Montecillo Rioja Crianza 2006

February 18, 2009 | In WINE REVIEWS | No Comments

montecilloWe love a bargain, but when big, aged Riojas wind up in the bargain bin - something  is probably wrong.  This wine is a Crianza, which means this wine was aged at least two years, with six months of that on oak, yet it costs about $10 in US wine shops.  It starts promising, with a concentrated, berried aroma and obvious fortitude.  A  slightly barnyard quality on the nose blows off after a minute or two.  It’s the taste where this wine really breaks down.  Slightly musty, astringent and bark-like, even after 24 hours.   We don’t see the craftmanship here, at least in their entry level Crianza.  And even at this price point, this is not an enjoyable bottle of wine.  This is a big, corporate winery (part of Grupo Osborne) - who also has a controlled image on the web - so be wary of reviews that read like press releases and trust us on this one.

2006 Hans Lang Spatburgunder Pinot Noir

February 16, 2009 | In WINE REVIEWS | No Comments

hans-lang1The color is the first thing you’ll notice –  ruby colored, but with more of a brownish tint than you’re used to seeing in a pinot noir. Then the nose hits you – tart, red cherries and currants with a deeper, warmer scent underlying it all of figs and brandy. Like a lot of German pinots,  it’s pale and smooth and the flavors are subtle – but there is a rangy, smoky, gamy quality that makes this a unique and expressive wine. Paired with something fatty and smoky, like speck or a cured sausage, it is truly magic. In fact, this is one great charcuterie wine, and holds it’s own with any French pinot noir we’ve had in the price range (about $22).  German reds deserve a lot more attention.  The Rheingau is still growing about 80% reisling, but plantings of pinot noir (called Spatburgunder in Germany)has tripled since the 1980’s, and the country overall is now growing almost 40% red wines - including huge increases in vineyard acreage devoted not only to spatburgunder, but to unique regional varieties such as dornfelder, portugeiser, and lemberger (also known as blaufrankish).   We’re looking forward to drinking a lot more of these wines in the year to come.  If you like old world pinot noir but want to try something different, give this a go.  100% Pinot Noir aged 12 months in French barriques.

Weird Wine of the Week: 2002 Damijan Bianco “Kaplja”

February 12, 2009 | In WINE REVIEWS | No Comments

damijankapljaFrom Venezia-Giulia in the far Northeast of Italy comes this unusual beauty- Damijan Podversic is something of a maverick, shunning stainless steel, commercial yeasts, and strives to make “living wines”. His vineyards straddle the Italian-Slovenian border, and his methods are so old, they’re practically new. A blend of Malvasia Istriana, Chardonnay, and Tocai Friulano (now referred to simply as Friulano) fermented on its skins in old upright Slavonian oak, Damijan uses bio-dynamic practices, neither fines nor filters, and bottles under a full moon. The Bianco Kaplja is a cloudy, heady brew- served at cellar temperature, it reveals orange blossom on the nose, and a piercing apricot stonefruit on the palate- from the skins comes a tremendous amount of structure, mostly in the form of tannin, which keeps the wine endlessly interesting- this is a wine to meditate over, sniff, swirl and contemplate- this is what white wine was before stainless steel, refrigeration, and temperature controlled fermentations-

2006 Boarding Pass Shiraz

February 12, 2009 | In WINE REVIEWS | No Comments

2006boardingpassSometimes we’re just in the mood for something with tons of flavor - even if it is one dimensional.  This is TV-night wine.  A touch of cedar, and slightly overripe black and red fruit on the nose…. resolves to big dark purply plums that pleasantly linger.  Soft and approachable, it seems to rely on its high alcohol (15.7%) to simulate balance.  Googling around a bit reveals that this wine is well marketed and has a controlled image, which isn’t surprising given its theatrical branding and label design… but we weren’t picking up much in the way of the nuanced flavor profiles that exist in the official tasting notes from the winery.  All in all, count us in … hey, under 20 bucks (barely!) gets you into a big concentrated wine that’s satisfying and tasty even if it’s not particularly stimulating to the intellect.  Sort of like an episode of Lost.  100% Shiraz from The Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale.

2007 Seven Hills Viognier

February 3, 2009 | In WINE REVIEWS | No Comments

Very interesting selection, and to deploy an underused term in wine criticism - delicious.  It pairs with some unlikely food choices for a wine from a place named Walla Walla, Washington - spicy Spanish garlic soup with paprika, saffron, and cumin and a salad with strongly spiced garlic sumac red wine vinegar dressing. This has a potent and full bouquet of ripe peach with spicy, citrusy notes and finishes with an uncanny resemblance to an orange Creamsicle.  It’s soft and full, yet  maintains it’s crispness and air of complexity.  The wine is deeply colored due to barrel aging, but not overoaked.  At around $18, it’s a great and classy alternative to any California chardonnay you’ll find in this price range.  It’s a great evening opener, as the acid profile is soft and welcoming, which does give the wine some limits when it comes to food pairing.  For instance, a beautiful stinky epoisse cheese was no match, the cheese prevailed leaving the wine feeling soft, flabby, and without nuance.


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