Rivuera Orebic “Korta Katarina” 2006 Plavac Mali (Peljesac Peninsula) – A Croatian cou-zin owned and brought into the nethers of central Minnesota by Scandinavian locals. Gotta be a terrible vanity project, right? Not so. Oh, there’s a faint whiff of eye-on-the-market winemaking here, but it’s faint, and what’s most impressive is the old-style zinnishness of it; big bursts of black fruit, in berried tones both familiar and un-, with sprightly microburst acidity and a rollicking undertow of pure fun. If domestic zin still tasted like this, people would drink a lot more of it. And if you’re in the Brainerd Lakes area (and who among my readers isn’t?), go get some. (7/12)
Browse Month
July 2012
Waltzing Martilde
Martilde 2009 Barbera “Sportello” (Lombardy) – From what I call the “third way” of barbera vinification: neither an acid razor nor a floozied-up international travesty, but the crisp yet full-fruited version, here done in darker berry (even a bit of black cherry) tones, yet retaining the essential, food-desiring throb of crispness. Delicious. (6/12)
Cerasuolo performance
La Valentina 2011 Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo Rosé (Abruzzi) – Succulent. Red berries, both tame and with the slightly bitter wildness of some trailside plumpness that you know you probably shouldn’t eat, but which you just can’t help popping into your mouth anyway. Balanced, finishing with just a little grace note of spice. (6/12)
Wwhhiittee
Long Trail “Brewmaster Series” Double White (Vermont) – Herds the fresh, spicy froth of white ale into realms it doesn’t wish to go, at least in this guise. “Heavy” isn’t the word for what’s wrong with this. Perhaps it would be most accurate to say that it’s too pushy. (7/12)
Putting the baden before the horst
Badenhorst “Secateurs” 2011 Chenin Blanc (Swartland) – 13.5%. Hybrid Rainier cherry and quinine with a bit of hay, atop a bed of gravel. The finish is a little scrape-y, and there’s very little acidity. Short. Kinda eh. (7/12)
Brücken promise
Dönnhoff 1999 Oberhäuser Brücke Riesling Spätlese 007 00 (Nahe) – Thick mineral stew with a peach glaze, over-reduced and tedious. Utterly devoid of useful acidity (meaning there’s not none, just not any that will rescue the wine). (6/12)
Hooked on a feeling
St. Urbans-Hof 2002 Piesporter Goldtröpchef Riesling Spätlese 034 03 (Mosel-Saar-Ruwer) – Bottles come and bottles go of this wine, which I bought in quantity a while back on very deep discount, and both the goers and comers are variable with a side of disappointment. This is just as variable as the rest, but less disappointing than most, showing a liquefied aluminum base on which have been sprinkled some lemongrass-infused apple salts, plus a more stone-fruited finish. Does any of the previous mean or say anything of relevance to the terroir? Well… (6/12)
Oh Delaille, why?
Delaille “Domaine du Salvard” 2011 Cheverny Rosé (Loire) – Nakedly appealing, yet far from uncomplicated, its chalky reserve and high-tension poise at odds with the easy pleasure of its strawberry-ish fruit. Delightful. (6/12)
Neudorf on neugolf
Neudorf 2008 Sauvignon Blanc (Nelson) – A somewhat metallic side of sauvignon blanc, ripe and a bit showy but still avoiding tropicality. Also a touch reductive, which may be the closure. (6/12)
Gilligan’s grain
Harpoon “100 Barrel Series” Ginger Wheat (Vermont) – An only-just-decent wheat beer whose ginger is almost entirely delivered on the first tingly sip, after which the palate becomes entirely immune and this beer lacks any sort of point whatsoever. (6/12)