Thursday Tasting Notes

2004 Flat Creek Estate “Super Texan” Sangiovese $21
Texas Hill Country, USA 12.5% abv
Varietally correct aromas, with red plum, raspberry and rust coming to the fore. Bright rasp- and loganberry to open the palate. Medium bodied structure, with a nice depth of flavors: bing cherry, red clay and mild fennel. Mid-length finish with loganberry flavors over pepper and clove spices. Pair with classic peasant foods like black eyed peas and ham, cassoulet or roasted game birds. Good flavors and winemaking, my only complaint on this wine is the price; I could justify $15 for another bottle, but over twenty is a hard sell. Drink over the next year.

2003 Querciabella Chianti Classico $promo
Tuscany, Italy 13.5% abv
Red currant aromas with cedar hints, rust notes, red plum fruit with an undercurrent of cured meats. Black plum flavors open the palate in this medium-full bodied Chianti. Earth and red currant in the middle, leading to a finish of cedar and spices: bay leaf, star anise, peppercorn and rosemary stems. The cured meat nuances from the nose translate to an undercurrent throughout the palate. Tannins are rough up front, but develop into a black-tea like feel as the wine gets a chance to breathe. Brought into the country for a wine dinner by the Winemaker, though a few bottles were given out- should you find yourself in possession of a bottle of this very nice Chianti, reward yourself and age for another three years, it will be very well worth the wait.

2005 Penascal Tempranillo $7
Penedes, Spain 13.5% abv
Opens with aromas of blackberry, vanilla bean, clove, strawberry leaves and earth. Consistently fruit forward in style from year to year, this quaffing wine offers blackberry and plum flavors set off by menthol spice. Berry flavors develop in the glass, heading toward a mid-short length finish with vanilla, earth and dark fruit flavors. A solid everyday wine.

2006 Jack Rabbit Hill “M&N” $22
Colorado, USA 14.2% abv
Opening aromas of black cherry and berry fruit with gardenia highlights. This is a blend of 55% pinot noir and 45% pinot munier, organically grown on the Western Slope of Colorado. For those of you looking for a low sulphite count wine, this is one to consider- it has approximately 25 parts per million (ppm), compared to the usual 40 – 70 ppm in commercial wines. Bright berry fruit in the mouth, with red cherry flavors at the mid-palate. Medium bodied, with good acid content to hold the fruit flavor just right. Mellow oak spices at the finish from eight to nine months in oak and some floral hints. Interesting at the least for the pinot munier (one of the Champagne grapes), but has enough elegance to stand on its own. 200 cases made.

2007 Haak Vineyards “dry” Blanc du Bois $14
Texas, USA no alcohol % on label
This hybrid wine offers up musky fruit aromas similar to sauvignon blanc and muscat wines. Vibrant pineapple, papaya and grapefruit flavors in the mouth, with hints of mango and dogwood blossoms. Crisp and refreshing, this is a great alternative to the vinho verdes of Portugal. Chill down and serve with brunch food, Easter gatherings or wait ‘till summer and enjoy in hot weather.