WTN: An odd assortment

[Jean Brislance]

A somewhat odd assortment of wines from the last week...

2002 Las Rocas de San Alejandro Garnacha - Had this with pizza at the fantasy football draft on Tuesday. A ruby-purple color. Nose smells kind of like red Kool-Aid powder to me, with some soft floral notes. Flavors of bright cherry, a little bit of smoke, and fresh thyme. The tannins are on the lighter side, and the wine is lighter bodied as well. I don’t know if this wine sees any oak or not, but I did not detect any (it seemed nothing like the "Vinas Viejas"). A little bit of heat on the finish, but it is kind of clean and lively on the palate. Aside from the sort of “candied” nose, I kind of liked this. Not bad for $9.

2001 Louis Bernard Cotes-du-Luberon - A little something to sip onand cook some Bolognese sauce with. Dark ruby color, with a nose that has some plum, raspberry, spice, and a little bit of prune this time. Flavors are also of plum and raspberry, with some black cherry, spice, and minerals, too. Lighter-bodied and relatively simple, with a little bit of acidity, and light tannins. It is just a nice, easy drinker. This is a good candidate for a weeknight pizza/pasta wine. You could do worse for a $6.85 price tag.

2001 Red Car Syrah “The Dreaming Detective” - Actually opened this with a mild, beef brisket burrito from a local Tex-Mex joint, and it wasn’t too bad with it! Inky dark purple in color. Nose of blackberry liqueur, crushed raspberry, and vanilla. Smells really ripe! Loads of berry flavors, including blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, a hint of smoke, and vanilla. Kind of peppery on the finish, with some heat from alcohol (which was still VERY noticeable on day 2 ). Smooth and creamy texture. A very big wine. I am not sure if the alcohol of heat will ever subside, though.

1997 Marcarini Barolo La Serra - Opened this with a Bolognese-style ragu made with buffalo. A lighter orange-ruby color, and very clear. Nose shows quite a bit of tar and earth initially. After about an hour in the glass, it really opened up to show some cherry, flowers, and cigar tobacco. Flavors are subtle and elegant, with pretty cherry, red berry, minerals, and earth. The tannins are firm and gripping, and the finish is long, with herbal, floral, and mineral qualities. It goes without saying that this could still use time for the tannins to resolve. But it was really gorgeous to smell at the moment, and it should evolve nicely I would think.

All the best,

Jean