Simple peach and apricot nose. Light spritz, medium sweetness (more than I like in a kabinett), easy-drinking quaffer. A little bit of orange flavor. Big body, good acidity. $25
Pear and banana on the nose. Medium+ body, medium acidity. Ripe banana, butter and malolactic creaminess, but nicely restrained oak. A little bit of that slight hint of non-oak bitterness I get in some Southern Rhone whites. Good, but not a $35 wine.
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet
Nice juice. Light color. Restrained red cherry nose. Smooth, juicy, slightly simple but packed with youthful fruity flavor. Good acidity, but not so much to demand food. Elegant. Medium- tannins, light+ body. Ready to drink. $36
Medicinal banana nose. Man, this thing is fierce, and not in a good way. Light color, very tannic and acidic on a medium-bodied frame. Huge. This demands food, but would probably still be bitter from the truckload of tannins. I'm not experienced enough with Barolo to know if this guy is going to mellow out, but stay far away in the short term. $44
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
Representative right bank nose, lightly medicinal. Juicy, smooth and polished with nicely-integrated tannins, medium body and acidity. Light dirt, and some heat. Very accessible now. $60
This is apparently a micro-production (3 barrel) wine from extra juice from unnamed high-end wineries. Ripe black plum nose, with a little bit of Port-like medicinal qualities. Smooth, juicy, fruit-forward, accessible, rich, polished. A little bit grapey. Nice juice. $40
Very dusty nose. Smooth! Definite alcohol heat. Very elegant, leathery, and grapey. Reminds me a little of a Priorat. Medium tannin, acid and body. Tobacco, oak, great balance. $57
Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale
From half-bottle. High-toned medicinal nose, loaded with raspberry juice. Smooth, herbal, elegant and not at all jammy. Medium tannin, acid and body. High-toned. Good age. Slight heat. $42/375
2007 Weingut Max Ferd. Richter Brauneberger Juffer Riesling Kabinett 88 Points
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Simple peach and apricot nose. Light spritz, medium sweetness (more than I like in a kabinett), easy-drinking quaffer. A little bit of orange flavor. Big body, good acidity. $25
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2006 Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Herrenweg de Turckheim 82 Points
France, Alsace
Dark color. Raisiny oxidized nose. Spritzy. Odd for a 2006 - this is over-the-hill and noticeably oxidized, with a bitter undertone. Ick. $50
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2006 Chalk Hill Chardonnay Estate Bottled Chalk Hill 89 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Chalk Hill
Pear and banana on the nose. Medium+ body, medium acidity. Ripe banana, butter and malolactic creaminess, but nicely restrained oak. A little bit of that slight hint of non-oak bitterness I get in some Southern Rhone whites. Good, but not a $35 wine.
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2006 Philippe Colin Chassagne-Montrachet Les Chênes Rouge 90 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet
Nice juice. Light color. Restrained red cherry nose. Smooth, juicy, slightly simple but packed with youthful fruity flavor. Good acidity, but not so much to demand food. Elegant. Medium- tannins, light+ body. Ready to drink. $36
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2003 Paolo Scavino Barolo 84 Points
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Medicinal banana nose. Man, this thing is fierce, and not in a good way. Light color, very tannic and acidic on a medium-bodied frame. Huge. This demands food, but would probably still be bitter from the truckload of tannins. I'm not experienced enough with Barolo to know if this guy is going to mellow out, but stay far away in the short term. $44
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2005 Château Fombrauge 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
Representative right bank nose, lightly medicinal. Juicy, smooth and polished with nicely-integrated tannins, medium body and acidity. Light dirt, and some heat. Very accessible now. $60
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2006 Saint Luke's Cabernet Sauvignon 91 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford
This is apparently a micro-production (3 barrel) wine from extra juice from unnamed high-end wineries. Ripe black plum nose, with a little bit of Port-like medicinal qualities. Smooth, juicy, fruit-forward, accessible, rich, polished. A little bit grapey. Nice juice. $40
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2005 Bodegas El Nido Jumilla Clio 95 Points
Spain, Murcia, Jumilla
Very dusty nose. Smooth! Definite alcohol heat. Very elegant, leathery, and grapey. Reminds me a little of a Priorat. Medium tannin, acid and body. Tobacco, oak, great balance. $57
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2005 Doña Paula Tannat Malbec Salix Vineyard 89 Points
Argentina, Mendoza, Lujan de Cuyo
Fruit-forward nose, jammy and medicinal. Smooth. Light-medium tannins and acidity, medium+ body. Some old-world leather. $30
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2004 Jeff Cohn Cellars Syrah Rockpile Vineyard 90 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Rockpile
Juicy, hints of bacon and blueberry. Fruit-forward. Smooth, elegant. Noticeable heat. Medium tannin and acid. $56
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2003 d'Arenberg Shiraz The Dead Arm 93 Points
Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale
From half-bottle. High-toned medicinal nose, loaded with raspberry juice. Smooth, herbal, elegant and not at all jammy. Medium tannin, acid and body. High-toned. Good age. Slight heat. $42/375
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2002 Le Tertre Du Lys D'Or Cuvée d'Exception 90 Points
France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
Honeyed biscuit nose. Slightly bitter and stemmy. Medium+ sweetness, honey, representative. Raisin. $40
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