FRIDAY’S THIRTEEN…

It seems a little fake on the nose with hits of oak, pears, fig and apples. It tastes like cheap Chardonnay…Period. Oak notes seem fake which covers slight pear notes, leading into an awkward, funky finish. There are a ton of Chardonnay in this price range that are a lot better. (D-)

2013 Au Bon Climat Chardonnay (Santa Barbara County, CA)… $23.

Aromas of pear and butterscotch with a touch of fig. Nice nuances, not over-powering. Excellent balance of acidity and fruit. Notes of pear, butter, lemon and slight butterscotch coming through. Clean, bright, lingering finish (B)

2013 Dakota Creek Winery Dry Riesling (Columbia Valley, WA)… $22.

Apples and apricots on the nose with a touch of figs and a slight soapy edge. Creamy on the palate with apple notes coming through and just a hint of rubber boot on the back-end. Fig notes hit on the mid-palate with a little tangerine sneaking in on the finish. (C-/C)

2011 Glacial Lake Missoula Wine Co. “Larobe” Rebecca’s Vineyard (Oregon)… $22.

Aromas of rose petal, tobacco, orange peel and apples. Sour cherries on the palate backed by notes of crushed red brick, tobacco and orange peel. Nice balance, good structure and a touch on the tart side, but not too tart. Reminds me a little of a Gamay with pineapple thrown in the mix. A blend of Chardonnay and Gamay Noir (kind of weird, but cool). (C+/B-)

2008 Legoe Bay Winery Reefnet Red (Columbia Valley, WA)… $12.

Rusty Iron and Cherries on the nose backed by BBQ spices and dried herbs. Soft, structured tannins support red plum and cherry notes with a nice backdrop of baking spices and white pepper. Sweet fruit, but not over-powering. Orange blossom notes sneak in on the back-end of the mid-palate into the medium length finish. (B-/B)

2012 Dynasty Cellars Red (Columbia Valley, WA)… $20.

Blackberries and cherries on the nose with a backdrop of tobacco and blueberries. Round cherry and blueberry notes on sweet tannins front to back with a nice spicy edge and a little orange peel on the finish. Good structure and balance with a little grip action on the back-end. 80% Merlot, 10% Malbec, 10% Sangiovese (B)

2010 Dakota Creek Winery Cabernet Franc (Rattlesnake Hills, WA)… $24.

A little dirt action on the nose with hits of tomato stem, rose petal, currants and tobacco. Currants all day on the palate with a good dose of chocolate and tobacco. The flavors expand on the mid-palate. The tannins are sweet and the wine is seamless across the palate with chocolate and nutmeg notes lingering with just a hint of veggies. This is a sexy Cab Franc (B+/A-)

2014 Astruc Viognier (Sud De France)… $9.

Aromas of apples, white flowers and wet stone with a touch of pear and lemon pith. Nice and round on the palate with just a touch of viscosity. Notes of wet stone, honey, orange blossoms and apricots with a bright tangerine element in the background. This is a nice transition wine from new world Viognier to old world Viognier. (A-)

2013 Pazo Serantellos Albarino (Rias Baixas, Spain)… $13.

Aromas of Fig Newton crust with notes of pears and wet rocks. Fairly intense on the front of the palate with notes of fig, pear and banana skin (not bitter). Nice backbone of acidity leading into a finish of orange and tangerine with a splash of lemon and honey. (B+)

2014 Chateau Bas Rose “L’Alvernegue” (Coteaux D’Aix En Provence, France)… $10.

Wet stone, strawberries, herbs and a touch of hay on the nose. Good acidity backs light strawberry and cherry notes on the palate. Dried herb and wet stone notes are prominent on the mid-palate into the finish with a hit of citrus coming through and wet stone notes lingering. A blend of Cinsault, Mourvedre and Grenache.
Hopefully you haven’t given up on Rose` just because the weather is cooler. Rose` is good year round and certainly would make a nice compliment to the Thanksgiving table. (B/B+)

2013 Mas des Mas (Saint-Chinian, France)… $10.

Interesting aromas of rose petals, tobacco, bacon fat and a little char, currants and black plums thrown in the mix. Red fruits on the palate with a blend of rose petals, red cherries and plums. The tannins are smooth with a slight chalky element. The finish is clean with notes of bacon fat and tobacco coming through. Good structure and balance. 60% Syrah, 30% Carignan, 10% Grenache Noir. (C+/B-)

2012 Domaine Combe Juliere Rasteau (Rasteau, France)… $18.

Rose petals, tobacco and plums on the nose with a dose of cherries and an edge of petrol. Solid structure on the palate…Seriously old world. Notes of crushed rock all day on the palate joined by notes of tobacco, plums, tar and violets. It’s a little tight right now with a slight backdrop of acidity and leather. It lacks pizzazz being a little flat front to back. It’s a ’12 so I’m not sure if it will open up anymore. (C+)

2012 Cellers Unio “Perlat” (Montsant, Spain)… $11.

Nice intensity on the nose with notes of tomato leaf, blackberries, currants and violets. Just a touch of stink and wet stone. Currant notes front to back in the mouth with an underscore of minerality, spice and a touch of funk and earth. Notes of dirt and leather join the party on the finish. A very interesting red from Spain for a prayer. 40% Grenache, 40% Carignan and 20% Syrah. (B/B+)

Cheers!
Stan The Wine Man