Bodegas Naia "Naiades" 2005 (Rueda, Spain)

Bright, light yellow.

Aromas of lemon/grapefruit zest, cream and a hint of oak.

Intense, vibrant flavors of ripe pear, lemon zest, kiwi. Definitely has a fruit sweetness, possibly from RS (day 3 - not). Long, mineral-laden finish. Really does seem like you're chewing on rocks.

This is utterly refreshing and nonetheless packs some seriously ripe, almost exotic, fruit character. The 2004 was even riper, but had less delineation and mineral chew.

100% from 100 year-old Verdejo

Absolutely killer.


$25

Quinta Sardonia Castilla y Leon 2004

Very deep red/purple.

Very deep nose of high-quality French oak (Darnajou no doubt) toast, caramel, custard. Blackberry/blueberry coulis lurking underneath. Smells seamless.

Great palate depth, creamy and round. Even shows complexity in the mouth, unusual for such a packed young wine. Substantial tannic spine, largely hidden.

36% Tempranillo, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 5% Syrah, 5% Malbec, 3% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot



$55

Muga Seleccion Especial Rioja 2001

Deep red.

Earth/clay, (citrus) pepper/spice, sausage and red and black fruit nose.


Intense pepper/earth entry, good roundness, buffered by chewy, grainy tannin and good acidity. Very good flavor follow through, start to finish. This needs time, but has the raw material, and inherent complexity, to reward several more years in the cellar.

The citrus character here only obvious on day 3. I assume some Garnacha is responsible. Other regions are getting monster press, but the complexity of many Riojas, based, I assume, on blending Tempranillo with Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano,
continues to impress me.


$25

Chateau Les Hauts de Pontet Pauillac 1996

Deep red.

Wonderful, expressive, deep Bordeaux nose of black fruit (currants?), medicinal herbs, sl game.


Round entry, with an iron note, flavors otherwise mirror nose. Light-middle weight loses some flavor energy in the finish. Still this is a very attractive bottle from a great vintage.





$25

2nd label of Pontet Canet

Linne Calodo Problem Child 2005 (Paso Robles)

Red/purple.

Smoke, grilled meat, celery seed, black cherry jam aromas. Aeration brings fruit to the forefront.

LC typical sweet textural impression, with an intriguing sawdust character. This is quite spiky with alcohol and what I assume is acid/VA synergy. Flavor completely bound up in the finish. This an impression I often get from young Priorat too. Intense, but, currently, abrasive.

We'll see what a couple of days of air time does.


Day 2 - Much broader, easier (integrated) aroma spectrum. Much better give in the mouth, too. Old-vine textural sweetness
(may not be from old vines, though). Acid is still the dominant structural element, but now fruit rides through mid-palate. My earlier comment about VA now seems off the mark.

Very good action. No day 3, as the bottle is empty.


71% Zinfandel, 17% Syrah, 12% Mourvedre


$35

L'Aventure Cabernet Sauvignon Estate 2004 (Paso Robles)

Very deep purple/red.

Packed nose - creamy, grilled oak with black fruit pooled underneath. Suggestion of Chambord and a slight tidal character I associate with reduction (needs air). Black pepper too.

Quite sweet palate-impression that is immediately tempered by a massive dose of grainy tannin, which is not abrasive. Alcohol does intrude a bit (15.9%), but I think it will integrate well with several more years in the bottle. Very long chewy finish is a bit spiky, but, again, I see this integrating nicely over time.

Huge, concentrated Cabernet. Just unlikely to have any real complexity.



$70?

Calera Pinot Noir Ryan Vineyard 2003 (Mt. Harlan)

Very light rose color.

Restrained aromatics - strawberry/cherry and earth/spice/underbrush, hazelnut.
This was completely unimpressive 2 hours ago, but is gaining aromatic complexity with air time.


Decent breadth in the mouth, but there is an acid (or is it a stem contribution?) that keeps the flavors bound up. A slight green note suggests considerable stem inclusion here. This may be far better than it is currently showing. Or not.


Day 2 - This sucks.


$40

Rockbare Chardonnay McClaren Vale 2005

Pale platinum.

Citrus, white peach, toasted grain nose.

Middle-weight impact in the mouth, with fresh, relatively intense flavors of ripe lemon, lemon zest. Acidity drives flavors that show no sign of oak.

I think this is a bit bound up and in need of air.


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$12

Villa Creek Garnacha Denner Vineyard 2005 (Paso Robles)

Deep red/purple.

Exotic fruit character (kiwi?) that is vibrant in a Pinot-like way.

Utterly confectionary in the mouth (in a very positive sense). Red raspberry/Chambord, shockingly fresh fruit character. Reminds me of Clarendon Hills 2001 Roma's. This even has the Andes Mint character of the Roma's. Has real acid-driven spine and "mineral" chew that keeps the fruit flavors taut.

9.9 on the Orgasmatron Scale.

$35

Castano Monastrell 2005 (Yecla, Spain)

Deep purple/red.

Deep, very fresh, lifted blackberry plum nose. Floral, clay/earth and spice notes also.

Very fresh in the mouth, too. Round mouth-filling character. Shuts down abruptly, though, with a finishing note of iron.

Very satisfying. Would be better with something from the grill.

$9

Cune Imperial Gran Reserva Rioja 1996

Light red.

Amaretto, coconut, pepper/earth/spice nose.

Very light in the mouth, with acidity providing considerable structure still. Subtle flavors largely follow nose, but acid constriction seems excessive. Maybe it just needs some good Spanish ham.


Day 2 - Better breadth in the mouth, with acid impact abating quite a bit. Still, this is far from being a convincing example of traditional Rioja. No fruit.


$50

Artadi "Pagos Viejos" Rioja 1998

Deep red/purple.

Very deep nose of suave toasty oak, hazelnut, earth.

Very concentrated palate-impression, very finely constituted. Bricks, spice and red fruit with a chewy, long finish.
Quite a different animal from the San Vincente. Undergrad vs. PhD.

This will develop for several more years. Very, very good.


$50

San Vincente Rioja 1998

Red.

Expressive nose of clay, red cherry, pepper/red chile.

Medium-bodied in the mouth, acid-driven flavors mirroring nose. A bit bound up in the finish.

Very nice.


$30

Borsao Garnacha "Tres Picos" 2004 (Campo de Borja)

Deep red/purple.

Extremely deep, fresh nose. Citrus zest, earth/clay, spice, green spice/stem(?) aromatics. This, like the Alto Moncayo bottles, was double-decanted two days ago. This bottle seems to have benefited the most from aeration. On day 1 it was all citrus and quite lean.

Vibrant, pungent citrus skin, pepper/spice flavors. A riot of flavor through acid-driven structure. No let up, and no noticeable oak influence to trip up fruit character. Chewy citrus finish with a hint of iron.


What a stupid value.

$12

Alto Moncayo Garnacha 2004 (Campo de Borja)

Deep red/purple.

Integrated nose of cream, oak spice, pepper and black fruit liqueur.

Really creamy and packed in the mouth. More than enough density to cover alcohol and barrel treatment. Structure similar to the 2003, but hits later and is better buffered by density of fruit. Coats front teeth with chewy tannin.

This is all about texture, ironically (Ringland is a famous Aussie winemaker now making wines such as A.M. in the Old World) in much the same way as Marquis-Philips wines were/are. It is still not clear to me that this is "better" than Tres Picos 2004.

It seems that we arrive at a notion of complete or total complexity, which is a combination of textural "layers", aromatic and flavor complexity. The New World largely fighting from its textural strength, the Old World from aroma and flavor complexity.
Each side trying to bring an additional nuance from the area it is (comparatively) lacking. Ringland brings a texture/richness- first thinking to Old World fruit. It doesn't work as well as one might expect.

I am off-track.




$36

Alto Moncayo Garnacha 2003 (Campo de Borja)

Light red.

Oak ether, coconut nose. Hints of cranberry/orange.

Hugely mouthcoating and creamy, but a high-toned character (from alcohol, I think, 16%) really kills any mid-palate flavor. Very fine, but ultimately significant structure (acid dominated) clamps down from another angle.

I really don't understand how this is a step up in quality from Tres Picos, which must be made at the same winery.





$36

Copain Syrah James Berry Vyd. 2004

Very deep red/purple.

Sugar-dusted cran/raspberry, boysenberry and lifted spice notes. Quite fresh, in complete contrast to the Massena. Very deep nose.

Sweet, silky palate-impression, with significant tannin hitting the front teeth late. Great mid-palate and finishing flavor. Very long and expressive. Not at all heavy.

I think stem-inclusion has added lift here, and also some major tannin. But there is nothing stemmy in aromatics or flavor.




$50

Massena Shiraz "The Eleventh Hour" 2002

Opaque red/purple.

Reduction sauce nose, idiosyncratic. Black fruit liqueur, date/fig and a suggestion of horseshit.

Extremely concentrated/confectionary (grape candy) in the mouth with nice supporting structure from very fine tannin and good acidity. No oak noticeable. Harmonious spicy fig finish. Nice to see a Shiraz that doesn't finish with monster wood tannin or stupid acidity. "Naked Shiraz"?

I wonder what several more years in the bottle will bring?


Day 6 - The concentration of this wine is incredible. Saline now, slightly broader in the mouth, but still very similar to day 1.


$55

Domaine Sang des Cailloux Vacqueyras "Cuvee Lopy" 1999

Deep red, sl. rim evolution.

Spicy salami, N. Rhone-like cracked pepper character aromatics.

Plush, rounded mouthfeel with acidity and light tannin framing flavors mirroring nose.

This needs air. The Brett influence is masking, it seems, quite a bit of aromatic and flavor complexity.








$25

Domaine la Soumade Rasteau "Fleur de Confiance" 1999

Very deep red, little sign of age.

Sexy, chocolate, black fruit, smoky oak nose. Wax and pepper/spice nuances. Deep.

Medium-bodied, creamy, immediately buffered by finely-grained tannin. Quite concentrated and structured. This seems capable of significant further evolution in bottle. Andre Romero is apparently a big Bordeaux fan - you can see that influence here.

Really loaded.






$50

El Nido Clio 2004 (Jumilla, Spain)

Opaque red/purple.

Nose of high-quality, toasty oak. Deep nut liqueur.

Broad, creamy palate impression. Altogether different from the 2002. The better vintage doesn't explain the difference entirely. Ringland has refined the whole enchilada. Better barrels, fruit selection etc. Seamless, very New World in style, but has a backbone that will reward many years in the bottle.

Funny, though, I still get an overload of alcohol (and I'm not one to quibble on this subject).

What a great contrast - a bottle of Bastide Blanche Bandol and this. Only politics could be more divisive.

70% Monastrell/ 30% Cabernet Sauvignon

$36

El Nido Clio 2002 (Jumilla, Spain)

Deep red.

Nose initially dominated by alcohol and tarry/coconutty oak.

Round and creamy in the mouth, with alcohol again intruding and obliterating mid-palate flavor. Acid/tannin synergy takes care of any remaining flavor interest. I didn't like a bottle a year ago either.

70% Monastrell/30% Cabernet Sauvignon


Day 2 - a bit better, but still spiky. The alcohol may fold in with several more years in the bottle. Monster food would help (lamb, garlic and roasted potatoes).


$36

Copain Les Copains James Berry Paso Robles 2005

Vibrant red.

Attractive, lifted nose - fresh red fruit and spice.

Round, sweet palate impression, nicely supported by bright acidity and light tannin. Lightness of touch.

I think this is primarily Grenache and Mourvedre with a minor Syrah component.


$25

FX Pichler Kellerberg Gruner Veltliner Smaragd 2005 (Austria)

Bright yellow.

Low-toned pepper/spice, hint of grapefruit and tobacco. Suggestion of meat broth richness - this definitely has RS.

Packed in the mouth, grapefruit front and center, pepper/spice and lentil combine in the long, RS enhanced finish. A big, thick harmonious thing loaded with flavor and length. Very FX. Ridiculously long, chewy, tactile finish.

I often think of him as Austria's Helen Turley, though it occurs to me that neither would be happy with that comparison.
The idea being that both bring a sumptuous, meat marrow palate character all the while throwing out sparks of crystal clear flavor complexity. It pays to be patient with a glass of either's wine.

$70

Guigal Hermitage 1998

Red.

Wonderful nose of smoke, spice, herbs, potato and slow-roasted meat. Yes - like a good stew.

Linear and acid-driven, like the Chave, but deeper and more powerful thanks to a better, riper vintage. Nose repeats in the mouth, as well as red fruit (redcurrant/cranberry?). Late note of iron on the long chewy finish. No sense of effort here either, but not as harmonious as Chave.

I'm a big fan of Guigal's "basic" wines from the major appellations - no oak to speak of and usually showing considerable complexity from day 1. Reasonable $$ too.


$50

Clape Cornas 1998

Deep red.

Deep nose of nuts (hazelnut butter?) and sl. game, herbs and blackcurrant. Bordeaux-ish.

Bordeaux character repeats in mouth - deep black fruit, big, chewy tannin buttressed by lively acidity. Not as rustic as expected, which is something I noticed several months ago with the 2001 (very suave and fruit-driven).

This really needs several more years in the bottle, but I doubt the tannin will ever take a back seat.
Still, this is really good action.

$60

Chave Hermitage 1997

Red/garnet.

Smoked breakfast sausage. Nuances of chocolate, herbs.

Linear in the mouth, acid-driven flavors of smoked sausage, wilted greens - much better than it sounds. Quite harmonious, no sense of an effort to "improve" the wine in the cellar with new oak, more extraction etc.

'97 was not a great vintage in the Northern Rhone.
Maybe that's what 500 years in one place is good for - quiet confidence.

I'd like to try this with a good duck.

$100-150?

Torbreck Steading 2004 (60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 20% Mataro)

Medium red.

Game, nutty oak and vague red fruit nose. Distinctly Torbreck nose (also Massena - as Dan Standish makes both. It will be interesting to see if Torbreck changes as Standish is apparently no longer making the wine). There is a feral/saline quality here that I find salivating in its youth (in past vintages growing more off-putting with bottle-age).

Fat, sweet, sl. saline initial palate impression. In fact, this is even more concentrated, broad and orgasmic than the Massena Moonlight '03 blogged earlier. Structure here is a saline/tannic. Very long. I wonder if this will keep Brett in bounds? I'm thinking it will.


$25

Clos Saint Michel Chateauneuf du Pape 2004

Deep red.

Full, fruit-driven nose that includes Frangelico and Provencal herb spice.

Full in the mouth too. All the typical, traditional elements (garrigue, nuts) allied with a deep fruit mid-palate. Serious, chewy tannin kicks in very late. I need to get more of this. Will age well for several more years.



$25

Les Cailloux Chateauneuf du Pape 1999

Light red/rust.

Iron, cherry, sl. gamy, low intensity nose.

Limited sweetness/textural dimension in the mouth. Tannin really clamps down quickly and doesn't let up. Very '99.
I don't see how this can absorb its tannin before the fruit fades. It might be declining already.

Day 3 - Forget what I said earlier. Just needed air. Garrigue, nuts and brown spices on the nose. Low-toned and sumptuous.

Medium-bodied, with v. nice richness in the mouth and even acid/tannin structure that frames, but doesn't overwhelm flavors riding through medium length finish. Savory meat character. This really does have a Pinot-like tang.

I'm a moron.

$25

Zenato Amarone 1998

Deep red.

Smoke/truffle, cherry jam, oak(?) spice nose. Great, dense nose - smells packed.

It is. Very full in the mouth - real textural density (some RS?). Abundant, acid re-inforced tannin kicks in to the front of the mouth.
Cherry/cranberry/strawberry jam and spice flavors ride through it all. Moderate length.

This would benefit from a few more years in the bottle.


$40