2005 Château de Bellevue

Type Red
Producer Château de Bellevue
Variety Red Bordeaux Blend
Country France
Region Bordeaux
SubRegion Libournais
Appellation St. Émilion Grand Cru
Price $15 (375 ml) at



The Little Wooden Guy likes the wine, and the smaller bottle makes him feel bigger.

The color was incredibly dark, completely opaque but for the very edges, black with a purple tint.

The nose opened with blackcurrant and cedar, with a background aroma of vanilla cream, but very light, not overpowering wood-based vanilla.

On the palate, blackcurrant is the predominate fruit, along with some blackberry. Peppermint and eucalyptus appear on the mid-palate, lightly, behind more fruit, some cedar and vanilla, which grow toward a mid-length finish. Mouth feel is silky, with firm tannins and bright acids.

This is very nice wine, and sometimes a 375 is just the perfect size.






This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

2003 Deerfield Ranch Pinot Noir Jemrose Vineyard

Type Red
Producer Deerfield Ranch
Variety Pinot Noir
Vineyard Jemrose Vineyard
Country USA
Region California
SubRegion Sonoma County
Appellation Bennett Valley
Price $34.99 at WineQ



It's THIIIIISSSSSS big!

Night One

The nose is rich and sweet, with sweet cherry, vanilla, toasted coconut and meringue.

The palate is equally big and sweet, with sweet cherries, blueberries, and loads of vanilla. There is chocolate on the mid-palate. This is very sweet, very woody.

The label says "Pinot Noir" and nothing else, but if I were tasting it blind, I would bet there was some Petite Syrah in the mix, thought that would be a rather unique blend.

Night Two

The nose showed more depth on Night Two, adding some balsa and sage to sweet cherries and vanilla, along with some meatiness, like the crisp outside of a sage-rolled pork roast.

The palate, too, shows more depth, as well as deeper, dark fruit. It opens, not with sweet cherries and blueberries, but dark cherries and prunes, plus smoked meat and sage. Dried cranberries and marjoram appear on the mid-palate, followed by vanilla and toasted almonds. The finish is sweet, but falls off quickly.

Acids are low, tannins mild, but the two are just a bit out of balance. The lack of acid does not bode well for a long cellar life.





This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

2007 Domaine C. Ducroux Régnié

Type: Red
Producer: Domaine C. Ducroux
Variety: Gamay
Country: France
Region: Burgundy
SubRegion: Beaujolais
Appellation: Régnié
Price: $14.99 from Chambers Street Wines



Night One

Minerals and strawberries, plus a single spray of oil from one twist of key lime rind, blend together beautifully on the nose. On the palate it is surpisingly rich and dark. The palate opens with a quick startling flavor of beef fat and dark berries. Strawberries and plums are on the mid-palate, along with strong minerality that lasts through the finish. This has a velvety richness that would shock so many who think "Beaujolais" is synonymous with "Beaujolais Neuveau," and who turn their nose at the whole region. On second thought, don't tell them. That will mean more for us.







This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

1996 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Cornas Domaine de Saint Pierre

Type Red
Producer Paul Jaboulet Aîné
Variety Syrah
Designation Domaine de Saint Pierre
Country France
Region Rhône
SubRegion Northern Rhône
Appellation Cornas



The Little Wooden Guy finds this wine is just tired, beyond its prime.

Night One

The color is interesting. It is a little translucent and deep dark red. The nose is very deep and a little raisiny, with dark fruit, marjoram, green olives and bacon fat. There is less fruit on the palate than the nose. The fruits are black, blackberries and plums, but they are subdued. Floral flavors, violets and lavender, join the fruit. Green olives and bacon fat appear on the mid-palate. The finish falls flat.

Night Two

Some florals remained, but almost no fruit. Very little mid-palate remained. This was clearly wine past its prime.





This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

1997 Antichi Vigneti di Cantalupo Ghemme

Type Red
Producer Antichi Vigneti di Cantalupo
Variety Nebbiolo
Country Italy
Region Piedmont
SubRegion Northern Piedmont
Appellation Ghemme



The Little Wooden Guy loves a bargain on aged wine.

Night One

The color says "tired and old," a dull red-orange brick with clear edges bordered by orange. The nose is a little closed, but if you really dig you can find roses, chestnuts and a little cherry. The real surprise is on the palate- there's still some life in this bottle. It still has some bright acid and smooth tannins, with the flavors of cherries, violets and leather. Licorice and a touch of tar are on the mid-palate. Mouth feel is chewy and teeth-coating.

Night Two

There are lots of nuts and flowers on the nose on Night Two, but little, if any, fruit. It also has just a bit of truffle and leather.

The palate is also primarily flowers and nuts. It has lavender and roses, tarragon and chestnuts. A little cherry survived through Night Two, getting stronger on the mid-palate, along with some leather. Tannins are very smooth. The finish is still long.

Conclusion

If you look at the picture you will see that this was marked down repeatedly, as years passed and inventory winnowed. Sometimes that means the wine is so mediocre nobody wants it. With a disreputable merchant, it can even mean it comes from stock that often got returned. But once in a while it can be a great opportunity to buy aged wine for a song. It is those rare finds that keep m going back to the bargain table.





This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

2005 Würtz Weinmann Pinot Noir Jakob Neumer

Type: Red
Producer: Würtz Weinmann
Variety: Pinot Noir
Designation: Jakob Neumer
Country: Germany
Region: Rheinhessen
Price: $19.99 from Garagiste



The Little Wooden Guy made a new friend, and he's from Germany.

Night One

The color is interesting. It is bright and semi-translucent, but tinted slightly orange, a brickish color that would normally indicate significant aging. The nose is quite pleasant, a blend of Oregon Pinot and a bit of the same from California. At the beginning aromas of classic red fruit are obvious, cherries and strawberries, plus a bit of cranberry. There is also some sage and a hint of truffle. With a deep enough sniff, richer aromas, jammier fruits and a bit of mocha. The palate, too, blends Oregon and California. Red fruits on the attack are clean and tart, but the mid-palate has a jammy richness and a bit of vanilla. The finish is mid-length.

This is a very interesting wine. My personal opinion about Pinot is that some of the big-name California offerings, Kosta Browne, Sea Smoke, and others, get so big they lose the delicacy that makes Pinot so special. I expect a Napa Cabernet to reach out of the glass and punch me in the nose. I want a good Pinot to waft gently into my nose and grow once it's there. This one sneaks in, then tries to punch its way out.

I wonder what it will be like on Night Two.

Night Two

This is a very pleasant wine on Night Two. It has fresh red fruit flavors up front. It adds very light flavors of licorice and vanilla on the mid-palate.

I absolutely dare anybody to taste this blind and come up with "Germany" without help. This is good, and one of the best $20 Pinots I have had in the last two years.





This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

1997 Les Cailloux (Lucien et André Brunel) Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Type Red
Producer Les Cailloux (Lucien et André Brunel)
Variety Red Rhone Blend
Designation n/a
Vineyard n/a
Country France
Region Rhône
SubRegion Southern Rhône
Appellation Châteauneuf-du-Pape



This wine has the Big Wooden Guy scratching his head a bit.

Night One

The color clearly says this is an older wine. It is translucent and brick-red with orange edges. The nose is interesting, tarragon, thyme, cherry, and a little crushed limestone. The palate is complex. It starts with dried cherries then loads tarragon, thyme, sage and leather on top. On the mid-palate the cherries go from dried to tart and add some strawberries, while carrying the spices along from the attack. Lavender also shows up on the mid-palate. The finish is long.

Night Two

Most of the fruit is gone from the nose on Night Two. Instead, it is redolent with leafy spices and dried flowers. There are still a few cherries on the palate but they are resting on a deep bed of violets, lavender, tarragon, thyme and sage.

Conclusion

This is an interesting, even curious, wine. It is not fantastic, or particularly special, but it very pleasantly shows what happens when good wine spends some time in the cellar, long enough to let the fruit fade and the spices and flowers come forward.






This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

2006 Newton Red Label Claret

Type: Red
Producer: Newton
Variety: Red Blend
Designation: Red Label Claret
Country: USA
Region: California
SubRegion: Napa Valley
Appellation: Napa Valley



The Big Wooden Guy says "tsk tsk" for the use, indeed abuse, of wood in this wine.

Night One

Try this- make a laminated board out of several layers of oak and cedar. Dribble three drops of vanilla extract on it, let it soak in. Now, place one blackcurrant, just one, on the ground and smack it with the board. Wipe it with a paper towel and let it dry for three days. Now you know exactly what this wine smells like.

The palate has plenty of wood, enough to match the nose. Oak, cedar, oak, vanilla, cedar, and a little more oak. Oh, there might be a blackberry and a blackcurrant hanging out there somewhere, but they are hard to find. A little licorice shows up on the mid-palate. Tannins are dusty and slightly harsh.

Night Two

Wood is still dominant, along with some real heat from high alcohol. Loads of wood, cedar and vanilla lead the nose, though a bit more black fruit shows up than on Night One.

The palate is still wood-laden, the only difference being the addition of a bit of cream and a whole lot more vanilla.






This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

2005 BearBoat Pinot Noir

Type Red
Producer BearBoat
Variety Pinot Noir
Country USA
Region California
SubRegion Sonoma County
Appellation Russian River Valley
Price $24 in Indianapolis, IN




The Little Wooden Guy present a pretty good Russian River Pinot for less than $30.

Night One

The nose opened, right after the cork was pulled, with some funk. A few minutes later,after it blew off, red fruit predominated, with several secondary aromas. Cranberries, cherry pits, and some barely ripe wild strawberries took the lead. Pine needles, sage, and a touch of cocoa hovered in the background.

The palate opens with a tsunami of unsweetened, and unsweet, red fruit. Have you ever had unsweetened cranberries? How about tiny wild strawberries, or those little clear native cherries? It's all in there, along with some marjoram and sage. A bit of cocoa and black tea make an appearance on the mid-palate. Tannins and acids are both strong, the acids sharp, the tannins like new leather. They do seem to compete with each other and with the fruit, but might settle down on Night Two.

Stick around for Night Two, because this is a darned good Russian River Pinot, something you just don't find under $30 these days.

Night Two

The nose on Night Two is far more muted than on Night One. On Night One, it reached out of the glass to climb up your nose. On Night Two, though, you have to reach your nose into the glass to find everything it had to offer. It has plenty of red fruit, cherries, less cranberry, some sweet pomegranate, but it also has other aromas, including pencil lead, red licorice and cardamom.

The palate is also far more sedate than on Night One. On Night One, I called it "a tsunami" of red fruit. On Night Two, it is more like a slowly rising tide, loads of fruit, but softer, more full, and sneaking up on you. The fruit is more ripe, Bing cherries instead of native cherries, ripe strawberries instead of wild ones. Pomegranate is added to the mix, and cranberries add some tartness and acid to balance out the riper fruits. The cranberries become a little more dominant on the mid-palate, where they are joined by some graphite, marjoram, and cardamom. Tannins are still firm, but better integrated, offering a memory of leather, rather than a mouthful of it. The finish is quite long.

Conclusion

This is a $20 Pinot? No, you won't mistake it for a great Burgundy, but I dare you to pick it out from a table full of $50 California and Oregon selections.






This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

2004 Darioush Shiraz Signature

Type: Red
Producer: Darioush
Variety: Shiraz
Designation: Signature
Country: USA
Region: California
SubRegion: Napa Valley
Appellation: Napa Valley
Price: $39.99 (sale) in Carmel, Indiana



Night One

Be careful not to put your nose too deeply into the glass. This wine forms a fist and punches straight up right at your schnoz. The bottle says "Alcohol 14.9% by volume." Don't believe it. Under US label laws that means the alcohol can be as high as 15.9%, and if I had a gas chromatograph in the junk drawer I would be willing to bet it will ring the 16+ bell. Lots of other big aromas are packed in that fist, including blackberries, very ripe and deeply bruised black cherries, black pepper, freshly ground nutmeg, dark chocolate and cocoa. This is one of those noses you can get caught up in, forgetting to drink the wine for quite a long time.

The palate is equally overpowering. The attack opens with huge bruised dark fruit and black pepper. A whole smorgasbord of flavors flash across the mid-palate, starting with plum skins and nutmeg, then adding dark chocolate, coffee, and a tiny grating of dried orange peel. The tannins are surprisingly gritty, but sweet, adding a cheek-drying leather to the finish, which is quite long.

Night Two should be interesting.

Night Two

I do not have detailed notes from Night Two. A friend came over and we just drank the rest of the bottle together. My general impressions were of a great big sweet woody wine, an Aussie Shiraz doppelganger. Tannins smoothed out significantly, the finish was quite long. At $40, it was okay for the price, but I was back in the same store a few days later and did not feel compelled to pick up any more of it. At the retail $69, I would not even consider buying a bottle.








This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

2007 Undurraga Syrah T.H.

Type: Red
Producer: Undurraga
Variety: Syrah
Designation: T.H.
Country: Chile
Region: Coquimbo
SubRegion: Limarí Valley
Price: $24
Disclosure- This was received as a free bottle sample.



Night One

The nose was very fruity, with a veritable fruit cocktail of blueberry, mulberry, black cherry, and a bit of strawberry. Surprisingly, there was far less fruit on the palate. It was darker, more brooding, with lots of black pepper and some grenache-like dried orange peel. Unsweetened chocolate showed up on the mid-palate.

Night Two

If the nose on Night One was a fruit cocktail, on Night Two it is mixed-fruit jam, with sweet jammy mulberry and plums, along with cedar and vanilla. On the palate, there was elderberry and some slightly artificial Grape Nehi flavoring. It brightened up slightly on the mid-palate shut showed too much wood, melting into brown sugar and vanilla. Tannins were mild, the finish short.

Conclusion

This is a pretty good pop-n-pour, offering interesting fruit and some pleasant secondary flavors. At $24 I think it is stretching the upper end of the reasonable price range for what it has to offer, but it is not, quite, over-priced.






This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.