Velt.1 Grüner Veltliner '07

Country: Austria
Thoughts: Just prior to the Oregon trip, I came across multiple references to some wine called Gruner Veltliner (and I'm sorry I can't recreate the umlaut in the text here). I think I saw one in an article somewhere, another was a selection on a wine list that I didn't get to. The name kind of stuck in my head, and I meant to look for some in Oregon but didn't get the chance. Once we returned - I and my suitcase, my wife and her cold - I had to do a lot of dinner purchasing for the following week. One night, after a mix-up in communication, I was left waiting while our order was prepared; I took a walk two doors down to Whole Foods. After perusing the regular wine area, I went to a nearby row with all their specials. There, at last, was the wine I'd been reading so much about. Ever-helpful Wiki says that it's a grape that doesn't grow anywhere beyond Austria and the Czech Republic - not exactly Burgundy and Napa. And, in truth, the wine didn't disappoint; you know how I hate building up unfounded hype in my own head. But this wine seemed to have different characteristics of more well-known wines all rolled into one. It had a bit of chard taste to it and there was some definite sauv grassiness to it. The first whiff included a small hint of fruit but mostly there was a burnt smell to it; not in an obnoxious way, mind you, but enough that it had a distinct bouquet. On the tongue, that burnt quality morphed slightly; instead of burnt, it was a peculiar kind of dry. But the smell and taste were close enough (if, in fact, you can really establish those two as a pair) that they seemed to be relates. It almost seemed like I was tasting a little dirt - and I mean that in the most kind way possible. It was like sauv that way, only more intense; the earthiness of the sauv to the fifth degree. It was laid back otherwise, perhaps with a bit of fruitiness, again in a similar proportion as the nose was. The finish was long and strong, going from a brief dryness to a honey that held on. It was an interesting wine in that the best word I could find for it was savory, as in that there was little sweetness per se to be had. Like an anti-pinot grigio. Yet it was a very compelling wine and the radical departure from what I'm used to gives it a high score on the adventure scale. And it's a great value, too.
Do-over? I could definitely see that
Final Grade: B+

di Lenardo Pinot Grigio '07

Country: Italy
Thoughts: Like the last batch of posts, this one comes a few days late as well. These wines were all sampled in Oregon; I've gone over some of the reasons we didn't get to them earlier. This time, there's less of an excuse other than sheer tiredness; that's a long time in the plane from Portland to Phoenix and back to D.C. But now that we're back to a normal schedule, I anticipate more timely updates going forward. So di Lenardo... I gotta be honest, I tried this but I really didn't want to. I don't know if I'm bored with pinots or what; maybe I'm just cranky. Or maybe it's because it's been coming up on two months since I had a good one. Or maybe I just know what to expect... hell, I don't know. But this one did little to reverse the trend, though I freely admit it may have been partly my fault. This one came across as less fruity than I would have expected; it almost seemed dry. I should note I tried this at a family lunch and, having not had caffeine, I guzzled some Coke before the wine arrived. I thought I had adequately cleansed the palate, but that may not have been the case. Suffice it to say this wine didn't excite me either, but I'm willing to withhold judgment until I get a more reliable sampling. If I can find it on the east coast, great; if not, it may have to wait until summer when we return to Oregon.
Do-over? TBD
Final Grade: Incomplete

Chateau Haut Rian '07

Country: France

Thoughts: I'd had great success in the one wine I tried whose name sounded pretty close to a much more famous brand. I thought this one might wind up in the same classification; Haut Rian does sound a lot like Haut Brion, no? Instead, I think I just got a poor knockoff. OK, maybe that's a bit harsh, as this wine was eminently drinkable; but it wasn't the smashing success like the Haut-Belian was. This Bordeaux had elements of chardonnay and sauvignon blanc; the nose was lemony - now that is a new one for me - and slightly grassy as we might expect with a sauv. The taste was what one would expect from chard with another light dose of grassiness as well as some lemon. I didn't record any kind of finish in my notes, so I'll take it was unremarkable and add that as another strike. (I just must be in a foul mood.) So that's it in a nutshell: Drinkable? Yes. Exciteable? No.

Do-over? Meh

Final Grade: B-

Hedges Red Mountain '04

Country: USA

Region: Washington

Thoughts: I've always had pretty good luck with white blends - hell, even the one red blend I tried - I'm willing to give most of them a go. I wasn't quite sure what to expect with this, since I have little experience with cab and none with merlot (though that has since changed). Thankfully, I was delighted. The nose was fresh and inviting, the taste sturdy yet smooth. My perennial fear with reds is that I'll have to force down a few swallows of overly tannic wine, like I'm drinking cold liquid metal. That wasn't the case here; the tannins made themselves known, certainly, but they weren't overbearing. The finish was surprisingly crisp and light, something I'd expect from a white. It was a solid, solid drink and definitely a do-over - if I rated that sort of thing with reds. But I don't. At least not until I know what the hell I'm talking about.
Ingredients: 62 percent merlot, 33 percent cabernet sauvignon, 3 percent cabernet franc, 2 percent petit verdot

Do-over? N/A

Final Grade: N/A

Barnard & Griffin Fume Blanc '06

Country: USA

Region: Washington

Thoughts: I've had good experiences in the past with fume blanc; unfortunately, this wasn't one of them. The wine itself was fine; I have no qualms with it by itself. But my issue was that it is what it is, and it scored exceptionally low on the adventure scale. The nose hinted of the dryness; there was almost a sheen to it, if that's possible to deduce from merely smelling the thing. The taste was solid too, but very one-dimensional. The dryness wasn't as severe as the nose would have indicated. And to top it off, there was no finish to speak of. That may have been my biggest bone of contention. I mean, when you try a wine, there should be a payoff; the nose should get a workout, the mind should get a workout - from detecting all the flavors that dance around the tongue - and the pleasure center in the brain should get a workout too, from the finish and taking in the body of work. This, though a perfectly acceptable wine on most fronts, failed in most of those endeavors. Hence the low grade.

Do-over? Doubtful

Final Grade: C+

Educated Guess Cabernet Sauvignon '06

Country: USA

Region: Napa

Thoughts: As my father-in-law and I decided to give this one a whirl, I got a quick history lesson. Apparently it was cabs that put Napa on the map in the first place; so, really, how could I go wrong with such a wine? And, luckily, I didn't. The nose was big and loud, almost minty, but you could tell that it was a powerful deal from the start - though I think most cabs have that characteristic. I've had the occasional cab in the past and found that too much tannin was a turn-off for me; thankfully, this didn't have it. It tasted powerful but also restrained, and not overly aggressive. The acidity was high, but it faded to a nice, smooth finish. I don't know how much it costs for a bottle. But if it weren't terribly expensive, I could see myself growing to enjoy glass after glass of this wine.

Do-over? N/A

Final Grade: N/A

Andeluna Torrontes '07

Country: Argentina

Thoughts: Like the writeups below this, this review is also a day late. However, I have a much better excuse; the room where the computer is at my in-laws' house also now doubles as a nursery for my young nephew, Drake. See, Drake's been feeling under the weather lately; he's not been sleeping much and coughing a bit. So I've done my best to keep this room free and clear so he can get his necessary rest. At his mom's urging, I'm writing now with Drake in the room - and contentedly talking to himself - and she's certain he'll nod off soon. In the meantime, I'll ask him just how I should write this. Or maybe not, since he's just dozed off; I'm on my own. For this wine, in short, the promise that the nose held didn't match up with the taste. I went with the torrontes since I'd seen it pop up in several things I've read lately. The bouquet was very refreshing and very floral; I can honestly say it was among the best I've had. But on the tongue, it was dry and crisp with some lemon notes, but that seemed to be pretty much it. The finish was long and delightful too, but I just wish there was something more substantive in the middle. With a bit more adventure in the taste, I could easily see this being a Grade-A wine. But, be that as it may...

Do-over? Yeah, I could do it again

Final Grade: B+

BV Coastal Estates Chardonnay '07

Country: USA
Region: California
Thoughts: I owe an apology to you, all three of my readers. This wine was tried some time ago - on the night of the Super Bowl, actually - but in trying to get ready for our pending Oregon trip (where this is being written from), actually posting these reviews slipped through the cracks. I can only think of a handful of times when something like this has happened before, and certainly never to this extent. You'll have a better effort from me in the future, I promise. So this wine falls into the most tested class of our little experiment, California chardonnays. It just seems like they're so prevalent whenever I visit the wine store. But we press on... this one had a very light nose, but had interesting hints of vanilla, strange though that may be. Generally it was smoother than most and had a bit of butter - ugh - at the end, but it wasn't horribly overpowering. Despite all of that, it ranked among the better chards we've tried, particularly among those from the Golden State.
Do-over? I could go either way
Final Grade: B

Ruffino Orvieto Classico '07

Country: Italy

Thoughts: Digging into the archives, we had a great experience with an Orvieto Classico back when my in-laws came to visit us. Now, on the eve of going to visit them - and yes, this one is being posted way late too - we went for another one, and this one was a much different experience. The wine may have been too cold when we tried it; at any rate, the characteristics of the nose were quite difficult to discern. On the tongue, the wine was a one-trick pony; as wonderful as that trick was, it was hard to get over that it was the only thing it had going for it. The wine was unusual in that the honey notes were evident from start to finish; the intensity picked up on the finish. So while that made for a wonderful tasting wine, I was hoping for something beyond merely the honey. So, in this instance, I'll take the former version over the latter version.

Do-over? It was a good drink, but doubtful

Final Grade: B