We are happy that Bernard, who has sampled so many wines, has shared his notes with us. We do have, or have had for sale a few of the wines Bernard writes about, and we include a link to our stock page whenever it is a producer we carry (but since the stock page is kept up-to-date and the wines are sold, don't expect any but the newest of wines to show up in our stock!). Mostly though, since we specialize in County of Santa Barbara Wine and Central Coast Wine, we don't carry a lot of the wines Bernard writes about. But we think it is important that you be able to have an idea what they're like in case you are planning to buy some somewhere, or have them in your own collection. Enjoy.

Here are Bernard's notes from February 28, 2003:

00 Cepas Vellas Albariño do Ferreiro (Rias Baixas, Spain)—Engaging bouquet of ripe canteloupe (!), nutmeg, orange, butterscotch candy, bread dough. Crisp, quite dry, flat chalky mid-palate, structured like Alsatian pinot blanc. Succulent golden fruits, stony minerals, lime, gin and tonic. Very dry finish. For seafood, but also works with a salad course and sheep’s milk cheeses. Drink within next year. 89, for what it is.

99 Galleron Zinfandel Branham Rockpile (Sonoma)—Rather elegant zin, perhaps the lightest on the palate I’ve had in many years. Initially seems dilute on the palate, but then subtle complexity emerges. Some cranberry and maraschino flavors, spices, barest of dusty tannins. The 14% alcohol is hardly noticeable. A food wine, but not for robust dishes. Drink within 1-2 years. 88.

99 Descendientes de J. Palacios Bierzo (Spain)—Gorgeous earthy, lightly oaky nose, with black fruits and some animal fur. Attack begins deceptively acidic with tannins on the forepalate (amazingly enough), then fans out in the mid-palate and finish with a burst of sweet black fruit and earthy ferric minerals. Nuanced support from lightly toasty oak. Would be easy to mistake for a young northern Rhone syrah, Crozes perhaps, at least in terms of flavor and mouthfeel. Very hard to resist once the full breadth of the wine manifests itself. Went great with oak grilled ahi. This is the first vintage available in the US from this new vineyard of Alvaro Palacios in the Spanish hinterlands. There is also a luxury cuvee called Corullon (I think). This intro-level bottling is very impressive and highly recommended, especially for the wine geek who has had everything. Will age 4-8 years. 91-92.

99 Trader Joe’s Late Harvest Moscato (Paso Robles, 12.2% alcohol, 15.2% R.S.)—OK, first the background. I saw this on the shelf for $5 for 375 ml. The color looks fine being medium amber, so why not take a cheap chance. Well, moscato is just a fancy name for Muscat. It bears no resemblance to Moscato d’Asti, but why should it given the stats. Indeed it is legitimate dessert wine, a bit more intense than what you’d get from Beaumes de Venise. Obvious spicy Muscat bouquet, with orange zest, apple pie spices, and vanilla. Medium sweet, excellent acidity, good pure fruit flavor, clean finish. No faults. Along the lines of Jim Clendenen’s Il Podere Bricco Buon Natale Orange Muscat, though a touch less concentrated. All in all, a heck of a buy. I’m going to stock up, not necessarily just to drink. At this price, it is a good choice for poaching pears, apples, or figs. 89.