2004 Anselmi, Capitel Foscarino:
Mineral driven, 100% garganega from the Soave region, this is clean, ripe and bright with good depth of flavor and nice length. Beautiful with tomato and mozzarella salad. Imported by Palm Bay Imports and about $17; I’d buy it again at that price.

2002 Barthod, Bourgogne Les Bon Bâtons:
Very silky wine that is still showing young and fresh and maybe a little closed; but charming, dry, fruit driven Burgundy that has good length and went well will mushroom pasta. Imported by Rosenthal and about $22; I’d buy it again at that price.

2005 Dom. Vissoux, Fleurie Poncie:
My benchmark for this vintage in Fleurie and the Beaujolais from this vintage I most enjoy; very rich and full with some floral notes in the nose and excellent depth on the palate. I heard someone say this was sweet but I can’t find that; I do get lots of dry extract and a ripe flavor profile but I also get nuance and breed – I just adore this wine. Marvelous with (or without) assorted cheeses. Imported by Weygandt-Metzler and about $20; as good a twenty dollar wine as I’ve ever had.

2004 Bruno Giacosa, Nebbiolo d’Alba:
I have written a number of notes on this wine; suffice it to say that it is a balanced, lighter weight nebbiolo that is ripe and has good length. It is however, starting to close down as the tannins become more prominent and the fruit recedes. Give it a couple of years in the cellar and it should be wonderful. Excellent with pasta with olive tapenade. Imported by Lascascio/Winebow and about $25; I’ll buy more this evening.

1993 Sullivan, Merlot:
Tannic, candied oak juice with VA. Tried on successive nights. Garbage. About $45 on release; DNPIM.

2005 Domaine Chignard, Fleurie Les Moriers:
Beautiful, authentic Fleurie. Tried on successive nights and its smoother, rounder and more complete on day two. Stunning, stunning juice. Imported by Kermit Lynch and about $21; I bought a lot.

2002 Clos de la Roilette (Coudert), Fleurie:
Hard and miserly on day one but still black fruit tasty. On day two, a strongly flavored, tannic wine that leans toward Fleurie aromas and flavors but gives more than a passing glance to Corton. Interesting, if atypical wine that I will enjoy following for the many years it has left in the cellar. Imported by Louis/Dressner and about $15 on release; I’d certainly buy it again.

2005 Drouhin, Bourgogne Laforet:
Thin Burgundy under screw top; nothing bad about it but nothing to get excited about. Imported by Dreyfus and Ashby and about $10; I won’t buy it again. And yet . . .
On day three, this gained weight and viscosity and was really very enjoyable. ‘Never a world record but not bad at all. Judgment reservesd.

2005 Cavalchina, Bardolina:
Plummy, light-weight wine with some structure and lots of up-front fruit. Yummy with pasta with veggies. Imported by Vin Divino, 12.5% alcohol and about $12; I’d buy it again.

2003 Dom. Ogereau, Anjou Villages:
If you want to try Dalla Valle, Maya, for about $16, this is the wine for you. But if you want Anjou, this is crap. Its 14.5% alcohol, huge, tannic but, thankfully, not over oaked; a milk-shake of a wine with all sorts of umph and gusto and power and . . . there is just nothing here that is remotely authentic. Some druggie’s rendition of Anjou. Imported by Jon-David Headrick and about $16; no way I’d ever touch this stuff again.

2005 Jean-Pierre et Jean-François, Chignin Anne de la Biguerne:
Vin de Savoie at 12% alcohol; cooked pineapple, flowers and tonic water nose that gives the impression its surrounded by fresh air; the same flavors in the mouth with a pleasant tang, fine concentration, lovely balance and good cut; long, fresh finish. An excellent pairing. Imported by Charles Neal Selection and about $10; maybe the best $10 bottle of wine I ever had.

2002 Allemand, Cornas:
The first two bottles of this I had were not inspiring - this one was terrific; lightly smoky on the nose with a complex, olive, dark fruit and meat tone profile; harmonious and grippy in the mouth with flavors that follow and expand upon the nose, good flesh, nice balance and length. My impression is more Chaillot then Reynard and even if this isn’t for long term aging, what a joy to have a 12.5%, authentic Cornas, ready now. Another excellent pairing. Imported by Chelsea Ventures and about $35; I’d buy it again.

2001 Zenato, Amarone (375 ml):
While I applaud the format, this was rather unremarkable Amarone; not oxidized or out of balance it had relatively pleasant milk chocolate and fruit cake spice tones mixed with solid black and red fruit, 16% alcohol, texturally smooth, balanced and fair length. Not much “there” there but still a decent pairing. Imported by Locascio and about $25; I’ll not buy it again

1995 Clos de la Coulée de Serant, Savennières Moelleux:
Made only twice and then in very small quantities this is 14% alcohol, burnished copper colored chenin blanc; smelling of stones and cooked sugar; tasting like lightly sweetened, very concentrated quince paste and displaying a texture of satin, this is extraordinary juice; acidic with good cut across the entire palate and finish, a depth of flavor that runs a subtle range of flavors that are almost impossible to describe, and, precise balance that at once makes me feel that this is bigger wine than it really is and still makes my mouth water on the finish. Aside from its scarcity, a pretty remarkable bottle. Enjoyed with sushi with wasabi dipping sauce, this was great counter-point. With sheep’s-milk cheese after, very smooth accompaniment. Imported by Paterno Imports and about $60 on release; there is so little of it made that I will never find it again – if I did, I’d buy all I could carry. Thanks Mark.

2002 V. Dauvissat, Chablis: Closed in the first hour and not especially pleasant; thereafter, quintessential Chablis with that lemon-drop, high tension brightness, good depth and plenty of sustain. Damn good wine that needs a couple years. Imported by Vineyard Brands and about $25; if I could find more at that price, I’d buy alot.

2005 Giacosa, Dolcetto d’Alba:
Fruity, relatively complex wine that is true to its variety and place and displays more than the typical dolcetto. Still, docetto is simply not my thing – too much fruit (I know, that sounds odd but that’s about the best I can do.) Imported by Loscascio and about $17; I’ll not buy it again.

2005 Dom. du Clos du Fief (Michel Tete), Juliénas:
Deep, silken textured juice that is at once bright and broad, delineated and integrated, fat and full of cut and very, very long. As good as the appellation produces in a vintage to remember. Imported by Louis/Dressner and about $18; I have already bought a case and will go back for more.

2004 Giacosa, Barbera d’Alba:
I tasted this recently and can truthfully say it’s the only barbera I ever liked. I had to try it again and it was every bit as good this time as last. I think this could use a couple years in the cellar to be ‘at peak’ but it is quite delicious now. Imported by Locascio and about $24 (I may have quoted a lower price in my first note – I was wrong); I will buy this in quantity.

2001 Edmunds St. John, Los Robles Viejos:
A CdP blend from Paso; at first, both the nose and palate are a bit hard but everything opens up over the course of a meal to reveal the very best in these kind of blends; great flavors and aromas, supple textures, lots of complexity, a fine, long finish and, perhaps its greatest attribute, a simply fabulous food wine. Good now, better later. About $25 and I bought a bunch.

1996 Pertinace, Langhe:
70% nebbiolo, 15% barbera, 15% cabernet sauvignon, 13% alcohol, nine months in French oak and about $16, on sale; its juicy, balanced, texturally smooth, has some grip, is not over-wooded and is pretty long . . . but the mix just doesn’t work for me. Maybe this is someone’s idea of what a “super-Piedmont” wine should be but it seems compressed, a bit musky and like the top-end has been lopped off the nebbiolo both on the nose and palate. Certainly not a bad wine and good accompaniment to pizza, but less than the sum of its parts and I wouldn’t spend the money again.

2004 Giacosa, Nebbiolo d’Alba Valmaggiore:
The freshest, just picked, red cherries – ripe, firm, pure, juicy and bursting with scent and flavor – for me, referencing moments when I was young and I helped my Mom cook a cherry pie from fruit we had just picked. Glorious, beyond words, lots of life in the cellar and about $30; I’d buy this again and again and again . . . (and did).

2004 Descendientes de J. Palacios, Bierzo Pétalos:
This is made of mencia, a variety that, I am told, is indigenous to the region; 13.5% alcohol; relatively straight-forward on the nose with red fruit and earth scents; much more intricate and layered on the palate and the texture is velvety; long, powerful finish. A balanced, plush rendition of the grape that is very easy to drink and, being the low-end bottling, it avoids the over-oaking that is often seen in more expensive wines from this area. About $16; I would buy it again.

2005 Quenard, Chignin Anne de la Biguerne:
12% alcohol and woven of gossamer. Stellar with smoked trout in endive. Terrific wine at about $10; buy again, many times.

1999 Chateau de Fonsalette, Syrah Reserve:
All terroir on the nose with earth, olive and mushroom accenting bright red fruit; deep and somewhat closed on the palate with flavors that echo the nose and come across as full but without great weight, balanced and clean; long, grippy finish. At 14%, showing none of its alcohol. Delicious with sausage with fennel and onions, butternut squash with fried sage and assorted sautéed mushrooms. Price unknown.

1998 Cantina del Pino, Barbaresco:
This has “younged up” from my last bottle and shows as would a young, well-made Barbaresco from a fine producer; its rich yet grippy, pure but nuanced and still, its only a child; long, slightly drying finish. Fabulous wine before its time. Hold. About $35 on release; I’d pay that again.

2004 Anselmi, Capitel Foscarino:
Garganega from a hillside vineyard in Soave at 13% alcohol; honeyed pear on the nose with mineral and rushing water accents; tangy on the palate with bright flavors that echo the nose, ripe almost fat, complex, juicy and perfect balance; medium finish that is crisp and crystal clear. If I could find 375’s of this, I’d buy them all, because if we open a 750, I won’t stop ‘til it’s empty. Soulful, life-affirming wine imported by Palm Bay Imports and about $16; I bought a lot.

2004 Zind-Humbrecht, Riesling:
A pungent pineapple, lime skin and mineral nose leads to a tangy, strongly flavored palate with viscosity, concentration, some cooked flavors and good balance; short finish; 12% alcohol. With food the tang moderates and the finish lengthens. I like this but in small doses; it will never replace Trimbach’s entry level riesling. Imported by Kermit Lynch and about $17; no more for me, thanks.

With Diane’s Cesar salad with grilled chicken:
2004 A. et P. de Villaine, Bourgogne Les Clous:
The website says that this is from old vines grown on mostly limestone on a south facing slope and should be aged a minimum of 5-7 years; vin de garde is the term they use; the label reports that its from the Côte Chalonnaise and that its 12.5% alcohol; the price tag notes that it costs about $20; and, I can tell you that this is the most impressive non-Chablis chardonnay I have had in a very long time; wonderful chardonnay, citrus and mineral scents; lovely, mid-weight but very intense and clear chardonnay fruit on the palate with terrific cut, a wonderful sense of the earth and tightly wrapped layers of flavor; excellent length and minerality on the finish. This is one of the times when I believe the maker; let it sit. There is an entire world of nuance and flavor wrapped up in this wine and it has sufficient structure to last and develop for many years. But if you happen to be in the mood for a very stony white with, say, your chicken Cesar, this is a great choice. I will buy this again in virtually any vintage at this price.
Wow!

2002 Baumard, Savennières:
Beginning to open to show more depth of fruit with quince, citrus and mineral scents and flavors, medium weight, very clean delivery and good balance. Very good accompaniment to smoked trout spread. About $20; I’d buy it again.

1998 Flowers, Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast:
A fruit driven pinot from anywhere – but, to its credit, gentle on the oak, concentrated without being extractive and 13.9% alcohol. This has the balance and strength to age awhile and may be the better for it. Good with a pasta and olive dish. About $44, on release; I’d not pay that again.

2002 Dom. Les Fines Graves (Jacky Janodet), Moulin à Vent:
13% and $13; lucky numbers. Black fruit, bar-b-q sauce, mineral and light smoke tones on the nose; the same on the palate but with greater emphasis on dark fruit, almost no sauce elements and a pleasant, almost refreshing minerality; good balance and sustain. I love wines that can be aged but show well even when they are not at peak – this is one. I’d buy it again.

1994 DeLille Cellars, Chaleur Estate:
A blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc that sees 100% new French oak for 20 months and comes out at 14%. Solid, elegant blackberry fruit obscured by lots of dill-oak. A winemaking error compounded by a $55 price tag at release; no way in the world I buy this again, at any price.

1995 DeLille Cellars, Chaleur Estate:
13.8% alcohol, about 200% better wine than the ’94 with layered fruit flavors, satin textures and real depth but still too much dill/oak. Same mistake, same price, same comments. What a waste.

2002 Overnoy/Houillon, Arbois Pupillin:
A gift to myself after the preceding travesties; fantastic earthy nose with nuance and character; more fruit on the palate but still lots of lightweight complexity and character with great balance and sustain. A wonderful, authentic, wine that goes well with pasta and veggies and, more importantly, makes me forget just how bad Washington cabernet can be. About $23 and I would buy it again, many times over.

2002 Martinsancho, Rueda:
Spicy, clean, focused and long; lovely with appetizers. Drink now.

2000 Thomas, Pinot Noir:
Youthful with a substantial salty-mineral element on the nose and palate, crisp acidity, elegant fruit, good length. Good now but, likely, better later.

2002 Dom. Chantemerle (Boudin), Chablis Fourchaume:
Viscous but delineated, layered but integrated, intense without being overdone; and utterly Chablis. All the paradoxes and balance of a great wine in its youth.

N/V Zardetto, Proseco:
Light, barely sweet and zesty, medium bead, good acidity, and terrific with sweet potato soup.

2002 Terres Dorees (Brun), Beaujolais L’Ancien VV:
Like it was bottled yesterday with no hint of reduction and plenty of acidity. Solid but showing young. Hold.

2004 Dom. Pepière (Ollivier), Muscadet Clos des Briords VV:
Clean, precise, perfumed and mouth-watering; like drinking from a mountain stream. As it warms, it takes on more character and depth but retains focus. Still showing very young but surely one of the finest white wines I have had in some time. Breathtaking.

2004 Pepière, Muscadet:
As usual, refreshing, delicious and gone too quickly. About $9; I’d buy it again.

2002 Overnoy/Houillon, Arbois Pupillon:
Slightly orange at the rim; wild strawberry, mineral, orange skin on the nose; light in the mouth with flavors that follow the nose, some flesh, bright acids and beautiful balance; medium length, intense finish. 12.5% alcohol and “nothin’ but net.” Superb. I’d definitely buy it again at $23.

2004 Terres Dorées (Brun), Fleurie:
Fresh raspberries dominate the nose; more diverse on the palate with red raspberry, mineral, red cherry flavors that have depth but come across light and lacy, good grip, silken texture and perfect balance; long, finish that tastes like I just ate a spoonful of fresh raspberries. This is glorious stuff; 12% alcohol and in no danger of falling off – but I can’t possibly avoid drinking another ASAP. The best $19 wine in the history of the world, the galaxy and the universe; if only it were still in the market. And with grilled chicken with potato, mushroom and escarole hash, just plain out of this world.

1999 Juge, Cornas Cuvée C:
The lighter side of the appellation with underbrush, black olive and red fruit elements on the nose; medium weight, a very alluring complexity as the elements of the nose expand into layers of earthy flavor, solid acidity and lovely balance; medium length finish. A wine of finesse and detail with an almost hidden structure. And maybe just a little closed, right now, as this has a sneaky concentration. If I could find it again at the $35 I paid, I’d buy a lot. ‘Wonderful with olive bread, toasted cheese sandwiches and a chunky, broth-based tomato soup.

2004 Descendants de J. Palacious, Bierzo Pétalos:
Smells like a tannic cabernet franc (but without any herbaceous quality); rich in the mouth with black fruit flavors, some earth tones and a good shot of tannin; medium length, somewhat tannic finish. Shows youthful and undeveloped but with good fruit and structure and I like the flavor profile. About $16, and could use a couple years in the cellar.

2000 Nikolaihof, Riesling Smaragd Im Weingebirge:
Expansive pineapple-ginger nose with lots of stone/mineral scents but no petrol tones; also expansive in the mouth with a juicy acidic backbone, good depth, some nuance and excellent balance; medium length, mouthwatering finish. A wine of power and finesse in its toddler years. 12.5% alcohol and about $35, on release.

1998 Hamacher, Pinot Noir:
Developed pinot nose with soy, earth, underbrush and red fruit; younger on the palate with medium weight, solid acids, flavors that follow the nose, pretty nuance and good balance; medium length, strongly flavored finish. A wine of finesse and backbone; not anywhere near its peak but charming and interesting, at the moment. About 13% alcohol and about $30, on release

2004 Dom. Les Fines Graves (Jacky Janodet), Chénas:
From 40+ year old gamay vines in a vineyard full of stones; needs about two hours in the decanter to open and comes across very Burgundian with depth, medium weight, solid black fruit, mineral and good cut; really terrific with roasted chicken and surely has at least a mid-term aging curve. About $13.

1993 Lopez de Heredia, Viña Tondonia Rioja Rosato:
This ain’t your mama’s rosé; transparent copper color; smells of ripe pomegranate that’s slightly oxidized; more stone and mineral driven on the palate with flavors that follow the nose and add light fino sherry tones, good viscosity and balance, juicy intensity; long, slightly oxidized finish. Not for everyone but a wine of distinct character, authentic to its place and uniquely flavored. When decanted and allowed to air awhile, it takes on several levels of flavor. Fascinating juice that has a virtually unlimited shelf life. About $20. (Enjoyed with a frittata that included the last zucchini of the year – a match made in heaven; truly.)

1992 Sullivan, Cabernet Sauvignon:
From a vintage I have always thought better than its press; cherry cola and ripe currants on the nose with a clear mineral component and an accent of milk chocolate; fresh and juicy in the mouth with flavors that follow the nose, excellent grip, quite intense and bright; very long, somewhat drying finish. Not especially complex but so fresh and clean that I don’t care. Decanted off substantial sediment. This producer has made some of the most tannic wines I have ever encountered, especially in the late ‘80’s and early ‘90’s. And this has that kind of rusticity (probably best with rare, red meat) . . . but it also has some beautiful fruit, a dose of nuance and, ah yes, 13.2% alcohol. In no danger of diminishing. About $45, on release.

1994 Laurel Glen, Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma Mountain:
A recent 1993 version of this wine was so developed, I thought I’d try this bottle; a bit reduced initially and so I decanted the wine off moderate sediment; still red-black to the rim and opaque; classic cassis driven nose with some warm blackberry and mineral scents, very slight bottle bouquet; elegant and restrained in the mouth with well integrated tannins, bright acidity, discrete flavors that follow the nose and add a judicious note of unsweetened, dark chocolate, intense and concentrated but not completely together yet, some complexity and some development noticed; medium length finish, with a somewhat drying note of unsweetened, dark chocolate. And 12.5% alcohol; ‘the good old days.’ About $40, on release. (This showed much younger than the ’93 I mentioned above; not near the complexity or secondary development and it still has some integration to complete.) Hold.

2002 Baumard, Savenièrres:
Correct, clean, medium weight, bone-dry Savenièrres that keeps me coming back for more. Excellent with smoked trout. Lovely juice. About $20; I’d pay that again.

1999 Gilles Robin, Crozes-Hermitage Cuvée Alberic Bouvet:
Fleshing out with less emphasis on the earthy accents and more on a supple core of syrah fruit; still complex and bright but smoother, fuller and longer. A tip of the hat to Claude Kolm who, when this was released, counseled patience. (Of course, I have not been but I bought a lot of this so it looks like I’ll be able to follow its development, in spite of myself.) About $9 on sale; worth multiples of that.

2003 Laderas de Pinoso, Viñedos de El Sequé:
From Alicante, Spain and mostly monastrell; almost Bandol-esque on the nose with dark fruits, road tar and a light floral note; full, rich flavors follow the nose, good acidity, light tannins, good balance; medium finish. Good with or without food and probably better short term than long. About $8; I’d pay that again.

2002 R. & V. Dauvissat, Chablis:
Probably, as authentic and character driven a village Chablis as I have tasted; beautiful mix of lemon drop and stone on the nose and palate, excellent depth, good cut, great balance and a very long finish. ‘Killer with tuna and white bean salad. About $25; I’d pay that again.

2004 Pepière, Muscadet Clos des Briords:
More reserved than the regular bottling from the same vintage but no less impressive; stony, citric, broader than expected, nice balance and good sustain. $13 and worth at least that.

Florida Jim Cowan