TNs: Afternoon sipping

[Michael Malinoski]

I stopped by Tom’s house after an afternoon outing to sample his musical library, drink some wines and enjoy a burger. I brought a couple of bottles and he raided the cellar for a few, as well.

2004 Rhys Alesia Pinot Noir Sonatera Vineyard Sonoma Coast. This is bright, fun and a bit funky on the nose, showing healthy and outgoing aromas of wild brambly berries, rhubarb, birch, a bit of dried sweat and loads of barrel spices. In the mouth, it’s smooth, creamy, spicy and exuberant, with a very engaging mouthfeel and lots of cola nut, sassafras, cranberry, raspberry and oak spice flavors flowing along easily and with good balance. It shows good life and lift, a solid juicy fruit core, and it seems to be in a real good spot for drinking right now.

2006 Fattoria di Fèlsina Berardenga Chianti Classico. This is still pretty youthful, but it’s beginning to show some interesting aromatic facets that are pretty and perfumed, including scents of sour cherries, kirsch, red flowers, soft oak, tar oil and menthol leaf. In the mouth, the acidity is fairly crunchy and quite tangy in nature, with some nice but cutting transparency to the sour cherry, cranberry, new leather, smoke and fine earth tones. Some tannins begin to assert themselves the longer you stay with it, and so while it’s fresh and bright now, I’d suggest holding a bit longer to see if it develops greater complexity.

2006 Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Reserve Napa Valley. This wine possesses a really gorgeous bouquet that features gently exotic aromas of incense, cedar wood, menthol, spiced blueberries, black raspberries and funky undergrowth. In the mouth, it has pleasant sweet fruit stuffing and an easy sense of richness. It’s juicy and gentle, with generous flow and soft embracing spices around lovely blue and purple fruit. It’s delicious and really easy to like.

2007 Chateau St. Jean Cabernet Sauvignon Cinq Cépages Sonoma County. Served from a 375 ml bottle. This is still pretty young and primary on the nose, with bold, sweet blue and purple fruit aromas supported by oak, chalk dust and mint leaf notes. In the mouth, it shows a lot of glycerol character, with blue and purple fruits flowing with ease despite the obvious oak and puffy tannins evident throughout. It’s a bit simple and quite forward at this stage, so I suggest giving it some more time to see what happens.


-Michael