Yorkville Cellars Yorkville Highlands (Redwood Valley) Sauvignon Blanc, 2010

We stopped to taste at Yorkville Cellars last April on our way to Mendocino and the Anderson Valley. Sheep were grazing among the vines in front of the tasting room at that time, but we were told they were just there temporarily to thin out the grass. If left to graze too long, sheep have a way of eating right to the roots of the vines. Yorkville is a friendly little winery, 100% organic. And their wines are sold at my local health food store.

The Randle Vineyard from which this wine comes has a reputation among the locals for producing good Sauvignon Blanc. Bink Cellars, down the road, buys grapes from this vineyard for their own Sauvignon Blanc, which is popular among the locals but which I found leaning a bit much toward the jalapeno pepper side of Sauvignon Blanc. Yorkville chooses to barrel ferment its version--not my favorite approach for Sauvignon Blanc but it succeeds in erasing any hint of jalapeno pepper.

Medium gold, bright. Classy nose of lime, white peaches and pears. Has a creamy mouthfeel, more like a Bordeaux Blanc than a Loire Sauvignon. The winery is oriented toward Bordeaux style wines, and they do a good job. This wine reminds me a bit of Graville Lacoste--a very good Bordeaux Blanc that sells for $15 to $20. I suspect it will improve over the next couple of years.

Clos du Caillou Vieilles Vignes Cotes du Rhone, 1998

I bought this wine when it was still priced like a Cotes du Rhone ($10) rather than a "cuvee unique." I opened one bottle right away, finding an interesting funky wine but only hints of its true potential. Ten to twelve years later, it has developed into a wine that is worth the $25 that is being asked for the current vintage. Clos du Caillou is a good producer of Chateauneuf du Pape, and this wine clearly comes from old vineyards not far from the appellation. North Berkeley Imports had the opportunity to select the barrels it  purchased and had them bottled without filtering. So there is a funkiness now, as there was a decade ago, and those who don't like old vine funk should leave this alone so there is more of it for those of us who appreciate it.

The color is a deep crimson turning to brown. "Non-filtre" means there is plenty of sediment on the side of the bottle. Smells old viney--deeply concentrated cherries--dried and fresh--with spice and tobacco. This is a Chateauneuf du Pape in everything but name. Slightly warm on the palate but mellow. Dark cherries and spice. Beautiful. At $10 a bottle, too bad I didn't buy more.

Laurenz Sunny Niederosterreich (Austria) Gruner Veltliner, 2009

The deep gold color of this wine makes it appear more mature than it really is. It's really drinking nicely right now with good acid zip. Very perfumed--flowers, white fruits, nutmeg and mint. Citric zest but slightly sweet on finish. Would be a good match for Asian food.

Londer Anderson Valley Pinot Noir, 2008

This is a wine I bought at deep discount because it was perceived to be smoke-damaged. Forest fires hit the area during the 2008 growing season, and many producers, including Londer, felt that the smoke tainted the skins of the Pinot grapes. Rather than damage its reputation by selling a wine that did not meet the winery's  standards, Londer sold what is ordinarily a $35 wine at substantially lower prices...and far outside its marketing area. Anderson Valley Pinot Noir is highly regarded and, as a result, most of the better wines never make it far outside of a limited marketing area. If you see a northern coast California Pinot on the shelf of your wine store, it will most likely be from the 2008 vintage.

This is my third bottle from a case of 2008 Londer, and I have served it to several experienced drinkers of Pinot Noir--none of whom was turned off by--or even noted--the smokey traits. The well regarded Meiomi Pinot Noir beside it on the table tonight has been open for a couple of days and may not be showing its best, but it is no match at all for the lovely aromas and flavors that are coming from the Londer.

True Pinot ruby color, much lighter than the Meiomi./ Beautifully fragrant nose of wild berries, flowers and spice. Again, lighter and prettier than the Meiomi./ Tender mouthfeel. Intense flavors, only a hint of smoke if you look for it very intently. Some Anderson Valley winemakers believe that the smoke taint will only get worse as the wine ages, but I'm not so sure.

Bastor Lamontagne Sauternes, 1983

I'll admit that I shouldn't have kept this wine so long, but it is still alive and well at 29 years of age. Robert Parker always gave Bastor Lamontagne decent scores for an inexpensive, lesser known Sauternes. But he suggested drinking at 10 to 15 years of age, and the wine is overachieving to continue giving so much pleasure.

It's a deep, mature old gold color--quickly turning to salmon color after initial exposure to air. I smell apricots, pineapple and figs. Rich and sweet on the tongue as well; none of the sharp edges that show up in a wine that has reached and passed its prime. The finish is actually quite nice but without the depth and complexity that you would expect from a top-ranked Sauternes.

Paul Jaboulet Domaine de Thalabert Crozes-Hermitage, 1991

As good as the 1998 Fortia Chateauneuf is, this 1991 Domaine Thalabert Crozes is even better. I would say that it is drinking at its peak right now, but I've been wrong before about Domaine Thalabert. These Crozes never seem to stop going and growing.

The 1991 is a medium deep color with hints of amber forming. As is typical of Domaine Thalabert, the bouquet features black currants and berries with deep undertones of spices, herbs and leather. Green olive tones are beginning to emerge--a very attractive side of Syrah, in my opinion. Again typical of Thalabert, there is nothing in this wine that jumps out at you to say, "look at me." Not a show wine. Just keep drinking and paying attention and you will be rewarded with layer after layer of concentrated smells and flavors. Dances all the way down the tongue, leaving an impression that lasts and lasts. This is a very fine wine.

The 1990 Domaine Thalabert is the one that gets all the attention, and I'm sure it has probably lived up to its Parker hype. I haven't tried it yet but will soon. Until then, though, I am perfectly happy with this 1991. It's much better, for my taste, than the more heavily oaked 1989 and is probably on a par with the excellent 1988.

Chateau Fortia Chateaneuf du Pape, 1998

I remember my first experience with this wine at a large Ann Arbor Wine Club tasting of 1998 and 1999 Rhone wines. Among those gathered around the Chateauneuf table, there was pretty clear agreement that Fortia was showing the best at that early age--among some pretty heavy competition. Now at 14 years of age, it is fully mature and is still showing come hither qualities.

The color is a medium light crimson, and the aromas and flavors could be described as pretty rather than powerful or big. In many ways, this wine reminds me of a good red Burgundy.. Cherry, spice and leather with a savory, sea salt note that counters the ripeness. I'm not sure I like it any better than I did at the tasting more than a decade ago, but that was a hard act to follow. It's Thanksgiving, and I'm thankful I have several more bottles of 1998 Fortia.