Weekend of whites - Grgich Hills and Vieux Telegraphe

What a weekend for whites! First came the Grgich Hills Chardonnay 2007 on Friday and then the Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf du Pape Blanc 2004 on Saturday.

It's been some time since I've enjoyed Mike Grgich's famous grape juice so this was quite a treat. Even see Bottle Shock? Grgich was the winemaker at Chateau Montelena in 1973 when the famous Chardonnay took the world championship at the Paris tasting. So if you want to taste a world champ, this is the one.

Seeking a better made Chardonnay is an act of futility. The nose is light and lemony. The taste is perfection, almost too perfect. One doesn't detect any offensive oak or bitter citrus. The creamy pear and peach flavors roll off the tongue like silk. Few Chardonnays have this amazing quality! Unfortunately, it's fairly high dollar. If it wasn't, we'd be drinking it every night, correct?

So I've been eyeing that Telegraphe blanc in my father in law's wine cooler for about a year now. Saturday came the evening of truth. I've been fortunate enough to sample their red, now I get the little sister white. It's really good!

I'm not sure about the exact composition, but the 2008 is 40% Clairette, 30% Grenache Blanc, 15% Roussanne, and 15% Bourboulenc. I can taste and smell the Roussanne influence with the slightly flowery nose. The taste is somewhat mineral with soft creamy lemons and honey in the middle. The finish is medium-bodied and lasting. Overall, much above average for Rhone blended whites.

T-Scale: Grgich Hills - 92 ($34 - 42); Telegraphe 90 ($23 - $40). Both are outstanding medium-bodied whites for fall. Let me know if you find either of these on the lower end of the price scale. As you can see, the price for both of these varies widely!

Californian Syrah threesome - Adelaida, San Marco Creek, and Dutton Goldfield

The last three bottles I've consumed have all been Californian Syrah. There was a time I wasn't crazy about Syrah, but lately I've really had a taste for it.

One of local proprietors had several bottles discounted for some reason. I had to partake of the following: Adelaida's Viking 2006 $14!!!), San Marcos Creek Estate 2005 ($20), and Dutton Goldfield Cherry Ranch ($20).

The Adelaida is simple a steal at this price. It is quite dry, somewhat earthy, and really fruit forward with dark cherries and leather.

The San Marcos is even fruitier. Not quite as dry, it's more of a stand alone wine made in a more Australian style. It's not as heavy and hot as most Australian, but it's big for California.

The Dutton Goldfield is one of the best food-pairing Syrahs I've had. This complemented my chicken Parmesan nicely. The tomato-basil sauce melted into the mellow dusty flavor of the syrah like a light breeze over a warm autumn day. S

I prefer these Californian Syrahs to most of the Australians I've poured. When I want a large, syrup styled Shiraz I turn to those that Parker rates highly. But, when I have a food pairing or want to enjoy some spice and dust, California serves me well.

If you're not familiar with Syrah, any of these is a good place to start.

T-Scale ratings: Adelaida 89, San Marcos 89, Dutton Goldfield 90

Try some Syrah! It's good for the fall and the cooler weather.

My house Pinot Noir shootout - Longboard v. De-fin-i-tive

My house Pinot Noir is subject to change occasionally when I find a new upstart willing to take on the current champ. In the past, the gold belt was worn by the likes of MacMurray Ranch and LaCrema, but for a while now it's been Longboard's Russian River 2007.

I had a small vertical tasting which compared three different Definitive Pinots including the Napa Valley, Russian River, and the Sonoma Coast. The Russian River is the best by just a nose over the Napa, but either could compete for the title of The T-Scale House Pinot.

So for this bout I've chosen the Russian River Definitive. I chilled each slightly and then opened them. Over two hours I allowed them to develop from first pour to last. On first taste, I found the Definitive "hot" - showing too much alcohol. The Longboard came out strong, but quite nice.

Both of these are very ripe, fruity, and somewhat earthy. The acidity is fairly low unlike Burgundy, but I didn't choose these to compete with the French, Oregon, or Washington Pinots. These are the big, full bodied American style bad boys that Miles in Sideways would be proud to put upon his rack.

So on second pour, the Definitive mellowed nicely. Now it shows its ripe strawberries and red cherries. The Longboard continues to delight, now mellowing as well.

The last pour had the Definitive showing its best. The Longboard continued to mellow, perhaps now too much. But at the finish, Longboard pulled out a narrow victory.

Now about price. The Longboard varies in price from my various merchants, but on average, I can get it for $25 or so. Definitive tends to be a little less at an average of $22-$23. Would I pay the extra $3? You bet!

Longboard is a big Pinot with plenty of big time fruit throughout. This will stand up to red meat or tomato-based sauces that aren't too spicy. Consider it a Pinot for cooler weather as is the Definitive. No need to give up your Pinot during the wintertime when you consume the big Russian River styles.

T-Scale - Longboard retains its title!

Pacific Rim Vin de Glaciere Riesling - ice wine

Anyone like ice wine? I do. I'm not into sweet wines, but I am into dessert wines. Some of the best examples are late-harvest Rieslings such as the Pacific Rim Vin de Glaciere. This is not a true late-harvest ice wine as the grapes are frozen after harvest and later pressed, but this means that you can enjoy this at a much lower price point than the true examples.

What the Pacific Rim shows is the nice acidity and controlled sweetness one would expect from the German eisweins. I've tried true German beerenauslese and trockenbeerenauslese wines and loved the taste but choked on the price tag. Much of what the big ones bring to the table are present here.

Expect an apricot nose with a tint of aluminum and rot. Yeah I hear ya, it doesn't sound great, but it actually is much better than it sounds. The taste is pleasantly acidic with a touch of orange peel and apricot. At only 10.4% alcohol, I don't get any heat on the tongue. The finish is long as one might expect. My only complaint is the 375ML bottle!

T-scale 89. $16.99 for a half-bottle is more than reasonable.