Had these three whites over the weekend:
1. SantoTomas Blanca Mexico (100% Mission; 12.8%; www.Santo-Tomas.com) Bodega Santo Tomas/SanSimon Tolnahuac/Mexico 2014: Med.light gold color; lightly fragrant pear/peach/fresh bread light spicy/graham cracker light earthy pleasant fresh nose; bit soft light peach/pear/bready bit off-dry slight earthy slight metallic/tangy clean rather quiet/low-key flavor; med.light ginger/spicy/peach/bready light earthy soft bit off-dry (0.8%?) finish; clean well-made w/ no signs of oxidation; a fairly quiet/bit dull white. $21.50 (KK)
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2. NikWeis St.Urbans-Hof Riesling (Estate/OldVines; 10% A.P.Nr. 3 529 290 31 16; Q; www.Urbans-Hof.com) Leiwen/Mosel 2015: Light gold color; attractive/pleasant R/pineapple/floral/ripe light slatey/flinty slight Mosel valve oil fairly classic Mosel R nose; lightly tart/tangy slatey/flinty/metallic/steely rather R/floral/pineapple off-dry (1.0%?) pleasant flavor; very long R/pineapple/floral fairly tart/metallic/flinty/slatey finish; a fairly classic Mosel R but a bit unthrilling for a NikWeis; don't see a lot of aging potential here. $18.50 (KK)
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3. Ojai Chard ClosPepeVnyd/StaRitaHilla (14.0%) 2004: Med.dark gold color; strong toasty/Fr.oak slight nutty/oxidized bit caramel/butterscotch some melony/Chard/celery seed rather perfumed fairly complex nose; quite tart/tangy rather melony/Chard/celery seed somewhat nutty/caramalized/toasty/Fr.oak rather complex flavor; very long rather tart/squeaky some nutty/oxidized toasty/Fr.oak/caramel light melony/Chard/celery seed rather oldChard/complex/nutty w/ light oxidative/nutty/bitter aftertaste far in the backtaste; quite an interesting old Calif Chard but headed downhill.
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. SantoTomas: I've tried these wines off&on over the yrs and my reaction has been from "underwhelmed" to "active dislike". This is the best SantoTomas I've tried and the best Baja white I've ever had. Mission makes a pretty dull wine on its own, but they managed to make a silk...er...vinyl purse out of a sow's ear here.
Tom