fairnymph

Tasting Notes

• 2004 Trinitas Petite Sirah Russian River Valley

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  4/26/2011 - fairnymph wrote: 86 Points

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• 2007 Caravinsérail Ventoux In Fine

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  6/7/2010 - fairnymph wrote: 78 Points

  Straw-tinted, moderately deep yellow. The nose is tight, with some minerality, citrus, and more faintly, some syrupy apricot - though it smells rather dry on the whole, it smells like it has depth - not like a lightweight white.
  
  Smooth entry with the heaviness suggested by the nose, and much more fruit, particularly that ripe apricot note that verges on cloying; it reminds me of dried apricots that have been soaked in brandy, or such. And yet at the same time, there's an odd weakness to this wine, like it's actually sherry that's been watered down . There's some sour lemon, but not in a particularly nice way, and it's not nearly enough acid to balance the heavy fruit on the attack and midpalate - it's more of a clashing note here, the lemony acid. The finish is the best part - moderately long, nicely zesty with a bit of spritz and some limestone minerality. Nonetheless, I find this wine remarkably flat -lacking in nuances and facets, nearly one dimensional on the whole. It's not undrinkable, but it's either past its peak or simply was never good, and reminds of cheap white wines, especially cheap chardonnay even though the flavour profile is very different - it's that same boring, too-heavy, and totally not what I look for in whites, which is either something light, bright, and refreshing or a bit weightier, sweeter, and bursting with fruit and other nuances.

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• 2007 Skouras Zoe Rosé

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  5/28/2010 - fairnymph wrote: 92 Points

  A deep, ruby coloured, vibrant pink - definitely amongst the darkest rosés I've ever seen, but almost magenta, really BRIGHT, vividly hued. The nose is quite dry and has a lot of depth, and in a blind tasting I might even guess it were a light fruity red, like a pinot noir - lots of red berry fruit, especially strawberry candy, almost like Starburst chews, but with the dry astringency of tobacco and a hint of sweet clove spice. Lovely and complex, but a little tight even though I've had this bottle open far too long to be reviewing optimally. Gorgeous legs, relatively thick and long, too.
  
  Velvety entry that tingles the tongue with a noticeable spritz; very smooth, and incredibly full bodied - again, this could almost pass for a Pinot Noir, certainly, it has more substantial body and mouthfeel than many PNs I've had, and more than probably any rosé I've had - and I drink a LOT of rosé. The initial flavours are sweet, ripe fruit, almost syrupy but not too much so - not cloying That strawberry really follows through, and it's really fragrant in my mouth, with almost floral overtones. Very evocative, like a perfectly ripe sunwarmed strawberry bursting in my mouth. But I get some raspberry now too, and I specifically get golden raspberry initially - which is sweeter, milder, less tangy relative to red raspberry. But those ripe berries dissipate quickly leading to a midpalate with fantastic acid to balance sweet fruitiness; a little mouth-puckering, really zesty and tart, but without being sour or sharp. The flavours change to cranberry, almost-ripe-red-raspberry that has that zinging quality, and the strawberry is barely there, and it's more like a strawberrry that's tinged with white and a little green - in fact, I almost get a bit of a leafy quality, like strawberry tops or rasperry leafs, but it's pleasant greenery, not vegetal. The incredible refreshing tartness of the midpalate and the lengthy finish of lemon and lime and green mandarin zest counterbalance the weight of this wine and its initial sweet lushness perfectly.
  
  This would please both those who prefer red and those who prefer white alike; it has some of the the best qualities of each type and is dangerously downable. Drink slightly warmer than you'd typically drink a rosé (maybe 50 degrees or so) to better appreciate its depth and aromatics. My only quibble with this wine is also a point of interest; it's very layered. It has stages, it mixes juxtaposing qualities, and while that's fascinating, it also brings an aspect of chaos. A more seamless blending of the various aspects, a sense of unity, is what I find lacking. Still, outstanding wine especially for $9; 92-93 pts.

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