WTN: Outliers

Domaine David et Denis Alary 2001 Cotes du Rhone Villages Cairanne, $14.25
Superb. Wonderful garrigue, earth, mineral, and a mix of red and black fruits on the nose and palate. Velvety smooth, mellow and mature, decent acidity, a delightful wine. Excellent match with pizza. Two days later, it continues to be enjoyable with lots of raspberry, garrigue and earth in a mellow, balanced package. Importer: Peter Weygandt.

Chateau d’Oupia 2002 Minervois, $9
This is very much like previous vintages with a nice mix of sage and other herbs, pepper and spice, red and black berries, smoke and earth aromas and flavors. Very enjoyable and reasonably smooth, though grainy tannins and decent acidity provide lots of structure. Importer: Louis/Dressner.

Morrison Lane 2003 Walla Walla Valley Carmenère, $26
This is very interesting. Somewhat soft, smooth and complex with chocolate the most dominant note along with dusty herbs and dark earth. There is clearly some oak influence but it’s not harsh or out of control, and there is decent structure provided mostly by tannins along with some moderate acidity. Overall, I find it very enjoyable, though it’s certainly got a different profile than most of the wines I drink. Excellent match with pizza. The next day, it’s similar except sometimes, I notice a very distinct note of licorice/anise on the nose. Otherwise, it’s all chocolate, herbs and dark earth accenting dusty red (mostly) and black fruits in a soft, mellow vein. Again, it’s excellent with pizza. I’ve never had a carmenère from Chile (at least one I can remember) so I can’t compare, and at this price, it’s not a wine I’d normally buy, but I did like it and the one bottle was worth it for the novelty value.

Brundlmayer 2004 Kamptaler Terassen Grüner Veltliner, $16
Citrus (lemon, lime, maybe even a little pineapple) with lots of rocks, some lentil/green pea stuff going on, and plenty of spiciness on the nose and palate. Medium-bodied, complex, acidic, structured and refreshing. Excellent match with takeout Chinese food. Two days later, it’s rockier and spicier, more complex, incredibly bracing, and really enjoyable. One day later, it’s even better with more herbal, mineral and spicy complexities. Importer: Michael Skurnik, Terry Theise Selection.

[Jenise]

There is clearly some oak influence but it’s not harsh or out of control, and there is decent structure provided mostly by tannins along with some moderate acidity.

Bruce, you might be surprised. I once had a Colvin Carmenere (also WA state, if you're not familiar with the winery) that I made much the same comment about. In fact, I went further, finding the oak "lavish" but somehow not objectionable. Fortunately, the winemaker was handy, and he responded that no, I was wrong, there was no oak on this wine at all. Don't remember if he said neutral barrels or stainless, but whatever: he said it's a curious thing about Carmenere that it comes naturally imbued with an oak flavor.

That gruner--great wine, isn't it? I have a few bottles I'm holding, hoping they turn out like my 99's did when we drank them in 2005.

I once had a Colvin Carmenere (also WA state, if you're not familiar with the winery) that I made much the same comment about. In fact, I went further, finding the oak "lavish" but somehow not objectionable. Fortunately, the winemaker was handy, and he responded that no, I was wrong, there was no oak on this wine at all. Don't remember if he said neutral barrels or stainless, but whatever: he said it's a curious thing about Carmenere that it comes naturally imbued with an oak flavor.

Verrrry interrrresting. I bought the Morrison Lane at the winery and tasted six or seven of his bottlings, finding a remarkable absence of oak (at least compared to the other Walla Walla wines I had tasted that day). I asked the winemaker about it and he said he didn't use new oak -- not because of his winemaking philosophy, but because because, as I remember him putting it, "new oak barrels are too damned expensive!" Now that I think about this, it surprises me that I did notice some oak in this, though to reiterate, I didn't find it objectionable. Maybe the Colvin winemaker was right.

On the basis of this one sample, though, I think carmenere might have a future in Washington state.

That gruner--great wine, isn't it? I have a few bottles I'm holding, hoping they turn out like my 99's did when we drank them in 2005.

I loved it, but unfortunately it was my only bottle and perhaps I was impatient. I'm relatively new to gruners and don't yet have a sense about their aging curve.

[Jenise]

On the basis of this one sample, though, I think carmenere might have a future in Washington state.

Global warming will certainly be its friend. Something else Larry Colvin said about it was that it's a real bang or bust kind of grape--if it doesn't get perfectly ripe, it's awful. Therefore no winery would stake a big deal on larger or exclusive production of it, but a few, like him, wanted to grow enough to play with.

Love the Alary wines - have tried several over the years and they are always great and very reasonably priced

Love the Alary wines - have tried several over the years and they are always great and very reasonably priced

So I have heard. And it lives up to its reputation. If memory serves me correctly, this bottling is the first I've had and I loved it. Must find more.

Bruce,
After 2 days I am going to give up and sound completely ignorant. What the hell is Outliers?
Walt

What the hell is Outliers?

Beats me.

I guess what I meant is that as I've been going through a backlog of notes, I have tried to organize them by region. With these four wines, they were by themselves (one Rhone, one Languedoc, one Austria, one Washington state). Hence outliers. As for whether this is an appropriate use of the word, whether it even is a word, or whether I'm being too obscure, I don't know...