WTN - A Few Recent Notes

• 2001 Domaine Santa Duc Gigondas - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Gigondas
  Deep ruby/purple in colour, with a nose full of redfruits (lots of cherry) and garrigue. Full bodied on a smooth palate (the tannins weren't as strong as I would have expected) full of concentrated redfruits, garrigue, licorice, leather and tar. Very nice gigondas. (A-)
• 2003 Philippe Delesvaux Coteaux du Layon Clos de la Guiberderie - France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Coteaux du Layon
  Saw this on sale, so I thought I'd buy and try before buying mulitples. The end result is I'm not going back. I was surprised as to how thick in texture this wine is, but that's not the problem. Right now, this is far too flabby for my liking, and I don't see that improving. It is quite monolithic right now as well, but that may change. Mainly apple and honey right now. (B/B+)
• 2005 Château Roquefort Blanc - France, Bordeaux, Entre-Deux-Mers, Premières Côtes de Bordeaux
  Hazy notes from afew days ago. Nice Bordeux blanc here, with the slightly grassy sauvignon balanced by herbal notes from the semillon. A very pleasant, medium bodied aperatif. (B+)
• 2001 Glaetzer Shiraz The Bishop - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
  hazy notes. Nice Barossa shiraz here, with gamy and peppery notes on the full bodied - but not OTT - palate: there's licorice and plums too. Nice mixture of power and balance. (A-)
• 2001 Agricoltori del Geografico Ferraiolo - Italy, Tuscany
  Hazy notes from last night. Lovely nose that had both sangiovese and cabernet characters; actually, the same could be said of the palate as well, with a lovely 'yin/yang' of sang/cab notes on a smooth texture. Great balance too. Very nice wine drinking well now, but should last a while as well. (A-)