Originally posted 1/30/02
Got together with some of the usual suspects for a quick Tuesday night out.
Brad
1999 Ramonet- Chassagne-Montrachet, Morgeot
Massively sulfured nose had me thinking of Yaniger and horse asses. There were also chemical and vegetal aromas. On the palate, the wine is essentially structure, with a tiny amount of pear and green apple showing amongst a quarry of mineral shards. Extremely lean and ungenerous, disjointed and with alcohol poking out on the finish. And people wonder why I hate Chardonnay? B-/C+.
1999 Blain-Gagnard- Chassagne-Montrachet
Lots of pear on the nose. Much more upfront and friendly on the palate than the Ramonet. Shows pears and chalky mineral. Nice ripeness and with adequate structure. B.
2000 Mller-Catoir- Riesling Kabinett, Haardter Brgergarten, Pfalz
Delightfully refreshing nose of bright limes, mineral and faint peach. Fairly well balanced with like flavors as aromas. Shows the best focus of any 2000 Kabinett Ive tried to date. B+.
2000 Mller-Catoir- Scheurebe Sptlese, Haardter Mandelring, Pfalz
Quite sweet and without the acidic verve of previous vintages. Nonetheless, its quite enjoyable, if a little plump, showing plenty of peach, honey and red grapefruit flavors. Didnt notice any cat spray aromas, but they should appear before too long. A-/B+.
1997 Williams Selyem- Pinot Noir, Allen Vineyard, Russian River
The nose gushes spicy oak that almost overpowers the strawberry and cherry aromas. Unfortunately, the oak does manage to cover up the red fruit on the palate. Too oaky, soft and fat. B-.
1985 Pesquera- Ribera del Duero, Crianza
Ripe, almost pruney black fruit aromas with earth, leather and spicy, American oak. Soft, with like flavors as aromas. A solid effort with no real faults, but its rather listless and unexciting. Drink now. B+.
1985 Ferraton Pre & Fils- Crozes-Hermitage, La Matinire
Who let the horse out? Lots of brett on the nose with leather and earth. No tannins left to speak of. Support falls on the aciditys shoulders. Its all earth and leather on the palate.. Past peak, though those at the table that are into dead things liked it more than I did. B-.
1998 Villa Arceno- Arguzzio, Red Table Wine
This was part of my winnings from a bet I made with Charlie Olken regarding whether the Yankees or Red Sox would have a lower E.R.A. at the end of this past season. Thanks to Pedro Martinez missing a number of starts, I won. Barely. Judging from this wine, though, it was a hollow victory. Er, no pun intended.
The wine is Super Tuscan blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, though there is nothing super about it. What we have here is a confected, fat simple wine that shows off some black fruit and licorice, but with too much oak. When I told Charlie what the group thought of it, he jokingly suggested that we wouldnt know a good California Chianti if we tasted. Perhaps not, but maybe hes hit the nail on the head: its a Chianti designed for Californians. Brought in by Kendall Jackson, no less. B-.
1996 Flora Springs- Trilogy, Napa Valley
Unusual wine. Three of us were in agreement that in one persons glass it smelled like turpentine, in anothers it was less evident, but still there and in my glass it smelled alright and was full of fruit, earth and oak aromas. Theres a good dose of oak on the palate, but theres enough fruit to support it. Shows some interesting leather and sage flavors along with coffee. Finishes a bit short and the fruit does become a little lean. B.
1998 Ornellaia (served double blind)
Ripe black fruit on the nose with herb, licorice and spicy wood aromas. On the palate the fruit is a little thin and theres a touch too much spicy wood for my taste, but overall its not too bad. Lacks complexity and focus and finishes short. Not bad, but not distinctive. Wine of the year? Not quite. Wine of the night if this was the only bottle one was opening? Sure, why not? B+.
Got together with some of the usual suspects for a quick Tuesday night out.
Brad
1999 Ramonet- Chassagne-Montrachet, Morgeot
Massively sulfured nose had me thinking of Yaniger and horse asses. There were also chemical and vegetal aromas. On the palate, the wine is essentially structure, with a tiny amount of pear and green apple showing amongst a quarry of mineral shards. Extremely lean and ungenerous, disjointed and with alcohol poking out on the finish. And people wonder why I hate Chardonnay? B-/C+.
1999 Blain-Gagnard- Chassagne-Montrachet
Lots of pear on the nose. Much more upfront and friendly on the palate than the Ramonet. Shows pears and chalky mineral. Nice ripeness and with adequate structure. B.
2000 Mller-Catoir- Riesling Kabinett, Haardter Brgergarten, Pfalz
Delightfully refreshing nose of bright limes, mineral and faint peach. Fairly well balanced with like flavors as aromas. Shows the best focus of any 2000 Kabinett Ive tried to date. B+.
2000 Mller-Catoir- Scheurebe Sptlese, Haardter Mandelring, Pfalz
Quite sweet and without the acidic verve of previous vintages. Nonetheless, its quite enjoyable, if a little plump, showing plenty of peach, honey and red grapefruit flavors. Didnt notice any cat spray aromas, but they should appear before too long. A-/B+.
1997 Williams Selyem- Pinot Noir, Allen Vineyard, Russian River
The nose gushes spicy oak that almost overpowers the strawberry and cherry aromas. Unfortunately, the oak does manage to cover up the red fruit on the palate. Too oaky, soft and fat. B-.
1985 Pesquera- Ribera del Duero, Crianza
Ripe, almost pruney black fruit aromas with earth, leather and spicy, American oak. Soft, with like flavors as aromas. A solid effort with no real faults, but its rather listless and unexciting. Drink now. B+.
1985 Ferraton Pre & Fils- Crozes-Hermitage, La Matinire
Who let the horse out? Lots of brett on the nose with leather and earth. No tannins left to speak of. Support falls on the aciditys shoulders. Its all earth and leather on the palate.. Past peak, though those at the table that are into dead things liked it more than I did. B-.
1998 Villa Arceno- Arguzzio, Red Table Wine
This was part of my winnings from a bet I made with Charlie Olken regarding whether the Yankees or Red Sox would have a lower E.R.A. at the end of this past season. Thanks to Pedro Martinez missing a number of starts, I won. Barely. Judging from this wine, though, it was a hollow victory. Er, no pun intended.
The wine is Super Tuscan blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, though there is nothing super about it. What we have here is a confected, fat simple wine that shows off some black fruit and licorice, but with too much oak. When I told Charlie what the group thought of it, he jokingly suggested that we wouldnt know a good California Chianti if we tasted. Perhaps not, but maybe hes hit the nail on the head: its a Chianti designed for Californians. Brought in by Kendall Jackson, no less. B-.
1996 Flora Springs- Trilogy, Napa Valley
Unusual wine. Three of us were in agreement that in one persons glass it smelled like turpentine, in anothers it was less evident, but still there and in my glass it smelled alright and was full of fruit, earth and oak aromas. Theres a good dose of oak on the palate, but theres enough fruit to support it. Shows some interesting leather and sage flavors along with coffee. Finishes a bit short and the fruit does become a little lean. B.
1998 Ornellaia (served double blind)
Ripe black fruit on the nose with herb, licorice and spicy wood aromas. On the palate the fruit is a little thin and theres a touch too much spicy wood for my taste, but overall its not too bad. Lacks complexity and focus and finishes short. Not bad, but not distinctive. Wine of the year? Not quite. Wine of the night if this was the only bottle one was opening? Sure, why not? B+.