WTN: Passable Muscadet, Martinborough Pinot, Rasteau

• 2005 Domaine Les Hautes Noëlles Muscadet-Côtes de Grandlieu Sur Lie - France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet-Côtes de Grandlieu (10/14/2008)
  14,85€ (says something about Finnish pricing having a "cheap" Muscadet at 15€...); 12%abv. I last tasted this in July '06 so I was very surprised to see a bottle still around. I remember that I liked it then though it wasn't a terribly zippy style. The scent now is very leesy and very powerful, but it also has lovely sea breeze aromas. Dry but full bodied for Muscadet, ripe but with enough structure for it to stay together. An enjoyable Muscadet, but in a rather richer and less mineral style than I would ideally prefer.
• 2006 Martinborough Vineyard Pinot Noir Te Tera - New Zealand, North Island, Wairarapa, Martinborough (10/14/2008)
  27,50€; 13,5% abv. This started out extremely oaky: apparently only about 30% of the wood is new, but for the first half-hour open that 30% and cranberry jam were all I could smell. But this wine developed well in glass and though still oaky later on in the evening, it did become much more balanced with some true Pinosity showing: sweet red fruit, brightness, some root vegetables. Full bodied, sweet, not terribly acidic (technical sheet says 5,5g/l) but sufficient to keep this from becoming cloying. Moderate aftertaste. I think this might be a very enjoyable wine for those who can handle more oak in their Pinot than I can, but especially at this price I felt disappointed.
• 2006 M. Chapoutier Côtes du Rhône Villages Rasteau - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône Villages Rasteau (10/11/2008)
  12,90€; 14% abv; 80% Grenache, 20% Syrah. Dark. Spicy nose with ripe and sweet fruit, very true Grenache scents. Full bodied and quite soft so it is a rather fruit forward wine: despite some ripe tannins I wouldn't mind a touch more acidity since the fruit tastes almost sugary. Turns rather hot on the finish. Correct, but not hugely exciting.

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