Tasting Notes (Feb. 21; 28): Catch-Up Version

I have some catching up to do with my tasting notes, so I'll forgo any pontificating and just get right to it. (My notes for last Monday's blind tasting I'll post separately, but Bill's post pretty much covered it anyway.)

Thursday, Feb. 21:
For this tasting, there was no pre-printed sheet with all the wines on it, so I decided to do the tasting completely without reference to the costs of the wines. Even now, I don't know exactly how much each bottle costs. I thought it would "level the playing field," so to speak.

1. Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt Riesling 2005 (Germany)
A nose of green apple, motor oil, and wet gravel is mirrored in the flavors of sweet green apple, mineral, and Vaseline. Very interesting wine--not overly balanced (feels like the sweetness and acidity are singing different tunes rather than harmonizing), but still not bad for the price (ok, I do happen to remember that this wine is not too expensive--under $20, if memory serves).

2. Talley Vineyards Arroyo Grande Valley Chardonnay 2004
This is one of the few wines Stimmel's has poured that I just have to say I really hated. Tart and acidic with bitter and yet somehow perfumey flavors. It even tasted a bit oxidized, which makes me want to hear from Bill and Sarah what they think of the next bottle, just in case this one happened to be rotten apple in an otherwise good barrel. Stay tuned . . .

3. Domaine Couteau Yamhill County Pinot Noir 2003
This medium-bodied pinot features a nose of bright cherry, fresh earth, and anise, followed by flavors of raspberry, black cherry, herbal cough medicine, and licorice. The finish is all black pepper. Palpable acidity begs for an oily fish like grilled salmon or a nice seared duck breast.

4. San Martino Villa Cafaggio 2000
This Italian red is quite enjoyable. The nose of currant, oak, salt/blood, and a touch of horse blanket gives way to a nice palate of black currant, black olive, and earth. The finish reveals notes of licorice and mint.

5. Andeluna Reserve Malbec 2003
This very nice Malbec is expectantly chunky, just the way you'd expect a South American Malbec to be. The meaty nose reveals tantalizing aromas of toasty oak and milk chocolate, while the blackberry-based flavor is infused with spice, pepper, and mint, mint, mint (with some mint chocolate thrown in for good measure).

6. Lewelling Cabernet Sauvignon 2004
This is the new world wine I've been looking for in these cold, snowy winter months. While it may lack the finesse of the Mondavi Reserve 2004 (but what doesn't?), this California Cab bursts with aromas of currant, plum, and vanilla for days. And the flavors are even better: sweet cassis, vanilla, oak, tobacco, and chocolaty spice all float effortlessly on fine, ripe tannins. Drink now, or cellar for a few years (5-7).

Thursday, Feb. 28:
These were the leap year vintages, and all I can say is that I am grateful to have been present at this tasting. This is up there with the all-time best tastings for featuring one wine after the next that makes you want to eat Ramen Noodles for a week so you can spend a few extra bucks on the bottle.

1. Robert Mondavi Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 1996 ($99.99/bottle)
This wine is simply great. The nose offers richly layered notes of earth, cedar, crushed violets, and chocolate, with a host of additional secondary aromas too complex and integrated to pin down. Exquisitely smooth, this medium-full bodied Cabernet reveals a complex palate of cedar shavings, tobacco, graphite, cherry, and licorice. In short, I'd have pegged this wine for a great Bordeaux in a blind tasting. Don't wait to drink this one; it's ready to go. (Note: Wine Advocate says drink through 2025, so take my advice with a grain of salt.)

2. Ridge Monte Bello 1992 ($149.99/bottle)
This Bordeaux-style California blend is one of the best wines I've tried, hands down. And, unlike the Mondavi, which definitely needs to be drunk in the next year or two at the most, this wine--at 16 years old (and still featuring a dense, deep garnet color)--could stay in the bottle for another 5-10 years. But why wait, considering its surprisingly bright yet unmistakably mature cherry, dried currant, sweet spice, pencil shaving, and cigar box notes? One of the only bottles I've ever come across that I'd say is a value at $150.

3. Villa Cafaggio Cortaccio 2000 ($32.99/bottle)
This Italian red's nose of blackberry, wildflowers, blood/brine, and toast gives way to flavors of ripe raspberry, blackberry, black licorice, and a hint of leather. Overall a very nice wine.

4. Richard Perry Syrah 2000 ($29.99/bottle)
This is a big wine, from the deep purple (almost opaque) color to the incredibly ripe nose of black plum, toasty oak, vanilla, and milk chocolate (the overall aroma is not unlike the Boarding Pass Shiraz). But it's the taste that stands out: the thick, full body reveals flavors of plum and blackberry fruit buttressed by layers of pronounced pepper and spice, with a hint of tobacco. Not as complicated as the Ridge or the Mondavi, but delicious nonetheless.

5. Shirvington Shiraz 2004 ($69.99/bottle)
Another very good wine in this lineup. The nose of black and blue berries, damp forest floor, and spice gives way to a very extracted flavor of berries, pepper, black licorice, chocolate, and mint, with a long, luxurious finish.

6. Montes Alpha "M" 2004 ($85.99/bottle)
Classic South American full-bodied red, with a nose of blackberries, stewed meat, roasted bell pepper, and crushed mint. Flavors of blackberry, black tar, mint, stewed tomatoes and peppers glide along a super-smooth mouthfeel. Ripe tannins give plenty of structure to the ripe juciness of the fruit.

7. Pillitteri Estates Shiraz Icewine 2004 ($19.99/half bottle)
This was my first Shiraz-base icewine, and I have to admit I wasn't expecting much. But, with a deep, reddish caramel color and a nose of honey, caramel, baked apples, and pineapple, this one took me a bit by surprise. While this dessert wine is not as complex as the Toakaij's or the Sauternes' we've tried at Stimmel's, it is still very tasty--and worth trying for paradoxically sweet and sour cherry component (not to mention the maple syrup component). A phrase from my notes sums things up: "simple, but delicious."