Wine of Merit: ***+Failla Phoenix Ranch Syrah, 2003: Yet another beautiful effort from Ehren Jordan. If you liked the pinot you will love the syrah. Wonderfully clean, pure fruit. Black raspberry, blueberry, earth, spice box. Great concentration and balance. Wood is integrated perfectly. Delicious now and later. You will not mistake it for La Chapelle, but at $30 a pop, don’t hate – celebrate! Buy more? Hells yeah.
*+Clos le Chance Petite Sirah, 2003. I don’t know why so many folks make petite sirah wines in California. Most are yuck. Add this one to the list. Stick with Stags Leap.
*++Jarvis Cabernet 1992: I dislike everything about this winery – it is so snobby - so it is hard to objectively evaluate their wines. OK, I guess. The vintage was forward to begin with so no surprise that it is falling apart a bit. Mature, overripe fruit, mocha, flabby. I also think this was early days for the winery. Pass.
***Richard Partridge Cabernet 2002 – I dig his wines. 100% cab. Great structure but also great fruit intensity. Integrated flavors of black fruit, licorice, floral notes. Good, honest cal cab. Delish. Buy more? Probably not – but happy to drink it.
****Paolo Bea Sagrantino di Montefalco 1999 – Umbrian wine. Wow! Talk about purity of fruit and sense of place! Every bit as good as the Caprai wines. Wonderful, red fruit, cigar tobacco / clove, grilled meats, rosemary and white pepper. Palate coating and balanced. Still, $80 a pop? This is excellent Italian wine. I just don’t think Italian wine from Umbria should cost this much. It just isn’t serious enough. That’s just me – I grew up there and can’t help it.
*+Tin Barn Cabernet, 2002: Made form Volker Eisele’s vineyard I think, over by the SLD. Not special. Another restaurant wine. People liked it because it was “chocolate-y”. Moving on…
**++TestaMatta 2000: More expensive Italian wine - this one has a great label and a great name (“Crazy Head”). Made by some nut named Bibi Graetz. Yet again, another “International Style” Italian wine for like $60. Supposed to be 100% Sangiovese, yet I don’t taste it. Lots of New French Oak. Very pure fruit and the tannins are sweet. Yawn. Again, a Skurinck wine and they know vino. Maybe it’s your bag.
**Varner Hidden Block Santa Cruz Pinot Noir, 2003. After the Monteallegro, I was Santa Cruz dreaming. This wine is kind of ho-hum in my book. Medium / light palate, mostly cola and green tea with some red fruit. Firm on the finish, but not really supported by any kind of weight. A fairly homogenous pinot noir. Buy more? No.
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