Wine Musings Vol#89

***+Wine of Merit: Shane Wines, Jemrose vineyard, Bennett Valley, syrah, 2007: Notably opaque and inky. Complex aromas of iron, wet stone, grilled meats and spiced red fruit. With time cafe au lait and a floral, violet note. Rich and layered, picking up more chocolate and spice on the palate. Lovely integration and balance. Lingering, mineral finish. A new producer for me and one to watch with enthusiasm.

***+Domaine de l' Aigueliere, Cote Doree, Montpeyroux, Coteaux du Languedoc, syrah, 1995: I have enjoyed the evolution of this wine since its issuance. Initially very pronounced and almost challenging to drink, the Cote Doree has mellowed in its old age, now offering a lovely melange of lavender, fresh oregano, red fruit, licorice root, cured meats and smoke. Just delicious. The palate is playfully racy and sweet, the finish fine, balanced and of medium length. Patience has its virtues after all.

***Arcadian, Fiddlestix vineyard, Santa Rita Hills, pinot noir, 2004: Garnet hued, with nuanced aromas of licorice, cinnamon, tisane and sour cherry. The palate is firm, with pronounced minerals, black pepper, more racy red fruit and a long, mineral, tannic finish. Complex and perhaps still holding much in reserve. Worth it.

**++Antonio Vallana e Figlio, Boca, Piemonte, nebbiolo, 1996: A wonderfully interesting, aged nebbiolo. Prominent notes of oxidized iron, turned earth, nicoise olive, plum, dried cherry and cranberry. Nuances of baker's chocolate and tar. Acids are still bright and the palate is lively. Great integration and a fine, resolving finish. Refreshing after so many "international" wines.

**++Shane Wines, The Unknown, Sonoma County, syrah, 2007: A much cooler profile than the Jemrose. More blue and black fruits, coated in chocolate, mint and violets. More pronounced on the palate, picking up malabar pepper and rich, dark roasted coffee. Delicious.

Wine Musings Vol#25

From notes taken July, 2006:

Wine of Merit: ***Siduri Van de Kamp Vineyard pinot noir, 1996: From 2X magnum. I had fallen into and out of love with Siduri pinot noir over the years. Adam and Diana Lee are about the nicest people in the world and care a great deal about they product the create. But the wines seemed to start out strong and then become awkward and angular and I stopped cellaring them a few years ago. Well, it is time to re-think the strategy, This wine is surprisingly fresh and fruity. Lovely black cherry, spice box, cola and green tea notes. The palate is full and bright, showing more black/bing cherry, red licorice, lavender and cream. Very good integration through to the firm but sweet finish. Lovely.

***+Domaine l Aiguelière, Cote Ruosse, 1995: What’s Up Languedoc? This wine has always been a meal in a glass, often too much of a good thing. A previous bottle had suggested some mellowing so I cracked one. This was still very youthful and expressive, but more integrated and fruit forward than in the past. Still showing camphor, petrol, humus soil, mushroom, roasted red and green bell pepper and a ton of mature red fruit, this wine is not for the meek. Still, it is unique and incredibly well crafted. Great palate with more red and black fruit and a firm but deftly integrated finish. I dig it.

***Andrew Will, Washington State, Merlot, 1992: Yummy. I dig the whole Andrew Will disdain for the “international palate” – we share an appreciation for balance and wine integrity. I also like the quirky vibe Chris Camarada exudes – reminds me a little of Nils Venge but with a Pac Rim sensibility. This wine is from the early-ish days and is well crafted, showing excellent varietal expression. Chocolate, blackberry, violets. Mineral palate with more berry fruit and mocha…a touch of pine needle. Finish is resolved but not soft. A lovely wine that is ready to be enjoyed with a nice meal. Andrew Will, Matanzas Creek and Beringer Bancroft Ranch merlot from the early 90s are worth seeking out right now.

***++Pignan Reserve, Chateauneuf du Pape, 1995: Made by Chateau Rayas, this is a CndP that is almost more pinot like than your typical southern Rhone. This wine is silky smooth on the palate, all red cherry fruit, black currant jam, herbs and white pepper. It has gained some subtlety with age. More berries and gaurrigue on the palate, some bramble and a firm-ish finish. This wine does not suck.

***Domaine l Aiguelière, Cote Doree, 1995: The other wine from this estate in Montpeyroux. 100% Syrah. Not quite as flamboyant as the Cote Rousse, this wine is still rustic and rough around the edges in a very artisanal way. Black fruit, lavender and minerals, and HUGE black pepper make this a mouthful of wine. The palate is downright chewy showing more slate minerality and plum and berry fruit, earth and truffle. The finish is firm with coating tannins and more of that signature black pepper. An interesting wine that has a long life ahead of it.

**++Pavillon des Connetables, 2000: Leoville Poyferre’s 3rd wine! That’s right, they have a third label. A bit of research shows that this is wines from young vines on the estate. Very St. Julien, excellent stock, though still reserved. Brooding red fruit, some slightly vegetal elements, nice cassis and earth. Palate shows very little right now, though it clearly has depth and structure. I would imagine that it will be fleshing out over the next two to 5 years. Worthy.