| A great evening of fine wines from one of the best distributors in the state of Minnesota. There were not many people at this event which was shocking considering the $25 went to a charity. - N.V. Foreau Domaine du Clos Naudin Vouvray Pétillant Brut - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray Pétillant
Not my style with almost a apple cidar quality along with mineral and floral notes. (84 pts.)
- 2004 Iron Horse Vineyards Classic Vintage Brut - USA, California, Sonoma County, Green Valley of Russian River Valley
Dough, lemon and minerals. Simple wine without much structure. (85 pts.)
- N.V. Bruno Paillard Champagne Brut Premiere Cuvée - France, Champagne
A nice N.V. Champagne with mineral, lemon and dough. Balanced and tasty. (90 pts.)
- 2008 Luccarelli Negroamaro Salice Salentino - Italy, Puglia, Salice Salentino
What a great wine for a retail price of only $12. Dark color with floral, spice and cherry. Good tannic structure and a great under $10 wine when on sale. (89 pts.)
- 2006 Frascole Chianti Růfina - Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Růfina
One of the better Chianti wines I have sampled this year. Floral, strawberries, minerals and earth. A really clean wine that can be enjoyed with or without food. (90 pts.)
- 2008 Txomin Etxaniz Getariako Txakolina - Spain, País Vasco, Getariako Txakolina
Nice wine with floral, lemon, lime and minerals. Medium finish and good acidity. (90 pts.)
- 2008 Telmo Rodríguez Rueda Basa Blanco - Spain, Castilla y León, Rueda
Grapefruit, mineral and lemon. Nice flavors and good finish. (90 pts.)
- 2008 Bodegas La Cana Albarińo - Spain, Galicia, Rías Baixas
Floral, lemon, mineral and grapefruit. Fun wine. (88 pts.)
- 2007 Bodegas Alto Moncayo Garnacha Campo de Borja - Spain, Aragón, Campo de Borja
Big, powerful wine. Floral, spice, raspberries, and a waffer like quality. Wood on the palate and finish. This wine needs to be drunk day 2 and 3 to open up or cellar for five years. (92 pts.)
- 2005 Bodegas Muga Rioja Reserva - Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
One of my favorite Spanish producers. Raspberries, spice, wood, floral and this wine shows really soft tannins. Medium finish and drinking well right now. Don't cellar this wine. (91 pts.)
- 2007 Teso La Monja Toro Victorino - Spain, Castilla y León, Toro
Dark wine with spice, raspberries, wood and floral. Good structure and this needs time in the cellar. (92 pts.)
- 2008 St. Innocent Pinot Gris Vitae Springs Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Another solid effort from the critically acclaimed bad vintage (not here). Lemon and mineral with a clean finish. Simple but well made. (87 pts.)
- 2007 Bethel Heights Chardonnay - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Oak, mineral, pear and floral notes. On the palate it picks up some spice. Medium finish. (89 pts.)
- 2007 Finca Decero Cabernet Sauvignon Remolinos Vineyard - Argentina, Mendoza, Lujan de Cuyo, Agrelo
Too much floral and not enough structure. Drinkable (80 pts.)
- 2008 Errazuriz Carménčre Single Vineyard - Chile, Aconcagua Valley
I love this wine and it features floral, bright fruits, cherry, mineral and tons of flavor. Good balance and well made. (90 pts.)
- 2008 Cliff Lede Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley - USA, California, Napa Valley
Cat pee in a good way with grapefruit, lemon and minerals. Totally Loire style. I love this wine every year they make it. (91 pts.)
- 2007 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay - USA, California, Napa Valley
A nice wine and really light in style. NO oak bomb here. Minerals, pear, apple and spice. Medium finish but on the light side. Drink allow is no problem on this wine. (91 pts.)
- 2007 Errazuriz Chardonnay Wild Ferment - Chile, Casablanca Valley
A bit much with toast, oak, floral nd orange peel. This lacks elegance and is too in your face. (84 pts.)
- 2008 Evesham Wood Pinot Noir La Grive Bleue - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Eola - Amity Hills
Nice wine with cherry, rhubard, wood, spice, mushroom and minerals. Nice concentration and medium finish. (91 pts.)
- 2007 St. Innocent Pinot Noir White Rose Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Cedar, strawberry, earth and floral notes. Drinking well and super structure to this wine. This might be the wine of the vintage for Willamette. (94 pts.)
- 2006 Roco Pinot Noir - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Nice retail price of $30 and this wine shows strawberry, cedar, and a buttery oak finish. (90 pts.)
- 2008 Weingut Steininger Grüner Veltliner Kabinett - Austria, Niederösterreich, Kamptal
Floral, mineral but lacks a lot. (84 pts.)
- 2006 Nikolaihof Grüner Veltliner Federspiel Im Weingebirge - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
(93 pts.)
- 2006 Nikolaihof Riesling Federspiel Vom Stein - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
Apricots, floral, lemon pie and slate. Super finish. (93 pts.)
- 2008 Lang & Reed Cabernet Franc - USA, California, North Coast
Light purple. Nose of forest floor, minerals and cherry. Medium finish and good acidity. (89 pts.)
- 2008 Green & Red Vineyards Zinfandel Chiles Canyon Vineyards - USA, California, Napa Valley
Spice, oak, raspberries and red pepper. A balanced wine overall and one of the better Zins I have had in a while. (90 pts.)
- 2005 Rocca Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley, Yountville
Really nice Cab with blackberries, cherry, spices, and oak. Vanilla emerges on the palate and the finish is medium to long. (93 pts.)
- 2006 Domaine Patrick Javillier Meursault Clos du Cromin - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Meursault
Nice wine with chalk, orange peel, lemon and minerals. Good acidity and medium finish. (93 pts.)
- 2007 Pierre Gaillard Condrieu - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Condrieu
Very nice indeed. Lemon, floral, hazel nuts and orange peel on the nose. Full of life on the palate with minerals added. Medium finish and great acidity. (93 pts.)
- 2008 Francis Blanchet Pouilly-Fumé Vieilles Vignes - France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Pouilly-Fumé
Nice wine overal with floral, mineral and lemon. (88 pts.)
- 2005 Château de Pibarnon Bandol - France, Provence, Bandol
Spice, earth, funk and tobacco on the nose. Earth dominate wine and a smooth finish. (90 pts.)
- 2006 Les Vins de Vienne Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes Heluicum - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes
On the nose strawberry, floral, and minerals. Red fruits on the palate along with a gravel quality. Medium finish and a solid wine. (91 pts.)
- 2007 Karl Lagler Grüner Veltliner Federspiel Burgberg - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
Orange peel, lemon, and heavy on the floral. The palate shows minerals, lemons, orange peels spice. Medium finish and good acidity. (88 pts.)
It was scary how Steven Tanzer and my palate on points match up. About sixty percent we assigned the same score, thirty percent one point and a few we differed on. I will have to drop either Parker of Spectator and subscribe to Tanzer. |