Very bright purple, not terribly dark. Terroir-driven but ripe aromas feature smoke, earth, and forest. Flavors are juicy and driving, higher acid but in an appealing way.
One of the QPR stars of this tasting: Fairly light garnet-maroon. Nose is intoxicating, moderately high-toned, with minerality and a bit of florality to the fruit. Appearance and aromas don't prepare you for the concentrated flavors, which wallop the palate with cherry and smoke. Finishes sweet. Deceptive intensity here, but a fun experience. (31 views)
Light ruby. Lots of terroir in the aromas and a fair amount of fruit as well, also notes of some sort of body wash or other bathroom product. Ripe, almost heady, very 2003 but still in balance.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru
Garnet-ruby, darker than the new world pinots that preceded it. Deep nose that is suprisingly fruitier than those new world pinots. Bright and persistent flavors, quite structured. Just not showing its class today.
France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Côtes Catalanes
Dark ruby/purple. Terroir-driven, low-toned nose. Flavor is sweet, dark, and chocolatey, with a bit of background herbal character. Long finish, with tannin present but not unpleasant.
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Light ruby. There's a smokiness here reminiscent of a Rioja or Ribera, along with notes of sour cherry and wet leaves, a nice terroir-driven Châteauneuf nose. Flavors are sweet, jammy, and kirsch-y, with acids in check, persistent flavors with some floral notes emerging as it develops.
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Med-light ruby-garnet. Nose is all fruit, namely prunes (can you say "drought year?"), also some dates and plums. Very sweet on the palate, with more pruniness, though not in a sickly/stewy/unappealing way. Not typical Chateauneuf by any means, though delicious in its own way.
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Light ruby-garnet. Terroir-driven and high-toned, with wet earth, garrigue, and some late-appearing sweetness. Deceptively powerful, juicy initially with a solid structure that emerges later. Long, spicy, and somewhat structured finish. Age this.
Dark red-garnet. A hint of caramel, almost like a tawny port. Plenty of ripe plum/blackberry fruit, good persistence, a strong structure, and a long finish. Bandol with bones.
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Med-light ruby color gives the tip-off that this isn't your typical zin. But still somewhat jammy on the nose, along with some perfumey qualities as well that are really nice and distinctive. Sweet but not dried fruit, which boasts a persistent sweetness that never dries out, slightly heady. Rather elegantly styled. This is 14.7% alcohol, for those who care.
Dark ruby, with a purple tinge. Deep, dark, and smoky aromas, with fruit that arrives only late. By contrast, flavors are sweet, even sweeter than the above but still bright, slightly rougher mouthfeel.
Opaque, ultra-dark red. Not so expressive nose but very deep & dark. In the mouth it's a rich, sweet, massive mouthful, with low acidity but some very good tannic structure. Deserves air for sure, and probably age.
2004 Dveri Pax Renski Rizling 87 Points
Slovenia, Podravje, Štajerska, Maribor
Waxy, oily, petrol nose is very expressive. Extremely bright acidity and intense, driving flavor.
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2005 Pedralonga Albariño Rías Baixas 90 Points
Spain, Galicia, Rías Baixas
Perfumed, sweet, floral nose is really lovely and unique. Bright yet sweet attack, with lively, racy, peach & kiwi fruit.
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2005 Kurt Angerer Grüner Veltliner "Kies" 83 Points
Austria, Niederösterreich, Kamptal
Asparagus features prominently on the herbal/grassy nose. Dilute, with late-arriving sweetness but still little fruit.
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2004 F.X. Pichler Grüner Veltliner Federspiel Ried Frauenweingärten 87 Points
Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
Riper than the Angerer Gruner, but less expressive. Longer, more persistent flavors feature a bit of smoke.
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2005 Domaine des Aubuisières Vouvray Cuvée de Silex 87 Points
France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray
Aromas of asparagus, mineral, exhaust. Gooseberry flavor hits early on the mouth, but this lacks persistence.
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2004 Albert Mann Gewurztraminer Steingrübler 89 Points
France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru
Nose screams lychee, also rose, lovely textbook gewurz. Frankly sweet, with some spiciness in the background.
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2005 Château de Manissy Tavel Cuvée des Lys 86 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Tavel
Smoky, apple-fruited nose. Bright up front, with the flavor of raspberries.
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2005 Pierre-Marie Chermette Beaujolais Vieilles Vignes Cuvée Traditionnelle 88 Points
France, Burgundy, Beaujolais
Very bright purple, not terribly dark. Terroir-driven but ripe aromas feature smoke, earth, and forest. Flavors are juicy and driving, higher acid but in an appealing way.
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2004 Casa Cassara Pinot Noir S.R.H. Cuvée 90 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills
One of the QPR stars of this tasting: Fairly light garnet-maroon. Nose is intoxicating, moderately high-toned, with minerality and a bit of florality to the fruit. Appearance and aromas don't prepare you for the concentrated flavors, which wallop the palate with cherry and smoke. Finishes sweet. Deceptive intensity here, but a fun experience. (31 views)
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2003 Belle Pente Pinot Noir Belle Pente Vineyard 90 Points
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton
Light ruby. Lots of terroir in the aromas and a fair amount of fruit as well, also notes of some sort of body wash or other bathroom product. Ripe, almost heady, very 2003 but still in balance.
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2003 Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays 89 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru
Garnet-ruby, darker than the new world pinots that preceded it. Deep nose that is suprisingly fruitier than those new world pinots. Bright and persistent flavors, quite structured. Just not showing its class today.
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2004 Château Mourgues du Gres Costières-de-Nîmes Terre d'Argence 88 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Costières-de-Nîmes
Med-dark ruby. Candied cherry fruit, very nice fruity expressiveness. Peppery black fruit flavors, some herbs as well.
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2004 Domaine Jean-Louis Tribouley Côtes Catalanes Serrat den Franc 89 Points
France, Languedoc Roussillon, Roussillon, Côtes Catalanes
Dark ruby/purple. Terroir-driven, low-toned nose. Flavor is sweet, dark, and chocolatey, with a bit of background herbal character. Long finish, with tannin present but not unpleasant.
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2004 Famille Isabel Ferrando Châteauneuf-du-Pape Colombis 90 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Light ruby. There's a smokiness here reminiscent of a Rioja or Ribera, along with notes of sour cherry and wet leaves, a nice terroir-driven Châteauneuf nose. Flavors are sweet, jammy, and kirsch-y, with acids in check, persistent flavors with some floral notes emerging as it develops.
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2003 Clos Saint Jean Châteauneuf-du-Pape 90 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Med-light ruby-garnet. Nose is all fruit, namely prunes (can you say "drought year?"), also some dates and plums. Very sweet on the palate, with more pruniness, though not in a sickly/stewy/unappealing way. Not typical Chateauneuf by any means, though delicious in its own way.
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2003 Domaine Charvin Châteauneuf-du-Pape 88 Points
France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Light ruby-garnet. Terroir-driven and high-toned, with wet earth, garrigue, and some late-appearing sweetness. Deceptively powerful, juicy initially with a solid structure that emerges later. Long, spicy, and somewhat structured finish. Age this.
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2003 La Bastide Blanche Bandol Cuvée Estagnol 91 Points
France, Provence, Bandol
Dark red-garnet. A hint of caramel, almost like a tawny port. Plenty of ripe plum/blackberry fruit, good persistence, a strong structure, and a long finish. Bandol with bones.
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2002 Ottimino Zinfandel Von Weidlich 92 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Med-light ruby color gives the tip-off that this isn't your typical zin. But still somewhat jammy on the nose, along with some perfumey qualities as well that are really nice and distinctive. Sweet but not dried fruit, which boasts a persistent sweetness that never dries out, slightly heady. Rather elegantly styled. This is 14.7% alcohol, for those who care.
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2004 Bella Vineyards Zinfandel Big River Ranch 88 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Alexander Valley
Dark ruby, with a purple tinge. Deep, dark, and smoky aromas, with fruit that arrives only late. By contrast, flavors are sweet, even sweeter than the above but still bright, slightly rougher mouthfeel.
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2004 Terry Hoage Vineyards Syrah The Hedge 89 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
Opaque, ultra-dark red. Not so expressive nose but very deep & dark. In the mouth it's a rich, sweet, massive mouthful, with low acidity but some very good tannic structure. Deserves air for sure, and probably age.
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2004 Bella Vineyards Zinfandel Late Harvest 87 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County
Med-ruby-garnet. Nose is just loads of raisins. Chewy texture, lots of raisiny fruit but still bright enough, not heavy or cloying.
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