Wine Expo '08 - Part III - Kiosks 11 - 22

The usual caveat - these are impressions, not reviews.

We weren't enthused about the Rincipi di Buttera Riesi - a bit of what Kelly calls "the cheap wine nose." We need to come up with a good euphemism. "Over-ripe" perhaps.

The Stellennzicht Pinotage tasted distinctly like a Pinotage - and I'm not really a fan. I'd like to hear from Pinotage afficiandos out there about what they thought about this wine. It was clearly well made.

One of the great curiosities of the show was the Yellow Tail Limited Edition Premium Shiraz - what does a $50 Yellow Tail taste like???? It was suprisingly good. Maybe what you'd expect from a $50 Yellow Tail. Well made, though not very subtle: "a crazy cartoon of a wine" says Kelly's notes. Reminded us of the 2003 Rosenblum Rockpile Road Zinfandel that was #3 in Wine Spectator's 2005 Top 100 list. Over the top, but in a well made way.

We've previously reviewed the Farnese Edizione Cinque Autoctoni 2004, which we really liked. Unfortunately the '06 edition was not nearly as good. It was a clear shift to an international style. It had none of the unique character that made the '04 so interesting, and as an international sytle wine it was fine, but not worth $43. A real disappointment.

I'll finish this post on a high note. Both the wines from Tolaini were excellent. The Valdesanti is a Bordeaux blend (Cab Sauv, Merlot, Cabh Franc) and was very well done. Worth buying at $45, though maybe not a steal. A 91 from Wine Spectator. The Al Passo - Sangiovese and Merlot - was a terrific blend. Delicious, interesting and different. It was on our "must buy" list - and everyone else's, as it was sold out by 4:00 on Friday. Wine Spectator gave this an 86. That's nuts. Don't tell your friends about this one - at least not until I get my hands on a couple of bottles.

To be continued . . .