2005 Chateau Fonreaud (Cru Bourgeois, Listrac-Medoc) (Bordeaux, France)

Nice, old-fashioned style Bordeaux.  Balanced, complex, medium weight, no new oak flavors, no fruit-bombiness.  Mostly Cabernet, but with a lot of Merlot in the blend.

Dark brickish ruby.  Medium intense nose of cassis, graphite, and fragrant, lightly-scorched earth.  Mouthcoating, drying flavors of low-toned dry blackberry extract, with sandstoney, brambly-woody accents.  Long, tannic finish with pretty decent acids.  B+.  Drink over the next 2-3 years.  Was $19 and change at Spec's on Weslayan/Bissonnett.  Imported by Horizon Wines, Houston.

2005 Chateau Lascombes (Margaux, Bordeaux)

This nearly half-and-half Cabernet/Merlot was very California in style. I would have not picked it out as a Bordeaux if I was served it blind. As such, it was stylistically disappointing, but well made.

Very dense, soft color -- rich black ruby. Very California nose of plush, ultraripe blackberry, graphite, and smoky oak. Very dense, low-toned flavors of graphite and dark cassis syrup. Very long finish of mineral-infused, ripe fruit. Will probably age for another 2-4 years. 87. Was $49 from Wines Til Sold Out back in February 2010.

Grandma, Nonno, and Molly's visit -- night 5

Every 5 years or so, I put a white in the freezer to chill it fast, but then forget I put it in there and by the time I remember it has frozen solid. The cork typically blows out as the liquid expands (water expands when frozen, and wine contains lots of water). It happened again. Good thing it wasn't a screw cap wine. It was an excellent German dry Riesling I previously reviewed, and after thawing it actually tasted pretty good, though not up to the standard of the unneglected bottle I had a few months ago. It was a 2008 Schafer-Frohlich RIESLING Trocken "Bockenauer" (Nahe, Germany). I won't review the frozen bottle.

Next up was the 2001 Chateau Haut-Bergey (Pessac-Leognan), one of my sentimental favorite estates in the Graves region of Bordeaux (I used to sell this when I worked for Paramount Wines in NY back in the early 80s). It's way more expensive now, but it's also stepped up in quality. It had a dark black, brickish ruby color befitting a mature Graves, and sported an intensely fragrant smoky, spiced gravel, and sweet cassis nose. Rich and soft, with deep, ripe fruit, and a smoky, earthy, oaky finish. It would have preferred the oak to be a bit less overt, but still it was very, very good, and peaking. 89.

2006 Chateau Patache d'Aux MEDOC (Bordeaux, France)

I used to drink wines from this chateau in the early 80s but haven't had it since. They were good, solid, inexpensive wines then. The 2006 was lacked fragrance and was thinnish.

Sedate black ruby. Very shy nose gives up little: some cassis, some gravel and some green bell pepper. Tannic and bone dry, with some scorched earth and dark cherry/cassis fruit, but not much. Lean, medium length, somewhat bitter finish. 74. $17 at Spec's on Smith.

2005 Chateau Tour St. Bonnet (Medoc, France)

This is a classic Cru Bourgeois Bordeaux. I'm not usually a Bordeaux or Cabernet/Merlot fan, but this is a wine I could drink a lot of without tiring. It's also an excellent value. Try it with grilled lamb.

A blend of 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, 5% Malbec and 5% Petit Verdot, this wine had a dark ruby color that is just beginning to show a bit of age. Very nice nose of cedar, cassis, and scorched earth. Nice eight and fruit in the mouth. Good balance, good structure. Flavors of cassis and low-toned smoky earth. Long, dry, fairly smooth finish with some nice tannins giving some definition to the medium bodied frame. Classic structure, classic flavors. 88. Was $15 at Spec's Warehouse on Westheimer/Commonwealth.

2005 Chateau d'Archambeau GRAVES (Bordeaux, France)

A solid, workman-like red Bordeaux at a decent price.

Jet black ruby with the bare beginnings of brick at the rim. Fairly closed nose, even with air time and being poured through a Vinturi. Light intensity aromas of cassis, toasted oak, resin, and scorched earth. Broad mouthfeel, with medium-fine-grained tannins present throughout. Ripe but bone dry flavors: dry, dark blackberry, smoky gravel. Long, interesting, though not particularly soft finish, with a slightly bitter, scorched edge. Elegant is not a word that describes this wine, though it was pretty satisfying in an unpolished way. 85. Was about $15 at Spec's Warehouse on Westheimer and Commonwealth.

2005 Chateau de Peyremorin (Haut-Medoc, Bordeaux)

A decent Bordeaux, but not a repeat purchase.

Dark ruby garnet with a tad bit of amber at the rim. No nose at first, but run through a Vinturi, it showed medium-intensity aromas of dark cherry, scorched earth, and smoky autumn leaves. A leaner, bone-dry style, with tight, dry black cherry fruit and some gravelly minerality. A fair amount of noticeable tannin. Probably not going to get any better. 85. Was about $15 at Spec's Warehouse on Westheimer and Montrose.

2005 Chateau Bel Air (Haut-Medoc, Bordeaux)

This was -- surprise! -- a good value in a Bordeaux. Lots of character, very good balance.

Mellow, dark ruby with a plasma-like sultriness. Nose was initially closed at first, with a strong forest underbrush scent, but after I poured the second glass through a "Vinturi" aeration device (which I will post about next), it displayed loads of blackberry and cassis fruit, with a dry, baker's chocolate component, along with steely minerals and scorched gravel. Medium-full body, with mouthfilling flavors that initially show lots of briar-laced cassis, but display a growing liquid minerality as it lingers into a long finish. There is still a bit of tannin to resolve, but overall there is lovely balance. Hard to find Bordeaux of this quality under $20 -- this one was $14 and change at Spec's on Westheimer and Commonwealth. 88. Imported by Fruit of the Vine.

2005 Chateau Duplessis (Cru Bourgeois, Moulis) (Bordeaux, France)

A middle of the road Bordeaux. Eh.

Soft, medium dark blackish ruby. Medium intensity nose of dry blackberry and cassis, with some high-toned smoke-laced gravelly scents. Cassis, pencil lead, and some peanutty/scorched earth flavors fill the mouth quickly, but then fade just as quickly, leaving a fair amount of puckery tannin and mouthwateringly crisp acidity as the only lingering notes in the short finish. 84. Was about $19 at Spec's Warehouse on Westheimer and Commonwealth.

(Sorry -- 2004 pictured)

A whole bunch of good wines

Mom and Dad came for another visit, and for much of their visit I didn't have time to blog in real time or take detailed wine notes, but we did open up a lot of good stuff. Pretty much special occasion , not everyday quaffers, but what the hey. Here are my quick impressions of them:

2005 Daniel Dampt CHABLIS PREMIER CRU "Cotes de Lechet" -- A wine I reviewed last year, it was holding nicely, with lots of steely, earthy, austere and penetrating (unoaked) Chardonnay fruit. Was about $29 from Flickinger's Wines (on-line) in Chicago.





1989 Chateau Meyney (St. Estephe, Bordeaux) -- Despite non-optimal storage for the last 10 years, this wine has held together nicely. Loads of cedary-peanuty aged Bordeaux scents, with soft, earthy plummy fruit in the mouth.

















2006 Wine Guerrilla "Coffaro Vineyards Old Vine" ZINFANDEL (Dry Creek Valley) -- This Zin was really, really good. Big, spicy, ripe (almost jammy but not quite) nose. Rich and fat in the mouth, but with great balancing acidity keeping it from being ponderous. Spec's has some of this limited production gem for around $32.

2004 Casa Emma CHIANTI CLASSICO RISERVA -- This was a deep, brooding Chianti, with big earthy, gravelly, gingerbready notes augmenting seriously concentrated macerated cherry fruit. Long, austere finish with some well-hidden tannin. Come back and see this guy in 3-5 years and it will be amazing. About $40 at Spec's.

2005 Turkey Flat Vineyards MOURVEDRE (Barossa Valley, Australia) -- This had loads of deep, ripe blackberry fruit, with a distinctly saline minerality. Mouthfilling and deep. Was about $20 on sale at Kroger's (Yes, Kroger's!) on Westpark near Buffalo Speedway.

2006 Cristom "Eola-Amity Hills PINOT NOIR "Marjorie's Vineyard (Willamette Valley, Oregon) -- Another superb P.N. from this producer. Earthy, spicy sappy cherry nose. Mouthfilling yet exceedingly elegant, with a soft finish that lasted and lasted and lasted . . . . Wow. Was about $40 at Spec's on Smith.

2006 d'Arenberg "The Noble" RIESLING (McLaren Vale, Australia) -- This botrytised late harvest Riesling was a total surprise. Who would have expected an Aussie Riesling to compare with a German Beerenauslese? Not me. But this one did, and at a (relative) bargain price of $18 (Spec's on Smith). Honeyed apricots and peaches, very sweet, intense, flavors, yet with very good acidity for balance. Not as complex as the best German versions, but a bargain in comparison!

2000 CHATEAU RAHOUL -- Graves (Bordeaux, France)

I used to see this wine a lot in NYC when I lived there in the early 80s. It was always a good value for a Bordeaux and still is.

Dark ruby/brick color. Plummy, sweet, curranty nose with lots of typical Graves cigar box and sandstone scents. Soft, rich, earthy flavors in a medium-to-light-bodied frame. Beautiful structure and texture, nice length. Not super-concentrated, but very well done. This is why I like Cabernet blends from the Graves region (or its sub-region, Pessac-Leognan) better than Cabernets from anywhere else on earth: the balance, softness, and earthy complexity. 87. I think this was about $20, but I can't remember where I got it.