This year spring has come and stayed, graciously keeping young leaves and colorful blossoms on trees and shrubs much longer than nature had ever intended, but providing a beautiful backdrop when tasting wines. I share my delight:
Virgile Lignier, Morey Saint Denis, vieilles vignes, 2004
A purplish-cherry red, more reminiscent of a Beaujolais than a Burgundy. Bright raspberry-black raspberry notes with an ashy-iodine element on both the nose and in the mouth, this could almost be an artisinal Beaujolais. Definition of spring here: smoky bright red fruit with good acidity in a light package, something good now, and perhaps for a couple more years. B+
Wagner Stempel, Rheinhessen, Riesling, Siefersheimer, T, 2004
Color is a crysatlline, glistening gold. Orange blossom, kumquat and quartz minerals on the nose. navel orange, elder blossoms, caraway seeds, and a plateful of quartz-like minerals on the bright finish. A long finish and one that is very refreshing. [AP 4 316 142 06 05] 12.5% A-
Domaine l'Aigueliere, Coteaux du Languedoc, Montpeyroux, Cote Doree, 1999
Deep maroon color. Murky incense and black fruits on the nose. Tastes very old school, with old used oak cask, prunes, unsweetened blueberry juice and old church pew. This has good weight and dimension, with a tannic bite on the end, suggesting it's evolution is not yet done. B+
Baumard, Savennieres, Clos de Saint Yves, 2005
Pale platinum white gold color. Delicate aromas of white peach and nuetral yellow flowers. Wet wool blanket, crushed calcium, and ripe yellow stone fruits on the palate of this delightful screwcapped bottle. B+
For the price, a good wine for a house white if you ever tire of Muscadet...
Valle dell 'Acate, Vittoria Frappato, 'il Frappato, 2006
Wow, imagine that: a wine named named after the appellation it comes from. Hot damn! This one here is for immediate consumption. Stay away if you don't care for cloying perfume, not that this is cloying, it is just...so...perfume-y. Perhaps for the person who loves lassis or other rose-flavored foods? B
Passopisciaro, Sicilia IGT, 2004
For all intents and purposes, an Etna Rosso. Color is a cool fire-ember reddish orange. Cooking spices, dried plums, peat block on the exotic nose. Cherry marzipan cookie dough with basket straw, with chewy but very approachable tannins on the finish. This is a big wine, yet retains a lightness despite its strength. 14.5%, but doesn't feel it. Beautiful thinking man's wine. A/A-
Poliziano, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, 'Asinone', 2000
Deep black cherry colored. Plum, basalmic notes and aged dark soy sauce aromas from the vat. Black cherries, menthol, and vanilla on the warm, dust-filled finish. Chewy, but powdery tannins, on the end, and better than an earlier bottle tasted 3 years ago suggest this is aging nicely and on-curve. A slight warmth here, but this is so voluptously balanced, one doesn't mind a slight bit of exuberance. A-