Browse Month

April 2008

Climens and take a ride

Climens 1996 Barsac (Bordeaux) – Silky lemon and orange, well-spiced. Gentle and long, though there’s a soapy note to the finish. Elegant, but the rot here isn’t quite as noble as it should be. (2/08)

Bosch dishwashers

[vineyard]Neil Ellis 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon (Stellenbosch) – Unmistakably cabernet, with tobacco, bell pepper, cedar, and a lot of militaristic structure. But nothing is overblown or overdone, the oak has almost totally integrated, and there’s a great deal of promise here…though despisers of all that is green probably won’t be impressed. It’s not a generous wine by any means, and the finish continues to dash and dust various forms of pepper, but it’s a very creditable effort, with medium-term aging likely to bring rewards. (4/08)

N-ice wine

[vineyard]Mission Hill 2004 Riesling Icewine “Reserve” (Okanagan Valley) – Terrific. Intense and pure, with an explosion of molten steel and iron flakes in an incredibly concentrated ripe apple syrup, but with fine acidity providing lightness and breathing space. As ever with icewine, I don’t know that it will age, but it’s so good right now, why bother? (3/08)

Salt Lake City

[vineyard]Mission Hill 2003 “S.L.C.” Syrah (Okanagan Valley) – A bit difficult at first, but with air it blossoms, showing deep, firm, dark leather and a black stew of berries, smoky and mysterious, perhaps somewhat impenetrable. Structure and length are promising, and this seems like a keeper. (3/08)

Goenekloof under the weight

[vineyard]Neil Ellis 2006 Sauvignon Blanc (Groenekloof) – Varietally true, with an extra heft of stark greenness over a firm slate foundation; this wine is sharp, almost razor-like, yet simultaneously elevated and almost airy. It’s definitely not shy. (3/08)

Lugana beach

[bottle]Tenuta Roveglia 2006 Lugana (Lombardy) – Quite striking, Leaves, yellow and green fruit, light traces of herbs, perhaps some freshly-cracked bivalves; there’s a lot going on in this wine, all at the same time, and the confusion is rather delicious. (3/08)

Crossings guard

[vineyard]The Crossings 2006 Pinot Noir (Marlborough) – Light, crisp red berries with a pleasant tarragon influence and faceted, whitish minerality. With its firm acidity, this might be a candidate for short-term aging, but I think it’s probably best-served by drinking over the near term, because the fruit is so fresh and appealing. (3/08)

Stoeffler your face

[vineyard & village]Stoeffler 2005 Pinot Blanc (Alsace) – Crisp and apple-dominated, with winter melon and a touch of Thai basil. It doesn’t taste like there’s much auxerrois here, but if so it’s underripe and not a factor. Crisp and juicy turns to wan and watery on the finish; the surplus of acidity is refreshing with food but the rest of the wine disappears. So leave it as a tart cocktail wine and you’ll do OK. (4/08)

Cecily or Helfrich?

Helfrich 2001 Gewurztraminer Steinklotz (Alsace) – Very mineral-driven, with a chilly, frozen-fruit aspect. Mandarin orange and peach/pear skins dominate, with fine acidity throughout, and a light, unobtrusive layer of sweetness. It’s not a big wine by any means, and I think it could be pushed a little harder (though not made any sweeter) to greater effect, but it’s true to itself. (4/08)

Veterans’ Administration

[vineyard]Easton 2006 Zinfandel (Amador County) – Perhaps an off bottle. If not, a rather dramatic stylistic left turn. The nose is quite volatile, then a breath of coconut precedes a crisp, light, tangled and gnarly palate of thin vines and biting, early-picked acidity. I like it (once that volatility blows away), but it’s certainly not what I expect from either Amador or Easton. (4/08)