2000 Trimbach Alsace Gewürztraminer Cuvée des Seigneurs de Ribeaupierre (Alsace AOC, Alsace, France) 13.5% – appears heavy gold, apparent oiliness, smell late harvest aromas, deep sweet honey wafting with some slight floral resting on top, also some slight stone and metal notes, taste was quite different than what I expected based on the smell, not as sweet as expected, instead wonderful watery elements but with heavier texture, great flavor but not at all overpowering, some tart pear, the spice sneaks in and really comes in with force on the finish, the spice is beautiful stuff, picante, interesting, and takes on very herbal notes as the wine progresses (indeed the herbal notes in this wine reminded me of a very good gin), this was a beautiful soft wine with interesting edges, not at all deadening, I had it without food, which worked excellently, not sure what it would pair best with, at 24 euros, I found the wine to be a very nice treat for a special occasion
2006 Harbinger Red Mountain Lemberger Rosé (Red Mountain, Columbia Valley, Washington, USA) 12.9% – appears darker shade of cranberry juice, smell good cherry/strawberry, perfumed licorice, bit sweet, soft and quite nice, taste wonderful acidic cherry and rhubarb, depth on the fruit combined with superb spice that is at times smoky and earthy, the spice integrates marvelously with the fruit, keeping the wine quite interesting and tasty—lots of berry but in a very well-done way, the wine is a bit heavier in texture than I am used to for a rosé—it reminded me more of a properly-chilled red, I continued to enjoy it to the end and found it worked really well with grilled pork, enjoyable stuff but at $15, I’d pass on another bottle
N.V. Monte Delma Franciacorta Brut (Franciacorta DOCG, Lombardia, Italy) 12.5% – 80% Chardonnay, 15% Pinot Bianco, 5% Pinot Nero – appears light pale gold, streams of lazy tiny bubbles, smell bit of stones, peach, quite light, with air more vibrant and spicy, mouthfeel tender fading mousse, good presence, taste soft peaches/apples, bare presence to it, scrumptious but fleeting, with time particularly tasty apple charlotte element develops, long lasting acidic and mineral finish, wonderful accompaniment to pasta with Azeri caviar and crème fraiche—it really made the flavors sing, the salt of the caviar matched the acid and mineral on the wine, without food it had good presence, but not as impressive, at 19 euro, I think I’d consider another bottle if I was looking for something sparkling to pair with food. From gerardo.de: 2 years on the yeast, 25,000 bottles produced
N.V. Pinjata Hvar Prošek (Hvar, Dalmatia, Croatia) – appears heavy apricot color, thick, smell faint peach brandy, with air, some nail polish, not much on nose, taste at first nothing but solid viscous wall then waves of spice and smokiness enveloped in supersweet apricot waves, the first tastes were quite nice, if simple, the wine decended, however into a supersweet jumble (though amazingly not syrupy or cloying), too much sweet, too much crazy unintegrated spice, the first taste indicated to me that the wine was falling apart before my eyes, alas, interesting experience, but with this level of sweetness, it had better be integrated