2004 Glen Eldon Riesling, Australia
I sifted through my German/Austria shelves the other day and culled out a few wines that probably need drinking sooner than later and put them in the summer wine fridge. This got the nod based on how absolutely boring it's twin brother had been a year or two ago. This one was only slightly less boring than I remember the other, but still so boring that I'm not even going to go downstairs to get the appellation off the bottle the way I would for an interesting wine. That would be too boring. This is a wan, dilute wine hiding behind the words 'dry style' to pretend it offers more than it does. Like, "I'm not boring, it's just that what I'm trying to be is over your head." Well not so, honey, I'm here to tell you you're BORING. You not only lack a sense of place, you lack a sense of grape! You're not Riesling, you're only Riesling-ISH. And the only other thing you're like is water! You're the Coors Light of Rieslings!
I guess there goes my Christmas card from the winery.
2002 Talbott/Case Sleepy Hollow Pinot Noir, Monterey Coast, California
Mauve-y maturing pinot color. The nose is exciting with spicy fruit, emerging caramel tones and the tomato leaf/thyme herbaciousness of California coastal pinots. The acidity, however, is brutally out of balance. I'll leave my other bottle alone for a few more years.