April 2012
Private Wine Tasting, New Canaan, CT
2010 Casas del Bosque Sauvignon Blanc Casablanca Valley (Chile) – Sauvignon Blanc grape
This tasty Sauvignon Blanc was sourced from estate vineyards in the western Casablanca Valley, from a variety of soil and clone types. It’s a zippy, assertive Sauv Blanc with typical grapefruit and herbaceous flavors and a touch of riper white peach as well. puro-wine.com
2010 Robert Talbott Chardonnay Kali Hart Vineyard (California) – Chardonnay grape
100% all estate grown Chardonnay. Fabulous everyday wine, refreshing, lively, medium bodied with beautiful fruit character. 90% Stainless Steel aged along with 10% French Oak. “Bright and tangy with lively acidity, fresh fruit and vibrant flavors, balanced and fresh with a long finish.” 90 Points – Anthony Dias Blue, The Tasting Panel
2010 Urban Riesling Mosel Valley (Germany) – Riesling grape
Crunchy and crisp, with fresh-cut apple, grapefruit and gooseberry flavors. Hints of spice and smoke mark the finish. Rated 87 Wine Spectator Nik Weis, owner and winemaker of Germany’s renowned St. Urbans-Hof Weingut has sourced the best quality wines from neighboring vineyards to produce URBAN RIESLING, a new wine with traditional roots. The Nik. Weis Selection label attests to the fact that the wine has met Nik’s rigorous standards and reflects the traditional taste profile of top-quality Mosel Riesling wine. Winery
2007 Hugel & Fils Classic Pinot Gris Alsace (France) – Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio grape
Hugel’s 2007 Pinot Gris Tradition smells of smoked meat and sauteed mushrooms, ripe peach and pungent herbs. It displays a striking combination of creaminess and clarity, in part no doubt attributable to a frequent Hugel procedure of letting some lots undergo malo-lactic transformation and others not. Toasted hazelnut, diverse herbs, mushrooms, and subtle suggestions of bitter-sweet liquid floral perfume inform a juicy subtly saline finish. This is going to make a terrific table wine over the next 8-10 years. Rated 91 Wine Advocate
Salty minerality underscores the grapefruit, star fruit and green plum flavors, while bright, tangy acidity keeps this white fresh and focused. A note of fresh forest lingers on the finish. Drink now through 2017. Rated 89 Wine Spectator
2008 Terra Barossa Shiraz Barossa Valley (Australia) – Shiraz/Syrah grape
The 2008 Terra Barossa Shiraz Winemaker’s Selection was aged in French and American oak. A glass-coating opaque purple color, it is ripe, rich, yet light on its feet. Flavorful, layered, and well-balanced, it will evolve for 2–3 years and offer a drinking window extending from 2011 to 2020. It is an outstanding value. Rated 90 The Wine Advocate
2010 Recuerdo Malbec Reserva Mendoza (Argentina) – Malbec grape
A rich violet hue, this Malbec opens with an alluring nose of lush red fruit, ripe plums, earth, and blackberries. The palate offers spicy, savory notes, robust tannins, and an intense mouthfeel that seamlessly rounds out the finish. This wine pairs well with a variety of heavier fare and will offer a daily respite for lovers of Cabernet Sauvignon and other full-bodied red wines. Importer
2009 Luca Pinot Noir G Lot Mendoza (Argentina) – Pinot Noir grape
Catena has again hit a home run with her 2009 Pinot Noir G Lot (as she did in 2006, 2007, and 2008). There is very little Pinot Noir in Mendoza (Patagonia is the principal hope for Argentina Pinot Noir) so this streak is particularly impressive. The grapes are sourced from a relatively young vineyard at 4700 feet of elevation. The wine was aged for 12 months in 30% new oak and bottled without fining or filtration. Medium ruby in color, it offers up an alluring bouquet of cherry blossom, strawberry, raspberry, smoke, and incense. Velvety-textured with silky, layered fruit, complex flavors, and a lingering finish, this superb value (for Pinot Noir) will provide pleasure for another 6-8 years if not longer. Rated 93 The Wine Advocate
2009 Arboleda Cabernet Sauvignon Aconcagua Valley (Chile) – Cabernet Sauvignon grape
A deep cherry-red in color, while the nose offers up aromas of red and black fruits such as raspberry, cherry, cassis, blackberry, plum, and blueberry, all blended with delicate notes of cigar box, tobacco, and vanilla that develop while aging in oak barrels. The palate has tremendous volume and high intensity flavors that reflect the ample aromatic profile perceived the nose, particularly black fruits and roasted notes with a touch of mint that lend complexity to the entire blend. Elegant and complex, this is a juicy Cabernet Sauvignon with great structure, soft tannins, and a long, lingering finish. wine.com