Daily Archives: March 23, 2008
Purim 2008
This Purim I drank wine with friends on Thursday night and at Friday lunch. After all that, Shabbos was a nice break from wine. Thursday night I did not take notes. So these are more memory of what I tasted than actual facts.
Thursday Night:
Rothberg Cellars Pinotage 2004 – This wine exhibits classic Pinotage stylings with a bit of tannin and spicy oak. The nose was flush with cherries and red fruit. The mouth was medium bodied and fruity. The finish was medium long and had a bit of spicy oak. An OK attempt at a Pinotage – I liked the Welnerberg Pinotage 2005 more, but that is my take.
Cantina Gabriele Sangiovese 2005 - This wine is a classic fruit bomb, and a bit too much for my taste. The saving grace was that it had enough oak to dull the fruit but it had a bit more tannin than I was expecting. The tannins actually accentuated the fruit bomb – almost making it worse. To that I will say that this wine has a chance to age a bit more and maybe calm down. The fruit forwardness of the wine is evident from the nose – filled with cherries, cherries, and more cherries. The mouth was medium – full bodied with sour cherry and briar. The finish is very long with more sour cherry.
Monte Olivo Umbria Rosso 2005 – This wine was a real winner. Huge nose and an awesome specimen. For being a house wine this is a real winner. The wine is reasonably priced to boot. The wine has a wonderful nose of blackberry and tobacco. The mouth on this full bodied wine was fruity but the tannins have yet to integrate, but the mouth coating wine will be better over time for sure. The mouth is filled with blackberries and cassis, the finish is long and loaded with oak and tobacco.
Friday Lunch – with real notes:
Bashan Merlot Eitan 2005 - Score: B+
The nose on this mature garnet colored wine is filled with blackberry, old socks, oak, vanilla, and sour cherry. The mouth on this medium bodied wine has nice integrated tannins, vanilla, black fruit up front and then a medium finish that is filled with a spicy oak finish.
Bashan Cabernet Sauvignon Eitan 2005 – Score: A-
Notes still hold true to my tasting that we had in Israel in the Bashan Winery.
Mount Meroma Cabernet Sauvignon 1993 - Score: B-
This one was definitely passed its time. It is a shame because it was ready to go about 5 years ago. The crazy thing about this wine was 10 minutes after it was opened, it was gone. Nothing left. These notes are right when it was opened and seems to have been from its last gasps of life – if that 
. The nose on this almost brown colored wine has light aromas of oak and red fruit. The mouth on this medium – full bodied wine has integrated tannins, dirty socks, oak, and raspberry. The finish was almost non-existent, but had hints of vanilla and mint.
Baron Herzog Cabernet Sauvignon Special Reserve Napa Valley 2002 - Score: A-
The nose on this garnet colored wine was packed with blackberry, cassis, figs, and oak. The mouth on this full bodied wine starts with well integrated tannins, than the blackberry, cassis, and sweet wood mingle together into a complex blend that is quite intriguing. The finish is medium long with tobacco and sweet oak.
Four Gates Winery Pinot Noir 2000 FFB – Score: A
This wine has a special designation of FFB. The FFB stands for – François Fréres Bertranges, a specialized french oak barrel that Four Gates used on one part of the 2000 vintage. Four Gates Winery specially bottled a few that were not blended and never sold them to the public. However, the few that I have received have been absolutely fantastic. I just opened one a few weeks ago and wanted to write about it. The wine has come to life and is now showing a civilized brute than in the past. The nose is vibrant with blackberries and cherries. The body is full and the mouth feel is velvety. The finish is strong and the acid balances out the wine to make it a firm and complex wine. The tannins are easing up so it is probably at its peak. Drink now till 2009.
