Tag Archives: 2006

Oddball Wine of the Week: Niellucciu

When I saw “Niellucciu” named as the grape on the back label — which looks to me more like a Scrabble rack than any grape variety I’d ever hear of — I bought first and asked questions later. Back home, Oz Clarke’s Grapes and Wines — a must-own book in my opinion — revealed to me that Niellucciu is a Corsican grape that’s identical to Sangiovese. Well, okay, so not a new grape to me. But French Sangiovese and the unusual synonym qualifies it for Oddball Wine of the Week. Let’s check it out.

Clos Teddi 2006 Patrimonio

Producer: Clos Teddi

Grapes: 100% Niellucciu (Sangiovese) – hear it pronounced here

Appellation: Patrimonio (AOC, France) – the first AOC in Corsica

Vineyards: 25-35 year old vines in “granitique” sand in the Agriates desert. Farmed organically.

Vintage: 2006

Winemaking: 12 months in tank before bottling

Alcohol: 13%

Price: I paid $21.37 at Spec’s in Austin

Tasting notes: Starts with a stout Old World funk. Meaty. Savory. Sweaty. But with a very nice sweet strawberry note at the core. On the palate, it’s medium-bodied with more red fruit flavors and a tannic, plum skin note. Dry finish.

Overall impression: I enjoyed this quite a bit. That strawberry note on the nose really made this one for me. If you see it, give it a try. B

Free association:

Wegeler PURE Riesling 2006

I’ve never really gotten in the habit of drinking much German wine. Partly because I’ve always drunk more red than white. And partly because of all the uncertainty around sweetness, especially in my early wine-drinking days when I turned my nose up at any hint of sweetness, thinking that made me more sophisticated. More than most categories, I feel like I need a guide when it comes to German wine, so I took a chance at this bottle, which came highly recommended from Garagiste.

Producer: Wegeler

Grapes: 100% Riesling

Appellation: Rheingau (Germany)

Vineyards: Loess/loam and clay soils

Vintage: 2006, so it’s got a bit of bottle age on it.

Winemaking: no info

Alcohol: 11.0%

Price: I paid $11.99 via Garagiste, but this normally retails for around $20.

Tasting notes: Pale, brassy color. Pretty citrus and stone fruit aromas lead the way, accented with talc and gravel notes. There’s a little pineapple juice, too, and I keep thinking it’s reminding me of Juicy Fruit gum. Round fruit flavors with a touch of sweetness (medium-dry) on the palate, but with bright acidity that makes this very fresh, and dare I say, PURE. A little crushed rock shows as well for added interest. This wine was drinking well for several days after opening.

Overall impression: This is the Germans doing what they do. And I appreciate it. I bet you would to. B

Free association:

More info:

Imported by Rudi Wiest Selections.

10,000 cases produced.

Hess Allomi Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Hess has produced a number of bottles that have been noted as great values by the big wine publications in the past few years. When I saw this single-vineyard Napa Cab on sale at my local supermarket, I thought I’d give it a try.

Note to wineries: putting the vineyard name(s) on the bottle always makes me more interested in your wine, whether I’ve ever heard of the vineyard(s) or not.

Producer: Hess

Grapes: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon

Appellation: Napa Valley AVA

Vineyard: Allomi Vineyard, a 210-acre estate vineyard at the eastern base of Howell Mountain (though outside of the Howell Mountain AVA)

Vintage: 2006

Winemaking: 18 months in American oak (30% new barrels)

Alcohol: 14.2%

Price: I bought it at about $20 at the supermarket, discounted from around $25-30.

Tasting notes: Currants and spice dominate on the nose, with hints of woodshop and creme brulee. On the palate, it s smooth-textured and weighty with rich, plummy fruit. A slightly minty-cool tingle at the back. A nice bit of tannic structure shows at the end, though this is certainly not a tannic monster Cab.

Overall impression: While it may not blow your mind, I doubt this one will disappoint you if you’re looking for a quality bottle of tasty California Cabernet. B

Free association:

More info:

If you like 90-pt validation, Connoisseurs’ Guide gave it 90 points.

Mourvèdre Monday #18: Lorca 2006

I already had a bottle of the 2008 Lorca waiting for it’s turn on Mourvèdre Monday when I saw this 2006 stacked up at Costco. I had high hopes this could be another nice Costco find. I originally intended to do a mini-vertical and open both of these at the same time for this post, but I already had 2 or 3 other half-empty bottles of wine open and felt guilty about opening two. So I’ll pop the 2008 another time. Let’s check out the 2006.

Producer: Bodegas del Rosaroio

Grapes: 70% Monastrell and 30% Syrah

Appellation: Bullas (D.O., Spain)

Vineyards: no detail on the website

Vintage: 2006

Winemaking: I don’t think this (the ‘Tinto’) sees any oak (they have ‘Barrica’ and ‘Crianza’ bottlings that get the oak)

Alcohol: 14%

Price: About $10 at Costco

My tasting notes: Not much fruit on the nose. Instead I get chalk dust and mineral aromas and a vegetal, whats-that-funky-smell-coming-from-behind-the-couch quality. Not promising. On the palate, it’s light-bodied and thin with the suggestion of dusty red fruit and a tight, dry, short finish. “Intense odor, complex sensations” is a tagline they use on the website. I think I agree, though not in the way they probably intended.

Overall impression: Not very fun to drink. I’m not too excited about opening the 2008 now. C-

Free association: Writing about this wine makes me feel pissy like Kristen Wiig’s Aunt Linda character from SNL…

Click here for video

More info:

Wine Spectator: 86 points

Other blogger reviews at Dallas Wine Blog and Wine Belly.

Fun fact from the Bodegas del Rosario website: “in Bullas (Murcia), in the mid 19th century, [Monastrell/Mourvèdre] was also known as Casca del País.”

Mourvèdre Monday #13: The Pict

Mourvèdre Monday is back after a few weeks off around the birth of my baby girl, Lucy. I’m easing back into regular blogging. Let’s get things restarted with a bang…

This is one of the priciest varietal Mourvèdres on the planet. So I’m glad to be able to include it in the Mourvèdre Monday series. (Thanks to the winery for providing a sample for review!) Let’s see what the top of the market brings to the table.

Producer: Torbreck

Grapes: 100% Mataro (that name for the grape hangs on at some Aussie and California producers)

Appellation: Barossa Valley

Vineyards: Materne ‘Quarry Block’ Vineyard planted 1927 in the Northern Greenock region of the Barossa. Head-pruned bush vines. Sandy quartz soil.

Vintage: 2006

Winemaking: Two years in new French oak. Unfiltered, unfined.

Alcohol: 14.81% on website (14.0% on label)

Price: $180 (!) according to the website, but it’s available closer to $130 at various retailers online.

My tasting notes: I don’t use the word “redolent” very often (regular readers may remember the only other use on this blog here – an $8 wine!), but it’s appropriate here. The fruit aromas are cherry and blackcurrant, but wrapped in layer upon layer of spicebox, leather shop, coffee and an Italian salumi shop. Fascinating to sniff. Once I stop trying to identify all that’s going on with the nose and taste the wine, I’m struck by the terrific balance of this wine. It’s not huge on the palate, but there’s tons going on here: currants, wet earth, black olives, oaky spice, chocolate. And it’s so harmonious; nothing overdone or out of place. Ripe tannins, good acidity and a very lengthy finish (and not hot, despite the near 15% abv). A lot of sediment in the last glass.

Overall impression: The most well-balanced and complex Mourvèdre wine I’ve encountered. Loved it. A*

*the first full A I’ve awarded on the blog so far. The Pict FTW!

Free association:

More info:

This wine was well-scored by some of the big critics: 93 pts Steven Tanzer and 92 pts Parker.

Mourvèdre Monday #12: Trio Vintners 2006 Yakima Valley

Trio Vintners, a collaboration between winemakers Tim Boushey, Denise Slattery and Steve Michener, is one of the “incubator wineries” set up at the Walla Walla Regional Airport. They are a small lot producer and one look at their lineup lets you know they’re doing some interesting things: Zinfandel, Sangiovese, Syrah, Carménère and this Mourvèdre. Nary a Cab or Merlot in sight.

Producer: Trio Vintners

Grapes: 96% Mourvèdre, 4% Syrah according to the label. But on the info sheet they sent along with the bottle, there was this story…

Another thing that attracted us to this vineyard was that, as we walked through the vines, we noticed that every so often there was a vine with white wine grapes on it. Grower Art den Hoed told us he was surprised to learn that he ad been sold about 1% Gewürztraminer plants when he bought the Mourvèdre! He offered to pick around them at harvest but we insisted on preserving this accidental ‘field blend’ as part of the wine. So even though we don’t say it on the label, they’re in there, adding a flavor component that is unique.

I love them for that.

Appellation: Yakima Valley (AVA, Washington)

Vineyards: The Mourvèdre (and Gewurztraminer) came from the den Hoed Vineyard at 1300 feet above Yakima Valley. The Syrah came from the Rizutti Vineyard, which is in the Walla Walla Valley AVA.

Vintage: 2006

Winemaking: As they put it, they “aged the hell out of this wine.” 20 month in oak, a mix of new Hungarian, 2nd & 3rd year American and neutral French barrels.

Alcohol: 14.5%

Price: $26 from the winery

My tasting notes: A very pretty nose. Soft berry fruit lifted by sweet spice/tobacco shop aromas and some floral accents (from the Gewürztraminer, perhaps?). I pick up a little smoke as well. I kept sniffing this one for a good 5 minutes before I took the first sip. On the palate, it pops with high-toned mixed berry fruit with a savory, peppery edge that I really like. An undercurrent of wet-rock minerality peeks through every now and then. The oak makes it’s presence known as well. Finishes long, but the alcohol shows in a cool-mint kind of way.

Overall assessment: The nose is seductive and the wine delivers a lot of what I enjoy in Mourvèdre: the savory, earthy accents to the Zin-like berry fruit. I really enjoyed this, my first Washington Mourvèdre. B

Free association: They had me at Gewürz…

More info:

This bottle was a press sample provided by the winery.

Only 153 cases produced.

Thea over at Luscious Lushes reviewed this wine and liked it, too. Josh at DrinkNectar reviewed Trio’s 2007 Tempranillo and 2007 Carménère.

On the Mourvèdre front, Trio also uses the grape in a very interesting blend that they call Riot. It’s Sangiovese, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Cool.

You wine bloggers headed to Walla Walla for WBC2010 should definitely check this guys out.

Valley of the Moon Cuvée de la Luna 2006

Producer: Valley of the Moon Winery

Grapes: This is their Bordeaux-style blend, which they call Cuvée de la Luna. 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 4% Malbec, 2% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot

Appellation: Sonoma County AVA

Vineyards: Various lots were sourced from Sonoma Valley, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma Mountain and other area in the county.

Vintage: 2006

Winemaking: Stainless steel fermentation, then 24 months is a combination of French, American and Hungarian oak.

Alcohol: 14.5%

Price: About $30 at winery’s website, but easy to find at $20 elsewhere online. (I got it as a gift from a friend.)

My tasting notes: For the first hour or two this wine seemed to actively resist observation, like a Stealth bomber or something. Eventually it opened up and started making an impression. Dusty/ashy dried cherry and fig on the nose. Nice smooth texture in the mouth with more fig and currant flavors with a bit of mocha and a modest minerality. The tannins are dry and a bit stemmy.

Overall impression: First impression was that this was a dud, but once it opened up I liked the not-so-exuberant flavor profile. I’d definitely drink it again; I’d just decant it first next time. B-

Free association:

More info:

3492 cases produced.

Shiraz Tastes Good: Penfold’s Thomas Hyland Shiraz 2006

Aussie Shiraz is approaching Merlot-backlash territory in terms of becoming a wine style that some people wouldn’t be caught dead drinking (à la Sideways). Maybe that’s just in wine geek circles (not sure I have the most objective perspective on these things), but that’s where it starts, right?

But there’s usually a reason a wine style becomes popular: it tastes good. And that’s what we have here, folks. A Shiraz that tastes good. If you like wine that tastes good, give it a try.

Producer: Penfold’s, the Thomas Hyland series

Grapes: Shiraz (presumably 100%, though Penfold’s website doesn’t have current tech sheet)

Appellation: Adelaide (Australia)

Vineyards: It appears to be a blend from across the region, though no detail is provided on the bottle or website.

Vintage: 2006

Winemaking: They state on the website that there is some new oak used for this wine, but the latest tech sheet they provide is for the 2003 vintage, which states used French and American barrels were used. So who knows.

Alcohol: I failed to note it before recycling the bottle. And, again, the website let me down.

Price: About $12

My tasting notes: Nice, intense nose full of dark berry juice, white pepper and other spices, along with some stemmy/dusty notes. On the palate, the wine delivers dense dark fruit (spiced plum comes to mind) and soft, polished tannins. It may be a bit jammy, but there is some snap to it. It has decent length with an almost cinnamon gum finish.

Overall impression: I would happily drink this again. It may not be a cerebral wine, but it’s very tasty and a nice example of its type, in my opinion. B

Free association: You know what else just tastes good? Hot dogs.

Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/thebusybrain/ / CC BY 2.0

More info:

If you like 90-point validation, this wine got a 91 point review from The Wine News.

Other reviews at CellarTracker (avg: 88)


Mourvèdre Monday #7: Gros’Noré 2006 Bandol

Through six weeks of the Mourvèdre Monday series, one would be pardoned for wondering why I didn’t name it Monastrell Monday, as four of the first six wines were from Spain, where Monastrell is the name for this grape. Finally, in week 7, we make it to Bandol. This is the most important region for Mourvèdre in France. Really, it’s the only AOC where it plays a dominant role. So let’s see what Bandol brings to the table.

Producer: Domaine du Gros’Noré

Grapes: 80% Mourvèdre, 15% Grenache, 5% Cinsault

Appellation: Bandol (AOC, France)

Vineyards: Hillside vineyards with clay soil and 20 year-old vines.

Vintage: 2006

Winemaking: This wine spent 18 months in big ol’ 60 hl foudres. A foudre is a large oak cask. Sixty hectoliters is about 25 times bigger than a typical 225 liter Bordeaux-style barrique, which the common size for many wineries, New World and Old, that are trying to impart significant oak character.

Alcohol: 15%

Price: $34.40 at Spec’s in Austin

My tasting notes: Kirsch and Chambord on the nose with scrubby, herbal notes and a touch of meatiness. Intensity and structure on the palate. Red fruit and spice. Firm, dry tannins. Good earthy, mineral finish with solid acidity. There is a bit of grittiness to the texture (it’s unfiltered). The 15% alcohol definitely shows at the end, but it sort of reinforces the overall manly-man character of this wine.

Overall impression: This is not elegant stuff. This is Fight Club. This is Braveheart. This is the wine I’d want to drink before storming the castle. (I really hope that’s not a euphemism for some sexual act.) It’s a big, badass Bandol. B/B+

Free association:

More info:

Imported by Kermit Lynch.

A great post at Under the Grape Tree pairing this wine with a bluesman I wasn’t familiar with: Otis Taylor.

I almost went with this for free association:

Two Angels Petite Sirah 2006


Producer
: Two Angels

Grapes: 100% Petite Sirah

Appellation: High Valley. This is an AVA within the Lake County AVA in California.

Vineyard: The grapes are sourced from Shannon Ridge Vineyards at nearly 2200 feet, which they claim are the highest in California. (It’s not called High Valley for nothing.)  Soils are volcanic and gravelly. A nice bit of vineyard chest-beating here from the Shannon Ridge website.

Vintage: 2006

Winemaking: 10 months in 30% new French oak barrels and the rest in 1-3 year French and American.

Alcohol: 14.3%

Price: $15.99 at Costco in Austin (though it’s $24.99 from the winery)

My tasting notes: The wine is an inky black-violet in the glass, as expected from Petite Sirah. On the nose, I get mixed berries, with blueberry standing out. Also a bit of tar. In the mouth it’s more blueberry joined by blackberry and some spice/black pepper notes, but also a slight savory character, like roast beef with herbs. This is definitely a background note though, the berry fruit predominates. It’s a bit hollow to me in the mid-palate, though. And the tannin profile starts off softer than I expect in PS, then later in my notes I wrote “green woody tannins”.

Overall impression: It didn’t deliver quite the oomph I expected from Petite Sirah, but it’s not a bad bottle. Probably not something I’d recommend at the price, though. B-

Free association: The Two Angels name put me in mind of Charlie’s Angels. This wine is like Kate Jackson – clearly not the top choice, but you could do a lot worse. (Jaclyn Smith was always my favorite. Which was yours?)

Kate Jackson is on the left for you Millennials.

More info:

90 points from Wine Enthusiast

Here’s a photo from the Shannon Ridge Vineyards website of the Petite Sirah block (prior to planting). Notice the slope.