2007 Cimarelli Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico (Marches)

Source: Viscount

Consumption Date: 9/21/2012

Notes: Musky aroma of ripe white grape and wet stones.  Medium-full body with tangy lemon fruit, an intriguing muskiness, wet stone minerality, and a hint of nuttiness (almond/hazelnut).  Mild finish of minerals, muskiness, and a mild, but distinct oxidized note.

This is a fairly simple, straightforward white wine with enough complexity to be interesting and a good candidate for an everyday wine.  The fullness is a bit surprising as is the distinctive muskiness in the aroma and flavor.  I do find the oxidized note to be out of place and a bit offputting.  I am wondering if this tendency toward oxidation is a consequence of using synthetic cork (plastic in this case), as I have noticed this in other wines I have had that were sealed with synthetic cork.  Of course this may be exacerbated by the somewhat less than ideal storage of my wines (too warm during the summer months) and/or my propensity to drink wines later than ideal.  This concern is definitely worth further monitoring.

Value: Average to slightly above average

2001 Dos Victorias 'Gran Elias Mora' (Toro)

Importer: Grapes of Spain (Aurelio Cabestrero Selection)

Source: PJs

Consumption Date: 9/19/2012

Notes: Deep, dense aroma of damp earth, dark fruit, and, perhaps, truffles.  Full bodied with plenty of dark fruit intensity framed by an herbaceous woody quality and a warm earthiness (not quite tar and not quite leather).  Moderate finish of herbaceous wood (hinting at bitterness) and warm earth.  Moderate to strong tannins.

This wine has proven to be an interesting take on the Tempranillo grape in Spain.  It has a fruitiness and intensity both in taste and aroma that distinguish it from the other Tempranillo based wines I have drunk recently as well as from my hazy memory of another Toro wine I drank some years back.  While this is clearly a well-made effort, I am finding the midpalate and finish to be a bit too intense with flavors that are not my favorites, particularly the hint of bitter herbs.  For an intense wine, the finish is surprisingly understated.  I believe this wine is also somewhat past its peak (particularly for a “modern” style, near fruit bomb which I expect this was in its youth).  I think the aged nature of this wine has mellowed the fruit intensity somewhat and probably brought the other flavors to prominence, resulting in a wine that is now slightly out of balance.  This might have been better (or at least more characteristic) drunk a few years younger.

Value: Average to good

2001 Vina Sastre 'Pago de Santa Cruz' (Ribera del Duero)

Importer: De Maison Selections

Source: PJs

Consumption Date: 9/9/2012

Notes: Fairly intense aroma of deep sweet, ripe fruit with notes of warm spices and dried leaves/wood.  Full bodied with loads of bright fruit (blackberry, plum, and, perhaps, black currant) framed with more warm spice and dried leaves/wood with a faint hint of bitter herbs.  Moderate finish of dry wood with some spice and a faint mineral tang.  Moderate tannins.

This wine is certainly a different take on Tempranillo than the Rioja Gran Reserva I drank a few days ago.  It is much more fruit forward (in a brighter/more acidic style) with less overall complexity.  This strikes me as being more in the “modern” style than I really prefer (though not in the “fruit bomb” style of modern Rioja) and the hint of bitterness, while subtle, is not a characteristic I typically enjoy in wine.  I am also wondering if this would have been better served a few degrees cooler (than 71°F) and/or a few years younger.

Value: Slightly below average

1996 Marques de Tomares Rioja Gran Reserva

Importer: Parador Selections

Source: Astor

Consumption Date: 9/5/2012

Notes: High-toned aroma of warm herbs, spices, vanilla, and fruit (black currant) with a woody/leafy note and a distinctive mildly medicinal, alcohol quality.  Medium bodied with intense fruit (dark cherries and mild black currant); a dry, woody, leafy character with an edge of slightly bitter herbs framed by a mild chocolate note.  Finishes long with sweet fruit and leafy, dry wood and chocolate notes.  Moderate tannin.

This wine has proven to be a bit puzzling, although enjoyable, and pleasantly challenging.  While seemingly an intensely fruity, but simple wine, this actually has a compelling complexity to it.  While perhaps not as well balanced or as elegant as I expect from Rioja Gran Reservas, it has enough interesting components, including an unexpected fruitiness for the style, to be intriguing.

Value: Good

2000 Raveneau Chablis Grand Cru 'Blanchot'

Consumption Date: 9/3/2012

Notes: Fine chalky aroma with floral and lemon fruit notes.  Light bodied, but with bright acidity, richness, mild lemon fruit, a light vanilla note, and a succulent sour acidity.  More vanilla, sour lemon acidity, and a fine chalky minerality on the long finish.

A very fine example of Chablis with the expected acidity and minerality, but with a surprising amount of complexity, more so because of the initial impression of a light bodied wine (with the expectation of inconsequentiality).  I am finding the succulent acidity and the minerality to be a delicious combination.  I expect this will pair very well with my belated birthday lobsters.

Value: Good (or slightly better)