A Cotes du Rhone at Age 6 -- 2001 Perrin RASTEAU "L'Andeol" Cotes du Rhone-Villages (Southern France)

I had this wine last 2 years ago, rating it an 89 and opining that it was at or near its peak. Found a bottle in the closet and tried it recently, and it was definitely on the decline.

Deep black ruby with a brickish tint. Spicy nose at first with scorched earth, menthol, and some plummy fruit. Peppery, scorched-earthy, winey, but surprisingly deep flavors at first, with some astringency and still some sharp tannins in the finish. As it sat, however, the fruit faded and the wine's astringency took over, as frequently happens with fairly full-bodied reds on the decline. 86 at first, and declining from there as the night went on.

2004 Rene Mure PINOT BLANC "Tradition" (Alsace, France)

I love Alsace whites. This one's a very good value entry-level Alsace wine with lots of flavor and nice balance.

Very light gold color with a slightly greenish tint. Beautifully fruity, bright nose of peach and citrus oil, with toasty minerals. Soft, round, and relatively concentrated and persistent flavors of apples and pungent minerals. Medium-full body, with a little heat showing through at the end of a pretty long, clean finish. 87. Was a very good value at $11.99 at Richard's on Shepherd.

2004 d'Arenberg GRENACHE "The Custodian" (McLaren Vale, Australia)

This wine shows the rustic side of Grenache.

Dark black ruby. Nose very peppery and woodsy, with ripe, spicy raspberry fruit taking a secondary role instead of its usual position in the driver's seat. Full-bodied, with lots of deep-toned minerals, pepper, and ripe black raspberry fruit. Long, peppery finish. 86. I think this was around $16-$17, but I can't remember where I got it.

Steaks and wine in Chicago

Went to the annual INTA (International Trademark Association) conference earlier this week. This year was in Chicago. My buddy Frank Duffin and I, as per tradition, hit the steak houses for a couple of nice dinners. First was Gene and Georgetti's. Not the most refined setting, and the wine list wasn't so hot, but the prime, dry-aged T-bone was tremendous. Had a 2004 St. Hallet Shiraz from Australia with it. The wine was not as jammy as many Aussie Shirazes, with somewhat higher acidity and tighter than I expected. Not bad, but not great.


The next night Frank and I, along with our friend Alex from Madrid, hit the Chicago Chop House, one of my favorite steak houses in the country. Their daily "off the menu" special, which I've had several times, is the Chop House Prime Rib. It's a prime, dry-aged ribeye cooked a special way: first it's roasted on the entire rib rack until just bloody, bloody rare, then sliced into individual ribeye steaks and seared to order. Even though I usually order a Strip, T-bone, or Porterhouse everywhere else, here, this cut is amazing. The wine was a 2004 J. Rochioli Russian River Valley Estate Pinot Noir -- a perfumed, concentrated, extraordinary PN whose ethereally light mouthfeel was hard to believe given its concentration of sappy, fragrant Pinot fruit and its length.








For dessert, we walked over to oENOlogy, a nearby wine, cheese, and chocolate joint in the Intercontinental Hotel. Amazingly, they had three different half bottles of Alois Kracher Austrian dessert wines on their list. We ordered a 1999 Alois Kracher #6 - Grande Cuvee Nouvelle Vague Trockenbeerenauslese. This wine was tremendously honeyed and rich, with lots of apricot and date fruit, and high enough acidity to buoy it all up. A great way to end the evening.

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).

2005 Vina Salamanca (50% Rufete, 50% Tempranillo) (Castilla Y Leon, Spain)

This was a pretty good value.

Dark, sparkling, magenta-tinged black ruby. Assertive nose of crunchy berries, sweet cream, and powdered rocks. Vibrant, youthful flavors of resiny cherry/raspberry fruit, granite, and peppercorns. A little angular and elbow-y in the mouth, but that should settle down and round-out in the next year. Good, pure, long finish, with lots of fruit and some youthful tannin. 86+. Was about $8 at Whole Foods on Bellaire.

2004 Tenuta Villanova PINOT GRIGIO (Friuli, Italy)

This wine had loads of character. I'm not usually a Pinot Grigio fan, as so many of them are akin to glasses of water tainted by some faint bitterness and acidity. This one, however--which was given to us as a gift--was really good.

Bright, light, brassy-gold with a greenish tint. Intense nose of minerals, peach pits, and earthy herbs. Round, mouthfilling, minerally flavors. Bone dry, with excellent balance, and a long finish. This would be superb with Brodetto (a fish stew from the Marche region of Italy) or pasta with a red fish sauce. 88. A quick search on the Internet shows that most stores selling this price it at around $12, making it a very good value.

2003 Tenuta Le Farnete CARMIGNANO (Tuscany, Italy)

A flash-in-the-pan wine: good up-front fragrance and flavors, but a very short finish.

Dark, brickish-blood ruby. Spicy, smoky nose, with gingery spice and smoky balsa wood & berries. A burst of fruit, minerals, and scorched earth quickly fades, however, into a lean, minerally/earthy finish. 83. Was about $18 at Spec's on Richmond.

Quick Notes on Easter Wines

These are quick, truncated notes from memory.


NV Veuve Cliquot Brut (Champagne) -- toasty, full-bodied, intense and bone dry. Nice balance.





2004 Domaine Bott-Geyl "Pinot d'Alsace" -- a blend of 35% Pinot Blanc, 35% Pinot Auxerrois, 20% Pinot Gris, and 10% Pinot Noir. It was very nice, and I think it was around $14. Fragrance of orange skins and peach, lots of fruit and mineral flavors. Crisp and dry.





2000 Domaine Pavillon-Mercurol Crozes-Hermitage -- when last tasted a year or so ago, this was still holding beautifully. This bottle was over the hill, however, with the fruit drying up.







2003 Las Rocas Vinas Viejas GARNACHA (Calatayud, Spain) -- much leaner and more astringent than the excellent 2001 version I previously reviewed.





2004 Rosenblum Monte Rosso Vineyard ZINFANDEL Reserve -- I saved the best for last. This was a wonderful, powerful Zin. Huge aromas of port-like fruit and lots of oak spice and pepper. Rich, powerful, ripe, minerally flavors. Massive body, yet still retained elegance.

Non-vintage Patrick LeSec "Petite Crau" (Southern France)

Patrick LeSec is an excellent broker/negociant of wines from around the Rhone Valley and Provence. This is his bargain basement-priced red. It's got a lot of character for the money.

Deep ruby garnet. Fragrant nose of sweet, spiced cream, sweet-tart plums, and sandstone. Intense, lean flavors of minerals, scorched earth, dark cherries, and baker's chocolate. A bit angular, but delivers lots of galumphy flavor. Fairly long finish, with some rustic-feeling tannin. 86. Was $8 and change at Spec's on Richmond.

2004 Thorn-Clarke "Terra Barossa" SHIRAZ (Barossa Valley, Australia)

I drank this about 2 months ago but lost the notes temporarily.

It was excellent. Deep, opaque ruby (like blood). Deep nose, too, of cassis, blueberry syrup, hot sandstone, and smoky graphite. Dense, deep, and dry, with flavors of ripe cassis, minerals, and salty iodine. Very distinctive. Well-integrated tannins are barely discernible but provide nice structure. Long, smoky finish. 90. Will hold for another 2-3 years or so. Can't remember where I got it, but it was definitely around $15.

2005 Revolution SHIRAZ (McLaren Vale, Australia)

This was a very rich, elegant Shiraz.


Dense, sataurated black ruby color. Rich nose of black raspberry ice cream, balsa wood, and grilled meat. Dense, deep, oaky, iodine-y, salty flavors. Richly-extracted, but not overly jammy like lots of Shirazes. Long, soft finish. Macho and refined at the same time. 90. Was about $18 at Whole Foods on Bellaire.

2005 CAMPOS REALES (La Mancha, Spain)

A very good value. Lots of flavor for the money.


Deep, bright, luminescent ruby. Super-rich, ripe plummy-blackberry nose, with some gingerbread/scorched balsa wood notes. Rich, dense, ripe, and full-bodied. Not a heck of a lot of complexity, but lots of flavor and a rich texture. Big and satisfying. 100% Tempranillo grape, which is surprising to me because I usually figure Tempranillo based wines to be more the elegant, medium-bodied type. This was under $10, but I can't remember if I got it at Spec's or Central Market. 88.

UPDATE (4/3): Saw this last night at Central Market for $7.99.

2003 Domaine Fourrier MOREY-ST. DENIS "Clos Solon" Vieille Vigne (Burgundy, France)

This was a truly decadent wine.

Rich, vibrant ruby, with no trace of lightening or ambering at the rim. Extravagantly perfumed, almost indescribable nose: watermelon, black cherry cola, ginger root, spearmint, freshly-baked bread, and minerals. Intense, forward, full-bodied flavors of cherry liqueur, minerals, pepper, and scorched earth. Long, perfumey finish with a little heat and tannin in the back end. With just a touch more concentration in the back of the palate, this would have been nearly perfect. As it is, it is superb, and is a great example of why Pinot Noir is such an amazing grape. 92. Was $29.99 -- and worth every penny and more -- from Flickinger Wines in Chicago.

2005 Abrazo GARNACHA (Carinena, Spain)

This is a fantastic value. At $6.99, it's a great choice for a big party or cook-out.

Medium ruby withbright magenta glints. Bright, sassy nose of spicy raspberr juice and flinty minerals. Soft, round, mouthfilling flavors of sappy raspberries -- not that concentrated, complex, or deep, but lots of fun, upfront fruit. Pretty good, balanced finish. Drink by the fall. This wine could even take a slight chill for summertime drinking. 87. Got it at Whole Foods on Bellaire.

2004 Cambria Santa Maria Valley CHARDONNAY "Katherine's Vineyard" (California)

This widely-available white is very good, and shows a much more restrained use of oak than most other California chardonnays, and so avoids that cloying, overly-sweet butterscotchy character I've grown sick of. It also avoids the slight residual sugar sweetness that many California producers leave in their Chardonnays.

Light straw gold color. Sweet nose of tropical fruit, with wet stones and some subtle butterscotch in the background. Rich, intense flavors of minerals, pear, and grape skins. Full-bodied, long, dry finish. A hybrid California/French style, but show more resemblance to the French branch of the family. Reminiscent of a top-flight Pouilly-Fuisse. 88. Was $16 on sale at Randall's a couple of months ago, but I think most stores now stock the 2005, which I haven't had yet.

2005 A to Z Oregon PINOT NOIR

Now here's a very nice French-styled Pinot Noir. Medium garnet/ruby. Delicate nose of spicy cherries, minerals, earth, and birch beer. Soft, silky, and dry in the mouth, with a feminine style and lengthy, light-bodied flavors. No jammy-ness at all. In fact, it's almost on the austere side. Like a very good village wine from Beaune or Volnay. 87. $17.99 at Central Market.

2003 Echelon "Driving Range Vineyard" ZINFANDEL (Contra Costa County)

Here's a repulsive glass of wine. Smells and tastes of nail polish remover and rancid prunes. F. Is it just this bottle? Or all of this lot? I'm not going to find out. If someone cares enough to find out, please let me know.

2005 "GARNACHA de Fuego" Old Vines (Bodegas Zabrin) (Calatayud, Spain)

This was a very good value. Imported by Jorge Ordonez, a great source for Spanish wines, this wine had a vivid dark ruby color. Vibrant nose of crunchy raspberries & blueberries, with some of the classic rock dust-y/minerally scents that frequently grace the Grenache-based wines of the Calatayud region. Dense and youthful in the mouth, with lots of straightforward raspberry/black cherry fruit, and some noticeable rustic tannin as well. Needs a year or so to settle down and drop some of the coarser tannin, but hard to resist now with pasta dishes and stews. Nice balance and length. 87+. Was $7.99 at Whole Foods on Bellaire.

2002 Peteroa CARMENERE Reserve (Central Valley, Chile)

This wine wasn't bad, but was made in a style that I don't like much.

Medium ruby with some brick at the rim. Nose very closed at first, giving up only vaguely cardboardy scents. I then put it under a Vacu-Vin closure for almost a week and forgot about it (I would estimate that this is the equivalent of about 4-8 hours in a decanter). When I later re-opened it, somewhat more pleasant (though not particularly assertive) scents of sweet cream, boysenberries, and dusty earth came forward. In the mouth, it reminded me of a middle of the road Bordeaux from a relatively cool year. It was kind of austere, but had decent concentration and length. 84. If you want to try this, I would definitely recommend opening and decanting it several hours ahead of time. Would match nicely with simple roasted or grilled lamb, but little else. $10.40 at Spec's on Richmond.