[wine] TN current release Moet Hennessy wines

Thought I'd share tasting notes from a golf club wine committee meeting earlier this week. Wines tasted nonblind, without food. All these are from the Moet Hennessy corporate family. Chandon Rose - California. Medium color; attractive if uncomplicated nose, clear strawberry tones; flavorful and structured midpalate, much less sweet than the nose leads one to expect, in fact this is quite dry, trace of a tannic bite, this would be good with food; finishes as it tastes, good length. Solid value. Moet & Chandon Nectar Imperial. I'm not generally a fan of sweet champagne, and this did not change my mind. Smells like sekt, albeit really good sekt. In the mouth and on the finish, inadequate acid structure to cope with the high dosage, and not a lot of flavor interest. Chandon Riche - California. Labeled "Extra Dry." Very attractive and quite complex nose featuring muscat, although this certainly doesn't smell like Asti. Full and rich, much better acid structure and/or less sugar than the Nectar Imperial, attractive flavor continues the complexity of the nose, quite long, this has the acid balance of a good German spatlese and would cope very well with spicy and/or sweet food. Much, much better than the Nectar Imperial, and half the price or less. Pinot noir, chardonnay, muscat, meunier, pinot blanc. Note: with the muscat content, this will not age; making sure you're getting a fresh product is recommended. 2005 Newton Chardonnay (Red Label), Napa 83 percent, Sonoma 17 percent. Forthcoming and attractively citric nose, little or no oak in evidence; in the mouth a midweight, lacks acid structure, in fact surprisingly flabby given the way it smells, residual sugar? Good mineral push on finish, and good length. Potentially OK as a before-dinner cocktail but this doesn't have enough acidity to work with most foods. 2003 Newton Claret (Red Label). Forthcoming nose of sweet dark berries, wood, just a trace of excess alcohol; light to medium body, balanced fruit and tannin, commercially uncomplicated but can't deny that this tastes good! Attractively herbal on the finish, again shows its alcohol just a little but this is quite good for a basic food-friendly Bordeaux blend. Merlot 60 percent, Cabernet Sauvignon 24 percent, Cabernet Franc 11 percent, Petit Verdot 5 percent. (2004 is the vintage in current release, but the 2003 will still be in a lot of stores.) 2003 Cape Mentelle Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot, Trinders Vineyard, Margaret River. Darker color, smells much more substantial than the Newton, dark fruits and minerals on nose, clear but not dominant bell pepper and herbs undertone; big wine in the mouth, a touch closed in the middle; then a forcefully aromatic finish, obvious but delicious French oak to go with the fruit, excellent length. With air, the midpalate opened considerably but the finishing tannin became more obvious; still quite young. A personal favorite appellation; a wine of real character that smells and tastes like it comes from someplace in particular. Cab 60 percent, merlot 40 percent. 2004 Green Point Shiraz, Victoria. From far southwestern to far southeastern Australia. Dark but not opaque. Aroma leaps from the glass; a glass was poured and set in front of me while I was still taking notes on the previous wine, and I could smell it clearly without picking it up. Smells of yummy young shiraz fruit, although subjectively less serious, less pedigreed than the previous wine; in the mouth bright acidity, red fruits, black pepper, not overtly oaky, good-sized but not a trace heavy, everything in balance; finishes as it tastes with the pepper note quite forceful but again, no one characteristic sticks out, I really like the balance of this wine. This couldn't help but be terrific alongside grilled meat. As an expression of cool-climate shiraz-syrah, much more successful than most Californians, and a far cry from the too-common jammy South Australia fruit bomb.