 2016: Light gold color; bit earthy/dusty ripe/peach/pear some peppery/Furmint very fragrant bit apple/pear quite attractive nose w/ hints of botrytis; fairly tart/tangy/citric somewhat sweet (5%-6% r.s??) strong ripe peach/pear/slight botrytis some earthy/Furmint flavor; very long/lingering some earthy/Furmint rather sweet ripe peach/pear/apple bit metallic finish; speaks mostly of Furmint; quite an attractive dessert wine at a good price. $23.00/hlf (KK)
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. This is one we got on sale at TCV several yrs ago. Price was around $28. One of the best Calif white Rhone blends yr in & yr out. Lacks that stony/minerality of a good CdP White Rhone, but has a ton of Rouss fruit & should develop into something pretty special. The wine's color suggests more maturity than it actually shows.
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2. Darby: PurpleHaze is the Cab blend they make every yr and push it out the front door for a song. SteveCostigan always buys a case every yr and shares it with. Not a profound red and nor a lot of structure but great drinking at a great price.
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3. HeidiSchrock: She is one of my favorite producers in the Burgenland. She has been responsible for a lot of the renewed interest in Austria for the Furmint, which was once quite widespread in Austria during the HabsburgEmpire. I find her dry Furmint world-class. Her dessert wines are always outstanding. This Spatlese is one of her lover level stickies.
Tom