A night at Spezia, part 1 of 2 (hopefully)

Gloria Ferrer Carneros Cuvée

Oh my goodness this sparkling wine is awesome. Seriously. Gloria Ferrer Carneros is my new target for what sparkling anything should taste like. It’s not bone dry – I’ve never seen the point in that – but it’s not syrupy sweet, either. A great balance of fruit and dry pull. The bubbles settle very quickly in the glass but explode on the palate. The really surprising thing about Gloria the Cuvée is that it will sell for less than sixty dollars. Yeah.

Newton Unfiltered Chardonnay

As often as I can, I pronounce my lack of faith in chardonnay. It’s either over-oaked and underdeveloped or overly fruity and equally simplistic. This is the exception. It’s got just enough oak to add that vanilla-spice intensity without covering up the supportive fruits underneath. And a really complex finish that lingers and makes you wonder what it is you’re tasting.

Monchhof "Slate" Riesling Spatlese

Not syrupy in the least, which is pleasant for something this sweet. Other than that, I was a lot less impressed with this spatlese than everyone else. It lacked complexity and was overpriced. And the bottle wasn’t attractive enough to sell. Nothing wrong with the wine, but it just didn’t capture me.

Sterling "Three Palms" Merlot

A decent merlot. Dry enough, but sort of thin for what I was expecting. Then again, it’s merlot. Not as much jam as I was hoping. Not terrible.

Chateau Meyney 1998

You’d think a ‘98 Bordeaux would be all ready to go, but this guy was just too fresh, partly given away by the still lingering ruby color and underripe fruit. The tannins had almost all aged off exposing greenish fruit that could use a little more time in the sun.

Fetish Wines "The Watcher"

This $20 Barossa shiraz can compete with the Two Hands Shiraz that sells from five to twenty-five dollars more. So juicy and intense – drink this if you ever get the chance. Shiraz is quickly becoming one of my favorites.

Also, the haiku on the back of the bottle has one too many syllables in the last line.