It hasn't been all
Aussies, Mr. Ridge and Zinfandel around Gang Central the last few
months. We've been all over the globe with what we've tasted, from
Washington State to South Africa, from Michigan to Minervois. Here's
the best of the rest of what we've been drinking in Day-twah. |
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By Bastardo |
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2002 Peninsula Cellars Old Mission Peninsula Riesling Semi Dry, $14.99, 11% alc.: Pale straw, showing a nice green apple and mineral bouquet with a decided herbal undertone and the barest hint of petrol lurking in the background; the flavors echo brightly, with sweet (but not too sweet), rich fruit, very good concentration, brisk acidity and a nice long finish. A delightful wine.2002 Peninsula Cellars Old Mission Peninsula Riesling Select, $13.99, 10% alc.: Another pale straw, with green apple, pear aromatics accented with a little something like garlic perspiration that follow through in the sweet, rich flavors that are even brighter and a little less acidic than those of the Semi Dry. Confirms a previous tasting impression that this has a certain element (the "garlic perspiration") somewhat reminiscent of sauvignon blanc. These are two of the finest Michigan wines of any kind that we've ever had, and along with the Gewurztraminer we tasted last summer, confirms that Peninsula Cellars is one of the premier producers in the state. Kim preferred the Semi Dry slightly for its more lively acidity, while I liked the same wine for its herbal quality. Interestingly, this is the same wine that was judged Best White last spring in both the International Eastern Wine Competition and the San Francisco International Wine Competition, serving notice that Michigan Rieslings can be very good indeed. But as good as both of these are, we tasted one a few days before that is even more impressive. 
2002 Wyncroft Lake Michigan Shore Riesling Madron Lake Vineyard, 13.6% alc.: This pale straw is one rich dry riesling; it even SMELLS thick with its apple and pear aromatics that are shaded with notes of lime and minerals. Bone dry flavors echo, with little inferences of petrol lurking in the background; the wine is hefty, even by Alsatian standards, with excellent acidity that bodes well for aging potential, good length on the finish and true varietal character. Very impressive, and like nothing we've had from Michigan, only 270 cases of this were produced, most of it going to restaurants. A 2002 Wyncroft Gewurztraminer tasted earlier the same evening was as impressive, if not more, with its rich, thick peach and litchi flavors and aromas, but I took no formal notes on that bottle. 
1999 Andrew Will Washington State Cabernet Sauvignon Champoux Vineyard, $55.99, 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc, 13% alc.: This slightly cloudy dark garnet Cabernet is initially rather grudging in giving both flavor and aroma, but as it opens, it becomes more and more expressive. Intense and extracted, with a density that borders on being unctuous (long legs drift slowly down the inside of a glass), it shows sweet oak in perfect proportion to the almost overripe cassis, black raspberry and plum; a subtle note of chocolate emerges and grows some with air, but never plays more than a supporting role. The "overripe" quality almost reminds me of some of the Ridge Paso Robles Zinfandels I've had in the past, but there's much more going on here than in those. This has the structure to be a ten-year wine and more, with fine balance and a long finish, and despite the pleasure that it already gives, it begs for at least a few more years to really start singing. While it doesn't have what I would consider typical varietal character, it is SO seductive, who cares? Even the price tag of this hedonistic, almost exotic wine doesn't turn me off to it.1999 Andrew Will Cabernet Sauvignon Sheridan, 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc, $55.99, 13% alc.: This deep dark garnet is rich, ripe and tannic, though not quite as overripe as the '99 Champoux. And like the Champoux, it's tight at first, but after a few hours, it opens dramatically to reveal deep dark cassis, plum and blackberry flavors and aromas. There's an earthy quality here that I rather like, along with a thick, plush mouth feel, though again, not quite as voluptuous as the Champoux. Although a treat to sip and savor over several hours now, it'll be even better a few years down the road. Oddly, I found that I enjoyed this more by its lonesome than I did with a delicious piece of grilled beef. Hmm… We decided it was time to try these two early vintages of Flowers Pinot Noir to see how they are faring with age. The '96 has always been one of our favorites from this producer, while the '95 has long been held by many to be far too tannic for the fruit to survive the long haul. Here's what we found: 
1995 Flowers Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir Camp Meeting Ridge Moon Select, 13.5% alc.: There's little if any rust to the deep dark garnet color here, and the fairly rich black cherry and plum bouquet gains some earthiness in the flavors. Kim found it "green and stemmy, with a camphor, Vaseline ® aroma." There's still some tannins here, and the richness of the aromatics doesn't follow through in the flavors. It's not as well oaked as Flowers wines are often accused of being, and a little coffee emerges on the nose with air. I might have thought that the nay sayers are right and that the fruit is fading since our last taste three years ago, but there was a good glass left the following night, which I helped myself to, since Kim wasn't impressed with it. I found a much more harmonious wine, one that was very soft and enjoyable to sip over an hour and a half. Perhaps this is one that needs plenty of air (not an uncommon characteristic with pinot noir), and indeed, I'll give our last bottle a good half-day in a decanter when we open it some time in the next year. This is not a "great" wine by any means, but neither is it the impenetrable tannin monster that some have claimed it would always be. 1996 Flowers Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir Camp Meeting Ridge Moon Select, 13.5% alc.: This smoky dark garnet is still pretty much everything we remember from previous tastings; it's rich, ripe and delicious, with big black cherry, plum and sweet spice flavors and aromas. Is there oak present? Yes, but it's nicely integrated for my tastes. Tannins are unobtrusive, with a smooth texture, good acidity and a nice long finish. This is one of those syrah-like pinot noirs that seems to be so controversial these days, especially with those who argue the varietal should only be made in one style, but I'm not a member of that camp. I only wish we had more to enjoy over the next few years. 
1998 Castell del Remei 1780, $24.99, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Tempranillo, 25% Grenache, 13.5% alc.: Deep dark garnet, not quite opaque; the sweet toasty oak, black cherry, black berry, cassis bouquet follows through in the flavors with added notes of tobacco and leather, silky tannins and a nice long finish. Still on the way up, this should improve for at least another three to five years. Not our usual fare, but undeniably delicious; two thumbs up from Kim and this taster.Imported by Eric Solomon, European Cellars, Charlotte, NC 1999 Finca Allende Rioja, $19.99, 13% alc.: Not nearly as overtly oaked as I might have expected, this inky, almost opaque dark garnet shows very nice black berry, black cherry and licorice flavors and aromas, with only moderate vanilla nuances at most. There are some added peppery notes on the palate, with zippy acidity, and despite ample tannins, this is drinking pretty well already, with a fairly dense, yet smooth texture that should become even more so as it mellows with age. Another very nice Spanish red. Imported by Veritas Distributors, Inc., Detroit, MI 
1999 Domaine des Combes Hautes Minervois, $10.99, 13% alc.: It's no secret that I love a good wine from Minervois, and this inky garnet is a fine example, being very nice indeed, with deep dark plum and blackberry flavors and aromas accented with hints of black olive, smoke and little hints of chocolate that emerge with air. Rich, ripe, and almost floral on the palate, with a smooth mouthfeel, fairly low tannins and nice acidity, this seems to have a good dose of syrah in it, but is in fact a 50/50 blend of Carignan and Cinsault, according to Hand Picked Selections own
Dan Kravitz. Soft and delicious, this is a QPR delight, and quite simply, my kind o' wine.Imported by Hand Picked Selections, Warrenton, VA 2000 Chateau La Villatade Minervois, $8.99, 12.5% alc.: This dark garnet suffers some when tasted side by side with the '99 Domaine des Combes Hautes Minervois, being neither as rich or as concentrated, but on its own terms, it is a perfectly acceptable every day table wine, showing dry black fruit flavors and aromas with subtle undertones of olives and dusty cocoa powder. Moderately tannic, with a slightly astringent finish, this will benefit from a few years in the cellar, much like the '97 version that we liked so well last year. Imported by J et R Selections, Ltd., Mt. Pleasant, MI The following two wines were enjoyed with a marvelous dinner prepared by Kim, consisting of grill roasted leg of lamb with duxelle stuffing served on caramelized onions and garlic confit with root vegetable gratin, pan roasted asparagus and wine reduction black truffle sauce with wild Michigan morels. 
1995 Sean Thackrey Orion Old Vines Rossi Vineyard, $39.99, 13.9% alc.: A deep, dark garnet, almost inky, this shows beautiful rich cola, plum, black raspberry, and black cherry flavors and aromas that are intense and focused, yet elegant at the same time. More and more smoke and Brasso ® come out as it opens, and it has an absolutely lovely texture, somewhere between velvet and silk. A wonderful wine that should only improve for the next three to five years. After enjoying this so much, I had to go back and reread califusa's
fascinating interview with Sean Thackrey, in which the winemaker expounds at some length as to the varietal makeup of this vineyard. 1995 Chateau Pape Clement Pessac - Leognan, $65.99, 13% alc.: Kim got a lot of alcohol on the nose from this inky dark garnet, more than I did actually. I found the aromatics to be somewhat stingy, with tar and cassis that carry over with added black currant and tobacco in the considerably more expressive flavors. A classic claret, being very dry, with silky tannins and a nice finish, this continues to open and become more and more fragrant as long as there's some left in the glass, and the tobacco - cigar box becomes increasingly accentuated. Very nice with the lamb (but not as nice as the Orion) it'll go at least another five years no sweat, and probably ten or more. 
1983 Chateau Montelena Napa Cabernet Sauvignon Estate, 13% alc.: The dark garnet color of this delicious Californian claret is showing only moderate bricking, giving the first hint as to how well it's holding up after 20 years. A wee touch of mustiness quickly blows off the nose to allow the lovely red currant and cassis aromatics to express themselves clearly and cleanly; these follow through in the flavors with what Alan Kerr refers to as "fresh cracked walnuts and woody spices," a good five years worth of tannins still to resolve, good acidity and a nice finish. A little earthiness adds a Bordeaux-like quality to this, and as of yet, there are no secondary elements to speak of, just rich, delicious Cabernet fruit. A real treat, especially considering the vintage. 1998 Cline Contra Costa Mourvedre Small Berry Vineyard, $12.99 (?!), 14% alc.: Alan Kerr picked this dark garnet up at an Anderson's in Toledo last February, and I strong armed him into opening it with us. The signature perfume is, as always, beautiful, showing sweet oak, dark berries, black cherries and chocolate, and echoes loudly in the flavors with what Alan describes as "a mineral element, lead pencil slate-y thing." This is such a seamless effort, you can't differentiate the sweet oak from the wonderful fruit, and it's all perfectly integrated. Very dense, yet smooth and sleek, this is one very fine wine, and it has to be to garner more descriptors from this crowd than the 2001 Ridge Pagani. An absolute steal at that price. 2000 Neyers Napa Syrah Hudson Vineyard, $27.99, 14.1% alc.: An odd note of bell pepper straying into the jalapeno spectrum that we don't remember from previous encounters never quite blows off the nose of this inky garnet, but that doesn't seriously detract from what is otherwise one serious syrah. It's one big mouthful of black fruit, showing deep dark plum and black currant, with hints of garrigue and a shovelful of dirt. Still tannic (of course) and somewhat astringent at first, it really opens with air, with more fruit, more garrigue, just a hint of chocolate and drying tannins on the finish. This may be an aberrant bottle, what with the jalapeno aromatics, but it's still an excellent wine, one that's still three to five years from optimum drinking. Sean Thackrey Pleiades XII Old Vines, $18, 14% alc.: This latest edition of Mr. Thackrey's "everything but the kitchen sink" non-vintage blend red wine is a ruby garnet in color, with smoke, earth and tar dominating the red fruit aromas. On the palate, black cherry, raspberry and red currant comes to the fore, with a subtle earthiness underneath, moderate tannins, good acidity and a more than decent finish; the Zinfandel in the blend seems to make itself known in the high notes, but there's some density underneath as well. Scott "The Geek" Tobias added an impression of "a little cola," and he wasn't wrong on that account. This is a very good $18 bottle of wine that will continue to improve for at least a few years. 2001 Warwick Three Cape Ladies Cape Blend Stellenbosch, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 30% Pinotage, $17.99, 14.5% alc.: Pretty ruby dark garnet, with a very attractive, perfumed red currant, cherry, chocolate bouquet; deeper and darker on the palate, with more chocolate, black currant, cassis, black plum, a little earth, and very good structure and length. Full bodied, with good concentration and density, this needs around five years or more for the tannins to tone down to optimum drinking levels, but there's no harm in opening one now, just to get an idea of what this is all about. Very good value for the $17.99 Costco price listed here. Imported by Broadbent Selections, Inc., San Francisco, CA
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