South Lyndale Liquors Spring Sale

My Picks. I do more research when buying wine than anyone in the Twin Cities. These are the wines I have not tried but recommend and will be buying at the South Lyndale Liquors Wine Sale:

2014 Wind Gap Wines Syrah Nellessen Vineyard (USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast) $29.99 (Cellar Tracker Average Price $37.59)

2017 Pax Syrah Sonoma Hillsides(USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley) $39.99 (Cellar Tracker Average Price $47.85. The 2016 of this wine is selling for around $150 a bottle due to the 100 point score.

2015 St. Innocent Pinot Noir Momtazi Vineyard(USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, McMinnville) $29.99 (Cellar Tracker Average $33)

2016 Argyle Pinot Noir Artisan Series Reserve(USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley) $24.99 (Cellar Tracker Average $35

2015 St. Urbans-Hof Ockfener Bockstein Riesling Kabinett (Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer) $16.99 (Cellar Tracker Average $24.96

WINES I HAVE TASTED

2005 R. López de Heredia Rioja Reserva Viña Bosconia – Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja (4/22/2018)
Day 1: Opened a few hours ago. Nose of summer sausage, leather, muted fruits. The palate is thin and watered down. Going to hold off on this wine until day 2 as seems flawed. No score.
Day 2: Much more open for business but still not ready to be properly reviewed.
Day 3: Rounding into a significantly better wine. Burnt toast, green olives, raspberries, tobacco and rustic notes. This went from a watered down wine to quite concentrated in flavors. Some smoked meats and sour cherries on the palate. Not a long finish but flavorful. I will be trying this wine on day 4 and 5.
Current recommendation: If you pop and pour this disappointment will set in as many notes indicate. I would have dumped this at a tasting. This is an extremely young wine and will need a decade minimum. 90-92.
Day 4: Many characteristics as day 3 but acidity is sharp. Picking up some nice minerality and subtle spices. Rounding into form as an Old World Rioja wine. 92 plus
Recommendation: Hold for 5 to 10 years. This is why I started doing the 3 day wine review business model. So many of these wines are not pop and pour and this is a prime example of that. How a critic can score this on a quick sample taste is beyond me.
Day 5: Still has the laser like acidity. More concentration of flavors and has gone from a very light/watered down affair to great fruit and earth components. As many of complemented on Wine Berserkers these wines are long term agers.
Final recommendation: Drink on day 5 or hold for 10 years. (92 points) $27.99

• 2008 La Rioja Alta Rioja Viña Ardanza Reserva – Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja (10/25/2018)
  La Rioja Tasting at Haskell’s, Minnetonka (Haskells, Minnetonka): Leather, mineral, spice, wood and cherry. Quite balanced and showing well again tonight. This wine is hitting its peak. While aging is an option it is drinking great right now. Drink now to 2020. (92 points)
• 2008 La Rioja Alta Rioja Viña Ardanza Reserva – Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja (6/14/2018)
  Day 1: This wine is outstanding! Slow ox for 2 hours. Nice fruit featuring Bing cherries and blueberries. Oak is present but settle down after an initial taste. Classic Rioja with leather, minerals and spices. On the finish picks up some mint elements. This is a super complex effort with a medium to long finish. I see this wine aging well for a decade. One of the better QPRs of the year. 93-95.
  Day 2: Interesting on this wine. While I thought it might improve the opposite happened. Wine lacked the fruit and complexity of day 1. If I were to rate it on day two 87 points would have been given.
  
  Recommendation: This is why I experiment over 3 days. This wine is a day 1 pop and pour and see the evolution over the night. I would actually consume these within 3 years for maximum enjoyment. (93 points) $34.99

NV Jacques Chaput Champagne Tradition Brut – France, Champagne (10/9/2018)
Yeast, bright citrus fruits, chalk and baked pie crust. On the palate nice fruit and chalkiness. Medium plus finish. The only detractor on the finish is a bit too chalky. This is an excellent value Champagne for under $30.

As this warms up it is even better and the chalkiness integrates better. I almost like my Champagnes at room temperature.
Day 2: This is outstanding in day 2 as well if not better. Nice acidity, chalk is in check, fruit featuring lemon, tangerine and oranges. Medium finish and quite balanced. This version of the NV will drink well for five plus. 92 points
Recommendation: Drink now or later. This NV has some aging potential. (92 points) $28.99

NV Laurent-Perrier Champagne La Cuvée – France, Champagne (12/22/2018)
Excellent. Creamy with spice, floral, dough and sour apples. This is complex and an outstanding NV Champagne. Highly recommend. (91 points) $39.99

PRICES I PAID (WAY LOWER)

2014 Brewer-Clifton Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills (USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills) $33.99 (email me to get on my private list as I got this for $22 with tax.

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