Took several cases of new wines from the BoulderWineMerchant to try over the Christmas week:
1. SavageGrace GrunerVeltliner UnderwoodMtnVnyd/ColumbiaGorge (12%; www.SavageGraceWines.com) Underwood/WA 2019: Light gold color; attractive pear/GV/bit floral/light white pepper slight earthy/burlap bag fairly quiet nose; lightly tart/tangy/metallic some pear/GV/light floral/white pepper light stony/chalky pleasant enough flavor; med. light pear/GV/floral/bit carnations light white pepper pleasant quiet finish; speaks of GV w/ a whisper; a pleasant enough quiet/low-impact GV bordering on the bland/vapid. $29.00 (BWM)
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2. Vigneti Massa Derthona VinoBianco (14%; Timorasso; PortovinoImprts/Buffalo/NY; www.PortoVinoItaliano.com) MarcaObertenga; Massa Fratelli/Montleale 2017: Light gold color; very strong fragrant/Timo/floral/gardenias almost R-like very perfumed bit complex beautiful nose; fairly tart/tangy/slight metallic very strong/Timo/floral/gardenias/spicy light pencilly/oak quite spicy/bit cardamon light chalky/mineral lovely classic Timo flavor; very long/lingering strong Timo/floral/gardenias/spicy bit cardamon/nutmeg slight pencilly/oak finish; a lovely classic expression of Timo; WalterMassa still does it best.
$41.00 (BWM)
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3. Ferraris Clasic Dd'OCeG: Ruche di Castagnole Monferrato (15%; www.FerrarisAgricola.com; GiulianiImprts/Boulder) LucaFarraris/Castagnole Monferrato 2020: Dark color; lovely very strong Ruche/strawberry very floral/violets bit earthy some dusty/OV light pencilly/oak bit complex nose; lightly tart/metallic strong floral/Ruche/strawberry light earthy some dusty/OV light pencilly/oak maybe a bit off-dry (0.3%-0.5% r.s.) bit complex loads of Ruche floral fruit flavor w/ light bitey tannins; very long strong strawberry/Ruche/floral slight earthy/dusty/OV bit complex finish w/ slight barnyardy finish; a lovely expression of bright floral Ruche at a great price. $20.00 (BWM)
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4. Edmunds St.John Syrah WylieVnyd/ElDoradoCnty (14.2%) ThumbnailMoonlight 2009: Dark color w/ slight bricking; some Syrah/blackberry some ElD/earthy/mushroomy/dusty somewhat dull undistinctive nose; bit soft light blackberry/Syrah/spicy some ElD/earthy/mushroomy rathe quiet flavor w/ light coarse tannins; a bit on the clunky/oafish side & doesn't really sing like an old EdStJ Syrah should; a bit of an Oakland wine that doesn't deliver a whole lot.
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5. Novy Oley SweetViognier RRV (11%) 2009: Deep golden/burnished bronze color; strong intense passito/grapey quite aromatic bit pencilly/complex lovely nose; soft very grapey/passito bit pencilly/oak slight caramel flavor w/ no Viog character; very long/lingering intense grapey/passito bit caramel slight pencilly/oak finish w/ no Viog character; a pretty classic example of a passito that should go for another 10 yrs or longer.
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6. true story wine Riesling WillametteVlly (13.3%; www.TrueStoryWine.com) P&B by TrueStoryWines/WilliamSnowden/Sherwood/OR 2017: Med.gold color; very attractive clean floral/R/mango/pineapple quite mineral/stony some Mosel valve oil some complex lovely nose; quite tart/tangy/steely/metallic totally dry some floral/R/mango fairly stony/mineral quite austere flavor; long austere very tart/tangy/steely/metallic stony/mineral light floral/R/mango bit Mosel valve oil finish; a quite attractive nose but rather austere/severe on the palate; needs some age but quite good for the $15.00 (BWM)
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7. barrel X Weinhaus Peter Lauer Riesling feinherb Mosel (Q; A.P.Nr. 3 501 074 192/21; 10%; www.VomBoden.com; VomBoden/Brooklyn/NY) Mosel 2020: Pale gold color w/ lots of tiny bubbles that dissipate; lovely Mosel/slatey/flinty fairly perfumed/R/floral/mango clean quite aromatic nose; very tart/tangy/steely/flinty bit dissolved CO2/spritzy light floral/R/mango slight earthy quite dry flavor; very long rather austere flinty/steely/mineral light floral/mango/R finish; a rather austere almost lean/eviscerated Mosel that probably needs age. $29.00 (BWM)
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8. Kloster Neustift Abbazia di Novacella Schiava DOC: AltoAdige (12.5%; L2121) Abbazia di Novacella/Varna 2020: Med.light color; quite fragrant strawberry/raspberry/Schiava light earthy pretty classic Schiava nose; fairly tart bright/strawberry/raspberry/spicy light weight bit earthy very attractive flavor w/ light bitey tannins; long bright/strawberry/rasberry/Schiava slight earthy/rustic fairly tart finish w/ light tannins; a clean bright bit rustic classic rendition of Schiava at a great price. $20.00 (BWM)
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. Not a whole lot of surprises here. The Massa Timo was probably the best of this lot. A bit disappointed in the EdStJ Syrah, though. A btl I brought up from home.
Tom