2008 Cantina Valtidone Ortrugo (Colli Piacentini)

Source: Viscount

Consumption Date: 8/17/2013

Notes: Mild nutty, grassy aroma with hints of white grape and apple.  Mild flavors of tart lemon/green apple with an enveloping nuttiness and a hint of minerality.  Moderate finish of musky fruit with a hint of bitterness and a tangy mineral note.

A simple Italian white with decent character for the appellation/price, but not much depth or complexity.  Still it should be a decent accompaniment to pasta in cream sauce.  Met, but did not exceed expectations.  Might have been better (brisker and fresher flavors), if drunk younger.

Value: Good

2000 Guy Larmandier 'Cramant Blanc de Blancs' Brut (Champagne)

Importer: Rosenthal

Source: Rosenthal

Consumption Date: 7/1/2013

Notes: Mild aroma of flowers, yeasty bread, and wet chalk.  Light bodied, but with a rich, creamy mouthfeel and tart acidity highlighting flavors of lemon and a hint of green apple, a mild yeast bread note, and a hint of flowers and chalky minerality.  Moderate finish that combines the flavor notes into a suggestion of lemon meringue pie with a slight chalk/mineral edge.

This has been an interesting variation on vintage Champagne for me.  While the wine is definitely elegant and surprisingly rich, if not as complex as I might have expected, it does not have the depth or fullness of flavor that I would have expected.  It is rather more ethereal than powerful.  Nevertheless, it is enjoyable and I expect it to pair well with the lobster I will be having for dinner.

Value: Average

2003 Hartford Zinfandel 'High Wire Vineyard' (Russian River Valley)

Source: Sherry-Lehmann

Consumption Date: 6/13/2013

Notes: Intense aroma of leafy undergrowth with some jammy dark berries and distinct penetrating alcohol and tar notes.  Full-flavored with loads of dry leaves and wood, jammy raisin and dark berry fruit, and a hint of tar.  Finishes long with more dry wood, leaves, and cedar spice.  Lots of chewy, almost (but not quite) bitter tannin.

This is pretty much what I expect from a high quality California Zinfandel.  While a little more fruit (which might have been present if drunk younger) would have been ideal, this has plenty of Zin character and intensity.  Not super complex, but decent for the price point.  Definitely a step up from the Mayo Zin I had recently.

Value: Good

2008 Livio Felluga Pinot Grigio (Collio)

Source: Zachys

Consumption Date: 6/9/2013

Notes: Mild aroma of fruit (lemon and pears), flowers, and a hint of forest.  Surprisingly full-bodied with rich, round, ripe fruit (more lemon, pear, and apple) with a tantalizing hint of forest and an understated mineral acidity.  Finishes fairly long with more fruit, mineral acidity, and a suggestion of nuttiness (without bitterness).

This is a good example of what a pleasant, everyday white wine should offer.  It is rich and surprisingly full bodied with enough complexity to be interesting, yet at an attractive price point.  The suggestion of forest reminds me somewhat of Sylvaner.  As a result, this wine suggests France (and Alsace) to me, perhaps more so than Italy.  It will be interesting to try a few more Italian Pinot Grigios to see if this wine is typical or exceptional (although the Wine Spectator Top 100 selection suggests more of the latter).

Value: Very good

2003 Mayo Family Winery Old Vines Zinfandel 'Ricci Vineyard' (Russian River Valley)

Source: Sterling

Consumption Date: 5/21/2013

Notes: Mild to moderate aroma of dry leaves and earth with a hint of dark berries.  Moderate body with attenuated flavors of dry wood and leaves and bitter herbs opening a bit to dry, aromatic spices and hints of cocoa and black raspberry fruit.  Finishes relatively long with more spice, dry leaves, cocoa, and a distinct bitter note.  Moderate plus tannins.

This is somewhat disappointing for old vine Zinfandel.  The overall impression is of dryness, with very little fruit, almost none of the brambly/leafy character I associate with Zin, and a bit too much bitter herb/spice character.  The end result is a wine that is not well balanced.  It also seems to be less complex than perhaps it really is.  I am left to wonder if this wine is suffering from too much age or if it was not destined for greatness from the beginning.

Value: Somewhat below average

2002 Ramey Chardonnay 'Hyde Vineyard' (Carneros)

Source: Viscount

Consumption Date: 5/18/2013

Notes: Musky animal/meaty aroma with hints of damp wood, chalk, and vanilla.  Light bodied and delicate, but with a fullness of flavor that hints at fruit (peaches/lemons), but is dominated by a toasty vanilla, a chalky minerality, and succulent acidity.  Finishes long with more vanilla, minerality, and lemon fruit acidity.

This is one of my first fine quality California Chardonnays and it has proven to be a worthy wine.  While it doesn’t have the finesse or depth of the Puligny-Montrachet I recently had, it is clearly of fine quality.  It is much more delicate, lively, and mineral than I would have expected, but also less fruity and heavier on toasty oak/vanilla than I would have thought (and more so than the wine probably needs).  Interesting and enjoyable enough to make me interested to explore more high quality California Chardonnay.

Value: Good

2002 Edmond Cornu Aloxe-Corton 1er Cru 'Les Moutottes'

Importer: Rosenthal

Source: Suburban

Consumption Date: 5/8/2013

Notes: Moderate aroma of deep black cherry fruit with hints of forest and wet metal/stone.  Loads of black cherry fruit with a pleasant earthy note and an edge of dry wood.  Plenty of tangy acidity and rich minerality.  Finishes long with more fruit, dry leaves, and a hint of candy sweetness.  Mild tannins.

This is another interesting example of Burgundian Pinot Noir.  While it shares a certain style with the other Cornu wines I have drunk recently (primarily a freshness and fruit-forward character), it is a bit more refined and complex, befitting its premier cru status.  While enjoyable to drink, it does lack the funk and some of the earthy/barnyard complexity that really makes Burgundy appeal to me, perhaps a consequence of its somewhat humble appellation.  The acidity and minerality give this wine a freshness and vivacity that is sometimes lacking in more “serious” red Burgundies.

Value: Average