We tried last night (10/29/08) Some Whites:
1. SauvignonRepublic SauvBlanc RRV (http://www.SauvignonRepublic.com; 13.8%) Graton 2006: Pale
yellow color; rather gooseberry/grassy/cat pee slight earthy/pungent classic SB nose;
tart/dry stoney/gooseberry/cat pee bit melony/floral slight earthy flavor; med.long
tart gooseberry/grassy light earthy/floral finish; attractive/pleasant SB but just that.
$16.95
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2. Francois Chidaine Val de Loire Sauvignon AC: Touraine (13%) Montlouis 2007: Med.yellow
color; rather fragrant/floral some minerally/stoney slight SB/grassy nose; tart/dry bit
thin minerally/stoney light grassy somewhat floral/melony flavor; light/tart minerally/
stoney light grassy/floral finish; bit on light & lean side but a very attractive Loire
SB at a great price. $10.20
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3. Ch.Carbonnieux AC: Pessac-Leognan (MeBaC; 13%) SCEA A.Perrin & Fils 2005: Light gold color;
fairly lush/melony slight stoney/earthy light floral/figgy/perfumed light vanilla/pencilly/
oak nose; tart rather lush/rich vanilla/oak/slight toasty melony/figgy slight grassy
flavor; very long tart lush/melony/floral light vanilla/toasty/oak finish; a pleasant wine
that only whispers of SB; rather pricey at $66.00
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4. JeanReverdy AC: Sancerre LaReineBlanche (12.5%; http://www.Kysela.com) Dom. des Villots/
Verdigny 2006: Pale yellow color; very strong minerally/stoney light grassy/SB some pungent/
under-the-porch nose; tart pungent/under-the-porch/grassy stoney/minerally flavor; very long
stoney/minerally/earthy pungent/under-the-porch/grassy finish; rather classic Loire/SB w/ lots
of pungent character. $30.00
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5. DryCreekVnyds FumeBlanc SauvBlanc SonomaCnty (13.5%; http://www.DryCreekVineyard.com) 2007: Pale
yellow color; attractive grassy/herbal/classic SB clean nose; soft/lush light grassy/melony/
herbal basic SB pleasant nose; med. soft/lush light floral/melony/herbal/grassy/SB finish;
a classic/pleasant SB at a great price. $14.50
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6. DryCreekVnyd Estate FumeBlanc DCV3 DryCreekVlly (13.5%; Planted in 1972) 2006: Light gold color;
very attractive fragrant/perfumed very light pencilly/toasty/oak some melony/herbal/SB slight
stoney/earthy interesting nose; very tart rich some earthy/herbal/melony slight stoney/minerally
light toasty/pencilly/oak flavor; long slight pencilly/oak rather meloney/herbal slight earthy/
stoney finish; lots of ripe SB fruit but nice acidity and structure; rather textbook SB.$25.00
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7. DryCreekVnyd Taylor'sVnyd Musque DryCreekVlly SauvBlanc (13.5%) 2006: Light gold color; lovely
perfumed/fragrant/floral slight muscatty/aromatic light toasty/pencilly/oak very perfumed nose;
rich/lush very floral/perfumed floral/melony/SB light herbal light pencilly/oak complex flavor;
very long/lingering very perfumed/floral/almost muscatty some herbal/SB light pencilly/oak finish;
some herbal/SB character but lots of floral/aromatic character.$25.00
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8. Tscharke GirlTalk BarossaVlly Albarino (13.5%) 2007: Pale yellow color; rather pungent/skunky/
stoney toasty/oak light floral pleasant nose; soft/fat slight stoney/minerally light floral/
metallic flavor; med.long soft/fat bit floral/stoney rather toasty/oak finish; speaks a bit of
Albarino but lack that bracing/minerally character. $17.00
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9. Francesc Sanchez-Bas Blanc de Montsalvat DOC: Priorat (14%; 65-year-old vines; 60% Macabeo +
40% Trepat Blanc; Lot 601) 2005: Med.gold color; some corked/musty very overripe/rotted apple
rather volatile/airplane glue nose; soft/fat very overripe/rotted apple bit hot/alcoholic some
oaked flavor; long very overripe/rotted apple finish; rather corked on the nose but very
overripe on the palate. $37.00
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10. Consilience SantaBarbaraCnty Viognier (15.6%) 2006: Med.gold color; very strong overripe/
peachy/Viognier/rotted peach bit hot/alcoholic strong toasty/oak rather over-the-top nose; soft/
fat/porky overripe/alcoholic intense toasty/oak/caramel overripe/peachy/Viog flavor; long overripe/
peachy some alcoholic/hot some toasty/caramel/oak finish; loads of very ripe Viognier character
but too over-the-top for me. $22.00
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11. KuninWines Viognier StolpmanVnyd/SantaYnezVlly (14.6%) 2005: Med.gold color; tobaccoy/toasty/oak/
creme brulee rather alcoholic/hot/fumey some overripe/peachy/Viog nose; soft/fat alcoholic/overripe
intense toasty/oak/caramel/creme brulee flavor; long very toasty/caramel/Fr.oak very ripe/peachy/
Viog rather hot/alcoholic finish; rather overripe/fumey and slammed w/ oak. $29.00
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12. Harlequin Viognier CliftonVnyd (14.5%) 2006: Med.gold color; beautiful peachy/pear/textbook
Viognier some Condrieu/minerally very perfumed/fragrant nose; tart rather Condrieu/minerally
very perfumed/Viognier/pear/peach slight earthy flavor; very long/lingering very perfumed/floral/
pear/peach/Viog some minerally/Condrieu finish; a stunning Viognier at a great price. $21.00
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13. ParasVnyd Viognier MtVeeder/NapaVlly (14.5%) 2006: Med.gold color; very ripe/overripe/ripe peach/
pear some toasty/oak nose; rather sweet (2%?) overripe/peachy/pear some toasty/oak flavor; long
quite ripe/peach/pear/Viog some toasty/pencilly/oak finish; seems to have some r.s. and a bit
tiring on the palate. $43.00
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14. Changala CentralCoast Roussanne (14.2%; http://www.ChangalaWines.com) 2004: Dark gold color; very
overripe/rather oxidized intense toasty/charred/oak/caramel/butterscotch nose; soft/fat/alcoholic
very ripe/overripe oxidized/roasted hazelnuts very caramel/butterscotchy rather bitter flavor;
long overripe/oxidized/toasted hazelnuts caramel/butterscotch/toasty/oak some hot/fumey finish;
totally over-the-top and breaking apart. No bargin at $14.24
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15. Qupe Roussanne BienNacidoHillsideEstate (EB; 14.5%) 2005: Med.dark gold color; some toasty/oak
huge fruit/peachy/floral/honeysuckle very perfumed/fragrant complex nose; tart big/rich/lush/
powerful huge fruit/floral/honeysuckle/peach/pear very aromatic/perfumed bit herbal/minerally
some toasty/charred/oak flavor; big/ripe/tart/lush powerful/huge fruit/floral/honeysuckle some
toasty/oak/smokey complex finish; huge Roussanne fruit but the structure to carry it out in age;
terrific Roussanne at a good price. $36.00
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And the usual nonsense from the BloodyPulpit:
1. Viognier: I followed Viognier from the very start and it's one of my favorite varietals. This
batch seemed to be plauged by some very ripe/over-the-top Viogniers w/ too much oak sometimes.
I don't think this is particularly a growing trend, just a weird chice of Viogniers.
On the other hand, the Harlequin may be one of the greatest USofA Viogniers I've yet had.
Robert Goodfriend has fashioned some very good Viogniers there in Touchet since the 2006, but this
may very well be his best one yet. It shows some of that minerality you get in Condrieu but
virtually never find in US versions. A tryuly stunning Viognier.
On the third hand, I was rather surprised by the Paras Viognier. I had tasted this about six
months ago and liked it for its intense Viognier varietal character. This one seemed pretty
overripe and w/ residual sugar. The Paras Vnyd is atop MtVeeder on the old AlBaxter Veedercrest
site. I've had some exceptional Viogniers and Syrahs from this vnyd over the yrs. I believe that
Doug Danilek (formerly of JadeMtn) is now back as the winemaker of these grapes according to
Scott Woodard.
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2. Qupe: Bob Lindquist has made some terrific Roussannes over the yrs, often from JohnAlban's fruit,
some from BienNacido. The '04 Hillside Roussanne was one of the best Calif Roussannes I've ever
had. This '05 version is even better. It has huge ripe fruit w/o going over the top, and very
balanced & structured that may go out 10-20 yrs is my guess.
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3. DCV SauvBlanc: I've always liked DaveStare's SB's from the very start in '72, made from Lou
Preston's and Joe Rochioli's fruit, back way afore they were famous. The DCV3 must be one of the
oldest SB plantings in Calif I would guess. The Sauv Musque is a special clone of SB that has
enhanced floral aromatics. The story I heard (from Doug) was that DougMeador/VentanaVnyd, down
in ArroyoSecco of MontereyCnty was finding his SB's to be on the very herbaceous side. He happened
to spot a Sauv Musque on the UC/Davis list of plant material, but noone there seemed to know
anything of its origins or its character. He planted some and was very impressed by its aromatics
and sort of became a champion of Sauv Musque over the yrs. Supposedly, Merry Edwards was also
working w/ Sauv Musque in the '70's as well I've heard. The wine from Musque have an enhanced
perfume/floral character that reminds me some of RibollaGialla and MoscatoGiallo from Friuli.
Whatever it is, the DryCreekVnyd version is one of the best around.
Tom