The Collected Wisdom of Shane

Shane's Notes

Domaine des Senechaux
2002 Chateauneuf de Pape
19.99

This Rhone has a musty, rich, sweet cherry smell. Because of the mustiness, we gave it some time in the glass to open up a little. It is dark red, even a little inky. The palate is not complex but it does show flavors of tart cherry, earth and pepper with a hint of bitter chocolate. The flavors are mild and the wine is very well balanced. We both really enjoyed it, but it was a bit dry for my palate. This is an excellent food wine.

Mer Soleil
2001 Late Harvest White Wine
$32.99, 375 ml bottle

Mer Soleil’s Late Harvest white wine is 100% Viognier and it is botrytized. The aroma is overpowering and consists of candied apricots, honey, orange peel and graphite. The color is a very light yellow and the texture of this wine is beyond unctuous – swirl it in your mouth and your tongue is coated with honeyed apricot. There is also a vanilla cream flavor on the finish. It is not as complex as Nickel and Nickel’s Dolce, but it is delicious with a great texture.

Two Rubys
Cockburn Ruby Port, $12.99
Krohn Ruby Port, $10.99

I have previously mentioned that I dislike ruby ports but I am slowly changing my mind. You just have to accept rubies for what they are: simple and sweet (and any flavor is a bonus). The Cockburn and the Krohn are both excellent, inexpensive rubies. Both display a mild sweetness and the Cockburn’s actually has a bit of flavor underneath. The Cockburn’s is a bit more tannic while the tannins are barely noticeable in the Krohn. We have now had Krohn’s Ruby, LBV and Colheita and have enjoyed all of them. Krohn’s ports lack complexity but they are a great, inexpensive option.