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Customer Reviews - AndyG
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Reviews |
2009 Fonreaud, Listrac
Review Date: 05-22-2012
Stephen Tanzer hit the nail on the head -- I didn't know what "coffee and oak torrefaction" tasted like until I tried the 2009 Fonreaud. Wine Spectator was also right about the black tea. Hmm, coffee, oak, and black tea -- what's not to like? Maybe this needs a couple more years to smooth the rough tannins.
2009 Poitevin, Médoc
Review Date: 05-19-2012
The 2009 Poitevin opens with red-fruit flavors of pomegranate, cherry, and hard candy, with vegetal tannins that were largely resolved after a recorked bottle was refrigerated over night. I would decant this or give it a couple of hours to breathe.
Price:
$14.99
2009 Bellevue-La-Randée, Bordeaux
Review Date: 04-19-2012
There is plenty of fruit and tannins, but on first tasting the dominant flavor was vegetal. An unfinished, recorked bottle improved after a night in the refrigerator, so it should help to decant this for a couple hours before drinking.
2009 Edge Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Review Date: 04-17-2012
The 2009 Edge is a pleasant Napa Cab, but it's unremarkable. Wine Enthusiast got a little carried away.
2009 Poitevin, Médoc (1.5L)
Review Date: 03-30-2012
Red fruit flavors of pomegranate and cherry, with slightly vegetal tannins that remind me of cab franc from the Loire region. This benefits from decanting.
Price:
$26.99
2009 Georges Duboeuf Moulin-à-Vent (Flower Label)
Review Date: 03-28-2012
Very decent. In addition to dark berry-like flavors, there are some tannins and and a note of earthy bitterness. In a blind tasting one might think this was a Grenache rather than Gamay. At this price it puts those thin, sour, metallic Beaujolais Nouveaux to shame.
2008 Von Hovel Oberemmeler Hutte Riesling Spatlese
Review Date: 03-24-2012
Pleasant, with crisp green apple notes and good acidity. On the lighter side for a Spatlese.
2009 Domaine Regnier Saumur Champigny
Review Date: 03-06-2012
I'm usually a fan of Loire cab franc, but the 2009 Domaine Regnier is on the tannic and vegetal side, with artichoke or asparagus-like notes.
Price:
$12.99
2009 Kruger-Rumpf Münsterer Rheinberg Riesling Kabinett
Review Date: 03-05-2012
Sweet, fragrant, and delicate, with a lingering finish.
2009 Mylord "Cuvée Milady" Bordeaux
Review Date: 03-05-2012
The first time I tried it, I found the tannins a bit bitter and thought they overwhelmed the fruit. A month later I tried another bottle and enjoyed it more, so maybe it just needs a few more months for the elements to knit. There is quite a lot here for the price.
Price:
$12.99
2007 La Maialina Chianti Classico Riserva
Review Date: 01-14-2012
Decent, but the predominant flavor is wood. For a chianti classico riserva this doesn't have much fruit.
2006 La Gatte Cuvee Butte, Bordeaux
Review Date: 12-31-2011
The 2005 vintage of La Gatte La Butte was terrific. The 2006 is decent but the fruit is a bit thin. Although not a wine to cellar, it's a solid value at $12.
Price:
$9.99
1997 Bollig-Lehnert Drohner Hofberger Riesling Auslese ***
Review Date: 12-31-2011
Ausleses are supposed to last for at least 20 years, but the 1997 Bollig-Lehnert Drohner Hofberger is fading.
Price:
$18.99
2010 Domaine Renaud Mâcon-Solutré
Review Date: 12-29-2011
Crisp, tart, and zingy -- reminds me of Chablis. This is the best white Burgundy I have tasted in the under $17 range.
Price:
$12.99
2010 Domaine Renaud Mâcon-Charnay
Review Date: 12-27-2011
A solid white Burgundy with good acidity and balance.
Price:
$12.99
2009 The Ministry of the Vinterior Russian River Valley Chardonnay
Review Date: 12-22-2011
I'm not a huge fan of California chardonnay, but the 2009 Ministry of the Vinterior is an exception, more in the style of a crisp white Burgundy than a typical over-oaked California chard. There's tart acidity and a hint of mineral to balance the tangy fruit. At this price it's a solid value.
Price:
$11.99
2009 Creta Roble Ribera del Duero
Review Date: 12-21-2011
The 2009 Creta Roble has berry-like fruit that brought to mind a garnacha. After two days in the refrigerator, the opened and resealed bottle had lost it's fruit and tasted flat.
2009 Weingut Allram Heiligenstein Riesling Kamptal Reserve
Review Date: 12-15-2011
This has a heavy fruit that reminds me of Muscadet or Viognier -- in a blind tasting I might not have identified it as Riesling at all. For me the delicate Mosel wines have more appeal.
Price:
$12.99
2006 Clos Marsalette, Pessac-Léognan
Review Date: 12-07-2011
The 2006 Clos Marsalette is a pleasant Bordeaux with predominant root-like or herbal flavors and hints of tobacco (perhaps this is what the critics were referring to as rocks or stones?) but not much fruit. It did open up a bit after an hour to breathe.
2006 Cascabel Shiraz Fleurieu Peninsula South Australia
Review Date: 12-04-2011
The 2006 Cascabel Fleurieu tastes primarily of sweet vanilla with a touch of blueberry pancake syrup. It is fairly typical for Australian shiraz in this price range.
2006 Jacob's Creek Steingarten Riesling Barossa Valley
Review Date: 11-26-2011
A good value, but starting to taste a bit off.
2007 Viña Von Siebenthal Parcela #7
Review Date: 11-26-2011
Loads of sweet fruit, redolent of cassis. A terrific value.
Price:
$11.99
2007 Alex Gambal Bourgogne Chardonnay "Cuvee Prestige"
Review Date: 11-26-2011
Maybe the fruit is starting to fade, as I taste mostly wood.
Price:
$17.99
2007 Henry of Pelham Riesling Reserve
Review Date: 11-23-2011
This has a skunky aroma on the nose and none of the delicate floral qualities I associate with fine Riesling. There is a note of apple cider but otherwise not much fruit. While I prefer Riesling on the drier side, this one would be better if it had even a trace of sweetness.
Price:
$6.99
2008 Cambria "Julia's Vineyard" Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir
Review Date: 11-16-2011
The 2008 Cambria Julia's Vineyard was quite a good pinot at less than $20; it's a terrific value for under $15. It has very nice fruit and good balance. The low price made me wonder if the wine was still good, so I tried one bottle and I'm going back for more.
Price:
$12.99
2008 Trust Cellars Columbia Valley Riesling
Review Date: 11-09-2011
Predominant notes of cotton candy and bubblegum. Little in the way of minerals, acidity, or fruit.
Price:
$12.99
2008 Domaine Ramonet Bourgogne Rouge
Review Date: 10-23-2011
I like pinot from California and Oregon, so I recently decided to try the real thing from Burgundy. Maybe I should stick closer to home, as the Domaine Ramonet is on the tart and thin side despite some spicy notes.
Price:
$16.99
2009 Josef Rosch Leiwener Klostergarten Riesling Kabinett
Review Date: 10-18-2011
My favorite Rieslings are the Mosel Rieslings rated with "Pradikat"-- those made from grapes designated Kabinett, Spatlese, Auslese, etc. The 2009 Josef Rosch Leiwener Klostergarten Riesling Kabinett was a good value at $15; at $10.99 I'm buying this by the case.
Price:
$10.99
2008 Cooper Mountain Reserve Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
Review Date: 10-10-2011
A solid pinot from a superior vintage, with a nice balance of dark fruit, rose petals, and forest floor. I would recommend it except that I bought the last bottle.
2008 Au Grand Paris, Bordeaux
Review Date: 10-07-2011
Bland and inoffensive but lacks freshness or fruit. I hope this is not representative of the 2008 Bordeaux vintage.
Price:
$7.99
1996 Lanessan, Haut-Médoc
Review Date: 10-07-2011
Not bad, but lacking in fruit or depth. I'm not sure if it's the vintage or the age of the wine, but this seemed a bit lifeless. For the money, I think the 2008 Bordeaux are a better bet.
2008 Fouet "Julien Fouet" Saumur Blanc
Review Date: 10-07-2011
Off-tasting and overripe. I'm a big fan of Saumur chenin blanc, just not this one. Good for cooking with.
Price:
$8.99
2008 Eric Bordelet "Doux" Sydre (apple)
Review Date: 10-07-2011
This reminds me of unfiltered, unpasteurized cider one would buy in the fall from roadside stands back East: deep orange-brown ciders with a hint of spritz as they naturally started to ferment. The Eric Bordelet has the fizziness and alcohol of hard cider with the delicious fruit of those roadside apple ciders. This should go well with traditional fall dishes.
Price:
$7.99
2009 Dr. Pauly Bergweiler Bernkasteler Badstube Kabinett
Review Date: 10-07-2011
A delicate Kabinett with a straw color and an ethereal balance of minerals and delicate fruit. I could drink this all day.
2009 Foxglove Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon
Review Date: 10-05-2011
When first opened, this wine was tannic and bitter, with little spices or licorice and even less sweet flowers. The second night from a previously opened bottle it seemed to open up a bit, with hints of tobacco and saddle leather. I wouldn't call it balanced, but it's a serious wine for the price.
Price:
$11.99
2007 Gloria Ferrer Carneros Pinot Noir
Review Date: 10-05-2011
The predominant flavor is strawberry with a hint of earth or forest floor. A solid value for pinot in this price range, I would give it 88 points out of 100.
2009 Domaine des Hautes Troglodytes Saumur Champigny
Review Date: 10-04-2011
Red wines from the Loire are a ways off the beaten track, as neither the region nor the primary grape, cabernet franc, are well known. These wines can be well worth a visit. Jon Bonne of the SF Chronicle described this particular wine as "beetroot and fermented tea, roasted cherry, sea salt and mirabelle plum".
Price:
$12.99
2007 Domaine Germain Père & Fils St-Romain Blanc
Review Date: 09-29-2011
I agree with the lemon cream description, while on the second day the flavor was more noticeably woody. I usually like the Burgundian style of chardonnay, but at this price I think California chardonnay and Loire chenin blanc have more to offer.
Price:
$16.99
2008 Vine Hill Winery "Scintilla Vineyard" Carneros Pinot Noir
Review Date: 09-28-2011
Not bad for pinot noir in this price range. I find the tannins a bit bitter and the flavors a little raw and unintegrated. This might actually benefit from a year or two of aging.
Price:
$14.99
2009 Domaine de l'Auriere Muscadet Sèvre et Maine sur Lie
Review Date: 09-25-2011
Dry, crisp, fruity, and refreshing. Muscadet is a classic wine to accompany shellfish, and this one paired beautifully with paella. It's a solid value at $10 and a steal at $6.
Price:
$5.99
2001 Lanessan, Haut-Médoc
Review Date: 09-13-2011
Dry and austere with a characteristic note of dust or earth but little fruit to speak of. I paired it with a grilled steak, and the wine was overwhelmed by the grilled meat flavors. It's a pleasant wine, but I was hoping for more.
Price:
$29.99
1996 Bollig Lehnert Piesporter Goldtröpfchen Riesling Spätlese
Review Date: 08-31-2011
Spatleses are famously long-lived, so I was eagerly looking forward to the 1996 Bollig Lehnert Piesporter Goldtropfchen. Unfortunately both bottles I tried seemed oxidized, with a golden color, a woody taste, and little of the luscious fruit or acidity I expected.
Price:
$16.99
2008 Edmunds St. John "Bone-Jolly" Whitters Vineyard El Dorado County Gamay Noir
Review Date: 08-22-2011
The 2008 Edmunds St. John "Bone-Jolly" Whitters Vineyard El Dorado County Gamay Noir reminds me a bit of Pez candies, or the Yago sangria I used to drink back in the 70's. It's a lightly fizzy, fruity concoction with a chemical taste that resembles cherry soda more than wine.
2008 Merkelbach Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Kabinett #23
Review Date: 05-23-2011
A bit on the lighter side, but the real deal: a Mosel Riesling Kabinett with the characteristic minerals, acidity, delicacy, and balance that no other region in the world seems able to match. At $12.99 this is a steal.
Price:
$12.99
2005 d'Escurac, Medoc
Review Date: 04-21-2011
Bordeaux are supposed to age well, and 2005 was a very good vintage. So it was a surprise to me that the 2005 D'Escurac is tired and lifeless -- not much fruit and no tannins to speak of. It's disappointing for this price point.
Price:
$24.99
2007 St. Nikolaus Hospital Cardinal Cusanus Stiftswein Bernkastler Badstube Riesling Hochgewächs
Review Date: 04-14-2011
Very sweet without much acidity or minerals to balance it out.
Price:
$11.99
2005 Odoardi "Savuto"
Review Date: 01-29-2011
An odd-tasting and rather unpleasant wine, with no noticeable fruit to speak of, just overpowering flavors of musty wood, caraway seed, and kerosene.
Price:
$12.99
2008 San Giuliano Moscato d'Asti
Review Date: 01-29-2011
Light, fizzy, moderately sweet and redolent of apricots. Simply delicious.
Price:
$8.99
2008 Ermacora Pinot Bianco
Review Date: 01-29-2011
Dry, fruity, and aromatic. Reminds me of Muscadet. A very nice value at $9.99.
Price:
$9.99
2007 E. Guigal Côtes du Rhône
Review Date: 01-24-2011
This is a decent but ordinary Cotes du Rhone -- a reasonable value at this price, with characteristic pepper and leather or tobacco. There's not a lot there in terms of fruit or floral notes. I can't imagine why Robert Parker and Stephen Tanzer would give this rave reviews.