Loads? Scads? Tumblers? Lots of it so let's get to it:
Librandi, Val di Neto IGT, 'Le Passule', vino passito, 2003
Southern Italian hot year passito, and shows it: some sweet orange rose-fig jam on the nose and marmalade made from rotting oranges with brown sugar topping in the mouth. Cloying and unrefreshing. Will not buy again (and too bad, because I like their reds).C/C+
The Old Field, Cabernet Franc,North Fork of Long Island, 2002
Rather simple. Tastes like there's some merlot in this plummy mixture. Beginning to fade...B-
Guigal, Cote Rotie, 1999
I used to like this negociant's wines, circa 1985-1990...w-w-wha-happened?? Taking a cue from California, there's a rather monolithic palate of dark fruits (plums, bing cherry pomice), cinnamon, a gravelly-metallic finish. Too young, revisit in 4-5 years. Nothing here speaks distinctively of The Roasted Slope.
Pepiere, Muscadet, Clos Briords, 2002
Pretty flawless. A wine that 'glistens'. I wish the alcohol on these was down more in the 10-11% range, because even though the wine is beautiful, the wine is so transparent that even 12% shows through. A-
Bruno Clair, Marsanny - rose, 2005
Strawberry fields that lead to a earthy patch, planted with herbs. With air, comes steamed rice in bamboo. Pretty in pink. A-/B+
La Chablisienne, Chablis 'Grenouille', 2000
Hazlenut and saltine cracker and obvious oak on the nose. Hazlenuts, lemon oil, slight buttery toast. This has a saline quality to it that reminds me more of a Mersault or Puligny than Chablis, and while the oak is prominent at first, with an hour or so of air it becomes better integrated. B+
Donnhoff, Nahe, Riesling, 2005
Basic juice from The Master. Spring blossom nose, calcium wash and delicate fruit (lin-oo, especially), attractive Aquafina minerals. Light and soft, I don't see aging these. B+ Good buy for around $15, btw.
Chateau d'Or et de Gueles, Costieres de Nimes, 'La Bolida', 2004
Either 100% or mostly mourvedre, I believe. Sweaty saddle, lye soap, anise-accented blackish fruits on the nose. Dark cherry, fresh bloody meat, iron, finishing with charred firewood. Finishes a little shorter and lighter than I would have guessed. And while this won't replace Tempier for me, it's not a bad replacement for it, even it it's a little in-your-face. A-/B+
Domaine Laurens, Marcillac, 2005
Purplish red. Peppery rosehip aroma, almost malbec-lite. Plump plummy fruit with a little bit of fruit tossed in toward the end. A picnic basket red. B
Texier, Chateauneuf-du-Pape blanc, vielles vignes, 2001
Light medium gold colored. Spicy flowers and honeyed nuances on the aroma. On the palate, white peach, honey on warm rocks, a heavy texture with a warm finish, but kept alive and fresh by a good acid balance. On the finish, baled straw-hay and orange blossom honey. Delicious. My previous beefs with this man's wines have melted away, and after Beaucastel, this has been my second best white CDP. Kudos! A
Domaine Bertheau, Chambolle-Musigny 'les Charmes', 2000
What would you expect from a 'charming' vineyard? Violets, slight menthol, pure strawberry essence and a little bit of redcurrant mixed in. This is such a light and delicate expression of pinot noir as to be etheral. Lovely. A/A- for me, but not for the concentrated juice club.
Chateau D'Oupia, Minervois, 2003
Thick black cherry red colored. Plummy kirsch, camphor, minor note of euculyptus, and low acid garrigue in a medium-bodied package. Good value for 10$. B+
Levet, Cote Rotie 'La Chavaroche', 1998
Medium dark maroon color with hint of chestnut toward the edge. Whereas I couldn't tell Where the Guigal came from, this immediate transports me to the Rhone Valley: smoked plums and horse saddle/sweat on the nose,stewed plums, old leather, prune in the palate with high acid performing its cleansing magic. Quite old school, the austere fruit being caught in an old baseball mitt. But my style. B+