Tuesday, February 04, 2003
Well there seems to always be, as a good friend likes to say, for WineTime. Over the last few days it seems it has been WineTime more often than not.
Here are some notes on some of the wines I've been opening with friends at various places around the town.
Wines From The Land Down Under
2001 Villa Maria Private Bin Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand
My oh my. For $9.95 about a year ago was this a bargain. Every year these folks put out what has to be the Sauvignon Blanc bargain of the year. While not in the class of the Lawson's Dry Hills or the Isabel in depth or aging ability, here is a white wine that is so perfect with Sushi and shellfish. Great forward grapefruit flavors, kiwi, mango, honeydew and pears. A lovely wine that now is long off local shelves, as the 2002 has arrived.
2002 Villa Maria Private Bin Marlborough Riesling, New Zealand
Another impressive result from Villa Maria. The wine offers up a viscosity and richness not found in everyday Riesling. It offered a nice and light petrol aroma, lots of fresh peach, apricot and kumquat flavors and a delightful green apple finish. This is a lovely wine that is a great find if you see it on the shelves.
2001 Lawson's Dry Hills Pinot Noir, New Zealand
Close your eyes and dream. Is this Burgundy. Well on the nose of this screwcap topped wine, you would swear it was. Perfectly made, my first real experience in years with a New Zealand Pinot Noir has made me a fan already. With just a hint of terrior on the palate, the silky and vibrant red wine is made with lively fruit with flavors of black walnuts, roasted black cherries, coffee bean, young plums and blackberry. This wine was a hit with everyone who tasted it.
Current Cotes du Rhones of Eric Texier
2001 Eric Texier Cotes du Rhone-St. Gervais
Without a doubt the best of the current releases from this hotshot newcomer from Macon France. The wine, which is full of spicy fruit, ripe berries and an elegance that is not normally found in young Cotes du Rhone's that are made to age. This is a blockbuster and monumental wine offering massive layers of fruit, good balance of acidity and yet is already devoid of any offending tannins or oak.
2001 Eric Texier Cotes du Rhone Seguret
A big and powerful wine, but more like a bull in a china shop, when following a couple of Pinot Noirs that I had it with. Well made, well balanced and very good. If it wasn't for the St. Gervais, I would have likely moved this up to second of the four. What I'm realizing is that Texier makes wine in a style of his own, but is looking for similarities in most of his fruit. With the 2002 vintage being a washout, wines like this and the St. Gervais would be good buys for cellaring over the next few years.
2001 Eric Texier Cotes du Rhone-Sablet
Ranking a little behind the St. Gervais would be the red from Sablet. While it was good, there seemed not to be enough forward fruit early on. After some air time it became a lush, rich and opulent wine with brambly plums, black cherry and a hint of cassis. This is a nice wine that will give drinkers of it lots of enjoyment over time.
2001 Eric Texier Cotes du Rhone--Landun
This is a good wine, but not in the league with the other three wines from Texier. While it certainly wouldn't offend anyone and is a well made and stylish wine, I found it next to the Sablet to be the lighter, less constructed wine. Good raspberry fruit, lots of oak, almost Aussie in depth with it. It's nice.
Wines of La Tour Vieille from Collioure
2000 La Tour Vieille Rose, Collioure
With a deep and dark rose petal color, the "pink" wine from one of France's southern most appellations is always a crowd pleaser. Made from a blend of Grenache, Mourvedre, Cinsault and likely some Carignan, this wine is rich enough in flavor to make someone think if served blindfolded that it was a red wine, not a rose. Lively with good depth of fruit, the flavors of raspberry, strawberry and cherries abound.
1999 La Tour Vieille Blanc, Collioure
Ummm, ummm, good. This seductive flower garden wine has just the right hints of aromas from the garden found in Alsace, while having the body of a muscular wine that is crafted in the southern Rhone Valley. Made from I suspect Viognier, Macabu and Grenache Gris, with some Grenache Blanc, the white grape aromatics in the only hint at what is in store for the palate. Lots of ripe cantaloupe, Crenshaw and honeydew
1999 La Tour Vieille La Pinade, Collioure
The youngest of the La Tour Vieille red wines and made from the youngest vines, this Collioure red blend is charming right now as its big brambly bouquet reveals a deep and complex palate of ripe berries, black cherry, silky plums and a full bodied flavor of black raspberry fruit. If you like Cotes du Rhones and want to step up to something that is not more expensive (and sometimes even less) then this is the wine for you.
More to come....in a few days........
Here are some notes on some of the wines I've been opening with friends at various places around the town.
Wines From The Land Down Under
2001 Villa Maria Private Bin Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand
My oh my. For $9.95 about a year ago was this a bargain. Every year these folks put out what has to be the Sauvignon Blanc bargain of the year. While not in the class of the Lawson's Dry Hills or the Isabel in depth or aging ability, here is a white wine that is so perfect with Sushi and shellfish. Great forward grapefruit flavors, kiwi, mango, honeydew and pears. A lovely wine that now is long off local shelves, as the 2002 has arrived.
2002 Villa Maria Private Bin Marlborough Riesling, New Zealand
Another impressive result from Villa Maria. The wine offers up a viscosity and richness not found in everyday Riesling. It offered a nice and light petrol aroma, lots of fresh peach, apricot and kumquat flavors and a delightful green apple finish. This is a lovely wine that is a great find if you see it on the shelves.
2001 Lawson's Dry Hills Pinot Noir, New Zealand
Close your eyes and dream. Is this Burgundy. Well on the nose of this screwcap topped wine, you would swear it was. Perfectly made, my first real experience in years with a New Zealand Pinot Noir has made me a fan already. With just a hint of terrior on the palate, the silky and vibrant red wine is made with lively fruit with flavors of black walnuts, roasted black cherries, coffee bean, young plums and blackberry. This wine was a hit with everyone who tasted it.
Current Cotes du Rhones of Eric Texier
2001 Eric Texier Cotes du Rhone-St. Gervais
Without a doubt the best of the current releases from this hotshot newcomer from Macon France. The wine, which is full of spicy fruit, ripe berries and an elegance that is not normally found in young Cotes du Rhone's that are made to age. This is a blockbuster and monumental wine offering massive layers of fruit, good balance of acidity and yet is already devoid of any offending tannins or oak.
2001 Eric Texier Cotes du Rhone Seguret
A big and powerful wine, but more like a bull in a china shop, when following a couple of Pinot Noirs that I had it with. Well made, well balanced and very good. If it wasn't for the St. Gervais, I would have likely moved this up to second of the four. What I'm realizing is that Texier makes wine in a style of his own, but is looking for similarities in most of his fruit. With the 2002 vintage being a washout, wines like this and the St. Gervais would be good buys for cellaring over the next few years.
2001 Eric Texier Cotes du Rhone-Sablet
Ranking a little behind the St. Gervais would be the red from Sablet. While it was good, there seemed not to be enough forward fruit early on. After some air time it became a lush, rich and opulent wine with brambly plums, black cherry and a hint of cassis. This is a nice wine that will give drinkers of it lots of enjoyment over time.
2001 Eric Texier Cotes du Rhone--Landun
This is a good wine, but not in the league with the other three wines from Texier. While it certainly wouldn't offend anyone and is a well made and stylish wine, I found it next to the Sablet to be the lighter, less constructed wine. Good raspberry fruit, lots of oak, almost Aussie in depth with it. It's nice.
Wines of La Tour Vieille from Collioure
2000 La Tour Vieille Rose, Collioure
With a deep and dark rose petal color, the "pink" wine from one of France's southern most appellations is always a crowd pleaser. Made from a blend of Grenache, Mourvedre, Cinsault and likely some Carignan, this wine is rich enough in flavor to make someone think if served blindfolded that it was a red wine, not a rose. Lively with good depth of fruit, the flavors of raspberry, strawberry and cherries abound.
1999 La Tour Vieille Blanc, Collioure
Ummm, ummm, good. This seductive flower garden wine has just the right hints of aromas from the garden found in Alsace, while having the body of a muscular wine that is crafted in the southern Rhone Valley. Made from I suspect Viognier, Macabu and Grenache Gris, with some Grenache Blanc, the white grape aromatics in the only hint at what is in store for the palate. Lots of ripe cantaloupe, Crenshaw and honeydew
1999 La Tour Vieille La Pinade, Collioure
The youngest of the La Tour Vieille red wines and made from the youngest vines, this Collioure red blend is charming right now as its big brambly bouquet reveals a deep and complex palate of ripe berries, black cherry, silky plums and a full bodied flavor of black raspberry fruit. If you like Cotes du Rhones and want to step up to something that is not more expensive (and sometimes even less) then this is the wine for you.
More to come....in a few days........
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