Wednesday, January 29, 2003
I'm a big fan of wines from Corsica, especially their Rose and White wines. So last night, rather than drinking red wines, I pulled two whites that have had just enough time in the cellar. Both were from the 1998 vintage, and reflect restraint on my part. Or maybe stupidity for not enjoying these sooner.....Unlike so many wines from the Provence region, Corsica, which is known as the Isle of Beaute, makes wines that are surprisingly more in the style of wine from Burgundy than the bolder and more forceful regions of the Rhone or, dare I say, Bordeaux.
1998 Domaine Arena Patrimonio
This was like drinking a fine Chablis. All apples and pears, with yummy peach flavors on the attack. My guess is this wine is all Vermentino (Rolle) but there may be some Carignan or Grenache Blanc in the mix. The wine was round, fruit forward and delicious. Makes you wonder why for so many years Corsican wines were a secret in the USA.
1998 Domaine Leccia Vermentino E. Croce
Totally different, and the one to drink first. This was minerally, crisp, bone dry, with tropical fruit flavors of lime, lemon zest and mango. Hints of papaya and Crenshaw melon were most evident and the wine was a hit with all who tried it. It is a perfect match up to soft shell crab over Asian slaw.
Having been remiss in keeping you, loyal WinePals, dare I say in the dark, here are notes of other wines of recent note---
1999 Reverdy Sancerre, Loire..Sometimes you need a classic wine that is not all funked up, made with chemistry or manipulated to the nenth degree. Thank god there are wines like the Reverdy Sancerre. Here's a quintessential Sauvignon Blanc that is all granny apple, a hint of green bell pepper, limes, limestone and a hint of mint. Crisp and refreshing, just add oysters. NO MORE LEFT IN THE CELLAR.
2000 Bruno Hunold Riesling... Under $10.00 Riesling from Alsace. Yup. Hats off to importer Dan Kravitz of Hand Picked Selections for a stellar wine that evokes the memories of inexpensive Alsatian whites of a bye-gone era. Made in style similar to Hugel or Trimbach, this ripe, round, unctuous bottling is pure fruit in a glass as its spicy and exotic overtones keep the petrol aromas in check, all the while delightfully balancing the sweetness with the acidity. LIKELY NO MORE IN THE CELLAR!
1996 Savary Chablis....Here's a wine that has them thinking higher end Burgundy. Can you say M-O-N-T-R-A-C-H-E-T. Yup. Drunk two nights before the big game it was classic Burgundy. Aged to perfection, delightful in the glass, with pear, apple, quince flavors. Not a drop of oak on this wine. Gosh I'm glad I found another bottle....IN THE CELLAR.
1998 Chateau de Trignon Cotes du Rhone Blanc... This is the "what have I been thinking" selection when it comes to not drinking more of this white wine from the Rhone Valley in France. A delightful blend of fresh white Rhone grapes, the cuvee is always a refreshing change from over oaked California Chardonnay or high priced Burgundies. But since I don't drink much of either, I must remember to open more of these as they mix well with all styles of cooking and flavors....MORE IN THE CELLAR!!!
1994 Vega Saco Toro Crianza...A Spanish delight. $4.99 this wine is like the cheap thrill that has grown up, and comes back around saying, "try me now." I'll never forget Tom of San Diego Wine Company's comment about this wine when it arrived. "Most people will buy this and drink it, but gosh can this wine really age." Well he was right and no longer was it the precocious tart fruit bomb of its early days. Instead you get a glorious bottle of red wine, loaded with fruit, berries and a hint of tobacco and tar. Long and lingering on the palate the black cherry, black raspberry and tobacco leaf flavors are sheer delight. Did I open the Bordeaux by mistake....no, it was from Spain....MORE FOUND IN THE CELLAR !!
1994 North Berkeley Wines Cuvee Unique Les Baux de Provence. Moving north into the hills of Provence, this wine made for North Berkeley wine by Mas de Gourgournier is another delight. Big, rich, deep, with leather, mushrooms, truffles---it must be Mourvedre, then black fruit laced with pepper---can you say Syrah and a healthy dash of berry fruit that is still forward, gosh I think I sense Grenache. This is an amazing under $10.00 red that has continued to improve in the bottle. Layers of blueberry and blackberry fruit, peppery spice and deep earthy flavors makes this the perfect burger wine. Fans of wines like this would be encouraged to visit North Berkeley Wine Merchants and buy the 2000 Mas de Gourgournier while they're still around. P.S. MORE IN THE CELLAR!!
1997 Wine Cask Melange Rouge.....I have zero clue what is in this wine, but suspect it was made either by Jim Alderman and Jim Clendenen of Au Bon Climat, Bryan Babcock or Bob Lindquist of Qupe for owner turned winemaker Doug Margerum, for this wine is an exceptional example of all the great fruit that is available in Santa Barbara County. It's a jammy, blackberry and sweet cherry red that is clearly made for the non-thinking, anti-cerebral crowd that wants to enjoy a bottle of red and watch the Raiders get whooped......ONE MORE LEFT IN THE CELLAR.
1987 Lance Cutler Batto Ranch Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon.... Every time I open a 1987 Cabernet Sauvignon I go, in the word of Wine Warehouse Sales God, and former Piret's GM, Rick Alles "Wow" and then ask myself if that year was the more overlooked vintage of the eighties? This wine, made by the then winemaker of Guldlach Bundschu, was both charming and powerful as its flavors of wild cherry, mint, briar patch oak notes and just a long lingering fruit finish.**ONE MORE IN THE CELLAR!
1985 Chateau Montelena Napa Cabernet Sauvignon....Perfect and ready to drink. I continue to believe that as heralded as 1985 was as a vintage that the years of 1984, 86 and 87 will turn out to be longer agers in the bottle, and while the enjoyment for many of the 85's has past, this wine sure was at its best. Dressed for success the wine was more Bordeaux like than most recent Montelena's I've had. It did however leave me wondering how much longer it will be sticking around. NOT FROM MY CELLAR!!!
1994 Frankland Estates Isolation Ridge Shiraz.. A hint of bell pepper and green bean in the blend did not deter this wine from being a star. Rich and ripe the wine has hit stride, and while there is no fear of this wine falling over the cliff, I suggest the wines be drunk sooner, rather than later. Silky and fine, the wine has shed that baby fat and oaky exterior and is now revealing lushness and a caress of a warm lover who has decided to stop playing coy. NONE LEFT IN THE CELLAR.
1994 St. Hallets Old Block Shiraz...On the other hand, this heavy handed Aussie still hasn't learned its manners. It has to push and shove its way across the table, shouting how good it is, with an over abundance of black fruit, spicy Syrah pepper and layers of that American Oak that marks the Australian Shiraz wines when young. Wait, this wine is nine years old. Put it back in the bottle. It needs another four years. This wine is easily in the league of the regular Elderton Shiraz and should be savored for many years to come. MAYBE ONE MORE IN THE CELLAR....MAYBE NOT.
1994 Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf du Pape...There is a reason one buys wines imported by Kermit Lynch in quantity especially when they were much less expensive than they are today. Classic CdP from a vintage that was rated good to very good. Sorry fellas, this wine rocks. I'm not sure if it's just the fact that wine has reached a point in its development and that all parts are in perfect harmony or what, but the combination of cigar box bouquet, some earthy truffle flavors, the Provencal herbs and spices, followed by a medley, no make that a cornucopia of berries, black plums, stone fruit, hints of cassis and saddle leather made this wine so darn good....THANK GOD....THERE ARE MORE IN THE CELLAR !
1994 Domaine Clavel Le Mejanelle Coteaux du Languedoc (Kermit Lynch Bottling) Now to set the record up correctly, this is not the Clavel wine called Le Mejanelle that Jeffrey Davies imported. The wine called Les Garrigues is the same wine, while the Le Mejanelle carry his import label is pure Carignan, and not to be confused with the La Copa Santa from Clavel which is pure Syrah. Got it. Good. This is the blend of Grenache and Syrah..gee did Clavel ever make a pure Grenache under the same label...hmmmm..Anyway, while the names may have been the same, the wine sure isn't as this Le Mejanelle is pure Languedoc flavors. High Garrigue herbs and spice, loaded with that black raspberry fruit flavor and roasted cherries, hints of cassis and wild herbs, here's a wine that used to cost $6.00 and has really rounded out nicely. MORE IN THE CELLAR !!!
1996 Hartley Ostini Hitching Post Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir... Yes I do like Pinot Noir and find that Santa Barbara County releases from top producers seem to always find a way to make me appreciate wines from wineries that are a day trip away. Here's a stellar wine made from one of the regions better producers that has really kicked into gear. It's no longer a brooding, tight and unevolved red wine. Instead you get classic California Pinot Noir that is made not to be a bottle of Red Burgundy. It's fruit rich, has the right degree of oak and loads of cinnamon and cherry fruit, while enough palate weight to stand up to spicy Korean BBQ sauce and Bento Box vegetables. SORRY, NO MORE LEFT.
1990 Rosenblum Hendry Vineyard Napa Zinfandel...When it comes to Zinfandel always remember your three R's. Ridge, Ravenswood and Rosenblum. Oh, there's Renwood too. Well, who said wine geeks can count less than a dozen? Here's a Zinfandel that doesn't want to stop being Zin style and steadfastly refuses to hit that point where it becomes Claret like. Can you say fruit bomb. Well, not quite. It's close, but has really taken on a rich and decidedly Zin like Zen existence, showing the cooler climate of Napa Valley and those long days of gentle sun. Deep with elderberry, muted cherry, dark plum and a hint of raspberry fruits, this wine continues to show me that the Rosenblum winery, just off the Bay in Oakland, is forever turning out exceptional wines. Hendry Vineyard fruit also has the mark of a serious old vines patch and should be sought out, regardless of who is making the wines....DA DA DA DA....DATS ALL FOLKS.
Cheers,
Andy Abramson
1998 Domaine Arena Patrimonio
This was like drinking a fine Chablis. All apples and pears, with yummy peach flavors on the attack. My guess is this wine is all Vermentino (Rolle) but there may be some Carignan or Grenache Blanc in the mix. The wine was round, fruit forward and delicious. Makes you wonder why for so many years Corsican wines were a secret in the USA.
1998 Domaine Leccia Vermentino E. Croce
Totally different, and the one to drink first. This was minerally, crisp, bone dry, with tropical fruit flavors of lime, lemon zest and mango. Hints of papaya and Crenshaw melon were most evident and the wine was a hit with all who tried it. It is a perfect match up to soft shell crab over Asian slaw.
Having been remiss in keeping you, loyal WinePals, dare I say in the dark, here are notes of other wines of recent note---
1999 Reverdy Sancerre, Loire..Sometimes you need a classic wine that is not all funked up, made with chemistry or manipulated to the nenth degree. Thank god there are wines like the Reverdy Sancerre. Here's a quintessential Sauvignon Blanc that is all granny apple, a hint of green bell pepper, limes, limestone and a hint of mint. Crisp and refreshing, just add oysters. NO MORE LEFT IN THE CELLAR.
2000 Bruno Hunold Riesling... Under $10.00 Riesling from Alsace. Yup. Hats off to importer Dan Kravitz of Hand Picked Selections for a stellar wine that evokes the memories of inexpensive Alsatian whites of a bye-gone era. Made in style similar to Hugel or Trimbach, this ripe, round, unctuous bottling is pure fruit in a glass as its spicy and exotic overtones keep the petrol aromas in check, all the while delightfully balancing the sweetness with the acidity. LIKELY NO MORE IN THE CELLAR!
1996 Savary Chablis....Here's a wine that has them thinking higher end Burgundy. Can you say M-O-N-T-R-A-C-H-E-T. Yup. Drunk two nights before the big game it was classic Burgundy. Aged to perfection, delightful in the glass, with pear, apple, quince flavors. Not a drop of oak on this wine. Gosh I'm glad I found another bottle....IN THE CELLAR.
1998 Chateau de Trignon Cotes du Rhone Blanc... This is the "what have I been thinking" selection when it comes to not drinking more of this white wine from the Rhone Valley in France. A delightful blend of fresh white Rhone grapes, the cuvee is always a refreshing change from over oaked California Chardonnay or high priced Burgundies. But since I don't drink much of either, I must remember to open more of these as they mix well with all styles of cooking and flavors....MORE IN THE CELLAR!!!
1994 Vega Saco Toro Crianza...A Spanish delight. $4.99 this wine is like the cheap thrill that has grown up, and comes back around saying, "try me now." I'll never forget Tom of San Diego Wine Company's comment about this wine when it arrived. "Most people will buy this and drink it, but gosh can this wine really age." Well he was right and no longer was it the precocious tart fruit bomb of its early days. Instead you get a glorious bottle of red wine, loaded with fruit, berries and a hint of tobacco and tar. Long and lingering on the palate the black cherry, black raspberry and tobacco leaf flavors are sheer delight. Did I open the Bordeaux by mistake....no, it was from Spain....MORE FOUND IN THE CELLAR !!
1994 North Berkeley Wines Cuvee Unique Les Baux de Provence. Moving north into the hills of Provence, this wine made for North Berkeley wine by Mas de Gourgournier is another delight. Big, rich, deep, with leather, mushrooms, truffles---it must be Mourvedre, then black fruit laced with pepper---can you say Syrah and a healthy dash of berry fruit that is still forward, gosh I think I sense Grenache. This is an amazing under $10.00 red that has continued to improve in the bottle. Layers of blueberry and blackberry fruit, peppery spice and deep earthy flavors makes this the perfect burger wine. Fans of wines like this would be encouraged to visit North Berkeley Wine Merchants and buy the 2000 Mas de Gourgournier while they're still around. P.S. MORE IN THE CELLAR!!
1997 Wine Cask Melange Rouge.....I have zero clue what is in this wine, but suspect it was made either by Jim Alderman and Jim Clendenen of Au Bon Climat, Bryan Babcock or Bob Lindquist of Qupe for owner turned winemaker Doug Margerum, for this wine is an exceptional example of all the great fruit that is available in Santa Barbara County. It's a jammy, blackberry and sweet cherry red that is clearly made for the non-thinking, anti-cerebral crowd that wants to enjoy a bottle of red and watch the Raiders get whooped......ONE MORE LEFT IN THE CELLAR.
1987 Lance Cutler Batto Ranch Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon.... Every time I open a 1987 Cabernet Sauvignon I go, in the word of Wine Warehouse Sales God, and former Piret's GM, Rick Alles "Wow" and then ask myself if that year was the more overlooked vintage of the eighties? This wine, made by the then winemaker of Guldlach Bundschu, was both charming and powerful as its flavors of wild cherry, mint, briar patch oak notes and just a long lingering fruit finish.**ONE MORE IN THE CELLAR!
1985 Chateau Montelena Napa Cabernet Sauvignon....Perfect and ready to drink. I continue to believe that as heralded as 1985 was as a vintage that the years of 1984, 86 and 87 will turn out to be longer agers in the bottle, and while the enjoyment for many of the 85's has past, this wine sure was at its best. Dressed for success the wine was more Bordeaux like than most recent Montelena's I've had. It did however leave me wondering how much longer it will be sticking around. NOT FROM MY CELLAR!!!
1994 Frankland Estates Isolation Ridge Shiraz.. A hint of bell pepper and green bean in the blend did not deter this wine from being a star. Rich and ripe the wine has hit stride, and while there is no fear of this wine falling over the cliff, I suggest the wines be drunk sooner, rather than later. Silky and fine, the wine has shed that baby fat and oaky exterior and is now revealing lushness and a caress of a warm lover who has decided to stop playing coy. NONE LEFT IN THE CELLAR.
1994 St. Hallets Old Block Shiraz...On the other hand, this heavy handed Aussie still hasn't learned its manners. It has to push and shove its way across the table, shouting how good it is, with an over abundance of black fruit, spicy Syrah pepper and layers of that American Oak that marks the Australian Shiraz wines when young. Wait, this wine is nine years old. Put it back in the bottle. It needs another four years. This wine is easily in the league of the regular Elderton Shiraz and should be savored for many years to come. MAYBE ONE MORE IN THE CELLAR....MAYBE NOT.
1994 Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf du Pape...There is a reason one buys wines imported by Kermit Lynch in quantity especially when they were much less expensive than they are today. Classic CdP from a vintage that was rated good to very good. Sorry fellas, this wine rocks. I'm not sure if it's just the fact that wine has reached a point in its development and that all parts are in perfect harmony or what, but the combination of cigar box bouquet, some earthy truffle flavors, the Provencal herbs and spices, followed by a medley, no make that a cornucopia of berries, black plums, stone fruit, hints of cassis and saddle leather made this wine so darn good....THANK GOD....THERE ARE MORE IN THE CELLAR !
1994 Domaine Clavel Le Mejanelle Coteaux du Languedoc (Kermit Lynch Bottling) Now to set the record up correctly, this is not the Clavel wine called Le Mejanelle that Jeffrey Davies imported. The wine called Les Garrigues is the same wine, while the Le Mejanelle carry his import label is pure Carignan, and not to be confused with the La Copa Santa from Clavel which is pure Syrah. Got it. Good. This is the blend of Grenache and Syrah..gee did Clavel ever make a pure Grenache under the same label...hmmmm..Anyway, while the names may have been the same, the wine sure isn't as this Le Mejanelle is pure Languedoc flavors. High Garrigue herbs and spice, loaded with that black raspberry fruit flavor and roasted cherries, hints of cassis and wild herbs, here's a wine that used to cost $6.00 and has really rounded out nicely. MORE IN THE CELLAR !!!
1996 Hartley Ostini Hitching Post Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir... Yes I do like Pinot Noir and find that Santa Barbara County releases from top producers seem to always find a way to make me appreciate wines from wineries that are a day trip away. Here's a stellar wine made from one of the regions better producers that has really kicked into gear. It's no longer a brooding, tight and unevolved red wine. Instead you get classic California Pinot Noir that is made not to be a bottle of Red Burgundy. It's fruit rich, has the right degree of oak and loads of cinnamon and cherry fruit, while enough palate weight to stand up to spicy Korean BBQ sauce and Bento Box vegetables. SORRY, NO MORE LEFT.
1990 Rosenblum Hendry Vineyard Napa Zinfandel...When it comes to Zinfandel always remember your three R's. Ridge, Ravenswood and Rosenblum. Oh, there's Renwood too. Well, who said wine geeks can count less than a dozen? Here's a Zinfandel that doesn't want to stop being Zin style and steadfastly refuses to hit that point where it becomes Claret like. Can you say fruit bomb. Well, not quite. It's close, but has really taken on a rich and decidedly Zin like Zen existence, showing the cooler climate of Napa Valley and those long days of gentle sun. Deep with elderberry, muted cherry, dark plum and a hint of raspberry fruits, this wine continues to show me that the Rosenblum winery, just off the Bay in Oakland, is forever turning out exceptional wines. Hendry Vineyard fruit also has the mark of a serious old vines patch and should be sought out, regardless of who is making the wines....DA DA DA DA....DATS ALL FOLKS.
Cheers,
Andy Abramson
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