Tasting Notes
Posted: June 8, 2009
BEST BUYS
GEORGES DUBOEUF Fleurie Flower Label 2007
Whether listed for its grape, Gamay, or its Beaujolais cru, this juicy wine, with its easygoing aromas of red fruit and violets, nicely fills a niche as a summer sipping red. On the palate it serves up mixed cherry-berry fruit and mouthwatering acidity, with minimal tannin and a finish of blackberry and mineral.
Score: 88 Cost: $144 Cases: 11,000 imported
BOGLE Chardonnay California 2007
Fit for fans of full-bodied Chardonnay, this widely available wine is notable for its excellent balance borne of vibrant acidity and lively citrus flavors. Apple and pear aromas give way to a zesty citrus palate with just enough butter and oaken spice to impart complexity.
Score: 87 Cost: $96 Cases: 250,000
YELLOW TAIL Pinot Grigio South Eastern Australia The Reserve 2007
America's most popular imported white grape demands a spot on any by-the-glass list. This pert and pretty white offers plenty of bright apple and melon flavor, with a bit of racy lime on the palate. The nose has a fresh floral note, while the snappy finish makes for a bracing sipper.
Score: 85 Cost: $120 Cases: 20,000 imported
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
NOVY Syrah Santa Lucia Highlands 2006
A boutique wine that makes an affordable by-the-glass pouring at the table, this dense and dark California red is redolent of black fruit-black cherry, blackberry, and plum-with notes of freshly ground pepper, meat, and earth. The abundant fruit is supported by substantial tannins and a full body.
Score: 92 Cost: $324 Cases: 517
CHATEAU ST. JEAN Fumé Blanc Sonoma County 2007
True to its moniker, this throwback Sauvignon Blanc bursts with smoky fruit-the toasty oak interwoven with ripe stone and hints of tropical fruit. The oak treatment also lends considerable texture, creating a lush palate with intense flavor and good balance of fruit and spice, all at a glass-friendly price.
Score: 90 Cost: $130 Cases: 31,320
ST.-URBANS-HOF Riesling Kabinett Mosel Piesporter Goldtröpfchen 2007
The white flower and delicate stone fruit aromas of this single-vineyard German Riesling make it suggestive of spring, while the palate introduces stony slate to the apricot and peachy fruit. Makes a thirst-quenching first glass, with modest alcohol and lacy light texture followed by a long finish pierced by saline minerality.
Score: 90 Cost: $220 Cases: 500
SPECIALS
MICHELE CASTELLANI Amarone della Valpolicella Classico Cinque Stelle 2005
Chewy dried fruit aromas of prune, fig, and date emerge from this densely packed wine. Silky tannins ride waves of dark fruit with well-integrated oak and vanilla flavors chiming in on the long finish. Full-bodied and generous yet incredibly seductive and approachable.
Score: 96 Cost: $800 Cases: 1,200
LEWIS Alec's Blend Napa Valley 2006
An unconventional blend of 70 percent Syrah, 20 percent Merlot, and 10 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, this red offers trophy wine status at a price that's pourable as a premium glass. The dark hue portends a density of fruit, with blueberry, cassis, and cherry cola flavors mixed with savory herbs and spice. A massive yet supple mouthful with a long, long finish.
Score: 95 Cost: $720 Cases: 875
RAMEY Chardonnay Russian River Valley Ritchie Vineyard 2006
Richly layered and lavish in style, this single-vineyard Chardonnay wields a deft hand with its buttery oak and pastry nuances, permitting the citrusy fruit and crisp apple flavors to take center stage. Nice anise and minerality punctuate the fruit flavors, which pour full-bodied and broad across the palate.
Score: 95 Cost: $700 Cases: 1,300
