Yearly Archives: 2008
South Africa
I am off for a week-long wine tour of South Africa! I’ll be keeping a journal while I am there and will post when I get back. In non-South Africa news, the 2006 Saint Cosme CDR is drinking great right now. That’s now a 4-year run of excellence for my favorite under $15 red.
The Yard: Top Aussie Shiraz in Years
I was floored tasting The Yard, from Western Australia. Coming in at a modest (for Australia) 13.5% alcohol, The Yard, while still having quintessential Aussie Shiraz character, also had astonishing acidity and some real complexity. Yes there was fruit and it was rich, but it was just one component in a BALANCED wine. It seemed [More]
Smokin’ Wine
I always thought that the smoky quality of South African wines came from the addition of Pinotage in the blends but, after having the 2oo1 Rust en Vrede blend, I think this may just be a property of South African wine. This was a massively concentrated wine with a ton of smokiness that will probably [More]
Baumard Redux
I have been (not-so-patiently) waiting for the 2004 Baumard Clos du Papillon Savennières, and it finally arrived. What a stunner. Searing acidity offset by a wonderful, rich mid-palate that is somehow extracted from the grape without oak. This will age gracefully for years. I also like Baumard’s commitment to screwcaps. If you happen to get [More]
2004 Rust en Vrede Cabernet Sauvignon
I was definitely looking forward to trying this wine, being a big fan of South African wine. At first, this had so much green pepper and mint that I was reminded of Chilean Cabs that I hate. I brought it home and, 6 hours later, I am ready to recant. It has wonderful rich fruit, [More]
Old California Cabernet
I had a 1990 BV Georges de Latour Cabernet Sauvignon and it was fantastic. Mature, smooth, and lots of eucalyptus. What was even more impressive was the alcohol level: 13%. You just cannot find a top California cab in the last decade without alcohol levels approaching 15%. I looked at a bottle of 2003 BV [More]
Baumard Savennières
Before that amazing 1994 Fontalloro I had my last 2002 Baumard Savennières. It was a great way to start the evening. The previous bottle was very tasty and fresh, but not so complex. This bottle, however, had wonderful richness that bordered on sweetness, but with loads of acidity to finish fresh. Amazing that this is [More]
Best Red…Ever?!?
Felsina is my favorite Chianti producer and their top wine, the Fontalloro, has been one of my favorites. It’s 100% Sangiovese. The 1999 is one of the best reds I have had, period. So I almost passed out when I was at a local wine shop and saw the 1994 vintage. It was amazing. It [More]
