Tasting Notes
Posted: January 15, 2008
Best Buys
Bodegas Borsao Garnacha Campo de Borja Tres Picos 2005
This 100 percent Grenache is a perennial value, showing good ripe fruit and giving an approving nod to the Old World with a nose dominated by black cherry and mature fruit intertwined with leather, smoke, and oak. Dark fruit flavor couples with some vanilla as well as ample tannin and acidity to balance the rich concentration. 5,000 cases imported.
Score: 90 Cost: $125 per case
Thirty Nine Degrees Sauvignon Blanc Lake County 2006
A bright white that embraces the tropical side of the grape, with delicate mango and papaya aromas accompanied by crisp lemon and pink grapefruit. There are underlying herbal, grassy notes, but the bright fruit also dominates on the palate, with refreshing acidity and zesty lime flavors on the finish. 11,730 cases made.
Score: 86 Cost: $112 per case
J. & F. Lurton Fitou Château des Eries Cuvée des Ardoises 2004
This Languedoc value is a pleasant, medium-bodied red blend that exhibits red berry and plum fruit augmented by lively spice, earth, and tobacco on the nose, with good structure and pretty red fruit on the palate. 20,000 cases made.
Score: 85 Cost: $150 per case
Highly Recommended
Viña Montes Syrah Colchagua Valley Alpha Apalta Vineyard 2005
This Chilean Syrah shows good concentration of fruit, brimming with aromas of ripe black cherry, wild strawberry, and blackberry intertwined with smoky oak, licorice, and spice. Fleshy and full, with mineral and graphite qualities, good tannic grip, and a long finish. 20,000 cases made.
Score: 92 Cost: $200 per case
Goats do Roam Wine Company Goat-Roti Coastal Region 2005
By co-fermenting Shiraz and Viognier, this wine pays tribute to the Rhône in method as well as moniker. Big blackberry fruit meets licorice, spice, and toasty oak on the nose. Dark and juicy on the palate, the wine's lighthearted name belies its real complexity, with lovely dark chocolate and earthy notes. 6,500 cases made.
Score: 90 Cost: $160 per case
Grgich Hills Fumé Blanc Napa Valley 2006
Aging in neutral French oak gives this snappy Sauvignon Blanc a generous body and rich texture without overwhelming the wine with woody flavor. The fragrant grapefruit, mango, and lemon fruit emerges in the aroma and follows through on the palate, where the tropical flavors meet refreshing acidity. 12,796 cases made.
Score: 90 Cost: $288 per case
Specials
Henschke Shiraz Eden Valley Hill of Grace 2003
This blockbuster Shiraz from the Hill of Grace vineyard is an intricate tapestry, combining intense black fruit with exotic spices. The black cherry and blackberry fruit continues in the flavor, coupled with licorice and a mineral streak. This wine offers plenty of power and depth without sacrificing harmony or poise. 16 cases imported.
Score: 99 Cost: $4,000 per case
Louis Jadot Chevalier-Montrachet Les Demoiselles 2005
A youthful Grand Cru with decades of life ahead, this wine offers intense yet elegant aromas of plum and lime, along with summer flowers and toasted nuts. On the palate, the flavors emerge seamlessly, with the toasty elements and firm minerals slowly overtaking the ethereal fruit on the long finish. 250 cases made.
Score: 97 Cost: $2,540 per case
M. Chapoutier Ermitage White L'Ermite 2004
Made from pure Marsanne, this wine shows rich stone fruit—peach and apricot—along with a bit of vanilla while also demonstrating the grape's ability to capture racy minerality. Full and rounded in the mouth, the flavors pour on long and lean, with a fresh sea breeze quality and lime and macadamia flavors. Available in February. 175 cases made.
Score: 97 Cost: $2,540 per case
