Chateau Graville Lacoste Graves Blanc, 2016

White Graves once had a prominent place on my regular buying list, but they are very difficult to find in my local buying area. Graville Lacoste is a very good one. It is 75% Semillon, 20% Sauvignon Blance and 5% Muscadelle from grapes grown in the Haut Barsac area of Bordeaux.

Young Graville Lacoste is usually as light and clear as water. At 8 years of age, this bottle has turned to a medium deep gold. I find it prime drinking right now without a hint of oxidation.. Bright lemon, lime, apple, pear with a hint of white fig. Creamy, yet with a crisp mineral edge. Subtle smells and flavors develop as it warms in the glass. Oh, how I wish I had a few more of these!

Sells for about $20 if you can find it. 

Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz, 2005

This is a throwback to many of the Barossa Shiraz wines I enjoyed often in the 1970s and 1980s. It is styled like the Shiraz wines produced from the warm but well respected Kalimna vineyard in Barossa although, like most Penfolds wines, the fruit is selected from a number of vineyards and areas, only some of which are in Barossa. It is a big, warm climate Shiraz that was matured for 13 months in old American oak hogsheads.

Deep, dark ruby red. Looks young, smells young and tastes young. Black fruits and spice. Cinnamon, rosemary, vanilla. Full bodied with a robust mouth feel. Still very tannic. Penfolds suggests drinking between 2008 and 2025, but I can see this wine drinking well for at least another decade.

 

Impact Compounds in Wine

My wine notes, like others, frequently include aroma and flavor descriptors (black cherry, rose petals) that may seem fanciful and unnecessary. As one of my friends put it, "It just smells and tastes like wine." A recent post from Wine Folly explains how these descriptors give you a road map to the grapes and processes used to produce the wine. They are, in effect, a chemical profile of the wine which doesn't necessarily define quality as much as your personal tasting preferences.

Of more than 100 aroma compounds in wine, according to the article, there are six that play an impactful role. PYRAZINES (methoxypyrazine) are found mostly in Bordeaux varietals--Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, Carmenere and Sauvignon Blanc. It's a smell that is almost unmistakeable in Sauvignon Blanc: bell pepper, freshly cut grass, asparagus, celery and green peas. When it appears in red wines, it is not always considered agreeable. Robert Parker consistently marked down Cabernet wines with obvious green tones, and he influenced many tasters, including me. Fortunately for me, this green tone usually disappears, replaced by a cherry note, after many years of aging. I have many well aged Bordeaux and Napa Cabernet wines that I love, but I find most young Cabs (and particularly Merlots) with green tones virtually undrinkable.

Pyrazine I cn do without. ROTUNDONE is my holy grail. It creates the black pepper, spice (marjoram, rosemary, thyme), earth and old leather that is common in wines made from Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Aglianico.and Zinfandel grapes. That is why my tastes run toward the Rhone, and particularly the Southern Rhone plus certain areas of Italy. Unfortunately, studies have found that 20 to 25% of the population cannot smell rotundone. The majority of those who can report it as a positive smell. 

The other impact compounds listed by Wine Folly are:

 SOTOLON (maple syrup, grilled nuts, figs, honey) that is created by oxidation in wines such as Sherry, Vin Jaune, old Sauternes, old Chardonnay and very old red wines;

TDN or petrol that is most prominent in Riesling but also in some Chardonnays and other white wines;

DIACETYL, which is responsible for the buttery, creamy flavors and textures in wines, red and white, that have undergone malolactic fermentation; and

MONOTERPENES (roses, flowers, sweet spices, mandarin orange), which are dominant in Muscat Blanc, Gewurztraminer, Viognier but also some red wines such as Nebbiolo and Pinot Noir.

The interaction of these compounds and others creates the complexity and interest of any wine. If the wine simply tastes like wine, you may be missing or ignoring these compounds. Or the wine may just be a simple wine.

Epicuro Sicilia DOP Nero d'Avola 2022

The Epicuro Italian wines, selling for $5.99, are outstanding values at Trader Joe's. I was very pleased with the Aglianico a few weeks ago and went back to buy more. This wine, though good, does not do it for me.

Deep and dark. Rich in blackberry-oriented fruit. Full bodied with soft tannins that allow a smooth feeling on the palate. Only 12.5% alcohol so I assume it is somewhat high in residual sugar and lacks the acidity needed to balance it. A good every day wine if it matches your taste. For the same price, I prefer the Aglianico.
 

Roger Lassarat Pouilly Fuisse Tres Vieilles Vignes Cuvee Unique, 2005

 

Count me among tbose who love the special charm of well aged Pouilly Fuisse. At five years of age, this Roger Lassarat wine would have been a very good fruit-forward Chardonnay; at 24 years, it has the mellow warmth and complexity that comes only with age.

Some would be turned off by the color--the deep old gold of maturity. And there are some oxidative notes in the smells and flavors, but that is part of the package. White peaches and Red Delicious apples. Also the broad flavors and salinity of grilled nuts. Acidity that carries the flavors from front to back. Some of the most attractive flavors seem to cling to the roof of my mouth, lingering nicely

Quinto do Cabriz Dao, 2014

I bought this wine for $6.99 seven years ago at Costco. Most wines at that price level are for early drinking, but when I tried this Dao wine, I knew it would age well so I bought a case. Now in its 10th year, the wine is showing the changes that come with aging, but I don't think it is through with its metamorphosis.

Bright color but garnet more than ruby. Smells are not as intense as early bottles but deeper and more concentrated. Like pasta red sauce that has been simmering for hours. Dark cherries and spice. Somehow, the tannins seem more noticeable now than they were a few years ago but they aare more integrated with the fruit, which is beginning to show darker tones. Complexity is developing, but I think there is more to come
 

Skouras Saint George Agiorgitiko Nemea, 2021

I have had virtually no experience with Greek wines. As a result, I was baffled when looking over the list of wines by the glass at the new Dimi's Greek House restaurant in Kalamazoo. All of the wines on the list, red and whie, were Greek so I asked for advice from the waiter who recommended this Saint George Agiorgitiko. It was a good choice and matched well with the delicious lamb shank entree.

Medium light red. Reminds me of a good Southern Rhone. Red fruit smells and flavors--strawberry, red cherry with a spicy edge. Medium to light body, high acid, medium to light tannin. I get some complexity in the red fruit, black pepper finish.