Fettered by expectation

I've had some highly rated wines recently and been quite disappointed. In thinking about this some more, I can't think of a WS 92+ wine that I've been blown away by (whoops spoke too soon, the Montes 2005 Alpha Syrah at 92 is great, but that's the only one.. I promise). Most of my favorite wines are typically in the 88-90 points, partly because they tend to be affordable so I can just sidle up to a bottle and enjoy it knowing I have another one stashed away.

What wine was the catalyst for this column? It was two. The first was the highest scoring red I've ever bought and drunk, and the second was a wine from region I'd been dying to try that was #97 on the 2006 WS top 100. But as I rack it, my memory is littered with the high scoring wines that disappointed. Here are some:

1. Numanthia-Termes 2003 Toro, WS 95 at $65. This winery makes big thick very highly rated wines, year in and year out. I got some of the 2003's at a library sale and wanted to share a bottle with dinner guests. It was big, dark with dark purple fruit, some flower notes, perhaps some odd notes of stone and pencil. Medium finish. Nice but not amazing. My score: 89.
2. Altano 2003 Duoro Reserva, WS 91 at $19. I'd had some great Portuguese wines at restaurants and the critics are raving about how great some of the $12-$20 wines are. So I found this gem at BevMo and got 2 bottles. BevMo conveniently indicated #97 on the Top 100 of 2006. Nice. And what a thin, somewhat one dimensional dissapointment. It may have been a bad bottle, but there were no off notes. It was just very unflavorful. My score: 80.
3. Robert Mondavi 2004 Oakville Cab, WS 93 at $33. In the WS Top 100 of 2007. I really don't know what the big deal is. Very nice Cab flavors of fruit, spice and a bit of earth. But weak in flavor for a highly rated wine. Did somebody dilute this? My score: 87.
   
4. Orin Swift 2005 Prisoner, WS 93 at $35. My style according to the review, but like the Numanthia, somewhat big with various burly flavors (berry, olive, ??) but ultimately not that impressive. Bit too tannic still. Sigh. My score: 86
5. Rosenblum 2002 Rockpile Ridge Zinfandel, WS 94 at $19. This was/is the highest scoring from WS ever (at the time). I've had quite a few bottles of Rosenblum Zin I enjoyed more than this. Perhaps I waited too long, as (a) they don't seem to age well and (b) I don't seem to care for the Rosenblum tannins much anymore. My score: mid 80's.
   

Of course on the flip side, there have been the surprises. Wines that were great that had no right to be even finished, let alone liked.

1. Star Lake 2005 Sauvignon Blanc. We had a meeting at work and person D gave person J a bottle of wine. Neither knows wine. It was a funky, earthy (mushroom or truffle), heavy, oily wine that had nothing in common with a NZ SB. But intruiging. And by the 3rd try, it had really grown on me. What the heck was this? I'd buy this given the oppurtunity. WS 78 (!) at $22 from Draegers. My score: 90.
   
2. Robert Mondavi 1991 Napa Cab, WS 91 at $16(?) in 1993 (?). This wine had been moved around with some care initially, as spending $16 on wine in 94 was a big deal. And then I left it at my Mom's for 2 years in a cupboard. Where the house gets to 85F during the summer routinely. The last 4 years it has been in the wine fridge and pretty much fignored. I would see it and say I've saved it this long, I can wait another month. Finally had friends over who like elegant (dilute) Napa cab so I cracked it open. I thought it was nice but like most Napa Cabs, not big enough for me. But one of the guests who rarely likes a wine, really liked it. Of course it took his wife to say, "oh, I'll pass, since my husband really likes it which doesn't happen too often", for us to realize he liked it. Why the heck hadn't this wine gone bad? He said it tasted as good as you could expect a 1991 to taste and he likes aged Napa cabs.
3. Sebastiani 2002 Merlot, $12 (?). Tasted blind. A bit light in color but huge in body. Big, thick, with dark purple fruit, hints of bacon, smoke, chocolate followed by chewy, but pleasant tannins. The bacon and tannins made me think of a malbec. The chocolate makes me think a Rosenblum Syrah. There is no way this is a Merlot as it is way too dark and brooding. Wow. Wine: 91. ((And this past weekened I found another bottle of the 2002 at the Pak N Save on Thanksgiving buying yams. Woo hoo.))
   
4. Yellowtail 2006 Shiraz, $8.60 for a magnum at Costco. Give it 30 minutes to breathe, to soften and develop. Strong dark berry with obvious oak and vanilla. Big flavor, medium finish. A great cheap bargain. My score: 89.
   

Some of the disappointment has to do with my monthy "dull" phase where nothing seems amazing, which is fortunately balanced by my monthy "bright" phase. I'll just have to remember to try the supposed great ones when everything is tasting well.