Wine Notes from Arizona

Kongsgaard, 63% Roussanne 37% Viognier, 2005 Napa Valley

2009-07-04T19:18:00.000-07:00

Yellow.

Smoke, grilled peach/apricot, caramel, pepper/spice nose.

Round and lusciously sweet texture, but decidedly dry. Bonefest. Long, exotic, minerally, caramel, floral finish. Way too easy (and delicious).

$75

Copain, Roussanne, James Berry Vyd. 2004

2009-07-04T19:06:00.000-07:00

Light yellow.

Almond paste, light popcorn, flowers, caramel, apricot nose. Evolves with air and warming.

Round, deep, and intense - almond/caramel/citrus/peach/mineral flavors. Structure is a bit aggressive at the moment, really clamping down on the front teeth. But then a lime note works its way out ... Wild, loaded, stuff. Might be in a weird phase, but I'd think this could drink well for many more years.

$40

Yalumba, Viognier (organically grown), South Australia 2007

2009-07-04T18:55:00.000-07:00

Bright light yellow.

Reticent flint, lychee, and spice aromas. A floral quality too.

Round and mouthcoating. Almost waxy feel, like Marsanne, but not oily. Very bright, with a peppery character to the apricot and lychee flavors. Not incredibly concentrated, but quite satisfying from every angle. Almost bracingly dry finish. Foodies will love this.

$15? Can't remember. Screwcap

Martinsancho, Verdejo, Rueda (Spain) 2007

2009-07-04T18:48:00.000-07:00

Bright, light yellow.

Musky kiwi, spice, fresh oregano aromatics.

Nice breadth in the mouth, with ripe lemon, pear and tropical fruit flavors playing off strong mineral/acid structure. Very refreshing with good, chewy, length.

$20

K Vintners, Syrah "Milbrandt" Wahluke Slope, Columbia Valley 2006

2009-07-01T19:55:00.000-07:00

Deep purple/red.

Vinturi - integrated, discreet nose - wilted herbs, toasted nut, savory meat. Raspberry undertone.

Deep, natural, feel in the mouth. Acidity is reasonably strong, but does not intrude. Herbs and smoke, with the sour green edge Cote Rotie often has (much more pleasant than it sounds). An exuberant raspberry note on the long finish. Very nice, and will drink well for 5-8 more years, maybe longer.

$30

Tapteil, Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain (Yakima Valley) 2004

2009-07-01T19:32:00.000-07:00

Saturated purple/red.

Vinturi - deep, bass, nose - coconut/macaroon, grilled meat, earth/oak spice. Smells like something from Spain (RdD). Pepper late.

Deep and plush in the mouth with coconut (attractive) front and center. Herbs and blackcurrant further down the line. A bit rustic and chewy, but loaded. This is RGS. Real substance here.

$30

Cadaretta, Merlot, Columbia Valley 2006

2009-07-01T19:24:00.000-07:00

Deep red.

Vinturi - raspberry, slight shoe polish, oak toast/earth. Attractive, suave.

Ditto in the mouth, lean, but has nice depth of flavor and brightness. Grows on you. Nothing massive about this. Refined and lifted in the final analysis, with Tanzer's "sneaky length".

$40 14.9% alcohol listed

Walter Dacon, Vin a Dessert, Syrah, Red Mountain 2007

2009-06-29T15:14:00.000-07:00

Saturated red/purple.

Authentic, "porty" nose - brandied, intense black fruits, licorice, damp earth. Opened yesterday. Better aromatic integration and expression today.

Sweet and powerful in the mouth, with acidity the main structural component. Very tasty, but lacks the density/extract to fully support its sugar.

$18 375mL

Cedar Creek "Platinum Reserve" Meritage, Okanagan Valley 2002

2009-06-29T13:00:00.000-07:00

Saturated red/purple.

Very deep, sumptuous aromas of Bordeaux herbs, chocolate, plum/raspberry sauce and well-integrated oak toast. PFG.

Round, plush and packed. Another wine that sports a saline, defining, edge. Nothing crazy, though. Shows a bit of tomato and pepper in the mouth, too. Acid-driven tannin ultimately constricts the finish.

$50 I don't remember the blend here, but it is Cabernet and Merlot. Micro-ox employed, I think. Early (very good) work from Mr. DiBello. Also opened yesterday.

Panther Creek "Shea Vineyard" Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2004

2009-06-29T12:51:00.000-07:00

Deep red.

Deep, roasted, smoky nose - could be Syrah. Roasted hazelnut, earth and a hint of black fruit.

Deep in the mouth, with a touch of (textural) sweetness. Aromas largely follow nose, with fruit peeking out in the mid-palate and finish. Relatively strong acid/tannin synergy shortens the finish. Also opened yesterday.

$45

Argyle "Reserve" Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 2005

2009-06-29T12:45:00.000-07:00

Slightly dull red.

Spicy, woodsy, cherry nose. Hints of roasted herb and pepper.

Slightly saline, round impression. Then firmed considerably by relatively strong acidity. Opened yesterday, when it showed more textural "give". Very much a crowd-pleaser.

$25

Pax "Obsidian" Syrah, Knights Valley 2003

2009-06-24T19:50:00.000-07:00

Opaque (hazy) purple/red.

Vinturi - a multitude of spices, dried fig, menthol, licorice, black raspberry on the nose.

Intense, round and slightly grainy. Deep, but no fat here. This seems more constricted in the finish than previous bottles. Not giving it up. Probably just needs more cellar time, as this is loaded with material.

$50

Marcassin, Marcassin Vyd, Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast 2004

2009-06-21T18:31:00.000-07:00

Light yellow.

Vinturi - caramel, truffle/smoke/sulfide, lemon peel (underneath) on the nose.

Big, deep, loaded entry. Hugely concentrated, with flavors following the nose. A bit abrasive in the mid-palate, with alcohol and sulfide/tannin/acid structure butting heads. Caramel, lemon, mineral chew finish. Very, very long.

$120

J.J. Prum, Wehlener Sonnenuhr, Riesling, Spatlese 2002

2009-06-21T18:21:00.000-07:00

Platinum/straw.

Discreet nose - light petrol, white peach, nectarine.

Fairly sweet initial impression, with perfectly ripe peach/nectarine flavors gradually tightened and focused by fine minerality/acidity. Great balancing act, light, airy. Mineral chew and nectarine pit finish. Could drink a huge amount of this stuff.

Opened yesterday.

$30 7.5% alcohol listed, AP# 2 576 511 27 03

Thackrey "Orion" Rossi Vyd., St. Helena 2000

2009-06-18T19:25:00.000-07:00

Deep purple/red.

Vinturi - another sumptuous wine - oak embers, light eucalyptus, dried fig, black raspberry, grilled meat nose. Reminds me of a great, vibrant, Shiraz.

Deep, with a slight textural sweetness. Immediately tempered by strong acidity. Deep, but relatively one-dimensional. Needs more cellar time.

$75

Aalto, Ribera del Duero 2000

2009-06-18T18:48:00.000-07:00

Deep purple/red.

Vinturi - macaroon, blackberry, black raspberry, toasted oak, spice - can't articulate everything. Sumptuous, like a baked confection.

Deep and broad in the mouth, with a grainy/saline edge. Intense, focused. This is killer. Huge oak influence, but great raw materials and winemaker (Mariano Garcia). And decent bottle age. This will drink well for years to come.

$35 on release

Zind Humbrecht, Pinot Gris, Rangen "Clos St. Urbain" 2002

2009-06-18T18:36:00.000-07:00

Deep copper/gold.

Deep marmalade, roasted peach and truffle nose.

Quite sweet and concentrated in the mouth, but very well-defined thanks to strong acidity (more than a little VA adds spunk). Somehow manages to show a light touch. Light acid/mineral chew reaches the front teeth.

$30 375mL 15% alcohol, indice 4 (pretty sweet)

Ken Estes, Fred Sontag

2009-06-17T22:11:00.000-07:00

Ken Estes loved wine and life. No evil bone in his body, just a laugh and another great joke.

Fred Sontag taught many to think, and, eventually, to doubt. All the better for it.

Mogador 1999 Priorat (Spain)

2009-06-14T17:57:00.000-07:00

Purple/red.

Vinturi - shoe polish, toasted oak, prune/blackberry, earth, herb nose. Loaded, deep.

Round and mouth-filling, with an acid/saline edge at the outer boundary. Plush mid-palate, though the acid/tannin synergy increases. The '97 reminded me of really good left bank Bordeaux. This brings (very ripe) St. Emilion to mind. And Soumade "Fleur" Rasteau. I'm not sure this has much room to improve, however, so drink it over the next 5-6 years.

$40 on release

Copain 2006 Hacienda Secoya, Pinot Noir (Anderson Valley)

2009-06-14T17:46:00.000-07:00

Red.

Vinturi - intense, deep, lifted, crancherry, spice, underbrush, oak nut nose.

Round and taut simultaneously, with strong, but fine, acidity driving red fruit and spice flavors. Tanzer's "thrust". Very nice depth and length. Nothing abrasive, but not wimpy either. Built for the cellar, say 4-8 more years.

$45

Copain, Syrah, Harrison Clarke, Santa Ynez Valley 2006

2009-06-12T19:46:00.000-07:00

Deep purple.

Vinturi - low-toned, discreet nose. Beautifully integrated menthol/licorice/bacon/toasted nut/fig sauce aromas. Refined, subtle.

Round and mouth-filling with a surprising, vibrant, citric edge. Classy, interesting stuff, easily dismissed if you're not paying attention. I wasn't, initially. Reminds me of some Chapoutier bottlings in that sense. Unfortunately I only have one bottle left.
Wonder what this will be like in 6-8 years. RFG.

$45 From a site that is, basically, pure limestone.

Altovinum "Evodia" Garnacha, Catalayud 2007

2009-06-11T19:23:00.000-07:00

Light red.

Vinturi - moderate intensity nose - grapefruit zest, ruby flesh and earth.

Intense grapefruit zest entry, reasonable length. Nice mid-palate freshness and depth. All citrus on the slightly chewy finish. Benefits from air-time. Iron makes a very late appearance.

$11, courtesy of Mr. Bo Stock, as was the Roogle Riesling. This is apparently Eric Solomon's replacement for Las Rocas (brand sold to Gallo). Not sure if this measures up, but I haven't had the '07 Las Rocas "regular".

Colosi, Nero d'Avola, Sicily 2007

2009-06-10T19:25:00.000-07:00

Purple.

Vinturi - great "modern" nose - deep black fruit, clay/earth and spice. Shows nice small barrel elevage (?).

Round, deep and plush in the mouth. Black fruit/earth flavors remind me again (nose does too) of Spanish Monastrell (Juan Gil). Acid drives moderate tannin, but nothing abrasive about this. There's a licorice nuance also. Very good depth and concentration.

$17 Synthetic cork

Marquis-Philips "Roogle" Riesling, S.Eastern Australia 2008

2009-06-10T19:17:00.000-07:00

Straw.

Talc, nut, apple, lime nose.

Nice initial fruit sweetness plays off of mineral/acid chew. Picks up a ripe peach character in the mid-palate. Bright, fresh and relatively giving for Riesling. Extremely tasty, satisfying action that shows no hardness.

$8 Deal? Screwcap.

Graham's, Vintage Porto 1994

2009-06-07T18:49:00.000-07:00

Dull red.

Vinturi - toasty oak (but there is no new oak used)/grilled meat, cola, dried fig/spice, Amaretto nose. Brandy reasonable well-integrated. Deep, loaded and powerful.

Huge in the mouth with powerful brandy and sweetness giving this a liqueur character. Hugely sweet, but it works, and keeps on giving in the finish. Blueberry, raspberry, blackberry. You barely notice the tannic edge that frames it all. Really long. RFG

Day 3 - Totally killer nose - blackberry/raisin custard, Amaretto. Just all over the place - sloppy (in the best sense of that word) - in the mouth. Manages to cut through all the sugar and opulence with tremendous structure, finishing almost like a dry red, but with dessert wine length. Amaretto. Could go blind drinking this.

$35 375mL