On May 23, 11:18*am, "Bill S." > wrote:
> 2000 Golan Heights Winery Yarden Blanc de Blancs - *Galilee, Golan
> Heights
> This sparkler was obviously not champers, but figuring out what it was
> took some work. I had a hard time with the nose, which had
> indeterminate fruit and a bit of years, but developed some decent
> apple notes with time. Picked up character as it warmed.
>
> Gosset Champagne Brut Grande Reserve – lemon and yeast nose, quite
> nice, elegant and floral, rounder in the mouth and very tasty.
>
> 2000 Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Gris Vieilles Vignes – lots of colour in
> this deep amber wine made me think it might be older than it turned
> out to be. Waxy fruit nose that was showing significant botrytis,
> balanced in the mouth but with a fair bit of RS. Unusual wine.
>
> 2003 Sean Thackrey Pinot Noir Andromeda Devil's Gulch Ranch - Marin
> County medium red, blood and plums in the nose, but more cherry on
> palate, good balance, pleasant.
>
> 1997 Leeuwin Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Art Series (Western Australia)
> - *dark wine, good fruit nose with additions of herbs and coffee,
> medium to heavy weight in the mouth, and soft tannins. *Cab, merlot,
> malbes, and petit verdot.
>
> 2001 Mas de Daumas Gassac Herault - * warm herbal plum nose, not
> really jumping out of the glass at you, warm and soft and fully
> resolved on palate, and although pleasant, lacked acidity. I was
> amazed that the wine was this young – I’ve had many older vintages
> with far less development.
>
> 1997 Caymus Zinfandel (Napa) – dark, with lots of sweet vanilla in the
> nose, dry tannin, good length, warmish finish. *No obvious zin clues.
> I thought it might have been a Spanish wine.
>
> 1991 Ornellaia (Tuscany) – medium colour with garnet edge, nice
> cabernet nose *high toned, all flavours on palate melded well, fully
> mature and possibly would have been better a few years ago, but still
> classy.
>
> 2001 Sant'Antonio Valpolicella Superiore La Bandina – Dark red, a
> blackberry *nose, ripe in the mouth, but not hot, and excellent
> concentration. Except for the lack of heat, you’d swear it was a
> ripasso.
>
> 2002 McCrea Sirocco (Yakima) – another dark, fairly ripe wine with
> good acidity and moderate tannins. Grenache, syrah, Mourvedre, cunoise
> (didn’t know many were growing the last one in Washington stat!).

Just bought 3 bottles of the 2008 Ripasso. Had it at a tasting 2 weeks
ago. One of the better Valpolicellas IMHO. Was at an all Adami
Prosecco tasting with the Valpolicella with dessert.