Still here. Just unmotivated.

Yeah, I still drink wine.  It's just been a sucky summer, however, and that's sapped my motivation to blog.  I'll be back at some point.

And fuck Malbec.

2009 Marchesi de Frescobaldi Nipozzano CHIANTI RUFINA RISERVA (Tuscany, Italy)

This is a very reliable wine that is always well-made and a good value.  The 2009 is reflective of the ripe, easy-going nature of the vintage in Tuscany.  A nice amalgam of of red fruits, subtle oak, and deep, gravelly minerality.

Medium deep blackish ruby with some brickishness. Low-toned nose of dark cherries, baking spice, and dark, gravelly minerals.  Mouthfilling and smooth, the wine has a flowing texture that slowly reveals a substantial amount of soft tannin.  Good weight and density. Acidity is relatively low, like many of the '09s.  This will drink well for the next 2-3 years, but it's not for long ageing.  B+.  I got this as a gift, but I think it's available for as low as $18 in some stores.  Imported by Folio Wine Partners.

2011 Domaine La Soumade RASTEAU "Cuvee Prestige" (Southern Rhone Valley, France)

This 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre is dark, deep, rich, and soft.  Loads of mineraliness too.  Very nice.

Fully-saturated color:  dark, blackish plasma.  The nose is exceedingly low-toned, yielding dark scents of mineral oil, dark stones, and blackberry skins.  In the mouth it's rich and weighty, but surprisingly soft.  It coats the mouth with intense, dark minerality that clings and clings, leaving the dark, oozing blackberry fruit in the back seat.  Boatloads of very soft tannin.  Very full-bodied. Acid is a bit lowish.  It's hard to believe that there's any Grenache in this at all, let alone 70%, given how the Syrah and Mourvedre character seems to dominate.  B+.  This will likely improve over the next 2-3 years.  Was $19.99 from WTSO.  Imported by Serge Dore Selections, Chappaqua, NY.

2009 Chateau Haut-Canteloup MEDOC (Bordeaux, France)

A very nicely-balanced, velvety-soft Merlot-dominated blend.  No oak showing at all, and that's a nice thing.

Very sultry black ruby.  On day 1, the nose showed next-to-nothing.  Day 2 (after being under a Vacu-Vin closure, it exhibited a medium-intensity nose of plummy, dark cherry/blackberryish fruit, along with a scorchy gravel component.  Medium full bodied in the mouth.  It's bone dry, but very soft, with lots of plummy fruit and a gravelly/graphitey note.  Clean, clingy finish.  While the lack of discernible tannin would normally lead me to think it should be drunk in the short term, the tight, closed nose and flavors, which opened only on day 2 definitely augur for 1-2 more years of cellaring.  This will drink well until 2018 or so.  B+.  Nice value at $14.99 from WTSO.com.  Imported  by Serge Dore Selections, Chappaqua, NY.

4 Wines with Great Friends

Jonathan L. is a long-time friend from NYC from when I was just out of college and starting in the wine business (pre-law school period).  He and his wonderful wife Marge were in DC to see some sights and visit friends, and luckily we were among the targeted friends!

As we're getting older now, and have to pace ourselves (unlike those hangover-inducing Grand Cru and Port benders we'd occasionally indulge in in the early 80s), the 4 of us paced ourselves through 4 bottles over the course over 6 or 7 hours.  Here are the notes from memory.

2011 Johann W. Schild Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Kabinett -- We used this inexpensive Mosel as our "pace car" to get things going.  It's fruity, with peachy apply notes.  Not much complexity but a decent enough mid-afternoon sipper.

2010 Simonnet-Febvre Chablis Premier Cru Cote de Lechet -- Although I'm partial to Chablis that is fermented and aged in seasoned (not new) barrels, this "stainless steel only" Chablis was really nicely-cut.  Medium bodied, fragrant with brothy, wet limestoney notes, straw, and apply fruit.  Very precise, and drinking well now but could certainly go another couple of years.  

2010 Ridge Paso Robles Zinfandel (Dusi Ranch) -- Dusi Ranch has, over the last 10 years, become my favorite of Ridge's stable of Zins, with its remarkable, laser-like focus and purity.  Great fragrance, texture, depth, and freshness.  Could last and improve another 2-3 years.  

2005 Ridge Montebello -- It was hard to top the Dusi ranch Zin, but this did, and easily.  Jonathan brought this from his cellar (what, you think I can afford wines like this?), and it was amazing with grilled steaks topped with chimichurri.  Great depth and length with perfect balance, this iconic Cabernet was showing well yet seemed amazingly young.  I think this wine could go on for a long, long time.

2004 Chateau La Tour de By MEDOC (Bordeaux, France)

This is a fully-mature, reasonably complex, smooth red.  Strangely, for decades I've been ambivalent about whether I really like the aged, tertiary aromas and flavors of "mature" Bordeaux.  After all this time, I just can't decide.  I feel like I should, because this is wine orthodoxy.  But, truth be told, I really do like wines on the younger side.  When they're younger, I feel like I can taste the terroir more acutely.  When they're older, I feel like I'm really just doing a science experiment on the effects of slow oxidation.  Well . . .  I guess I have decided.  My answer: not so much.  This one is about as far as I go.

Deep, mature ruby with a brickish tinge.  Nose showing lots of tertiary aromas of smoky gravel, dried fall leaves, old leather, a little menthol, and mulled cassis fruit.  Velvety soft in the mouth, with clingy flavors of leather, minerals, and some fading dark cherry fruit.  Clean, reasonably lengthy finish.  This needs a simple roasted chicken, steak with a red wine sauce, or a roast rib of beef to be at its best.  Any more vigorously-flavored food would destroy this wine.  B.  Was $24 from wineaccess.com.  Drink 'em if you got 'em.

2012 Chateau Pesquie "Terrasses" VENTOUX (Rhone Valley, France)

As it usually is in most vintages, this wine is a solid, ripe, minerally Rhone that will go with lots of foods.  This wine fleshes out a grows on you as it airs out.

Dark, youthful ruby violet.  Nose features loads of minerally scents, ranging from crushed sandstone to very dark, iodiney rocks.  Almost, but not quite in equipoise is spicy blackberry fruit.  In the mouth, the flavors are clingy and long, but while the wine has a good attack and is very persistent, it's not heavy at all.  Decent acidity and loads of medium-soft tannin.  Imagine a Domaine Tempier regular cuvee Bandol, but with more Grenache influence (and at half the price).  B+/A-.  I got this for $14.99 from zachys.com.  Pretty good value at that price.  Imported by Eric Solomon/European Cellars, Charlotte, NC.

(Sorry, 2008 depicted.)

2011 Three Wine Cellars Old Vines ZINFANDEL (Contra Costa County, Cal.)

Three Wine Cellars is one of the most consistent, and consistently good, wineries out there.  They don't try to do everything, but their reds from Contra Costa County's old immigrant-planted vineyards are delicious and food-friendly.  This one is typically excellent.  Ripe, balanced, and complex (for a Zin).

Youthful, very dark blackish ruby/violet.  Really nice nose of ripe blackberry fruit, with hints of baking spices, warm sandstone, and high-toned wood smoke.  Concentrated flavors immediately grip the palate, but it's not heavy.  Rich blackberry fruit, dark minerality, and a long, clingy finish.  Full, but no alcoholic hotness despite its 15.4%.  A barely-perceptible level of very soft tannins add some nice physicality.  A-.  Drink over the next 2-3 years.  Decent acids.  Got this for $19 from wineaccess.com.

2012 Mockingbird Hill ZINFANDEL Reserve (Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, California)

This wine is very young and, at present, needs a lot of time to breathe.  The first night I thought it was going to be mediocre, since it showed zero fruit and seemed to display nothing but vaguely oaky scents and alcohol.  Then I put it under a Vacu-Vin closure for two full nights and forgot about it.  I came back to it on the third day, and, in an Easter season miracle, it rose from the dead (i.e., it was a different wine altogether).  These notes are from day three.

Very dark, youthful-looking ruby.  Classic Dry Creek Valley scents of creamy, spicy black raspberry/blackberry fruit, augmented by some stony scents.  Soft, rich, and mouthfilling.  It's ripe, but not overripe, which seems to be a problem with Zins these days.  Loads of pure, ripe, dark berry fruit, and some darkly-minerally notes.  Full-bodied, and possessing loads of youthful but reasonably soft tannins.  Pure, long, juicy finish.  If you want to "pop-n-pour" this one, you're going to need to wait 2-3 years.  If you want to drink it before then, be sure to decant it (through a Vinturi) for several hours ahead of time.  B+(+).  Was $14.99 from WTSO.com, making it a pretty good value.

(Note:  Cabernet label shown, but the Zinfandel label has the same look.)

2012 Domaine de le Potine TOURAINE Blanc (Sauvignon Blanc) (Loire Valley, France)

A zesty, refreshing wine.  Not a lot of depth, but, boy, is it easy to gulp down.

Nose has scents of lemon-lime, green apple, tarragon, and chalk.  Crisp, zingy, and minerally in the mouth.  Light-bodied, with loads of crisp acids, it has a solid beam of lemony, green apply fruit, and a very clean, refreshing finish.  Drink over the next 18 months (particularly on hot summer days and nights).  B/B+.  Was $13.99 from wineaccess.com.  Imported by Fleet Street Wine Merchants.

2012 Michel Chapoutier "Bila-Haut" COTES DU ROUSSILLON VILLAGES (Southern France)

Not as extroverted as the 2011 or 2009 renditions, this blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Carignane is
very nicely proportioned and in nice balance.

Nearly saturated dark violet-ruby.  Subdued nose grudgingly yields scents of smoky, stony minerals and a shrinking note of ripe blackberry.  The mouth is a different story.  It aggressively leaps at and clings to the sides of your mouth with flavors of iodiney, dry blackberry extract and liquified dark stones.  Bone dry, with a significant amount of fine-grained tannin dustily coating the mouth.  This wine has decent acids and a reasonably long finish.  This wine wine likely be a little more aromatically expressive, and maybe a tad softer, in a year.  B.  Was $12.99 at Whole Foods in Arlington.  Imported by HB Wine Merchants, NYC.

2010 Domaine La Bastide "Les Genets" SYRAH Vieilles Vignes (Rhone Valley, France)

A terrific value in a deep-flavored, complex, well-balanced Syrah.  Very linear, and not a hint of flabbiness.

Saturated dark, plasma-like ruby.  Nose features smoke, dark minerals, roasted herbs, meat, and cassis fruit.  Flavorful on entry, with lean, clingy, iodiney/minerally notes overlaying dark, dry blackberry skins.  A fair amount of fine-grained tannin and a surprising level of acids lends structure and liveliness.  Full-bodied, bone dry.  All muscle with not fat.  This went very well with braised lambs shanks and grits.  B+/A-.  Imported by Paul Young Wines, Los Angeles, and purchased from Winex.com for a ridiculously low $9.99.  Get some of this.

PS -- I believe I had this wine in Houston several years ago (a different vintage, obviously, and liked it a lot).

PPS - It occured to me after I posted this review that this wine is basically a "Poor Man's Cornas."

2009 Clos Pegase PINOT NOIR "Mitsuka's Vineyard" (Carneros, Napa, Cal.)

A fragrant, balanced, fairly complex and ready-to-drink PN.  Very good value at the $15.99 I paid.

Medium ruby/garnet with a little tawny at the edge.  Lots going on in the nose:  sappy ripe cherry, a little tartish cranberry/rhubarb note, sweet, earthy baking spices, and some underlying minerality.  Lots of flavor in a smooth, fairly full-bodied (for a PN) frame.  Tart cherry and loads of dark, stony minerality.  The finish, which is very long, molts into a clingy, iodiney, sappy cherry melange.  It's bone dry.  I really like this.  A-/B+.  Got it from WTSO.com.

2009 Baloiro BIERZO Mencia Reserva (Spain)

Totally overblown.  This wine is a caricature of a what the Anti-Parkerites think Parker advocates (he's not as bad as they make him seem, but you get the point).  Overripe, flabby, overoaked, tasting of nowhere.  Tasted blind, I would have no idea where this wine came from.  Given the extract level, this could have been a great wine if they had picked it earlier and skipped the new oak.

Completely saturated, plasma-like black ruby.  The nose is intense, displaying loads of liquid baker's chocolate and overripe blackberry extract.  Underneath there's some nice minerality trying to make its way out, it's struggling, giving it a game try, but it's no use . . . the chocolate is too strong . . . must get air . . . can't go on . . . can't . . . aaarrrggghhh!  [Strangling gasps].  Back to reality.  The texture is nice, not too much tannin despite the heavy-handed extraction.  There is a dense weightiness of sweet blackberry extract and dark chocolate in the mouth.  But the acids are nonexistent, so it just seems heavy and one-dimensional.  C-.  Was $14.99 from WTSO.com.  Imported by Classic Wines, Stamford, CT.

2011 Heinz Eifel "S" RIESLING SPATLESE (Mosel, Germany)

This is an excellent value in a slightly sweet, bright Riesling.

Very pale greenish-gold color.  All sorts of ripe fruit in the nose, with white peach, juicy pear, and ripe apple scents, augmented with a light dried tea note and some extraordinarily high-toned slatey/stoniness.   Fills the mouth with ripe, juicy fruit, yet has enough acids to keep it fresh and interesting.  A very mild bitter tea component comes through at the end.  Light-bodied and round-textured.  Not super complex, but really fun to drink.  B+.  Was $9.99 from Winex.com.  Imported by Winesellers, Ltd. of Niles, IL.

2009 Clos des Menuts ST. EMILION Grand Cru (Bordeaux, France)

This is a style of Bordeaux I like.  Not trying to emulate a New World wine; structured, not overripe, not overoaked.  It needs a few more years, however. It is: Merlot 85%, Cabernet Sauvignon 10%, Cabernet Franc 5%.

Dark black ruby.  Nose closed at first, but on the second night it was showing lovely, subtle dark cherry fruit, and a dark, gravelly earthiness, along with a lifting baked cake note.  Densely-fruited, but in a dry extract -- not jammy -- way, it packs the palate with dark fruit and loads of gravelly minerals.  Full-bodied, with lots of fine-grained tannins.  Still feels a bit tight.  It's very good, if a bit youthful now, but will certainly improve over the next 5 years.  B+ now, probably higher later on.  I'm not sure what this cost or where to get it around the DC area, as a good friend brought this wine to our Super Bowl party as a gift.  Nice gift!  Imported by Monsieur Touton Selections, NY.

Viña Alarba GARNACHA Viñas Viejas (Calatayud, Spain)

I haven't had this wine in 10 years or so.  It used to be a ridiculous bargain.  This one is still cheap, but it's thinner than I remember it being than the vintages I drank in the early 2000s.  Eh.

Dark ruby violet color.  Light intensity nose of raspberry and rock dust, with a teeny note of dried tarragon.  Bone dry in the mouth, with slightly bitter raspberry/cherry fruit, and loads of rocky minerality.  As it lingers it gets more bitter, and some medium-grained tannins show up.  Not very concentrated, and the texture isn't great either.  C.  Was $7.99 from Winex.com.  Imported by the Artisan Collection, NYC.

2011 Tilia BONARDA (Mendoza, Argentina)

This is a terrific value.  Vibrant, loaded with fruit, and balanced.  Buy cases of this to have on-hand for cookouts this upcoming summer (if it ever gets here).

Very dark, blackish ruby.  Fantastically lively nose with loads of bright, ripe raspberries and mixed red berries, along with rock dust.  The attack is intensely fruity, with excellent concentration.  Lots of pure dark and red fruits in the mouth, turning a bit minerally as the finish progresses.  A fair amount of soft tannin gives some structure.  It's not complex, but it's very flavorful and nicely-textured.  B+.  Was $7.99 from Winex.com.  Imported by Winebow, Inc., NYC.

PS, note that Bonarda in Argentina isn't the same thing as Bonarda in Italy.  It's actually the grape called Charbono in this country.

2011 Napa Wine Co. ZINFANDEL (Napa Valley, Cal.)

Organic!  I like that.  And it's a darn good Zin.  Tangy tangy tangy.  I wouldn't have been able to place it as a Napa Valley Zin if it had been served blind.  But it's got lots of character, nice texture, and would be great with Italian or Portuguese meat dishes, or grilled beef.

Very crystalline dark ruby color.  Exuberant nose was earthy and exhibited loads of tangy mixed red berries on the first night.  The earthiness was much more subdued on the second night, but the tangy berries were even tangier, and mixed with some fresh-cut herbs.  Round, vibrant, and dry in the mouth, with very nice concentration of fruit, full body, and pretty good acidity.  It weighs in at 13.9% alc., which is very low for a Zin these days.  Nice soft texture and good length.  B+.  Drink this over the next 1-2 years.  Was $19.99 from Total Wine in Fairfax.

(I remember buying a case of 1979 Napa Wine Co. Zin as a close-out in 1983 or thereabouts for about $5 a bottle at Yankee Spirits in Sturbridge, MA, and passing it out to my family.  That one was very nice as I recall.  I have not had a wine from these guys since then!)

(Sorry: 2009 depicted.)

2010 Domaine Coudoulis LIRAC (Southern Rhone, France)

Liracs always seem to me to be the lazy sibling in the Cotes du Rhone family.  Never exuberant,  usually laid back.  Sometimes verging on boring.  This wine needs significant airing, but after it gets it, it's pretty nice in a typical Lirac-ian low-key sort of way.

Very dark, rich-looking black ruby.  The nose sucked on day one.  Nothing there but dark scents.  Like sniffing Darth Vader's helmet.  On day 2 (under a Vacu-vin enclosure), it exhibited low-toned, medium-intensity, rich, sweet dark crushed berry fruit, along with significant crushed stone minerality.  Soft, rich, and low-toned flavors of dark crushed berries and forest floor earthiness.  A little iodiney quality in the finish.  It's got loads of medium-grained tannin, but I wouldn't age it too much longer because as the second night wore on I detected some oxidation.  So give it some air and then kill the bottle.  B.  Was $14.99 from Total Wine in Fairfax.  Imported by Saranty Imports, White Plains, NY (which I think is Total Wine's importing arm . . .  because why not take the middle man's cut yourself?).