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Overall impressions: this was a very nice flight of wines, with most of the wines very comparable in quality. Among my favorites, the Torbreck Factor was excellent, and the nose on the Chappellet Pritchard Hill was just stunning! That being said, the Staglin Chardonnay and the Relic Alder Springs Syrah were no slouches either. From a bargain standpoint, the Termes Toro was a heck of a buy at $24. Finally, although I rated the Behrens & Hitchcock last in this flight, I felt it was a poor bottle, and hopefully not representative of the bottling or style. |
1996
Duval Leroy "Femme de Champagne." $54.99. Light
lemon color. Nice yeasty nose, with
a touch of toasted wheat, and a touch of soft cheese. Dry, soft
mousse and a bit yeasty on the palate, with a nice toasted grain
flavor and long luxurious crisp finish. 2002
Staglin Chardonnay - Napa Valley. $59.99.
Medium lemon color. Nose of smoke, light caramel, and a touch of
citron, with just a hint of licorice in the background. Thick and
chewy on the palate, with a nice sweet smoky lemon lime flavor,
obvious - but well-integrated oak, and a very long and tasty finish. 2001
Patz & Hall Chardonnay - Hyde Vnyd, Carneros. $99.99.
Medium-light lemon color. Smoky nose, with a nice light floral component,
and a touch of citron. Slightly crisp lemon, lime, and citron on
the palate, no perceived sweetness and a bit oaky. Very good balance,
with a long gripping finish. 2003
Relic Syrah - Alder Springs, Mendocino. $49.99.
Very dark ruby-purple color. Quite meaty in the nose, with some
reticent blackberry and herbs. Huge mouthfeel, though slightly pinched
on the palate, it does seem to loosen its grip with some time in
the glass. Good
balance, with a very long dense gripping finish. The
fruit here is quite ripe, and the alcohol tips the scales at 15.9%.
In other words, it's a bruiser! 2002
Termes Numan Toro. $23.99. Very dark
ruby color. Hints of floral tones, as well as sage, rosemary and
mint accent the big dark fruit in the nose. Very meaty and chewy
on th epalate, excellent balance, nice fine-grain tannins, and top-sirloin
finish. 100% Tinta de Toro. 2002
Torbreck "The Factor" Shiraz - Australia. $99.99.
Very dark ruby-garnet color. Nose of spiced cassis, blackberry and
tar, with hints of pepper and mocha. Toasty and tasty, though a
bit tight on the palate, fine dusty tannins, and very, very long
finish. 2002
Behrens & Hitchcock Merlot - Carneros. $75.00.
Very dark ruby color. Huge extra ripe nose of cassis and raspberry.
A wiff of balsamic also had me wondering about volitile acidity
(VA). Off sweet fruit, with a bit of tartness and some prickle on
the palate seemed to confirm the suspicion of VA. Long finish, but
I'd be lying if I didn't tell you I was quick to spit it out. |
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2001 Chappellet "Pritchard Hill" Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley. $110.00. Dark ruby garnet color. Absolutely beautiful nose of cassis, mocha, light toast, and vanilla. Tons of fruit on the palate, with just a touch of sage or rosemary, excellent balance, seamless fine grained long finish. Aroma score: A- Taste score: A- Overall score: A- 1999
Beringer "Rancho del Oso" Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa
Valley. $125.00. Dark ruby-garnet color.
Mostly cassis nose, with a high degree of herbal qualities, along
with bell pepper and celery seed - but, the more herbal scents of
the nose do seem to blow-off with time. Excellent balance on the
palate, however, the same herbal qualitites permeate the mouthfeel
and flavor profile, and the wine gets a little steely and sharp
on the back end. 2001
Les Cypres de Climens - Sauternes. $25.99.
500ml. Very light lemon color. Nose of lightly sweet apricot
and pear. Plenty of fruit-driven flavors, but the wine seems a bit
thin or underfilled, and the finish drops off a bit at teh very
end. It's a nice wine - especially given the price. If it gainssome
weight with some bottle age, it could be very nice. 2000
Taylor Fladgate Port - Portugal. $74.99.
Very dark ruby color. masses of cherries jubilee in the nose. Beautiful
dark cherry fruit on the palate, thick and chewy mouthfeel, with
a touch of chocolate toward the end. Bit of heat on the very long
finish. |
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No original material may be reproduced without written consent Mail & Comments - Eric Anderson |