Hillau “Domaine Etxegaraya” 2002 Irouléguy (Southwest France) – Harsh and scraping, like raw banana skin-flavored sandpaper. A victim of its synthetic cork. (1/09)
January 2009
Tell me no secrets, I’ll tell you Noëllat
Michel Noëllat & Fils 2006 Bourgogne (Burgundy) – Corked. (1/09)
Arcese poofs
Bera 2006 Canelli “Arcese” (Piedmont) – Pours with a near-explosion of tiny bubbles, which take a while to recede. Uh-oh. The nose is, at first, absent, then quivering with volatility, then once again absent. And there’s a staleness to the wine. First approximation: corked and refermented. An hour later, the secondary-fermentation stink starts to emerge, as does the wretched reek of TCA. The poor wine, which is usually full of appealing life, never had a chance. (1/09)
Don’t be a Daumas
Guibert de la Vassière “Mas de Daumas Gassac” Rosé Frizant Brut (Languedoc) – Cherry Kool-Aid, and not in a good way. Completely candied and confected. Two sips are about all you’ll ever want. (1/09)
Zelt up
Selbach-Oster 2007 Zeltinger Schlossberg Riesling Spätlese “Schmitt” 020 08 (Mosel-Saar-Ruwer) – Electric green apple soda. Lightly sweet, with makrut lime lacings. Flawless balance and poise. A really gorgeous wine. Wow! (12/08)
To heck with the cherry
Dönnhoff 2003 Norheimer Kirschheck Riesling Spätlese 005 04 (Nahe) – Tangerine fatness at first sniff, which firms up to a long, columnar midpalate with only a little clinging fat. The finish is short. Everything in this wine happens way up front, and while it’s not bad for an ’03, it’s a little like a tin recreation of a riesling rather than the real thing. Eh. (12/08)
Schoenheitz, shown lows
Schoenheitz 1998 Riesling Herrenreben “Vendanges Tardives” (Alsace) – Not all that sweet, in what used to be the traditional style for Alsatian VTs, with a stark, arctic character. This could be a lot more generous, but it’s possible that the wine’s just closed up. The finish is pretty short, though, and so I’m not overly optimistic. (12/08)
Wiebelsberg, wobbled
Kreydenweiss 1997 Riesling Wiebelsberg “Vendanges Tardives” (Alsace) – Hand-carried from the domaine, carefully cellared, and…corked. Ugh. (12/08)
John Jacob Franz Karl Schmitt
Franz Karl Schmitt 1996 Niersteiner Pettenthal Riesling Auslese 10 97 (Mosel-Saar-Ruwer) – Moderately sweet. Lime, green apple, limestone, and shards of metal…perhaps mostly iron. Yet, in the end, not all that interesting. (12/08)
Rottland hum
Leitz 2007 Rüdesheimer Berg Rottland Riesling Spätlese Trocken “Alte Reben” (Goldkapsel) 014 08 (Rheingau) – Tastes Austrian, in a diffident sort of way. Not particularly precise, but instead rather creamy, with intensity and power both present and in reserve. A solid block of riesling. Let it age. (12/08)