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W I N T E R 2
0 0 0 We received two new releases to taste a couple of weeks ago, and convened a special session of the Gang of Pour to evaluate them. Present were Alan Kerr, Pascal Chambon, Kim Adams and this taster. The wines are from two well-regarded European producers and are imported by William Grant and Sons, Inc., Edison, New Jersey.
1996 Marques de Murrieta Ygay Rioja Reserva, 85% Tempranillo, 10% Garnacha Tinta, 3% Graciano, 2% Mazuelo, $17.50, 13% alc.: This ruby garnet Rioja spent 24 months in old American oak barrels, so it doesn’t exhibit the overt cherry vanilla character that new wood would give it. Instead, the nose shows a big hit of dusty, earthy tar that vies for domination with black cherry/strawberry/black olive/white pepper/red licorice and a subtle note of oak. The flavors echo with some added plum, a silky mouthfeel, soft yet firm tannins, good acidity and great balance. Alan commented, “This is very youthful now, but these (Riojas) have that beautiful way of sweetening out.” We expect that’s exactly will happen with this wine, and would look forward to trying one again on its tenth birthday. 4 thumbs up! 1998 Neyers Contra Costa County Zinfandel Pato Vineyard, $29.99, 15.7% alc.: Our first taste of this dark garnet in nine months found it to be in fine form and developing nicely. It’s just as big, dense and muscular as we remembered, with dusty, smoky briar/bramble/black currant/black berry/cola flavors and aromas that are refreshingly different from most Zins being passed off these days. It still has significant tannins a year after its release, with good acidity and lingering smoke on the reasonably long finish. Another one of the best of the ’98 Zins. 1998 Seghesio Alexander Valley Zinfandel San Lorenzo, $29, 13.8% alc.: Here is a pink rimmed purple/dark garnet with a pretty raspberry nose adorned with subtle toasty oak. Deep and dark on the palate, the flavors are more in the plum/blackberry spectrum with hints of briar/bramble/cola that are shy at first, but come out more and more with air, adding complexity. Serious tannins and good acidity give this a bit of a byte on the finish, but this has all the makings to become a fine, big-boned Zinfandel in a style that doesn’t seem to be in favor anymore. This bottle was gifted to us by a local retailer; they usualy sell for $28-30 in this area. 1998 Sebastiani Sonoma Cask Zinfandel Sonoma County Old Vines, $18 Canadian, 14% alc.: Pascal opened this dark garnet Zin after the wines noted above, and we were all shocked at how much we liked it. The fruit comes from 70 year old vines, and the blend includes some Carignane, Petite Sirah and Mourvedre. The bouquet exudes a smoky, gamy black raspberry/black cherry character with a nice kiss of oak and a note of cola. These follow through on the palate with nice complexity and a decidedly Rhone-like character. Not too tannic, and with good acidity, this is drinking well right now, and frankly, it’s one of the better ’98 Zins we’ve tasted. 4 thumbs up!
1997 Ridge Bridgehead Mataro, 95% Mataro, 5% Petite Sirah $23.99, 13.6% alc.: This inky garnet opens to reveal equal amounts of tar, black currant, black raspberry and Draper perfume on the nose. Flavors echo with some significant tannins, good acidity and a reasonably long finish. While it’s approachable now, this is in no hurry to be consumed, and will only gain complexity and improve with at least five years in the cellar. Probably the best Ridge Bridgehead Mataro I’ve tasted. 1996 Ridge Pagani Alicante Bouschet ATP, 75 % Alicante Bouschet, 25 % Zinfandel, 13.7 % alc.: I pulled this inky dark garnet from the cellar thinking that it might be drinking well with a little time in a decanter, but that really isn’t the case yet. It shows some typical Pagani funky barnyard over deep dark plum/black currant and just a little Draper perfume lurking in the background. The intense flavors echo, with good acidity, at least a few more years’ worth of tannins to resolve and a slightly stemmy finish. Hold on to this if you have any; I have a feeling that patience will be rewarded with a solid Rhone-like wine. 1995 Columbia Yakima Valley Syrah Red Willow Vineyard, 13.5 % alc.: This “squidy” garnet exhibits effusive dusty sweet plum/blackberry/mulberry aromas that follow through on the palate in a big way, with a dense texture, good acidity and some significant tannins that clamp down on the finish, leaving and earthy, stemmy impression. It’s prettied up nicely with a kiss of oak that’s not at all overdone, and a touch of road tar and a hint of rhubarb come out with extended air. This is a very nice Washington State Syrah, of which I have one more that will stay safely tucked away in the cellar from hell for another three years or so. 1997 d’Arenberg McLaren Vale Old Vine Shiraz The Footbolt, $17.99, 13.9 % alc.: Another squidy dark garnet, this actually tastes purple, and leaves the bottle and stems stained from its dense, concentrated, inky contents. Plenty of big olive/plum flavors and aromas here, shaded with garrigue and spicy oak/white chocolate and a hint of rhubarb with air. Still lots of tannins here, and good acidity, so there’s no reason to open another any time soon, but it’ll definitely reward a wait of three to five years. 1997 Elderton Shiraz Barossa, 14.5% alc.: This angry young dark garnet Shiraz needs time to tame the serious tannins and acidity, but it seems to have all the elements to make an excellent wine with time in the cellar. Impressions of “lead pencil/tar/coal/plum/ black raspberry/chocolate/licorice/white chocolate/peppermint cream cookie and “boo berry” (Pascal) were given by the committee of Kerr/Chambon/Adams/Heritier. This is a big intense mo-fo with a bright future. 1994 Robert Mondavi Napa Pinot Noir Reserve, 1.5L, $100, 13% alc.: Having enjoyed this mightily with the Gang of Cleve, Kim selected this to sip whilst celebrating a recent birthday anniversary, giving us a chance to stretch out and spend a little more time with it. A ruby dark garnet in color, and medium full bodied, it strikes a nice balance between sweet Pinot/black cherry/plum fruit and mushroom/forest floor/tea leaf/matchstick shadings in the flavors and aromas. There are pretty spicy overtones and good acidity, with enough tannins and rich fruit to continue to develop for a few more years. As much as I love those sweet oak/big fruit models from the Sonoma Coast and Russian River Valley, this is more my idea of what great Pinot Noir is all about. Just delicious! 1998 Fairhall Downs Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough, $13.99, 13 % alc.: Charter Gangster Scott Tobias aka The Geek showed up at our door recently with a bottle of this nice Kiwi Sauvignon and a hankerin’ to play some chess, and who was I to tell him no? We sat and sipped this over the next few hours, playing two games, each of us losing with the white pieces. The wine is a medium straw, with big rich flavors and aromas of cat spray/grapefruit/sweaty armpit; some sea air comes out on the nose and a little added mineral gets a goose from the zingy acidity. It has a nice long finish, but Scott wondered if it isn’t almost too rich, saying it is “sorta like a citrus fruit salad.” For my money, it’s one very solid NZ SB, IMNSHO, with good QPR. 1998 Pierre Sparr Gewurztraminer Reserve, $17.99 Canadian, 13% alc.: A pale to medium gold, this exhibits intense floral/litchi/apricot aromatics that follow through on the palate with an oily quality and medium concentration. It has nice bright acidity and a decent if not overlong finish that shows a little smoke and mineral. A certain creaminess gives the impression of some oak influence. A good summer afternoon sipper, even on a cold winter’s night! BACK
TO THE TOP The Vosne-Romanee is a darker garnet than the previous selection, with just the faintest hint of rust. It has a bigger, deeper bouquet as well, showing plum/black cherry/licorice/smoke/tar, which echo and expand on the palate. The fruit is even bigger and richer than the other, but this is also tighter, and doesn’t have the loam/forest floor qualities of the Morey St. Denis. I thought I detected little hints of oak as it continued to open, and it too finishes nice and long. Tannins and acidity really need another five to ten years, and there's one more of these down there where most folks fear to tread. Despite their need for further aging, both of these were well received, although Kim would have preferred something from the Russian River Valley...
Practically identical in color, the Rancia is all that the Riserva is and more. More expressive on the nose, richer and fuller on the palate, it’s a little less tannic, but with the same acidic backbone. As smooth as suede, this shows essentially the same flavor profile of Brasso/smoke/black and dried cherries/leather/coffee/tar and even some added plum and cedar with extended air. It too finishes long, and is clearly the better wine of the two, but then for $10 more, it should be. And best, both of these should only improve for at least a few more years in the cellar. 1990 Taurino Notarpanaro Rosso del Salento, $11.99, 13 % alc.: A ruby garnet showing the barest hint of brick, this red from the south of Italy is typically spicy, garnering an immediate comment of “cloves” from Kim. It also exhibits flavors and aromas of smoky black cherries shaded with hints of almonds/anise/raisins/cedar and just a little chocolate and tar. It’s still not as big and boisterous as earlier models, and the raisin and tar are toned down; this much is obvious after having an absolutely delicious ’85 recently. But, what it lacks in depth it gains in elegance; it’s a lovely red, with good acidity, silky tannins that are mostly resolved and a nice finish that lingers. Robert Parker was spot on when he called this one of the worlds great wine bargains, but sadly the ’93 wasn’t nearly as good. 1990 Chateau Meyney St.-Estephe, 12.5% alc.: This dark garnet is showing no brick as of yet, but it does exhibit a beautiful blackberry/cassis/plum/dark chocolate perfume with hints of cedar and smoky overtones that add to the complexity and appeal. The flavors echo, but the silky tannins still mask some of the enormously concentrated fruit; this could almost be Californian with this kind of intensity. Good acidity and a long finish make this a lovely claret with a wonderful future ahead of it. 1990 Chateau Semeillan Mazeau Listrac Medoc, $19.99, 12.5 % alc.: Rusty dark garnet with nice cassis/red currant/cedar/cigar box/chocolate flavors and aromas; this has a nice balance between the still good fruit and the developing secondary nuances. Soft and fully mature, this may well hold or even improve for a few more years, but why wait? We were buying and drinking this wine four years ago; even then it was delicious with its sweet upfront fruit and silky tannins that weren’t too intrusive. I’m glad I was able to save this last one until now. 1990 Chateau Greysac Medoc, $11.99; 12.5 % alc.: This bargain Bordeaux was already drinking well five years ago, when we were buying it quite regularly, and happily, it’s even better these days. Still a dark garnet with just a hint of rust, it shows cassis/blackberry/plum/lead pencil on the nose and palate, with a slight funky edge that I like. Very dry, there are still some tannins, but they’re fairly silky and unobtrusive, giving a smooth impression in the mouth. It continues to open and improve over the four hours that we sipped it, and can probably improve for at least a few more years. A very good $12 claret. 1990 Ridge
Lytton Springs Zinfandel, 80 % Zinfandel, 10 % Petite Sirah, 6 % Carignane,
4 % Grenache, 13.8 % alc., 1.5L: 1990 Didier Dagueneau Pouilly Fume Silex, $45; 14 % alc.: We tasted this over a year ago, and I promised we’d pull its partner from the cellar and report on our findings at a later date. This bottle was much like its predecessor, but this time only Kim and I tasted, so we took our time and really got to know it. Still a pale gold, the nose is subdued, only hinting at the "eau de vie" character that expands dramatically on the palate, along with notes or ripe pear/running river, and as it opens, pineapple and hints of butterscotch/honey and beeswax. Like few Sauvignons we’ve known, this is marvelously rich and yet silky and elegant, still with good acidity and a lingering mineral finish. The oak is subtle, yet obvious at the same time. This is a beautiful, exotic wine that opens and evolves over three hours, and will continue to do well in the cellar for at least a few more years. 1990 Dr. Loosen Riesling Auslese Mosel-Saar-Ruher Erdner Pralat, $37.99, 9% alc.): This beautiful medium sweet pale gold is all petrol/pear/apple/apricot shaded with hints of pine and lime, and lively acidity. Simply a wonderful wine (even better than a bottle tasted earlier this year), this is full of rich character and is an excellent match for sushi and wasabi. Judging from this, I’ll leave hands off one Gold Cap bottle of the same left in the cellar. 1990 Joh. Jos. Prum Mosel-Saar-Ruher Auslese Wehlener Sonnenuhr, $35, 7.5% alc.: Medium straw to pale gold, this shows a nice note of petrol on the nose right off the bat. On the palate, it tastes like some of the prettiest white grape juice you’ve ever had, with petrol/mineral mingling to add complexity, and a citric astringency like quinine water. The fruit is still youthful, big, bold and medium sweet; the petrol gives it its charm at this point. Just a gorgeous wine; wish I had more. The last glass went great with my first Padron Anniversario Maduro 1964, believe it or not.
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© George
Heritier
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