(non-blind - my wine) Medium yellow color. Medium plus aromatics of ripe peach, peach pit, possible petrol/TDN(?!), green apple, Meyer lemon, orange blossom, slight orange pith (not as bitter/thiolic as grapefruit). Dry, medium body, medium alcohol - feels 12.5% (correct), medium plus acid, medium bitterness. Medium flavor intensity. Medium length. This is pretty awesome for the price point - very happy with this as an entry-level Albariño. Maybe lacks some aromatics and depth of flavor compared to better examples.
Pale straw color. Low-intensity aromatics of indistinct pear, green apple, lemon. Very slight underripe white peach. Slight vinegar as well - VA? Strange. Dry, light-bodied, medium plus acid (lots of malic character), medium minus alcohol - 12%, slight phenolic bitterness - like apple core on the finish. Short finish, dilute flavors. This is simple, straightforward pinot grigio. Not especially fresh/clean. Maybe a bit over the hill.
(blind) Pale lemon color. Pronounced aromatics of ripe peach, canned peach, fresh white flowers, fresh yellow apple, tangerine, nectarine. Like a basked of fruits. Dry, medium body, medium plus alcohol - 13% (actually 12.5%), medium plus acid, medium bitterness, some salinity on the finish. Persistent finish. Absolutely classic.
2015 Albarino, Rias Baixas, Val do Salnes, $30 wow, this is overperforming
Pale lemon color. Medium minus intensity, reductive nose - peach pit. Also pleasant lemon, green apple, underripe white peach.
Dry, but ripe, medium body, medium plus alcohol - 13% (correct), medium plus acid (strong), medium bitterness. This has a zippy mineral aspect on the palate, and lots of underripe peach. Medium plus flavor concentration.
Impressive structure - mineral and strong acid, medium bitterness that's cleaned by the acid (strong tartaric).
Pinot Grigio - could be Albarino - not floral enough Federspiel gruner - no vegetal character, no matter how much I search for it.
Final conclusion: a pretty good Pinot Grigio, from Alto Adige, 2015, $25.
Actually: 2015 Gebling Gruner - Kremstal DAC
Analysis - missing the vegetal notes of a classic Gruner, but it's a really nice, aromatic wine.
(blind) Medium yellow color. medium plus aromatics, underripe peach, some reductive rubber, ripe peach, fresh white flowers, hard cheese rind (lees), Dry, medium body, medium alcohol - 12.5% (correct), medium plus acid - strong tartaric, medium bitterness, impression of peach and lees (cheese rind) on the finish. Given the overt floral/terpenic nature, and the lack of vegetal character, I think this is an Albarino, 2015, Rias Baixas, lower-end - $15
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County
(blind) Medium lemon-copper color. Medium plus intensity nose of intense yeast - toasted brioche, savory developed almost coffee-like aged lees, tamari-apple-cheese. I want to say oak, but might just be lees and malo and development. Dry, medium body, medium alcohol - 12.5% (correct), high acid - strong tartaric, medium phenolic bitterness. Super savory - tamari, lees, savory cheese rind, tart apple skins and cheese on the finish.
Albarino - no, not floral enough pinot grigio - maybe, lees is really high and structure is really aggressive. COlor is also a bit dark. gruner - maybe - how common is lees stirring?
Final call - given the lack of vegetal character I think it's more likely to be Pinot Grigio, and a crazy one at that - lees stirring, some age.
Final call: 2011 Friuli Pinot Grigio. I think this is cooked.
Actually: 2015 Palmina Pinot Grigio Santa Barbara County I see why people would like this but I think it's either premoxed or a bad bottle. Also way too leesy.
Pale straw Elevated aromatics of peach, reductive peach pit, fresh mango, citrus. There's a nice pear note and ripe papaya note here. Dry, medium body, light alcohol - 12% (actually 11.5), medium plus acid, medium bitterness. A bit soft and malic on the acid.
Too floral to be Pinot Grigio. No vegetal notes --> Albarino. 2015 Albarino Rias Baixas - not a very high-end example, $12? Decent for what it is. Actually a 2015 Niederosterreich Gruner - I didn’t get any vegetal notes!
Medium ruby-purple Savory soulful dark blueberry, black floral notes, blackberry, tamari-dog fur, slight cedar oak. Savory sweet and slightly wild. Dry, medium body, medium alcohol - feels 13% (but label says 11.5%), medium plus acid - bright and tart, medium tannins - rounded and plush. The finish is long, and has a hint of Musarian secondary development This is so good and soulful. I love it.
2013 LoLo Albariño Rías Baixas 86 Points
Spain, Galicia, Rías Baixas
(non-blind - my wine)
Medium yellow color.
Medium plus aromatics of ripe peach, peach pit, possible petrol/TDN(?!), green apple, Meyer lemon, orange blossom, slight orange pith (not as bitter/thiolic as grapefruit).
Dry, medium body, medium alcohol - feels 12.5% (correct), medium plus acid, medium bitterness.
Medium flavor intensity. Medium length.
This is pretty awesome for the price point - very happy with this as an entry-level Albariño. Maybe lacks some aromatics and depth of flavor compared to better examples.
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2015 Criterion Collection Friuli Grave Pinot Grigio 79 Points
Italy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Friuli Grave
(non-blind - my wine)
Pale straw color.
Low-intensity aromatics of indistinct pear, green apple, lemon. Very slight underripe white peach. Slight vinegar as well - VA? Strange.
Dry, light-bodied, medium plus acid (lots of malic character), medium minus alcohol - 12%, slight phenolic bitterness - like apple core on the finish. Short finish, dilute flavors.
This is simple, straightforward pinot grigio. Not especially fresh/clean. Maybe a bit over the hill.
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2015 Bodegas As Laxas Albariño Rías Baixas 88 Points
Spain, Galicia, Rías Baixas
(blind)
Pale lemon color.
Pronounced aromatics of ripe peach, canned peach, fresh white flowers, fresh yellow apple, tangerine, nectarine. Like a basked of fruits.
Dry, medium body, medium plus alcohol - 13% (actually 12.5%), medium plus acid, medium bitterness, some salinity on the finish. Persistent finish. Absolutely classic.
2015 Albarino, Rias Baixas, Val do Salnes, $30
wow, this is overperforming
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2015 Buchegger Grüner Veltliner Gebling 88 Points
Austria, Niederösterreich, Kremstal
(blind)
Pale lemon color.
Medium minus intensity, reductive nose - peach pit. Also pleasant lemon, green apple, underripe white peach.
Dry, but ripe, medium body, medium plus alcohol - 13% (correct), medium plus acid (strong), medium bitterness. This has a zippy mineral aspect on the palate, and lots of underripe peach. Medium plus flavor concentration.
Impressive structure - mineral and strong acid, medium bitterness that's cleaned by the acid (strong tartaric).
Pinot Grigio - could be
Albarino - not floral enough
Federspiel gruner - no vegetal character, no matter how much I search for it.
Final conclusion: a pretty good Pinot Grigio, from Alto Adige, 2015, $25.
Actually: 2015 Gebling Gruner - Kremstal DAC
Analysis - missing the vegetal notes of a classic Gruner, but it's a really nice, aromatic wine.
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2015 Martín Códax Albariño Rías Baixas Burgáns 78 Points
Spain, Galicia, Rías Baixas
(blind)
Medium yellow color.
medium plus aromatics, underripe peach, some reductive rubber, ripe peach, fresh white flowers, hard cheese rind (lees),
Dry, medium body, medium alcohol - 12.5% (correct), medium plus acid - strong tartaric, medium bitterness, impression of peach and lees (cheese rind) on the finish.
Given the overt floral/terpenic nature, and the lack of vegetal character, I think this is an Albarino, 2015, Rias Baixas, lower-end - $15
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2015 Palmina Pinot Grigio Flawed
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County
(blind)
Medium lemon-copper color.
Medium plus intensity nose of intense yeast - toasted brioche, savory developed almost coffee-like aged lees, tamari-apple-cheese. I want to say oak, but might just be lees and malo and development.
Dry, medium body, medium alcohol - 12.5% (correct), high acid - strong tartaric, medium phenolic bitterness. Super savory - tamari, lees, savory cheese rind, tart apple skins and cheese on the finish.
Albarino - no, not floral enough
pinot grigio - maybe, lees is really high and structure is really aggressive. COlor is also a bit dark.
gruner - maybe - how common is lees stirring?
Final call - given the lack of vegetal character I think it's more likely to be Pinot Grigio, and a crazy one at that - lees stirring, some age.
Final call: 2011 Friuli Pinot Grigio.
I think this is cooked.
Actually: 2015 Palmina Pinot Grigio Santa Barbara County
I see why people would like this but I think it's either premoxed or a bad bottle. Also way too leesy.
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2015 Weingut Salomon Undhof Grüner Veltliner Hochterrassen 81 Points
Austria, Niederösterreich, Kremstal
(blind)
Pale straw
Elevated aromatics of peach, reductive peach pit, fresh mango, citrus. There's a nice pear note and ripe papaya note here.
Dry, medium body, light alcohol - 12% (actually 11.5), medium plus acid, medium bitterness.
A bit soft and malic on the acid.
Too floral to be Pinot Grigio. No vegetal notes --> Albarino.
2015 Albarino Rias Baixas - not a very high-end example, $12?
Decent for what it is.
Actually a 2015 Niederosterreich Gruner - I didn’t get any vegetal notes!
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2009 Bartlett Blueberry Winemaker's Reserve 92 Points
USA, Maine
Medium ruby-purple
Savory soulful dark blueberry, black floral notes, blackberry, tamari-dog fur, slight cedar oak. Savory sweet and slightly wild.
Dry, medium body, medium alcohol - feels 13% (but label says 11.5%), medium plus acid - bright and tart, medium tannins - rounded and plush. The finish is long, and has a hint of Musarian secondary development
This is so good and soulful. I love it.
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