The following are quick notes from a fundraiser dinner earlier this summer. The Pinots were served blind.
2006 Cape Mentelle Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon. Pale color. The nose shows some sharp aromas of melon and grass. It is softer in the mouth, gently rounded, with light body and moderate richness of fruit. Flavors of melon, grapefruit, faint fig and raspy oak. It finishes a bit rougher, with bitter quinine and dark toast notes. Nothing too special.
2007 Jose Maria de Fonseca Twin Vines Vinho Verde. I believe this wine is named after the twin children of the owners, so having twins myself I wanted to like it. But the truth is just the opposite, sadly. I really dislike this. It smells like what I imaging pure chlorophyll to smell like, maybe like climbing inside the green goop that clogs up the underside of the lawnmower. In the mouth, it tastes like spritzy carbonated gin and lemon/lime. The finish is like gin botanicals, and the whole thing is just too jagged, sharp, tingly and disjointed for me. I have another bottle that I am afraid to open…
2006 Jadot Chardonnay Macon Villages. The nose is a bit shy, with green and yellow pixie stick dust and other sweet-citrus notes. On the palate, it feels moderately plump, but with some acidic twang present in the form of some sourball flavors. It flows pretty easily, ending creamier. Though no great shakes, this is a lot easier to drink than the previous two entries.
2005 Jadot Santenay Clos de Malte. This is a light ruby color, with a crisp aromatic profile featuring nice fresh berries, floral notes, bark and limestone. Though a bit on the thin side, it is nonetheless fuller-bodied than the crispness of the nose might suggest. Flavors of wild red berries, clean earth, soft vanillin and bright sour cherries are crisp and tightly-focused. It finishes a bit short, but with an inviting acidity that pulls one back for another sip.
2006 Hamilton Russell Pinot Noir Walker Bay. The aromatics of this Pinot feel creamy and smooth, with sweet black cherry, currants and leafy trees. It is somewhat sweet in the mouth, with a creamy smooth texture and soft, moderate tannins and no hard edges. It turns a bit blacker-fruited toward the back of the palate. It feels like it might be struggling just a bit to find a more elegant vein. It offers decent drinking now, but I’ll hold the rest of my stash for a few years.
2005 Melville Pinot Noir Estate Santa Rita Hills. This is extremely stemmy on the nose, with brown briary overtones layered on top of wild brambly fruit and sarsaparilla notes. There are some powdered chocolate notes sprinkled in, but otherwise it is all about stems and very sweet briary berry fruit. In the mouth, it is decidedly sweet and extremely spicy and smoky, with the 15.4% alcohol clearly evident. After all that sweetness through the middle, it actually turns rather bitter on the finish. Really, it is out of balance pretty severely. I have another bottle and really have no idea when to try it again. I am not eager…
-Michael