Jasmin, Cote Rotie, 2000
Mildly spicy aromas. Has put on weight since my last bottle, but tastes slightly unfinished: cherry skin, plum, hoisin-A1 sauce, ripe rose hips. A little thick and one-dimensional compared to a better year, but good nonetheless. Additional day brings out a muddiness. B+/A-
Chateau Clos Haut Peyraguey, Sauternes, 2001
Medium gold colored with a bronze hint. Heavy boytytis on the nose. Unctious apricot paste, ripe ginko fruit and heavy boytytis spice. Desptite the richness, this leaves no heaviness and is, obviously, excellent. A
Domaine Henri Boillot, Savigny-les-Beaune, 'les Vergelesses' blanc, 2006
Dull, light gold color. Butter, fresh baked bread dough and yellow fruits on the nose. Buttered peas, yellow plums and marigolds, with a nice chalky finish. Profile is a little flat (vintage characteristic), but this is decent enough for early consumption, say, within the next 2 years. B+
Le Vieux Donjon, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, 2001
Medium maroon cherry color. Meaty Provencal flavors with church incense. Lovely aromas! Old School styled chewy grenache with plum, black cherry, star anise...just delicious. Still youthful, but gaining the old tome dimensions of libraried Chateauneuf. Becomes a bit musky-scented with further air. Very good. A-
Vina do Campo, Ribeiro, 2007
Light and refreshing, muscat-ty tasting summer sipper. A blend of 70% treixadura & 30% torrontes. 12% Does not hold well beyond one night, however. B
Driopi, Nemea, Agiorgitiko, 2005
Bright cherry-red color. Cardamom and floral aromatics. Floral pastille fruits, slight black plum, good acidity and lively finish, this is a nicely balanced wine, that reminds me of traditionally made 'luncheon' Bordeaux with a slight addition of ruche. On the finish there are some slightly drying, astringent tannins. 13% B+
Edmund Vatan, Sancerre, 'Clos la Neore', 2006
Quietly aromatic. Slight gooseberry and hops, chalk milkshake in the mouth, but with a bitterness and heavy alcohol feel at the end that was not there in the 2007 Steve brought over last time did not have a trace of. I'm not finding myself loving 2006 whites, with the exception of certain patches around the world. B
Arrowood, Merlot, Sonoma County, 'Petit Bijou', 2001
Plummy oaken nose. Plum, bitter chocolate, and a bit hot on the finish. Good, varietally correct, but one-dimensional. 14.8% B
Mauro Molino, Barolo, 'vigna Gancia', 1999
Youthful color. Menthol and red cherry, chocolate nose. Cherry, licorice, some tar and asphalt. Modern styled but with good fruit, and present but not overdone oak, this is much better than I would have guessed, being a DeGrazia wine. Ripe and fleshy, full of still gripping tannin. Well done! 14% A-
Tua Rita, Rosso Toscana IGT, 'Giusto di Notri', 2000
Purplish black cherry red color. Upon opening, I thought it might be mildly corked, but I think it is more reduction than anything. Heavy nose of bosenberry and minty wood. Thick dollops (dare I say 'gobs'?) of maraschino cherry and zinfandel-like briar patch of sweet, plush fruit. This Bordeaux blend of cabernet sauvignon-merlot-cabernet franc-petit verdot could come from anywhere there is a willing sun and a lending hand and perhaps a machine or two. All demerits for me. B+ In defense, it does become a little tamed, and the 3rd night is actually best for this, so perhaps all it needs is more time?