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 LTD: My Dinner with Robb

My dinner with Robb (March 2007)

OK. Perhaps it should be OUR dinner with Robb. And Drew (Nieporent). At the Tribeca Grill. Wow. It was truly a memorable event – not only because the wines were tremendous but because it was just so great to see and hang out with everyone. I love how wine acts as an excuse for good friends (new and old) to get together and enjoy each other’s company.

Wine of Merit: ****++Zind-Humbrecht Gewurz Goldert VT 1990: In my opinion, this was not only the first served, but the best wine of the night. Ethereal. Lithe. Refreshing. Perfect sweetness. Citrus, white flowers, honey. Extremely rare –and extremely worth it.

****+Sine Qua Non “The Boot”” (also known as The Good Girl) 2000: Stunning. Flamboyant but at the same time serious. A roussanne, chardonnay, viognier mix, I think. So much going on here – almost defies description. Rich, complex, deep, long. Very special. To quote Melissa Rice, “This one should have been named the Hussy!” Voluptuous, with a come hither quality!

****Sine Qua Non, “The Hussy” 2000: Also lovely. Perhaps not quite as rich as the Boot, but equally interesting. 100% roussanne, from 2 different vineyards down in the central coast. This wine is instead very easy to describe. Warm apple pie, with cinnamon and a touch of clove. Wow. Intense aromatics and lovely mouth feel. Another winner.

****+Eric Texier, Cote Rotie Ville Vignes, 2001: Magnificent. The wine that La Chapelle hopes to make in every vintage. A true meal in a glass, with nicoise olives, tar, bacon (oy!), dark, black berry fruit, minerals…the works. The palate is wonderful and integrated, perfectly balanced, not staining and overwhelming. The wine is almost feminine and offers much more sophistication than it does brawn. A wine to look for.

***+Pax, Cuvee Keltie, Syrah, 2003: Perhaps the polar opposite of the Texier. Syrah as jet fuel. Huge, jammy, fat berry nose, with grilled meat and pepper. Tagine spices. Branche Marocian! This wine is almost a cartoon – an exaggerated representation of what syrah can be. Very Aussie in style. Lush, staining and powerful. Maybe time will coax some nuance from it –right now it is yummy but very obvious.

****++Ducru Beacalliou. St. Julien, 1982: Masterful. Perfect Bordeaux, in my opinion. Complex, nuanced red fruit, earth, cassis and cigar box. Perfect weight on the palate, long sweet finish. Surprisingly fresh for a wine made when I graduated high school. Wonderful. I could drink this wine every day and not tire of it.

****Dominus, Rutherford, 1994: One must give credit. This wine is seductive. Complex, loamy earth, red fruit, saddle leather, black truffled olive oil. Violets. More St. Emillion than Pomerol to my taste. Serious, great mouth filling wine. Still very much balanced – maturing in a wonderfully complex way. I love this wine.

***Numanthia, Toro 2003: Very nice though in difficult company. Very international in style – a recipe wine. Does Michel Rolland consult here? I bet he does. Deep color and extract. Lush, merlot like red, plumy fruit. Very showy. Thick, unctuous, palate staining wine. Long, very firm finish. I bet Parker loves this wine. A fun wine to enjoy.

***+Montevetrine, Le Pergola Torte 2003: This was a wine that was hard to evaluate. The nose was somewhat muted, offering red fruit and a focused element of anise seed, with a toasted note (mandel brot?). The palate offered more red fruit, white pepper and good minerality, though again pretty demure. Middle weight mouth feel. Very good, though perhaps better when one can focus on it a bit more.

Wine Musings LTD: Polaner Selections Tasting

First, I did not taste the majority of the wines. As I was not there to buy a portfolio, I could cherry pick…and cherry pick I did. I will tell you this: pricing for good wine is getting ridiculous. The wines I truly cared for where often north of $100. I don’t understand it. I will be spending more money with crush pad and much less with delicious but unproven wineries like Revana, Bucella, Amuse Bouche, Merus, Realm and the like which come out with first vintage wines at $100+. It is not appropriate. That said…

I did try the 2004 Merus, and found it wonderful. Great depth, extraction and grip. Mmmm. Black fruit and minerals, fairly open knit and generous (a signature of the vintage). Yummy now and I am guessing yummy for the next 8-10 years. Not sure it will get better, but it will probably mellow and become more nuanced. Given that this is a wine made in someone’s garage out in Napa valley, it should be congratulated.

Similar are my impressions of Realm. They offered a barrel sample of the 2005 wines, which will bottle this spring. The ToKalon, Dr. Crane and Farella vineyards. The former two are spectacular. Really special. Wines to look out for. Kudos.

I also had the pleasure of tasting the 2004 Phillip Togni. Again, wonderfully, open, jammy but still intense and deep. Reminds me of the 1994 vintage. Yum.

I have to say, Larkmead is making lovely wines, albeit Merlot. I liked there 2002 wines and loved the 2004 Firebelle Merlot. Really great. Deep, red and black fruit, mocha, violets. Maybe lavender. Delish!

A new wine, made by Thomas Brown. 2004 Maybach cabernet – from the family that made the car back in the Father Land. Made from a vineyard on the Turnbull property. This wine is wonderful as well – and given the low production, a wine you will not see unless you order it direct from the winery. I would if I were you – or me! I cannot think of a Thomas Brown wine I do not like.

Similar comments about the Driknward Peschon cabernet from 2004. Supple, ripe, deep, excellent depth. Furry tannins. Yes!

Lastly, the wines from Black Sears, long known for the Howell mountain fruit, rock. The 2004 zin was stately – reminding me of the old Storybook zins I used to faun over. Bramble, balck mountain fruit, great balance, nicely integrated oak. The 2003 cab was also surprisingly good, very Dunn like – deep, purple, blueberry and blackberry – maybe snozberry (!). Nice…

Other US wines that merit special mention are the Brookman 2004 cab, the Ojai white hawk syrah, the Pax alder spring syrah, Arnot Roberts Alder Springs and the Copain Eaglepoint ranch syrah (this whole cluster fermentation thing has to stop – the wines are all getting pretty much made in a cookie cutter way), the 2004 Wolf family cab . All of these wines merit buying and drinking.

What else stood out for me? The CNdP 2005 wines rock. The Dom. De la Janasse wines were deep, flavorful and much more interesting than most of the US wines, especially the VV. The 2004 Artadi rioja pagos viejos ruled the roost. Very, very special. Deep plum, saddle leather, garrigue, mint. Nice. I tried some older wines from Lopez de Heredia. They tasted…old. The pinot noir from Ch. De La Tour from 2005 was a true pinot noir vin de garde. The Clos de Vougeot VV was Righteous.

Wine Musings Vol#31

From notes taken March, 2007:

Wine of Merit: ***++Petites Maisons Las Madres Vineyard Syrah, 2004: This is a Crushpad wine – the place where I am making White Hawk vineyard syrah. I have barrel tasted the Las Madres syrah and found it less appealing. Tonight, in this bottle, it is downright yummy. Redolent with red, plumy fruit, Asian spices, pie crust and cardamom, this wine is the perfect accompaniment to a snowy day by the fire. Juicy, maybe even lush, with a touch of roasted red pepper. Great balance, great integration…perhaps a bit more evolved than I would have guessed, with fine, almost sweet tannins. Feminine and nuanced. I could drink the whole bottling in one sitting…In fact, I finished the glass just while typing this note. Lovely! To think, it cost $13 a pop to make this wine. It is a downright crime!

***Snowden “Lost Vineyard”, cabernet sauvignon, 2004: I believe this is their second label and as such priced very competitively…in the high 20s…As such this is a screaming bargain, and probably endemic of the quality of the 2004 vintage. Lovely, nuanced cabernet nose, with black and red fruits, truffle, earth and mint. Deep and delicious. Palate is layered offering more of the same, licorice and minerals. Fine, integrated finish. I would have guessed a MUCH more expensive wine. If you can buy this at less than $30, make it your everyday wine and thank me later.

***++Gary Farrell, Starr Ridge vineyard, pinot noir, 2004: Gary Farrell and pinot noir. Doug Nalle and zinfandel. Certain things go together. I have been a big fan of Gary’s since his Davis Bynum days. His wines are always very consistent, true to the RRV and delicious. Not overblown, over extracted or in your face. Just right. This is no exception. Lovely bing cherry, baking spices, cream, cola and green tea. Just the right amount of oak. Lively. Perhaps just a tad light on the palate, though time may add some depth. Great integration. My only gripe is that his wines are starting to get pricey. I used to buy them for under $20. And ice cream cost a nickel I guess…

*++Deloach, Russian River Valley pinot noir, 2005: That’s right…2005. Deloach has changed hands and now Greg LaFolette, he of Flowers fame, makes the wine there. The Carolina Wine Co proclaimed this a no brainer – so I bought a bottle at a wine store to try. Well – don’t believe the hype. Not particularly good, this wine offers ripe, almost preserve like plum and cherry…and maybe some chocolate. Palate is flabby and no finish to note. It tastes mass produced…and probably is. Of course, it is so young, maybe the issue is required bottle age…but I doubt it. Pass.

***+Salomon, Undhof Riesling, 1993: Austrian dry Riesling. I dig it. An Amanti vino recommendation, this wine is surprisingly fresh and delicious. Pale straw in color. White peaches, petrol, white flowers on the nose. Mission fig, melon and a touch of honey on the lithe but full palate, along with nice minerality and dried herbs. The finish is long and offers some spice. The label says Library, suggesting a late release? Nice!

Wine Musings Vol#30

The big 30! Now we're getting somewhere! Notes taken March, 2007:

Wine of Merit: ****++Kongsgaard, The Judge, Chardonnay, 2003: Guilty! Ok – so this is a wine that cannot get more hyped – 99 RP points, 100 cases, $400 a bottle in some misguided retail establishments. And I will admit that this was my first go with the Judge. Initially, I found this wine not very forthcoming and tightly wound. The palate was the give away that this is truly a monumental wine. Multi-layered, intense, suave and refined, it took some concentration to recognize everything that was going on – peaches, blood orange, herbs, slate – it was all there. Further, as the wine sat in the glass and aired – more of the intensity of the palate showed through. Buttered popcorn, lavender, yellow peaches, white flowers. Still, it was the palate that tantalized me with its length, depth, reserved power and sophistication. The finish only amplified the palate. I have only had Le Montrachet once, and it had this kind of depth and concentration. A wine to talk about.

***++Ducru Beaucalliou, St. Julien, 1998: I love Ducru. It is the statesman of 2nd growth Bordeaux. Wonderfully consistent, powerful but still somewhat reserved. Offering sense of place but still a firm house signature. This wine does not disappoint. Still brooding, it is showing red fruit, herbs, earth and minerals. Firm, well integrated palate. Firm, fine finish. Drink it now to enjoy what a very good, young Bordeaux has to offer or let it sit and mellow and add some depth and nuance. Either way you cannot lose. Great wine for the vintage.

***+Stags Leap, SLV Vineyard, cabernet, 1996: Really lovely. More mature and open knit, this wine also shows great SLD sense of place, with its red fruit, bramble, minerals and leather. The palate adds chocolate and pepper on the finish. Palate coating on entry and even all the way to the finish. Ready to drink now – a wine at its peak.

****Ornellaia, Bolgheri, DOC Rosso Superiore,1993: I have to admit to loving Ornellaia. I have loved it for many years (my first experience being the 1988). It did not receive the hype early on as it was a Bordeaux blend from Italy and not Sangiovese based – but I remember trying it for the first time in the early 90s and being blown away. This was not a heralded vintage, but for Ornellaia, probably should have been. The wine is now showing dark, black cherry fruit, chocolate, some raisin and kirsch liquor that is nothing short of sexy. Palate is still firm and ripe, with a sweet, fine tannic finish. This wine is simply wonderful vintage in and vintage out. Of course, now scores have caught up and the wine has become pricey…but it is still a worth it and a wonderful exhibition of what Bolgheri can do with French varietals.

**+Andrew Will, Klipsun vineyard, 2003: 60/40 Merlot/Cab blend. I tend to like AW wines very much. This particular wine is a bit angular and lean. Aromas of grilled meats and soy, along with black cherry fruit nuances and spice box. Palate is a bit zippy, not as full and coating as most AW wines I have enjoyed. Finish is puckery and a bit out of balance. Admittedly I let most of my AW wines age a bit and this is a young ‘un. Still, it doesn’t seem to have the stuffing or the balance to age for very long. Buy more? Probably not. As a side note, Andrew Will has let the vineyard contract expire with Klipsun and no longer makes this wine.

Wine Musings Vol#29

From notes taken March, 2007:

Wine(s) of Merit: ****+Chateau La Fluer de Gay, Pomerol, 1989: Wow. This was our Valentine’s day choice…and if I only had one wine to drink for the rest of my life, this wine would have to be in serious consideration. Still young and somewhat brooding, this wine has great power and great finesse at the same time. Deep, dark to the rim, the wine shows great dark cherry, plum and anise notes, with valhrona chocolate, molasses, sage and perfumed violets. Coating and lush, the wine still has great backbone across the entire palate, showing more plum, chocolate, minerals and tobacco. Strong, fine tannin finish. Amy’s comment” “I don’t think this is what the guy in sideways was talking about when he said I am not drinking any fucking merlot!” Ditto.

****+Vietti, Barbaresco Masseria, 2001: OK. I feel like Steve Martin from the Jerk now. You know, when he says, “All I need is this paddle game. That’s all. And this ashtray. Ok I need the paddle ball game and the ashtray…”. I now admit to needing the La Fluer de Gay AND this Vietti barbaresco as the only wines to drink for the rest of my life…Yum. Perfumed, red fruit, truffles, pine needles, minerals and cigar tobacco. Wow. Lovely. Great depth and nuance. Palate offers more, with an emphasis on minerality and some saddle leather and mocha. Truly a dynamite wine. I think the thing I like about it is that it is so clearly Italian, really showing sense of place, but with great purity and focus as well. Bravo!

***Hitching Post, Cork Dancer, Santa Barbara, pinot noir, 2004: Lovely, warm climate pinot. I prefer the RRV pinots, but this had nice, slightly pruney black cherry fruit, bramble and white pepper. Palate was racy and bright, with nice red fruit and tar through the finish. Not over extracted, with nice integration. Very nice.

****Flowers, Andreen Gale Sonoma Coast, pinot noir, 2001: Wow. Very nice indeed. Great harmony, balance and integration from this cooler climate pinot. Elegant with just the right lushness. I did not dig this wine on release finding it angular – which was disappointing, given the success that Camp Meeting Ridge gas gad for other wine makers. Well, those corners have smoothed themselves out. Great fruit, weight and palate coating viscosity. Dynamite and hitting its stride.

**++Radio Couteau, Alberigi, pinot noir, 2004: Hmmm…while this wine has the provenance, I find it a bit awkward. Much like many of the newer styled pinots, it has IMHO too much extract and probably too much heat. Maybe too much of just about everything. Which, in the end, may make for an interesting and nuanced wine as it ages. For now, the wine is a big mouthful of wine with cab like firmness on the finish and red and black fruit, brown spice and vanilla that bowls you over. Nice…not my cup of tea.

***Matanzas Creek, Sonoma merlot, 1992: Nice, old school vino. Maturing color, this wine offers mature, overripe plum, red fruit and mocha, ,with a hint of violets. More red fruit, spice and chocolate on the palate, which is losing some of its vibrancy but is still lush and palate coating. Finish is fairly firm, perhaps a bit too given the advanced nature of the wine. Smoke ‘em now.