|
|
TN: decent brew No "a-ha" moments, but some very nice tings, nonetheless, and good weather to boot, good health, life, friends....what more can a simpleton want? Br=FCndlmayer, Kamptal, Gr=FCner Veltliner 'Alte Reben', 2001 Color here is a gleaming yellow white gold. Ground white pepper very predominant on the nose, along with some asparagus. Sundried peaches-apricots fill the glbutt and make room for limestone and wet-washed stones, along with a green chile, almost cayenne finish. The alcohol (low, at 12.5%)and glycerin here have that propylene glycol quality that I sometimes get from weighty Austrian whites. Still, richly complex. A- Chateau Lynch Bages, Pauillac, 1986 Judging by the color, this still appears nearly 10 years younger. Beautiful perfumey nose...this is the reason we drink old Bordeaux with roasted lamb. The blackcurrants, Asian spices, sweet bottle-aged finish are all here, and the marriage of perfect fruit with structure is almost complete. And this with the ullage at below shoulder, go figure. high A--A Stony Hill, Chardonnay, Napa Valley, 2000 Nobody hears much from these folks these days, but they've been around before most California winemakers could say 'barrique'. Buttered lemon pears on the nose, that carries into fresh peas, yellow and green skin apples, and oak frosting on the finish. Medium in weight and flavor, striking an attractive profile. 13% B+ Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, 1996 Tawney maroon red colored. At first, funky brett-filled sweatsox is the only stench, but this lifts and whiffs of old, fallen cherries, licorice, and decayed leaf reveal themselves. Lots of interest in the glbutt: with dusty plummy cherry, vanilia-mint, decayed forest floor, and a sweet mature roundness with floral notes. Old school Chateauneuf and I'm lovin' it. Only thing to bring it down a notch would be the slightly metallic tannins that dry out the finish a bit. A- Dorigo, Colli Orientali del Friuli, Ribolla Gialla, 2004 Have you had iyour-i ribolla gialla today? You would if it went down this easy. Like lemons washed in white honey water, this is soft and unprotruding, borders on being light but feels more wistful than that. At $16, pricey for what it is, plastic cork and all, but still decent enough for a try. B+ Albert Morot, Beaune, 'les Cent Vignes', 2001 Lightish burgundy color. A closed and camphory nose blows off quickly to convey oak and red fruits, the oak of which is not as noticeable in the glbutt, where sweet cherry flavors persist. Drinking well now, and perhaps for several years to come, but surprisingly approachable now. B+ Raymond Quenard, Chignin (Savoie), Mondeuse, 2004 The color is an attractive light-violet purple. Christmas ribbon candy, light red fruits and slight smoke comes off. This feels ephermally light, a whisper of strawberries sitting in water, redcurrants. Soft and delicate, like a pretty woman washing her face in a mountain fed stream. Some slight talc on the finish. Good, but pricey, at $20-24 for a fairly simple wine. B+
|
||||||
