A week of assorted wines, a few even enjoyed al fresco for the first time in 2011
2009 Peter Lauer "Barrel X" Riesling I don't know what Barrel X means, but I really enjoyed this well priced ($16) Riesling. Crisp, minerally, just a hint of sugar. Really good to start with, then blossoms as evening progresses. Very floral, with lemon and green apple fruit, bright, nice length. Bought more. B+
2010 Chivite Gran Feudo rosado Bright colored rosé, strawberry jam, flowers, not as bright as some previous vintages, quite acceptable but not searching for more. B-
2009 Hiedler "Maximum Reserve" Gruner Veltliner. Boy, this wine was hard to get a grip on. Big wine, very ripe, though there is good acidity. I'd guess this isn't totally dry. Went very well with some "Latin American" spicy pork and barley, and I enjoyed. But sipping later in evening it seems heavy and plodding, and heading towards overripeness. Yet a bit of leftovers next time seemed quite attractive. I'm all over the place with this, I'll say a B with an even bigger margin of error than usual.
NV Philipponnat Royale Reserve Brut OK as an apertif, better with scallops with spicy orange sauce. Yeasty, apple cider, I thought a touch clumsy though others seemed to like more. B-
2001 Ardanza Rioja Reserva Fairly extracted, some oak, with dill and spice notes, plummy red fruit. Pretty decent acidity, medium finish. Goes well with with a main course of fennel rubbed steak and quinoa/green bean salad. B
2006 Lapostolle "Cuvee Alexandre" Merlot Yikes. Black plums (and prunes), sweet, plenty of toasty oak. I've thought the Alexandre line was very modern/international before, but this seems totally over the top. C/C+
Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.