2006 Waters Crest Cabernet Sauvignon

Type: Red
Producer: Waters Crest
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Country: USA
Region: New York
SubRegion: Long Island
Appellation: North Fork
Price: Suggested retail $39.99
Disclosure: This was received as an unsolicited free sample.

Sorry folks, no picture. I actually drank this on April 24, and the Wooden Guys consider Arbor Day a national holiday. They drank the wine, sure, but refused to write a review. They said it was their day off.

Night One

This has an interesting nose, a really strong French Syrah funk. After a few minutes the funk settles down a little bit, enough to get to the other aromas. It is very rich, starting with finely ground espresso and pure unsweetened chocolate. Blackcurrants and blackberrries show up late, way behind the darker aromas.

This is very young and tight, quite tannic. Lots of acid, sour cherry and blueberry on the attack. Some coffee appears on the mid-palate, followed by chocolate. The finish is long and tart.

Night Two

The nose is a little lighter on Night Two, more black fruit, less funk. Now blackcurrants, blackberries and tomato leaf make up the nose.

The palate is still tight, though not so tight as on Night One. Blackberry is the primary fruit on the attack, plus some tobacco leaf. Blackcurrant and plum skins, followed by a very light touch of vanilla and fresh roasted coffee beans, make up the mid-palate. Tannins and acid are both strong but balance each other out well. This has real promise as it all integrates with time in the cellar.





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2006 Kilikanoon Shiraz The Lackey

Vintage: 2006
Type: Red
Producer: Kilikanoon
Variety: Shiraz
Designation: The Lackey
Country: Australia
Region: South Australia
Price: $17 (approximate)



Night One

Deep dark purple in color, not quite perfectly opaque.

The aroma is candied, somewhere between Manischewitz and Grape Nehi. It is saved by some other aromas including marjoram and a little sage.

The palate is far superior to the nose. Fruits are less candied, leading with blackberries and a far smaller number of blueberries. Mouth feel is smooth and full. The marjoram and sage from the nose appear on the mid-palate, followed by barely a hint of peaty black earth. Tannins are leathery but slightly sweet. Unfortunately, at the finish the same sense of artificial candy flavor kicks in. It will be interesting to see if that calms down on Night Two.

Night Two

The candy from Night One is gone. Instead there is blackcurrant, some blackberry, and black pepper. It also has some green aromas, bay leaf and bramble, plus some green tobacco leaf. This smells far better than on Night One.

Tiny beaded blackberries, tart, not sweet, are the pronounced initial flavor. Bay leaf and bright hard purple plums, skin and all, are on the mid-palate, followed by cloves and nutmeg. Tannins and mouth-feel are like new suede. The finish opens with promise, like it will last a long time, then falls off abruptly.

As a "pop-&-pour" this fails because of the pronounced artificial candy flavors. It is an unlikely candidate for long-term cellaring if for no other reason than the price, but with some time, or at least a lot of air, it will reward the buyer with a competent Shiraz, but the sudden collapse at the finish turns satisfaction to disappointment.





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2006 Waters Crest Cabernet Franc Private Reserve

Vintage: 2006
Type: Red
Producer: Waters Crest
Variety: Cabernet Franc
Designation: Private Reserve
Country: USA
Region: New York
SubRegion: Long Island
Appellation: North Fork
Disclosure This was received as an unsolicited free sample.



Night One

This needs a lot of time, in the decanter, the cellar, or both. If you "pop-n-pour" you will be terribly disappointed- it starts out tight, thin, and sour. But give it a couple of hours in the glass and it changes completely. A little tobacco leaf forms the background against a mix of red and black fruit. Raspberries and blackberries together make up the base aroma, tart cranberry and rich blackcurrant float over the top.

This is a medium-bodied wine, offering a thinner mouth-feeel and more acid than Cabernet Sauvignon, just as you would expect from a Cabernet Franc. The same black and red fruit from the nose make up the attack. Cocoa makes an appearance on the mid-palate. The finish is long.

On Night One this wine shows promise, but it is very tight, even after some decanter time. It is a strong candidate for Nigt Two improvement.

Night Two

The nose has loads of tobacco and tomato leaf, some blackberry and blackcurrant, plus a bit of cranberry.

There is also leafiness on the palate, along with black fruit and a bit of red fruit. The black fruit is blackberry, plus a little blackcurrant. The red fruit is cranberry, offering a clean tarntess more than a fruity flavor. This is a pretty classic Cab Franc, medium-bodied, black fruit and a little red fruit, clean and less tannic than Cabernet Sauvignon. I suspect it would benefit from more time in the cellar.

Waters Crest has been a real eye-opener for me. I have long been an afficianado of French wines, California wines, wines from Argentina, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, and even the Finger Lakes region in New York, but when people mentioned Long Island, my thoughts went to a girl I used to know, the most amazing 'ugly duckling to beautiful swan' story I ever saw, not to the noble grape. Now I have something else to think about. I wonder if I can find her again and perhaps we can share a bottle or two.





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2006 Bradford Mountain Syrah Grist Vineyard

Type Red
Producer Bradford Mountain
Variety Syrah
Vineyard Grist Vineyard
Cases produced 525
French oak, 50% new
Country USA
Region California
SubRegion Sonoma County
Appellation Dry Creek Valley
Disclosure This was received as an unsolicited free sample.





The Wooden Guys "high-five" a really good bottle of wine. This was the sixth out of six of two verticals, and there is no question Bradford Mountain is stepping up its game.

Night One

On Night One this was tasted as part of a multi-bottle vertical tasting.

This wine, just like the '06 Grist Valley Zinfandel, comes in a much heavier bottle than the '04 and '05, an obvious play toward "premiere" recognition.

"A fruit explosion!" Those were the first words out of the mouth of one guest as she got her first whiff of this Syrah. And she was right. It was all blueberry and black cherry.

The palate had blueberry, black cherry, and some dry cranberry in the background. Mace showed up on the mid-palate. Half-way through the mid-palate, quite suddenly there and almost as suddenly gone, but for a lingering echo of the taste, was what can only be described as a "butter hammer." Pure sweet fresh butter, too, not any imitation spread.

Night Two

It remains a big sweet "fruit explosion," blueberries and black cherries, plus some brown sugar.

There is very little left from Night One - it was pretty popular among people who "needed another taste" to get their brains wrapped around the wine. That, or they just wanted some more. The tiny taste that was left, though, promises a darned good wine. The fruit is still there, but it is joined by a double blast of coffee and dark chocolate.

Of the six wines tasted in one night, '04, '05, and '06 Grist Valley Zinfandel, and the '04, '05, and '06 Syrah, this is by far the most complex and interesting. It was also the most popular amongst the group. This is good wine. I wish I had more to give a solid Night Two review, for the few drops that were left showed much more than any of the other wines on any Night.





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2006 Pierre Morey Bourgogne-Aligoté

Type White
Producer Pierre Morey
Variety Aligoté
Country France
Region Burgundy
Appellation Bourgogne-Aligoté



The Little Wooden Guy presents a really interesting wine, one well worth finding and trying for yourself.

Night One

Wow! The nose darned near knocks you out of your seat. What the heck is that? Hang on a minute. Let me think about this one. There are certainly apples, but that is not all. Tons of crushed stone are mixed with white grapefruit pith (not juicy fruit or pungent peel, but lightly-grapefruit-scented pith). There are also some green aromas I can not quite put my finger on, including a tiny speck of fresh crisp asparagus.

The palate is equally startling, and equally challenging. I will start by saying this is clearly a food wine, bursting with strong flavors that would complement many different choices. Okay, on with the review (we'll return to food recommendations later). The primary flavors are still white grapefruit pith and green apple. There is also some stone and, curiously a bit of brass. Apple sneaks out from behind the pith from mid-palate to finish. There is also a little lemon zest on the mid-palate.

Night Two

The nose is far milder on Night Two. It does not blow your nose away from the glass with the same wall of aromas it presented on Night One. That might just be because it was colder, coming from the refrigerator on Night Two, and the cellar on Night One. We will give it some time to see if that is the difference. The aromas are similar to Night One, just more muted. It presents green apple, crushed stone, and citrus pith. On Night Two, the pith is more reminiscent of lime than white grapefruit, with a bit of lime zest mixed into the blend.

The palate, too, is similar to Night One, though softer. Green apple is stronger, and citrus pith is now secondary, but both flavors are still there. The real difference comes at the end of the mid-palate, when a little butter makes an appearance.

This is a fascinating wine, a food wine. I would not select it with anything heavily spiced, as that would be competition, not enjoyment. But pair it with something simple but firmly-flavored, fresh clams or oysters without any sauce, and I think you would have a match made in, well, Burgundy.







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2006 Bradford Mountain Zinfandel Grist Vineyard

Type Red
Producer Bradford Mountain
Variety Zinfandel
Vineyard Grist Vineyard
Cases produced 500
French Oak, 40% New
Country USA
Region California
SubRegion Sonoma County
Appellation Dry Creek Valley
Disclosure This was received as an unsolicited free sample.



The Big Wooden Guy is rather fond of this, a significant improvement over the '04 and the '05. At the end, though, the wood still overpowered the fruit.

Night One

On Night One this was tasted as part of a multi-bottle vertical tasting.

The most obvious change from the 2004 and 2005 is the bottle weight- it must weigh 50% more than the earlier bottles.

The nose was classic Zinfandel, blackberries and black pepper.

Blackberries and black pepper were part of the inital attack, but were joined by some red fruit, raspberry. The mid-palate had fennel. This had far less vanilla and cedar than the 2004 or 2005, and that was welcome. The finish was smooth and long.

Night Two

The nose on Night Two was far different than the nose on Night One. Fruit was more red, cranberries and raspberries, rather than blackberries. It still had black pepper.

Raspberry and cranberry opened the attack. There is vanilla on the mid-palate, with a touch of cinnamon. The finish is long and smooth. Tannins are smooth, but not quite silky.

The efforts to make this an upscale wine are obvious beyond the bottle weight- this is more complex, with more layers and depth than the earlier years. I sill find the vanilla too strong, the oak over-powering the fruit.





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2006 Gainey Pinot Noir

Type Red
Producer Gainey
Variety Pinot Noir
Designation n/a
Vineyard n/a
Country USA
Region California
SubRegion Central Coast
Price $30.40 from Bin Ends Wine, tasted as part of Twitter Taste Live.



The Big Wooden Guy tries the "Dancer" Yoga pose, not an easy feat after a bottle of win that is best drunk all in one night.

This was tasted as part of Twitter Taste Live.

Night One

The nose was big right out of the bottle. It offered up a whole mix of cherries, from tiny clear native to big Bings, with allspice, and an echo of nutmeg. It was not over-oaked over-fruit, but not quite Burgundy in depth, either.

The palate bears almost no relationship to the nose. A lot more wood shows on the palate, a couple of scoops of vanilla. Spice is there, too, but more peppery, less exotic. It has a shift from cherry on the nose to raspberry on the palate, but the bigger shift is exotic sweet spice to pepper, nose to palate.

This is very good wine on Night One.

Night Two

The nose is far more muted on Night Two than on Night One. The fruit is softer cherry plus some strawberry. Most of the spice is gone.

There are loads of strawberry on the palate, but not really in a great way. It is more like artificial strawberry soda than fresh strawberries. It has a touch of white pepper, and some raspberry on the mid-palate.

The bottom line is simple- this wine was good, not great, but good, on Night One. On Night Two, not so much. That does not necessarily mean it won't last a bit in the cellar, but if you do open it, plan to drink it all that night.





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2006 Kendric Vineyards Syrah

Vintage 2006
Type Red
Producer Kendric Vineyards
Variety Syrah
Country USA
Region California
SubRegion Sierra Foothills
Appellation Shenandoah Valley
Price $19.99
From WineQ



The Wooden Guys do the honors.

Night One

The nose has a bit of mustiness, lots of fruit- raspberries and blackberries, and milk chocolate. It also has just a touch of sage.

This is not a terrific wine on the palate- it seems overworked, even unnatural. Raspberry is the primary fruit, but it is more artificial raspberry licorice than fresh raspberry. That is followed by too much vanilla, and the aftertaste of artificially flavored candy. No, I'm not loving this, but I will stick it out and give it a second chance on Night Two.

A few hours later and it has improved significantly. At this rate, it could be good by tomorrow night. Stick around and find out with me.

Night Two

The mustiness from Night One is gone. The fruit is darker than on Night One. Blackberries and mulberries give a sweet dark aroma, which is sharpened a little with a few raspberries. There is some underling milk chocolate and the same touch of sage noted on Night One.

The palate is different on Night Two. There is a tremendous amount of chocolate to go with jammy dark fruits. Imagine Chocolate covered cherries, but instead of cherries, fill them with mixed blackberry and mulberry fondant and fruit. That hint of sage and some meat shows up on the mid-palate, but only as faint echoes under the fruit and chocolate. The finish is mid-length. Tannins are faint but smooth, acidity is light.

This is drinking well on Night Two, but gives no indication it has huge cellar life in front of it. Based upon the performance on Night One, significant improvement over a few hours, and its performance on Night Two, this might have a year, but could just as easily be served now after a few hours of decanting.





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2006 Di Majo Norante Sangiovese Terre degli Osci IGT

Type: Red
Producer: Di Majo Norante
Variety: Sangiovese
Country: Italy
Region: Molise
Appellation: Terre degli Osci IGT
Price: $9.99



The Little Wooden Guy is disappointed, and that's not really fair to the wine. At $9.99, it delivers a decent bang for the buck. No, he is disappointed because it failed to meet its promise, and herein lies one of the real problems with rating wines. The shelf-hanger said:

Wine Advocate - December 2007 - 89 points - Great Values from Italy

"The 2006 Sangiovese Terre Degli Osci is simply gorgeous. This superbly balanced red offers generous, super-ripe blueberry, spice and sweet toasted oak along with a soft, accessible personality."*

Hey, $9.99 for that? What a bargain! And then, disappointment. On the one hand, it suckered me into buying it. On the other hand, I was disappointed where I should have been thrilled- for $9.99 this wine really delivered. So I guess the question is, do they want a large number of individual sales, or a smaller number of multiple sales and loyal customers?

Night One

The nose opens with big aromas, starting with rubber and dark ripe fruit, blackcurrant and plum, followed by spices, primarily pepper and cardamom.

The palate, too, opens with rubber, followed by black pepper, blackberries, plums, and lots of florals, including violets and roses. Vanilla comes out on the finish. Mouth-feel is very smooth.

Night Two

The nose is much lighter on Night Two, more fruity, opening with cherries and raspberries, plus the cherry pits.

The palate is far simpler on Night Two, as well. Cherries and raspberries, some spice including white pepper, not any significant changes on the mid-palate, and a hint of nutmeg added on the finish.

*I am not a big fan of wine ratings and rarely buy anything based upon shelf-hangers, but as the manager of The 89 Project, if see and "89" under $10, I really have to buy it.

2006 Mirassou Vineyards Riesling

Type: White
Producer: Mirassou Vineyards
Variety: Riesling
Country: USA
Region: California
Appellation: California



The Big Wooden Guy hasn't been seen for a while, so he thought he would try a Riesling. He gives a mixed review- not classic for the grape, but enjoyable in its own right.

Night One

The nose is soft, fruity and sweet. It opens with bananas and starfruit. If you take your nose out of the glass and sniff around the edges there is a definite scent of roses.

This is thick and off-dry on the palate. Banana, lemon meringue and ginger snaps up front are followed by buttered toast on the mid-palate. The finish is short, most of the flavors falling off quickly, but some pepper lingers.

Night Two

This has not changed at all after two night in the refrigerator.

2006 Humanitas Sauvignon Blanc

Type- White
Producer- Humanitas
Variety- Sauvignon Blanc
Country- USA
Region- California
SubRegion- Central Coast
Appellation- Monterey County

Night One

This is very light pale yellow, perfectly clear, like a yellow diamond.

The nose has some very classic Sauvignon Blanc smells, particularly cut grass and sweet pink grapefuit. It also has some tropical fruits, perhaps mango and pineapple. The palate is a little fat, lacking the acidity I like and expect from this varietal. The grapefruit on the palate is white, not pink, and pineapple is still there. However, it is softened, in my own opinion just a little too much, by some banana. There are many palates that would find this absolutely delightful, and I can not say this is a poor wine, only that it is not a great wine for me. It might be a bit too warm to show at its best- straight from the 56 degree cellar, where whites often shine (the refrigerator is far too cold, closing everything down). I will try it a bit cooler on Night Two.

Night Two

The nose on Night Two is sweeter than on Night One. There is still some cut grass and pink grapefruit. There is something else, too, though, some sweet nougat. The palate is a little better balanced than on Night One. It is still soft, but not fat. The grapefruit on Night Two seems more pink than white, pineapple adds sweetness and banana stays more in the background. I suspect the improvement comes as much from a cooler temperature (about 45 minutes out of the refrigerator) as the extra night. Whatever the reason, this is better tonight than last night.

2006 Shirvington Shiraz

Type- Red
Producer- Shirvington
Variety- Shiraz
Country- Australia
Region- South Australia
SubRegion- Fleurieu
Appellation- McLaren Vale



The color is maroon, bright and clear. This wine hits your nose with a wall of smells. It starts with sweet butter slathered on roasted nuts, sitting on a plate next to a vase full of day-old magnolias. That is followed by a complex melange of red fruit, cherries and strawberries, and black fruit, blueberries and mulberries. Mouth feel is very full and thick. The palate has the same sweet buttered roasted nuts, almost praline-sweet. That is followed by big jammy fruit, hearty jam with big chunks of strawberries, black cherries, and a few blueberries. Maple syrup and vanilla flow on the mid-palate. The finish is very sweet and very long.

Night Two

Again, the nose starts with buttery praline, the cherries and blueberries. The palate has the same pralines, loads of big black and red fruit, and browned butter to finish. The overall sense, and mouth feel, is smooth butter. The finish is not as long as Night One, but still fairly long.

This is a great big buttery powerful wine. It is not a fruit-bomb, as the fruits are not overly jammy and sweet, and the butter-nut praline offers another level of flavors other than just jars of jelly. It is big enough, though, that it cold easily overpower most food, so choose carefully when looking for a good match.

Cruising the Caribbean and drinking wine

I took the wife and kidlets on a seven day cruise of the Western Caribbean last week. Lots of stops of T-shirts and shells, and endless buffet of mediocre food, great service and food that didn't match for dinner, and a genuinely boring wine list. But wait, I brought some of my own wine. Or at least, I tried. The ship was out of Miami. My mom lives in Miami. I sent her boyfriend a list of wines to buy and his wine ***SUPERSTORE*** did not have a single one out of a dozen or more. Rest assured, the wine guy said, here are some bottles that he'll LOOOOVE, if he liked those. Let's see how that worked out, shall we?

I suggested Chateau Branaire-Ducru 1999. They didn't have it. Their substitute?

Arthurs, Cotes de Castillon 2004

Grand vin de Bordeaux
13% alc

Night One

The nose was green, herbaceous & hot, hiding a tiny little bit of black fruit & blueberries. The overall smell was of unripe wine, stems & leaves. It did not improve on the palate, which was all green, stems & leaves. There was a little black fruit. Very dry leathery tannins overpowered everything else.

Night Two

Blackcurrants & blackberries lead the nose, which has far more fruit and less green on nt 2. It seems hot & makes me wonder about the alcohol level. The palate was less green, showing blackberry and a touch of sage, but it ends with very strong overpowering tannins that dry out the mouth and leave little but leather & plum skins.

I suggested Groom Shiraz 2004. They didn't have it. The substitute?

Thorn Clarke Terra-Barossa Shiraz 2006

This was pretty good stuff.

Night One

The nose was very powerful, but not merely a fruit bomb. It brought coffee & black pepper, and blackberries. The palate brought blackberries & pepper, some coffee, softening on the mid-palate to more mild plums & black cherries. It had a long finish & fine sweet tannins, slightly drying, promising plenty more life in the cellar.

Night Two

The nose was blackberries & black pepper, with some black cherry. The palate was blueberry & black cherry, and sweet tannins. The mid-palate evolved to vanilla, cedar & cream. It was very creamy & soft. Fruity but not a fruit bomb. It had a long tooth-coating finish. Very good.

I went to a wine tasting on board the ship. It was a special tasting set up for frequent cruisers (my mother cruises all the time an gave me her tickets). I was a bit surprised to see just how they low-balled the wine selection for their best customers. It was also very fast, lacking sufficient time to really explore the wines, or to take very good notes.

First up was Caliterras Sauvignon Blanc, '07

The color was very light, an almost clear gold. The nose brought lemon zest, pink grapefruit & ginger. The ginger was not overpowering but was very evident. As soon as I mentioned it everybody at the table nodded their heads, as if it was the smell they were trying to put their fingers on. The initial attack was grapefruit and grass. Th ginger from the nose showed up clearly on the mid-palate. The finish was medium length. The mouth feel was slightly oily, and the overall impression a little fat.

Second up was Stone Cellars Chardonnay, '07

The color was pale straw. The nose was pure caramel apple. The same apples and caramel showed up on attack, along with some lemon zest. The apple-taste changed a bit on the mid-palate, moving from fresh apples to baked apples, vanilla & brown sugar. The vanilla seemed to just get stronger and stronger throughout, the wood eventually taking over. The overall impression was very fat and woody.

Third up was, by far, the most interesting wine in the tasting, Footprint Syrah '07.

I have never smelled such obvious coffee-grounds in a bottle of wine. The coffee was just screamingly obvious, along with some black pepper and blackberry. Very interesting. The coffee was there on the attack, too, along with unsweetened chocolate, burned rubber & blackberries. The tasting was ripping right along, but this is worth a follow-up with some more time to explore.

Stone Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon '06

Initially, the nose was interesting, even promising. There was the signature Cabernet blackcurrant, but that was not all. It also brought a surprising amount of mint. In fact, the mint was so clear I could identify it not just as mint, but specifically as wintergreen. There was also, alas, enough vanilla, or should I say VANILLA, to hint of oak to come. On the palate, too, there was promised, ultimately crushed by wood. Eucalyptus joined the blackcurrant and mint, but it all devolved quickly into vanilla and wood. This was a potentially pretty good wine absolutely crushed by efforts to make it mainstream and generic.

Finally, we had a reisling, Leonard Kreusch Reisling spatlese late harvest '07.

The nose was very sweet, offering not just pears, but the juice of canned pears. There were apples, too, along with the key lime from a key lime pie, rather than pure juice. Apples disappeared on the palate, leaving primarily pears plus a little key lime. We got hustled out to clear space for the first dinner seating so I can't say much more.

My overall impression was not overly enthusiastic. The wine list was a little thin. Mark-ups were not bad (about double, when they had a captive audience), but selections were pretty low-end with a few very high end "name" wines, like Opus 1 and Darioush. What it was really missing were the good wines in the middle.

Hugel Twitter Tasting

Okay folks, I am going to deviate from my usual method here, for a couple of reasons. First, Bin Ends Wine held its second live Twitter Tasting Thursday night, featuring several different wines from Hugel et Fils. Etiene Hugel participated, so that was a real treat. Second, I pleanned to keep my live Twitter notes, follow up a second night, and have a real 2 Days per Bottle tasting. Unfortunately, Twitter seems to have dumped everything more than a day old, and I can't retrieve those notes. Therefore, in lieu of two days, I will just steer you to some sites that gave first night reviews, and give you second (or even third) day reviews here. Those should give you some idea of what happens to these wines with some time after corking. They were all re-corked and stored in the refrigerator. Two were re-tasted the second night, and two the third.

For some reviews from Night One go to Smells Like Grape, The Wine Conversation, and Spittoon. You can find pictures of one Hugel Twitter party HERE.

2006 Hugel et Fils Gentil

First, my recollections from the live tasting. The palate opened with citrus, a lot of lemon and some lime, as well as some minerality. Then, after a few seconds, there was what I can only describe as a short and sudden flash of mango, then back to a softer but still lemony finish. The acids did not quite balance out the fruit, leaving this noticeably fat. It had a good mouth feel and is quite reasonably priced at about $14 (community average price on Cellar Tracker), but the inbalance toward fat keeps me from recommending it.

2005 Hugel et Fils Pinot Blanc Cuvée les Amours

I managed to retrieve a few of my notes from Night One for this one, but they are really just runnong comments:

Something soft and buttery there, too. Was there wood involved? 07:33 PM August 21, 2008 from web

Much leaner palate than the Gentil. White grapefruit and wild lemon, lick a rock then bit the rinds. 07:32 PM August 21, 2008 from web

Honestly, I'm getting Fig Newton, not fig. Plus some key lime. Nose is very light, I'm fighting for smell. Could be b/c I'm outside w/ kids 07:30 PM August 21, 2008 from web

First impression- lighter in color. 07:26 PM August 21, 2008 from web

Let me try to make some sense of that. This was far lighter in color, a bright clear straw, than the Gentil. The nose ws far more closed- you really had to search for the nose. When you found it, there was some sweetness that some described as fig, but I found more like Fig Newton, plus a sweet citrus, more Key Lime than Lime. On the palate, though, it was more citrusy. There was a lot of white grapefruit- eat a wedge without peeling away the pith after you peel the rind and you'll have it perfectly, plus the pure tartness of wild lemons. Stone was there, too, wet river rocks. After it warmed up a bit there was also a sense of softness, some butter that made me wonder if any wood was used here.

Night Two

On Night Two the buttery soft and sweet was more evident. The first scent in the glass was butterscotch, clearly butterscotch, plus some lemon zest. It also had a clean mineral aroma.

On the palate, stones, lime zest and lemon juice at first. Keep it long enough, though, and that same butterscotch showed up on the midpalate.

This was a far better wine than the Gentil, more balanced, cleaner. It had sweet and tart, acid to balance fruit, but nothing overpowered anything else. It also did something I particulalry enjoy in wine, evolve in the mouth, giving you first one thing then another. With a community average price of $13.98 (Cellar Tracker) I can recommend this one.

2006 Hugel et Fils Gewürztraminer "Hugel"

I have no notes from Night One, and really don't remember much. You will see why when you get to the Jubilee. I do remember it was a much sweeter wine than the rest, which is interesting when you get to the Night Two palate notes.

Night THREE

The nose ws still sweet and fruity. Lychee was the primary smell, joined with some ripe peach. It was not overpoweringly sweet, balanced by a clean mineral smell plus just a bit of lime zest.

On the palate, though, it fell apart. I do not know if it was a storage problem (re-corked and refrigerated), and in all fairnes that must be considered. I did not get to it until Night Three, and that might just have been too long to do it justice. It was all white grapefruit, more pith than fruit, plus a slight sweetening from peach. Simply stated, it just was not very good. Is it fair to judge based on this? I don't think so. That said, I think I would not go out and buy some more. But that's okay, because it means I save money to buy ...

2004 Hugel et Fils Riesling Jubilee

An average commnity price of $41.42 (Cellar Tracker), and worth every penny. I remember my impression of this one from Night One- picture an older, slightly soft Ginger Snap, put a small slice of lemon and a small slice of lime on it, then add two drops of diesel. Eat. Enjoy. If you have not experienced the joy of a good Riesling, diesel and all, that might not sound great. It was.

Night Two

The nose was still redolent of spice and citrus, ginger snaps and lemon zest. you could sniff this and forget to drink, it was so nice.

On the palate, a treat. The following description sound sweeter than it really is. Picture a very well-balance dry white with flavors reminiscent of what I describe, rather than picturing the things themselves, and you will have it perfectly. More the memory of the thing than the thing itself, or the lingering taste when the food is gone. Okay, ready? White cake with lemon icing, ginger snaps and holiday spice, a couple of drops of diesel, all laced gently through a dry mineral white with acidity to last years, fruit to make you want it today.

This was a very good wine. I recommend it highly.

That's it. Huge thanks to Etiene Hugel and Bin Ends Wine for great wine, great prices, and a great event.

Los Vascos Sauvignon Blanc 2006

Casablanca Valley, Chile
13% alcohol

My kids' Webkins got jealous of all the attention to the Wooden Guys. They did not get to drink the wine. They are too young. The Little Wooden Guy, on the other hand, liked this tropical/citrus summery white.

From the bottlenotes:

Los Vascos, one of Chile's oldest wine estates, is controlled by Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite), who began a comprehensive modernization and investment program in 1988. the 500-hectare vineyard is located in the Colchagua province which offers a healthy microclimate for its ungrafted pre-phylloxera Bordeaux rootstock. Under the direct technical supervision of the Domaines, Los Vascos is committed to producing the finest consistent and balanced wines whose elegance and harmony are to be shared with discriminating connaiseurs around the world.

Night One

Color is a very light pale straw, clear and bright.

The nose is very citrusy, mostly lime, and a little white grapefruit grapefruit, plus just enough of a tiny hint of "gooseberry" (better known to most as "litterbox") to say clearly it is Sauvignon Blanc. After a few seconds a softer tropical smell also comes through, reminiscent of lychee.

On the palate, just at irst, for perhaps half a second, banana is the primary flavor. That transitions almost instantly to citrus, then softens and sweetens on the midpalate, finishing with the taste of pears.

Second Night

The nose on the second night was softer, more tropical, opening with pineapple, key lime and lemons, along with the ubiquitous hint of cat.

The palate, too, is softer and more tropical. Pineapple, banana and lemon open before it turns into pure citrus, lemon and white grapefruit. The finish adds just the smallest flavour of pecans to the pears from the first night.

If you like New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, if you think litter box is the apex of this varietal, this is not the wine for you. But if you like clean citrus and soft fruit this is a nice bottle of wine at a good price.

Monte das Ânforas 2006

Vinho Regional Alentejano
Vino Tinto
Portugal
Aragonez 60%
Trincadeira 30%
Alfrocheiro 10%
13.5% alcohol
$12.98

This is such a bright ruby red it sparkles and dances with the light.

Big black cherry, nutmeg and cinammon blast out of the glass straight into the nose, followed by cranberry and orange peel. This is fantastic, like fresh-made cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving. Now sprinkle some unsweetened cocoa over the top, as the nose makes its third big change.

Bummer. The palate doesn't meet the promises made by the nose. It is good, even great for a $12 wine (some people on Cellar Tracker got it as cheaply as $8), but it is then and far more one-dimensional than the nose. Blackberries and raspberries are followed by leather and tar. The finish is medium-length, tannic and tart (have you ever had wild strawberries? Like that).

Will the palate meet the nose's promise tomorrow? Or will the nose flatten down to the palate? Stay tuned, and we will find out together.

Are you back? Welcome back.

Pinecones and pepper, blackcurrant and raspberry, followed by last night's cinammon and orange peel. This nose is still terrific. Let us see if the palate is any better.

Definite blackberry and blackcurrant, cigar box and leather up front. Now, though, there is a distinct petroleum chemical taste and some menthol.

Another hour and a bit warmer (it sent the night in the cellar) and the chemical smell is gone but the menthol stuck around. Black fruit and cigar box remained, plus some plums and spice on the midpalate.

The verdict? This is a very good wine for the money, but quite young. Will it ever be great? I don't think so. Will it get better and be good for quite a while? Yes, I think so, and at a price from $8-$12, it is certainly worth putting up a few bottles based just on its early promise.