Wine Musings Vol#62

Wine of Merit: ****+Araujo, Eisele vineyard, Napa Valley, cabernet sauvignon, 2003: Wow. Just majestic. I have a very special place in my heart for this wine. I love the way it imparts the terroir of the Eisele vineyard, with its broad leaf tobacco, deep, lush red and plum fruit, its chocolate mint and its autumnal, peppery sandalwood. Great, almost endless depth, great, flinty minerals, this wine is still young, primal and brooding. Striking and hewn across the mid palate, this wine has an endless reserve of strength that it can and will undoubtedly call upon as it continues to age. The finish is fine and furry but here again clearly built for the long haul. A wine that will offer great enjoyment anytime it is opened from now thru the next few decades I am sure. Wonderful.

***++Domaine des Comte Lafon, Mersault, Burgundy, 2004: I have been less than impressed by some Comte Lafon wines in the recent past, but this delivers. Offering lovely, nuanced complexity, this wine is all bright lemon curd, key lime, verbena, marzipan and a vanilla bean, with a pear crème brule thing that I just find delicious, all with lithe weightless yet vibrant intensity. The palate hints at minerals and moves front to back with silky smoothness, integrating more candied citrus and white fruit elements with little effort. The finish has a perfumed spiciness, with a candied ginger lingering sensation. Just a dynamite, delicious wine. Loved it.

***Pali Wine Company, Inman Olivet vineyard, Russian River Valley, pinot noir, 2006: Delicious. This wine is made by Brian Loring. I typically dig his wines so I thought I would give this one a try. I was first intrigued by the screw cap. Not typical on a $50 bottle of wine. I like the pluck! The nose of this wine is still primal and sorting itself out. That said, there is no doubt it is an RRV wine; all bright black cherry, cola, cream and green tea. The palate adds Malabar pepper, Kenyan coffee and nutmeg. Racy and a tad nervous, the acids are bracing and lively, though the mid palate is a bit vague and a tad medicinal, surprising for a low alcohol wine (13.9%). The finish is also lively, peppery and medium long. Nice!

**++Miner Family, Napa Valley, cabernet sauvignon, 2001: A nice quaffable glass of red wine. Age has helped this wine soften and nuance, offering red raspberry and black fruit, dark, dusty baker’s chocolate, soy and some nice briar. The palate is velvety if a touch vague and the finish is medium length offering lovely, integrated Asian spice and more chocolate. Really, a very nice food wine that I very much enjoyed. Yum.

Wine Musings Vol#16

From notes taken May, 2006:

Wine of Merit: ****+Gaja Sperss Barolo, 1995: Mesmerizing. Wonderful depth and complexity. Aromas of black olive, provencal herbs, flint, grilled meats and deep, dark berry fruit. Smoke. The wine coats the palate, offering blackberry, rosemary and minerals. Hints of spearmint. The finish pretty much never ends, though it is nicely integrated with the mid palate. Monumental.

****Feudi di San Gregorio, Serpico, 2001: Inky. This wine is a youthful giant. The fruit almost seems chunky and raw. Mocha, violets and leather accompany the jammy, preserve like strawberry and blueberry fruit. Palate is thick and tannins are still overpowering. It clearly has all of the elements to be a star, it simply lacks the grace and coordination, though I am certain time will bring it all together. Patience required.

***+ Ridge Lytton Estate 1994: This is a selection of barrels from the hillside vineyards surrounding the Lytton Springs Winery in Dry Creek for the ATP program. It is a field blend of mostly zinfandel, with petite syrah and grenache mixed in. Maturing red/plum color. A wonderful nose of bramble, roasted plum, rosemary and coffee bean. The palate is youthful, revealing more fruit, white pepper, minerals and mocha. The tannins have been tamed somewhat though still pronounced through the finish. Surprisingly young. Nice!

**++Aia Cabernet, 2001: From Miner family winery. SLD cabernet with bright red fruit, saddle leather, cedar and grilled meats. Surprisingly soft on the palate, velvety with a fruit forward personality. Very nice, if a bit obvious.

****Wolf Family Vineyard Cabernet, 2002: Wow. This is a very sophisticated wine. The Wolf family took over the Inglewood vineyards awhile back and has been producing small lots of cabernet since the late 90s, I think. Karen Culler – who makes killer wines for Ladera and and her own label - makes their wine. This wine is sublime. Perfectly balanced and offering intense depth and great richness, the nose is tobacco, red fruit, cigar box and licorice. Approachable now though it is still showing baby fat, it will benefit from age and only get more interesting.

****+Kalin Semillion, Livermore Valley 1996: So good it scares me! I can count on one hand the successful semillions from the new world. OK – one finger. This wine sings. The clear glass bottle shows off the wonderful golden hue. The nose is crazy intense – vanilla / almond crème brulee, candied orange zest, apricot, honeysuckle and asian spice. Amazingly rich and oily. Great attack and intensity through the mid palate. Long. Tobacco and honey. Wow, a really yummy wine. At $30 a pop, this is a true steal.