2011 Trentadue ZINFANDEL "La Storia" (Alexander Valley, Cal.)

This is a very reticent, brooding Zin.  Unlike most Zins, this needs 2-3 years to be at its best.

Very dark violet-tinged ruby.  Low-toned nose of dark blackberry, fragrant, sweet woodsmoke, and chalk.  Mouthfilling and dense, yet with a surprisingly light mouthfeel.  Very pure, dark, monochromatic flavors of chalky, dense blackberry extract.  Loads of very soft tannin.  Finish lasts a long time.  This is all potential right now.  B+, with the potential to be an A in a couple of years.  I got this for $19 from Wineaccess.com.

2009 Mazzocco "Pony" ZINFANDEL (Dry Creek Valley, Cal.)

A rich, ripe, hedonistic Zin.  But not over the top.  I like it a lot.

Rich, deep, sultry dark ruby.  Richly fruity, strikingly pure nose, with loads of ultra-ripe black raspberry syrup notes, warm baking spices, and clean, stony minerals.  Concentrated, weighty, and deeply-flavored.  It's got loads of  stony mineraliness and blackberry and ripe cassis fruit. Very full bodied, and there's a bit of heat in the finish, but it's a feature, not a bug.  The finish goes on and one, with something like dry vintage port notes clinging for nearly a minute.  A very distinctive wine.  Try it with a grilled porterhouse.  A.  I don't know how much this cost.  My brother got it direct from the winery and gave it to me.

2011 Jean-Marc Burgaud BEAUJOLAIS-VILLAGES "Les Vignes de Thulon" (Burgundy, France)

A great value in a crisp, flavorful Beaujolais.  Clean, fruity, crisp, minerally.  Gulp this sh*t down!

Crystal clear dark ruby violet color.  Fun, exuberant nose of crunchy berries, cold plums, and clean, stony minerals.  Very lively in the mouth.  Not a lot of concentration, but it's doing somersaults and ricocheting around with crisp berry fruit and stoniness, good acids, and a tad bit of tannin.  Very clean finish that invites sip after sip.  B+.  Fantastic value that I got for $9.99 at Table & Vine in West Springfield, MA.  Imported by Ideal Wines, Medford, MA.

2009 AnimaLibera MORELLINO DI SCANSANO (Tuscany, Italy)

This is a very outgoing Sangiovese, showing the darker side of the varietal.  Fully mature, however, or even a bit past its prime, so it needs to be drunk up.

Dark ruby with tawny hues.  Scorched earthy and closed at first pour, it quickly opened up to show a nose of deep-toned dark cherry fruit and an intense minerally streak.  The next day, the fruit was beginning to fade and be replaced with medicinal and oxidized notes on the nose.  Full-bodied yet quite soft, the wine has a very nice texture.  Not sure if it's just ageing rapidly or whether it was a bit heat-damaged.  Either way, I get the sense that this was better several months ago.  B on the first day. B-/C+ on the second.  Was $9.99 from WTSO.com.  Imported by Superior Wines, Cranford, NJ.

UPDATE (2/8/14):  subsequent bottles are oxidizing fast.  Using my remaining two bottles for cooking.  Revising score to D.  No excuse for making a Sangiovese that tanks this fast.  My comment about "fully mature" above?  Forget that.  This one's at the retirement home and too tired even for shuffleboard.

Three wines and lots of guests

We had people over for dinner Saturday and Sunday, so with all the talking and laughing etc., I didn't get to do detailed notes, but here are my impressions of three of the wines we popped.

2010 Domaine Vignaud CHABLIS PREMIER CRU Fourchaume -- Nice, minerally, brothy nose.  Nice entry, but then lean and a little hollow at present in the mid-palate.  Finishes with lots of clean, limestoney minerals in the finish.  Will be better in 2-4 years.

2005 Chateau Lascombes MARGAUX -- Much better than it was two years ago when I opened my first bottle.  Starting to develop some complexity, with the California-like primary fruit and oak I thought dominated the first bottle I popped a couple of years ago starting to subside and beginning to develop into a more sophisticated Bordeaux cedary character.  Very long finish.  Another wine that will be better still in 2-5 years.  Too bad that was my last bottle.  Paired well with Saturday's grilled steaks.

2006 Paul Pillot CHASSAGNE-MONTRACHET PREMIER CRU CLOS SAINT JEAN (Rouge) -- a gorgeous, fully mature red burgundy.  Resiny cherry fruit, along with loads of gravelly minerals.  Leaner style, with very good acids.  Very nice with Coq au Vin.

2007 Vignavecchia CHIANTI CLASSICO RISERVA "Odoardo Beccari" (Tuscany, Italy)

A Chianti that thinks it's a Brunello.  I happen to like Chiantis that think they're Chiantis, but this is pretty good anyway.  Vignavecchia's str
aight CCR is, to my taste, more typical and more pleasurable.

Very dark black ruby.  On the first night, the nose and flavors were so closed, it wasn't particularly pleasurable.  All I got was dark, scorchy stuff. Night 2, after 24 hours under a Vacu-Vin enclosure, it was much better, much more open.  Still dark and relatively burly, but nice.  Very Brunello-ish.  Nose of charcoal, dark gravelly minerals, and scorched blackberry.  Very rich and tannic, with low-toned very scorched gravelly minerals and loads of sultry blackberry skins in the mouth.  A bit too much smoky oak, but pretty good.  Very full.  Still needs time to soften out.  Give it another year or two.  B.  I think I paid around $23 for this from WTSO.com over a year ago.  Imported by Superior Wines, Cranford, NJ.

2011 Tenuta delle Terre Nere ETNA ROSSO (Sicily, Italy)

Very nice, very typical Etna Rosso.  That means it's good that clean, fruity, minerally flavor profile wrapped in a crisp, lively physical frame that is at total odds with what you'd expect from such a southern latitude.

Medium dark ruby garnet color.  Nice nose of ripe, macerated cherries and loads of clean stoniness.  Clean, fresh, and intense in the mouth.  Lots of ripe, winey cherries, a light, cedary component, and loads of minerality in the very long, lively finish.  fairly full-bodied, and with a decent amount of soft tannins.  Very nice.  Drink over the next 18 months.  B+.  I got this while at 2 Amy's Pizza in DC (excellent Neapolitan pizza) for $40.  I would think it would retail between $15-20.  Imported by daGrazia Imports, Winston-Salem, NC.

2011 Domaine de la Colline CHINON (Loire Valley, France)

A light, lively, flavorful wine.  I really liked it.

Very dark, jet black-ruby color.  Textbook Chinon/Cab Franc nose of black cherry, dry underbrush,  and a note that wavers between machine oil and toasted walnut oil.  Smooth and lively in the mouth, with intense flavors but in a medium-bodied frame.  Bone dry black cherry extract, loads of rocky minerals with a very slightly bitterish edge.  Long, pure finish.  Lots of soft micro-tannin adds a little texture as the finish fades.  B+.  Not sure what this would cost at retail, but it was $33 at Bistro du Coin in DC.  Imported by Monsieur Touton Selections.

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.

2012 Domaine La Rabiotte COTEAUX D'AIX EN PROVENCE ROSE (Southern France)

A fresh, lively, fun-to-drink rosé.

Light salmon pink color.  Fruity nose of watermelon, grapes, and strawberry, with a little metallic/mineral note.  Bone dry, rather full, with decent acidity.  Very slightly bitterish watermelony/cherry fruit flavors (I like the slight bitterness, or else the wine would have been too simple.)  Clean, refreshing finish.  A definite summer cookout rosé.   B.  Was $11.99 at Total Wine in Fairfax, VA.  Imported by Saranty Imports, White Plains, NY.

2011 Truscott "Old Vine" ZINFANDEL (Mendocino County, Cal.)

This is a very burgundian-styled (that is to say, Pinot Noir-styled) Zinfandel.  I this was served blind to me, I'd guess a solid village level wine from the Cote de Beaune or sure. Unusual, but very nice.

Light, very crystalline ruby color.  Medium intensity nose of sweet, sappy cherry, a little blackberry, dark baking spices, and a lightly-minerally note.  Mouthfilling, but light on its feet, with very Bourgogne-like flavors of dry, sappy cherry extract and light stoniness.  Very pure tasting.  Fairly full bodied, and good acidity too.  Bone dry.  Good length.  B+.  Was $15.99 from Total Wine in Fairfax, VA.  So it's a good value too.  But drink up over the next year.  It's not made to age.

2009 Ramon Valle "Peique" BIERZO (Spain)

This is another excellent value from Bierzo.  Very minerally and clingy, with the sometimes rough tannins of Bierzo under control.  I like that there's no overtly noticeable oak.

Very dark ruby/violet.  Gorgeously pure scents of violets and perfectly ripe blackberry juice poured over a pile of powdery crushed stone . . . with a note of dried citrus peel.  Very concentrated flavors fill the mouth, but it's not heavy or jammy.  Iodine, lightly scorched gravel, and blackberry skins.  Loads of soft tannin provide nice texture.  Full bodied.  Long, clingy, chewy finish.  B+.  Imported by Classic Wines, Stamford, CT, this wine was a remarkable $10.99 from WTSO.com.  Get some.

(Sorry, 2008 shown).

2010 Raimbault SANCERRE "Vieilles Vignes" (Loire Valley, France)

This is a terrific, crisp, fragrant, flavorful white.  One of the nicest Sancerres I've had in years.

Light gold color.  Amazing nose of crushed limestone, wet clay, gooseberries, green apples, and a citrusy component.  Bone dry, with intense but mouth-wateringly crisp flavors, showing chalky minerals, a saline note, green apply fruit, and a blazingly pure, long, 'nuther-sip-inducing finish.  Love it.  A.  Was $22.99 from WTSO.com, and well-worth it.  Imported by Sege Dore Selections.

(Sorry, 2009 shown)

UPDATE: 2010 Thunevin-Calvet "Cuvee Constance" COTES DU ROUSSILLON-VILLAGES (Southwest France)

This wine, which I previously reviewed several months ago, has softened and opened up appreciably.  It now warrants an A-.  Fragrant, intense, very linear, loads of intense stony minerals.  Very clingy flavor persistence.  I have one bottle left, which I'll try to hold off on drinking for at least another year.

2010 Three Wine Company OLD VINE FIELD BLEND (Contra Costa County, Cal.)

I really like old vine reds from the freakishly deep sands of Contra Costa County.  They really represent a unique American terroir.  This wine is composed of 100+ yr. old vines from 26% Zinfandel, 25% Petite Sirah, 25% Mataro, 20% Carignane, 3% Alicante Bouschet and 1% Black Malvoisie.  And it's really good.

Very dark, plasma-like ruby/violet.  Enchanting nose of rich berries, cocoa powder, minerals, and ashy embers, with a single line of tangy rhubarb at the end.  Rich, low-toned, and darkly berryish, with a the cocoa component still there.  It's quite dry, with lots of soft tannin coating the sides of the mouth.  And despite the 15.2% alcohol, there's some very nice acidity buoying everything up.  Although this winery's single varietal wines tend to be a little more expensive than its "field blend," I think I usually like the field blend a little more.  A-.  If I'm remembering correctly, I think I got this several months ago for around $18 from WineAccess.com.

2010 Simmonet-Fevre CHABLIS PREMIER CRU MONTMAINS (Northern Burgundy, France)

This is a big, extroverted Chablis.

Very pale gold.  Nose burbling over with green apple, peach, lemon, and chalky minerals.  Fleshy, flashy, and vigorous in the mouth.  The first day the fruit was at the fore, and it seemed ripe, intense, and somewhat simple.  But the next day, the minerals were out in force, with intense chalky-stoniness overshadowing the still ample fruit.  The first night it seemed almost -- unusually for a Chablis -- like there was a bit of residual sugar, but as it aired, that sweetness decreased.  By the second day it seemed bone dry.  Good acids for such a large-limbed Chablis.  What it lacks in complexity and elegance it makes up in sheer force and vigor.  B+.  Drink over the next 2 years, over which it will probably gain a bit of complexity.  Was $21.99 from WTSO.com, and imported by Louis Latour, San Rafael, CA.

2010 Tommasi "Vigneto Rafael" VALPOLICELLA (Veneto, Italy)

This wine has been consistently very good, year-after-year, since I can remember first trying it (in the early 80s).  It usually walks a line somewhere between the lighter, fresher regular Valpos many wineries offer as their entry level wine and their somewhat denser, riper, earthier Ripassos.  The 2010 is really nice.

Vibrant ruby with a purply tinge.   Gobs of ripe, dark, crunchy berry fruit on the nose.  The first night, the fruit obscured all else.  Then I left it under a Vacu-Vin for 48 hours, and it had developed some of the almondy characteristics frequently associated with Valpos.  Wonderful concentration and vibrancy in the mouth; a wine that just begets sip after sip, and would pair with all sorts of meals. Nice length and wonderful purity.  A-.  Was $16.99 at Total Wine in Fairfax, VA.  Imported by Vintus LLC, Pleasantville, NY.

2009 Jean-Paul Brun CÔTE DE BROUILLY "Terres Dorées" (Beaujolais, France)

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A mature, smooth, flavorful, old-school Beaujolais.  A little bottle age really smooths out some of the better, tightly-constructed Beaujolais, and that's what's happened here.  Me likee.

Dark ruby color.  Really rich nose of dark mixed berries and lots of clean stony and vaguely foresty notes.  Soft, lithe, and intensely fruity in the mouth initially, showing lots of pure berry fruit, then the mineraliness kicks in quickly and clings tenaciously to the tongue and the insides of your cheeks.  Pretty full bodied for a Beaujolais (probably due to the warm '09 growing season), but with good purity and liveliness, despite low-ish acids for a Beaujolais.  A-.  Drink over the next 8-12 months.  Was $18.99 from Wine Exchange, Los Angeles, Cal.  Imported by Louis/Dressner Selections.

2010 Buti Nages COSTIERES DE NIMES (Rhone Valley, France)

This excellent value red is fruity, deep, balanced, and soft.  A fantastic choice for summer cook-outs.  45% Grenache, 45% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre.

Deep ruby with purply highlights.  Lively, straightforward nose of crunchy, ripe dark berries and clean stony mineraliness.  Lovely, tight, ripe berry fruit in the mouth.  Very soft.  Decent acids, and some very fine tannins for a bit of structure on the finish.  Not complex, but fun to drink and flavorful.  Calls out for mesquite-grilled grilled burgers.  B/B+.  Was $9.99 at Total Wine in Fairfax.  Imported by Saranty Imports, White Plains, NY.

2008 Santbru MONTSANT "Carinyenes Velles" (Catalunya, Spain)

A deep, full-bodied, minerally, fully-mature and smooth red.  Think of this as a Spanish Gigondas from a very warm vintage.

Almost jet black, fully saturated color . . . ruby adds the highlights to the black, rather than the other way around.  Striking, low-toned nose of a squished carton of uber-ripe blackberries, whisked together with crushed stones and a hint of dark baking spices.  Massively rich in the mouth, with dark, brooding flavors of dark stones and blackberry syrup/skin extract.  Great intensity yet not overblown.  Dry and full-bodied, sporting a texture akin to hot chocolate due to loads of medium-fine-grained tannins.  It went well with a braised brisket.  This is a wine that will overpower anything less than a stew or pot roast type dinner, although it may pair well with after dinner cheese too.  Drinking very well now, this wine will soften further over the next 2 years.  B+.  Was $14.99 from WTSO.com.  Imported by Classic Wines, Stamford, CT.

(Sorry, 2007 shown)