Sancerre Les Fondettes 2004

Minerally and lemony on the nose, this $28 bottle of Les Fondettes Sancerre was a real palate-cleanser, very dry and acidic and grapefruity, with a lingering finish. "It's almost bitter," said Ed. "Not to me," said Margaret Anne. Gran's opinion? "So-so."

We rated it 16.5/20 using the UC Davis system.

Robert's Rock Chenin Blanc/Chardonnay 2005

This inexpensive ($10-$11) Chenin Blanc/Chardonnay mix from Robert's Rock came across mostly as a Chardonnay. We got grapefruit on the nose and vanilla on the tongue. But we liked it enough to rate it 15.25/20 using the UC Davis system. It's not a bad wine, just nothing special.

Stoneleigh Marlborough Riesling 2004

Our notes on this Stoneleigh Riesling from New Zealand read:

"Mineral, petroleum, steely nose...dry...citrusy palette...grapefruit, green apple, generic citrus..."

We rated it 16.5/20.

It was recognizably Reisling but very different from the German Reislings we usually drink and enjoy...and, we think, prefer.

Still, a fine wine and we'd be willing to buy it again.

Wyndham Estate Bin 444 Cabernet Sauvignon 2002

This 2002 Wyndham Estate Bin 444 Cabernet Sauvignon had a "soft mouth feel--tannic but not harsh."

And that seems to be all we wrote about it, although we did give it a 15.5/20 rating as we began experimenting with the UC Davis 20-point wine-rating method (here's one version).

Oh, and it cost us $17.

Marqués de Cáceres Rioja Rosé 2004

"Fruity but dry. Lingering after taste. Grapefruit? Lemon?"

Thus reads the entirety of our notes. Must have been busy cooking.

But be it noted that Marqués de Cáceres rarely lets us down with any of its various wines.

Perrin Côtes du Rhône Reserve 2003

A very floral bouquet...lavender, perhaps? Mellow on the tongue, but with a bit of a tart bite on the finish. Ed rated this Perrin Côtes du Rhône Reserve a 5 or 6/10, while Margaret Anne liked it a bit better, rating it a 7/10.

Wyndham Estate Bin 555 Shiraz 2003

We tasted this Wyndham Estate Shiraz side-by-side with the Little Penguin Shiraz in the previous post. This one more bouquet and came across as both drier and more tannic and, we thought, better-balanced. Lots of that good Shiraz spiciness. We preferred this one.

The Little Penguin Shiraz 2005

We confess we bought this ($12.50) Little Penguin Shiraz to cook with, but of course we tasted it, too. It's very fruit forward, with lots of prunes and plums jazzed up with good shirazzy spicinesss--black pepper and maybe cloves. So, better than we might have expected for the price, but still a bit too soda-poppish for our taste. Our favorite Australian Shiraz, which alas we can rarely get, is (the much more expensive) Barossa Valley Estate E&E Black Pepper Shiraz, still or sparkling.

See the next entry on the Wyndham Estate Bin 555 Shiraz...we tasted it side by side with this one.

Vineland Estates Sauvignon Blanc 2003

Very dry. It starts out on the grassy/flinty side of Sauvignon Blancness, but somehow evolves into citrusy. A nice, straightforward white wine from one of our favorite Ontario wineries.

Penfolds Thomas Hyland Shiraz 2003

Cherry and blackberry on the nose, and pepper rather than fruit in the mouth--and lots of tannin: lots of tannin: we fear we robbed the cradle drinking this 2003 Penfolds Thomas Hyland Shiraz so soon. We'd love to try it again in a few years.

Firesteed Pinot Noir 2003

This Firesteed Pinot Noir from Oregon, vintage 2003, set us back $18.95. We found it light, fruity and acidic, "pleasant but uncomplicated." The most damning comment in our notes: "It's just sort of...there." We didn't find it interesting enough to want to buy it again.

Fetzer Valley Oaks Fumé Blanc 2004

We found this $15 bottle of Fetzer Valley Oaks Fumé Blanc 2004 "fresh" and "lemony/citrusy" with a "bite" to it and a hint of oakiness. Margaret Anne commented that she got apple, peach and apricot on the nose.

"Very good," we wrote in our notes from March 4. "We should buy it more often."

What we didn't realize until we blogged this was that we'd already had it once--at the Creek in Cathedral Bistro for our anniversary last September.

Here's what we wrote then.

California trounces France...again

After 30 years, Californian wines still rule the roost.

A new use for fine crystal wineglasses...

...that doesn't involve wine.