Quinta do Infantado Tawny Porto Medium-Dry (Douro) After much dalliance upon the occasion of this producers first appearance on U.S. shores, I gave up ever buying their wines, due to the vast majority of them (approaching 90%) being corked. I can claim no evidence of systemic taint, and in fact it seemed to be very much a personal vendetta the TCA gods were waging against me (and, unfortunately, against the producers wines when they were so unlucky as to be carried home by me), but trying to find an intact bottle was just hopeless. So after a hiatus of a few years, I decided to dip my toe in this stanky waters once more. The result? What else? Corked. Corked into oblivion. Obviously, I am not meant to own or drink these wines. (9/09)
Amesguren Ameztoi 2008 Getariako Txakolina Rubentis (Northwest Spain) A tidal pool of light raspberry froth laden with white flowers, foaming and fizzing with life (and, to abandon the metaphor, carbon dioxide). Lovely, burst-of-youth stuff. (9/09)
Amesguren Ameztoi 2007 Getariako Txakolina (Northwest Spain) Froth, salt, needles, andnot much. Ive struggled with whether or not this wine actually has any inherent characteristics other than its texture for a while, and the conclusion is increasingly that it does not. It might just be this one vintage, though. (8/09)
Losada Fernndez Via do Burato 2007 Ribeira Sacra (Northwest Spain) A brett bomb. Snappy acidity, and theres some sappy red fruit whipping around in there somewhere, but the fecal stench is overwhelming. (9/09)
Terras Gauda 2004 Rias Biaxas O Rosal (Northwest Spain) Ripe lemon and the aroma of salt flats, plus some squiggly structure and a lot of sun. Nice. (8/09)
Amesguren Ameztoi 2008 Getariako Txakolina Rubentis (Northwest Spain) A tidal pool of light raspberry froth laden with white flowers, foaming and fizzing with life (and, to abandon the metaphor, carbon dioxide). Lovely, burst-of-youth stuff. (9/09)
Amesguren Ameztoi 2007 Getariako Txakolina (Northwest Spain) Froth, salt, needles, andnot much. Ive struggled with whether or not this wine actually has any inherent characteristics other than its texture for a while, and the conclusion is increasingly that it does not. It might just be this one vintage, though. (8/09)
Losada Fernndez Via do Burato 2007 Ribeira Sacra (Northwest Spain) A brett bomb. Snappy acidity, and theres some sappy red fruit whipping around in there somewhere, but the fecal stench is overwhelming. (9/09)
Terras Gauda 2004 Rias Biaxas O Rosal (Northwest Spain) Ripe lemon and the aroma of salt flats, plus some squiggly structure and a lot of sun. Nice. (8/09)