Passover Wines Update

Between two seders, Shabbos, and the rest of the holiday, one tends to move through quite a bit of wine. Even though most of the wine is relatively inexpensive (since it is enjoyed in quantity), you don't always run into noteworthy bottles. But we were sure to source out a few gems to brighten up the festivities. Even the cheap wines deserve a review! In no particular order:

2008 Bartenura Malvasia: Pleasant, fruity, mild berry flavors. Not as sweet as it has been in vintages past, which may be a good thing for some people. Serve it cold and try to avoid decanting since you will sacrfice some of the bubbles.
2008 Baron Herzog White Zinfandel: Man, I was pretty upset about this wine. After all my efforts to specifically source the newest vintage, the wine was a real dud. It's a very pale pink this year, and has more grapefruit flavors than the sweet berry and candy notes that are usually prevalent. The change to a lighter style was not welcome by my guests. See, there are distinctions to be made, even when talking about White Zin!
2005 Mt Tabor Sauvignon Blanc: Again, this wine is showing well and really needs food to balance out the strong flavors. We had it with poached Salmon with dill sauce, and it was a nice pairing to the richness of the fish. The acidity also cleaned out the fish taste at the end of the course. And yes, there is acidity in this wine, even though it's a 2005.
2002 Cheval-Brun, St. Emilion, Bordeaux: This is a very expensive wine, and I should have let it breathe for longer before pouring, but oh well. It was not showing well and had green flavors of olive and bell pepper. Anyway, since it's so expensive, I'm sure it isn't as unexciting as it appeared to be, so we'll give it another whirl sometime when I can use the decanter, etc.
2007 Baron Herzog Chenin Blanc Late Harvest: Very light this year, with more tree fruit flavors than tropical and honey. Enjoyable with fresh berries and ice cream, but it will probably get better over time. I still think the 2005 was the best I've had out of the 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007.
2006 Baron Herzog Late Harvest Zinfandel: Also light, cherry flavors, slightly medicinal. This wine really isn't my thing, but the people at the meal were enjoying bottle after bottle. This reminds me that just because I don't like something, doesn't make it bad!
2001 Chateau Piada Sauternes: mild aromas of apricot jam with rind and candied grapefruits on the palate. A little bit of botrytis was evident, but the wine was a little funky as a result of improper storage. I would need another bottle to make a real judgment about this wine, but I'm also really picky when it comes to Sauternes (white Bordeaux dessert wine).