Gruet Brut (New Mexico) Dominated by its acidity, with a scraping yellow-fruited bite and no real complexity, yeast, toast, or even enough of its fruit to make up for the zip. Its attention-getting and palate-clearing, but its not what it has been in other releases. (10/08)
JP Brun FRV100 (Beaujolais) Turning sweeter, mostly because the fruit is starting to diminish. The last few bottles of this have been all over the map, which suggests to me that its nearing the end of its most useful period. But who knows, really? (10/08)
Westport Rivers 2000 Brut Blanc de Noirs (Southeastern New England) Very stark, with dry raspberry pits and leafy strawberry hulls lending timid, trebly voice to a thin, tinny old recording on acetate. (10/08)
Bleasdale The Red Brute Sparkling Shiraz (Langhorne Creek) Boisterous and a bit volatile (the acidity, not the personality trait); basically a middle-of-the-road Aussie shiraz lent bubbles. Its fine, but theres nothing compelling here. (10/08)
Muga 2007 Rioja Rosado (Center-North) What intrigues me about this wine is how it tastes like an aged ros not something most people drink without being tired or yielding to oxidation, even though there is a touch of the latter. Strawberry, persimmon, perhaps a bit of cranberrybut all in well-aged form, rather than their bright, squirty, fresh-from-the-vine expression (as found in most ross). Perhaps the effect could best be described as a slight intellectualization of pink. (10/08)
Poverty Lane Farnum Hill 2006 Kingston Black Cider Reserve (New Hampshire) This remains a serious, complex cider. This bottle shows more of the molten iron and lead components that sometimes lurk in the background, with the deep, rich apple flavors taking on a bronzed characteristic. And yet, theres a bell-tone of loftier, more skin-derived flavors in the finish. Very, very good. (10/08)
Darling Cellars Onyx 2002 Noble Late Harvest (Groenekloof) 375 ml. If Sauternes had acidity, this is what it would taste like. Yes, thats unfairly snarky. So to be serious: richly botrytized copper fruit, maturing more quickly than any but the cheapest Sauternes would, yet still fairly fresh, with quince-like acidity that eventually comes to dominate the finish. Id hold this for a few more years, but probably not longer than that, as I think the acidity will eventually be unpleasant in contrast to the wines other qualities. Right now, however, its very close to world-class sweet stuff. (10/08)
JP Brun FRV100 (Beaujolais) Turning sweeter, mostly because the fruit is starting to diminish. The last few bottles of this have been all over the map, which suggests to me that its nearing the end of its most useful period. But who knows, really? (10/08)
Westport Rivers 2000 Brut Blanc de Noirs (Southeastern New England) Very stark, with dry raspberry pits and leafy strawberry hulls lending timid, trebly voice to a thin, tinny old recording on acetate. (10/08)
Bleasdale The Red Brute Sparkling Shiraz (Langhorne Creek) Boisterous and a bit volatile (the acidity, not the personality trait); basically a middle-of-the-road Aussie shiraz lent bubbles. Its fine, but theres nothing compelling here. (10/08)
Muga 2007 Rioja Rosado (Center-North) What intrigues me about this wine is how it tastes like an aged ros not something most people drink without being tired or yielding to oxidation, even though there is a touch of the latter. Strawberry, persimmon, perhaps a bit of cranberrybut all in well-aged form, rather than their bright, squirty, fresh-from-the-vine expression (as found in most ross). Perhaps the effect could best be described as a slight intellectualization of pink. (10/08)
Poverty Lane Farnum Hill 2006 Kingston Black Cider Reserve (New Hampshire) This remains a serious, complex cider. This bottle shows more of the molten iron and lead components that sometimes lurk in the background, with the deep, rich apple flavors taking on a bronzed characteristic. And yet, theres a bell-tone of loftier, more skin-derived flavors in the finish. Very, very good. (10/08)
Darling Cellars Onyx 2002 Noble Late Harvest (Groenekloof) 375 ml. If Sauternes had acidity, this is what it would taste like. Yes, thats unfairly snarky. So to be serious: richly botrytized copper fruit, maturing more quickly than any but the cheapest Sauternes would, yet still fairly fresh, with quince-like acidity that eventually comes to dominate the finish. Id hold this for a few more years, but probably not longer than that, as I think the acidity will eventually be unpleasant in contrast to the wines other qualities. Right now, however, its very close to world-class sweet stuff. (10/08)