Orin Swift 2009 Zinfandel “Saldo” (California) – 15.1%. Dark, almost gelatinous fruit, with a thick, sticky balsamic glaze to it. The alcohol is prominent, for sure, both in its volatile form and as sheer weight. In shape and function, it satisfies a taste in wine that is decidedly not mine. (7/12)
Browse Tag
red
Peter’s wine
Boekenhoutskloof “The Wolftrap” 2007 Syrah Mouvèrdre Viognier (Franschhoek) – This is a wine that often teeters on the edge of respectability for me, but in this vintage it’s on the right side of it. Barely. Incredibly dense, dark, very nearly syrupy fruit, but there’s just enough (dim) light and lift to keep it from being leaden. The floral element is very strong, and while it’s tempting to credit the viognier in the blend, I just don’t see that there’s enough to provide all of it. Maybe the mourvèdre helps. Who knows? For those who like unreconstructed big-ass hootie wines, this is a good low(ish)-cost candidate. (7/12)
Sofia, not so good
Coppola 2009 Rosso (California) – Ticky-tack fruit, akin to red cherries from a can. This was always a highly “made” wine, but it used to be better. (7/12)
Lubenko of America
Sobon Estate 2005 Zinfandel Lubenko (Fiddletown) – 15.1%. Dark pineberry fruit, parchment tannin, and brittle acidity. Sobon is a producer whose wines rarely reach the pinnacles for me, yet this is a more exciting effort than I’m used to from them. There’s some extra peppery verve to it, and that coniferous aroma is exactly what one expects from the region. I really like this. (7/12)
Sobon Estate 2005 Zinfandel Lubenko (Fiddletown) – 15.1%. Absolutely identical in every possible way. Thank the closure. (7/12)
Georgia on my mind
Marietta “Old Vine Red Lot Number 56” (California) – Year after year (well, it’s true that I don’t drink it every years, anymore), this keeps chugging along as a big burst of succulent mixed berries. Big, bold, Californian: yes. Tastes more crafted than did its teen expressions, or that may just be my changing palate. But I’d have to work up a certain philosophical curmudgeonliness to reject it, and it doesn’t seem worth the effort. It’s a fun, representatively California party wine. (7/12)
By the horns
Taurino 2003 Salice Salentino “Riserva” (Puglia) – In days of yore (momma) this was a regular favorite. Time has not been kind, both to the wine and to my memory of it, and of course the year is no help. Like drinking fruited lead. (7/12)
A Coutale of two cities
Bernede “Clos La Coutale” 2009 Cahors (Southwest France) – Full of sap and chew, as so often lighter than the brackish aromas portend, yet alive in a scowling sort of fashion. There’s a minor burnt note on the finish that makes me wonder about the condition of the bottle, but otherwise it’s quite approachable. (7/12)
Roy Harper
Bonny Doon 2001 “Vin Gris de Cigare” (Earth) – Mostly grenache, with some mourvèdre, grenache blanc, and roussanne. Fruit-pop wine, bubblegummy and fun, with a rounded, polished, and highly marketable exterior. There’s lots of understated flash here, and while this does mean that there’s less substance than one might want, I don’t believe the wine is aiming for anything other than what it is. In which case it’s a success. (6/12)
Nickleby
Lafage 2009 Côtes Catalanes “Cuvée Nicolas” (Roussillon) – 100% grenache. Goopier than I remember it, or perhaps I’m confusing it with a different cuvée. This expresses a lot of the sticky, bubblegummy flaws of hot-site grenache, with a heaviness that isn’t countervailed by anything. It’s not a terrible wine, but it’s a fair bit more glue-like than I prefer. (6/12)
Howell 3
Thurston Wolfe 2007 “JTW’s Port” (Washington) – 375 ml. Succulently sweet berry syrup. Just a bit of sweat. I wouldn’t hold it, even a little bit, but it’s fun. (6/12)