Weekend wines
A good range, overall.
2007 Elizabeth Spencer Sauvignon Blanc (Mendocino County). This negociant winery simply nails the Sauvignon Blanc. Bracing minerality-almost like Sancerre. Delicious grapefruit notes. One of my favorite SBs. No more...either in my cellar or at the winery. I can't wait until the 2008 vintage is released. 91 points.
2007 Signorello Seta (60% Semillon, 40% Sauvignon Blanc...on oak). The oak is here, but it works very well with this "Bordeaux-style" white blend. Much more delicious, imo, than the better known St. Supery Virtu. Great lemon fruit with nice acidity. The oak is powerful, but is not unpleasant. Yum. 88 points.
ROLAND SCHMITT Pinot Gris "Altenberg de Bergbieten" Grand Cru, Alsace 2007
Like drinking honey. Captivating citrus notes with sparkling acidity and layers of honey flavors. A crowd pleaser! 93 points.
2003 Eponymous ("Bordeaux"-style blend) McAllister Ranch. Robert Pepi's retirement winery. Friday night at Wine Styles. Wow. Now this was a very nice surprise. The bottle had been well-stored for two or three years, and is now drinking at a very nice place. A quite yummy melange of dark, roasted savory black fruit with a beam of red cherry showing through. Good acidity. Alcohol and oak are well integrated. There are layers of flavors in this wine, and it is certainly a rich one, but the tobacco notes and acidity add a nice bite to the big fruit. Tannins are mellow but still provide the structure. 93 points-outstanding and wine of the weekend.
2001 Castello di Ama Chianti Classico. Great wine for the Italian-themed dinner Saturday night. Wine of the night, imo. Fantastic dark plum and cherry fruit with a core of sangiovese tang that just shouts Italy. Despite the acidity, this is not an acid bomb but beautifully balanced. Lovely, lovely tobacco and leather notes as well. Nice medium mouth feel. Outstanding. 92/93
2001 Leeuwin Estate Art Series (Margaret River) Cabernet Sauvignon. Saturday Italian Party Disapointment of the week. I like acid and leaner cabernets, but my golly. This wine tasted and smelled strongly of jalapeno juice. I have tried a couple of other Western Australia cabs-from this vintage, too... Is jalapeno juice a common characteristic? 80 points.
2004 Sbraggia "Wall Vineyard (Mount Veeder) Cabernet Sauvignon. Saturday Italian Party. have to confess a bit of disappointment here. I found this a little simple. Certainly good sweet berry fruit and a very smooth mouth feel. A crowd pleaser-this may have been the wine of the night for some people.
Maybe it was simply too soon-but there is no firm tannic structure here and the acidity is middling at best, so how can this be an ager? 85 points, especially given the price????