Topic: TN: A Woodcutter builds a Kabinett (California, pt. 7, img)
Author: Thor Iverson (Boston, MA)
Date: 20040113051633
Los Altos
Swinging with the Cuppetts
Pacific Grove
The roadhouse of the Seven Gables
Passion and spirit
San Francisco
To be (or not to be) an anchovy
Dressner by the Bay
North Beach at Fort Mason
For an explanation of this post's (uncharacteristic) brevity, please see the first installment.

9 September 2003 – San Francisco, California

Estate Wines (part three – German whites, Australian whites, and sweet stuff)

(Notes, as from any large portfolio tasting of this nature, are brief. I return for second tastes of some of the more difficult-to-decipher wines, but most are relatively quick takes, and should be considered in that context.)

Woop Woop 2003 "V" (South Australia) – Verdelho under screwcap. Celery salt, strawberry, and intense bitter orange fruit with wet iron; a lushly textured wine with medium acidity. Full-bodied and very, very enjoyable in its style.

Torbreck 2002 "Woodcutter's White" (Barossa Valley) – Semillon. Rather non-fruity, showing smooth triple-cream cheese, lush white berries and cotton candy. Turns quickly insipid, despite nice acid, and altogether too confected.

Torbreck 2001 Viognier/Marsanne/Roussanne (Barossa Valley) – Ripe mixed nuts (mostly cashew and hazelnut), peach, watermelon and pear with good yet imbalanced acidity and a pleasant, though very short finish. It might improve a little bit with some age, but I doubt it.

[Don't Call It 'Frisco Laundromat]

Laundering the streets of San Francisco
Dr. Wagner 2001 Ockfener Bockstein Riesling (18 02) (Mosel-Saar-Ruwer) – Ripe green apple but lacking crispness, showing a milky quality to the acid that almost seems like the wine has gone through malolactic fermentation. Short, exceedingly simple, and not very good.

Pazen 2002 Zeltinger Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett (3 03) (Mosel-Saar-Ruwer) – Shy at first, then building, showing orange, tangerine and melon ball with a medium-length finish. Decently balanced, but still fluffy and new; needs age to show much of anything.

Kees-Kieren 2002 Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spδtlese (16 03) (Mosel-Saar-Ruwer) – Baby powder and strawberry blossom; intense, concentrated, and direct yet with all sorts of restrained power waiting in the wings. Lovely balance. A great wine, or it will be in the future, but awfully impressive now.

Rivetti "La Spinetta" 2002 Moscato d'Asti Bricco Quaglia (Piedmont) – Soapy pineapple and perfumed, ripe apple. In other words, pretty typical for this wine, which always rides that fine edge between wine and skin care product. I think this one tends a bit too much towards the latter.

Notaio "l'Autentica" 2000 Moscato (Basilicata) – Candied orange with a simple, papery finish.