Short notes from the St. Clair teppanyaki dinner at the newish Nihonbashitei Resto including some samples from Tuscany and a few other goodies all courtesy of Philippine Wine Merchants.
St. Clair Sauvignon Blanc 2006 - Very pale. Very ripe guava on nose. Slight sweetness. Some green pepper. Crisp finish. Pleasant and friendly.
St. Clair Chardonnay 2006 - Very gentle, inoffensve, blah, boring wine.
St. Clair Pioneer Block 4 Pinot Noir 2005 - Soft. Some candy. Slightly green finish. OK but nothing special.
St. Clair Merlot Rapaura Reserve 2006 - Full, tannic, closed. Needs a few years to come around.
The following Chigi Saracini and Poggio Bonelli wines were samples which some of us were asked to evaluate for possible importation to the Philippines.
Villa Chigi Chianti 2005 - Tobacco, leather, a bit hollow, tart.
Chigi Saracini Chianti 2005 - Slightly hot. Decent fruit but still hollow and thin.
Chigi Saracini Chianti Classico 2005 - Good fruit. Light to medium body. Tart. Has some potential.
Chigi Saracini Chianti Classico Riserva 2004 - A step up. More complexity. Cherries Eucalyptus. Long finish.
Chigi Saracini Poggiassai Toscana IGT 2003 - Nice nose though slightly hot. Obvious cola oakiness but in measured quantity. Medium-bodied and tannic. Good, modern-style wine.
Poggio Bonelli Chianti Classico 2005 - Sweet, dried fruit. Very tannic. Seems closed but should turn out quite good.
Poggio Bonelli Tramonto d'Oca Toscana IGT 2003 - Prune. A bit hollow with a weak finish.
Next some stuff from Oz.
Brothers in Arms No. 6 Shiraz/Cabernet 2003 - Leafy. Painfully sweet for me with no acid or tannin for balance thus making the wine flabby. Didn't like it.
Charles Melton 9 Popes GSM 2003 - Very nice. Spicy, tannic. Tar and asphalt. Much better than a musty bottle we had a few weeks back.
Lastly from Bordeaux:
Chateau Batailley 2002 - A bit watery with a tannic finish. Good acidity. It seems better to drink this sooner than later. Seems good for short rather than longer term aging.