Wine Musings Vol#75

Wine of Merit: ***++Gravner, Estate, Friuli Venezia Giulia, ribolla gialla, 2000: I love this wine. Initially demure, with time and air it opens up to reveal that crazy Gravner complexity: All grilled fennel, celery seed, dried apricot, a hint of mandarin orange. Full and generous on the palate with more citrus, honeyed tobacco...yum! An unusual wine that demands your attention. Great stuff.

***++Feudi di San Gregorio, Patrimo, Irpinia Rosso, IGT,Campagnia, 2001: Delicious. Full throttle, this wine is 100% merlot yet never strays far from its southern Italian roots. Lush, flamboyant but still big boned and muscular, it offers ripe plum, licorice and roasted chestnut notes accompanied by espresso macchiato undertones that I just love. Coating on entry, it assaults the palate with staining concentration and grip. The finish is big but not overly so...nicely balanced with the rest of this bigger than life wine. A San Gennaro festival in a glass, complete with fireworks and zeppoli. Fantastico!

***+Fattoria Viticcio, Chianti Classico Riserva, Grieve in Chianti, sangiovese, 2001: Just delicious. Bright, vibrant boysenberry, plum and red currant fruit accompanied by nervy spice box and black pepper undertones. Ample mouth feel, good tannic backbone, long fine finish. Great food wine. The essence of Chanti Classico. At under $30, this wine is a steal.

***+Failla, Keefer Ranch, Russian River Valley, Sonoma, chardonnay, 2003: Drinking great right now. Surprisingly Burgundian. Sharp, mineral, lemon lime zest notes, marzipan, baking spices and linseed. Firm acidity. More minerals, ginger and a key lime custard note on the palate. Medium long, spicy finish. All in all a very nice chardonnay.

***Aston Estate, Experimental Lot, Sonoma Coast, pinot noir, 2004: This wine actually doesn't say Aston Estate on it. I am guessing it was from vines deemed too young to produce a finished wine...thus the experimental nature. Actually, this wine is every bit as finished as the other Aston wines. It has the signature dark, brooding black cherry nose, the forest floor elements, an note of baker's chocolate and white pepper in the background. Palate is coating and full. Finish is firm. Perhaps not quite as polished or sophisticated, it is nonetheless capable.

Wine Musings Vol#72

Wine of Merit: ****Mount Veeder Winery, Napa Valley, cabernet sauvignon, 1990: I miss this style of Napa wine. Balanced and thoughtful, lower in alcohol (13.5%) as was the style 18 years ago, this wine is still fresh and has added sophistication and nuance with age. Still surprisingly exuberant, maybe more confident than cocky. Blackberry preserves, olive tapenade, brier...this integrated melange needs little coaxing to show its stuff. The palate too is lively and full but never fat, showing more black fruits, minerals and baking chocolate. The finish is firm and fine. I think this wine is at its absolute peak. I can imagine that most of this has been consumed long ago by ye of little faith. For those few holdouts...patience has indeed been a virtue. Good on release, much better now. Drink now and celebrate.

***+Failla, Alban vineyard, viognier, 2006: A wine that I always relish, I feel that Failla makes one of the few acceptable viognier based wines in the new world (the other stand out for me being the Kongsgaard Vio/Rus). Still, it is not always up to snuff. The 2006 does not disappoint. Lovely, floral but still deep and concentrated. Lovely Provencal herbs accompany the orange blossom, hibiscus, candied violet and vanilla bean. Lovely mineral and citrus palate. Bright, spicy finish. Righteous. A great white wine change up and wonderful food wine to boot.

***Black Bart, Stagecoach vineyard, Napa, syrah, 2004: I enjoy wines made from the Stagecoach vineyard. Of course, at over 500 acres under vine, that is a bit of a generic statement. Still, the Krupp brothers seem to grow delicious fruit and those who source from it tend to make delicious wines. The Black Bart bottling is made by the Krupps themselves and is indeed a yummy, expansive, mouthful of Napa grape juice. Even given the size of the vineyard, I still get a distinct sense of place, that southern Napa mountain red/black berry fruit, bramble and mineral driven style followed by a slight, vegetal counterattack, with the cinnamon and clove from the whole cluster fermentation adding the final kicker. A dollop of co fermented viognier adds a floral, citrus note. The wine is big boned and coating, with a firm palate and a firmer, juicy finish. Big Black Bart. I know this is not supposed to be the visual, but as I sip this wine I can't help but conjure up Clevon Little riding into town with his fringed velour cowboy outfit and his Gucci saddle, waving to Count Basie as he rides by. Now that's style!

Wine Musings Vol#54

Wine of Merit: ***Covenant, Napa Valley, cabernet sauvignon, 2004: While this is not the best wine I have had over the past month, it is very much a wine of merit. Why? Because it aspires to be not only a great kosher for Passover wine, but a great wine period. Sourced from larkmead fruit, this wine cuts no corners. Juicy, ripe black currant fruit-driven style, this wine also exhibits nice cassis, grilled meats and lavender notes. It is lavishly oaked - perhaps a bit too for my palate, bringing with it almond / vanilla notes and baker's spices. The palate is full and coating but also firm with very good length. This young wine should have ample cellar life ahead of it. Of course the $90 a pop asking price pre-supposes at the very least this level of quality - good to see that it delivers. Also wins the all label award!

***++Chateau Ducru Beaucalliou, St. Julien, Bordeaux, 1998: I have posted previously on this wine. Notes remain consistent. Dynamite, St. Julien nose of iodine, camphor, herbs, red and black fruit, tobacco. Velvety palate but with plenty of depth and length. A wine to enjoy now decanted or let rest for awhile still. Top Notch.

***+Rivers Marie, Occidental Ridge vineyard, Sonoma Coast, pinot noir, 2006: Lovely. Very Sonoma coast. Deep, deep dark black cherry fruit, forest floor, rosemary, mulling spices. A singularly focused element of blood orange that becomes more pronounced as the wine opens. Beautiful balance – a big wine with plenty of backbone. Serious.

***+Chateau D’Yquem, Lur Saluces, Bordeaux, sauternes, 1997: From split. You know, I love sauternes. Less for the wonderful aromatics, like the candied orange rind, white flowers, nutmeg and lichee that this wine shows, than for the oily, viscous, coating, unctuous mouth feel. It just slithers, coats, envelops you…to quote Old School, “Once it hits your lips it’s so good!” This 1997 does not really show the pumped up aromatics of truly great Yquem…but the palate…ohhhhh my! Very nice indeed, with wonderful depth and great length. I don’t think it will ever achieve the other worldliness of the 1976, nor does it have the stuffing of the 2001…but it will do! Drink or Hold.

***Jocelyn Lonen, Sangiacomo vineyard, Sonoma County, chardonnay, 2006: Super. I love Sangiacomo fruit – both chard and merlot. Bright, spicy, lemony, verbena. A bit racy on the palate…good minerals, nice oak integration. Reminds me a lot of the Shafer Red Shoulders Ranch bottling. Long, spicy finish. All in all very nice.

A few abbreviated updates: The ****Eric Texier Cote Rotie VV, 2001 is still simply mind blowing. An amazing, seemingly unending assembly of flavors, all perfectly integrated and balanced. This wine can be had for under $50 a bottle - which to me would seem to be almost criminal and certainly a screaming buy. The ****Aubert, Ritchie vineyard, Sonoma Coast, chardonnay, 2004 is quickly becoming my favorite chardonnay in the world. So consistent, so perfumed, so deep…just a wonderful example of great chardonnay. ***Failla, Keefer vineyard, Russian River Valley, chardonnay, 2005 is also delicious, in a much more understated, malic, slightly more brisk kind of way. More of the Mersault style than the Corton like Aubert. Lovely. The ****Pol Roger, Sir Winston Churchill cuvee, Eperney, champagne, 1990 is a classic. Outstanding example of bottle aged, vintage champagne. Still vibrant and frisky, it shows great citrus and lavender, with yeasty baked apple notes. lemon curd and cardamom. Endless depth, wonderful palate feel, long finish. Superlative – and very much ready to drink now.

Wine Musings Vol#44

Wine of Merit: ****Mayacamas, Mayacamas Vineyards, cabernet sauvignon, Napa Valley, 1974: (From Magnum - label to the right borrowed from the 82 cab). This is very much a storied wine – some put it with the 74 Heitz MV as the best wine ever made in Napa Valley. It is the old style, vin de garde type wine that I love. 13% alcohol, massive tannic structure on release (I am guessing – I was 10), fined and filtered (I am guessing by the lack of sediment) – I am sure Parker would have hated it. Anyway, now, some 33 years later, after 4 hours in the decanter, it opens up and reveals something very special. Really the tasting notes on this evolve as the wine continues to open up over many, many hours – I am thankful we had a magnum so that we could taste through the evolution. Initially closed and somewhat reluctant with overwhelming cassis and nicoise olive notes, the deep color (with minimal bricking) and youthful finish offer hope of more. In fact, over the next few hours layers of deep black berry fruit, smoke, graphite, melted black licorice and mint build in waves. The palate, still bright and lively, shows red and black fruit, minerals and bittersweet chocolate. I definitely get a sense that this is mountain cab. The finish is long, peppery and firm. A gift. Very special.

***++Conn Creek Vineyards, Anthology, Napa Valley, 1991: Thirsting for more after the Mayacamas time machine experience, we opened this bottle. Conn Creek is another long established winery out in Napa that has been making delicious wines for a long time. Where Mayacamas is over on the western side of the valley, Conn Creek is on the Silverado Trail, along the eastern confine. Where the Mayacamas was clearly a cabernet driven wine, the Anthology – 1991 was the inaugural vintage – is a softer Bordelaise blend, including merlot, cab franc, malbec and petite verdot. Absolutely delicious, this is a much warmer, open knit, sexy wine. Luscious red fruit, mocha, vanilla, church incense and truffle waft from the glass immediately. Amazingly youthful – the palate is creamy, coating and supple with more yummy red fruit, café au lait / milk chocolate. The finish is sweet and fine – hard to believe this is 16 years old. If this wine were a holiday it would be Valentines Day. Wonderful.

***Failla, Alban Vineyard, Edna Valley viognier, 2005: Really lovely. A big crowd pleaser, this wine offers rich hibiscus, marzipan and apricot notes, accompanied by pleasing vanilla and peach. I often find new world viognier shrill, but this wine has depth and layers, showing off its excellent Alban vineyards breeding and Ehren Jordan’s deft touch. Lovely integration across the palate with a touch of Asian spice and nutmeg on the finish. Yum.

***Failla, Phoenix vineyard, Napa Valley, syrah, 2003: Another Failla winner. This wine has a meaty, baker’s chocolate, black cherry and kirsch characteristic at its core, with smoke and pine needle on the periphery. Medium in weight with a solid tannic backbone, the palate offers more plum, oolong tea and minerals through to the fine, furry finish. I am typically not a huge Napa syrah fan…this is delicious.

***Failla, Keefer Ranch, RRV, pinot noir, 2003: I guess we are on a roll here. The Keefer ranch pinot was my introduction to Failla a few years back and I have always enjoyed it thoroughly (see previous notes for the 2005 pinots – which I think are outstanding and even better than the 2003s). This has always been quite a showy wine – bright, sassy and yet at the same time showing dynamite depth and richness. The red, bing cherry fruit jumps from the glass, perfectly focused, with accompanying cinnamon stick and ginger candy notes. The palate is firm but finely integrated from front to back – not really creamy as much as deep and rich. The finish has peppery spice and great length. Very nice indeed.

***Vilmart, Coeur de Cuvee, champagne 1993: Extremely nuanced and sophisticated. Very malic, it offers a lot of green apple, nutmeg, anise, perhaps a touch of celery seed…I do get that brown butter and touch of saltiness as well. Yummy and serious. Superior structure for the age – it is lively and bracing, not thinning at all. Long, drying finish. A heady, wine geeks champagne – might disappoint folks just looking for yummy, yeasty bubbles.

Wine Musings Vol#33

Wine of Merit: ***+Phillippe Pacelet Gevrey-Chambertin 1er cru "La Perrière" 2004: A wine I bought on the recommendation of Crush Wines and Spirits in NYC…a wine store quickly becoming a go to source for great wine. Phillippe Pacalet is I believe more of the new generation in Burgundy wine making – and it is apparent for the good and for the bad in his wine. This bottling has amazing purity and focus. The varietal fruit characteristics are perfect and intense. Dark, lush, black cherry, green tea, spice box and cola notes. A wonderful creaminess to the palate, along with more red fruit and nutmeg / clove spice. Absolutely delicious and a pleasure to drink. It has, however, in my opinion lost its old world charm. Blind I would have guessed RRV by one of the boutique producers. No way is this Burgundy! And yet…A lovely wine that I will drink with pleasure. When I want the noise and the funk…I guess we will always have Ampeau!

***+Flowers Andreen Gale, Sonoma Coast pinot noir, 2001: Elegance with stature. Perfumed, lovely Sonoma coast fruit, deep, red fruit, cola, lavender, pine needles and spearmint. Effusive but perfectly aligned and integrated. Lush, creamy palate with black cherry, nutmeg and cinnamon spice. Loong, menthol finish with laser focused eucalyptus. Best now, right at its peak. Fine indeed.

***+Mount Mary, Lilydale valley, Quintet, 1994: Something of a cult classic, Mount Mary is an insiders wine and considered by many to be the very best wine Down Under has to offer. This wine blew me away on release. It is a typical Bordeaux blend with an Aussie slant. Made back in the day when 13% alcohol was considered more than enough. It has aged quite a bit since then, showing a smidge of thinning at the rim, though the hue is still deep plum. The nose is a total ringer for a mature Sant Julien from a very good if slightly uneven vintage, say 1988. Garrigue, sois bois, some barnyardy elements, blackberry preserve, violets, mint, mature plum, tobacco…it’s all there. Even the grilled bell pepper that makes me think Gruaud Larose. Downright juicy. Palate shows more, juicy fruit, but is a tad thin mid palate and I taste a greenness that suggests American oak. Finish is sweet, spicy and adds some minerals, along with more telltale greenness. Delicious, but I don’t think it will get better with time.

***Failla, Alban Vineyards Viognier, 2005: Ehren Jordan just doesn’t make bad wine. The Alban vineyard is known for producing top quality viognier fruit. This is a dynamite viognier – and I find most new world viognier cloying and obvious. This instead is sophisticated and feminine, offering perfumed, guava, marzipan, honeysuckle and lavender notes that fill the glass, with an underlying hint of slate. The palate is smooth and viscous, with honeyed yellow peach, more minerals and asian spice. Great served cold with herbed cheeses and smoked salmon. If you eat trief, I guess seafood would work.

***Ridge, Dusi Vineyard ATP zinfandel, 1995: Another of the Advance Tasting Program (ATP) wines from ridge. 100% zinfandel. This was a bit of a SNAFU wine when it was made – the intention was to make it a late harvest, 40 degree brix type wine. Instead ripening stalled at 26 degrees brix and so they simply harvested it thinking that it would be a full throttle, in your face, short shelf life zin. So I didn’t hold out much hope. Instead it was actually lovely. Deep, dark, sweet brambly plum fruit, black pepper and some talc dominate the nose. The palate is still lively and round, not as flabby and dried up as the nearly 15 alcohol would have had me believe. Finish is spicy and resolved but not thin. A lucky find.

***Ridge, Lytton Estate ATP zinfandel, 1994: This was meant to be an age-worthy wine – a field blend that includes 100 year old head pruned zin as well as carignane and petite sirah - and it delivered. Bordeaux like complexity offers red berry fruit, cassis and pine needle as well as sois bois. Maturing palate feel is smooth and integrated, nicely balanced. A very nice glass of wine to drink now or hold, though I don’t think it will improve.

***Williams Selyem, Russian River Valley pinot noir, 2000: I think this wine represents the moment in time when Ed and Burt cashed out and left the winery to the Pellegrini folks. As such, I guess they went out with a whimper as opposed to a bang. I suggest this in comparison to WS pinots that I have had in the past. Actually, by itself it is a rather nice wine, especially given the difficult vintage. Very mature with bricking at the rim, the wine has a prune Danish and black cherry liqueur nose, with a nuance of green tea and cinnamon. The palate is lavish and full, maybe even creamy. The finish offers Asian spice, pretty much resolved. Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em.

***Jocelyn Lonen Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon, 2004: A quick update on this wine as I have posted on it recently. It is drinking great. Lush, deep red and black fruit, cassis and chocolate, a touch of truffle…no one will confuse this for a Ch Montrose but everyone should appreciate this for the delicious, palate coating mouthful of wine that it represents. At $35 a pop, this still represents an excellent value. Yum!

Wine Musings LTD: From Angwin to Zahtila

Following are my notes from my recent Napa trip in April. Over all, I note a few trends, some heartening while others disturbing.

1) The general quality of Napa Valley wines continues to improve. Really dynamite stuff.
2) The trend to overripe, high alcohol wines is creating heady, flabby wines that will not age nearly as well. Balance seems to have been lost in translation.
3) There is a belief among many wine makers that your wine MUST cost above $100 a bottle to be considered worth buying. Wow. What happened?
4) With some exception, there is a greater than ever push for folks who are visiting to buy wine directly. These winery visits are becoming more like Tupperware parties. This is not about educating qualified prospects about the brand with longer term brand loyalty the key metric…this is about sales right now regardless of retail wine avails. Yuck.

On to the wines.

Our first stop was Zahtila Vineyards, in Calistoga at the top of the Silverado Trail. The wines are of merit, particularly the cab they make from the Beckstoffer vineyard.

**+Zahtila Vineyards Chardonnay, 2006: Newly bottled. Very Napa valley. Bright, tropical fruits, candied citrus zest, good acids, integrated, mineral finish. A nice palate refresher.

***Zahtila Vineyards Dry Creek Zinfandel, 2004: From the Oddone vineyard. Lovely Dry Creek fruit cloaked in lavish American new oak. The oak is most noticeable on the front of the palate, where it creates a caffe latte like entry. Then the red, spiced Dry Creek fruit takes over. Nice mouth feel and integration. I am not in zin buying mode but bought 3 bottles. Nice.

**+Zahtila Vineyards Oat Hill Estate Zinfandel, 2004: From estate vines. A more Napa, black fruit, brambly style of zin. Over 15% alch. Nice, though not the kind of wine I tend to like.

***+Zahtila Vineyards Beckstoffer Vineyards Georges III, 2003: A Lovely wine. Excellent concentration and depth. Black berry and stone fruit, Rutherford dust, good minerlaity. The oak integrates nicely without ever dominating. Long, sweet finish. I like this wine. At $48, compared to other cabs tried, it is a steal.

Our next stop is Failla, also along the Silverado Trail. The tasting “house” is far out and I would recommend a visit. It is fun and different. Of course the wines are great – in fact, I would say that on the whole the wines poured were amongst the best of the trip.

***++Failla Keefer Ranch Chardonnay, 2004: A significant improvement from the 2003 vintage for this wine in my opinion. Wonderful notes lemon chiffon, Anjou pear and white flowers. Full, lush mouthfeel. Acids are balanced and not quite as brisk as the 2003. Slate. Long finish. Like a really good Chasagne Montrachet 1er cru.

***++Failla Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, 2005: I really liked this wine quire a bit. Deep, lush pinot notes of black cherry, green tea, cola and baking spices. Not fat, but full. Creamy mouthfeel. Long, peppery finish. Yum.

***++Failla Keefer Ranch Pinot Noir, 2005: Another winner. Not quite as flamboyant as the Sonoma Coast. More focused and intense. Much more structured, this wine offers great complexity already and will reward time in the cellar. Big with great bones.

***Failla Phoenix Ranch Syrah, 2004: Very nice, if a bit of a recipe wine. 50% whole cluster, 50% berry, this wine is aged in 1/3 new oak. Delicious if a bit expected. Very varietal fruit with the whole cluster providing grilled meats and clove to the mix. Full and pleasant. I think I have been drinking too much syrah!

The last stop on day 1 was Cardinale, where we sampled both the Cardinale and the Lokoya wines in a lovely setting, courtesy of the always generous Brian Baker. I will say that the Lokoya wines were indeed very special and very much worth seeking out – note that the winery “MSRP” is a heady $190 a bottle but the wines can be had for as little (!) as $130 retail. The Cardinale wines were also lovely, a blend of the above vineyards, stags leap fruit and merlot, but at the same asking price seem to be a questionable QPR (quality to price ratio) buy.

***++Lokoya Diamond Mountain, 2003: Super. Lovely balance, nuanced nose of bakers chocolate, black fruit and chalk. Wonderfully integrated, smooth mouthfeel, offering casis, black fruit, chocolate and a touch of sois bois. Stately.

****Lokoya Howell Mountain, 2003: Really very lovely. More pronounced aromatics of cigar box, red and black brambly fruit, a touch of tar. Lush mouthfeel with excellent concentration, adding mocha elements. Firm finish with sweet, coating tannins. Elegant. Amy’s favorite.

****+Lokoya Mt. Veeder, 2003: Wow. Great intensity and structure. Blue black fruits, chalk, minerals, pepper, violets. Great depth on the palate and perfect balance. Makes me think of Paulliac. Will reward aging. The purebred of the group. Powerful.

***+Cardinale, 2003: A very good effort. The wine offers mature, perfectly ripe, focused red fruit, chocolate, tobacco, black pepper and smoke. Full, lush coating palate with a pleasing licorice element and a note of minerals. Long, furry, juicy finish. Delicious.

****Cardinale, 2004: Stellar. All of the same characteristics as the 2003, this wine offers even more focus and concentration. The finish is very firm making this a candidate for the cellar.

Wine Musings Vol#13

From notes taken March, 2006:

Wine of Merit: ***Bisou, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2001: Your kiss is on my lips (that’s right! Hall & Oats!) Perfect for Valentine’s Day! This is a new cabernet from Napa Valley. Bisou (which means “kiss” in French) is farmed out of 3 estate vineyards in St. Helena by James Johnson vineyards. The individual vineyards are named for the families’ children. To the wine itself: Wow! It is nothing short of explosive right from the bottle. Aromas of red fruit, truffle, dark chocolate, olive candy, rosemary, sage and grilled peaches just jump from the glass. Huge! While the bottle suggests cabernet sauvignon, the nose suggests something softer and more complex (cab franc?). Viader like. Spectacular. The palate, on the other hand, doesn’t quite match up. More berry fruit and plum, minerals and mocha, it thins more than a bit on the mid palate. Finish is lovely and integrated. It is nothing short of a great drink in the short term, but I worry about laying it down in the longer term. Perhaps the vines themselves need a bit more aging? One to watch. Delicious.

**++Ridge Dusi Ranch Zinfandel ATP, 1995: The Ridge ATP (Advanced Tasting Program) used to be a cool thing. But it ended up being a bit of “The Island of the Misfit Toys” as Paul Draper experimented with new varietals and new vineyards, so I dropped out. This wine is one of the success stories. The Dusi ranch is down in Paso Robles, near St. Louis Obispo. In 1995, they tried to pull off a late picked, 40 brix zin and realized half way through it wasn’t going to work. So they picked it at 26 brix and assumed it would be a berry driven, forward early drinker. As it turns out, this wine has aged gracefully. Boysenberry and cranberry fruit, cedar, creamy chai and church incense are offered up in lovely integration from this 10 year old zin. The palate has no drop off, continuing with the red fruit theme, with white pepper and rosehip. Finish is firm but not pronounced with more spice and vanilla. I am guessing American oak here. Not a wine that is out there for sale, so buying more is a moot point. Lovely and elegant. Amy likes it very much, so it is a winner.

**++A. Rafanelli Cabernet Sauvignon, 1994: I don’t cellar many Sonoma cabernets. The best ones, however, have a St. Julien like quality that I dig. Tonight, this particular cab is drinking well. Elegant, red and black berry aromas, picholine olives, sage and rose petal belie the Dry Creek provenance. The palate shows more mature berry and stone fruit with oaky, espresso bean and vanilla notes. It is for the most part resolved, though very even and not thinning. Again, a very elegant glass of wine, great with food. I look forward to tasting their 2004 from barrel next week!

**+Dashe Cellars Zinfandel, 1997: I like Mike Dashe. I met him many years ago while he was at Ridge helping to make the zins there. He is passionate about making small batch, handcrafted wines. AND his label has a monkey riding a whale like fish on it. I want to party with him! This wine, the 1997, represents his second vintage with the new label – by 1998 he was out of Ridge and doing his own thing as his day job. I believe he sources his fruit mostly from the RRV / Dry Creek and it shows. Bright, raspberry, red fruit and bramble, this wine also offers black pepper on the nose. The palate is a bit racy, showing more fruit, asian spice, minerals and a some greenness from the oak it sat in. The finish is a touch hot, with lavender, green tea notes and firm tannins. A good effort. It clearly has aspirations of being Nalle-like, if a bit more full blown, and I love Dry Creek zins.

Wine Musings Vol#8

From notes taken January, 2006:

Wine of Merit: ***Renard Rousanne 2003: You know it makes me feel like sayin’ “foxy”! This is, candidly, a much better wine than the Perrin CdP Blanc. Golden yellow hue, nectarine, peach preserves, orange zest, flinty minerals, honeysuckle. Oily texture, lovely weight on the palate with some noticeable oak on the finish. Delish right now – I don’t sense that this will cellar well.

*+Provenance Rutherford Cab, 2000: Lovely, if a bit standard fare. Firm, Rutherford red and black fruit, minerals and some of that good Rutherford dust. Plenty of chocolate and toasty oak. A bit lean. Nice enough.

***Sette Ponti Oreno, 2003: This wine has received big press, so I thought I would try it before I decided to buy it at a premium. It is very good, in a fairly formulaic “Super Tuscan” kind of way. Excellent depth and purity of fruit. Very expressive with plum, vanilla and boysenberry jam right off the bat. Some tar and grilled meats. Velvety and palate coating on entry. If I take any points away it is because this wine does not put balance at a premium. It has a slight drop off in the mid palate and then offers a big tannic, cab driven finish. Again, this is a very nice wine in the Sassicaia, Solaia, Solegno style. Buy more? At $39.99 sure. At $80, I pass. Both prices are out there!

**Clos L’Eglise, Cotes de Castillion 2000: This bares absolutely no resemblance in anyway to the Pomerol, even though it is mostly (60%) merlot, with 20% cab franc and 20% cabernet. Medium weight, one dimensional, pretty wine in more of a varietal driven, new world style (as in “Look, if they order Merlot I am leaving!”). Blueberry, mocha, lilacs, chalky vanilla. Residual sweetness. I sense almost no cab sauv and it lacks the mushroom, earthiness of the cab franc that I dig. Friendly, if youthful, finish. I think Parker gave this a 90 or something, probably because the owners also own Pavie and a couple of other more serious chateau that actually are in Pomerol. I would score it mid 80s, maybe higher if it were cheaper. At $35, it almost seems overpriced. Pleasant, but not compelling. Order it at a restaurant while on a blind date in Santa Barbara.

**++Failla Chardonnay, Keefer Ranch 2003: I am a Failla fan. I love the Keefer ranch pinot. The chard is also very nice if somewhat atypical. Lavishly oaked but not overwhelmingly so, the fruit offers a whimsical key lime pie like thing, sugarplum and marzipan. Bright acids. I think this wine may in fact come together and knit the oak with the fruit to offer a bit more harmony. American Chablis? Nice! I will let ‘er sit awhile and stew before I re-approach.

Wine Musings Vol#4

From notes taken November, 2005:

Wine of Merit: ****+Brewer Clifton blanc de blanc, 1993: Rocked my world. I am something of a champagne snob too, so I was ready to be unimpressed with a sparkler from Santa Maria. Late disgorged (2000) this wine is mature in color, with hugely expressive notes of lemon custard, marzipan, bread pudding, anise and great citrus zest. Amazingly deep and balanced all the way to the citrus, hazelnut finish. Pound the table good. The kicker – about $25 a bottle if you can find it. I would happily trade some Winston Churchill or Palmes D’Or for this any day. Make it your holy grail and go get some now. Only problem – a silly bottle which makes cellaring a bitch.

***Kim Crawford, Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, 2004: I am not a big NZ sauv blanc guy. This is delicious, screw top and all. Great citrus and some grassiness but well integrated with apple and pear notes. A smoothness that makes me think it spent some time in oak. At $10.97 (that’s right $10 buck chuck!) you cannot beat this with a stick. Best QPR wine, along with the Buehler RRV, I think I have ever had.

???Bedford Road Sauvignon Blanc 2005: Maybe just too young. Secondary fermentation in the bottle, confused flavors of citrus melon and peach, no finish. I’ll let the rest of the case sit until summer.

**+Orin Swift “The Prisoner”, 2004: Quickly becoming a cult wine in Napa – small production though not impossible to find (Park Ave. in the city has it). $35-ish. Cool label and name. The wine makes you think of those crazy, over the top Clarendon Hills Grenache wines or a Colgin Cabernet. Huge, syrupy blackberry and blueberry fruit. Mocha. Intense candied violets. Velvety, full mouth-feel with coating, furry tannins on the finish. Fat (15%+ alch). Drink-up, it won’t last in the cellar, IMHO. I can see why people dig it. Not really my style. Parker will give it a Turley-like 96, his palate is so dead that these are the only kind of wines that break through for him.

**+Orin Swift Sauvignon Blanc, 2004: From the Tofanelli vineyard. Nice enough. Bright, melon, white peach, grassy, wet boxwood, citrus. Very varietal. New Zealand Sauv Blanc from Cali. Drink Cloudy Bay or Goldwater Dog Point from NZ and get the same glass of wine. I’ll stick with Rochioli, Araujo, Long or a decent Cotat Sancerre. Buy More? No.

***+Failla Keefer Vineyard Pinot Noir, 2003. Are you kidding? Fantastic! Color is bright ruby, clarity suggests unfined / unfiltered. Blind I would have said Williams Selyem Allen Vineyard. Laser bright cherry/raspberry, green tea, cinnamon stick, lavender, sage, coffee bean. Perfect integration and great balance which suggests complexity with aging. . EB: “Easy to drink” Ditto! I am told this is a $30 bottle of wine. It is worth $60+. Robert Parker AND Steve Tanzer gave this an 88, insuring that you will find it at a decent price. Everyone who stopped by rated it number one. Buy more? Absolutely.

**++Whetstone Hirsch Vineyard Pinot Noir, 2003. Very typical Hirsch. Darker in color, black cherry/plum, cola, sandalwood incense, more complex, a bit thin on the mid palate, which does not bode well for the long term. Nice, but at close to $50 a pop I pass on more.

Wine Musings Vol#1

All wines graciously poured by the Sevrens at the Amanti Vino Grand Opening, Oct. 2005:


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.