By which I mean, drinking my way all over the place with no theme or direction - except a lot of nice summer whites - over the past month or so.
Bodegas Franco-Espanolas, Excelso, Gran Reserva, Rioja 2007
Medium ruby/garnet. Wonderful, mature nose with with perfume-like aromatics of black cherry with hints of black raspberry, and lovely dried blackberry, a hint of dried orange rind, dried rose petals, cigar tobacco, leather, and sweet, dusty earth, and a hint of mature fruitcake-like notes. On the palate, lovely, sweet, graceful black raspberry, dried blackberry, red cherry, all with a pleasantly tart edge, and with dried citrus rind, a touch of flowers, and green tobacco leaf, with rich earth on the finish. On the full side of medium bodied with a wonderful, juicy and fleshy texture, with great acid tone and wonderful persistence, and all so graceful. Love it, so my sort of wine! Drink now or in the next few years. 90% Tempranillo, 5% Graciano, 5% Mazuelo. 3.5 Stars [6/7/17]
Anaba, Aero Port, Sonoma NV
100% Syrah. Medium ruby. Excellent nose, rich blackberry, cassis, and compote, with fresh tobacco leaf, earthy mineral, a hint of oak, black pepper, and brandy. On the palate, loads of sweet, rich, wonderfully extracted blackberry and cassis, with excellent acid tone and tartness, then a note of succulent, fresh tobacco leaf providing wonderful texture, and an underlying hint of pie cherry keeping it fresh, then very nice notes of vanilla extract and oak before a subtle finish of earthy mineral, all with hints of spicy peppercorns. Full bodied, intense, and penetrating, with a wonderful fleshy/spicy texture; rich but with precise and excellent balance. Simply put, just plain delicious. Exceptionally well done, perhaps the best Port-style wine I’ve had that was not made from the traditional Port grapes. Drink whenever, best in the next 5 - 10 years, but might be interesting in 20. 3.5 Stars [6/7/17]
Mathieu Paquet, Macon-Villages 2015
Light straw. Very nice nose, fresh, sweet, and rich, with a touch of white flowers, and respectable depth. On the nose and palate, a personality of apple, lemon, lime, pineapple, a touch of nectarine adding a darker note, and honeydew, with some nice stoney depth. Full side of medium bodied, sweet and rich in texture with good depth to the fruit, good acid balance, and a nice, medium-length finish. Very nice. Drink now or in the next few years. 3 Stars. [6/8/17]
Belletti, Extra Dry, Prosecco NV
Pale straw. Very nice nose. On the nose and palate, a personality of apple, citrus, and a touch of melon, with a touch of cashew, a hint of honey, and mineral, all with a hint of sweet, green vegetal notes. On the full side of medium bodied, with a somewhat rich texture balanced by sweet-tart acidity. Some good depth, and substantially more complexity than any other inexpensive Prosecco I’ve had. At $7 from Aldi, perhaps the best sparkling wine value out there. 2.5 Stars [6/18/17]
MAN Vintners, Chenin Blanc, Coastal Region 2011
Light golden yellow. Low key but very nice nose of fresh citrus, ripe, rich fruit, and stoney depth, and a hint of aromatic citrus. On the palate, loads of tart lime upfront, followed by citrus curd, a touch of melon, and then lots of potent apricot and nectarine, with some white pepper, and loads of salty mineral, with a nectary finish. Full bodied, with excellent, slightly steely acidity, and a rich, dense texture; fantastic penetration and persistence, and great depth too. Drink now or in the next few years. 3 Stars [6/11/17]
El Coto, Rioja 2015
Pale yellow. Exceptionally fresh nose, with ripe stone fruits, citrus rind, melon, green cucumber-like notes (in a very nice way), with some spice, and great depth. On the palate, fresh citrus wedges (grapefruit, lime), apricot and plum, honeydew, fresh cucumber, honey/nectar, and a finish of sone and mineral. Very full bodied, with a rich, slightly fat texture, and generous, tart, slightly steely acidity providing great tone and freshness. Drink now or in the next 3 - 5 years. 3 Stars [6/11/17]
Bliss, Sauvignon Blanc, Mendocino 2015
Light yellow. Wonderful nose, fresh picked peaches incarnate! On the nose and palate, fresh peaches, gooseberry, a hint of flowers, a touch of sweet grassy notes, nice underlying mineral, all kept fresh and lively by citrus notes. Medium-full bodied, rich and clean in texture, with wonderful freshness. Similar to the exuberant style of New Zealand Sauv Blanc, and with respectable complexity. Fantastic white for a hot summer day. Drink now. 3 Stars [6/20/17]
Vigneti del Vulture, Pipoli, Greco-Fiano, Basilicata 2013
60% Greco, 40% Fiano. Medium-light straw. Low key but nice nose, fresh, and richly fruity. On the nose and palate, lots of pineapple/citrus, with orchard fruits (peach and pear), and nice sweet kiwi toward the finish, all with some fresh sweet green notes, citrusy/steely acidity, and a touch of stone. Medium bodied, with rich texture and great acid tone. Fresh and zippy but delightfully rich. I like it very much. Perfect for tapas or Greek salad. Drink now. 2.5 Stars [7/2/17]
Baracchi, O’Lillo, Toscana 2014
25% each Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah. Dark ruby/purple. On the nose, warm, rich blackberry jam and cassis, with cherry and subtle nots of Tuscan earth and orange rind, with a nice note of tobacco leaf; lots of plum and almond emerge with air. Identical notes on the palate, but dominated by the plum and almond. On the full side of medium bodied, jammy but slightly juicy in texture. A bit short and simple at this stage, might benefit from more time. Nice wine for casual drinking, with grilled fare. Drink in the next 3 - 5 years. 2 Stars [7/2/17]
Merryvale, Antigua, Napa Valley NV
Muscat de Frontignan (aka Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains), fortified to 18% with brandy and barrel aged for an average of 11 years. Orangish amber. Very good nose, nice richness and depth, with abundant brandy/spirit notes. On the palate, lots of candied orange with an overtone hint of raspberry, raisins/dates macerated in brandy, occasional hints of mature fruitcake notes, and hints of cashew brittle. Medium-full bodied, medium sweet but drinks almost dry due to the generous orangey acidity, and very fresh. Very much like a cross between Madeira and a fortified Muscat (for example Muscat de Beaumes de Venise). Freshens and improves considerably as it breathes. Delicious stuff. Can probably age somewhat indefinitely, and will continue to develop additional mature depth; however, might be best to drink within 10 years of release. 3.5 Stars [7/2/17]
Laporte, Le Rochoy, Sancerre 2012
Pure, clean, light straw color. Wonderful nose, citrus, gooseberry, stone fruits, and tropical fruits, all with fresh cut grass and floral and a touch of nectar, and nice stoney depth; great depth and richness, but also very fresh. On the palate, lots of pink grapefruit and gooseberry, apricot and plum, and tropical fruits (pineapple, kiwi, passion fruit, guava), with grass, and honeyed notes before and on a nice, medium-length finish of slightly spicy mineral with stone notes. Full bodied, rich and slightly creamy/fat in texture, but at the same time quite zesty, and with great depth; there’s a darker tone to some of the fruit that contributes to the remarkable complexity. Wonderfully satisfying; a Sancerre for Pouilly Fume lovers. Shows best only just slightly chilled. Best now or in the next few years. 3.5 Stars [7/7/17]