Soave La Cappuccina '07

Country: Italy
Thoughts: Bob, my father-in-law, seemed excited for me to try this Italian. It's not one I've heard of, but the back label said it was made of 100 percent garganega. Wiki says the grape can produce lemon, almond and spicy notes; I can't specifically remember any of those, but the nose was interesting in a floral sense. Like our other wine tonight, it had hints of oakiness - though not nearly as prominent as the viognier - and was also mellow and dry. The finish exacerbated the dryness, giving it a spritely feel as it went down the hatch. It was an interesting drink and it reminded me of a more hardy sort of chardonnay. At any rate, it was a good sipping wine and was easily enjoyable as the night closed by watching Boise State close out Hawaii.
Do-over? Yeah, I would say so
Final Grade: B+

Fess Parker Viognier '06

Country: USA
Region: California
Thoughts: It seems like time and again, I hit on the same varietals - chard, pinot grigio and maybe a couple others. Viognier's peen pretty under represented; this makes only the fourth one I've had in our grand experiment. Perhaps there's a reason for it: None of them have scored terribly high. But, always one to get back on the horse, we pushed forward with the Fess Parker offering, served up the by the folks at Restaurant 3. (Truth be told, our first option, a pinot blanc from Alsace, was sold out.) This was my father-in-law's pick, and it went nicely with the wonderful food at R3. In the nose and in taste, it had a defining oaky characteristic, not unlike one would expect to find with certain chardonnays. It certainly changed the wine profile on a larger scale, I thought; the oakiness helped make it a little more low key - mellow seemed too strong a description - with an underriding dryness. It was an excellent wine to sip, and made dinner and conversation all the more enjoyable.
Do-over? So far, it's the best of the viogniers, so yes
Final Grade: B+

Val do Sosego Albarino

Country: Spain
Thoughts: Once again, I'm honored to have a guest: It's my mother-in-law, Chris, who gamely volunteered to be part of the blog. She's holding a bottle of our latest Albarino, which didn't seem to show any vintage. Usually that's a concern, but I had remembered having a good experience with albarino in the past (though, as usual, my memory was a little hazy). Still, I rushed headlong into the albarino, expecting good things; I was only mildly disappointed. The nose was entirely too grapy, like I was burying my nose into a quart of Welch's. Eventually the nose tilted toward floral, after my nostrils had flown the white surrender flag. The taste was fairly crisp and was reminiscent of a light chard; a light, sparkly finish completed the drink. Though this one won't rate high (and neither did the last one, if you clicked the link), I continue to see promise in albarino. I'm confident that one day, I'll find one that blows me away.
Do-over? Not unless this becomes the high-water mark in my quest for stunning albarino

Final Grade: B-

Chateau St. Jean Cabernet Sauvignon '06

Country: USA
Region: California
Thoughts: OK, so it doesn't take a sommelier to know that I've departed from the norm here; I just want everyone to know that I try to keep an open mind about all wine. Yes, the secret is out: I tried a red. Oh, I've tried them before, but I've yet to find one that interests me enough to come back for more. So with my in-laws (wine-savvy in-laws at that) in for a visit, they tried this cab and pronounced it to be a good value and an excellent wine. I even had a bit myself, and tried the same process by which I've evaluated every wine on here. I only had a tiny bit; the nose was non-existent to me, though that very well could have been different with a full glass. The little nose I did get was musty, like an attic that hasn't been visited in more than a year. On the tongue, it was everything that had kept me from becoming a true believer in reds: sharp with a buttery aftertaste. I found zero complexity - again, possibly owing to my complete lack of experience - and a hard-edged, single flavor to it. I may yet stumble across a red that I can tolerate; but if this one - a wine hailed by people I trust - didn't do it for me, it's hard to imagine that there's one that will.
Do-over? N/A

Final Grade:N/A

3 Blind Moose Pinot Grigio '07

Country: USA
Region: California
Thoughts: I should have studied the label a little better. Instead, the humorous drawing caught my attention; dammit, when will I learn to not be influenced solely by the catchiness of the name? Anyway, the location on the label simply read California; even with most of the other California wines I've had on here, a more distinct location was noted: Sonoma County, Lake County, Mendocino County. Per AVA rules, a wine that lists a location must use a certain percentage of grapes from that location (say, 80 percent or so, possibly higher). California isn't an AVA by itself, of course; instead, one can assume that 3 Blind Moose gets its grapes from a number of sources around the state. From what I've read, this should be a warning sign of a lesser-quality wine; by using such a large assortment of grapes from heaven knows where, the characteristics of a region's vineyards - the terroir - is lost. I don't think I'm at that point yet, but I want to be able to see what's the difference between a Napa pinot and an Oregon pinot. By casting a net so wide, 3BM can't tell me that. And really, it showed up in the wine too; you all know my affection for pinot grigio, but the 3BM was wholly bland. The nose was light and indiscernible after just a few sips; the taste was lightly cirtusy with no depth or complexity. It was disappointing, but I should've known what I was getting myself into...
Do-over? No chance

Final Grade: C-

Barboursville Virginia Chardonnay '06

Country: USA
Region: Virginia
Thoughts: In the past, we've had limited success with East Coast wines; the lone Virginia wine was less than a success. But I was willing to come back and try Virginia again, since Barboursville was the lone state winery represented in a massive Wine Spectator grading issue I had from several months back. The lesson being, for me anyway, is that if Wine Spectator judges it good enough to review, your damn right it's good enough for me to try. And I'm glad I did. Short of the Stags Leap, this was one of the best chards we've had the pleasure of trying. I remember the Picket Fence being strong and likeable, but I have to think this is even stronger. It was mellow, unoaked, and thoroughly enjoyable. It was crisp and dry, yet altogether drinkable. Really, it's hard to describe; other than to say that my wife - with a distinct West Coast bias - proclaimed it to be really good. We don't throw around A's very often, but this is most certainly in the discussion.
Do-over? Absolutely

Final Grade: A-

Trinchero Mary's Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc '05

Country: USA
Region: Napa
Thoughts: I knew this one was going to be interesting from the get-go. I opened the bottle and, with the cork a foot away from my nose, I caught a whiff of what the wine had in store. As I sat on the La-Z-Boy and contemplated football, life and wine, I had the glass better than two feet from my nose. From time to time, I got a whiff. So I knew the bouquet was going to be loud, and it didn't disappoint when I stuck my nose in the glass. Yet it was a mild nose; the sweetness that I caught from so far away was readily apparent. That sweetness held up in the taste; really, it was nothing like the typical sauvignon blanc: no earthiness, no minerality in any aspect of the wine. Instead, it was sweet that turned drier as the glass got emptier. Still, it was a rather enjoyable wine, and I had absolutely no problem going back for a second glass.
Do-over? When I'm looking for a different kind of sauvignon blanc
Final Grade: B+