2009 Chateau Magence GRAVES Blanc (White Bordeaux)

This blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon (the typical white varietals that are blended together for most whites in this region) has LOTS of character--maybe too much for some--but is kind of a clumsy bruiser of a white.

Light gold color.  Big, open, chameleon-like nose that changes on every sniff.  First intensely grassy and burnt herbal (from the Sauvignon Blanc), then showing lots of waxy, lanolin scents (from the Semillon), then golden delicious apple and gooseberry scents.  Big and mouthfilling, with loads of grassy/herbal fruit, but an intense bitterness hits the palate quickly and stays throughout the finish.  It's dry and low in acidity, giving it a fleshier texture than many other whites from this region.  If Alex Karras's Mongo character in Blazing Saddles was a white wine, this would be him.  This wine will definitely polarize people.  B-.  Got it at Whole Foods on Bellaire for $13.99. 

2009 Regis Minet POUILLY_FUME "Vieilles Vignes"

This Loire Valley Sauvignon was a little too much on the herbal side for my taste. It was good, however, and those that like this style may rate it more highly than I did.

Very pale pewter-tinged gold. Chalky, minerally, intensely herbal nose, with some gooseberry fruit. Mouthfilling, direct flavors of pungent, intensely herbal/minerally notes, with some tart green apple fruit. Good acidity together with surprisingly full-body (I usually associate this herbal style with less-ripe, less full-bodied Sauvignons) and a very clingy, herbal finish. Not everyone's favorite style, and kind of galumphy rather than elegant, but it doesn't skimp on flavor. B. Imported by Kermit Lynch, I can't remember where I got this wine, but will update that info if I find the receipt.

2009 Domaine du Tariquet SAUVIGNON (BLANC) (VDP Cotes de Gascogne, France)

A fleshy, fruity, grassy Sauvignon. Not elegant, but doesn't skimp on flavor.

Pale silvery gold. Fresh nose of cold grapes and gooseberries, with grassy, green pepper notes. Soft and fleshy in the mouth, with lots of pear and pear skin flavors. Full for a Sauvignon Blanc, with fairly low acidity and a broad mouthfeel. Not a shy, crisp minerally Loire style. Much more New World than French-seeming. 86. Imported by Robert Kacher. I think I got this at Whole Foods on Bellaire for $12.

Great tasting of Silver Oak and Twomey wines

I was invited to a special private tasting last week with Daniel Baron, the winemaker at Silver Oak -- one of the most prestigious names in all of California winedom. For me, it was a real treat, because I have not attended many formal tastings since leaving the wine biz in the mid-1980s, and I actually have never had the pleasure of drinking a Silver Oak wine.

It occurred during my regular work hours, so I unfortunately had to religiously spit, but I enjoyed it immensely anyway. Not only were the wines very special (notes to follow), but Daniel Baron has been making wine in the highest eschelons for decades. As we were tasting, he regaled us not only with a wealth of winemaking information, but also some great anecdotes from his interesting career.

The wines comprised not only the two Silver Oak Cabernets (the Alexander Valley and the Napa Valley), but also from Twomey Vineyards, with is associated with Silver Oak, though it focuses on varietals other than Cabernet (a Sauvignon Blanc, several Pinot Noirs, and a Merlot). All the wines were either currently on the market or about to be released.

2008 Twomey Napa Valley SAUVIGNON BLANC -- from old vines formerly owned by the now defunct Stonegate Winery, this was a very tight, crisp, French-styled Sauvignon Blanc. Restrained nose with light earthy, toasty notes and citrusy fruit. Crisp as all heck in the mouth, with a pervasive minerality and a refreshing style. Long, lean finish. Would be a dynamite accompaniment to sweet shellfish such as shrimp or scallops.

The following Pinot Noirs are denominated by regional appellation only, as they are blended from multiple vineyards within the designated region.

2008 Twomey Santa Barbara PINOT NOIR -- Tart and very tight. Gorgeous light pomegranate ruby color. Bright, nervous nose of sappy yet crisp cherries. High acidity, razor-like focus, but good ripeness. Long cherry-skin finish. (Daniel said this P.N. was from the coolest climate of the four, and will open up with time.)

2008 Twomey Anderson Valley PINOT NOIR -- Slightly darker color. Deeper, sappier nose, with spice and earth notes. Lower-toned flavors, with more earthy, humus (not hummus) notes. Longer finish too. Drinking well already.

2008 Twomey Sonoma Coast PINOT NOIR -- Darker still, with purply-ruby hues. Sweeter, riper nose, with lots of fruit and cinnamon. Broader, expansive mouthfeel, with lots of secondary flavors already showing up in addition to great, sappy Pinot fruit. Tightens up in the long finish. Needs a little time to get itself fully together, but already very tasty.

2008 Twomey Russian River PINOT NOIR -- Wow! Of all these appellations, Russian River is usually my least favorite, but this was fantastic. Great fruit on the nose. Gobs of focused, ripe cherry and a few other berries in the background. Round, silky, and concentrated in the mouth, but with a light feel. Lovely, pure fruity, soft and extra-long finish. Great balance.

2006 Twomey Napa Valley MERLOT -- I'm not usually a huge Merlot guy, but this ROCKED! From a single vineyard in SE Napa near Stag's Leap (Daniel said the soil is very poor, volcanic pumice), made only with French clones of Merlot, and aged in French oak. An elegant, blackish ruby color. Intense, focused blackberry fruit on the nose. Tight in the mouth, with ripe fruit but avoiding any jamminess or perceptible residual sugar. Lots of gravelly, stony notes, and gobs of very fine-grained tannins. Full-bodied, with fantastic length. I thought this was very much like a top growth St. Emilion or Pomerol. I probably would not have picked this out as a California wine if I didn't know what it was.

All the Twomey reds will retail at $50. (I can't remember what he said the Sauvignon Blanc sells for.)

2005 Silver Oak Alexander Valley CABERNET SAUVIGNON -- As all Silver Oak Cabs, this was 100% Cabernet and aged in 100% American Oak (50% was new for this wine). Dark black ruby color. Rich, earthy, cigar box, and humus notes along with ripe, dark fruit. Ripe and rich in the mouth, but with a nice, tight, concentrated core of fruit. Nice structure and balance. A very complete wine.

2004 Silver Oak Napa Valley CABERNET SAUVIGNON -- Very sedate color. Fantastic and unique nose, with sweet, perfumey cassis and cigar leaf, and a deep-toned inky component. Lots of minerally gravel notes in the mouth, with great focus and concentration. Impeccable balance. Still a fair amount of tannin, but a soft texture nonetheless. Very long finish.

Finally, Daniel explained a unique cork quality program that Silver Oak has instituted. I was amazed at how much thought and empirical data went into it, and the result, he said, was that, for their 750 ml bottles, the incidence of corked wine has been reduced from 2% (which seemed already pretty low to me), to an unheard of 0.67%. He also mentioned that for each and every bottle of 3L or larger, the corks are individually inspected! Amazing attention to quality.

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All in all, a great experience!

2007 Simmonet-Fevre SAVIGNON SAINT-BRIS (Northern Burgundy, France)

This is a relatively hard-to-find Sauvignon Blanc from what is most certainly Chardonnay country -- the area around Chablis. But ZOUNDS, what a fun wine!

Very luminescent, bright gold. I mean, get the shades out. Fantastically lively nose of ripe, fresh squeezed lemons and limes, with flinty powdered stones, and freshly-mowed straw. Absolutely vibrant in the mouth, with (literally) mouth-watering flavors of ripe, juicy lemon juice-drenched grapes, bight stones, and, in the finish, an interesting marzipan note. Just delicious! Not a blockbuster in terms of concentration or body (it's relatively light-bodied), but really fun to drink. 90. Was a ridiculously cheap $11.99 at Houston Wine Merchant.

2006 Domaine Seguin POUILLY-FUMÉ (Loire Valley, France)

This Sauvignon Blanc started out unimpressive and over time opened up into a very, very good wine.

Very light gold color. Nose weak at first, but then developed into a very "biological" nose of ripe gooseberries, earthy, crushed, wet limestone, and fresh oregano leaves (a lemony/herbal streak). Soft and mouthfilling, yet with sparklingly bright flavors -- great minerality and zesty lemon-lime fruit. Lots of length. You might even think about decanting this one to get it to open up quicker! 89.

Was $22.99 at Richard's on Voss and San Felipe. Imported by Robert Kacher.

Easter wines

Sorry -- I know I'm behind, but here are the wines we popped open for our Easter dinner (with truncated, from-memory notes).

NV Pierre Sparr CREMANT D'ALSACE Reserve Brut -- To my mind, in general, sparkling wines from Alsace are the best values in the market for bubbly. They're generally $15-$20, and have as much character as non-vintage Champagne costing twice as much or more (although because of the different varietals used in Alsace the flavor profile is a bit different). They tend to be more flavorful than the Spanish cavas as well. This one was decent, but not a great example -- crisp, citrusy fruit, bone dry, but I detected just a note of beginning oxidation. Lucien Albrecht and Rene Mure are other producers to look for in Houston.

2006 Jean-Max Roger SANCERRE "Cuvee Les Caillottes" (Loire Valley, France) -- Lean, very herbal and crisp. A tad underripe for my palate. Bone dry and refreshing, however.

2001 Delectus MERLOT "Stanton Vineyard" (Napa Valley, Cal.) -- Yes, I have often repeated the famous Merlot line from Sideways, but this wine (which our guests the Murphys brought over) floored me. Superb, rich, chocolately dark fruit on the nose. Full, and still sporting some nice tannic structure. Lots of concentration and length, but with good balance. Can even stand a few more years in a cool cellar.

2006 Linne Calodo "NEMESIS" 82% Syrah, 14% Mourvedre, 4% Grenache (Paso Robles, Cal.) -- Big disappointment for such a cult winery. Overripe and massive, but plainly out of balance, with hot, hot alcohol burning from entry to finish, obliterating the flavors.

2007 Domaine de l'Estang COTEAUX DU GIENNOIS Sauvignon Blanc (Loire Valley, France)

From a little known backwater appellation in the vicinity of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume, this inexpensive Sauvignon Blanc was quite nice.

Nose jumps from the glass with fresh, grassy-herbal gooseberry scents. Ripe and long, but with a crisp, mouthwatering mouthfeel. Not as complex and smoky/minerally as its more exalted sibling appellations can be, but fun to drink and a good value. 87. Was around $13 at Richard's on Weslayan, if I am remembering correctly (I lost the receipt).

2005 Hubert Brochard SANCERRE (Loire Valley, France)

This is a good value. It would be a very nice, very typical introduction to Sancerre for those unfamiliar with the Sauvignon Blanc made in the upper Loire area (Sancerre, Pouilly-Fume, and Menetou-Salon).

Eye: Light, bright gold. No glints of anything else, just light, bright gold.

Nose: Classic Sancerre nose of light, fresh-picked herbs, crisp Sauvignon Blanc grapes, and stoney minerals.

Mouth: Round and refreshing, with excellent balance, this wine lacked only a bit of extra concentration and complexity to make it outstanding. As it is, it has decent concentration and a lively batch of herby, gooseberry and mineral flavors. Vibrant mouthfeel. Very nice.

Score: 88.

Cellar or drink? Drink over the next 6 months.

Price/store: $18.94 at Spec's on Richmond.

Vacation wines -- Day 6

2006 Widmer Brickstone Cellars Semi-Dry Riesling (Finger Lakes, NY) -- This wine was a dead-ringer for a Kabinett from the Rheingau. Beautiful nose of bright green apples and slate-y minerals. Crisp, refreshing, and full of flavor, all in a wonderful, light-bodied frame.

2007 Cairnbrae "The Stones" Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough, New Zealand) -- This wine had a striking and unusual color -- pure pewtery silver. Crisp scents of herbs and grass, with a nice artichoke component to the flavors.

2006 "Montenovo" Godello (Valdeorras, Spain) -- This wine was similar to a simple Maconnais white. Not bad, but not distinguished.


2006 Alvarinho Primaz Vinho Verde (Portugal) -- I'm usually not a Vinho Verde fan, but this had great minerally flavors and a crisp, beautiful texture . . . in other words, it had FLAVOR! Very nice.

Dinner: grilled red snapper, flounder, and shrimp (Marche style)

2005 Domaine de Corbillieres TOURAINE "Sauvignon" (Loire Valley, France)

This is the second excellent wine I've had from this estate. The first was their Pinot Noir rosé, which was the best rosé I've ever drunk. This white would be a terrific summer seafood wine.

Eye: Very light gold color.

Nose: Wonderfully fragrant nose of ripe pear, crushed seashells, and sweet grass.

Mouth: Intensely fruity, yet bone dry and refreshing. Long, crisp, and pure, with salty-stony, slightly herbal fruit.

Score: 89.

Cellar or drink? Drink this summer.

Price/store: I think this was around $12, at Richard's on South Shepherd.

Easter Wines (truncated, unscored notes)

It was a wonderful Easter celebration at our house. Joined by the Finleys and the Kevilles, we had the traditional Easter egg hunt, and later, for dinner, our friends Brian Jackson and the Murphys joined us.

There was so much commotion and fun that I didn't have a chance to take good, critical notes, but here are my impressions of the wines we had.

Duval-Leroy "Rosé Saignée" CHAMPANGE -- This pale pink champagne had wonderful fruit and balance, with nice but unobtrusive acidity, good concentration and a lengthy, dry finish.

2006 Martin Schaetzel PINOT BLANC "Vieilles Vignes" (Alsace, France) -- A medium deep gold, this wine had wonderful, peachy fruit and a subtle minerally undertone. It seemed off-dry, and had a soft, voluptuous texture. Very nice (I love Alsace whites!).

2005 Thomas & Fils SANCERRE "La Crêle" -- Crisp, dry, and minerally, this wine had very refreshing appley, lemon-lime fruit.

2002 Vincent Girardin POMMARD 1er Cru "Les Grands Epenots" Vieilles Vignes (Burgundy, France) -- This was a terrifically fragrant, soft Pinot Noir. Fragrant with scents of cinnamon and sappy cherries, this wine had a soft -- almost ethereally soft -- texture, with a long, minerally finish that features excellent balancing acidity.

2005 Columbia Crest "Grand Estates" CABERNET SAUVIGNON (Columbia Valley, Washington State) -- The Murphys' younger son Kevin actually picked this wine out himself after doing research about what wines would best accompany the roast leg of lamb he knew I was going to prepare. I actually drank, liked, and reviewed a previous vintage of this wine (the 2002, reviewed here), and the 2005 Kevin picked out was equally good. This is a very well-balanced, fruit-forward Cabernet that features lots of cherry fruit and underbrush scents, and has a soft texture that makes for excellent current drinking. Nice choice, Kevin!

2005 Gary Farrell Sonoma County SAUVIGNON BLANC "Redwood Ranch" (California)

OK, but disappointing for the price.


Very light color. Delicate nose of herby gooseberries and chewy caramel, with a teensy amount of underlying earthiness. Broad mouthfeel, but with very understated, polite flavors -- the strongest being a metallic, minerally component, with bitter herbs too. 83. Nowhere near worth the 25 smackeroos I plunked down.


Nice label though.

2005 Fournier SAUVIGNON (Blanc) (VDP, Loire, France)

This was a great buy in a crisp, flavorful, refreshing white. Tastes like a baby Sancerre or Pouilly-Fume, but at 1/3 the price.

Extremely light color -- light gold, with greenish and silvery glints. Inviting nose of peaches covered with freshly-squeezed lime and lemon juice, and a little pungent chalky/minerally stuff in the background. Lively and fruity in the mouth, with light body and refreshing crisp-appley fruit and a steely dry finish. I could drink this style of wine forever without tiring of it. 88. I think this was about $8 at Richard's. I got it at the one on Richmond (near Chimney Rock), but I've seen this wine at other Richard's as well. GET SOME!

2005 Pierre Riffault SANCERRE "Domaine du Carroir Perrin" (Loire, France)

This was a classic grassy, minerally Sancerre.

Very light, bright gold with greenish glints. Nose of bright, tart gooseberries, lemons, and creamed grassy/chalky scents. Lively and focused in the mouth, with refreshing lemony/mineral flavors, and a long, crisp finish. Would be fantastic with shellfish. 87. Was $19 and change at Spec's on Smith.

2003 Chateau Reynon Bordeaux Blanc "Vieillles Vignes"

An 80% Sauvignon Blanc/20% Semillon blend. Rich, grassy, gooseberryish nose, with hints of green bell peppers or fresh artichokes. Full-bodied, with a broad, low-acid, relatively flat mouthfeel. Straightforward flavors of grass and earth, with some peppery heat in the finish. Definitely showing the effects of this unusually torrid growing season, but clean, simple, and satisfying nonetheless. 83. Was $12.32 at Specs on Smith.

2003 Patient Cottat Sancerre "Vieilles Vignes"

Since good Sancerres (one of my favorite expressions of the Sauvignon Blanc grape) tend to cost between $15 - $30, this wine was a pretty good value at $14.88.

Because of the hot 2003 vintage, I expected this wine to have slightly lower acidity than typical Sancerres, and that was indeed the case. Bright greenish-tinged pale gold. Spritely nose of lemon-lime, ripe grapes, and sea shells. Round mouthfeel, medium-full body, with apple/pear and herb flavors. Good length, though there was a little pepperiness on the finish. Got it at Spec's on Smith. 87. Drink over the next year or two.

2004 Pascal & Nicolas Reverdy Sancerre "Les Coutes" (Loire, France)

Outstanding Sauvignon Blanc from the chalky soil of the upper Loire. Pale gold/straw color with greenish glints. Gorgeous (and textbook) nose of flowers, citrus, grapes and chalky minerals. Even a peachy-appley component is there. In truth, the nose immediately transported me to France (I drank a lot of Sancerre, both white and red, in Paris in '85). None of the overly-herbal, grassy or even "cat pee" scents that some folks mistakenly think Sancerre is supposed to have. Only unripe Sancerre has that sort of funky stuff going on.

In the mouth, bright, vibrant appley-mineral flavors prevail, with lemons and steely minerals on the finish. Dry as a bone, yet round and soft in the mouth. In short, ripeness, concentration, and balance are all present. Superb. 91. Was $19.99 at Spec's Warehouse on Smith.

PS -- How many Sancerre wine families are named Reverdy? Must be at least a dozen.

2003 Chateau St. Jean Sonoma County Fume Blanc (Sauvignon Blanc)

This is ALWAYS one of the best buys in a complex, balanced, drinkable white in the marketplace. I'll have to describe this one from memory, since my notes on this vanished -- a rare occurrence in my orderly, uncluttered house. . . . NOT.

Chateau St. Jean always gets the oak quality and oak level just right on this wine, year after year. Gorgeous grapey-lanolin nose with bright floral scents and beautifully integrated, subtle high quality toastiness from the barrel aging. Powerful flavors of grapes, honeydew melon, toast and earth. Long finish. In addition to its wide availability, this wine is frequently available at substantial discounts. I got mine a couple of weeks ago at Randall's on Weslayan for $8.99. A steal and a half. 90.

2003 Chateau Menaut (white Graves)

83. A nice wine to quaff on a hot day. Nice fresh, grape/lime fruit on the nose. Light-bodied, very clean and refreshing in the mouth, with decent balancing acidity for such a hot year. I marked it down, however, for being significantly diluted, with a short (albeit pleasant) finish. If they hadn't overcropped the crap out of this, it would have been real winner. About $9.50 at Spec's.