Wine Musings Vol#57

Wine of Merit: ****++Tenuta San Guido, Sassicaia, Bolgheri, rosso, 1988: A classic to be savored. Wonderful. Many have considered the 1985 Sassicaia to be one of the best Italian wines ever made…I have always thought the 1988 to be just as good if not even a better wine. Mature color, bricking around the rim. Initial nose of chocolate, raisins, mature plums and soy sauce. With time this wine opens and becomes more vibrant and expressive. Perfectly ripe blackberries, grilled game, a touch of garrigue and lavender, wonderful minerals, espresso, sooo…Italian. The wine, in my opinion, defines the “Super” in Super Tuscan. Velvety, fine, enveloping palate, seamless, perfectly resolved, lingering finish. I do not believe it is getting better per se, but is definitely riding a high. Superb.

****Barnett Vineyards, Rattlesnake Hill Vineyard, Spring Mountain, cabernet sauvignon, 1995: Big, bold and beautiful! I have had bottles of this wine that seemed more advanced. This one seems youthful, sinewy and vibrant. Big, black and blue fruit. Cassis, mint/eucalyptus, smoke, vahlrona chocolate. Very, very deep. A big mouthful of wine, it is coating and furry front to back. Long, spicy, mineral finish. Black Malabar pepper. Wonderful!

***+Cedric Bouchard, Roses de Jeanne, Blanc de Noirs, Champagne, non vintage: Wow. Really lovely, bright exuberant sparkler. Ebullient mousse, fine bead, great nose of key lime, green apple, watermelon and ginger. Orange blossom. Brioche. Very vinous. Bracing, full and fresh on the palate. More citrus and strawberry fruit. Wonderful balance and integration start to finish. Just brilliant!

***Kathryn Kennedy, Estate Vineyard, Santa Cruz, cabernet sauvignon, 1992: Interesting and over all very nice. This winery has always marched to the beat of a different drummer. As such, it is no surprise that the notes on this wine are unique: bright pomegranate/rhubarb, tagine-stewed meats, exotic, Indian spices, moka harar coffee. Palate coating and at the same time a bit racy, blind I would not have guessed California cabernet (and it is 100% cab). Finish is silky and integrated. Delicious both for its unique signature and for its wide, open style.

**+Louis M. Martini, Monte Rosso vineyard, Sonoma Valley, zinfandel, 1987: A science experiment and…It’s alive! This was a commemorative bottling, celebrating the 100th birthday (1887-1987) of Louis Martini (who passed away in 1974). Honestly, I expected this wine to have passed away as well. And while no one will confuse it with the most recent Turley release, it is worth drinking. Surprisingly bright ruby hue, with bricking on the rim. Somewhat reduced nose of red fruit, rose petals, licorice with tell tale soy, tomato skin and a balsamic quality. Still, surprisingly fresh and clean. Bright palate with more red fruit, chocolate, black pepper, stewed meats. The finish still offers fine, furry tannic structure which finishes with a touch of sweetness. A nice, quaffable, easy going red.

Wine Musings Vol#32

Wine of Merit: ***++Ramey, Ritchie Vineyard, Russian River Valley, chardonnay, 2003: This Ramey guy may be on to something (David Ramey has been the winemaker at some of Cali’s finest including Dominus, Rudd and Matanzas Creek). Certainly, he knows how to source fruit. The Ritchie vineyard does wonderful things with chardonnay and this is no exception. Perfumed, exotic, white flowers, bosc pears, honeysuckle and lavender waft up from the glass. Beautiful palate which includes lemon zest and vanilla, with asian spice. Lovely, integrated finish. Can’t beat it.

***Clos Pegase, Hommage Artist Series Reserve, cabernet sauvignon 1992: “How do you make a small fortune in the wine business?” asks Jan Schrem when queried about his success, “Start with a large fortune and work your way down!” Here is a guy that is clearly passionate about wine – and it shows in his bottlings. This is clearly a mature wine, though the color is a vibrant garnet to the rim. The nose is nuanced, with pomegranate, mint, lavender, sweet clover honey and powdery necco wafers. The palate offers more red fruit, Malabar pepper and asian spices, though it is clearly thinning. The finish is sweet and furry and of medium length. A very pleasant wine that can be enjoyed now.

**+Robert Sinskey, vin gris of pinot noir, 2006: Nice. Bright acids, muted strawberry fruit, lychee nut and pineapple juice notes. Light on the palate, a nuance of provencal herbs, with a nice fruity finish. Not bad!

***Cornerstone Cellars, Howell Mountain Beatty Ranch, Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon, 1991: Mature color, evolved nose of soy, stewed stone fruit, plumy, chocolate covered raisins. Fairly full on the palate, mostly red and some black berry fruit. Integrated and fairly balanced. A wine to drink now. Delicious in the short term.

***+Ramey, Hudson Vineyard chardonnay, 2002: Wow. Lovely, effusive perfumed nose of honeysuckle, citrus and a beautiful lavender note. Full and coating on the palate. Notes of vanilla and more candies citrus. Great, spicy, firm finish. Super classy chard!

***++Barnett Vineyards, Rattlesnake Hill, cabernet sauvignon, 1994: Killer. Mature cab color and nose. Perfumey and sexy. Church incense, cassis, cigar tobacco, black fruit. Velvety, palate coating, black Malabar pepper, blackberry, boysenberry, chocolate and some tar. Really special. Sweet, fine tannins. Drink or hold. Great wine.

Wine Musings Vol#12

Notes taken Febuary, 2006:

****Barnett Vineyards, Rattlesnake Vineyard cabernet, 1995: Timeless, mountain cabernet. These are the Barnett’s best vines, right under the feet of the winery, on a severely sloped parcel @ 2,000 ft. elevation over on Spring Mountain. Beautiful balance, elegant black licorice, briar and berry fruit. A strong but integrated backbone suggests good structure for aging but it is tempting to drink it all right now. The youth of the wine makes the fruit the most dominant trait, with notes of tar and mineral just underneath the surface. New oak complements, but does not dominate. Great now, better in a few. $50 at the winery back in the day (now about $100) and easily worth it.

***Schoffit, Clos St. Theobald, Rangen, Gewurtz, 2000: Stayin’ sweet. This wine was a bit awkward awhile ago but has hit its stride perfectly. Bright, golden hue, the nose shows fresh beach nut, grilled peach and oolong tea notes. The palate is viscous but not heavy, showing more tropical fruit and honeyed spice. Finish is even with no bitterness. A great buy @ $25. Nice!

**++Domaine de Chevalier, 1996: Graves Bordeaux at a reasonable price ($39). At initial opening the wine exhibits some noteworthy bret, almost an old school Gruaud funk, which I dig but many do not. Extended airing and a few days vacu-vinned in the fridge lets us get more into the wine. Still a bit “barnyardy”, this wine exhibits lots of minerals and mature black fruit, with dark molasses, camphor and cigar box highlights. A bit feminine, there is also a floral note and soft lavender on the palate. Mid palate is thinning, though the finish is quite firm. A very good drink, if not as seamless as one might wish for. An old world claret that makes no excuses. While it will not come into balance, I think it will continue to improve with time. Very good.

***Pichon Baron, 1996: A very good effort for this well regarded, Paulliac Chateau. Developing aromas of tobacco, espresso bean and black fruit right from the glass. Still somewhat reticent, the palate seems a touch thin but firm, with more blackberry, smoke and graphite. I am betting that this wine will further develop and open up more with a few more years of bottle age, though I am not sure if it has the stuffing to really show the depth of character that this winery offers in truly great (1989) vintages. Buy more (It’s out there at $50)? On the fence – mostly because it is the boys’ birth year.

**++White Cottage Sangiovese, 1996: Cal Ital. I have always been a fan of Dennis Johns. He is exuberant and bright, and his wines are always ripe, fresh and delicious with excellent purity of fruit. The knock, if any, is that his wines drink young. I would say that they are delicious ( and yes maybe better) young, but age as well as most. Case in point, this wine. Initially very reticent, with time and air it shows coy mountain fruit and minerals, Malabar pepper, toffee and violets. Much less of the saddle leather and red fruit that it showed when young. The body of the wine is still firm and consistent through to the finish. It really has not developed tertiary complexity, just toned down some from its initial exuberance. Still worth drinking if less of a show. Seek out White Cottage wines and you will never be disappointed.

***+St. Clement Orropas, 1992: This is also a Dennis Johns wine. Named after the owners of St. Clement (Saporro spelled backwards), it is a meritage blend with its fair share of merlot (15%) and some cab franc. Maturing color, this wine has hit its peak, rewarding the patient. The nose of this wine is wide open, showing opulent, perfumed plummy fruit, potpourri, and crushed roses. The palate is rich, velvety and resolved, offering licorice and mocha to a fine finish. A St. Emillion styled wine from Napa Valley. Still very polished and not dull at all, this wine will not hold much longer and should be consumed now. Excellent effort for the vintage.