Delaware Phoenix Absinthe Superieure Meadow of Love (New York) The herbal side of the licorice family, but not fully expressed as fennel, but rather more like one of those monk liqueurs (Chartreuse, etc.). Brittle in both flavor and spirit, with a broil of alcohol as a top note. Piercing. Impossible to ignore. (1/10)
Delaware Phoenix Absinthe Superieure Walton Waters (New York) Waxed herbs and finely-balanced herb, licorice, and bitter fruit rind characteristics. Very long. Kinda brilliant, really. I greatly prefer this to the Meadow of Love bottling. (1/10)
Kalin 1994 Chardonnay Cuve LD (Sonoma County) Bronzing in both hue and flavor; kinda like drinking a copper-colored sunset haze as the brown aromatics of a fall day rise from the cooling ground. Yet its a warm winebalanced, but full, and with a more than decent finish. As it airs, ripe spiced apricot and fierce (but still welcome) acidity take over, and theres a constant undercurrent of minerality. Nothings out of place, and this has aged very well. (1/10)
Ojai 1996 Syrah Roll Ranch (California) Still very tannic (from a glacial cellar) and otherwise-structured, with sweaty leather, dark blackberry, and mixed pepper dusts. Grows more gravelly with air. This still has a long while to age, but that mineral underpinning is quite intriguing. (7/09)
Palmina 2007 Dolcetto (Santa Barbara County) 14.7%. I have the same general reaction to this wine as I do to Palminas nebbiolo, which is that theyve got the varietal characteristics pretty much right (chewy fruit, red and black, with dense berry skins intact, plus acid and tannin that bite more than the seeming approachability of the wine would suggest), but they're paired with a very Californian sense of nearly steroidal weight. The wine isnt completely over the top, but it does drag and lull. On the other hand, those that find the Piedmontese originals not fruit-bomby enough will probably adore this wine. Good, promising, but do note the stylistic approach. (1/10)
Dashe 1999 Zinfandel Todd Brothers Ranch (Alexander Valley) 15%. Extremely oaky, in the soupy vanilla/milk chocolate/coconut fashion of a young zin in the Ridge mold, and with few other signs that the wine has aged at allother than a noticeable reduction in what was its youthful tannin. This clearly needs more time, but watch that lingering wood. (1/10)
Dashe 2002 Zinfandel (Dry Creek Valley) 14.5%. About 50% there, which means that while the coconut and tannin are still hanging about, the suppler, spicier fruit of aged zin is starting to emerge. What this means in terms of drinkability, unfortunately, is that the pose is that of a somewhat gangly teenager. Wait a bit longer. (1/10)
Dashe 2007 Late Harvest Zinfandel (Dry Creek Valley) From 375 ml, 14.1% alcohol, 9% residual sugar by weight. Called by someone I know the worst wine hes had all year, or something along those lines. I dont see it. It tastes like classic late-harvest zin to me. True, it screeches with volatile acidity, and thats normally enough to lead to the latter of the fight/flight reaction in me, but the concentrated, sticky fruit (berries of all shapes and hues) seems to somehow lighten as it moves past its fermentably-dry stage. Itscute. (1/10)
Graff Family Vineyards 2007 Pinot Blanc (Chalone) 14.3%. Recognizably pinot blanc, in its apricot (plus apricot skin) and dulled bronze way, but this is a little drenched and weighty for the grape, and despite entirely decent acidity, the relatively minor layer of oak offsets any brightness or lightness the wine could use to combat that weight. I dont want to overstate the criticism, however, because its a perfectly decent wine. (1/10)
Long Trail Brewmaster Series Winter White (Vermont) The more I drink of this, the more I like it. Blizzard spices and yeasty warmth are a good combination. (1/10)
Wolavers Alta Gracia Coffee Porter (Vermont) Yep, thats porter. And yep, thats coffee. Morning and evening, in one drink. Good is kinda beside the pointone either embraces the concept or doesnt. (1/10)
Shipyard Woodstock Inn Brewery Winter Seasonal Ale Wassail (Maine) Heavy, with the suggestion but not the actuality of wintry spices. Not that interesting, in that it attempts to replace character with density. (1/10)
Otter Creek Raspberry Brown Winter Ale (Vermont) I tend to prefer beer with fruit involved in its conception to beer in which fruit is more of a conceptual additive, but this is kinda nice, and the reasons are twofold: first, the brown ale is quite good, and second, the raspberry is nicely restrained. Its a counterpointnot a raspberry-flavored beverage on an absent foundation of allegedly brown ale, but a brown ale to which is added a suggestion of raspberry. I wouldnt want to drink it all night, but its nice. (1/10)
Delaware Phoenix Absinthe Superieure Walton Waters (New York) Waxed herbs and finely-balanced herb, licorice, and bitter fruit rind characteristics. Very long. Kinda brilliant, really. I greatly prefer this to the Meadow of Love bottling. (1/10)
Kalin 1994 Chardonnay Cuve LD (Sonoma County) Bronzing in both hue and flavor; kinda like drinking a copper-colored sunset haze as the brown aromatics of a fall day rise from the cooling ground. Yet its a warm winebalanced, but full, and with a more than decent finish. As it airs, ripe spiced apricot and fierce (but still welcome) acidity take over, and theres a constant undercurrent of minerality. Nothings out of place, and this has aged very well. (1/10)
Ojai 1996 Syrah Roll Ranch (California) Still very tannic (from a glacial cellar) and otherwise-structured, with sweaty leather, dark blackberry, and mixed pepper dusts. Grows more gravelly with air. This still has a long while to age, but that mineral underpinning is quite intriguing. (7/09)
Palmina 2007 Dolcetto (Santa Barbara County) 14.7%. I have the same general reaction to this wine as I do to Palminas nebbiolo, which is that theyve got the varietal characteristics pretty much right (chewy fruit, red and black, with dense berry skins intact, plus acid and tannin that bite more than the seeming approachability of the wine would suggest), but they're paired with a very Californian sense of nearly steroidal weight. The wine isnt completely over the top, but it does drag and lull. On the other hand, those that find the Piedmontese originals not fruit-bomby enough will probably adore this wine. Good, promising, but do note the stylistic approach. (1/10)
Dashe 1999 Zinfandel Todd Brothers Ranch (Alexander Valley) 15%. Extremely oaky, in the soupy vanilla/milk chocolate/coconut fashion of a young zin in the Ridge mold, and with few other signs that the wine has aged at allother than a noticeable reduction in what was its youthful tannin. This clearly needs more time, but watch that lingering wood. (1/10)
Dashe 2002 Zinfandel (Dry Creek Valley) 14.5%. About 50% there, which means that while the coconut and tannin are still hanging about, the suppler, spicier fruit of aged zin is starting to emerge. What this means in terms of drinkability, unfortunately, is that the pose is that of a somewhat gangly teenager. Wait a bit longer. (1/10)
Dashe 2007 Late Harvest Zinfandel (Dry Creek Valley) From 375 ml, 14.1% alcohol, 9% residual sugar by weight. Called by someone I know the worst wine hes had all year, or something along those lines. I dont see it. It tastes like classic late-harvest zin to me. True, it screeches with volatile acidity, and thats normally enough to lead to the latter of the fight/flight reaction in me, but the concentrated, sticky fruit (berries of all shapes and hues) seems to somehow lighten as it moves past its fermentably-dry stage. Itscute. (1/10)
Graff Family Vineyards 2007 Pinot Blanc (Chalone) 14.3%. Recognizably pinot blanc, in its apricot (plus apricot skin) and dulled bronze way, but this is a little drenched and weighty for the grape, and despite entirely decent acidity, the relatively minor layer of oak offsets any brightness or lightness the wine could use to combat that weight. I dont want to overstate the criticism, however, because its a perfectly decent wine. (1/10)
Long Trail Brewmaster Series Winter White (Vermont) The more I drink of this, the more I like it. Blizzard spices and yeasty warmth are a good combination. (1/10)
Wolavers Alta Gracia Coffee Porter (Vermont) Yep, thats porter. And yep, thats coffee. Morning and evening, in one drink. Good is kinda beside the pointone either embraces the concept or doesnt. (1/10)
Shipyard Woodstock Inn Brewery Winter Seasonal Ale Wassail (Maine) Heavy, with the suggestion but not the actuality of wintry spices. Not that interesting, in that it attempts to replace character with density. (1/10)
Otter Creek Raspberry Brown Winter Ale (Vermont) I tend to prefer beer with fruit involved in its conception to beer in which fruit is more of a conceptual additive, but this is kinda nice, and the reasons are twofold: first, the brown ale is quite good, and second, the raspberry is nicely restrained. Its a counterpointnot a raspberry-flavored beverage on an absent foundation of allegedly brown ale, but a brown ale to which is added a suggestion of raspberry. I wouldnt want to drink it all night, but its nice. (1/10)