2012 "Los Colinas del Ebro" Syrah/Grenache (Terra Alta, Spain)

This 80% Grenache/20%Syrah (with the name Syrah listed first on the label to try to fool people into thinking that's the predominant grape varietal since Syrah is trendy and Grenache isn't) is a very good value.  Nice ripe fruit and minerality, well-balanced and smooth.

Rich dark ruby color.  Medium intensity nose of ripe blackberry and black raspberry fruit, along with hints of sweet baking spice and smokey stones (almost like the smell of a recently ignited caps for toy guns, if anyone can remember what that smells like).  Bone dry, with squeaky clean black raspberry fruit and loads of clean stony minerality.  Clean, medium-long, clingy finish.  Not super complex, but really nicely put together.  B+.  Was $12 at Whole Foods in Arlington in Clarendon.  Imported by Grapes of Spain (Aurelio Cabestreros) of Lorton, VA.

(The label depicted is for their white, but the Syrah/Grenaches's label is virtually identical.)

2011 Domaine Guy Mousset COTES DU RHONE (Southern France)

Meh.  A CDR made to imitate a Beaujolais.  It's well made, but was purposefully crafted to hide the characteristics it was born with.  80% Grenache, 20% Syrah.

Medium dark ruby.  Loads of ripe, juicy, grapey/plummy fruit on the nose.  Fairly loose-limbed in the mouth, with average concentration, though the straightforward fruit is pleasant enough.  Fairly full-bodied.  Finish clean and short.  C+.  Was $11.99 at Total Wine in McLean, VA,  imported by Saranty Imports, White Plains, NY.

2011 Tres Ojos GARNACHA (Calatayud, Spain)

This wine packs a wallop, though it is quite simple.  Hard to quibble, however, at $7.99.

Very dark ruby with violet overtones.  Nose features lots of black raspberry skins and dark cherry fruit.  Some stony mineraliness as well.  Highly extracted (for a Grenache), it blasts the palate with tannins and bone dry, slightly bitter black cherry fruit.  Very full bodied.  Finish leaves lots of puckery tannins.  This wine tastes very young and blunt right now.  It actually may soften a bit over the next 18 months, though I wouldn't keep it longer than that, as the high alcohol may start to burn through the fruit.  B-.  I got this a Whole Foods in Arlington.  Imported by Kysela Pere et Fils, Winchester, VA.

2010 Louis Boillot CHASSAGNE-MONTRACHET Blanc (Burgundy, France)

 This wine took me on a surprise journey.  When I first opened it, it looked suspiciously dark gold.  And it smelled kind of flat, and felt flabby and tired in the mouth.  We finished off half the bottle without much enthusiasm the first night, although, over time the first night, it tightened up a bit, and the color lightened.  I put it under a Vacu-vin closure and stuck it back in the fridge.  Two days later, it was much, much improved.  I think this wine just needs a couple of years in the bottle.  If you open it now, I would actually recommend decanting it a few hours ahead of time -- which is usually unnecessary for a white.  Stick the decanter back in the fridge in the meantime.

The following notes are from 48 hours after opening.

Bright, luminescent medium light, brassy gold.  Wonderfully vibrant nose:  pristine apple fruit, a squeeze of lemon, a little whiff of light honey and toast, and a very clean, hay/limestoney earth note.  Lean, but with excellent flavor persistence, this wine has excellent acids (a characteristic of the 2010s from Burgundy).  Flavors of green apple, pear, and straw last a long time and leave on a very faint hazelnut note that lingers and lingers.  This wine kept getting better through the last sip.  That suggests this needs time and air.  By the end, I gave it a A-.  (Don't ask about when I first opened it.)  Was $24.99 from WTSO.com.  Imported by MHW, Ltd., Manhasset, NY.

2010 Quinta de Ventozelo DOURO (Portugal)

This is the antithesis of the overripe, overoaked, new world red style.  It's very defined, lean, and very stony/minerally, with lots of acidity, but not under-ripe at all.   I like it, but for those who demand jammy fruit and plushness, it's probably not gonna fly.

Gorgeously youthful-looking dark ruby.  Very unique nose, with crisp plummy fruit, a streak of rhubarb, and tons of stony minerals, along with a very subtle note of something kinda like, but not quite like, cinnamon.  Bone dry in the mouth, it's got good weight.  Flavors kind of like a blenderized mixture of rock dust and black cherry skins.  Lengthy, lean finish slows turns  a bit iodiney and bitter (but in a good way), and it's got very good acids.  Quite a unique character, this one.  B+.  Imported by Saranty Imports, White Plains, NY, I got this for $13.99 at Total Wine in Mclean, VA.

This will age nicely for 1-3 years, and will go with a wide variety of foods.

(Sorry, 2008 shown.)

2012 Masson-Blondelet POUILLY-FUMÉ (Loire Valley, France)

Strangely, Pouilly-Fumé seems harder to find these days than its kissing cousin, Sancerre.  Back in the very early 80s, when I was first learning about wine, Sancerre was dead.  Pouilly-Fumé was everywhere.  It had to do with the popularity of Robert Mondavi's "Fumé Blanc," as Cali Sauvignon Blanc was popularly called back then.  I find Sancerre to have more depth, but I'm overgeneralizing.

This is a good, reasonably-priced, entry level Pouilly Fumé.  A little on the lighter, herbal side, but very fresh and clean.

Extremely pale silvery-gold.  Very herbal, citrus pith nose, with the herbs tending toward the "cat pee" level of pungency initially, then calming down a bit on day two.  A very clean, precise gooseberry fruit element shoots through it.  Very crisp in the mouth, with mouthwatering acids.  Very nice green apply, gooseberry fruit, and a very clean finish.  Very little of the pierre-à-fusil (gun flint) smokiness that is characteristic of this appellation, but it's still quite enjoyable, particularly at $14.99, from WTSO.com.  B.  Imported by Votto Vines, Hamden, CT.

2012 Nostrada GARNACHA (Campo de Borja, Spain)

I reviewed the 2011 earlier this year (I liked it), and this one is a very nice cheap wine as well.

Crystalline dark ruby with a bit of magenta (get out your damn 64 pack of Crayolas if you don't know what that is) at the rim.  Straightforward but very nice nose of dark, ripe raspberries and dark stony minerality.  Pure and richly fruity in the mouth, with loads of powdered stone minerality and a vigorous, athletic mouthfeel.  Nice weight and concentration, and a very nice, balanced finish with good acids counterbalancing full body.  B.   Was $9 at Total Wine in Mclean, VA.  Imported by Saranty Imports, White Plains, NY.

2009 Vignavecchia CHIANTI CLASSICO RISERVA (Tuscany, Italy)

Big and intense, this wine is not as elegant and precise as the excellent 2007 Riserva from this producer.  But it's still good.

Dark black ruby color.  Low-toned nose of ripe cherry and plummy fruit, some slightly scorchy minerality, and underbrush.  Dark and brooding in the mouth, with scorched earth driving the car and dark cherries in the back seat.  Acidity is pretty good for such a full-bodied wine, but it seems a bit unintegrated.  A bit bitter in the finish.  Not elegant, but doesn't skimp on bruising flavor and intensity.  B.  Was $19 from WTSO.com.  Imported by Superior Wines, Cranford, NJ.

2011 Chad PINOT NOIR (Anderson Valley, Cal.)

A fragrant, light, zesty Pinot Noir.  Varietally true, and fun to gulp, this wine is the antithesis of a "serious" Pinot.  But it's good anyway.

Light ruby color with a garnet tinge.  Lots going on in the nose: tart but sappy cherry, sandstone, a raw beef component, and a whiff of pine needles resting in moist soil.  Slams the palate with very pure-tasting cherry fruit and lots of stony minerals.  B one-dry and loaded with zesty acids too.  But the flavors fade pretty quickly, and there's not much concentration.  Compare this to a good quality Bourgogne Rouge.  B.  I think I got this for around $20 a bottle from Wineaccess.com.

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.