Hello fellow readers, it’s been over a month and I apologize for not keeping up to date with The Wine Forum. Between work and life, I have been pretty occupied of late. Thus, my wine experiences have been filtered down to just bottles of wine with Family and Friends. I have not bee to a tasting in over 2 months, though that will come to s screeching halt over the next few weeks as the usual Fall tasting events are just around the corner! The cool weather means October is here; October means harvest is in full swing; and harvest time really gets me thinking about drinking some really good wines, especially those reds that have been collecting time over the warm (not this past one) summer! Lots of big, red wines are on the agenda, as well as some great blow out tastings by Zachys, the Wine Spectator, and many other great local shops.

So for my this Blog I decided that I had a lot of great tasting notes to share as that is all I have been doing, drinking bottles. Especially from our recent vacation in North Carolina where I raided my cellar to enjoy some excellent wines at the beach! It was cooler at night, great for reds, and warm during the day, great for some beer (Fat Tire anyone?) and crisp whites and my favorite rose from the South of France, Domaine Tempier, AOC Bandol.

I also incorporated “stars (*)” into my tasting notes, 5 being the best and 1 or No stars being bad to undrinkable. Though I usually won’t post on anything less than 2 stars.

*****

2002 Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

California, Napa Valley

Rock solid as usual, what more can I say? Paul’s wines fail to ever disappoint me. The ’02 Napa Cabernet was singing after an hour of air. Hobbs makes by far some of my favorite Cabernet Sauvignon based wines from anywhere in the world. This being my last bottle of the ‘02 Napa Cabernet I have to go find some more – and so should you! It’s pricier, but if you are looking for a go to reliable, special occasion wine, this is it. Under $70 is a good price, though closer to $60 is a great price to pull the trigger at.

Color: Vibrant dark core and deep red edges, plenty of time left in this baby!

Nose: Wonderful complexity of black currants, black cherries, some tobacco and cocoa, a little lead pencil.

Palate: The flavors keep you coming back again and again they are so good! Cherry and black currants, some licorice, mocha, silky smooth tannins leap onto the palate and ride it out with a 60 second finish!

****

2008 Domaine Tempier Rose

France, Provence, Bandol

Hands down the best Rose in the world and at around $30 some would think it should be. But you should think of it as a “wine” and not just a pink wine where you get this idea in your head no matter how good a wine is, if it’s white or especially pink, anything over $30 is a waste of assets that could be spent on a red wine. Be that as it may, with that mindset you’ll never broaden your palate and knowledge as a drinker. But then again maybe you don’t want to. That’s the great part of wine, the choice is ours and taste is somewhat subjective.

Color: Pinkish copper, a little lighter than the normal Tempier rose.

Nose: Red and pink fruits, elegant strawberry and sweet grapefruits, citrus

Palate: Silky strawberry and red berry fruits, a touch of velvety citrus zest, great mid-palate, standard for this wine, good weight in the texture. I always am amazed at how yin and yang this wines balance is. Complex strong flavors, yet supple and elegant with a super long finish! Amazing!

****

1999 St. Clement Cabernet Sauvignon

California, Napa Valley

Awesome and glad I held this back! Still another 2-5 years left, easily 2! I am very impressed with how this wine has evolved and stayed youthful over the last 10 years, even outperforming the top of the line (at the time) Oroppas. A great value, the ’99 Cabernet cost about $23 on release for Napa Valley fruit from the winery’s wine club, current srp is $36 but on wine-searcher.com I saw it for as low as $26.

Color: Deep ruby to medium red edges

Nose: Earthy and sweet tobacco, currants and spice

Palate: Cassis and black currants, some chocolate and sweet tobacco with a smooth silky finish. Very impressive!

****

2003 Castello di Ama Chianti Classico

Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico

Exactly what I want out of Chianti, with a touch more ripeness from the 2003 vintage. Classic aromas, flavors, mouth feel and acidity all with touch more fruit! I am currently doing a search for a few more bottles from this well regarded and high quality producer as the 2003 vintage was panned but this example fro this vintage has scored and by my accounts is a great wine for around $22. The excellent 2004 can’t be found for under $45 so at $22 this is a great deal.

Color: Medium dark garnet core, ruby edges.

Nose: Classic! Cherry, earth, leather, clove, and flowers (rose?). A meaty component came through after an hour.

Palate: Deep cherry and red fruits, some cocoa and earthy terroir, a touch meaty. Fine grained tannins fan out on the back and sides of the palate and the acidity brings at all back in to focus.A beauty! I want to try in a less ripe vintage!

****

2006 Williams Selyem Zinfandel Forchini Vineyard

USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

Absolutely delicious! My favorite Zin this year next to the Carlisle and a notch or two ahead of the Seghesio Sonoma County bottling. Not heavy, yet nicely extracted. Wonderful aromas and flavors of ripe fruit and spice, earth, mingle and comprise a great and rare for Zinfandel, deep experience. It can be found is some retail shops, but in miniscule quantities. In fact I am only ever offered 2 bottles each year from the winery at $48.

Color: Velvety red with garnet edges.

Nose: Strawberries, raspberries and cream. Some cedar and pepper.

Palate: Black raspberry and cream, some cedar, sweet oak, luscious sweet tannins and a long, delicious finish.

***1/2

2007 Herman Story Syrah Nuts and Bolts

California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County

Great Cali Syrah! Full throttle, yet has traces of Northern Rhone pepper, meat and spice mingling with ripe California dark fruits. Robert Parker recently described winemaker Russell From’s wines as being “Balls to the Wall” – probably the first time this phrase has been used to describe wine by the world renowned wine critic. And at prices that are very affordable at around $28 from the Herman Story wine club.

Color: Dark core with dark red edges

Nose: Meaty and peppery, dimensions of blueberry and blackberry with a hint of earthy minerality.

Palate: Full bodied, more like a raven haired movie star from the 50’s than the waify 2000’s. A super sexy texture, blackberry, cassis, and subtle but spicy oak flavors fan out on the palate.

***1/2

2004 Sea Smoke Pinot Noir Southing

California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills - Sta. Rita Hills

Squeaky clean as usual! At first you notice and can taste the oak and the tannin level is a tad higher than I like in Pinot Noir. After an hour the tannins mellowed out as the wine fleshed together nicely. Here are the notes after the hour open. Drink now and for another 2 years max. The fruit may stay in balance for a few years, but in time the tannins will outlast the fruit so drink up and keep an eye on this wine balance going forward. Price? Let’s just say you better sign up for the winery’s mailing list. Retail is small as this is mostly sold to wine dorks like me and then restaurants. Winery: $45

Color: Deep burgundy to ruby colors

Nose: Cherries, cocoa, sweet oak, deep earthy notes....nice perfume

Palate: Great entry, pure and concise. Cherries, cocoa, sweet cinnamon; tannins are a tad high but it works well with the amped up flavors.

***1/2

2002 Sherwin Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Cellar Scraps

USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District

Well, we did not exactly want to drink this wine on this night. But as fate had it we had no choice. Just like fate brought us to the winery and to one of our favorite memories on a day trip to the Napa Valley when Lisa lived in San Francisco. I was shuffling around bottles to make room for some new arrivals when this bottle slipped out and cracked when it hit the floor. I triple filtered it through our super-fine wire mesh filter incase any pieces happened to be in the wine and enjoyed the half bottle or so that was left. We originally stumbled into Sherwin as we were early for an appointment at an adjacent winery. Steve Sherwin, the owner and proprietor, greeted us as we knocked on their door to see “what’s happening” and if the could offer us a tour or the chance to buy some wine. I had not heard of Sherwin Family Vineyards before, but quickly liked Steve and was impressed with his hospitality and his wines. He had some guests over that day, but was gracious enough to spend about 30-45 minutes with us showing us the fermentation room and the team assembling the most recent 2003 wines being waxed on the neck of the bottle (instead of foil). We ended up leaving with a memory we’ll never forget and a half a case of wine! At the time, Steve had no idea what to call this wine, but we liked it and purchased a few bottles of this and their estate Cabernet. Price? Priceless! It was never up for retail sale from what I have seen.

Color: Opaque center, vibrant maroon edges.

Nose: Chocolate, cherry, black berry, vanilla and oak.

Palate: Lots of milk chocolate covered cherries, a touch of balsam and coffee. Sweet ripe tannins finished up this rich wines finale.

***

2006 Château Pipeau

France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

This baby is coming together nicely. I may try another out in a few months as it could use some time, it is Bordeaux after all! If decanted a few hours its good to go. The nose is ready from the get go so feel free to sniff away, but give it some time! Before the market went bust last year, this wine at release in a good year would go for about $35 or so. I was able to pick this up for $17 and change as the 2008 wines have started to overshadow the 2006 wines creating a glut and forcing suppliers and retailers to cut prices. Keep an eye on this trend. I like the 2006 Bordeaux wines to drink now and for the next 10 years or so on average while the 2000, 2003 and 2005 age. Also be careful not to buy in to much into the 2008 wines. The Bordeaux marketing machine has used revised scores and reviews from Parker to create buzz on the wines. The actual amount of wine for sale in futures is something like only 20% of the wine available. The strategy is to create buzz combined with low prices at first with small quantities of wines that immediately sell out. Then, as demand is stoked from the "sold out" status, the wine shop just so happens to get some more inventory but creep up prices quickly as the demand is there and people do not want to "miss out". This is why I have yet to pull the trigger on the 2008 vintage as I am not willing to lay out money on wine I won't see for 2 years when prices then may be the same or less than what they are today. It worked. Most 2008 futures were released at the lowest rock bottom prices in many years, but quickly climbed in the month after Parker’s review by 20-25% as supply was scant and the new higher scores fueled demand.

Color: Darker claret, garnet edges

Nose: Smoky toasty oak, tobacco, subtle black and red fruit. Great classic Bordeaux nose!

Palate: Smooth and balanced. Nice concentrated fruit, tannin and acidity fan out over the palate.

***

2004 Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Reserva Ygay

Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alavesa, Rioja

What a value at under $20! Rioja does not get that much better than this at this price. Muga is another $5 or so dollars, and I prefer this wine to the more modern styled Muga. The top of the line Murrieta Gran Reserva only goes for $50 but is one of the most traditional and highly touted Tempranillo based wines in the world. The little brother is not too shabby either!

Color: Dark red core and velvety red edges, very inviting

Nose: Black Currant, cherries, minerality and a floral touch.

Palate: Mature but still fresh currants and ripe cherries, earthy minerality undertones, fine grained tannins and laser like acidity.

***

2007 StellaGrey Napa Valley Red

USA, California, Napa Valley

The Stella is a great standard red wine from the Napa Valley. Lots of currant, mocha, and cherry. At $20 it is a great value for a Napa based red composed of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon.

Color: Dark red hues, medium red edges

Nose: Currants and cocoa with a hint of spice

Palate: Cherry, currant and mochas flavors deliver a complete experience. Smooth tannins frame the finish nicely.

**1/2

2007 Mouton Noir Wines Montgomery Place

USA, California, Napa Valley

A nice wine, though it left me feeling it needs more time or in need of some more depth. Then I did some research and found that it is mostly Cabernet Franc, explains a lot. Cabernet Franc grown in the US is a tough grape to spotlight as the primary grape in a wine. Many try, but few achieve great heights with Cabernet Franc in the US. I have to say this is in line with Lang & Reed – a fun wine that does not disappoint, yet does not make you think about it - uncomplicated. Nice aromatics, some sweet oak and a very smooth finish. It was great with the steak we paired it with. Price: $25 retail

Color: Dark purple to red

Nose: Black currants, chocolates and dark raspberries, some sweet oak whiffs.

Palate: The attack was great, more of the black currants, sweet oak, finishing nice with some fruit echo and smooth tannins. My only problem was the mid-palate was a little weak and dropped off, but the finish reclaimed some of the fruit.

Auctioning, 1997 Cakebread Cabernet and Lisa’s Lamb

This weekend I was looking forward to Sunday dinner. It was Lisa’s turn and she was making her outstanding rack of lamb. Syrah is the traditional pairing for lamb, but by no means is Cabernet Sauvignon atypical. I had had my eye on an old bottle of 1997 Cakebread Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon to open with the lamb.

The 1997 Cakebread Cabernet was my first auction wine I had ever purchased. Now, we are not talking in person at Christies. I had snagged a bottle of this at a great price on an auction website years ago, I think late 2002 or so. I had two in storage and had sold one recently as I felt I would only have time to drink one and I had been offered a great price. Online auction wine sites are a place where you can get great wines with minimal hassle. One literally looks and works just like EBay! I also would like to note that most people selling these kinds of wine online are usually pretty honest and I have yet to get a bad bottle. Now, would I buy a case of 2000 Chateau Latour from an unknown person? Probably not as Latour is investment grade wine and if I had wanted to sell it later the provenance of the wine may be unknown and factor in to a lower closing bid than I would like. Provenance is simply a wine’s history - where did it come from? Did it come from a big name wine retailer, a poorly stored closet or retail shelf, or a collector’s temperature and humidity controlled wine cellar? Provenance is a big factor, maybe the most important factor, in determining a certain wine’s ultimate value and whether or not I would buy an expensive lot of wine. If Provenance cannot be determined, one should be wary of fakes or poor storage. Provenance is also one reason to maybe pay a premium for expensive wine from a winery as opposed to saving 10% and getting it at retail. Purchasing wine directly from the source is as good as it gets!

On to the lamb!

Lisa’s lamb has evolved over the years but more or less has been in stride for a year or so. One rack that is about 1.5 pounds or so is seasoned and seared in a sauté pan. Next the lamb is removed and brushed with real honey mustard: fresh honey and Dijon mustard. Then it is coated with a mixture of seasoned bread crumbs, finely chopped dried cranberries and fresh garlic. The lamb is then placed in the oven to finish cooking for 18 or so minutes on medium heat. Remove, let the meat set for 5 minutes and serve.

Back to Cakebread and my wine roots

Cakebread Wine Cellars was the first winery after Robert Mondavi that I had started to pay more attention to back in 2000 when I first started to pay attention to more than a wine's color. I was drinking as much Cakebread as I could, and it was not much because at that time I was not buying a lot of $30 Chardonnay and $45 Cabernet being 23 years old. A few friends thought I was crazy to even think about spending more than $10 on a bottle of wine, but I felt there was more to it to me than most people. I was fascinated by wineries (and still am); how the wine was made and what it made me think about when I smelled it and tasted it. Cakebread Cellars was a cool place to go visit with a date or with family and friends visiting from the east coast when I had lived in San Francisco in the early 2000's. A tasting of their wines in their friendly barn-like tank room was only about $5. A wine and food pairing was only $30 or so for 5 wines and five tasty bites that matched the type of wine. Cakebread had a cache name at the time, and still does with more novice wine lovers. It’s been years since I have bought a bottle of their Cabernet, the last being the 2001. The winemaker’s had changed (Bruce stopped for some reason), and, well, my palate had already moved me on to Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars by the 1999 vintage which turned out to be my first real romance with a winery. Paul Hobbs subsequently with the 2001 vintage had me hooked and to date is my favorite wine maker. But I still have an old soft spot for Cakebread from the days I was cutting my teeth getting to know what wine was and how to appreciate it.

1997's Still Kicking!

The 1997 Cakebread Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon is better than I was expecting and still probably has another year or two in this drinking window. Though, it won’t get any better so I would not wait if you do not have or want to. The aromas started to really jump from the glass after an hour of being open. Massive juicy and fragrant black currant dominated the nose, while the palate was medium bodied with a full finish that was a little more tannic than I would have wanted. Decant this wine 1 hour.

Color: Excellent, gleaming ruby to rose edges, no brick, deep red center

Nose: Screaming black currants, black cherry, some older loamy and leather secondary aromatics. Very nice indeed!

Palate: Medium to mostly full bodied, showing its age gracefully with a slight look back at its youth. Currants and cherry, some spice and tobacco, a touch of sage. Drinking nicely, but may not be for everyone if your not into a little age in your wine. The finish resonates the aged fruit flavors, though there are still some serious tannins hanging around.

Cheers,

Tom

Great Summer Red Wine - Cotes du Rhone

Continuing to bring you value selections of interesting and wines with personality, it is overdue that I post a blog on one of my favorite every day style wines - Cotes du Rhone.

Being a versatile wine, Cotes du Rhone are perfect for a summer red as you can put a nice chill on the wine before you serve it or find it just as satisfying at room temperature. CdR are typically a blend of a few Rhone grapes, primarily Grenache, with Syrah playing a major supporting role. Cinsault, Carignane, Counoise and Mourvèdre are allowed to be used as well but are added in much smaller portions, usually single digit percentages if at all. One of my favorite CdR's is 100% Syrah which is very atypical that Syrah is the only grape. JL Chave produces this 100% Syrah from the Northern Rhone and it goes by the name "Mon Coeur". Chave is responsible for some of the best Syrah wines in the world from the legendary slope side vineyards of Hermitage in the Northern Rhone.

Many CdR are pretty easy on the wallet, making them very popular buys. There tends to be two primarily differing styles; funky and tasting of brett and garrigue. The other style is more modern with fruit playing a larger role but tamed by a linear composition and great acidity levels. Brett usually comes from a cellar not being the cleanest place to make the wine, but not in a bad way, just in an old school French way. Sometimes this is the intention of the winemaker, almost as id it’s as a "seasoning". CdR wines are usually large production in the thousands of cases. CdR do tend to be a victim of bottle variation, some less funky than others, some more fruity than others. Unfortunately that is one of the drawbacks of a CdR, they can be wildly inconsistent. One neat fact is that since the rules are so stringent in French AOC in general, their are wines made in the same fashion as a CdR that are outside the designated villages of the CdR and therefore can not legally call themselves a CdR but are basically the same thing. Below are a few recommendations of both styles of Cotes du Rhone. I also am going to recommend an Italian cousin to the Grenache grape that has been lauded for its similarities to the Grenache grape and is also a great value at $13 or so. As for the French I'll split my list in two, those that are old school and funky, and those that are a little less funky but solid modern examples.

Funky
Domaine de la Chesnay $8-10
Kermit Lynch Cypress $15
Domaine De La Garrigue Cotes Du Rhone Cuvee Romaine $9-12
Guigal $10-12 (ok for the $, but not too exciting, but more consistent)

Less funky, modern
Chapoutier Belleruche $8-10
St Cosme $12-14 (love this, has the best of both funky and modern)
Chave Mon Coeur $16-20 (love this, but have it less as its more $)

Italian, from the island of Sardegna:
Argiolas Costera $12-14

From the US check out:
Edmunds St. John "Rocks and Gravel" $15-18 (awesome, New World & funky!)

Special thanks to Mike for asking me about Cote du Rhone wines!

Cheers!

-Tom

2004 Hyde De Villaine Syrah HDV
(Carneros, Napa Valley)

I have been drinking a lot of Syrah lately and here is another one I have had on deck for a while. We drank the 2004 HDV Syrah last evening with some Berkshire pork chops that were quite delicious! The Hyde family owns one of the largest and most famous vineyards in all of Napa Valley, the Hyde Vineyard. The de Villaine in the name of this wine comes from the Aubert de Villaine who hails from Burgundy, France. De Villaine is co-director at this little place called Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, maybe you have heard of some of their Pinot Noir wines (and one Chardonnay)? Together the two families have come together to make wines in one of the best sites in all of Napa Valley under the label Hyde de Villaine.

Color: Dark red core, red edges, solid youthful color

Nose: Pepper, beef, lots of cassis, some funkiness at first but that settled down nicely

Palate: Cassis and raspberries, licorice, mineral driven and medium bodied, silky tannins. Great acidity.

Tonight? Pinot Noir!

Cheers!

Tom

Blind Tasting and Wine Dinner (of the Year?)

What makes a great wine dinner besides great wine and food? Great company, no need to drive, and lots of great wine and food! Maybe even awesome wines? Certainly! A few weeks back a friend and his wife generously decided it was time to raid the cellar and pop the corks of some of his best bottles he had collected over the years. Oh, and also make us a delicious dinner to boot! The theme for the tasting after dinner was generically “blind” for the four rock star red wines. We did not do a varietal or vintage specific tasting, so the wines varied greatly in hues of red, aroma and palate. Here is the list of wines:

Starter and Dinner Wines

NV Segura Viudas Cava Brut Reserva Heredad, Catalonia, Spain
NV Bollinger, Champagne, France
2000 Chapoutier Ermitage Blanc, Rhone, France
1997 Sassicaia, Tenuta San Guido, Bolgheri, Tuscany, Italy
2004 Dry Creek Vineyards Late Harvest Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County

Blind Wines

1999 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Cask 23, Stag’s Leap District, Napa Valley
1999 St. Clement Oroppas, St. Helena, Napa Valley
1994 Chateaux Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac, Bordeaux
2004 Begali Amarone, Veneto, Italy
2005 Chateau De Reignac, Bordeaux Superieur, France

Dinner Menu

1st Course:
* Goat Cheese and Spicy Apricot remoulade w/ NV Bollinger Champagne

2nd Course:
* Zucchini Pancakes w/ 2000 Chapoutier Ermitage Blanc

3rd Course:
* Italian Sausage Cassoulet w/ 1997 Sassicaia

4th Course:
* Chocolate brownie and ice cream w/ DCV 2004 Late Harvest Zinfandel

The tasting showdown was between all guests and we had a taste-off bracket that faced off two people head to head similar to a March Madness bracket pool. I faced off against my wife Lisa in the final and I prevailed nailing the SLWC Cask 23 and the Amarone. While she had picked those as opposites, I guess I am rubbing off on her as she made it to the finals, pretty impressive!

Dinner was exceptional and the wine pairings fit each dish perfectly. The 1996 Bollinger Champagne was a great match with the goat cheese and pepper apricot jam crostini. The Chapoutier white was by far one of the most unique and exceptional whites I have ever had, I had never tasted anything like it at this level. The Zucchini pancake was a great idea to pair with the wine. The sausage cassoulet was phenomenal; I had seconds it was so good. In fact the only thing better that night was the wine paired with it: the legendary Sassicaia from the exceptional 1997 vintage. Sassicaia is a wine produced by Tenuta San Guido in the Bolgheri region of Tuscany and was the first of what are called “Super Tuscan” wines. Super Tuscan wines are a blend of the locally grown Sangiovese grape that makes up a high majority of Chianti and Brunello, and Bordeaux varieties typically but not limited to Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The last wine with dinner was an outstanding late harvest Zinfandel desert wine made from grapes that are left on the vine longer so they accumulate more sugar and are attributable to the wine’s sweetness.

Here are the tasting notes on the night’s top wines:

1997 Sassicaia, Tenuta San Guido, Bolgheri, Tuscany, Italy
(85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc)

Color: Beautiful deep red and garnet edges, still retaining a youthful hue

Nose: Wonderful aromas of black and red fruits, just a touch of the oak comes through, outstanding purity.

Palate: Full bodied and stunningly smooth, the greatest “Super Tuscan” wine I have ever had. Up front you immediately notice the rich, yet supple palate entry of the red and black fruits. Mid-palate it kept expanding and ended with a nice and long clean, smooth flavorful finish. Supple tannins and acidity also linger on the finish.

1994 Chateaux Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France

Color: On its way to maturity, the once deep hued red colors are just starting to lighten. Lighter red edges and a garnet center, classic claret.

Nose: Off the bat you can tell it’s a red Bordeaux. Hallmark smoky oak and crushed fall leaves; spicy cassis and currants mingle with the earthy aromas.

Palate: Lighter red and dark fruits mingle with the earth and some cigar/cedar flavors. Medium to full bodied. Good oak integration, fine tannins and juicy acidity finish off this classy First Growth Bordeaux.

1999 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Cask 23, Stag’s Leap District, Napa Valley

Color: Deep ruby red edges, dark red core.

Nose: Herbal sage aromas blend nicely with black cherry and roasted coffee, some anise and cedar.

Palate: Full bodied, ripe flavors of black cherry, currants, and plums. Some herbal notes and espresso bean in the background - the flavors were coming in spades. This was wine #2 in popularity and I have been a big fan of this wine for years. Unfortunately, this is the last year I believe this wine was at its usually exceptional high quality. The last few vintages have been deemed inferior by critics as being older in style and commonly faulted with “bret” or “cork taint”, two common taints to a wine from man’s interaction in the wine making process. I have noticed a difference in quality, but I think this is mostly due to the fact that over the last 7 years or so the estate vineyards have gone through replanting. Some also say that they resisted the ultra-ripe levels of grape picking to stay with a traditional Bordeaux claret style, and not chase high wine critic scores. Though this 1999 wine is drinking astoundingly well right now so if you have any pop one open, you won’t be disappointed! A long finish and supple tannins rounded out this seamless wine.

2004 Begali Amarone, Veneto, Italy

Color: Almost black, practically brooding.

Nose: Unlike anything I had ever had the privilege to smell: earthy, leathery, spicy and maybe some tar

Palate: Monster tannins and concentration, massive body and structure. Big, black and concentrated fruits. Low acidity, but big tannins, high alcohol, almost menthol in a good way. I found it stunningly different, albeit a little tough to finish next to these other wines.

1999 St. Clement Oroppas, St. Helena, Napa Valley
(Napa Bordeaux Blend)

Color: Pretty dark as well for a 1999 Napa Valley Cabernet, red edges and dark red core

Nose: Pretty cedar and bing cherry aromas, a touch of vanilla from the oak, very classic Napa Cabernet Sauvignon

Palate: Delicious, albeit not as complex as the other wines. Rich cherry and plum mix with cedar, sweet tobacco and some vanilla from the toasty oak. Full bodied and easy going this wine was a nice accompaniment to the other wines in the blind format.

Some Notes on the Blind Tasting

The rules were simple. We all knew what wines were in the decanters ahead of time, but when they were served we had no clue as to which wine was which as they had no names or labels on the decanters. The two California Cabernet Sauvignon wines were similar in some stages, but the sage and herbal notes are hallmark SLWC Cabernet Sauvignon traits and a great hint for the blind tasting. Another Cask 23 hint was the silky smooth tannins which are a trait of Cabernet based wines from the Stag’s Leap District’s volcanic, well draining soils. The California Cabernet similarities tripped up a few people in the tasting scenarios, but can be expected since they were the two closest in style. The coffee bean and oak in the Cask 23 almost made me think Bordeaux and the Chateau Mouton-Rothschild, but it seemed too young knowing the Mouton was 5 years older and would probably have those aromas and flavors in a more subdued manner. I changed my answer last minute to Cask 23 from Mouton. The Amarone was obvious and I knew that one immediately knowing I have not ever had much Amarone. Black as ink and animal in style, the Amarone was a beast. The Cask 23 was outstanding, rich, layered and complex. I think that the oak was within reason but maybe compared to the Sassicaia not as well integrated, but this is a minor thing for this group of tasters, more attuned to American wines with more oak. The Mouton seemed to be a little shy and a little under-gunned. I think paired up against some of its other brethren from Bordeaux the Mouton would have showed better. Not that is was inferior in any way, just different as it was much more subtle. Though, it could also be in a closed stage as the notes in Cellar Tracker from other tasters also seem to say the wine seems a bit shy of late.

This past week I attended a small Bordeaux tasting from the 2004 vintage. Stay tuned for notes on this great event

Blind tasting is difficult, but a very fun way to learn more about wine without having too many preconceived notions as to what a wine is or was. It’s also a great way for one to build confidence in their palate. Embarrassment is common as it is not an easy task, but with some humility can be great fun!

Thank you the Antles for a this great wine tasting event!

Cheers!

-Tom

Barrel 27
2006
Central Coast
"Right Hand Man"
Syrah

“Power to the (Wine) People”

Something we can all agree with these days, I’ll start this blog out with this Barrel 27's “Mission Statement”:

“We work. We work hard to make good wine. You work. You work hard and need good wine. You might have money, but maybe you’re like us. We make Barrel 27 wines for people like us. If you work, and we mean work hard, and you need to drink good wine, and still make your mortgage payments, car payments, kid payments and pet payments, we’re here for you. Our goal is to make wine that works hard at helping hard working America relax for a minute, take a load off, and remove the nose from the grindstone for a while. We hope you enjoy them.”

I could not agree more for about $15. It’s a few shillings more than what your true bargain hunter may splurge on, but for $15 it would be hard to find something finer in the form of Syrah from California. I think it drinks more like a $20-30 bottle – don’t tell the winemakers please! It’s all there: vibrant in color, a nose that jumps from the glass and a taste and finish that keeps you coming back for more. The characteristics are telling me that this wine was made from some dudes who know what they are doing with the grapes. In fact it is.

“Right Hand Man” Syrah is what we would call a “second” wine from a primary winemaker or winery. Russell From and McPrice “Mac” Myers, who both make their own central Californiacoast wines under their own labels (Herman Story and McPrice Myers respectively), got together to create this generous offering of well priced Syrah from Central Coast grapes.

Also commonly found with the RHM Syrah, Barrel 27 also crafts at this time “Rock and a Hard Place” Grenache and “High on the Hog” white – a Rhone styled white blend of three primary grapes: Viognier, Roussanne and Marsanne.

Color: Dark red and purple center, solid red edges

Nose: Violets, tar, cherry, some pepper and smoky oak

Palate: Powerful. Black cherry, black raspberry fruit and vanilla dominate, some tar and spice accent the powerful structure and explosion of fruit. Big fruit and a spicy oak finish, some meat, and firm but supple tannins trail on to the end. Drink now 2011.

Cheers!

-Tom