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Wednesday, May 6
2007 MOURGUES DU GRES COSTIERRES DE NIMES GALETS ROUGE ... 14.99
by
Brazenly Lucid
on Wed 06 May 2009 10:45 PM PDT
Robert Parker Jr. calls the 2007 vintage in Southern Rhone the vintage of his lifetime. This peaked my attention. If you recall, Parker was a huge fan of the '82 Bordeaux vintage. There were many critics who disagreed with him. It turned out that the '82 vintage became a highly sought after Bordeaux putting Parker on the map. He has proved over time that his palate and judgment is quite accurate. This is not to say that you have to agree with all of his scores. Many times I find that a wine that he gave a huge score to is quite average. So before you go out and invest in a wine, like a doctor I suggest that you get a second or third opinion, especially if it is an expensive wine. I recently tried this wine while I was watching the second game of the Lakers Houston series in the playoffs. I was disgusted with the play of both teams as they showed very poor sportsmanship. My mood was sour but not this wine. It was exceptional! At first it was a little closed, but as it opened up it became a wine to put away or enjoy immensely now. A very beefy, smokey nose with hints of flowers and pepper. Very full in the palate with dark berries, olives, lavender and some charcoal tones. Good acidity and freshness with a hint of mint on the backside from beginning to end. The wine coats the palate with a finish that lingers long after the last swallow. The NBA may be full of players that do not appreciate the rules of the game, and the privilege of playing in the league but the 2007 vintage of Southern Rhone is right on and is to be appreciated with some of the best wines that have ever come out of France. Like the '61 Bordeaux vintage, I miss the class of Michael Jordan. Stan
Saturday, May 2
A TASTE OF SPAIN AT THE NEW DIGS...
by
Brazenly Lucid
on Sat 02 May 2009 09:24 PM PDT
It had been awhile since I had focused on Spanish wines and I was looking forward to not only the wines but the new venue for the tasting group. Due to complications with the Grange, I decided to move the tasting event to the Mullis Community Senior Center on Nash St. I have to say that I was quite impressed with the facility, especially the abundance of parking and the easy access.
The new arrangements did not slow down the group as close to sixty showed up to give the Spanish wines a try. Pete Stephenson, wine salesman for Noble Wines and Western United States Sales Rep. for WineBow, David Bronleewe were on hand to educate folks about Spanish wines and show off their choices for the tasting. This is David’s fifth time being a part of my tasting events and he always does an outstanding job. A couple of more times and he will be considered an islander We tried to pull wines from the many different regions of Spain so everyone could taste the grand diversity of wines from this outstanding wine producing country. Wines from Rias Biaxas, Campo de Borja, La Mancha, Navarra, Rioja, Penedes, Jumilla, Navarra, Ribera del Duero and the Island of Mallorca were all there. How did they show? 2007 Licia Albarino (Rias Biaxas) ...... 16.99 This has to be one of the most vibrant Albarino’s I’ve tried in recent memory. David informed me that many of this varietal from Spain are blended whereas this is 100% Albarino. The nose showed soft lemon and banana flavors which did not prepare you for the blast of fruit that you got on the palate. Intense green apple (Granny Smith) and lemon grass tones with excellent minerality and perfect acidity that made the fruit dance a wild tango in the mouth and lead to a long vibrant finish. I cannot remember a better Spanish wine for oysters. 92 points 2007 Can Feixes Blanc (Penedes) .... 16.99 Very full on the nose with nice Lemon Meringue pie tones backed by good minerality. I guess it is hard to explain minerality on the nose but it is like smelling the sea air without the seaweed? This is a balanced dry style white, mineral qualities with green pear and lemon grass tones followed by a clean and lasting finish. A blend of panellada, macabeo, chardonnay and a splash of malvasia de sitges. 88 points 2007 Almira Los Dos ( Campo de Borja) ...8.99 A blend of syrah and grenache this wine is bright red cherry in color. The nose exhibits dark cherry and wood tones. Black cherry on the palate wood tones and a touch of green bell pepper. Nice clean finish with nice little hints of cassis . 100% stainless steel fermentation. For the price, this wine is a steal. (No pun intended) 87 points 2007 Fontana Mesta ( La Mancha ) ... 8.99 Another red that is fermented in stainless steel, this wine undergoes no ageing before release. 100% tempranillo this wine exhibits the freshness for which it is intended. Currant and anise on the nose with bright cherry and cassis tones on the palate. Firm tannins and good acidity make this an excellent food wine. This is a red wine drinkers red. 88 points 2007 Monjardin Tintico ( Navarra ) ... 9.99 Yet another tempranillo that has seen no wood. This was the first red that showed a little stink on the nose. This is not a bad thing, and many times I have tasted wines with a little barnyard on the nose that were quite excellent! This wine did not live up to excellent but was not bad. Soft cherry and cassis tones that finished with bright cherry skin and some rubber band tones. This wine needs a little stinky cheese... 84 points 2004 Rioja Vega Rioja Crianza ( Rioja ) .... 14.99 Predominately tempranillo with some graciano and mazuelo. Aged for 24 months in a combination of french and American oak this wine shows all the signs you expect in a Rioja. This is the only winery that can use Rioja in the name since it was established before regulations were set in place restricting this. Very french in style with musky tones of cherry, oak, wet leather and tobacco on the nose. A little thinner then I prefer on the palate with predominate flavors of cherry and toasty charcoal tones. Not my favorite Rioja, but many of the tasters liked this wine. I would match this wine up with some spaghetti or pizza. 85 points 2006 Anima Negra AN/2 ( Island of Mallorca ) ... 24.99 From the largest island of Spain in the Mediterranean Sea this wine is produced from some obscure grape varietals. Callet, mantonegre-fogoneu and syrah. I do not know about you, but I have never heard of the first two varietals until this tasting. Three guys started this venture feeling like they could make some good wine from the grapes indigenous to this area. Boy were they right. This wine had a nice old world feel to it. The nose had a little maple cherry syrup with a hint of oak. The palate showed cassis, dark cherry and some black currant with interesting spice tones that blended into a very nice dry long finish. A very classy wine that would be the perfect match with grilled meats or a nice stew. 89 points 2007 Carchello Monastrell (Jumilla) ... 11.99 This little red has always been a standby of mine. This vintage showed cherry cola on the nose. On the palate there was sweet cherry, green bell pepper and asparagus notes that finished with good acidity and a touch of anise. Excellent pizza and burger wine. 86 points 2005 Guelbenzu Azul (Navarra) ... 18.99 A blend of tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot this wine was aged in two year old French oak. This wine displayed a wonderful smokey cherry nose reminiscent of syrah. On the palate there is a touch of anise with toasty cherry notes, some olive characters and a hint of fennel. A classic Spanish wine that is going for a price that is well below what I feel it is worth. This wine stood out in the crowd. 90 points 2006 Torres Celeste Red (Ribera del Duero) ... 15.99 This wine had a very interesting nose... A-1 steak sauce mixed with cherry. It offered lots of cherry, herbs and a hint of mint on the front of the palate developing into oregano, sage and cherry on the mid-palate into the finish giving it a little hay action that was not unpleasant. 88 points 2003 Dehesa La Granja (Ribera del Duero) ... 22.99 100% tempranillo this wine had a nice mint cherry nose. On the palate it had a little celery action with some dusty cherry notes followed by some bright cherry green anise and cassis with some nice blueberry notes on the finish. I felt the qpr was a little low for this wine. 87 points 2001 Marquis de Caceres Red ( Rioja) ... 16.99 I believe that this is the first Rioja I ever set my lips to and it has never let me down. Very classic french style wine with dusty grape kool-aid on the nose, and deep dark cherry and wood flavors on the front of the palate. The mid-palate shows some leather and mushroom notes with good tannins fruit and leather on the finish. This wine has always been and continues to be an excellent value from Spain. 89 points There you go! And just for your information, the most popular wine at this tasting, was the Licia Albarino. This is the first time a white was the hit of the show. Thanks go to David Bronleewe and Pete Stephenson for doing an excellent job in picking out some outstanding wines from all over Spain. See you at the next event. Stan P.S. I want to apologize for posting this article so late. I got married this last month and as you would expect, it was a busy time. |
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