This past week I spent some time with family and we enjoyed some great white and red wines. Mostly white and rose wines were enjoyed simply because I was in a very hot climate (no not the Bay Area), and so white and rose wines were truly the only option.

I wanted to have some red wines so I included two reds that I have been wanting to taste for a long time and both were great. The only real “let down” was the Tavel Rose which I have still not come to appreciate. To me it lacks the bracing acidity and it is far too bitter, for my tastes.

So, I will keep this short and sweet – the wine notes follow in the order they were enjoyed:

2012 Makom Grenache Blanc – Score: A-
This bottle is back!!! The last bottle we had was right after bottling, and it was not showing beautifully. This week, it was showing alot more like what it did before bottling. The nose explodes with rich slate, followed by lovely floral aromas, ripe lime, lemon, grapefruit, jasmine, lovely cut grass, and herbal notes. The mouth is ripe and medium bodied, with nice lemon friache, good strong and balancing acid, and ripe peach. The finish is long and spicy, with hints of banana, ripe fig, and nice mineral. I am so happy this wine is back -be sure to enjoy!!!!

2006 Recanati Special Reserve – Score: A- to A
This wine is a blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot. The wine was aged for 19 months in new French barrels. The nose starts off with an intoxicating perfume of rich mineral, freshly shaved pencil, black cherry, spice, and crushed herb. The mouth on this full bodied wine is rich and layered but elegant with now softening integrated tannin that coats and lingers, along with rich concentrated black fruit, that is not forceful but ever present, with sweet cedar, spice, and herb. The finish is long with chocolate, tobacco, and great play between the tannin, fruit, leather, and herb, each giving way to each other o make for a very enjoyable experience. BRAVO!!!

2011 Elvi Wines InVita – Score: B+
The wine is a blend of 40% Sauvignon Blanc and 60% Pansa Blanca – which is the grape used in making of Cava wines.
The nose starts off with a lovely floral attack, fresh cut grass, guava, followed by honey notes, Asian pear, lychee, bright citrus, honeysuckle, and white flowers. The mouth is nice, round, and ripe, with bracing acid, a fantastic dichotomy that plays out with bracing acid, citrus zest, honeyed background, along with green apple, baked apple, and quince. The finish is long and zesty with lemon/lime fresche, tart fruit lingering, with slate, mineral, and grassy/straw notes.

2012 Vignobles David Tavel, Le Mourre de l’Isle, Rosé – Score: B+
This wine is a blend of 40% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 20% Cinsault, and 10% Clairette Blance. The nose is filled with lovely strawberry, ripe raspberry, lemon, peach, flint, and mineral. The mouth is light to medium with OK acidity, but lacking bracing acidity, along with nice tart lemon fresche, grapefruit, and lemon pith. The finish is long and herbal with a pique of bitterness and long lasting tartness.

2012 Teperberg 1870 Sauvignon Blanc, Terra – Score: A-
When I tasted this with the winemaker some 9 months ago, this wine had screaming and bracing acid. Since bottling, the wine has lost some of its zing, but the lovely balance of sweet fruit, acid, straw and cut grass really makes for a nice wine.
The nose on this wine starts with grapefruit, orange, crazy citrus, lemon, fresh tropical fruit salad, cut grass and pineapple. The medium plus bodied wine is vibrant with fresh fruit, kiwi, guava, and mango, that captures your attention, along with nice acid that brings the mouth together. The finish is long and spicy, with what tastes like white chocolate, spice, more tropical fruit, a hint of honey, nectar, and a drop of pith on the long finish.

2009 Weitzman Petite Verdot, Dionysus – Score: A-
This wine is a blend of 85% Petite Verdot and 15% Merlot. The wine was aged for 24 months in new French barrels. The nose is intoxicating with lovely dark cherry, rich loamy dirt, along with smoked animal fat, insane smoking tobacco, licorice, crushed herb, and sweet oregano. The mouth on this full bodied and concentrated with shocking control, no date to be found, with concentrated blackberry, raspberry, and layers of dark brooding fruit that is coming together perfectly with sweet cedar and nice tannin. The finish is long and luscious more tobacco, cigar smoke, soft leather hide, chocolate, and butterscotch that lingers long with coffee and mouth coating tannin. BRAVO!!!

2012 Hagafen White Riesling, Devoto Vineyards – Score: A-
8/16/2013 This wine continues to impress me and one that I never get tired of. It is a step beyond simple quaffer, with great balance of 2% residual sugar and great acidity, controlled with lovely tropical fruits. The nose starts off with sweet notes or tropical fruit, clear honeysuckle commands the nose, with pineapple, and candied grapefruit taking the side stage. The mouth is rich and layered and truly captivating with an almost oily texture from the sugar, along with banana, peach, more tropical fruits, along with tart white cherry. The finish is long and sweet with a great balance of tart to sweet fruit, sour red apple, and guava. Bravo!