Browse Tag

red

Black and noir

Blackenbrook 2004 Pinot Noir (Nelson) – Gorgeous floral aromatics pair with light red and purple plum, anise liqueur (not a dominant element) and graphite-infused cedar on the palate. Gritty but ripe tannin, smoothed-over and perhaps a little shorter than one might prefer, with the tannin still fairly obvious on the finish. Despite this, the wine is fresh and lively. A good effort. (3/05)

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Ba, ba, ba…ba, barbera

[bottle]Bruno Giacosa 2005 Barbera d’Alba (Piedmont) – Even though the grapes don’t have that much in common, aspirational barbera reminds me of zinfandel in that it pairs delicious, friendly fruit with good acidity. Of course, barbera has, in its non-spoofulated state, more acid than zinfandel. OK, so maybe it’s not the best comparison. Anyway, this is polished without being overworked, showing vivid red fruit with fine acidity enveloped by a supple, rounded structure. And yet, through it all cuts that beautiful core of acidity. Very, very good. (10/07)

Mondalino bay

[label]Bricco Mondalino 2004 Barbera del Monferrato “Superiore” (Piedmont) – Apple-dominated acidity with a rough sheathe of tannin and chunky, wild-berry fruit (including chokecherry). Still in the throes of pre-adolescence, this will be better in a few years. With an aggressive enough food, it’s pretty good now. (10/07)

Ascheri night

[harvest]Ascheri 2004 Nebbiolo d’Alba Bricco S. Giacomo (Piedmont) – Fine aromatics can’t quite be suppressed by a layer of slick woodiness and a lingering buttery note. Was this wine actually barriqued, or is there some sort of minor heat damage masquerading as internationalization? Whichever is the case, it’s pleasant enough, but it grows less interesting as the bottle progresses. (10/07)

Abbona to pick

[label]Abbona 2005 Barbera d’Alba Rinaldi (Piedmont) – Passionately expressive, with spiky acidity and vibrant red fruit spiraling around the palate; this has one foot in tradition and the other in some sort of free-flowing Dalí painting. Fun, and compelling at the same time. (10/07)

Alba’s fair…

[label]Bruno Giacosa 2006 Dolcetto d’Alba (Piedmont) – Complete and polished, with rich red fruit and a non-subtle animalistic underbelly, smooth tannin, nearly fair acidity and a round, ripe finish given texture and definition by mixed earth characteristics. Very, very good. (9/07)

Too Chaillot, hush hush

Allemand 1997 Cornas Chaillot (Rhône) – From magnum. A grand cru Burgundy of Cornas. Polished, but in no way slick. Dark meat and blood aromas, roasted walnuts and garlic-sautéed black trumpets, mouth-coating texture and a beautiful, can’t-wait-for-the-next-sip finish. Absolutely fabulous. (10/07)

Princess

Jasmin 1996 Côte-Rôtie (Rhône) – Subtle and pretty, as is Jasmin’s wont, with very smooth, supple, softened meat-stone “fruit” and delicate dustings of thyme, lavender and dried mushroom. It’s long, but a large part of that length is one solid, pure note. I think more time will bring forth additional complexities, but it’s a most affable dinner companion right now. (10/07)

Baton rouge

[barrels]Texier 2004 Côtes-du-Rhône Rouge (Rhône) – More acidic than one normally expects from a basic Côtes-du-Rhône, though Texier is hardly acid-averse, and while it defies expectations it works to the wine’s benefit when food is in the equation. Otherwise, the aroma runs through the usual range of underbrush, earth, smoked pork and bubblegum, and overall it’s fairly restrained. Not elegant, exactly, but soft. It finishes with fine sustain, and I wonder if it might not benefit from a few years’ age. (10/07)

Pays day

Domaine de Roquefort “Gueule de Loup” 2005 Vin de Pays des Bouches du Rhône (Provence) – Crisp apple acidity under meat bubblegum, which gives some clues to the cépage. The fruit seems light when this wine is utilized as a cocktail, but food energizes it, and stronger-willed characteristics add their harmonies. Simple, but quite nice. (10/07)