Saturday I was alone with leftover pasta with marinara sauce, and the
2002 Trimbach Riesling (from 375). Nicely crisp, pleasantly austere,
green apple and peach fruit, some mineral on the finish. B/B+

Sunday with grilled shrimp in a white wine/red pepper marinade, the
wine used for the marinade, the 2004 Cairnbrae "The Stones" Sauvignon
Blanc. Some chile pepper and floral scents on nose, lots of grapefruit
and a bit of currant leaf. Nicely balanced acidity and fruit, nice wine
(and screwcapped!). B+/B

Monday was Halloween, and I gave out approximately 2,500 pieces of
candy at my office (my little town closes down the business
district,and the kids trick or treat the businesses before prizes are
awarded for costumes) before heading home exhausted. Betsy had a cold,
so main course was a chicken magiritsa soup (a Greek chicken soup with
a avgolemono -lemon egg- sauce). I opened another half-bottle, the 2004
Pieropan Soave Classico. Nutty almond and white flower nose, crisp
acidity but with a rather broad texture on the palate. Apple and
honeydew fruit, but far more minerally/nut/floral than fruity. Nice
wine, enjoyed with frequent interruptions from cute (and polite)
neighborhood kids seeking candy. B+

Lastly, over several nights, the 2004 Iche "Les Heretiques" (Vin de
Pays de l'Hérault)
Ripe easy fruit (black cherry, plum, and berry), a little smokey-herby
quality, clean finish. Enough acidic structure to keep it from being
just a fleshy fruity wine, excellent QPR at $7-8. B

Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent
wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't
drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no
promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of
consistency.

DaleW wrote:
Saturday I was alone with leftover pasta with marinara sauce, and the
2002 Trimbach Riesling (from 375). Nicely crisp, pleasantly austere,
green apple and peach fruit, some mineral on the finish. B/B+

Coincidentall, we recently opened a bottle of this and found it very
similar to your description: varietally correct and decent QPR.


Lastly, over several nights, the 2004 Iche "Les Heretiques" (Vin de
Pays de l'Hérault)
Ripe easy fruit (black cherry, plum, and berry), a little smokey-herby
quality, clean finish. Enough acidic structure to keep it from being
just a fleshy fruity wine, excellent QPR at $7-8. B

#&*#^$*#&^*&%^%!!!!! CSW ran out of this just in time for my order.
Grrrr.... (I had to substitute the '04 D'Oupia for it ;-))

Mark Lipton

I always enjoy your Notes, Dale, but "currant leaf"?

DaleW wrote:
Saturday I was alone with leftover pasta with marinara sauce, and the
2002 Trimbach Riesling (from 375). Nicely crisp, pleasantly austere,
green apple and peach fruit, some mineral on the finish. B/B+

Sunday with grilled shrimp in a white wine/red pepper marinade, the
wine used for the marinade, the 2004 Cairnbrae "The Stones" Sauvignon
Blanc. Some chile pepper and floral scents on nose, lots of grapefruit
and a bit of currant leaf. Nicely balanced acidity and fruit, nice wine
(and screwcapped!). B+/B

Monday was Halloween, and I gave out approximately 2,500 pieces of
candy at my office (my little town closes down the business
district,and the kids trick or treat the businesses before prizes are
awarded for costumes) before heading home exhausted. Betsy had a cold,
so main course was a chicken magiritsa soup (a Greek chicken soup with
a avgolemono -lemon egg- sauce). I opened another half-bottle, the 2004
Pieropan Soave Classico. Nutty almond and white flower nose, crisp
acidity but with a rather broad texture on the palate. Apple and
honeydew fruit, but far more minerally/nut/floral than fruity. Nice
wine, enjoyed with frequent interruptions from cute (and polite)
neighborhood kids seeking candy. B+

Lastly, over several nights, the 2004 Iche "Les Heretiques" (Vin de
Pays de l'Hérault)
Ripe easy fruit (black cherry, plum, and berry), a little smokey-herby
quality, clean finish. Enough acidic structure to keep it from being
just a fleshy fruity wine, excellent QPR at $7-8. B

Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent
wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't
drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no
promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of
consistency.

"Mark Lipton" skrev i melding
news:_qdaf.534704$xm3.68314@attbi_s21...
DaleW wrote:
Saturday I was alone with leftover pasta with marinara sauce, and the
2002 Trimbach Riesling (from 375). Nicely crisp, pleasantly austere,
green apple and peach fruit, some mineral on the finish. B/B+

Coincidentall, we recently opened a bottle of this and found it very
similar to your description: varietally correct and decent QPR.


Now, did you? I had that on Saturday myself... Good, but not overly
exciting - went well with sole.
But yesterday's wine, Bacharacher Posten Riesling Spätlese halbtrocken 2003
from Ratzenberger was completely wow! Apples and peaches, lively acidity
and slatey minerality and good length and body - very good for 8 Euro...
Should you see it (and I know he sold to the US and Japan) grab it! It will
keep to 2008 at the least. (87points at wein-plus.de)
Anders

"AyTee" skrev i melding
oups.com...
I always enjoy your Notes, Dale, but "currant leaf"?

Black currant is a note some times found in Sauvignon Blanc, I've heard.
Anders

"currant leaf"

It's pretty widely available, at least in US, as a herbal tea/ health
supplement. Aroma is a bit pungent - more in the gooseberry/cat pee
family. We all have our frames of reference!