Chaussard (Briseau) Nana, vins et cie Vin de Table You are so nice (Loire) 2006 bottling. Plays at fun, but the structures a bit on the scowly side, with an angry slash of tannin and acidity cutting diagonally through the wine, reducing the appeal of the fruit. Is that some granite in the background? This might just need the right food to tame the angrier elements. (10/08)
Lageder 2007 Kalterersee Classico Rmigberg (Alto Adige) Heat-damaged, and the culprit is likely the perpetually overheated store from which it was purchased: The Spirited Gourmet in Belmont, MA. (10/08)
Clavel 1999 Coteaux du Languedoc Terroir de la Mejanelle Les Garrigues (Languedoc) Fully mature, Id say, even though theres some scratchy tannin lingering. The fruit (mostly gravel-baked herbs, pork, a bit of earth) has softened, leaving an espresso-ground texture behind, and the wines starting to lighten and fade on the finish. (10/08)
Le Guil 2004 Cairanne Cuve La Felsch (Rhne) Corked. (10/08)
Hillau Domaine Etxegaraya 2002 Irouleguy (Southwest France) Harsh and metallic, with battery acid structure. A victim of its synthetic cork. (10/08)
Texier 2000 Ctes-du-Rhne-Villages Chusclan (Rhne) I open this with trepidation, due to the synthetic cork in its neck. But this is one of the random bottles thats survived its closure, showing rolling waves of luscious Rhnish un-fruit (underbrush, meat, herbs, dried-and-smoked red cherries in residual form), both pretty if you like this sort of thing and long. Its a lower-volume wine, to be sure, which is only to its credit. (10/08)
Jeune Domaine Monpertuis 2006 Ctes-du-Rhne Vignoble de la Ramire (Rhne) Id almost forgotten that Ctes-du-Rhne used to taste like this: earth-spicy old cherry, herb-laden earth, none of it striking or memorable, and certainly not over-worked or heavy, but an easy-going, eminently pleasant companion to just about any food one can throw at it. (Dont throw your food, though; your mother would be unhappy.) Theres a hint of horse, but only the most rigidly averse will care. (10/08)
Terres dAvignon Kermit Lynch 2006 Ctes-du-Rhne (Rhne) Corked. (10/08)
Archimbaud-Vache Le Clos des Cazaux 2004 Vacqueyras Cuve des Templiers (Rhne) Blackberry and boysenberry with a bit of a heart of darkness. I dont want to say its jammy, because its not, but the fruit edges right up to that status. Thankfully, it doesnt tip over to the other side, and theres some dark earth and a lot of surprising suppleness to the finish. Id like to see where this wine is headed. (10/08)
Easton 2006 Zinfandel (Amador County) 14.5%. Suave zinfandel, carrying its weight with ease, and dressing up its usual tangled-vine Amador gnarliness in a fine, tailored suitwhich it wears well. Those for whom differential character in zins is the primary goal will be slightly disappointed in this wine, but its very hard to criticize it from any other perspective, as it could hardly be more sluggable. (10/08)
Easton 2002 Barbera (Shenandoah Valley) 14.5%. Massive fruit, perhaps too dense for its structure, with a bit of nagging volatility and a brief, angry snarl at the end. Im not sure where thats coming from, but all doesnt end well with this wine. And certainly, its unrecognizable if ones lens is Piedmontese barbera, though it fits nicely into the dominant Sierra Foothills expression. Maybe its just a little bit too old? (10/08)
Tablas Creek 2002 Ctes de Tablas (Paso Robles) Juicy and succulent, with a freshly-crushed handful of blue, purple, and black berries given a bit of heft from black soil and a good sun-drenching. Pure pleasure. (10/08)
Marietta Old Vine Red Lot Number 47 (California) Pleasant enough, but in this incarnation this perennial value (no longer quite so cheap, though) tastes like dry gnarly-vine syrup, with a few tiny berries grudgingly giving up their freshness. Not Mariettas best effort. (10/08)
Chateau Musar 2001 Hochar (Bekaa Valley) Tastes twenty years old, and not in a good way. The well-known Musar bottle (more likely cork) variation strikes again. (10/08)
Southern Right 2007 Pinotage (Walker Bay) The usual black fruit explosion, but with a bit more varnish than usual; with age (he says, sarcastically) this wines varietal characteristics are coming to the fore. Its still quite good, and better than most expressions of pinotage, but I guess theres only so much lipstick one can apply. (10/08)
Lageder 2007 Kalterersee Classico Rmigberg (Alto Adige) Heat-damaged, and the culprit is likely the perpetually overheated store from which it was purchased: The Spirited Gourmet in Belmont, MA. (10/08)
Clavel 1999 Coteaux du Languedoc Terroir de la Mejanelle Les Garrigues (Languedoc) Fully mature, Id say, even though theres some scratchy tannin lingering. The fruit (mostly gravel-baked herbs, pork, a bit of earth) has softened, leaving an espresso-ground texture behind, and the wines starting to lighten and fade on the finish. (10/08)
Le Guil 2004 Cairanne Cuve La Felsch (Rhne) Corked. (10/08)
Hillau Domaine Etxegaraya 2002 Irouleguy (Southwest France) Harsh and metallic, with battery acid structure. A victim of its synthetic cork. (10/08)
Texier 2000 Ctes-du-Rhne-Villages Chusclan (Rhne) I open this with trepidation, due to the synthetic cork in its neck. But this is one of the random bottles thats survived its closure, showing rolling waves of luscious Rhnish un-fruit (underbrush, meat, herbs, dried-and-smoked red cherries in residual form), both pretty if you like this sort of thing and long. Its a lower-volume wine, to be sure, which is only to its credit. (10/08)
Jeune Domaine Monpertuis 2006 Ctes-du-Rhne Vignoble de la Ramire (Rhne) Id almost forgotten that Ctes-du-Rhne used to taste like this: earth-spicy old cherry, herb-laden earth, none of it striking or memorable, and certainly not over-worked or heavy, but an easy-going, eminently pleasant companion to just about any food one can throw at it. (Dont throw your food, though; your mother would be unhappy.) Theres a hint of horse, but only the most rigidly averse will care. (10/08)
Terres dAvignon Kermit Lynch 2006 Ctes-du-Rhne (Rhne) Corked. (10/08)
Archimbaud-Vache Le Clos des Cazaux 2004 Vacqueyras Cuve des Templiers (Rhne) Blackberry and boysenberry with a bit of a heart of darkness. I dont want to say its jammy, because its not, but the fruit edges right up to that status. Thankfully, it doesnt tip over to the other side, and theres some dark earth and a lot of surprising suppleness to the finish. Id like to see where this wine is headed. (10/08)
Easton 2006 Zinfandel (Amador County) 14.5%. Suave zinfandel, carrying its weight with ease, and dressing up its usual tangled-vine Amador gnarliness in a fine, tailored suitwhich it wears well. Those for whom differential character in zins is the primary goal will be slightly disappointed in this wine, but its very hard to criticize it from any other perspective, as it could hardly be more sluggable. (10/08)
Easton 2002 Barbera (Shenandoah Valley) 14.5%. Massive fruit, perhaps too dense for its structure, with a bit of nagging volatility and a brief, angry snarl at the end. Im not sure where thats coming from, but all doesnt end well with this wine. And certainly, its unrecognizable if ones lens is Piedmontese barbera, though it fits nicely into the dominant Sierra Foothills expression. Maybe its just a little bit too old? (10/08)
Tablas Creek 2002 Ctes de Tablas (Paso Robles) Juicy and succulent, with a freshly-crushed handful of blue, purple, and black berries given a bit of heft from black soil and a good sun-drenching. Pure pleasure. (10/08)
Marietta Old Vine Red Lot Number 47 (California) Pleasant enough, but in this incarnation this perennial value (no longer quite so cheap, though) tastes like dry gnarly-vine syrup, with a few tiny berries grudgingly giving up their freshness. Not Mariettas best effort. (10/08)
Chateau Musar 2001 Hochar (Bekaa Valley) Tastes twenty years old, and not in a good way. The well-known Musar bottle (more likely cork) variation strikes again. (10/08)
Southern Right 2007 Pinotage (Walker Bay) The usual black fruit explosion, but with a bit more varnish than usual; with age (he says, sarcastically) this wines varietal characteristics are coming to the fore. Its still quite good, and better than most expressions of pinotage, but I guess theres only so much lipstick one can apply. (10/08)