TN: 2 sateliite Bdx, 1 NY Riesling

Betsy was away at a Sufi retreat, and I basically did fridge-freezer cleanup for a few nights. A couple of low-end Bdx and a NY Riesling accompanied an buttortment of leftovers.

I know the 2000 Canon de Brem (Canon-Fronsac) got a lot of kudos as a QPR favorite. And it's hard not to like the forward red fruit attack, oozing with red plum and black cherry. Good concentration, light ripe tannins. But ultimately this leaves me a little bored- there's nothing that says Bordeaux to me. Good party wine, though. B-B-

More to my liking is a 375 of the 1998 Ch. Faizeau Vieille Vignes=20 (Montagne-St.=C9milion). This wine was $13 in 750s, then I got some halves at $7.99. On opening, this is still surprisingly tannic for a minor satellite at age 7. But this is a nicely balanced wine- medium-bodied, good acidity, the tannins present but not dominant. Lots of earth and a bit of leather on the nose, very nice raspberry and blackberry fruit, quite impressive finish for the price range. Holds up well over a couple days. Day two seems more plummy-chocolatey than before. B+

And then there's a 2004 Brotherhood Dry Riesling (New York). It's rather dilute and lacking in concentration, and that's a good thing. Because the last thing I'd want is a more concentrated version of this wine, with its cheesey aromas and flat apple fruit. How can you make a Riesling that seems to have unripe fruit, yet it also seems lacking in acidity? I can't say that "America's Oldest Winery" has ever impressed me, but this example leads the pack in suckiness. Some friends included this in a gift basket of upstate items (hey, the food parts were good), but I wish they had saved their money (and my palate). C--D+

Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency. =20