2003 brunello val di suga--presumably from VIgna Spuntali at Rome wine bar

Sweet oak nose, ruby color more than purple with a bit of brick age on the rim. blackberry and tar and smoke on nose and palate. after 20 minutes the nose opened and finish more complex, balanced and lengthy. soft tannin and plenty of acid for improvement and lasting, best drinking 2009=2015. 90+ points

with tom, gabriel, clay, inge on walk around center Rome

Parker: 91 points

The estate’s 2003 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna Spuntali is big, fat and juicy in its dark red fruit. The wine possesses lovely richness and depth. Naturally, because of the heat in 2003, the delineation and clarity of the finest vintages is missing, but the wine more than makes up for it with its accessible, generous personality. The 2003 Vigna Spuntali is one of the finer Brunellos of the vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2019.

il bruciato 2006 by Antinori

With Tom, Deborah, Gabriel, Clay, Inge and myself in Rome and as gabriel says, "tasting wine and getting drunk."

Tenuta Guado al tasso is the maker, supposedly in vineyard next to sassacaia. Mixes of cab, merlot, syrah. Bolgheri is .the area. Antinori apparently owns it. Now what I smell on the pleasant nose is a mixture of cherry vanilla, a slight black currant, and some provencal spice, which are accounted for by the merlot, cabernet, and syrah. Initial impression on first drinking was a too simple wine with initial attack of soft fruit follopwed by a hollow mid-palate and short finish of not much interest. the tannins are soft and this seems like a wine that won't last more than 3-4 years. After 30 minutes of course the acid is reduced and fruit comes forth better, with a fruitier finish. As always I've written the notes before consulting the professional notes below. I am closer to Parker on this, both score and impression, although I certainly don't see it lasting for more than 3-4 years and can't believe it'll get any better after 2009.

parker: 88 points. The 2006 Bruciato is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah that spent eight months in French oak. This brooding, intense wine flows from the glass with the essence of dark cherries, tar, smoke and menthol. It offers excellent length and a long, resonating finish that captures the warmth of Tuscany and the 2006 vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2016.

Wine Spectator: Subtle and aromatic, with violet and berries on the nose. Full-bodied, with supersilky tannins and a long, clean, polished finish. The second wine of Guado al Tasso, with a bit more Merlot than the first wine. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and others. Best after 2009. 20,830 cases made/ 90 points.

mas doix salanques 2004 priorat

very smoothed out from the last time i tasted about a year ago. tannins have melted into the background and acid also, so now you taste abundant fruit with accent on blackberry and black cherry/kirsch and plum, maybe blueberry. a touch of lavender and very mild garrigue (provencal spice including lavender that grows in rocky dry climate of Provence). very long finish with soft tannin and acid nicely accenting the fruit. with air i actually detected a bit of hazelnut and then remembered that priorat was for a long time primarily known for hazelnut production! presumably still some hazelnut trees around and it's not impossible for the roots and leaves and thus fruit to pick up some of the hazelnut chemicals (which is why some Calif cabernets have eucalyptus overtones). This will be good till 2015 or so. I don't think the acid/tannin components are up to maintaining the wine much beyond. A few days later after being in refrig, the wine was ok for a few minutes but soured in the glass.

mas doix also makes a wine Mas Doix Doix Costers de Vinas Viejas (old vines) which is $100-120. This Salanques is about $40. The more expensive one I'e had once and it was sublime, right up there with the best wine i've ever had. i have a couple bottles of the expensive one and a couple of this Salanques left, I think in 2004 vintage, so next time, i'll do a comparative tasting.

Parker tasted in 2007, 94 points:

The 2004 Salanques is the second wine of Mas Doix made from barrels not making the cut for Costers de Vinas Viejas. It is 65% Garnacha, 20% Carinena, and equal parts Syrah, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon aged 14 months in French oak. Inky purple, the wine has a lovely perfume of mineral, truffle, pencil lead, kirsch, black currant, and blueberry. Ripe and full-bodied, the wine has a velvety texture, superb depth, and gobs of flavor. Drink this pleasure-packed wine over the next 8-10 years.

Wine Spectator gave this 87 points and is just totally off the mark. In general I find them giving lower scores than Parker, which is OK, but they also miss the mark seriously about 1/6 of the time, roughly. may be a product of their group tasting method or just that Parker is better and also formed my own wine aesthetic since he was my first guru starting in 1981. Spectator:

Candied cherry and light herbal flavors are expressive, though slightly rustic, in this firm red. The crisp acidity provides a sweet-and-sour profile. Lively. Best from 2008 through 2012. 1,900 cases imported

Note from RME: It is NOT sweet and sour unless you think all wine merits that description, and it's certainly not rustic.

2005 Rolf Binder Heinrich GSM

Left is a nice picture of mataro starting to ripen in Binder's vineyard in Feb 2006 (equivalent to August up here). At end see interesting discussion of the way this very vintage of Heinrich was put together.

Very deep, profound nose of caramel, burnt oak, violet, cherry and raspberry. There’s a scotch-like component, like it’s been aged in old sherry casks! This is one of those wines where one whiff tells you it’s gonna be fun to drink (like the 2004 De Lisio Grenache). It is dominated by Grenache, I suspect. There’s plenty of acid in this full-bodied wine, but tannins are very soft. The color actually is a bit lighter than cabernet-dominated wines and is showing a small hint of brick at the edge indicating less long life than most of the reds I’ve reviewed previously. I suppose this one qualifies as a fruit bomb, but that seems unfairly derogatory since it’s certainly not a simple wine. The finish is extraordinarily long and that requires acid, tannin and some alcohol too. I’d speculate that this one is nearly as good as it will ever get. All in all, it’s not as complex and profound as other Grenache or GSMs (or Priorats) I’ve had, but it's not simple/one dimensional either. I’ll say it’ll peak in 2010 and go for 5-6 years after that. At the bottom I'm pasting a kind of interesting entry from the Binder winemaker's blog where he discusses the work that went into this wine (which turns out to be mostly Shiraz and Mourvedre (called Mataro sometimes in Australia) and only 15 grenache). What Parker calls creosote below is what seemed to me that Maderized/oxidized/burnt element. He thinks it'll last till 2014 or so and I'm saying a year or two longer. He's probably right of course. I certainly didn't get any blueberry or currant/cassis.

Update: Opened after vaccum pumping and refrigerating normally next day (7/8/09). Delectable today, even silkier, softer tannin and acid. The burnt oak/caramel is receded tho present and now it tastes more like a fruit bomb shiraz, though the sweet blueberry, like a pastille, is now present to my nose. A hint of flowery and spicy perfume, as if it had real bottle age. Yes, a good quality red is often more enjoyable the next day. In fact, a clear distinction between the less good and better is even when the former is fine day 1 it won't be worth drinking day 2. This one cost under $25 and as such is a bargain. Notice the differences between what Parker and Wine Spectator tasted. The main thing is to pay attention and savor the complexities of taste, mouth feel, finish--not to worry about exactly what fruit tastes are "really" in there.

Here's what Parker said in Oct 2006 (2.5 years ago as I write). 93 points:

The 2005 Heinrich, a blend of Grenache, Mourvedre, and Shiraz (15%, 30%, and 55% respectively), reveals a dark purple hue along with a sweet perfume of crushed rocks, blueberries, creme de cassis, creosote, vanilla, and spice. It is a full, earthy effort to consume over the next 7-8 years.

Wine spectator: Smooth and velvety, this is a plush mouthful of milk chocolate-accented cherry and autumn leaf aromas and flavors that linger nicely on the harmonious finish. Shiraz, Mataro and Grenache. Drink now through 2011. 91 points.

Here's the informative material from the Binder website/blog talking about making this wine in 2005:

Wine is constantly being tasted on a day by day basis to see how it is developing but once a year we taste in methodical order every barrel of red wine in the winery. This is the definitive tasting as from it we decide which barrel will go to which final wine of the number we make at Veritas.

This is an exhaustive process and this year it was spread over five days with about six hours tasting each day. We tasted over 700 barrels covering the 2004 and 2005 vintages. The tasters were Christa Binder Deans, Kym Teusner and myself.

Some wines that earlier in the year had picked up enough oak and wines that we do not want to show much of an oak influence have already been taken out of oak and are in tanks. These components are used if required in the final wine blends.

From the barrel tasting we then make a trial blend of the final wine from the barrels selected to see what it will taste like and if it looks O.K. the individual barrels are blended together and returned to oak.

To explain this clearly it is best to use an example, and this is how we composed the Rolf Binder Heinrich Shiraz Mataro Grenache 2005.

Behind the Veritas winery is a shiraz block called Stephanie Lot 2. This yielded 18 barrels. Of these we thought two barrels were good enough for the Heysen, a grade higher than Heinrich, nine were right for Heinrich and seven will become Christa Rolf (the domestic brand)/Halliwell (the overseas brand).

We then made a trial blend of the nine barrels which is equal portions of each barrel to see how it tasted. In this case we were happy and they were all approved as Heinrich. It can be that the barrels do not blend nicely so you then find out which one or two do not belong in the final blend. If this happened that barrel or barrels is declassified to a lower grade wine.

At Veritas if it does not fit the wine style it is declassified and we do this often.

Now a base can be anything from one barrel to a dozen or so, and in a very big winery can run into hundreds. Incidentally the process we are doing at Veritas is pretty standard Australian wine making practise.

So these nine barrels form one of the bases of the shiraz component of Heinrich. For the 2005 Heinrich we ended up with seven shiraz bases. These are next examined in detail and compared with each other. Of the seven it was decided that only five were good enough. Of the two bases declassified one will go to Rolf Binder Christa Rolf Shiraz Grenache 2005 and the other to Rolf Binder Hales Shiraz 2005. This of course lifts the overall quality of these two cheaper wines.

For the mataro component of Heinrich we ended up with two bases. One from the 100 plus year old bush vines from behind the winery and the other from plantings done in 1972 that are next to the winery and were taken from cuttings off the old bush vines.

The grenache we are very particular about and every vintage it generally comes down to a special lot from our Western Ridge vineyard in the Gomersal sub-region of the Barossa. And that is how it turned out this vintage with only one base of grenache making it to the final blend. We looked at 18 barrels of this base and whittled this down to 12. The six that were declassified will go to the Christa Rolf/Halliwell Shiraz Grenache lifting the quality of this wine.

This then led to a final Heinrich 2005 blend of 55% shiraz, 30% mataro and 15% grenache. Each variety is made into the final blend and is kept separate and the wines go back into oak. At this stage we may elect to change the oak, for example we are about to bottle a red which will free up some good two year old oak and the grenache component will go into this oak.

So we were pleased to finish an exhausting week but it may be the most important week in the winery.

Umami perhaps sets Kalin chardonnays apart?

In looking around for more info on Kalin I found the discussion of the newly discovered (or at least newly applied to wine) fifth taste besides sweet, sour, salty and bitter.

^{Kalin Cellars - Wines With The Fifth Taste}

Most wines evoke the taste sensations of sweet, salty, bitter and sour. Kalin Cellars wines are among the VERY, VERY few wines presently available that evoke the FIFTH Taste of Umami. Umami is a newly discovered basic taste that is fundamentally different from the other four. It is variously described as delicious, savory or meaty. It is associated with the taste of perfection - a wine, fruit, cheese, mushroom or ham that is at its peak of flavor maturity and quality. Most wines are either not capable of attaining Umami or are offered for sale long before the fifth flavor of perfection is achieved. Kalin Cellars wines are aged in temperature and humidity controlled underground cellars until they achieve the perfection of Umami. Only after three to ten years of bottle age are these wines released for sale. To learn more about Wine With The Fifth Taste please visit the Umami Wine Page.

Clos l'Obac costers del siurana 2001

Clos l'Obac is a Priorat, a Spanish wine area that has become my second favorite (to bordeaux). Tends to use grenache, syrah and also cabernet, merlot and carignan. This one, on the nose and palate: the grenache has that dense sweet berry, with a resemblance to huckleberry pie with vanilla ice cream. The syrah comes out more in the briary, spicy component of the taste. The nose is pretty restrained now and clearly can go 2-3 more years before it rounds out and fully opens. Underneath the grenache smell for me is the hint of black currant that indicates cabernet--and maybe cherry from merlot? Color is purple ruby with only the slightest hint of age at the rim. Plenty of soft tannin on a long finish that emphasizes strawberry-cherry component with acid that sustains the finish. A whiff of alcohol on nose and a bit of heat on finish, both of which should calm down in a couple years. Medium body and moderately silky palate. I'd think this will be best from 2011 to 2018.

Notice from the pictures Priorat is an arid area--it's good for wine grapes to have to struggle, roots have to go deep to get water and nutrients--but it's close enough to the sea to get some nice humidifying cloud cover.

Clos l'Obac on the 2nd day, 24 hours after opening and using vacuum pump and standard refrigerator: incredible how it's changed and now tastes very much like a cabernet. Tannin and acid have receded in favor of the now extremely silky black currant and vanilla fruit. Like drinking a different and at least as pleasurable a wine. I recommend everyone retaste their red wines after 24 hours. The best ones will give as much pleasure a day later.

July 7: two days since opening. 3^rd day clos l’obac the spice is more recognizably rosemary (though I am eating rosemary bread as I sip) and the wine no longer tastes like a cabernet so much. More like a blend between day 1 and 2. There’s some cabernet present with a hint of mint and currant. It’s lost some body and zip and won’t be very good tomorrow. There’s a Madera quality to the nose today—I guess that means oxidation is taking its toll. Certainly you could drink this l’Obac today with considerable pleasure, though having it alongside the just-opened Binder Heinrich makes the comparison unfair.

Parker 91 points writing in 2004

This unfiltered blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Syrah, Merlot, and Carignan, aged for 14 months in new French oak, and bottled unfiltered, boasts a deep purple color along with a pure bouquet of raspberries, blueberries, wet stones, and toasty, subtle vanillin. Medium-bodied with outstanding concentration, impressive elegance, and a nice texture, this tight but promising 2001 should hit its prime in 2-4 years, and last for 12-15.

Wine spectator 91 points also

Powerful, rich with extract and tannins, offering ripe fruit flavors of plum and dried cherry that mingle with spicy oak and notes of wild herb. More muscular than expressive, but should open with food. Best after 2004. 200 cases imported.

Bob's Note on Priorat

Some of the most hedonistic wines I've ever had are Priorats, though my experience with them is only about 3 years, since our spring 2006 trip to Spain when we on a whim decided to detour to Priorat while heading back to Pamplona after a couple days in Barcelona. We got to the village, had a very good meal at a simple restaurant, along with a 2002 Clos Mogador that blew all of us away. We'd had at l'ABAC restaurant in Barcelona a 2004 Mogador if I remember the vintage right. That was a revelation and it's what led to the detour. The restaurant proprietor in Priorat kindly called a winemaker in Montsant who was associated with Rene Barbier, founder of Mogador, and we had a terrific tour and tasting at Laurona. Montsant is just outside Priorat, making some excellent wines the way Canon and Fronsac can make 'em almost as good as Pomerol in Bordeaux area.

kalin 1994 chardonnay cuvee W

Recently released after 15 years at the winery. Full body, almost viscous, and dark gold like an older Sauternes. There is a lot of burnt vanilla oak, butterscotch, honey and tropical fruit. I'm sure many would say the oak overpowers the more delicate fruit but it's OK with me. It's like an aged version of Beringer Private Reserve or Sbragia chardonnay, big fruit, big oak. This is less in style than it used to be in the 80s and 90s but that's when I cut my wine teeth. There's a nice finish with enough acid to stand up to most foods (in this case, even chicken wings with mustard or bbq sauce). We were lucky enough to get a case @ $25 btl, a large discount. shared with friends and will be interested to hear their reactions. I'd guess this has a year or two but not much more to last.

Here's Parker's notes from Dec 2007. 94 points

Even more impressive is the youthfulness of the 1994 Chardonnay Cuvee W. This wine, which comes from 60-year-old vines planted on gravelly soils from the old Wente clone, was bottled without filtration in 1995. Light gold in color with a stunning nose of honeyed citrus, candle wax, some caramelized oranges and nectarines, terrific acidity and a finish of a good 40+ seconds, this is old-style but remarkable Chardonnay made by an eccentric genius who continues to be uninfluenced by anything other than his own intriguing vision of high quality wine.

The reclusive and idiosyncratic Terry Leighton continues to release his wines a good ten years later than just about anybody else in California. He also continues to turn out one of the finest Sauvignon Blancs and longest-lived Chardonnays.