Browse Tag

red

Voge 1998 Cornas “Cuvée Les Vieilles Fontaines” (Rhône) – Classic. Leather, smoked leather, a little bit of char. Yet in some ways, not classic, in that it’s both overly smooth and somewhat restrained. Should Cornas ever be truly restrained? Well, whatever, it’s still a tasty wine. (10/07)

Vignerons de Caractère “Domaine de la Brune” 2005 Beaumes de Venise “Vin Emotion” (Rhône) – The signature of reds from this appellation seems to be a hard, almost crystalline minerality – quartz-like, perhaps – that dominates both any varietally-derived aromas and general Southern Rhônishness. That’s true here, where the rocky foundation is barely brushed by smoked meat and blackberry residue. I find this wine fascinating. (11/07)

Costières & Soleil “Sélection Laurence Féraud” 2005 Côtes-du-Rhône-Villages Séguret (Rhône) – Fearless and sun-drenched, as a Séguret should be, showing brawny, slightly roasted dark berries and vine smoke with a rich black leather interior. There’s a polished fullness to it that, for me, connects it to Féraud’s other wines, but while it’s certainly on the lush side, it is by no means overdone or overly modern. Nicely done, and a pretty decent value as well. (11/07)

Alary 2005 Côtes du Rhône “La Gerbaude” (Rhône) – Earth, herb, smoke and meat with just a hint of funk, coalescing into a burnt Creole funnel of brooding, unyielding darkness. It’s not a big wine in its paradigm, but it’s not exactly friendly and floppy either. Age? Almost certainly, though with the right animal flesh it’s pretty good now. (11/07)

[label]Markowitsch 2005 Blaufränkisch Spitzerberg (Carnuntum) – The wood treatment here is grossly out of place, turning what might otherwise have been succulent red fruit into a coconut bar drink from some tropic isle. I’d call it a waste of good fruit, but it’s impossible to learn much about the fruit at all. So I’ll have to settle for calling it a waste. (11/07)

Pretterebner 2004 Blauer Portugieser (Weinland) – Subtle. There’s a hint of red fruit here, a soft bed of earth there, a dash of floral aroma and a pinch of sprightly acidity…it dances, it eludes, it teases, but it refuses to settle down. As a result, it’s hard to get a handle on this wine. One moment it’s pleasant, the next dull, and then it’s gently complex. The light brown earth component eventually proves the most frequent of the teases, but what ultimately makes this wine compelling is less its inherent qualities as its refusal to be captured. (11/07)

[bottles]l’Ecole No. 41 2005 Merlot Seven Hills (Walla Walla Valley) – Buttered toast with dark blueberry jelly, ripe and leathery tannin, plus a finish that disappears from the inside out. Rather soupy. Not very good, but not horrible. (9/07)

[bottle]Leonetti 2005 Merlot (Columbia Valley) – 85% merlot, 8% cabernet sauvignon, 7% petit verdot. Big, spicy wood with a chewy yet lush texture. The quality is obvious, as is the seductive nature of the wine, but despite the overtly apparently quality, the wine is thoroughly anonymous. It could be from anywhere, made from anything. So what’s the point, exactly? (9/07)

[bottle]Pedestal 2004 Merlot (Columbia Valley) – 77% merlot, 16% cabernet sauvignon, 5% cabernet franc, 2% petit verdot. All toasty wood and brioche, no fruit or character. I’m told that über-consultant Michel Rolland had a hand in this. Certainly I’m no great fan of his ever-expanding portfolio, but his wines are almost never this horrid. (9/07)

[logo]buty 2006 Merlot/Cabernet Franc (Columbia Valley) – 61% merlot, 39% cabernet franc. Espresso and chocolate with dark blueberries and a very concentrated, liqueur-like, but (weirdly, given those descriptors) not entirely overblown aspect. However, there is one significant flaw, and that’s the heat. It’s there on the nose, it’s there on the palate, and it positively burns on the finish. If you like a little brandy in your Fronsac, this is the wine for you. (9/07)