The Poor Man's Guide's
Wine Reviews

As the Extra Brut label clues you in to, this is a low dosage wine. Which means that some people will love it, and some people will hate it. The reason? Because when the dosage is added to Champagne there is a variable amount of sugar added to it. Many traditional wines are in the Brut range. This is even drier. For those that like the sweet, round, juicy types of sparkling wines, this may be horrible. For those who appreciate clarity, precision and terroir, this might be like a breath of fresh air. The wine is intense and mineral, a laser-like focus of stone-imbued Chardonnay fruit which is at once silky and powerful. No, there isn't the plush, sweet roundness you might have come to expect from some Champagnes, but there is serious personality and verve in this wine. I could go on. If you know Chardonnay, definitely think in the Grand Cru Chablis range rather than the California Chardonnay. Is it the best Champer in its style? No. But for $60 or any price it is a beauty. Two Stars Plus.

The aromas to this are intriguing. It has an almost funky melon aroma to it. By that I mean that its almost like fruit that is really ripe and starts to get a bit mushy and has an almost umami note to it. In the mouth this is quite full bodied and powerful for a sparkling Vouvary. Most tend toward the lighter, ethereal end of the sparkling spectrum whereas this has an almost Champagne-like depth and power. This is outstanding and as good as Champagnes 4 times the price. Its only downside is that its finish is a bit short. But that is splitting hairs. Unless you drink it alongside Salon you are not likely to notice that you are slumming it. :) Two Stars Plus.

Even less influenced by oak than his red wines, this white Burg is pure and fresh with lovely honeydew, grapefruit, lemon ring and orange seed nuances on the nose that betray a wine that is natural and unadulterated. And so it is on the palate as well, fresh, energetic citrus and tropical fruits cascading across the palate while being held in check by taut citrus acid and chalk minerality. This is seriously good stuff. A real, honest and classic white Burgundy from the most unlikely of places. Does it taste like white Burg? Yes! Does it taste like Puligny or Mersault? Not quite, but the differences are in the soil, not in overall quality. This is a great introduction to white Burgundy and a delicious wine. Given the current state of fine Burgundy prices this is an outright steal! Two Stars.

A big fruity Gruner nose jumps from the glass showing pineapple and pine. Shimmering and bright, this is a bit more full bodied than the last vintage but still maintains that crisp, leafy (almost basil?), herbal brightness to the tropical fruit flavors. As Gruners often are, this is great with almost any food you can throw its way. Just a great value for a big bottle of deliciousness. Two Stars.

This wine is a limited production from a sub-plot of grapes in the famous Felsenberg vineyard. Despite how good the regular Felsenberg can be, it often lacks some of the elegance and fine breeding of the best vineyards in his stable. This plot is an exception however. This has an undeniably great German Riesling nose that reminds me of a Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr with its smokey, slate, gunflint minerality. It also reminds me more of the Hermansholle than the regular Felsenberg in terms of its profound and regal minerality and fine texture. In the mouth this is just delicious, creamy and rich but with super-finely etched, filigreed slatey and chalky minerals. This is an awesome Spatlese, probably only surpassed by the Hermansholle in 06 at this address. Can this wine be better in the best vintages? Maybe, but I think that is splitting hairs. This is Three Stars to me any way you look at it.

I shouldn't have worried, this wine is fine. I'm not saying it isn't marked in any way by the vintage. This is rather round and ripe for a Savennieres. However, in the nose there is nothing of concern. I was worrying I might find that roasted over-ripe fruit or even early oxidation but this still has a freshness to it along with a mineral component. The fruit certainly is ripe with strong apple component, maybe even a cooked apple. In the mouth this is round and rich with hints of spice like nutmeg, cinnamon and mace but with enough acid to keep it well balanced. This is very much alive and very tasty. This is ready to drink. Will this get any better? Probably not, but I wouldn't be surprised if this went on another few years. Beyond that it is hard to say but I'm impressed nonetheless. Luckily I have a handful of other bottles in the cellar to check in on over the next several years. Two Stars.

This one has a chalky minerality to the nose as well as a juicy honeydew melon and orange. The palate is not your typical flabby, juicy inexpensive white, this one has a bitter orange zest and seed note to the flavors that give complexity to the orange juicy, wax and white melon fruit. Refreshing and pure, this is a great value with just enough personality to make it pretty special and rare in this price range. Sometimes "lowly" grapes like Picpoul make enticing wines for a great value.

This is one of those wines that while not a monster or the most complex wine you'll ever have, everything is just in the right place and it seems like a pure expression of nature. It is quite aromatic. Smells like apple sauce and flinty minerals! There is a waxy flavor but not in texture. It remains crisp and mineral with apple, pear and quince-like flavors. Very refreshing and just simply tasty and delicious. Two Stars.

Tropical fruits like papaya, honeydew and other melons are graced by some chalk in the nose. A nice rich creamy texture but the flavors are simple. At the same time full in flavor, but there isn't much complexity to the flavors. Just enough acid and minerality to keep it balanced. And a citrus tang at the end bumps up the freshness and vibrancy. This is not a wine to hold onto a long time. But for a simple but representative white Burg at a good price, this is nice to drink over the next couple years. One Star.

My eyes were opened the second I put my nose in the glass and I said "Ohhh!" out loud. This smells great with a ripeness that is not typical to most Muscadet but yet still with all the mineral and chalk that you'd expect as a backbone for good Muscadet. Evokes flowers and honeysuckle, even a bit Muscat-like. This is somewhere between a Muscadet and Pouilly-Fuisse in flavor, with the focus and energy of Muscadet but with a bit deeper, more ripe tropical fruit flavor. Despite this rich flavor it remains well put together, suave and subtle with a fine etching of granite, lemon zest and seed, chalk and acid woven throughout the wine. Really quite succulent and delicious with lots of little subtle complexities that entice you. This is probably the best Luneau-Papin I've had to date and is just simply outstanding at this or any price. Two Stars Plus.

Fresh and pure, this definitely has characteristics of both distinctive grapes. It has a bit of that waxy, wooly character of Chenin and some honeysuckle and other floral aromas that are very Viognier. In the mouth this is refreshing. It is laking the minerality and acid you would expect from a French Chenin, but there is a nice inner mouth perfume and oily texture. Not terrible complex but for an "oak free" refreshing quaffer this is a nice value to drink over the next year or two. One Star.

This one is from Allegrini which is a famous producer in the area. The soil, dust and tar inflected nose is quite distinctive and very Italian. But there is a dense core of rich red and black fruits behind them. But have no fear, this is a classic Italian red with ample acid to make it a perfect match to stand up to tangy tomato-based sauces and the like. In fact, this is likely to be quite versatile at table both standing up to some meat dishes with its dark, earthy fruits and fitting alongside tomato sauces and pizza equally well. This is a very nice every day "pizza and pasta" wine and at a price that won't break the bank. Two Stars.

Coming from Tuscany, this wine certainly has some hints that are reminiscent of Chianti with its dusty leather and tart red fruit aromas. It is young at this stage and this is quite tannic. There are rich red and black fruits here with decent depth, but it didn't blow me away. It is a nice, hearty wine. However, for the price, I would hope for a bit more. Now, granted, I may be being a bit harsh as this will likely flesh out with a few more years in bottle. If it does gain some complexity and finesse, it may warrant Two Stars. But for now, I'd give it One Star Plus.

This one is lovely, seriously complex for its meager 14 years of age. I say meager because Madeira is known for aging indefinitely and some of the most famous still being imbibed are from the 18-hundreds! So 1997 is downright infantile. But this one doesn't disappoint. It has a complex nose of smokey banana and spice. It is full bodied and sweet but just sweet enough, not overpowering. It has a nice piney acid to balance it and goes down silky and fine. Frankly, it is hard to fine anything wrong with a Madeira like this. You could drink it early in the night as an aperitif or after dinner as a digestif or even dessert wine. Just a lovely Madeira, full of character, that shouldn't be missed. Two Stars Plus.