2010 Rutherford Ranch Old Vine ZINFANDEL (Napa Valley, CA)

A unique style of Zinfandel.  But it's pretty good and not very expensive.

Startling light color for a Zin.  Basically a medium light ruby.  The first night, the nose was kind of funky, throwing off some stewed prune and acetate notes.  But the next night was much better.  There was a melange of superripe blackberry, fragrant baking spices, and warm sandstone.  Full-bodied and loose-jointed in the mouth, maybe lacking a bit of focus and concentration, but with lots of minerally blackberry fruit swimming around.  A bit of heat shows through in the finish (it's 15% for Pete's sake), but it's not out of balance.  Drink over the next year.  This would be very nice with winey beef stews and pot roasts.  B/B+.  Was $14.99 at Total Wine in Fairfax.

2010 I Giusti & Zanza "Nemorino" (Tuscany, Italy)

I usually don't buy non-DOC Italian wines, especially from Tuscany, because they're usually non-indigenous varietals and tend to be heavily oaked and "international" in style.  I hate that shit on principle.  But my research indicated that this 60% Syrah, 20% Sangiovese, 20% (f*cking) Merlot is aged only in large casks for a short period, and was grown organically near Pisa.  So I gave it a shot.  I like it.

The first night it was very tight and unyielding.  I got nothing out of it.  Good thing I didn't review it then.  But I put it under Vacu-Vin for two days and came back to on night 3.  Much better.

Very dark, black ruby with violet highlights.  On night 3 the nose showed very precise dark cherry fruit, framed nicely by slightly smoky, rock dusty- minerals.  Concentrated, focused fruit in the mouth, with nice persistence and texture.  Medium-full body and great acids.  Finishes just a tad shorter than I'd like, but is very pleasurable.  The fact that it took so long to show itself tells me this wine will age nicely for a few years.  If you're going to drink it in the next 12 months, be sure to decant it in a huge decanter several hours ahead of time.  This wine will go well with a wide range of dishes. B+.  Was $14.99 from WTSO.com.  Imported by Superior Wines, Cranford, NJ.

PS -- I have to say, the label just sucks.  Really stupid.

2010 Mas de Gourgonnier LES BAUX DE PROVENCE (Southern France)

A disappointing rendition of this usually outstanding value. I expected a lot more, especially from the terrific 2010 vintage.

Dark, blackish ruby.  The first night, the nose gave up nothing, and the flavors gave up nothing either.  There was some weight, but that was it.  The second night, after being re-opened a few hours, the nose showed some tangy berries and some high-pitched rock dust.  It was clean and minerally in the mouth, with good acids, showing some simple berry fruit and some underbrush notes.  Decent finish.   C+.  Was $14.99 from Table and Vine in West Springfield, MA. Imported by Ideal Wine & Spirits, Medford, MA.  Decent quaffing material, but not nearly the standard this domaine usually puts out.

(Sorry, 2007 depicted.)

Update:  Oddly, I just realized I previously reviewed this over a year ago and gave it a much better review then.  It was a different importer, which leads me to think there might be different cuvees for different buyers.  Or maybe it just got worse, but the notes are so different that it seems like a totally different wine.  Very odd.

2011 Allegrini VALPOLICELLA (Veneto, Italy)

Solid, basic Valpo.  Nothing special, but it won't disappoint either.  A little on the burly side for this appellation.

Basic dark ruby color.  Vinous nose of dark cherry, with a slightly macerated note, along with some smoky, gravelly notes.  Mouthfilling, with loads of crunchy dark cherry fruit and a decent wallop of alcohol for a straight Valpo.   Pretty good acids, and just a wee bit of soft tannin.  Medium long, clean finish.  A good pasta/pizza/burgers choice.  I had it with braised pork chops, and it went very well.  B.  The $14.99 pricetag makes it only a "meh" value.  Got it at Total Wine in Mclean, VA.  Imported by Leonard LoCascio.

What's been going on with Alsace Rieslings?

Is it me or . . . . does it seem like more and more Alsace Riesling producers are leaving significant residual sugar in their Rieslings?

This is a trend I've noticed over the last 10-15 years.  Before that, most Alsace Rieslings tended to be bone dry, very minerally and austere.  I loved them.  But in American retail stores back then, that presented a problem.  If you said "Riesling" to most customers back then, they shook their heads:  "No, I don't want a sweet wine."  If you tried to tell them that most Alsace Rieslings aren't sweet, it wouldn't change their mind.  They didn't want to try it.  And as for those who wanted sweet Rieslings, well, they would be disappointed.  So I suppose Alsace producers began to collectively realize that they may as well align the wines with (wrong-headed) consumer expectations.  And that's my theory on what happened.  Also, Parker's gushing on and on about Zind-Humbrecht's and Weinbach's sometimes sweeter cuvees didn't help, I'm sure.

But the problem is that Alsace producers pick their Riesling grapes at higher sugar and lower acid levels than, say, Rheingau and Mosel producers, so leaving residual sugar in a Riesling with 13% alcohol results in varying degrees of cloyingness.  Ironically, the big old line houses of Trimbach and Hugel still seem (at least with their higher level Rieslings) to have stuck with the more austere, dry style.  But I haven't recently had one of those, so maybe they've changed too.

Bummer.

Anyone have a different view?  Anyone know of any basic, entry level Alsace Rieslings that hew to the old, bone dry, austere style?

Update:  My brother sent me a link to a NY Times article about this issue that came our about 2 years ago.  Glad to see I'm not the only one who has noticed the problem, though the article suggests that Alsace producers may be going back to dry.  I hope so.

2012 Simonnet-Febvre SAINT-BRIS (Northern Burgundy, France)

I think the Saint-Bris area produces some of the best value Sauvignon Blancs in the world.  They're crisp, minerally, refreshing, and can serve as an aperitif or an accompaniment to a wide variety of lighter dinner fare.  This one's an excellent value and is a very typical, very well made exemplar.

Extremely pale, crystal clear gold color, with a slight greenish glint.  Lively nose of clean gooseberry/green apple fruit, with a squeeze of lemon, along with a gun flinty, stony mineraliness.  Bone dry, with loads of chalky minerals framing very clean, tart green apple fruit  Great acidity and a clean, fairly long finish punctuated by a tiny bitter herb note. B+.  Was $11.99 on sale at Whole Foods in Arlington.  Imported by Louis Latour, Inc. of San Rafael, CA.

2009 Savignola Paolina CHIANTI CLASSICO RISERVA (Tuscany, Italy)

A darker-styled, minerally, low-toned Chianti.  Tending towards Brunello in style.  I usually am partial to the leaner, brighter, cherryish style, but this is still very nice.

Very dark black ruby color.  Very subtle nose of dark cherry/plum brandy, high-toned wood smoke, and schisty minerals.  Dark, clingy, and very minerally in the mouth.  Full-bodied, with a good amount of fine-grained tannins.  A roasted pine/rosemary resinous note lingers at the end of the finish.  B+.  While the higher-toned style of Chianti would be fine accompaniments to tomato-sauced pasta dishes and meat and tomato braises, this is a wine for grilled steaks or lamb chops.  Was $18.99 from WTSO.com.  Imported by Superior Wines, Cranford, NJ.

2012 Chateau de Segries COTES DU RHONE (Southern France)

This is a very good value.  Lots of character, nice texture, and it is pretty cheap.  50% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 10% Cinsault, 10% Carignan. 

Very dark, black ruby with violet highlights.  Inviting nose of raspberry compote, baking spices, and minerally sandstone.  Loads of flavor, generally at the lower register.  Black raspberry, dark cherry, loads of dark minerals.  Full-bodied, but with pretty good acids.  It's also very clingy, with a long finish and a nice complement of dusty tannins.  Should last and improve over the next two years.  B+.  Was $12.99 at Total Wine in Mclean, VA.  Imported by Kysela Pere et Fils.

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.