Wine of Merit: ***+Kenwood Artist Series, Sonoma Valley cabernet sauvignon, 1986: I don’t know…something about Sonoma is beckoning me this week. I have always had fondness for the Kenwood Artist Series wines. I find them to be, depending on the vintage, the St. Julien trending to St. Estephe wines of California. This is somewhere between a Montrose and a Gruaud Larose – and like those wines in dynamite vintages built for the long haul. First off, it has lovely color and bright clarity, with slight bricking. The nose offers meaty aromas of red currant, plum, blood, tobacco leaf and baker’s chocolate. A heavyweight, with less than 13% alcohol! The palate is still very firm with a strong tannic ledge running from entry to finish. I imagine this wine to have been just gigantic on release. Still the mouth feel is coating and the flavors - all blackberries, minerals and pepper - deep. The finish is still a blockbuster and of endless length. Decanted and tasted over 3 hours. I think this 21+ year old wine is just hitting its stride. Huh…who would have guessed!
***+Trois Fils, White Hawk Vineyard, Santa Barbara county, syrah, 2005: Our home brew – courtesy of Crushpad. Just checking in on it. I have to say – I wouldn’t consider this a serious wine per se…but it is yummy. The co-fermented viognier really kicks the aromatics up a notch. Strawberry jam, blueberry cobber, cinnamon, vanilla pudding, pine needles…all bright and focused. No funk to this wine, it reminds me of a Two Hands Bella’s Garden if anything. The palate sings. More blueberry and baking spices. Nice, lengthy, spicy finish. No bitterness at all. Just a wonderful expression of fruit. While no one will confuse this with a Texier cote rotie, I could drink a lot of this – and have!
***B.R. Cohn, Olive Hill vineyard, Sonoma valley, merlot, 1994: I like Sonoma valley merlot. Older vintage Matanzas Creek and Newton wines are a treat. This was Bruce Cohn’s inaugural merlot release. I guess it is working out as he still currently makes one. I think his current releases go with the tried and true Sangiacomo merlot fruit, while this was an experiment with vines planted right there on his estate. This iteration is yummy. Typical varietal notes of plum fruit, dark chocolate and candied violets are accompanied by a briny, green olive note that nuances the wine. Open knit and inviting, the palate is velvety, still offering good depth and fullness. Very nice minerality. Surprisingly youthful, not tired at all. The wine holds up in the glass for an extended period of time and finishes with a firm but fine tannic edge of notable length. A very nice effort.
**++Ferrari Carano, Reserve, Sonoma county, red table wine, 1990: Well, the package is certainly beautiful. All fiery and brooding, it virtually promises that an exciting wine experience awaits if one had but the temerity to open the imposing bottle. Ok, then…deep breath and…screwpull! This Reserve – now labeled Tresor, or treasure by Ferrari Carano - is another Bordeaux-like blend, based mostly on mountain cabernet sauvignon. Though some of the most primary elements of this wine’s signature are breaking down, the fiery label does in more ways than one give something of a precursor to the wine itself. Built around a still fairly intense core of spicy red / black currant fruit, the wine displays nuances of tobacco and dusty earth. The palate adds blueberry, black licorice and herbs hinting of rosemary. The mouth feel thins a bit and perhaps is bit disjointed – showing some awkward heat and peppery pucker on the finish despite the fairly low 13.5% alcohol content (pretty standard for the time) and age. A serious effort – but I will cellar Laurel Glen and Kenwood Artist with confidence, as those wines seem to prize balance and integration to a greater degree.
**+Stolpman Vineyards, L’Avion, Lompoc, roussanne, 2005: Given the pedigree, I was hoping for something like a Sine Qua Non roussanne-based white (think The Hussy or The Boot). Further, this has been raved about by Vinfolio and Robert Parker. Instead…not so lucky. Nice enough – the wine shows a floral, banana cream pie thing and bright candied orange zest – but light on the palate (I do get some nice minerals and more citrus) and a bit racy. The finish is spicy but shows a slight greenness and bitterness. A $26 roussanne that is worth…about $26.
***+Trois Fils, White Hawk Vineyard, Santa Barbara county, syrah, 2005: Our home brew – courtesy of Crushpad. Just checking in on it. I have to say – I wouldn’t consider this a serious wine per se…but it is yummy. The co-fermented viognier really kicks the aromatics up a notch. Strawberry jam, blueberry cobber, cinnamon, vanilla pudding, pine needles…all bright and focused. No funk to this wine, it reminds me of a Two Hands Bella’s Garden if anything. The palate sings. More blueberry and baking spices. Nice, lengthy, spicy finish. No bitterness at all. Just a wonderful expression of fruit. While no one will confuse this with a Texier cote rotie, I could drink a lot of this – and have!
***B.R. Cohn, Olive Hill vineyard, Sonoma valley, merlot, 1994: I like Sonoma valley merlot. Older vintage Matanzas Creek and Newton wines are a treat. This was Bruce Cohn’s inaugural merlot release. I guess it is working out as he still currently makes one. I think his current releases go with the tried and true Sangiacomo merlot fruit, while this was an experiment with vines planted right there on his estate. This iteration is yummy. Typical varietal notes of plum fruit, dark chocolate and candied violets are accompanied by a briny, green olive note that nuances the wine. Open knit and inviting, the palate is velvety, still offering good depth and fullness. Very nice minerality. Surprisingly youthful, not tired at all. The wine holds up in the glass for an extended period of time and finishes with a firm but fine tannic edge of notable length. A very nice effort.
**++Ferrari Carano, Reserve, Sonoma county, red table wine, 1990: Well, the package is certainly beautiful. All fiery and brooding, it virtually promises that an exciting wine experience awaits if one had but the temerity to open the imposing bottle. Ok, then…deep breath and…screwpull! This Reserve – now labeled Tresor, or treasure by Ferrari Carano - is another Bordeaux-like blend, based mostly on mountain cabernet sauvignon. Though some of the most primary elements of this wine’s signature are breaking down, the fiery label does in more ways than one give something of a precursor to the wine itself. Built around a still fairly intense core of spicy red / black currant fruit, the wine displays nuances of tobacco and dusty earth. The palate adds blueberry, black licorice and herbs hinting of rosemary. The mouth feel thins a bit and perhaps is bit disjointed – showing some awkward heat and peppery pucker on the finish despite the fairly low 13.5% alcohol content (pretty standard for the time) and age. A serious effort – but I will cellar Laurel Glen and Kenwood Artist with confidence, as those wines seem to prize balance and integration to a greater degree.
**+Stolpman Vineyards, L’Avion, Lompoc, roussanne, 2005: Given the pedigree, I was hoping for something like a Sine Qua Non roussanne-based white (think The Hussy or The Boot). Further, this has been raved about by Vinfolio and Robert Parker. Instead…not so lucky. Nice enough – the wine shows a floral, banana cream pie thing and bright candied orange zest – but light on the palate (I do get some nice minerals and more citrus) and a bit racy. The finish is spicy but shows a slight greenness and bitterness. A $26 roussanne that is worth…about $26.
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