2004 d'Arenberg "The Stump Jump" White (Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Marsanne) McLaren Vale, Australia

87. This is a really good wine to have with lighter fish and shellfish dishes. Unusually light silver-tinged gold color. Exuberant nose of limes, Alsace-like "goût de pétrol" (a distinctive earthy smell associated with Alsace Rieslings that reminds one of gasoline -- in a pleasant way!) with minor notes of grapes and peaches. Ripe pears and minerals in the mouth, with the minerals shining through on a relatively long finish. Smells like an Alsace Riesling/Sancerre hybrid, but on the palate the Marsanne seems to take over. $7.49 on sale at Cost Plus World Marketplace on Richmond.

2002 René Muré Pinot Blanc Tradition (Alsace)

A good, fleshy, but simple wine. Medium-to-darkish gold color. Rich but simple aromas of tangerines and straw, with a slight whiff of peach underneath. Mouthfilling at first, with an oilier texture than usual for a Pinot Blanc (texturally, it feels more like a Pinot Gris), but fades quickly on the palate. 85. About $14 at Richard's on San Felipe.

Wines from the New Orleans trip

My wife Liz and I just returned from a 2-day trip to New Orleans. It was the first time either of us had visited N'Awlins. Since I didn't bring my laptop, I'm going to blog from memory, so these notes will be a little less detailed than usual. And no scores, either.

2003 Domaine William Fevre Chablis -- Had this at The Gumbo Shop with a cup of gumbo and a bowl of jambalaya for lunch the first day. I remember it being a good example of the Chablis style of Chardonnay: steely, apply, straw-like elements on the nose; crisp minerals, apples, and a hint of peach in the mouth. Nice finish.

2002 Qupé Santa Barbara County 75% Marsanne, 25% Roussanne -- This one we drank with dinner the first night. Intense, brooding nose, with floral and minerally notes. Intense and full-bodied on the palate; not a show-off, but very deep. Had a flavor component that reminded me of dry essence of pears. A good choice with the intense food we had at Bacco, which is a phenomenal Italian restaurant.

2003 Talley Arroyo Vista Vineyard San Luis Obispo County Chardonnay -- A very Meursault-like Chardonnay. Toasty minerals on the nose, with great depth, balance, and length. I'm normally not a great fan of California chardonnay, but this was excellent. No sweet butterscotchy cheap oak; no watery overcropped finish. Had this one with excellent braised rabbit (Liz and her friend Flo had seafood, hence I went with a white) at Mr. B's Bistro.

2002 Alexander Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon (Estate Grown)

This is a rarity, of sorts. A really high quality California Cabernet that is widely available and reasonably priced (for Sonoma County Cabernet, that is).

Dense dark saturated ruby color. Intense nose of pencil lead, charcoal, and cassis. On entry, sweet, round, ripe blackberry and cassis flavors hit you first, but on the finish the peppery charcoal notes predominate. Medium-full bodied, with noticeable quantities of soft tannin on the fairly long finish. I got this for $16 (I think) at Richard's on San Felipe (at Voss) -- the San Felipe/Voss location is the best Richard's store in the city in my view -- but I believe I've also seen it at various Spec's and Whole Foods on Bellaire. 88.

2000 Kempton Clark "Mendo Zin" (Mendocino County Zinfandel)

Mendocino County is one of my favorite appellations for Zinfandel. They usually feature penetrating ripe berry fruit with good, but not excessive acidity, sometimes undergirded with a fresh forest floor component.

This one has a bit of bottle age on it, which, with Zinfandel, doesn't really add complexity, but instead sort of shuffles around the existing flavor components to de-emphasize the fruit and bring out leathery, earthy scents. And while I usually like my Zins younger than 5 years old (I love the ripe fruit), this one has held up pretty nicely.

Ripe berries along with that Italian "winey-ness" on the nose. The ripe berries carry through in the mouth with a streak of leathery earthiness underneath. Full-bodied, with a medium long, slightly hot finish. 85. I'm not exactly sure where I got this one. I think it may have been Whole Foods on Bellaire for about $10, but don't quote me on that.

2003 Penascal Tempranillo Rose (Castilla y León, Spain)

87. A really refreshing and lively rosé. Light vibrant pink color. Scents of strawberries and cool watermelon on the nose. Vinous, fresh, light-to-medium bodied, fruity, with some minerally accents in the background. Even though this is entering its second summer, it's still a really refreshing rosé. Available at both Spec's ($6) and Whole Foods on Bellaire ($7). Either way, a good buy.

2003 Selbach Piesporter Michelsberg Riesling Spatlese

81. A simple fruity Riesling that tastes more like a QBA than a Spatlese. Primary aromas of apples and ripe grapes. Simple, fruit flavors in a light-bodied format. Clean, short, finish. I know this is a simple regional appellation, but from a good producer in a good year, I expected more. Paid about $13 at a Whole Foods in Austin (off Route 183 in in the northwest part of the city).

2003 Parker Station Central Coast Pinot Noir

82. A simple but relatively flavorful Pinot. Aromas of Dr. Pepper and cola dominate. Soft broad flavors of plums and cola fill the mouth. Finishes a bit flat, with a bitter, stemmy note. The 2002 Parker Station, which sported the Santa Barbara County appellation, was superior to this edition. About $13 at Whole Foods on Bellaire.

2003 "Full Circle" California Zinfandel

Here's your party red for the summer! $6.99 @ Whole Foods on Bellaire. Never heard of this label before (it may be a private label for Whole Foods), but took a chance on it because the back label says most of the fruit was sourced in Amador County (the Sierra Foothills), a very good area for Zin. (Most simple "California" appellation Zins are sourced from the Central Valley, where the wines tend to be dull and characterless). Plus it's cheap.

Intense and lively bramble-berry, raspberry & spice nose -- classic Zinfandel profile. Medium-light bodied, with beautiful sappy berries and foresty-cedar flavors in the mouth. Decent balancing acidity and a pretty long, clean, fruity finish. Not an especially complex or powerful Zin, but really fun to drink. Could take a little chill if desired. An unbelievable value, really, and organically-grown to boot! 87.

2003 Chateau de la Ragotière Muscadet Sèvre et Maine

88. An excellent Muscadet. I'm usually not a big Muscadet guy; most are too unripe and acidic for me. But in hot vintages, I'll spring for a few bottles to try. 2003, of course, was a year of record-setting heat in France, and as a result this Muscadet is very much to my liking. Intense ripe crisp apple-pear nose, with a note of sweet almond extract underneath. Rich, yet light-bodied and fresh in the mouth, with a silky mouthfeel and lots of crisp apple-lemon and mineral flavors vying for attention. Long finish for a wine of this modest genome. I think this one was around $9 a bottle at Spec's on Westheimer if memory serves. (Each bottle comes wrapped in paper -- nice elegant packaging!). A really good choice for hot summer day sipping.

Two Rhônes and a Rant

2001 Domaine de l'Espigouette Côtes du Rhône Vieille Vignes. Mid-quality, gutsy Rhône. Medium deep ruby color, showing no age yet. Intense nose of berries, spice, earth, forest floor, with a hint of menthol. The mouth shows less fruit and more of the earthy component and alcohol than the nose would suggest, but pretty mouthfilling. Medium length, slightly hot finish with some dry, harsh tannin. Drink up, as the remaining fruit will fade and the tannins and alcohol will increasingly take over. Purchased in Austin, TX at Grapevine Connection (off MoPac) for about $15 last summer. 84.

2003 Château Maucoil Châteauneuf-du-Pape. A rip-off. Medium ruby color. Gangly nose of overripe cherries (cherry cough syrup?), pepper, and foresty scents. Lots of somewhat flat cherry cough syrup flavors in the mouth. Big, but a bit hot and disjointed. Fades quickly in the mid-palate. 82. Reasonable price for Châteauneuf these days ($19.99 at Whole Foods on Bellaire),

but . . .

[here comes the rant]

I'm really unhappy with the trend that has begun to take over among Châteauneuf estates to make two or three cuvées. It used to be that only the real, de facto "first growth" Châteauneuf domaines (Rayas, Beaucastel, Bonneau, etc.) put out two or three cuvées. And that was OK. The regular cuvée would still be really good and relatively affordable. The reserve or special cuvée, while expensive, would be correspondingly above and beyond the normal Châteauneuf.

Nowadays, however, it seems that everyone and their chien in Châteauneuf puts out at least two, and sometimes more, cuvées. While the regular cuvée remains "Châteauneuf-priced," the price of the special cuvées has gone through the roof. The problem is, the regular cuvées taste like second wines rather than real Châteauneuf. The Château Maucoil reviewed above is a case in point. It's more like a decent Côtes du Rhône than a real Châteauneuf. None of that special fragrance, depth, and "tèrroir" one expects from Châteauneuf. Instead, it tastes like what it probably is: leftover barrels and wine from young vines thrown together after all the good stuff was chosen for the more expensive cuvées.

Of course, there are (mercifully) still many exceptions to this rule. But this seems to me to be the increasing trend. And I don't like it un peu bit.

2003 "Tres Ojos" Old Vines Garnacha (Calatayud, Spain)

89. What a find! This wine, produced by the San Gregorio cooperative and imported by Kysela Pere et Fils, has a bright, medium light ruby color. The fragrance of this wine is of the purest kirsch, ripe raspberries, and a hint of white pepper. Unbelievably soft and pure in the mouth, this wine coats the palate with fruit and minerals, and has a long, velvety soft, clean finish. Garnacha, of course, is Spanish for Grenache, and this wine is a textbook example of what kind of pure fruit the Grenache grape is capable of. This wine will go with a wide range of foods, from grilled meats, braised meats and stews, and pasta with tomato or meat sauces. $8.99 at Whole Foods on Bellaire.

Just Sniffin' -- Outside/Inside

Over the last year or so, I've noticed that a wine's nose is much more easily discernable outside my house than inside. When I really want to analyze and/or savor a wine's nose, I go out on to my front porch or back deck for a little "quality time" with the glass.

I think the reason may be that inside spaces, whether a house, a restaurant, or some other building, have their own unique baseline "ambient" smell. Ever notice that first smell as you walk in your house after being away several days? Each of the places I've lived has had a different characteristic baseline smell. But I only notice it when I've been away for a while. I think we tend to get used to it and, like ambient noise, only notice it when we go without it for a period of time.

Granted, I live in Houston, where people generally tend to keep their houses hermetically sealed nearly all year round to keep out that sticky humidity we have grown to know and love, but I think I remember the same phenomemon when I lived in Connecticut in the 1990s and had meals where we drank wine al fresco. So I don't think it's just a Houston phenomenon.

Nor do I think it's solely due to temperature differences. Sure, the hotter the surface of the wine becomes, the more volatile and noticeable its aromatic components become, but I have found the outside/inside dichotomy to occur even when the temperature is the same outside or in, or even is a bit lower outside.

Try it yourself. Swirl and sniff inside. Take note of the intensity and detail. Then go outside and try again. I bet you'll get more out of it. It's pretty neat.

2003 Saintsbury "Garnet" Carneros Pinot Noir

86+. Light, bright ruby color. Lovely, if relatively straightforward nose of strawberry and cola. Soft, fleshy, relatively simple flavors, with pretty good length and some soft ripe tannin. I suspect this one will improve and gain a bit of complexity over the next 2-3 years.

$16.99 at Whole Foods on Bellaire.

1999 Cortes de Cima (Alentejano) (Portugal)

89. Very nice wine at its peak. Dark ruby with a thin line of brick at the rim. Nose of ripe cherries, Indian spices, incense, and tobacco leaf. On the palate, ripe chokecherries and mineral notes, good balancing acidity, and a reasonably long finish with some dusty tannins remaining. This wine reminds me of a mid-weight Barbaresco or Nebbiolo/Barbera blend such as Bricco Manzoni.

The back label says it's a blend of Aragonez (primary varietal), with some Trincadeira and Perequita. Most Perequita-based wines I've had are relatively simple, tart, cherryish wines, so I'm guessing it's the Aragonez -- a varietal I am unfamiliar with -- that made this wine as good as it is.

This was a gift from a friend, so I don't have purchase info -- thanks for the nice wine, Antonio!

2002 Trimbach Gewurztraminer (Alsace)

88. This is one of the nicest basic Trimbach wines I've had in years. My usual complaint is that their entry level wines are on the thin and austere side. Not this one, though. Textbook gewurztraminer nose of lychee nuts, rose water, and a hint of grapefruit. Richly flavored, medium bodied, and balanced in the mouth. Off-dry in style. While not necessarily reflecting any particular terroir in Alsace, it represents a classic example of Alsace gewurz. With its balance, it will hold for another 2 years at least. $11.69 (a steal!) on sale at Cost Plus World Marketplace on Richmond. It went really well with spicy Thai squid with basil and peppers.

2001 Lake Sonoma Winery Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel

90. A big, fleshy, ripe, flagrantly fragrant Zin at its peak. This is a hedonistic wine. The color isn't especially deep, but the fragrance of this wine is incredibly rich and brash. Raspberries, spice, minerals, and some toasty oak in the background. Mouthfilling, full-bodied, with flavors that strut all around your mouth. Rich, long, loose finish. If this wine were a woman . . . . shwinggg! Drink RIGHT NOW, as there's no place left for this one to go. About $12 at Spec's on Westheimer.

2003 Pierre Chermette Beaujolais

90. An ethereal wine. Gorgeous freshly crushed gamay grape and stone aromas. A fascinating contradiction on the palate: ripe, fresh, flavorful, and long, but with a silky soft texture that is so light-bodied it feels like it's hovering above your tongue. Superb summer red. And a from a simple Beaujolais AOC. About $11-12 at Spec's on Westheimer.

1 for 3: Good in baseball; bad in wine

Had a rough wine day yesterday. Had to open 3 bottles to get something good for dinner (Spanish chicken stewed with chick peas).

1st at bat: 2003 Onix Priorat (Spain). Oxidized, dammit! Color seemed OK, but make no mistake, this wine is on the way out. No ullage (cork leakage), bottle filled up to proper level -- so how does this happen? Beats me. Caught looking.

2nd at bat: 2001 "The Fifteen"Grenache (VDP Pyrennes Orientales, France). Smelled like tired old plum juice. Flabby, no structure. Cloying finish. The 2000 of this was way better. Weak pop-up to pitcher.

3rd at bat: 2003 St. Cosme "Little James' Basket Press" (VDP from the southern Rhone). 87. Very nice, gutsy red with some complexity. Ripe grenache (sappy cherry) scents augmented with lots of earthy, animal, and garrigue notes. Balanced and medium full, with a relatively long finish. I'm going to get a couple more of these for the closet this summer -- I think I paid $10 or $11 for this at Spec's on Westheimer a couple of months ago. Double down the right field line.

2001 Perrin Rasteau Côtes du Rhône Villages L'Andéol

89. A really nice, big, rustic Rhône. Intense nose, with ripe blackberries and earthy, iodine, tree bark and garrigue scents competing for prominence. Big and mouthfilling, with noticeable but realtively soft tannins. Long finish. I've had three bottles over the last year and a half, and based on its evolution, I think this wine will peak within the next year or so, if it hasn't already. Drink with rich stews and pot roasts. About $12 at Spec's.