Browse Month

July 2008

Sir Rigger

[vineyard]Schloss Saarstein 1996 Serriger Schloss Saarstein Riesling Auslese 11 97 (Mosel-Saar-Ruwer) – Mildly corked. (2/08)

Marc-André

Fleury 1996 Champagne Brut (Champagne) – Very fruity (kiwi, strawberry), juicy, and forward. Turns both sour and salty on the finish, which is kinda weird. Still, it’s appealing, even if it tries a bit too hard to be so. (2/08)

We can only grow the way the Windsbuhl

Zind-Humbrecht 1994 Gewurztraminer Hunawihr Clos Windsbuhl (Alsace) – Big & rich (save a cashew, ride a lychee), very spicy, and somewhat sweet…but it handles it all with balance. Orange peel candy and dried peach with a touch of heat on the finish, which is shorter than I’d like; it’s the wine’s most obvious flaw. (2/08)

Avril, not in Paris

Avril “Clos des Papes” 1992 Châteauneuf-du-Pape (Rhône) – Old sweat upon opening. But it fills out well, with dark cherry residue dominant. It’s light and a little on the watery side, but long and authentic despite its generally wan nature. And cheap. Remember when Clos des Papes was cheap? (2/08)

A Gay old time

Robin “Château Le Gay” 1989 Pomerol (Bordeaux) – Thyme, dense cassis, blueberry, and fudge-like tannin that imbalances the wine. A shame, too, as it was fun in an obnoxious, fruit-forward way, at least for a while. (2/08)

Radici salad

[vineyard]Mastroberardino 2000 Fiano di Avellino Radici (Campania) – Ash and old, dusty wind. Light, with fading residual intensity, and dry as a desert. A bit of lemon rind? One hour later, air has helped a lot: minerals and foamy seashells emerge, the finish lengthens, and the overall impact grows more powerful. Still, drink up. (2/08)

She’s upgraded from her web

[charlotte’s home vineyard]Rodney Strong 2006 Sauvignon Blanc “Charlotte’s Home” (Sonoma County) – Wind-blown grass, lemon, and lime with a touch of spice from the wood. Big, juicy, clean, and simple. Good persistence. (2/08)

Palindrome

Rodney Strong 2004 “Symmetry” Meritage (Alexander Valley) – The lushest wine of the tasting, with better aromatic complexity than anything I’ve yet sniffed. Mixed chocolates and a rush of upfront fruit are promising (though I’d prefer less of the former), the structure arrives and announces itself…and then the wine rather abruptly absents itself from the conversation. Just: poof! It disappears. A high-priced void. (2/08)