Had these three over the last few days:
1. NicolasGonin Altesse IGP: Isere-Balmes Dauphinoises (12%; www.Vins-Nicolas-Gonin.com; MFW Wine/NY) Nicolas Gonin/St.Chef 2019: Med.light gold color; very fragrant floral/alpine white flowers/edelweiss light spicy/cardamon some minerally/perfumed talc/bit chalky beautiful classic Alpine nose; rather tart/tangy/bit steely strong Alpine/white flowers/floral/edelweiss slight chalky/mineral quite perfumed lovely flavor; very long/lingering strong Alpine white flowers/floral/edelweiss bit steely/flinty some mineral/perfumed talc bit complex finish; a beautiful wiry/taut/bracing expression of an Alpine white. $31.00 (SFW&S)
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2. Forlorn-Hope Trou Grit Trousseau Gris King-AndrewsVnyd/SuisunVlly (10.57%; 34 cs) Fairfield 2012: Burnished bronze/bit browning color; some spicy/cinammon/cloves rather fragrant/rose petal/marigolds/pungent/floral some complex very attractive pefumed nose; quite tart/tangy/bit metallic very spicy/cinammon/cloves some floral/marigolds/zennias/pungent bit lean/pinched slight earthy rather complex very interesting flavor; very long quite tart/tangy/metallic fairly spicy bit lean/austere/pinched complex finish w/ light tannic bite;a rather interesting expression of TrousseauGris w/ lots of spicy character.
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3. NeroCllrs Grenache JemroseVnyd/BennettVlly (14.1%; www.NeroCellars.com) Livermore 2013: Medium rather bricking color; rather cedary/pencilly/oldRed slight strawberry/Grenache slight c-c/herbal somewhat tired nose; soft fairly cedary/pencilly/oldRed rather tired/dried out fairly astringent flavor w/ modest dried-out tannins; a Grenache pretty much on its last legs. $19.00 (WoP)
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More gifflespatter from TheBloodyPulpit:
1. Altesse, or Roussette, is a white variety found mostly in the Savoie. This one comes from an area between the Savoie & the Rhone in Eastern foothills of France.
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2. TrousseauGris was once widely planted in Calif where it was called Gray Riesling. It has pretty much died out because of its reputation of making mediocre wines as winemaker tried to force it into making a Riesling. The largest block of TG is at Fanucchi Wood Road Vineyard in the Russian River Valley AVA. This wine was made as a Ramato & actually quite interesting w/ some maturity on it.
Tom