Alan’s October 25, 2008 Vintages Release Tasting Notes

13417 BERTANI AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA VALPANTENA 2004 $56.95
Lots of freshly polished shoe leather, spice and Maraschino cherry notes followed by a layer of dried herbs, dark chocolate, roasted almond and cola. Its mouth feel is thick and rich, it is well balanced, save for the bitter chocolate tannins that linger on the finish. Find this wine

85340 GAMBA GNIREGA AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO LE QUARE 2004 $50.95
This fruit forward Amarone composed of Corvina 50%, Corvinone 30%, Rondinella 10%, Molinara 5% and Croatina 5% shows layers of blueberry and blackberry coulis spiced with fennel seed, thyme and milk chocolate. It is balanced and creamy on the palate, but the finish quickly departs. Find this wine
 

81778 RONCOLATO AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA 2005 $43.95
A polished wine showing traces of mahogany, thyme flowers, tree branch, dark cherry, cherry cola, nutmeg and root beer. Even more spice flavours open up on the palate, notably cinnamon and mace, which mix with the red fruit, red licorice and chocolate. It is a big heady wine, the 16.5 degrees of alcohol is discernable on the finish, but there are plenty of refreshing acids to keep it interesting. One of the better priced Amarones of the release.
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81943 TEZZA CORTE MAJOLI AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA 2003 $38.95
There is a malty, almost malt vinegar note that lies behind the main stream of black fruit aromas. It also shows briny seaweed like notes with black olive, Dutch salt licorice and rosemary. The palate has black berry and blueberry fruit notes with toffee, star anise, dried herb bundles and dark toast. It is a most interesting wine and well priced. Find this wine

356220 TOMMASI AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO 2004 $52.95
Here goes, an earthy mineral laden Amarone that also shows floral notes backed up by notes of tar, lavender, licorice, mace, pepper, coal dust black fruit, cardamom and Garam Masala. It is really tightly wound on the palate, yet it seems well balanced, the lengthy finish offers, dark chocolate, pure black fruit, spice and enough powdery tannin to let it rest for years. Find this wine

413179 ZENATO AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO 2004 $52.95
Lots of stewed fruit, plum, balsa, damson and Szechwan pepper notes on the nose. The palate has much to offer in the form of dark fruit, toffee, red medicinal candy, a layer of sweet red fruit and milk chocolate. The tannins are starting to integrate, there is some heat to the finish, and it needs a little time. Find this wine
 

84053 TEZZA MA ROAT VALPOLICELLA RIPASSO 2005 $17.95
Pure black fruit, blueberry intermingles with floral notes, hay, sweet spice and bitter sweet chocolate. The balanced palate shows off the black fruit along with red cherry, good acidity and dusty cocoa. The finish is clean, simple and tasty. Find this wine

84061 TEZZA CORTE MAJOLI VALPOLICELLA SUPERIORE 2003 $19.95
A nose that reminds at first of Ruby port with hints of black fruit, raspberry, dark chocolate, balsa, sweet Moroccan spice and licorice root. The palate is medium bodied and although the alcohol is a mere 13.5, it has the feel of being higher. Not a big finish, but a tasty one nonetheless. Find this wine

84079 CAMPAGNOLA RECIOTTO DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO 2006 Casotto del Merlo, Piedmont $33.95 (500 ml)
Liquid Black Forest torte in a glass, featuring aromas of kirsch, black cherry, vanilla and dark chocolate that show wonderful concentration in the glass. It carries a similar palate with a handful of blackcurrant and dusty cocoa thrown into the finish. Beautifully balanced and ready to enjoy. Find this wine

Some wines from the “Party Starters” section of the release.

681247 FLAT ROCK CELLARS CHARDONNAY 2006, Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, $16.95
Cooked pear, vanilla and ultra ripe apple aromas turn to melon and green fruit on the palate. There are lots of tart citrus notes on the finish. A great wine for shellfish. Find this wine

295055 FERRARI-CARANO CHARDONNAY 2005 Alexander Valley, California $38.95
This gutsy rendition of Chardonnay is loaded with guava, butterscotch, spice and pineapple acid that nicely tames the creamy oak. The palate is tasty, quite spicy, well balanced and full bodied. Delicate is not a word that describes this wine. Find this wine

77883 TWO HANDS LUCKY COUNTRY SHIRAZ 2006 $17.95 Barossa Valley, South Australia
Starting out with floral and violet notes, this wine quickly opens to show layers of black pepper, mace, cinnamon and plenty of dark berry fruit. It is toasty, full bodied, has lively fruit on the palate and a long well balanced finish of rich fruit and creamy chocolate. Find this wine

84624 DOMAINE CAUVARD BEAUNE CENT VIGNES 2005 1er Cru Burgundy, France $43.95
Swirling the glass reveals some floral notes along with red fruit and lavender. It is disappointingly light on the palate, there is evidence of red berry, but the finish is nondescript. Find this wine

Regular release

76307 SANTA EMA AMPLUS CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2005 Cachapoal Valley, Chile $22.95
A well balanced wine offering traces of vanilla, layers of nicely ripened blackcurrant, plumy fruit, plenty of spicy tones and a lengthy finish. It is tight with tannin right now, but that will change. The degree of fruit lurking beneath is solid. Find this wine

991950 KIM CRAWFORD UNOAKED CHARDONNAY 2007 Marlborough, South Island, NZ $19.95
A fruit driven nose of mango, kiwi and pineapple that turns a little sweet on the palate. It is clean, has good acidity, but the sweetness does take control. Find this wine

77875 EDWARD SELLERS VERTIGO 2005 Paso Robles, California $39.95
Interesting to say the least, this wine shows great structure with plenty of gutsy fruit, almost sixteen degrees of alcohol and just enough acidity to balance. It is a mix of 70 percent Grenache, 17 percent Mourvedre and 13 percent Syrah. It's surprisingly well balanced, given the high level of alcohol. There are some earthy, slate aromas that blend well with the rich structure; it is full of dark and juicy fruit on the palate along with plenty of spice and the right amount of oak. A bit clumsy right now, but it will be very tasty once the dusty tannins move on assuming the alcohol does become the principal component. Find this wine

520213 CHÂTEAU DE MEURSAULT MEURSAULT 2005, Burgundy, France $56.95
Wet stones and mineral challenge the sweet pear and butter cup aromas. It carries flavours of kiwi, pear, apples and the mineral through to the finish. It is low acid, really tasty and it finishes clean and long. Find this wine
 

735407 CHÂTEAU LA NERTHE CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE 2005 $59.95
A darkly robed wine giving off leathery aromas with a twist of white pepper, mineral, black fruit, cassis and star anise. It shows great balance, some tannin, but plenty of black cherry and plum flavours. Give it some time and it should be a killer. Find this wine

606194 Bolgheri LE SERRE NUOVE DELL'ORNELLAIA, Tuscany 2006 $59.95
This blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot has a creamy nose of popcorn, vanilla, pea shoots, sweet dark fruit and bitter sweet chocolate. The palate is very tight, yet lurking below there is layer after layer of pure black fruit, spice and chocolate. Wow. Find this wine

80614 GRAND' ARTE ALICANTE BOUSCHET 2005 Vinho Regional Estremadura, Portugal $14.95
This purple almost black glass of wine has a nose of tar, floral and it is packed with pure dark fruit. The palate is full, sweet, has plenty of lively acids and features, damson, blueberry, plum and bitter chocolate. This is a lot of wine for less than fifteen bucks. Find this wine

Cheers
CZ

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