[wine] TN 2B or not 2B Bordeaux at Bobino 3-3-05

2B or Not 2B Bordeaux – Bobino 3-3-2005 Good food provided by the new chef. Bubbly – touch of SO2 on nose at first, clean, minerally fresh, pleasant. Haton Brut NV (Champagne). I haven't been a fan of this wine in the past, but the batch currently in town is quite attractive. (It's on sale at Surdyk's for $17.99.) W1 – deep gold, petrolly nose, very dry mouth entry, aromatic grape of some sort, don't think it's riesling, perhaps Alsatian pinot gris or Condrieu?? Full, honeyed finish, very good indeed. 2001 R. H. Phillips EXP Viognier, Dunnigan Hills. W2 – corked. 1.1 – dark, currant and bell pepper nose, tastes a touch sweet/cooked, good dark fruit flavor though, light to medium body, hot finish not the best feature, decent wine. 2002 Alexander Valley Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley. 1.2 – medium color showing a touch of age at rim; nice acidic bell pepper nose, faintly stemmy but attractive; medium body, astringent red fruit flavor, well structured with just a touch of acid still to integrate; smooth transition to a true finish, could wish for more power but this is very good. Delicious, and that's a word by which I usually mean a much sweeter-tasting wine. 1990 Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley. Still wearing the Surdyk's price sticker from 10 plus years ago, $13.49. (Suggested retail on the 2002 version of this wine, reportedly a success although I haven't tasted it, is about $25.) 1.3 – medium dark young-looking wine; alcohol and fruit on nose, smells of no particular varietal, not a lot of flavor and finishes briefly compared to the preceding two wines. Just a sound red wine without special qualities, although of course it's tough to ask it to follow a 15-year-old wine that has turned out well. 1998 Gallo of Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County. 2.1 – dark; bashful nose, big dark fruit and sweet oak midpalate, very new world, finishes a bit hollow and alcoholic. 2001 Franciscan Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley. 2.2 – medium color, another bashful nose, tannic and lacking in flavor, hot finish. 2001 Newton Claret, Napa Valley. Overall impression not as bad as my uncomplimentary notes suggest, but this particular bottle of this well-reviewed wine didn't seem to show very well. (According to the winery, "mostly Merlot, with quite a bit of Cabernet Franc and a small amount of Cabernet Sauvignon.") 2.3 – dark color, maple currant nose, full, round and sweet in the mouth, needs a little time in bottle though? Finishes aromatic and very long, excellent. 2001 Franciscan Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley. (Same wine as 2.1; this was much the better bottle of the two.) 3.1 – dark; considerable depth on nose but not a lot of aromatic volume; full, round, astringent black fruit midpalate; finesse in spite of size; finishes aromatic and long, touch of alcohol, good balance overall. 2001 Solaris Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley. 3.2 – medium dark; full, sweet nose; smooth mouth entry, then astringent, very large, mucho fruit, great big finish, outstanding wine. 2001 Chateau Souverain Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley. 3.3 – dark color; nose emphasizing the vegetal side of the Bordeaux spectrum; weighty in the mouth, high-toned flavors, earth and vegetables with the fruit; good length. 1997 Sant'Elena, Isonzo de Friuli (Italy). According to the label, 60% cabernet sauvignon, 40% merlot. This improved a great deal with time in the glass. Dessert – 1999 Mendelson Pinot Gris, Napa Valley. Interesting rosy gold color. A bit nondescript by itself, but quite attractive with the desserts, even the chocolate. 15.5% alcohol and 158 g/l residual sugar, according to the winery web site.