WTN: Two cheap ones

[Jean Brislance]

A couple bargains from Friday night, one not so good, the other kind of interesting...

2002 Nadaria Inzolia Sicilia - A grape that I am not familiar with! Pale golden color. Nose is kind of pretty, with some pear, honey, and a caramel note. Flavors show a lot of bright, green apple up front, with some secondary elements of minerals and flowers. The texture in the mouth is a little oily, and the finish is pretty quick. Somewhat flabby, with not a lot of structure or acidity. Nothing worth buying again, even for $10.

1999 Domaine du Joncier Lirac - A dark red color. Hello, funk! The nose shows a lot of funk, with earthy, fresh turned soil, wet leaves, cigar ash, and some cherry and berry fruit in the background. The cherry and berry continue on the palate, along with more earth, spicy black pepper, and minerals. Lighter bodied, with tannins that are fine, but still have a little grip to them. Lively in the mouth, with good acidity. Not a blockbuster, but a fairly interesting wine that would appeal to those who like stinky Rhones. Kind of fun for $12.

All the best,

Jean