Shared these with Blair ystrday & had at dinner:
1. Sattlerhof SauvBlanc (12.5%; www.Sattlerhof.At; WinebowImports) Gamlitz/Sudsteirmark 2017: Pale yellow color w/ lots of tiny bubbles; pleasant earthy/chalky strong SB/herbal slight perfumed talc nose; slight prickle/dissolved CO2 light herbal/SB/earthy/chalky soft bit tangy/metallic rather light/vapid flavor;short very light SB/herbal bit chalky finish; pleasant enough nose but vapid on the palate and robbed by the dissolved CO2; overpriced at $27.00 (AV)
___________________
2. BonnyDoonVnyd LeCigarVolant (39% Mourv/33% Grenache/26% Syrah/2% Cinsault; tartaric acid/Fr.oak chips/Cu Sulfate additions) SantaCruz/Earth 2012: Med.dark color; pleasant/simple plummy/Mourv/strawberry/Grenache light earthy/dusty slight mushroomy/ContraCosta bit simple/fruity nose; rather soft slight tangy/metallic fairly grapey/Mourv/plummy rather Grenache/strawberry slight earthy/mushroomy rather simple flavor w/ light ripe/tangy tannins; med. some plummy/Mourv/strawberry/Grenache soft rather simple/fruity finish w/ light tangy tannins; a rather simple/fruity/undistinguished red; a classic RandalGrahm vins d'effort in which not much effort was exerted; way overpriced at $37.00 (WF)
______________________________
A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. Satlerhof: This was a rather interesting wine in that there was no DAC designation on the label. The vnyds in the Sudsteirmark are absolutely spectacular on sttep/rolling hillsides. SauvBlanc is apparently the signature grape of that region. I had some quite good ones there when I visited, but continue to be underwhelmed by the ones I find imported into the USA. This Sattlerhof was just another one of continuing disappointment. Much more consistent SauvBlancs from Friuli.
______________
2. Cigar: Randal, in a recent missive:
Cigar
announced the demise of his long-running CigarVolant, his signature GSM blend. The article is quite a good read and you must read his footnotes.
I have long been somewhat underwhelmed by his Cigar, though I have had some older ones that aged into pretty amazing wines. Randal has long touted the superiority of vins d'terroir, yet much of his winemaking has focused on vins d'effort (wines that reflect the winemaker's skill, as opposed to terroir). Think BigHouseRed and his Ca d'Solo line, which he's sold off (haven't had a BigHouse Red nor seen it on the shelf for some time now). This has always been a puzzle to me when he'd speak of vins d'terroir at various Seminars and his professed worshiping at the altar of terroir and I'd sometimes call him on that issue. It was all sorta counter-intuitive (subtle inside joke there).
He's actually made some outstanding vins d'terroir over the yrs. Think early Clos de Gilroy Grenache. His BienNacido Syrah, made from the historic X-Block that also goes to BobLindquist, is as fine an expression of BienNacido Syrah as you can find.
With the demise of Cigar, he will renew his focus on making vins d'terroir, primarily from his Popelouchum property in SanJuanBatista. He's gone in whole-hog on developing that property, yet it's unclear if that effort will make any wines that display a unique terroir. But sometimes you just gotta believe and I believe I'll continue to follow Randal's efforts because I know the result will always be interesting (unlike the '12 Cigar). I've followed Randal from the very start and have too much invested in him to give up now.
Tom