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Notes from a tasting of wines which have scored over 95 points, held Saturday, April 2, 2005, at the Wine Exchange in Orange, CA. Twenty wines were poured for a tasting fee of $59. Overall impressions: always a good idea for a tasting, the Wine Exchange puts this event on at least once a year to show off some of the best - albeit more expensive, wines in the store. Everything here had to garner at least 95 points from either the Wine Advocate or the Wine Spectator. This selection included the usual suspects from California, France, Italy, Australia, and Spain. These were all stunning wines. The Verite Le Desir topped my list of favorites, followed by the Clos St. Martin and Ch. Suduiraut. There were no surpirses or disappointments here, though I'd wished the Clos de la Roche had been a little more open and friendly. Time will undoubtedly improve the situation with most of these wines, though there's hardly room for improvement. Which brings me to another point -- it's interesting, in the face of scores staring right back at you from the tasting sheet, to try and maintain your own sense of palate while rating/ranking these wines. I found that I almost universally ranked the wines lower than the pros. But, I can live with that. |
2002
Newton Chardonnay - Napa Valley. $39.99. Light
yellow color.Nose of ripe apple and pear, with a nice toasty dried
pastry background note. Slightly sweet mouthfeel initially, but
the complexity takes over and the baby fat falls away before mid-palate.
Smooth and refined, excellent balance and finish. (a Wine Advocate
96 -- about 94 in my book.) 1999
Feudi di San Gregorio Taurasi Piano di Montevergine - Campania Italy.
$49.99. Very
dark ruby garnet color. Nose of dark berry and black olive, along
with some toasted bread. Very smooth mouthfeel, flavors of dark
fruit, herbs, and light touch of liquid smoke. Tannins appear to
have melted away, and the balance and approachability is perfect.
100% Aglianico di Taurasi. (a Wine Advocate 95 -- about 92 in my
book.) 2000
Vietti Barolo Rocche - Piemonte, Italy. $79.99. Medium
ruby garnet color. Nose of dark cherry, plank-smoked prosciutto,
grilled bread, and licorice. Lots of dried dark cherry flavor, excellent
balance, medium-full tannins through long finish. (a Wine Spectator
95 -- about 90 in my book.) 2000
E. Pira & Figli Barolo - Cannubi Vnyd. $69.99. Dark
ruby garnet color. Slightly sweet nose of smoked meat, dark cherry,
toast, and herbs. Full, rich and chewy mouthfeel, excellent balance,
lots of fine-grained tannins still present through the very long
finish. (a Wine Spectator 96 -- about 94 in my book.)
1999 Altesino Brunello di Montalcino - Montosoli Vnyd. $79.99. Medium
garnet amber color. Nose of dried cherries, clove and mint, with
a light meaty scent. Packed to the rafters with dried cherry fruit,
and more than a little tannin left. Absolutely delicious mouthfeel
and aftertaste, provided you can pry your tongue off the roof of
your mouth. (a Wine Spectator 95 -- about 92 in my book.) 1999
Clos Mogador - Priorat. $79.99. Dark
ruby garnet color. This blend of Grenache and Carignane seems packed
with dark fruit, herbs of cumin and sage, and grilled bread. Big
mouthfeel, nice meaty flavor to the dark raspberry fruit, full and
rich on the palate, huge long finish. (a Wine Advocate 95 -- about
93 in my book.)
2000
Dom. du Pegau - Chateauneuf du Pape. $54.99. Medium
dark ruby garnet color. Nose of raspberry, orange tea, and strawberry.
Slightly sweet in mouthfeel (more than the Boursan), yet fuller
and meatier in taste, with a touch of orange zest, excellent balance
and finish. (a Wine Advocate 95 -- about 94 in my book.)
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2001
Dominus - Napa Valley. $99.99. Dark
ruby color. Nose of black raspberry, clove, with hints of eucalyptus
and sharp cheddar. Off-sweet mouthfeel, chewy and smooth, with plenty
of fine-grained tannins through the long finish and longer aftertaste.
(a Wine Advocate 95 -- about 94 in my book.) 2002
Dominique Laurent - Clos de la Roche. $119.99. Medium
garnet color. Tobacco-infused nose of wild strawberry and black
cherry. Slightly tart on the palate initially, sweet-sour flavors,
excellent balance, and nice long finish. (a Wine Spectator 95 --
about 90 in my book.) 2002
Gibson Shiraz - Barossa Vale. $35.99. Very
dark ruby color. Classic Barossa nose of dark cherry and cake spices,
these nicely integrated aromas seem to lean even more to clove and
nutmeg. Mouthfeel is similarly packed with dark fruit and cake spices,
and has a nice juicy sweet-sour quality, dipping just a bit during
the medium-long finish. (a Wine Advocate 95 -- about 93 in my book.) 2001
Henschke Shiraz - Mt. Edelstone Vnyd. $59.99. Very
dark ruby color. Spicy nose of dark fruit, vanilla, and herbs. Delicious
flavors of black cherry and pomegranate, with a seamless texture
of fine-grained tannins, excellent balance and medium-long finish.
(a Wine Advocate 95 -- about 92 in my book.) 1999
Yalumba Octavius Shiraz - Barossa. $68.99. Dark
ruby color. Significantly ripe in the nose, and nearly Tawny Port-like
with its raisin and pecan aromas. Slightly sweet in mouthfeel, quite
ripe as well, and the flavors seem to approach a late harvest style.
Very well made, seamless texture, very nice balance and long finish.
(a Wine Advocate 96 -- about 93 in my book.) 2002
Foreau Vouvray Moelleux Domaine du Clos Naudin. $39.99. Light
yellow amber color. Refreshing nose of apple, pear, and apricot.
Nice light sweetness on the palate, this wine feels like a lighter
version of a Sauternes with a twist of lemon. Beautifully balanced
and nice sweet crisp finish. (a Wine Spectator 95 -- about 91 in
my book.) 2001
Ch. La Tour Blanche - Sauternes. $59.99. Medium
yellow amber color. Fascinating nose of pear and peach, with an
interesting addition of lime and mint. Thick in mouthfeel, with
beautiful concentration and balance, and that intriguing mint flavor
seems to liven up the pear and peach. (a Wine Advocate 97 -- about
93 in my book.) 2001
Ch. Suduiraut - Sauternes. $79.99. Medium
yellow amber color. Seamless nose of pear, peach, and a touch of
orange blossom. Slightly thick in mouthfeel, amazingly smooth and
balanced, very long lingering finiah. Gorgeous!(a Wine Advocate
98 -- about 95 in my book.)
NV R.L. Buller & Son Rutherglen Rare Tokay - Australia. $54.99.
Medium
amber brown color. Nose of toasted pecan, caramel, and creme brulee.
Slightly thick on the palate, with flavors of pecan pie, grilled
peach, and a fascinating minerality. Beautiful balance, and seamless
finish. (a Wine Advocate 100 -- about 95 in my book.) |
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