Deep, dark violet ruby. Bold and spicy Carignan. Dark cherries, blue plums, aromatic herbs. Smoother and less rustic than I expected from old vine Carignan. Bright flavors pick up nuances on second night. Good wine and may get better with more time in cellar.
Beautiful light pink. Wild berries, flowers, white peaches, aromatic herbs. Silky and light on the palate with refreshing acidity. Long, fruity finish.
Medium dark violet/ruby, slightly dull. Syrah black fruits on first night, Grenache red fruit emerges on second night. Spiced cherries and black raspberries. A bit hard on mid-palate, opening up a bit on second night. Good wine but doesn't measure up to my expectations of Cairanne established by the very fine wines of Domaine L'Oratoire Saint Martin.
Bright ruby with amber at the edges. Looking mature at seven years of age and also showing maturity in its smells and flavors. All for the better. Dark cherries, black licorice, pepper and aromatic spices. Good Barbera acidity. Pleasantly gritty tannins on mid-palate add texture and flavor interest. Drinking beautifully right now.
Deep tawny color, clear and bright. Beautiful lifted tawny bouquet. Dried fruit, nuts, dates and exotic spices. Good viscosity and acid. Sweet, smooth and long. Eveybody at our table loved this wine, even those who are not regular port drinkers. I gave it 17.0/20.
Very dark, opaque, purplish. Aromas are a bit muted at first but gradually open. Very ripe flavors--dark cherries, mint, spicy oak. Supple tannins, light acidity. Sweet, medium length finish. My score: 16.0
Very deep and dark. Black currants, plums, blueberries. Showing both Cabernet and Shiraz traits. Light tannins, full body, a bit light on acid and high in oak for my taste. Even at 14.5%, alcohol is showing but the wine improves noticeably with aeration. I rated it 16.5.
Beautiful deep ruby, does not have signs of heavy oak. Black currants blended with Grenache strawberry and Mourvedre plums and violets. Clearly higher in acidity, lower in alcohol than the Molllydooker. Savory rather than sweet, supple tannins and long finish. My kind of wine but for $50 I can find two bottles of a Chateauneuf du Pape that will give me exceptionally more pleasure.
Very deep and dark, bluish. This wine is Shiraz but I get a chocolate-tinged Cab/Shiraz nose. Black curraants, plums, eucalyptus, coffee, dark chocolate. Grabs your attention and hangs on. Lush and full bodied on the mid-palate but lots of heat on the finish. Becomes more intense and complex as the wine aerates. I gave it 17.5 points and, despite the obvious heat, was surprised to learn of its 16.0 alcohol by volume.
I was even more surprisead by the $70 price tag. For that price, I could get two or three bottles of a very good Crozes-Hermitage or Saint Joseph with more flavor, less oak and lower alcohol.
Light straw color. Bright aromas. Lime, white flowers, petrol. Medium intensity, fuller body than I expected from Riesling. Medium finish I but I expect more complexity and depth will develop with age. I lilke the wine and scored it 15/20, but at $38 it is significantly more expensive than my favorite Rieslings such as those of Trimbach (Alsace) and Chateau Grand Traverse (OId Mission Peninsula of Michigan).
Medium deep straw color, clear and brighdt. Semillon scents of apple, fig with a hint of fresh mown grass. Full body, rich texture on the mid-palate. Not a lot of acidity and flavors are still a bit muted. Just needs some time. My score was 16 out of 20.
Along with other members of the Kalamazoo chapter of AWS/Tasters Guild, Donna and I took part in the annual National Tasting Project, focusing this year on Australian wines. The wines, tasted blind, were all very good but most tasters were a bit shocked at the prices relative to wines available to us from other parts of the world.
Americans became used to low priced high quality wines from Australia several decades ago, but Aussie wines available today for less than $15 a bottle are generally limited to commercial wines geared toward the lowest common denominator. One reason for this is that wages for vineyard workers and other staff are significantly higher in that country. Another is that producers of artisan wines have come to realize that consumers are willing to pay more for a good product. Finally, there are tariffs, which will eventually increase the price of all foreign products.
In the next few days, I will be giving my notes on the we tasted on July 13 in Kalamazoo.
Very deep and dark ruby. Not very typical of Pinot Noir. Expressive smells and flavors of black raspberry, dark cherry and oak-influenced spices.Full bodied with some supple tannins on the mid-palate and a pleasant finish. A very popular wine, but a bit sweet and one-dimensional for my taste.
Deep lemon yellow, showing its years. Rich, luscious Pinot Gris smells and flavors. Peach, ripe apples, earth and old vine complexity. Acidity keeps it fresh and delicious on the palate. With fruit this lovely, I can live with a bit of sweetness.
Bright ruby, much darker than the Elyse. Black fruit dominates in this wine, and it's relatively big and powerful. Mourvedre violets and spice. Rich fruit in an elegant package. I am a long-term fan of Domaine Sainte-Anne, and this is my favorite DSA cuvee. Not a Chateauneuf du Pape, but in many ways a more enjoyable wine.
