2010 Three Wine Company MATARO "Spinelli Vineyard" (Contra Costa County, Cal.)

From 125 year-old vines, this is a composed, low-toned, rich red.  Complex, intense, and smooth.

Very dark black-ruby.  Complex nose of toasted baking spices, rich blackberry, and pungent rock dust.  Low-toned and quite concentrated, this wine has rich flavors of ripe blackberry and dark minerals.  Pretty good acids for such a weighty wine.  Very full, and there's very slight peppery bite of alcohol at the end (heck, it is 15.2% for Pete's sake).  This will drink nicely for at least another 2 years, maybe more -- but with wines with this much alcohol, I'm always nervous about long aging, because the alcohol seems to take over after a few years and burn through the fruit.  B+.  Got this for $22 and change from Wineaccess.com as part of a mixed half-case of Three Wine Company wine
several months ago.

2011 Tarima Monastrell (Alicante, Spain)

Dirt cheap and very good.  A great weeknight dinner choice.  Simple but varietally true and satisfying.

Fully saturated black ruby/violet.  Straightforward scents of ripe, sweet, perfumey blackberry and a nice classic Mourvedre (Monastrell) scent of tree bark.  Lots of oomph entering the mouth, with loads of smoky blackberries, full body, some nicely integrated if not super-soft tannin, and surprisingly good acidity.  A bit of heat, but not intrusively so, on the finish (which is long and fruity).  B/B+.  Was only $7.99 from B-21 Wines in Florida, but it's pretty widely available (including being available at Total Wine in Fairfax at the same price).  Imported by Jorge Ordonez Selections.

2007 La Bastide Blanche BANDOL (Provence, France)

This was a classic example of a Bandol red -- deep, a little rustic in texture (from the Mourvedre) but slowly opening with air time to reveal great, earthy scents and deep flavors.  Would be fantastic with a French pot roast like a daube.

Nearly saturated black ruby with a brick tint.  Closed and unyielding at first, but after being opened a few days under  Vacu-Vin closure, it showed a very fragrant, low-toned nose of ripe berry and plum fruit, with lots of sweaty, earthy scents.  Still very tannic-feeling in the mouth, but with nicely-developed, ripe flavors of fragrant earth, spicy dark berry fruit, and a hint of minerally baker's chocolate.  Long, tannic finish.  This will keep and improve for 4-7 years in a cool cellar.  Impressive, traditionally-styled Bandol.  A.  Imported by Weygandt-Metzler, I can't remember where I got this or for how much.  Sorry!

2009 Cline "Ancient Vines" MOURVEDRE (Contra Costa County, Cal.)

Cline has cranked out yet another excellent iteration of this wine.  Let's hope that the vineyard owners in the region don't sell out anytime soon to the real estate developers, which apparently is a real issue with the old vines in Contra Costa County.

Dark, violet-tinged ruby.  Rich, low-toned fruity nose of sappy blackberry juice, toasted baking spices, toffee, and sandstone.  Soft (especially for a Mourvedre, which can sometimes be a bit coarse), ripe, mouthfilling flavors of blackberry, smoky gravel, and a hint of peach juice.  Long finish with well-integrated tannins and the barest trace of heat.  A winner.  A-.  $13.99 at Spec's.

(BTW -- I had the 2009 Cline Ancient Vines Zin while on vacation, and while I have no notes for it, it too was a great value in a fleshy, balanced Zin).

2009 M5 Monastrell (Yecla, Spain)

A very good value, ripe, soft, concentrated red -- in the smoother, lower-acid style.

Vivid dark black ruby. Ripe, low-toned, friendly aromas of woodsy blackberry juice and crushed rocks. Soft, concentrated, and juicy in the mouth. loads of very pure blackberry fruit and a finish that morphs into cocoa-y, clingy, smoky, gravelly flavors. Loads of very soft tannin. Very drinkable right now, it will last another year or so at this level. A sure crowd-pleaser. B+/A-. Imported by Patrick Mata's Olé Imports. Was $12 at World Market Place (Richmond/West Loop).

2006 Domaine Sorin BANDOL (Provence, France)

A very solid, classic Mourvedre from this appellation.

Very blackish ruby. Classic Bandol nose of smoky blackberry under a veneer of tree bark, with a touch of sweet cream. Tannic and ripe, with inky, palate-clinging flavors of dry blackberry extract, iodine, and gravel. Long, tannic finish. Needs another 2-4 years to soften and develop. 88+. Was about $26 at Spec's on Richmond. Imported by Bandol Wines LLC, of Houston.

2007 Cline "Ancient Vines" MOURVEDRE (Contra Costa County, Cal.)

This winery really has hit a consistent groove over the last several years with its "Ancient Vines" Zins and Mourvedres. This latest iteration of the Mourvedre is excellent and a very good value. Again.

Youthfully bright, dark black ruby. Deeply fruity nose, with loads of dark plums, blackberries, and even a hint of peach, along with a sweet, high-toned balsa smoke note. Rich, fruity, and balanced in the mouth, with concentrated plummy fruit accented with a vaguely bitter dark chocolate note. Lots of soft tannins in the long fruit-and-spice finish. 89. Widely available, I got mine for under $14 at Spec's on Westheimer near Montrose.

2004 Domaine de la Garenne BANDOL (Provence, France)

A very good but not great Bandol (an appellation that is a personal favorite of mine). Worth the price ($26)? I'm on the fence.

Dark ruby garnet. Color looks kind of advanced for its type (Bandol can be a notoriously slow ager), but everything else says cellar a few more years. Classic Mourvedre nose of sweet, fragrant tree bark with lots of black raspberry fruit underneath. Ripe and round in the mouth, with lots of soft tannin still to shed. There's a lot of ripe blackberry and iodine-y/earthy flavors, with a long though not especially elegant finish. Note: This wine needed to be decanted several hours before it really showed its stuff. 88. Got it at Spec's on Smith. Imported by Bandol Wines LLC, of Houston -- I haven't heard of this company before but (a) I've recently purchased several of their wines here and am looking forward to trying them, and (b) I'm glad to see a new importer that appears to be focusing on this unique but underpublicized region.

Wines from a steak dinner in Massachusetts

I recently returned from a trip back to New England to visit family and friends. The first night there, we had a steak cook-out and some excellent (and one very old) wines.

2005 Rijckaert POUILLY-FUISSE (White Burgundy, France) -- a fragrant, lively, chalky/minerally Chardonnay with peach pit fruit. Very nice balance and great length.

2007 Terra Vignata VERDICCHIO DI MATELICA (Marche, Italy) -- inexpensive, yet one of the best Verdicchios I ever had: crisp, zesty, with very persistent and focused minerally, lemon-lime flavors. Very refreshing!

1978 Chateau de Beaucastel CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE (Rhone Valley, France) -- Yes, that's right, 1978. My brother Angy and I bought this for my Dad for Christmas (in 1981?). I remember we shelled out $12.99 for it, which I thought was expensive at the time. It has held up remarkably well (my Dad has a very cool wine cellar). Intensely earthy but still with a core of vinous fruit. Not as mouthfilling as many young Beaucastels I've had, but holding its own. Like an old professor emeritus who still knows his sh*t even if the tweed jacket is frayed.

2000 Domain Tempier BANDOL "Cuvee Speciale La Migoua" (Provence, France) -- Still youthful, this wine was lean but concentrated, with typically Bandol-ish tree barky earthiness and a core of deep-toned berry fruit underneath. Classic Mourvedre with great length.

2006 Salinas "Mo" MONASTRELL (Alicante, Spain)

A rich, deep-toned wine.

Very dark black ruby. Meaty, beefy aromas with ripe blackberry and tomato juice scents. Round balsa wood and cigar box flavors overlay some ripe plummy fruit. Very deep-toned flavor profile. Low acidity and a long, softly tannic finish. 87. Was about $15 at Central Market. Imported by European Cellars (Eric Solomon).

A whole bunch of good wines

Mom and Dad came for another visit, and for much of their visit I didn't have time to blog in real time or take detailed wine notes, but we did open up a lot of good stuff. Pretty much special occasion , not everyday quaffers, but what the hey. Here are my quick impressions of them:

2005 Daniel Dampt CHABLIS PREMIER CRU "Cotes de Lechet" -- A wine I reviewed last year, it was holding nicely, with lots of steely, earthy, austere and penetrating (unoaked) Chardonnay fruit. Was about $29 from Flickinger's Wines (on-line) in Chicago.





1989 Chateau Meyney (St. Estephe, Bordeaux) -- Despite non-optimal storage for the last 10 years, this wine has held together nicely. Loads of cedary-peanuty aged Bordeaux scents, with soft, earthy plummy fruit in the mouth.

















2006 Wine Guerrilla "Coffaro Vineyards Old Vine" ZINFANDEL (Dry Creek Valley) -- This Zin was really, really good. Big, spicy, ripe (almost jammy but not quite) nose. Rich and fat in the mouth, but with great balancing acidity keeping it from being ponderous. Spec's has some of this limited production gem for around $32.

2004 Casa Emma CHIANTI CLASSICO RISERVA -- This was a deep, brooding Chianti, with big earthy, gravelly, gingerbready notes augmenting seriously concentrated macerated cherry fruit. Long, austere finish with some well-hidden tannin. Come back and see this guy in 3-5 years and it will be amazing. About $40 at Spec's.

2005 Turkey Flat Vineyards MOURVEDRE (Barossa Valley, Australia) -- This had loads of deep, ripe blackberry fruit, with a distinctly saline minerality. Mouthfilling and deep. Was about $20 on sale at Kroger's (Yes, Kroger's!) on Westpark near Buffalo Speedway.

2006 Cristom "Eola-Amity Hills PINOT NOIR "Marjorie's Vineyard (Willamette Valley, Oregon) -- Another superb P.N. from this producer. Earthy, spicy sappy cherry nose. Mouthfilling yet exceedingly elegant, with a soft finish that lasted and lasted and lasted . . . . Wow. Was about $40 at Spec's on Smith.

2006 d'Arenberg "The Noble" RIESLING (McLaren Vale, Australia) -- This botrytised late harvest Riesling was a total surprise. Who would have expected an Aussie Riesling to compare with a German Beerenauslese? Not me. But this one did, and at a (relative) bargain price of $18 (Spec's on Smith). Honeyed apricots and peaches, very sweet, intense, flavors, yet with very good acidity for balance. Not as complex as the best German versions, but a bargain in comparison!

2006 Casa Castillo MONASTRELL (Jumilla, Spain)

A 100% Mourvedre (Monastrell), this wine was richly fruity and a great value.

Eye: Dark ruby with violet highlights.

Nose: Beautifully pure fruity nose -- ripe plums, grapes, and blackberries, with a subtle background note of stony minerals.

Mouth: Soft, broad entry, with good concentration and lots of body. Loads of fruit and soft tannin in the finish. Not complex, but very satisfying as an everyday red.

Score: 88.

Cellar or drink? Drink over the next two years.

Price/Store: $12 and change at Spec's on Holcombe.

2006 Castaño MONASTRELL (Yecla, Spain)

Made from organically-grown grapes, this wine is a steal -- a gutsy, full-bodied, soft red for $8.

Dark black purply-ruby color. Needs a bit of air time after opening, but then reveals big, fruity nose of crushed blueberries, with strong minerally scents in the background. Soft, round, ripe, and full, this wine sports flavors of smoky, loamy raspberries, underbrush, and iodine. Lots of soft tannins indicate that this wine will last and improve over the next 2 years or so. Tremendous value. 88. I got this at Whole Foods on Bellaire (case stacking near the meat counter).

2004 Altos de Luzon JUMILLA (Spain)

This reserve bottling of 50% Monastrell, 25% Cabernet, and 25% Tempranillo is excellent. I had the amazing 2001 a while back, and while this is top notch, it's not quite up to that benchmark wine.

Impenetrably saturated black purple/ruby color. Rich, chocolatey fruit, with dusty earth, graphite, and eucalyptus notes. Rich, weighty, and very concentrated, with dense flavors of minerals, highly extracted blackberries and cassis immediately enveloping the tongue. Long, intense, and ultimately peppery finish. Not quite as complex as the 2001, at least as I remember it. Loads of soft, ripe tannins. This wine will last, and possibly improve, for another 2-3 years . . . . but it's really nice now too. 88+ Was $19.99 at Spec's on Smith.

2004 Casa Castillo JUMILLA Monastrell (Spain)

A pretty good, kinda funky wine.

Deep, saturated ruby garnet color. very deep-toned nose of scorched earth, and roasted fruit and meat. Massive in the mouth, with lots of very dark, black fruits, unsweetened dark chocolate, and iodine flavors. Some heat and a fair amount of tannin (not coarse) in the finish. The grapes were probably picked just a tad too ripe, resulting in a huge wine -- on the verge of being overly-extracted and overblown, but still pretty good in a unique way. 85. Was about $12 at Spec's on Richmond.

2005 Carchelo MONASTRELL (Jumilla, Spain)

Had the 2004 of this wine awhile back, and it was very good (and cheap) (link). So's this one.

Crystalline dark black ruby. Nose of crushed rocks, scorched earth, and blackberries swimming in sweet cream. Youthfully tight -- I'm noticing that lots of the 2005s from Spain are like that -- yet soft in the mouth. Filled with balanced, concentrated flavors of dry blackberry extract and high-toned crushed rocks. Lengthy, minerally finish, with some pepperiness and angularity that should resolve and soften in the next year or so. 87+. Good value at about $8-9 at Central Market (I think).

2004 Cline "Ancient Vines" MOURVÈDRE (Contra Costa County, Cal.)

This wine is pretty consistently an excellent value. Back in the late 80s and early 90s, I think that Cline used to call this wine the "Oakley Cuvée." Sometime in the 1990s, they started calling it by its current name. I still remember the 1990 Oakley Cuvée, which I bought at a wine shop for about $8 while visiting San Francisco in November 1993. In the last several years, I've had the 2000 (excellent), the 2001 (very good), the 2002 (eh), and the 2003 (chunky but simple). The 2004 is back to excellent!

Dark black ruby. Rich nose of blackberry/blueberry juice, high-toned fragrant wood smoke, and steely minerals. A broad, voluptuous mouthfeel with deep flavors of salty, mulled red fruit, peaty earth, and sandstone. Long finish. Balanced, deep, and lots of fun to drink. An excellent value at $12.71 at Spec's on Smith. 89.

2005 Bodegas Juan Gil "WRONGO DONGO" (Jumilla, Spain)

Now here's a widely-available red that's actually pretty good. I'm guessing that, since it's from the Jumilla region in Spain, it's all or mostly Monastrell (Mourvedre) grape. Medium intensity nose of raspberries and blueberries, with smoky minerals. Medium-bodied in the mouth, with decent (not great) concentration, and flavors of blueberries and the same smoky minerals. Decent finish. A good quality, widely-available red for weeknight dinners. 86. About $10 or $11 at Spec's, this wine is frequently discounted at lots of other places for less than $10.

2004 Altos de la Hoya MONASTRELL (Jumilla, Spain)

Yes, I've tried a lot of Monastrell-based wines from the Jumilla and other regions in southern Spain recently. Because there are lots of good values to be had there, that's why. This is another one.

Saturated black-ruby/purple color. Very unusual nose for a Monastrell: lemons,peach pit, sweet raspberry, sweet cream,and just a tad of earth. Big and intense, yet very nicely balanced, with flavors that emphasize the fruity rather than the earthy side of the Monastrell grape -- blueberries, cassis, and minerals. Lots of well-integrated tannin and good acidity too. Drinks well now, but I think it will soften considerably over the next two years. Less than $10 at Spec's on Smith. 88+

1999 Domaine Tempier BANDOL (regular bottling) (Provence, France)

This was one of the best of the basic, non-reserve wines I've had from this excellent estate (which I used to sell when I lived in NYC and worked for Mosswood Wines). A classic Mourvedre based wine (with some Grenache thrown in), this wine had a deep black-ruby color with only the barest hint of age at the rim. Nose of earthy red fruits, classic Mourvedre "tree bark", and sweet cream. Big, athletic flavors of earthy raspberry liqueur and gravelly-minerals. Fine-grained tannins still remain, as does the vibrant fruit, both of which augur for nice ageing for a few more years. Very nicely balanced, medium/full-bodied. Would go well with stews and meat-based pasta sauces. We had it with risotto with red wine, prosciutto, and radicchio. 88. Got this from a very neat mail-order wine shop in Chicago, Flickinger wines, http://www.flickingerwines.com/, for about $20 a year ago.