Extensive travel over the past few weeks have prevented my posting more
frequently. What follows are some abbreviated notes on wines I've had
during that time.

In California:
1994 Ch. Smith Haut Lafitte was surprisingly un-spoofy, with a lovely
savory quality to the herbal notes and still lively dark plum fruit

1995 Greenwood Ridge Estate Bottled Cabernet Sauvignon
17 year old Mendocino Cab stored in fairly indifferent conditions? Why
not? For the first half hour, this was a lovely older CalCab, with
still fresh cassis fruit and a bit of dusty earth, but maderized notes
started creeping in and after an hour this was shot.

In Florida:

2011 Paso a Paso Verdejo we ordered off the list at a good
French-Moroccan restaurant in Sarasota; it proved to be full bodied,
citrusy and not at all oaky.

2011 Martin Codax Albariño was its usual reliable self, with lovely
earthy qualities in a bright, juicy package.

2010 William Fevre Chablis Champs Royaux was just OK. I get that these
are purchased grapes, but apart from the acidity, this wine was a tad
lacking in character.

2011 Wairau River Sauvignon Blanc, an old favorite from NZ that we'd
never before seen in the US, turned up at Whole Foods in Sarasota and
proved to be just as enjoyable and fruity/herbal as it was in Christchurch.

Mark Lipton