Browse Month

April 2007

TN: Oster-izer

[vineyard]Selbach-Oster 2001 Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett 17 02 (Mosel-Saar-Ruwer) – Light lemon curd and ripe Granny Smith apple. There’s emergent creaminess – a sign of maturity – with good balance, and while everything’s very intense right now (an artifact of the vintage), it’s a fine time to start drinking this wine. (3/07)

TN: Take this job and Schoffit

Schoffit 2002 Chasselas “Vieilles Vignes” (Alsace) – Pine needles and zingy green grapes. A bit short and low-acid, nonetheless. But there’s fine clarity, which is not always something one finds from Schoffit chasselas. (12/06)

TN: Gris belt

[vineyard]Sparr 1997 Pinot Gris Brand (Alsace) – Weird nose…rubber and stale metal girders. But then normalcy returns, with sweet Asian pear laden with spice. Lightly sweet dandelion syrup dances on the finish. This shows many of the signs of a wine that is on the precipice of complete disintegration, so drink up. (12/06)

Kientzler 2001 Pinot Gris Ribeauvillé “Réserve Particulière” (Alsace) – Extremely dry in the house style, with a flowing river of molten metal coursing over mineral-salted pear dust sifted from a grinder. Long and powerfully intense; those that mistake sugar or alcohol for power should be given this as an object lesson. (3/07)

TN: A Marckrain’s gonna fall

Laurent Barth 2004 Marckrain (Alsace) – Spicy banana leaf and skin, with a thick pear forepalate, then acid and raw metal emerging on the finish. However, the wine’s on the abrupt side, and there’s the general muddling that is so endemic to blends in Alsace, a mixing and shading of varietal character that is rarely to the wine’s credit. (3/07)

TN: The Haardter they fall

[label]Müller-Catoir 1998 Haardter Mandelring Scheurebe Spätlese 21 99, fuder 9830 (Pfalz) – Thyme, cat pee, asparagus, grass and grapefruit with spicy acidity. Just a year ago, this was tropical and massively sweet. Now? It’s produce aisle soda. (3/07)

TN: The pope’s new white

Perrin “Château de Beaucastel” 2001 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc (Rhône) – Flat and moderately oxidized at first, with cashews, roasted spices and toasted white and green peppercorns emerging. Then: shiitake mushrooms. The finish is monotone and as flat as the nose. It’s like a sun-baked, dry oloroso without the extra character. And yet, somehow, it’s mildly appealing. (12/06)

TN: Bachelet pad

Bachelet 2002 Côte de Nuits-Villages (Burgundy) – Beet, extremely ripe red cherry, concentrated blood orange. In other words, the classic aromatic profile of a Central Otago pinot. This isn’t a criticism, just an observation. And in any case, the palate diverges significantly: earth, juiced shiitakes, and mixed cherries. The finish is a little on the short side, but this is a lovely wine, ripe but complex enough. (3/07)

TN: Mr. Beau Chambolles

Hudelot-Noellat 1993 Chambolle-Musigny (Burgundy) – Beets and roasted garbage with a lovely aftertaste of stewed sewage. This isn’t just dead, this is a victim of some horrible assault. Call CSI. (12/06)

TN: Savigny the best for last

[map]Jadot 1993 Savigny-les-Beaune La Dominode (Burgundy) – Old dust on a cedar chest, with sharp strawberry and squirty lemon-drop adding much brightness to the palate. The finish is deeper, with black trumpet mushrooms, black and red cherries, and even a bit of tar…followed by more dust. Drink up. (12/06)

TN: Pégau my heart

[label]Feraud “Domaine du Pégau” 1989 Châteauneuf-du-Pape “Cuvée Réservée” (Rhône) – Black pepper, dark blueberry-infused leather and meat juice, with a strong undercurrent of iron-rich blood. Fantastic balance. The wine pulses and squeezes the palate, a heartbeat of stunning Châteauneuf character. Stunning. And, for those who are interested, ready to drink…though I don’t think there’s any danger of immediate declination. (3/07)