NC Cindy Tasting, August 2012

The theme was non-Chardonnay whites, in honor of summer.

• 2003 Pierre Péters Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut Millésimé 92 Points

  France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

  Very light in color considering it is nine years old, the nose is light, but complex. The initial yeastiness common to most Champagne is complemented nicely with fresh, crisp apple and almost a little bit of hard candy. After some time in air, some pineapple creeps in. On the palate, this has a really nice mineral character to it, with yeast, tart green apple, and tart pineapple. This wine is quite acidic, and there's not a trace of sweetness to it on the palate, but it still manages to stay balanced, with plenty of brine and spice. I normally think that Champagne is much too overpriced, but this one I liked quite a lot. It may even merit its $55 price tag.

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• 2010 J. Hofstätter Pinot Grigio 90 Points

  Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Alto Adige, Alto Adige - Südtirol

  Very light in color, almost clear, but with a trace of greenish yellow. The nose is very floral and green, with maybe a bit of banana leaf and some melon rind. The palate is not overly fruity, but has just enough melon in it with watermelon and honeydew. There's also a good dose of cucumber. The finish has a fair amount of bitterness, and a little too much alcohol, but overall I liked it quite a lot. I was in the minority view, though, with most folks at the table thinking this grape variety just does not measure up. Their feeling is that the wine may barely be worth $15, but certainly not the $22 actually paid.

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• 2009 Mandrarossa Fiano Sicilia 86 Points

  Italy, Sicily, Sicilia

  The third time we've had this wine at a Cindy night, this one was the least impressive. Light yellow with maybe a tinge of red (hard to tell in the ambient light), this has a fairly intense tropical nose, with cantaloupe and a trace of over-ripeness. The tropical note continues on the palate with mango and pineapple, but the over-ripe character continues, as well. The wine is a touch harsh and definitely not smooth on the palate, with not a lot of depth to it. Fiano is not traditionally a wine for aging. Perhaps this is just too old. Below average this time out.

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• 2010 Mandrarossa Fiano Sicilia 87 Points

  Italy, Sicily, Sicilia

  If anything, slightly lighter in color than the 2009 without that trace of red, this one is more challenged on the nose, although without the over-ripe character. The nose is again primarily tropical. Unlike the 2009, this is fairly smooth on the palate, with pear and maybe a little mango. It is light in flavor, though, and just not terribly complex. Overall, even at this price point, I'm not rushing out to buy it.

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• 2004 Domaine Weinbach Gewurztraminer Cuvée Laurence 93 Points

  France, Alsace

  Deep, rich, golden color, and fairly viscous, the nose on this wine is very pretty, with classic lychee, star fruit, and a certain sweetness. Vanilla extract and light spice round it out. On the palate, this is just gorgeous and smooth. Full bodied, with apricot, more of that signature lychee, rich pineapple, vanilla and almond. Palate-coating and delicious, the finish lingers delightfully, and the alcohol, while significant, does not get in the way at all. One of the most striking examples of Gewürztraminer I've had, this was the WOTN for me, and was worth the ~$35 price point.

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• 2011 Zind-Humbrecht Gewurztraminer Flawed

  France, Alsace

  Nice light yellow in color; much, much lighter than the Weinbach which preceded it. It looks fine, but it doesn't smell good at all. Frankly, this smells like a soiled bathroom. It has nothing in common with the bottle I had previously. Gone is the delicate lychee and mandarin orange that I got the last time. The palate is harsh and bitter. This isn't the delicate bitter from the grape variety, but a drastic, overbearing bitter than prevents enjoyment. I can't identify a specific issue, but this is not the wine I had before. I'm marking it as flawed.
  
  Edit: A subsequent tasting confirms that this was a bad bottle.

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• 2010 Bedrock Wine Co. Mourvèdre Ode to Lulu Rosé Flawed

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley

  Very light in the glass, for the second wine in a row, the nose on this wine is not good. There is virtually no fruit, and almost a campfire smokiness. The palate has no fruit, either. No sweetness, no florals, no herbal notes. The only flavor left is a sort of dark minerality, but the wine is flat and not pleasant. I have a very high tolerance for TCA, but I have to believe this bottle is affected. This bottle has nothing in common with the other tasting notes posted here, and we discarded the entire bottle. I'm writing this off as flawed.

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• 2002 Warraroong Estate Sémillon Flawed

  Australia, New South Wales, Hunter Valley

  Nice bright yellow color, but the nose and palate both confirm that this is just too old. It isn't quite totally gone, but it is beginning to take on the sourness of vinegar. Third flawed bottle in a row.

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• 2005 R. López de Heredia Rioja Crianza Viña Cubillo Flawed

  Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

  Fairly dark garnet in color, with some bricking at the rim. The nose is somewhat challenged, with some cherry, but also a substantial amount of oak planks and vanilla. It almost seems musty. The mustiness continues on the palate, accompanied by thin cherry. This is quite acidic, but without any balancing body to it, and the finish is astringent and not terribly pleasant. It isn't completely without redeeming qualities, and it is not actually flawed, but it certainly does not live up to either its price point or expectations for this producer. In short, disappointing.
  
  Edit: I put it to a vote on the WLTV forums, and they have voted that I should mark this as flawed. Unlike many politicians, I listen to the voters. Flawed it must have been.

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• 2009 Printhie Merlot 69 Points

  Australia, New South Wales, Central Ranges, Orange

  Very dark red in the glass with a purple tinge to it, the nose is sharp-edged, but with significant sweetness to it. Oddly, there is a significant note of sweetened condensed milk to it. The palate is wildly harsh, with unfocused flavors. It has low acidity, and a lot of harsh astringency. I can't detect any flaws here, either, but it wouldn't surprise me if most of this found its way into the sink. Nobody at the table would drink it, which made it the fifth wine in a row with that dubious characteristic. This is just plain bad wine.

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• 2007 Joh. Jos. Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spätlese 91 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Surprisingly dark in the glass, with a fair amount of viscosity, the nose is very complex. The signature J.J. Prüm diesel and kerosene are accompanied by a bit of earthiness and a touch of pineapple in the background. The palate begins with subdued pineapple, then expands with pear and sweet Golden Delicious apples. It is amazingly well-balanced between the sweetness, acidity, and minerality. Yet, even with the balance, it also seems very focused. Purchased for under $20, this was an amazing QPR. Delicious wine.

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• 2009 Dönnhoff Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling Spätlese 92 Points

  Germany, Nahe

  Decanted 2 hours before the tasting, and tasted two hours after the tasting began, the nose on his was a bit challenged. There was subtle apricot and pineapple, but not a tremendous depth. The palate, on the other hand, was rich and mouth-filling, with lemon curd, sweet apricot, and reduced pineapple. There was balancing acidity, though, to keep this from being too thick and overbearing. The finish was solid but not not world-class. Overall, this was outstanding wine, no question, but while the middle was the highlight, the nose and the finish probably hold this back a little bit for me. At the $38 reported purchase price, it probably delivers right at its price point.

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• 2005 Bert Simon Serriger Herrenberg Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel 91 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Very bright and vibrant yellow, this is absolutely gorgeous and quite viscous. It has light petrol with some apple and pineapple, and maybe just a touch of dustiness. It almost smells aged, if you have any idea what that means. The palate, on the other hand is vibrant like it looks in the glass. It is big and full on the palate, with lots of rich pineapple and sweet, creamy honey. It isn't all that much sweeter than the Dönnhoff Spätlese, though, which I found surprising. This may be a GKA, but there is very little botrytis in evidence. The finish is respectable, but certainly not endless. Overall, this is very good, and worth the $30 average CT value.

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Good finish on an evening that got a little scary in the middle.