Tried these 5 over the weekend. Not a lot of great drinking, though:
1. Aliximia Helios Blanca Valle de Guadalupe/BajaCalif/MX (Grenache; 13.5%; www.Aliximia.com; LaMisionAssocImports/SanDiego) 2015: Med.yellow bit cloudy color; light floral/carnations/apple blossom/appley some earthy bit coarse simple nose; rather soft/fat/coarse light floral/apple blossom/appley rather simple/vapid/watery flavor; med.short soft/fat light floral/carnations/apple rather dull/vapid finish; a rather dull as dishwater coarse white but w/ no natty character; overnight the wine becomes sour/natty/mousey but still dull as dishwater. $12.99 (KK)
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2. Heinrich Spindler Forster Riesling Forst/Pfalz (trocken; Q; LAPNr. 5 112 089 19 17; www.WeingutHeinrichSpindler.De; 12.5%) 2016: Med.light yellow color w/ lots of small bubbles that persist; quite attractive R/floral/pineapple/slate slight Mosel valve oil bit spicy quite pleasant R nose; off-dry (0.6%-0.8% r.s.?) lightly tart/tangy bit spritz/dissolved CO2 light pineapple/floral/R bit slatey attractive flavor; long fairly R/floral/pineapple light slatey off-dry finish; an altogether pleasant Pfalz R but just that. $23.00 (AV)
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3. WindGap TrousseauGris Fanucchi-WoodRdVnyd/RRV/SonomaCnty (11.8%; Plntd: 1981; www.WindGapWines.com) Sebastapol 2017: Med.gold bit cloudy color; slight piney/resiny slight floral/dandelions/haymow slight stoney/chalky/wet pavement rather interesting nose; quite tart/tangy bit piney/resiny/stony/wet pavement light floral/dandelions/perfumed talc slight earthy/metallic bit lean/wirey flavor; med. tart/tangy light mineral/stony/wet pavement slight floral/perfumed talc somewhat savory/lean/austere/taut finish; a bit interesting pleasant white on the lean/savory side but just that.
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4. SecondSalvo Ferment Garage Wine Co. Pais D.O.: Secano Interior Cauquenes/Chile (13%; Plnted from raisens long ago; Unfltrd; ElixerWineGroup/Bend/OR; www.ElixirWineGroup.com) 2016: Med.red color; rather classic Mission/high-toned some earthy/loamy light pencilly/old oak fairly attractive nose; rather soft sour/earthy/loamy light Mission/floral/high-toned fairly earthy/SouthAmerica/rustic flavor w/ light rough tannins; med.long soft rather sour/earthy/loamy/coarse/mushroomy/SA slight Mission/floral finish w/ light sour/rough/coarse tannins; a rather pleasant Mission nose but typical SA/coarse/loamy character on the palate. $19.00
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5. Forlorn-Hope Suspiro del Moro Alvarelhao SilvaspoonsVnyd/AltaMesa/Lodi (13.7%; 137 cs) 2010: Very dark color; very strong grapey/Douro-like/plummy/licorice/chocolaty light toasty/oak quite lovely complex nose; soft very rich/lush very strong plummy/chocolaty/Douro-like some toasty/oak bit earthy/loamy/Lodi lovely flavor w/ light smooth/ripe tannins; very long/lingering ripe/Porto-like/grapey/licorice/chocolaty bit earthy/loamy/Lodi light toasty/oak finish w/ modest ripe/soft tannins; quite a lovely good-drinkng red. $19.00 (KK)

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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. Alximia: This is a wnry that is supposedly in the "natural" camp, though they don't boast it on the WebSite. Founded by a former mathematician.
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2. TrousseauGris: The grape variety that used to be known as GrayRiesling. It made rather dull/uninteresting back in the days of GusSebastiana and Wente. With a new name, doesn't seem to have risen a whole lot above that in newer hands.
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3. Alvarelho: This is the grape that dominates in the Dao of Northern Portugal. Reportedly used a bit in the making of Porto in the Douro. This wine had a lot of grapey character that reminds a lot of the dry Douro reds, but not the structure or tannins of most of those.
Tom


Edited by TomHill (07-28-2019 16:18:35)