TEN FOR LUNCHTIME

Catching up on last week’s notes:

Our RNDC/Cumberland rep came by with some great stuff from California, as well as lunch from our favorite sub shop, Jimmy John’s:

Fat Monk Riesling Central Coast 2008. Grade=Outstanding. Semi-dry Riesling with some apricot, Bing cherry, mineral and white peach notes. Great value.

St. Supery Virtu Napa Valley 2006. Grade=Average+. Think this is getting close to over-the-hill, yet still shows some nice clean stone and citrus fruit. Soft, without much acidity present, certainly due to age. Looking forward to the 2007.

Chimney Rock Elevage Blanc Napa Valley 2007. Grade=Outstanding+. Really crisp with a lot of herbaceousness amidst the lemon tart and grapefruit grandstanding. Nice minerality and well-balanced acidity.

St. Supery Sauvignon Blanc Dollarhide 2008. Grade=Outstanding. Stunning single-vineyard effort. Bright, lively with loads of lemon, lime, grapefruit and hints of orange zest and pineapple too. Well-balanced and finishes zesty and clean.

Fat Monk Chardonnay Central Coast 2008. Grade=Outstanding. Surprisingly good Chard, not too oaky, and not over-the-top buttery. Well-balanced. Good stone fruit flavors with hints of creamy vanilla, butterscotch and pineapple.

Quickfire Chardonnay Napa Valley 2008. Grade=Average+. A bit heavy-handed with the oak, this Chardonnay could do with some restraint. Okay notes of apple, pear and nectarine, as well as some baking spices and buttered toast, yet the oak gives the impression of splinters in the mouth.

Fat Monk Merlot Central Coast 2007. Grade=Outstanding. Another nice surprise from these guys, this Merlot is on point with blackberry, currant and slight coffee and licorice notes. Smooth tannins lend to a smooth finish.

Quickfire Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2005. Grade=Outstanding. Has a lot of body and some well-integrated tannins, mixed in with black currant, blackberry, cedar, tar and mocha notes. Velvety tannins and solid acidic backbone. Very nice.

St. Supery Elu Napa Valley 2005. Grade=Amazing. I have been in love with this wine for some time now. A gorgeous Bordeaux-themed blend that is rich, dense, seductive and concentrated. Beautiful tannins are the backdrop for expansive jammy blackberry and blueberry notes, hints of milk chocolate, espresso, spice box, tobacco and much more. Just a sexy beast.

St. Supery Cabernet Sauvignon Dollarhide 2005. Grade=Amazing. Very young, this big, bold Cab is magnificent with its black fruits, baking spices, coffee and mocha notes. Powerful tannins that need time to settle down and mature, a few years in the bottle will plush out this monster quite nicely.