12 Ranch Wines Winery

• August 2009

  Benziger – Making a difference one vine at a time. When you visit the Benziger Estate vineyards you know something special is going on. The sight of so many vineyard blocks carefully eased into each contour of this beautiful slice of Sonoma Valley, just west of the hamlet of Glen... Read moreBenziger - Making a difference one vine at a time. When you visit the Benziger Estate vineyards you know something special is going on. The sight of so many vineyard blocks carefully eased into each contour of this beautiful slice of Sonoma Valley, just west of the hamlet of Glen Ellen, is only the first indication of how much thought and care is going into the cultivation of these grapes. What sets Benziger apart? Family Owned There is one simple reason for all this care and deliberation: Benziger remains a family owned and operated winery. From the first day Mike and Mary Benziger drove up London Ranch Road and discovered the overgrown land that was to be transformed into the Benziger Estate on Sonoma Mountain, to the present day, the family has remained intimately involved with the day-to-day operations of the winery. The fact is that three generations of Benzigers have worked to make the winery what it is today. The youngest, embodied by Mike and Mary’s daughter Erinn, is as determined as any to continue to curate this land to ensure that future generations are able to enjoy the natural beauty of Sonoma Mountain and make wines that will live up to the proud reputation that the currant generations have established for the Benziger Family Winery. Biodynamic Farming Mike Benziger was one of the pioneering winemakers in California’s biodynamic movement. Biodynamics is a philosophy that treats all parts of an agricultural enterprise like elements of a single living, breathing entity. The theory posits that by fostering the health of the environment one can increase the vibrancy and quality of the production of that environment. In many ways a return to a simpler, more intuitive style of farming that abandons much of the commercial “progress” of the past century in favor of traditional methods that deliver unique, site-specific flavors, and more importantly, are sustainable. Gone, for example, are the monoculture vineyards, replaced by vines inter-planted with species that foster the development of vibrant populations of beneficial, predatory animals. These outposts are linked via pathways to allow these animals free access to all of the estate. Simple changes such as the re-introduction of these natural predators can have profound effects on the landscape that extends beyond the immediate benefits of crop diversification. To help further attract these beneficial predators, owl boxes and bat houses where placed within these oasis creating wildlife sanctuaries. The combined effect of harnessing these symbiotic animals and their ferocious appetite was the elimination of commercial pesticides, yet another tenet of Biodynamics. Adhering to the principles of Biodynamics requires the elimination of commercial fertilizers. The Benzigers use composted materials from the farm, grape canes from annual pruning, pomace from the previous years harvest, as well as manure from the farm’s goats and cattle, to replace nutrients that have pulled from the ground. This effort to “close the loop” extends to the estate’s water management system as well. Waste water from the wineries operations is captured and feed through a series of reclamation ponds were the water is filtered so that it can be used for irrigation, lowering the impact the winery makes on it’s surrounding. While much of Biodynamics is focused on maintaining the health of the estate as a distinct entity, the Benziger family is well aware of the impact they may have on the world around them and are working to limit that impact. While much of the fruit used to produce Benziger wines comes from the Estate, the family also relies on contract growers to supply fruit. In an effort to extend their impact beyond the confines of the Sonoma Mountain Estate the Benziger family has helped myriad growers move away from commercial farming techniques by incentivizing a switch to less impactful farming methods. Sustainable and Organic Benziger encourages its partner growers to move gradually from commercial farming to sustainable farming through a program they call Farming for Flavors™. The hope and goal is that each grower will eventually adopt the ever more stringent rules of organic and ultimately biodynamic farming. While the environmental impact is always at the forefront of these efforts, the simple fact is that the quality of the fruit improves as growers move away from commercial techniques. That exceptional grape quality makes the effort profitable, thus attracting and motivating growers to participate in the program. While this may extend beyond the recognized principles of Biodynamics, the effort to move people away from chemical pesticides and commercial fertilizers embodies the spirit of Biodynamics and illustrates the commitment the family has to the impact their winemaking leaves on the world around them. Winemaking plays its part The Benziger philosophy starts, not surprisingly, in the vineyards. Their faith in Biodynamics not only represents their belief that it is better for the soil, but also their belief that as a farming system it produces better, more site specific wines. They strive to capture this specificity, or terroir as it is frequently referred to, by practicing a low impact form of winemaking that begins among the vines. Grapes are harvested early in the day while still cool, and sorted before being crushed. Each block of the vineyard is fermented separately and with it’s own natural yeasts, a further allowing each site to fully express its unique traits. These individual lots are then aged and eventually blended to produce the wines that define the Benziger Estate style: Bold yet balanced, complex and elegant expressions of a people, a place and a time captured and to be shared with friends and, above all, family. Great Wines, Better pricing I was fortunate to be able to spend some time at Benziger during my recent visit to Sonoma, and got the opportunity to taste through several of their wines with winemaker Rodrigo Soto. Rodrigo is a recent addition to the Benziger team charged with further developing their Farming for Flavors™ program. His passion for wine was as obvious as his commitment to improving the program that has established Benziger as a leader in the return to intelligent, sustainable, low impact farming. If you are not familiar with Benziger this is your chance to get to know them. They should not only be admired for their efforts at improving the health of their vineyards, and the world around them, but also for the wines they produce. For a limited time they are extending fantastic discounts to Snooth members. I urge you to take advantage of this compelling offer. As a further incentive Benziger will upgrade your shipping from ground to 2nd day air when you buy a case of wines, 12 bottles solid or mixed. This deal expires Saturday, September 26, 2009 so make sure and get your order in before then and enjoy great saving and that free upgrade to 2nd day air shipping. It’s a deal that can’t be beat! 2005 Benziger Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County Normally: $49.00Exclusive Snooth pricing: $24.50 Distinctly ripe on the nose with a light overlay of subtle oak and spicy, licorice nuances. This is full bodied and chunky in the mouth with a jammy, blackberry core and light notes of vanilla and cedary spice adding complexity. 89pts View Details 2006 San Remo Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley Normally: $49.00Exclusive Snooth pricing: $34.00 With lovely red fruits on the nose edged with cola, balsamic and dried meat tones this is open knit and attractively perfumed. Very fresh in the mouth with a soft texture that is so perfectly balanced by the slightly candied cranberry fruit tones that this fairly slides down the throat. There are nice nuances of sassafras and Mexican chocolate spice tones on the finish. This is perfect for current consumption and while it may not be the biggest, baddest Pinot on the block it makes up for it by being a simply delicious and fresh bottle. 91pts View Details 2005 Benziger 'Oonapais' Estate Sonoma Mountain Red, Sonoma Mountain Normally: $50.00Exclusive Snooth pricing: $30.00 Initially revealing subtle smoky scents over sweet, dark, earthy fruit lightly threaded with woodspice, green herb, and seaweed tones this gains intensity that follows through on the palate. Big and polished in the mouth with a deep, velvety texture that features well-integrated acids contributing volume in the mouth. Rich and very fruity with notes of coffee, pine, and earth framing the dark wild berry fruits that lead to a great, mouthwatering finish full of dark cherry flavors and edged with cedar and spicy peppery nuances. This is a great value. It includes some of the wine that was intended to be part of Benziger’s top of the line bottling, Tribute, but just didn’t make the final cut. Already drinking very well this has definite upside potential over the next 3-5 years. 93pts View Details 2006 Benziger 'Obsidian Point' Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma Mountain Normally: $65.00Exclusive Snooth pricing: $49.00 Clear and high toned aromatics greet the nose with well integrated oak tones juxtaposed against complex green coffee bean, herb, cocoa tones with a light suggest of underbrush. This is seamless in the mouth with superb ripe tannins and plenty of acidity to add brightness to the dark, spicy fruit on the palate. The purity of the black currant fruit is admirable with a really well defined mineral note that powers through the back end and leads to a tapering, long finish. This is wonderfully balanced and really transparent if a little tight at this point. Better to leave this for 2-3 years allowing it to blossom and fulfill all it’s potential. 94pts View Details   Summer Shipping Alert Due to warm weather across the nation, Benziger will upgrade all orders of 12 bottles or more to 2-Day Air shipping for no extra charge. (Except orders within Calif.) Also while the warm weather persists, Benziger will only ship wines on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Benziger ships to the following states: AK, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, KS, MN, MO, NC, ND, NE, NH, NM, NV, NY, OR, SC, TX, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY For shipping to CT, IN, LA & MI, please call Benziger's offices at: 800-989-8890 The offer also includes free upgraded from UPS Ground to 2nd Day air on Case purchases (can be mixed). This special promotion expires September 26, 2009    (hide)

  From the article Benziger - Leading the way on Sonoma Mountain

  
  

• July 2009

  I'm Chad Carns, author of The Gourmet Bachelor - Global Flavor, Local Ingredients cookbook. I've been studying food and wine for years but I'm not a wine expert or a chef. I try to bring global food and expert wine knowledge to the home cook in a simple way. Enjoy my tasting... Read moreI'm Chad Carns, author of The Gourmet Bachelor - Global Flavor, Local Ingredients cookbook. I've been studying food and wine for years but I'm not a wine expert or a chef. I try to bring global food and expert wine knowledge to the home cook in a simple way. Enjoy my tasting notes from Aureole Wine Weekend Las Vegas..... The Gourmet Bachelor Wine Review Tasting Notes by Chad Carns 1 - 10 Rating Scale 8 - 10 Special 5 - 7 Recommend 1 - 4 Pass Special: Wines exhibit several layers of flavor, something unique, perfect balance or a long finish. Recommend: Wines exhibit depth, interest or amazing value. Pass: Wines taste extracted, plastic, flat or just bad. Descriptive words refer to the initial aromas released from the bouquet, flavors that roll around your mouth while tasting the wine or with great wine, flavors that linger 10, 20 and occasionally 60 seconds after you consume the wine. ___________ Aureole, Las Vegas Wine Weekend, June 12 - 14, 2009 Tasting Notes by Chad Carns, author of The Gourmet Bachelor - Global Flavor, Local Ingredients Cookbook ___________ Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc 7 Sancerre, Domaine Vacheron, Les Romains 2006 Honey Suckle, Mineral, Saffron 6 Pouilly Fume, Didier Dagueneau, Silex 2002 Grape Fruit, Lavender 7 Savennieres, Coulee de Serrant, Nicolas Joly 2004 Hibiscus, Chai Tea, 6 Savennieres, Coulee de Serrant, Nicolas Joly 2004 Dandelion, Citrus, Light Ash 8 Savennieres, Baumard 1988 Cream Corn, Black Pepper 7 Vouvray, Huet, "Clos du Bourg," Demi-Sec 1962 7 Vouvray, Huet, "Clos du Bourg," Moelleux 1995 Baked Apricot, Chai Tea, Coriander ___________ Northern Rhone, France White: Marsanne, Rousanne, Viognier 7 Hermitage Blanc, Bette & Scholl 2001 Subtle bouquet, Red Pepper Flakes, long finish 7 Hermitage Blanc, Chapoutier, Cuvee de L'Oree" 1991 7 Chateau Grillet, Neyret-Gachet 2001 Exotic Fruit, White Cherry, Floral 8 Condrieu, Guigal, "La Doriane" 1996 Expressive Bouquet, Bacon 7 Condrieu, Gangloff 2002 Slightly Oxidized, Mineral 7 Condrieu, Guigal 2006 Balanced ___________ Northern Rhone, France Red: Syrah 7 Cornas, Auguste Clape 2004 Dirt, Stem, Raspberry, Sea Mist 7 Cornas, Alain Voge, "Cuvee Vieilles Fontaines" 1999 7 Cornas, Thierry Allemand "Reynardt" 2004 Elegant 7 Cornas, Noel Verset 1995 ___________ 7 Cote Rotie, Chapoutier, La Mordoree" 1996 Strawberry 8 Cote Rotie, Jamet 1997 Granit, Black Pepper, Special 7 Cote Rotie, Jean-Michel "Les Grandes Places" 2001 8 Cote Rotie, Rostaing, "La Landonne" 2004 Special ___________ 7 Cote Rotie, Delas Freres "Maugiron" 2004 7 Cote Rotie, Cuilleron, "Bassenon" 2005 Sea Mist 8 Cote Rotie, Pierre Gaillard, Rose Pourpe" 2001 Rustic, Cinnamon, 7 Cote Rotie, Gangloff 2002 ___________ 7 Hermitage, Chapoutier, La Sizeranne 1997 8 Hermitage, JL Chave 2001 8 Hermitage, Jaboulet, "La Chapelle" 1990 (100 pt Parker) Cassis, Espresso 8 Hermitage, Chapoutier, "La Pavillon" 1994 ___________ 7 Hermitage, Delas Freres, "Les Bessards" 2003 Classic 7 Hermitage, Guigal, "Ex Voto" 2001 Driftwood, Sage 8 Hermitage, Betts & Scholl 2004 7 Hermitage, Guigal 1998 ___________ Aromatic White Wines of the World 7 Weissburgunder, Heidle Schenkenbichl, "Maximum," Kamptal, Austria 200 Cantaloupe, Honey Suckle, Fresh Basil 8 Riesling, Breuer, "Montosa Charta" Rhiengau, Germany 1997 Spice, Chalk, Full-bodied, Crisp, Special 7 Albarino, Iberian Remix, Edna Valley 2008 Tarragon 7 Chablis, Francois Raveneau, "Montee de Tonnerre," France 2004 Lime, Chalk, Crisp 6 Gruner Veltliner, Huber, "Berg," Traisental, Austria 2004 Lychee 7 Chardonnay, ISC, Arroyo Grande 2007 Cucumber, Citrus ___________ California Syrah 7 Syrah, Arnot-Roberts, Griffins Lair," Marin 2005 Spearmint, Cranberry, Pomegranate, Old-World style 7 Syrah, Copain, "Hawks Butte," Mendocino 2004 Big Mouth Feel 7 Syrah, Miner Family, "La Diligence," Napa 2005 Old-World style ___________ Washington Syrah 8 Syrah, Columbia, "Red Willow," Columbia Valley 1998 Cinnamon, Currant, Eucalyptus, Floral 8 Syrah, Mathews, "Hedges Vineyards," Columbia Valley 2002 Deep Black Tar, Venison 7 Syrah, McCrea, "Amerique," Columbia Valley 2000 Cherry, Sea Breeze ___________ California Cabernet 7 Cabernet Sauvignon, Seavey, Napa 2003 Cassis, Violet, Sea Breeze 7 Cabernet Sauvignon, Martin Estates, Reserve, Napa 2001 Italian Sausage, Fennel, Green Peppers, Onions 7 Cabernet Sauvignon, Laurel Glen, Sonoma Mountains, 2002 Violet, Vanilla 7 Cabernet Sauvignon, Abreu, "Madronna Ranch," Napa 2002 7 Cabernet Sauvignon, Vineyard 29, "Grace Family," Napa 1994 Lavender, Raspberry, Pine 8 R.T.W. Colgin, "Cariad," 2001 Napa Quince, Unique 8 Cabernet Sauvignon, Joseph Phelps, "Eisele," Napa 1984 8 Cabernet Sauvignon, Beaulieu Vineyards, "Georges de Latour" 1976 Old World, Special 8 Cabernet Sauvignon, Mayacamas, Napa 1970 Special ___________ Washington Cabernets 7 Cabernet Sauvignon, Chateau St Michele, Columbia Dried Rose Pedals 7 R.T.W. Woodward Canyon, "Charbonneau," Columbia 1987 Black Tea, Molasses 7 R.T.W.Hedges, "Red Mountain Reserve," Columbia 1988    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic 1990 Hermitage, 1976 Cabernet... by The Gourmet Bachelor

  
  

• July 2009

  Restaurants in the Square El Dorato Kitchen - wannabe NY chic, but very good food. I think the best in the square. they have truffle risotto and truffle fries Cafe la Haye - enjoyable experience Harvent Moon Inn - never made it but great reviews Girl and the Fig - outdoor area is... Read moreRestaurants in the Square El Dorato Kitchen - wannabe NY chic, but very good food. I think the best in the square. they have truffle risotto and truffle fries Cafe la Haye - enjoyable experience Harvent Moon Inn - never made it but great reviews Girl and the Fig - outdoor area is fun, I find the food over salted and often uninsipred Sonoma Restaurants Madrona Manor - Healdsburg - older inn, among the best meals that I have had each of the last 2 years; go when they are seating outside, its great Santi- - Guerneville - great rustic italian, outdoor seating but very far from the sonoma town square Cyrus - Healdsburg - the Sonoma version of French Laundry Willies Wine Bar - Healdsburg - tapas, bar, casual, outdoor seating John Ash - Santa Rosa - ask to sit by the window - great view, not cheap, food can be very good or not so inspired Kenwood Restaurant - simple food, solid, great views, outdoor seating Cafe Citti - Kenwood - good italian esp for lunch The Square Great walking trails Can walk to Sebastiani, Ravenswood, and Bartholomew Park wineries. Ravenswood has Sunday BBQs, BP has a nice picnic spot Roessler - a block off the square, quality wines Sunflower cafe has good coffee, sandwiches Vella for cheese Whole foods is near by for stocking up Sonoma Wineries Rt 12 - Kenwood - beautiful views, corporate wineries (Chat St Jean, St Francis, Arrowood) Domaine Carneros - Carneros - beautiful space and views - sparkling wine/pinot Peter Micheal - Knight Valley - stunning grounds, great tour, but supposed to be in the wine club to gain admission Artesa - Carneros - post modern design - sparkling wine/pinot Bella - Russian River - Zin Copain - Healdsburg - Syrah, Zin Hartford - Russian River - Zin ,also pinot Thomas Brown wineries - can taste his wines at Outpost (Howell Mountain, Napa) or Nicholson Ranch (Carneros) Napa Wineries Larkmead - St Helena/Calastoga Chappellet - Napa - have a beautiful picnic spot, but have to pay (and maybe be a member of their wine club) Spring Mountain Vineyards - Spring Mtn - beautiful grounds - was used for filming the TV show Falcon Crest - need appt in advance Joseph Phelps - St Helena Robert Mondavi - Yountville - obvious choice, Historic and Educational David Arthur - entertaining lots of wine - need to call way in advance Frank Family - like a college bar, but entertaining - next to larkmead    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Going to Sonoma by 97mjr

  
  

• March 2009

  Flight 1 – Sonoma 1- 2006 Kenwood Jack London Vineyard Sonoma Valley 14.5% $25 http://www.snooth.com/wine/kenwood-jack-london-vineyard-zinfandel-2006/ A decent bottle of Zin, nothing more nothing less. 2- 2005 Tiera Sonoma County 13.7% $15... Read moreFlight 1 - Sonoma 1- 2006 Kenwood Jack London Vineyard Sonoma Valley 14.5% $25 http://www.snooth.com/wine/kenwood-jack-london-vineyard-zinfandel-2006/ A decent bottle of Zin, nothing more nothing less. 2- 2005 Tiera Sonoma County 13.7% $15 http://www.snooth.com/wine/tiera-zinfandel-sonoma-2005/ Lovely pure, fresh fruit in a lighter style. But not too light it is zin after all! 3- 2005 Kunde Estate Sonoma Valley 14.6% $16 http://www.snooth.com/wine/kunde-estate-winery-vineyards-zinfandel-1/ Absolutely a killer bottle of wine with great depth to the rich fruit and a great value! Flight 2 - Within Sonoma 4- 2005 Carol Shelton Karma Zin Russian River Valley 14.8% $30 http://www.snooth.com/wine/carol-shelton-zinfandel-karma-zin-rue-2005/ Rich and bright with nice wild berry fruit but also a very intense balsamic/pine note. 5- 2006 Sausal Private Reserve Alexander Valley 14.5% $18 http://www.snooth.com/wine/sausal-2006-private-reserve-zinfandel-alexander-valley-estate-grown-2006/ Nice old vine fruit in a polished, earthy style. 6- 2006 Dashe Todd Brothers Alexander Valley 14.8% $30 http://www.snooth.com/wine/dashe-zinfandel-todd-brothers-ranch-alexander-valley-united-states-napa-valley-dry-2006/ Fleshy, youthful and intense yet with excellent balance. Flight 3 - Amador County 7- 2007 Fiddletown Cellars Bent Bow Amador County 15.5% N/A http://www.snooth.com/wine/fiddletown-cellars-bent-bow-amador-county-zinfandel-2007/ A fruit bomb, this is all about the intense fruit. Pow! 8- 2005 Folie a Deux Amador County 14.5% $18 http://www.snooth.com/wine/folie-deux-zinfandel-2005/ Chocolately and richly fruited with a complex, mineral toned nose and french oak tones. 9- 2006 Four Vines Maverick Amador County 14.9% $20 http://www.snooth.com/wine/four-vines-maverick-zinfandel-2006-3/ Another fruit bomb with a bit more oak showing. Big and rich! Flight 4 - Napa Valley 10- 2006 Neyers High Valley Vineyards Napa Valley 15.3% $30 http://www.snooth.com/wine/neyers-zinfandel-high-valley-vineyards-2006/ Classy old school claret style Zin with finesse and elegance. Great stuff! 11- 2006 Frank Family Napa Valley 15% $30 http://www.snooth.com/wine/frank-family-zinfandel-napa-valley-california-wine-2006/ A fruity wine showing a lot of polish but still bursting with boisterous fruit. 12- 2006 Howell Mountain Vineyards Black Sears Vineyard Napa Valley 15.5% $40 http://www.snooth.com/wine/howell-mountain-vineyards-zinfandel-black-sears-vineyard-2006/ Dark, earthy and mean enough to beat the other wines up. Intense and yet not fruit driven. This one is worth laying down to see what happens. If I'm gonna buy any I'm going for the Kunde and the Neyers. My kind of wines!    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Post your Zinfandel GTi notes... by Gregory Dal Piaz

  
  

• February 2009

  We had a great tasting last night and it focused on one of my favorite grapes, Sangiovese. While not generally well disposed towards producing the flashy style of wine that quickly gets people's attention, the brisk acidity and slightly austere tannins of Sangiovese make it the... Read moreWe had a great tasting last night and it focused on one of my favorite grapes, Sangiovese. While not generally well disposed towards producing the flashy style of wine that quickly gets people's attention, the brisk acidity and slightly austere tannins of Sangiovese make it the most flexible food wine on my table. While we focused on California Sangiovese to a great extent, we started out with a few Italian examples that set the stage for what was to follow. Of course Sangiovese is the grape, in various clonal incarnations, that is responsible for Chianti, Brunello, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, and myriad Rossos from across Italy. While each clone has something different to offer and each terroir produces different results there are some characteristics that can be considered trademarks of the grape. Aromas of herbs, leather, bitter almond and violets generally accompany the wild berry to dark cherry fruit of Sangiovese. That's not to say that Sangiovese is either simple or terribly consistent, it's not. It is prone to overproduction and many aromas can get easily washed away. It is also a fairly subtle wine. The fact that Sangiovese tends to be subtle seems to have been lost on a generation of Italian winemakers, and now Californians, who seem to think that there is something wrong with the grape, or rather that it is lacking in one department or another. Historically, Chianti was a blend, having favorable additions of Mammolo for perfume and body, Colorino, well for color and Canaiolo that can add a bit of soft flesh and overt fruitiness to the blend.  Other, lesser grapes were historically added but more to maintain consistency or quantity year over year than to actually improve the final wine. And then in the not too distant past came Cabernet Sauvignon and/or Merlot. Now Merlot is a fairly innocuous grape when added in moderation to Sangiovese it functions much as Canaiolo did and can certain add a voluptuousness to a blend without severely impacting the Sangioveseness of the blend. Just as an aside, Canaiolo is not particularly easy to grow and seems to not enjoy being grafted on to the American rootstocks that all producers now use so there is this practical implication as well spurring along the use of Merlot. Cabernet Sauvignon on the other hand, well it is not a subtle grape, it is an obvious grape. Far too many producers had the brilliant idea of adding Cabernet to their Sangiovese in the crazily explosive Super Tuscan years of the 1980's and 1990's. The thing is, even 5% of Cabernet can over-power the aromatics of Sangiovese.  Now I'm not saying these wines were bad, they certainly found an audience. What I am saying however is that that audience was not Sangiovese's natural audience. These are the same people who, along with a few particular "professional" critics, created the market conditions that allowed the  who created the recently revealed crisis in Brunello to arise. Brunello di Montalcino is one of Italy's flagship wines. They can be brilliant wines but being made from 100% sangiovese, in particular a clone called Brunello, they tend to have strong acids, astringent tannins, and less body than many other prestigious wines of the same importance. Well a producer or two decided, contrary to the law, that perhaps it would be a good idea to add some Merlot or Syrah to their Brunallo to add some flesh to the wine and round off some of the sharp edges. It seemed to be a very effective course of action.  In  this point obsessed world we live in these doctored wines began to receive scores that placed them among the very best Brunello reviewed each year, which of course evolve into the most expensive. Of course they weren't Brunello and a "professional" critic might be expected to question how a producer can "adjust" a wine in just one vintage with such startling results. But then again the wines were good, better to complain about the shrillness of the other wines than investigate the new fleshiness of these great wines. Right? Well, maybe not.  The truth is, due to space considerations and the necessity of including all the samples that were submitted for these tastings I only was able to sneak in a smattering of Chianti. No Vino Nobile, Brunello, or Rossos, they will have to wait for the next round.  But even from the carefully chosen selection of Chianti producers I assembled there are glimpses of the tendency to think bigger is better, certainly not necessarily the case. At least for me. I may not be the ideal candidate to judge these wines. I come to the table with preconceived notions and expectations. I expect Sangiovese to be richly fruited but earthy, slightly bitter, with mineral and herb components to its fairly complex taste. The acidity should be vivid, the tannins moderate but with a bit of an austere bite. I don’t think this is asking for too much. Is it? Well in many cases it would appear so. Ok perhaps that is a reach. I am predisposed to enjoy the Chianti in these line-ups; for the most part I selected them.  Perhaps I am railing against an apparition from the past, a memory or echo of painful experiences suffered at the hands of international “flying winemakers” or carefully crafted marketing measures cannily packaged in fancy bottles. Whatever it is or was I did not and do not like it. One refreshing thing I learned from trying these 25 wines, a horribly corked bottle of the otherwise brilliant and eminently satisfying 2005 Selvapiana Chinati RufinaRiserva Bucerchiale was the extra bottle which incidentally is my favorite Chianti year in and year out, is that where California has followed the model that less is more in the case of Sangiovese they have succeeded far beyond my expectations. It must be even more difficult to practice this model in California where the high acid and naturally transparent character of the grape is so temptingly “improved” by the concentration afforded by (super)ripeness! Well when the grape is harvested at reasonable ripeness and produced with minimal interference the grape fairly screams in success. I would have to say the jury is still out on some of the more ambitious attempts with the grape in this country and there are winemakers who would be better off working with a grape that naturally produces the results they are trying to achieve. Super-ripeness tends to obscure, not enhance varietal character so producing this style with Sangiovese only has the advantage of retaining decent natural acidity but all the unique character, and appeal, of the grape is lost in the wave of sweet, silky fruit that results. The results below are from two distinct tastings. Due to a technical glitch the photos and images from the first tasting have been lost but the results speak for themselves. Sangiovese is alive in and well, and splitting its time between Italy and the US. If you can remember the 1989 Atlas Peak Sangiovese, I certainly can, you might find that statement shocking but the proof is in the pudding, or in this case the Speiglau. Sangiovese Panel Tasting Program - Session 1 1-    Me 2-     Cheryl - Wine Enthusiast 3-    Paul - Wine Professional 4-    Eddie - Eddie Professional 5-    Eva - Wine Enthusiast 6-    Evan - Wine Enthusiast 7-    Toni - Wine Enthusiast Flight 1 Chianti 1-    2006 Borgianni  Chianti 12.5% - $12 Groups #10 my #10 This is a simple, highly acidic and lean wine that met with minimal approval from Toni who said, “ This gave me nothing. I kept waiting for something to show up, I gave up. It’s a nothing wine” a sentiment shared by Cheryl who added “ I thought there would be sweet fruit after the artificial cherry nose but it was green on the midpalate and OK at best.”  Paul found the wine to be “ simple and young…seems like a correct, basic Tuesday night Pizza wine.”  That seems about right, very basic. 2-    2005 Volpaia Chianti Classico 13% $20 Groups #7 my #7 With this wine we moved up a level in the Chianti hierarchy and found more to like.  Eddie enjoyed the “ smoky fruit, mouth puckering mid-palate and mellow finish”  and while Paul also noted the “ black cherry and leather” qualities of the wine he also felt it was ‘ too tannic for today and pretty darn short.”  Both Cheryl and Eva found the wine’s “green” element and tannins to be off-putting with Eva adding “ the finish was short and there was not much to balance out the rough tannins.” A bit of a tough wine, even for me, and in need of some food but still  fairly typical. 3-    2003 Castel’in Villa Chianti Classico 13.5%  $20 Groups #5 my #6 This wine was a little more divisive with Cheryl finding more negatives than positives with the “acetone on the nose, alcohol in the mouth and not enough sweet fruit” while Paul went even further adding “ it’s poorly balanced, astringent and bitter.” Eva on the other hand found this to be “ fragrant and delicious smelling with a smooth mouthfeel and nice red strawberry fruits.” Toni felt that “ the longer this sat in the glass the better it was and while it’s not a bad wine it’s felt like a $10 wine.” I though this was pretty good with an attractive flavor profile but it lacked freshness and energy in the mouth. Flight 2 - Other styles of 2006 Sangiovese 4-    2006 Nespoli Sangiovese di Romagna 13% Groups # 6 my #4 Here we are playing in a different league with Eddie noting “ for the first time I can use the term fruity with these wines!” Evan felt that while good, “ there was not a lot of forward fruit, a little bit of cherry but well balanced.” Cheryl was also a bit lukewarm noting “ candied fruit on the nose, lots of acidity, good cherry fruit, it was OK” Eva also was less complimentary finding the wine “ sharp, tart, high acid, and astringent.” And just to be perfectly clear added “Yuck. I didn’t like this.” I really enjoyed the pure fruit here and found this to very varietally correct and delicious. 5-    2006 Perrucci Santa Cruz Mtn Sangiovese “Family Selection” 13.5% $28 Groups # 2 my # 3 Our first domestic example elicited results ranging from Cheryl’s “ I love it. It’s fantastic. A little bit dirty on the nose, it gives me the idea of France but with sweet fruit!”  Paul just may have been agreeing when he added, “It’s the epitome of modern wine, it could come from anywhere.” But added that he did “enjoy its herbs on the nose, woodsy, rosemary kind of herb with black cherry, cedar and chocolate on the palate.”  For Toni this was simply too much of a good thing as she felt this had “strawberry to the point of it smelling like a dessert wines, extremely fruity, too much fluff, too many berries.”  While not my style this had a lot going on. There was a touch of brett that helped break up the masses of sweet fruit and while a bit of this is fun to drink a bottle would quickly grow tiring for me. 6-     2006 Moris Farms Morellino di Scansano  14% $18 Groups # 9 my # 9 This usually dependable wine was a bit of a let down as Paul characterized by saying “ there was nothing there, it lacked concentration, aromas and didn’t have enough flavor.”  Eva “liked the way this smells, dark fruit and a little hint of floral but it’s flat in the mouth, no fruitiness, overall it’s ok.” Evan also “really liked the nose with it’s dark, smoky, candied fruit” but felt “ the flavors didn’t match the nose, it’s very subtle but overall I liked it.” I was not impressed by this vintage, it was certainly correct but really felt like a minor wine or as Toni put it “ this brought me back to my basement when my father drank this wine. Very 1960’s-70’s old world stuff. Flight 3 - California’s Sangiovese terroir? 7-     2005 Pietra Santa Cienega Valley 15.1% $18 Groups # 8 my # 5 Cheryl started us off with a rather exclamatory “ This is the worst wine in the world!” Which she followed up with “ It tastes better than it smells, nice with dark sweet chocolate notes but the nose turned me off.” Paul on the other hand found the nose to be “ pretty complex for such a ripe wine with lots of briar, pipe tobacco and lots of spice.” He felt it was a very powerful modern wine but it feels like the old world trying to be modern.” Eva caught “ herbs really sage bushy” on the nose and added ‘ I really like this a lot, it’s really interesting.” This is an interesting wine to say the least. Incredibly rich and dense yet packed with fine green herbal notes as well. It really rides a knife’s edge and while intense an in a very specific idiom it is intriguing and evolves in the glass. Worth following. Tasted several times with consistent results. 8-    2005 Martin & Weyrich Il Palio - Paso Robles  14.3% $15 Groups # 1 my #1 Toni enjoyed her” initial reaction was tobacco, earth and herbs. This is a bold wine that felt subtle at first with smooth fruit, then acidity hit me, and hit me, and hit me.” Evan also found fault with this wine noting it’s “subtle on the nose, it felt flat in the mouth and tasted of pear on the aftertaste. It’s not my style.” Eddie found “ sweet, dark fruit and a little tobacco on the nose..” and felt this was “ very well balanced, fresh and classic in a straight forward and honest way.” Cheryl agreed noting, “ this is smooth with a lovely mouthfeel. I really enjoy this, with or without food, I love how it tastes.” I couldn’t agree more. A simply delightful, pure, vivacious bottle of Sangiovese at a value price. An eye-opening surprise. 9-    2004 Deerfield Sonoma County  14.6% $25 Groups #11 my #11 Eddie was this wine biggest proponent finding it “ unique and funky with salt and red licorice on both the nose and palate. Toni was ambivalent finding “ a bit of vanilla at first then I felt something was off. It tastes smooth and subtle but it wanted to be something but it missed the target.” Evan “didn’t enjoy this at all, its rasiny and has a sherry nose.” Paul was right to he point “ this is flawed and undrinkable, I didn’t want to smell it after the first whiff.” Cheryl then bid up a unit by adding “ this is the Mollydooker or Kosta Brown of Sangiovese. It’s too sweet even for me!” This bottle was a mess, no doubt. Another bottle described below showed better but be prepared for heat, sweetness, and innocuous dark fruit. Flight 4 - Modern Sangiovese 10-    2005 Stolpman Santa Ynez - 14.9% $28 Groups # 4 my # 8 Toni found this to be “ very ripe, with rich fruit and rich spice on the nose but it suddenly disappeared. The taste is very light, very cherry like and very smooth. While this is very drinkable I can’t see it with food but I like it a lot.” Eva also noted the “very subtle nose” and enjoyed the balance of “ minerality, sharp and astringent against the sweet fruit.” Paul found this to be “ kind of over-ripe with roasted black cherry on the nose. It’s very sweet in the mouth, it needs acidity to cut down the over-powering sweetness.” While very modern and woody this did have fine Sangiovese character in a rich, soft package that has broad appeal. 11-    2004 Marleo Salustri Montecucco Rosso 13.5% $24 Groups #12 my #12 This bottle sucked. I’m not completely convinced that it was atypical; another bottle was about as bad. Cheryl “bad” Paul “I liked it less and less” Eddie weak” Eva “ dried fig and raisin” Evan “off nose off flavors” Toni “hated it.” Yup yup. 12-    2006 Miner Gibson Ranch Mendocino 14.1% $24 Groups # 3 my #2 Evan found “rich blackberry and spices on the nose with leathery dark fruits. I liked the acidity and astringency of this wine>’ Eddie thought this offered “ sweet/tart fruit with much new oak adding a lot of tannins finishing firm and dry with Indian spices.” Paul noted that this was “ really powerful with a lot going on, spicy dark fruit, well balanced, this wine gets an A.” Cheryl felt that “ageing this might be the right thing to do, it’s short and flat in the mouth with drying tannins, while fine it’s not my favorite.” This was certainly the densest, most structured wine of the night and should benefit from cellaring and while a fine bottle it lacks some Sangiovese typicity. The following week we sat down with another group to taste another lineup of Sangiovese 1- Me 2 -  Allen - Wine Enthusiast 3 -  Eddie - Wine Professional 4 -  Justin - Wine Professional 5 -  Stu - Wine Professional 6 - Eric - Wine Enthusiast 7 -  Dave - Wine Enthusiast Flight 1 1 -2005 Cosentino Il Chiaretto California 14.8% $18 87pts 2 - 2006 Ruffino Santedame Chianti Classico 13.5% $18 3 - 2007 Flora Springs Napa Valley 14.2% $15 Flight 2 4 - 2004 Podere il Palazzino La Pieve Chianti Classico 14% $20 5 - 2005 Ruffino Riserva Ducale Tan label 14% $22 6 - 2006 Pope Valley Winery Napa Valley 14% $18 Flight 3 7 - 2004 Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva 14% $20 8 - 2004 Felsina Chianti Classico Riserva 13.5% $30 9 - 2004 Castellare Chianti Classico Riserva 13.5% $35 Flight 4 10 - 2005 Kuleto Estate Napa Valley 14.8% $20 11 - 2004 Deerfield Sonoma 14,6% $25 12 - 2006 The Midlife Crisis Winery Paso Robles  16.6% $20 Flight 1 1 -2005 Cosentino Il Chiaretto California 14.8% $18 Group’s 7th, my 8th We started off with a solid wine that Eddie found to be “pleasant on the nose with cherry fruit and a touch of spice and red licorice” on the palate. Both Dave and Stu felt this showed a little Merlot like character with Stu commenting on the wine’s “cocoa powder, leather and spice notes”. Justin found the wine to be “ soft with sour cherry fruit, sandalwood and allspice…light and pleasant.” I tend to agree though the alcohol was a bit much here and gave the wine a disjointed feel. 2 - 2006 Ruffino Santedame Chianti Classico 13.5% $18 Group’s 8th, my 7th Eric felt this “smelled very tightly wound and herby with some cherry notes very nice acids with raspberry fruit” but he also commented on the “little bitter on the long finish.” Justin found this to be “ a touch tannic… with black cherry and earth notes but it’s trying to do more than what was there, nice acidity though.”  Stu was more complementary noting the wine’s “ vivid and dense” feel and  “rich chocolate” notes but felt the “good amount of oak and drying tannins left a lingering bitterness on finish” All in all this was a solid showing for a solid wine that could use a bit more finesse 3 - 2007 Flora Springs Napa Valley 14.2% $15 Group’s 1st, my 4th Justin -found “ a woodsy note like fresh cut grass” on the nose here and noted the wine had  “ good depth and concentration to the strawberry fruit. It’s a little tannic on the finish. Dave found the nose to be “cranberry, candy” with Notes of “ cologne, manure and cedar” and noted the wines “earthy minerality” on the palate. Eddie, on the other hand, found “cherries with a touch of oak” on the nose and felt the wine was “ medium bodied, tannic with decent fruit and a dry tart finish.” I loved this wine. It’s a bowl of unwashed freshly foraged wild strawberries and while fruit driven is just a joy to drink. Flight 2 4 - 2004 Podere il Palazzino La Pieve Chianti Classico 14% $20 Group’s 5th, my 5th Eric commented on this wine’s “ cheese rind, moldy” noted which was a consensus feature of this wine but found nice “ cherries and mineral, notes with some plum on the finish” Stu felt the funk was more “ barnyard and  wet forest,” and felt this was “ Burgundian styled” with a “smooth, silky mouthfeel, pretty sweet and ripe, but hot on the finish.”  Dave felt the funk was more like “manure and rubber” but found  “black berries and smoke” on the palate whish had  “big pucker factor” I found this to be a simple if solid bottle that would be a safe bet on a restaurant list. 5 - 2005 Ruffino Riserva Ducale Tan label 14% $22 Group’s 9th, my 9th Sometimes a blind tasting reveals the truth about a wine, like in this case. This very popular wine had a “seductive and alluring nose” according to Eddie with  “dark cherries on the palate” but he also found the wine to be “ soft and short finish” Justin felt the flavors were a bit blurred with cherry cola notes… with a nice round mouthfeel, but no mid-palate or finish” Stu also enjoyed the “rich licorice, cherry coke, cola” but felt the wine’s “finish had a greenness that popped up then dropped away leaving this heavy and rough in the mouth.” For me this was a decent wine but it felt as though it could have been better. It had a little of everything it needed but enough on nothing. 6 - 2006 Pope Valley Winery Napa Valley 14% $18 Group’s 2nd, my 3rd Justin found a “dust and old furniture” quality on the nose and “earthiness on the palate” that was appealing and felt this finished with  “ good acidity with wild berry and sour cherry fruits.  Stu also found “ berry sour cherry, candied, bright fruit” in this wine and felt that while this exhibited a  “liberal use of wood and vanilla “ he enjoyed the “pretty soft yet dense” feel of this wine. Interestingly Eric thought this resembled a  “modern style Dolcetto” with its “toasty blackberry, cedar, sour cherry vanilla” profile.  I thought this was just a great wine that spoke a little bit about Sangiovese, perhaps more about California but was so well made I really didn’t care. Flight 3 7 - 2004 Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva 14% $20 Group’s 3rd, my 1st Allen enjoyed this wine’s  “earthy quality with an interesting bit of wood and licorice” and felt the wine had a “long finish that lingers quite a bit.” Eddie enjoyed the wine’s “soft and smoky fruit with peppered meats” and found it to be well balanced with subtle fruit” Dave also commented on the “smoked meats” on the nose along with “barnyard, violets and ripe fruits” and enjoyed the “nice balance of acid and tannin” on the palate.  This traditional Chianti was coy, earthy, complex and totally compelling. A brilliant wine and a great value! 8 - 2004 Felsina Chianti Classico Riserva 13.5% $30 Group’s 10th, my 10th I don’t know what the deal is with this wine. All 3 bottles I’ve had have been tainted and this was noticed by everyone and well described by Justin, as “chemical, rotten vegetable” Nonetheless there’s a lot to like here though in a rather modern idiom with almost everyone picking up notes of cola and root beer. Another popular descriptor mentioned by Eddie, Stu and Eric was cherry or red licorice. So far not a particularly typical set of descriptors for Sangiovese that really should not be an issue but along with the funk this sweet candied character did not a great Chianti experience make. 9 - 2004 Castellare Chianti Classico Riserva 13.5% $35 Group’s 4th, my 2nd Stu found a touch of “ farm and blackberry” on the nose but enjoyed this wines  “very ripe fruits and pretty deep flavors” though he did note it was “lacking acidity.” Justin on the other hand found this to have “good weight and intensity with fine grained tannins” and while it may be “a bit monolithic” it was still “pretty good” Eric found a lot on the nose here picking up “ oak, green veggies, wet fur, black berries and raw beef” and enjoyed the notes of “ black berry, green pepper and orange rind” on the palate. A solid showing and good reception for a slightly abrasive, slightly closed yet fine Chinati. Flight 4 10 - 2005 Kuleto Estate Napa Valley 14.8% $20 Group’s 6th, my 6th Eddie noted “ripe sweet fruit with salty olives and oak” on the nose of this Sangiovese/Cabernet blend. Eric also found “olive leaf” along with “sweet blackberry licorice, dry flower and tobacco.” He found the wine to be “very mouth filling with jammy black currant fruit.” Allen enjoyed the wines “long finish with a hint of licorice” but also commented that the wine was “a little dry if well balanced.” Dave probably enjoyed this most finding it to have a “plush nose of super ripe cherry, vanilla and barnyard with intensely ripe fruit flavors.” A big bruiser of a wine, this certainly had it’s merits and was a wine that I could see improving. 11 - 2004 Deerfield Sonoma 14,6% $25 Group’s 11th, my 12th Dave thought this smelled of “ cough syrup with a really funky nose with a vinegar edge” and like many added that it  “tastes fortified.” Allen called it “syrupy and a little alcoholic” Eddie also felt this had a “funky nose” with “sweet oxidized fruit and coconut.” Justin thought this was “velvety polished, very smooth” but as Eric added “it has a long but tiring finish.” Stu concurred finding a “fortified quality” to the wine making it  “feel like a port, with sour cherry, medicinal cough syrup flavors” and a  “really sweet finish.”  A strange bird indeed. Not sure what the intent was with this wine but the results speak for themselves. 12 - 2006 The Midlife Crisis Winery Paso Robles  16.6% $20 Group’s 12th, my 11th Justin called this simple “fruitcake” and noted that it was “very full bodied and a bit low in acid.” Eddie agreed calling it a “low acid fruit bomb with high residual sugar and zinfandel like boysenberry fruit.” Allen felt it was more “blackberry” toned but also noted the wine’s ‘sweet finish.” Eric chimed in agreeing that the finish was “a little cloying” and noted that this smelled “ like a dessert wine with honeysuckle, almond, clove, brown sugar and mulling spice.”  Another well made wine that really didn’t speak much of grape or origin. And the exceptionally high alcohol was noted by every taster, and not in a good way. And that is that. Two weeks of blind tasting’s focusing on Sangiovese. We had one corked bottle. Gregory Dal Piaz is the Community Manager at Snooth, an avid Wine Geek with a passion for things Italian, and a long suffering Mets fan.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Sangiovese GTi by Gregory Dal Piaz

  
  

• February 2009

  Here's a brief rundown on the wines we enjoyed at Tuesday's PTP. I've just posted my full notes and the blog post is on the way but down and dirty here are my impressions. 1 - 2005 Cosentino Il Chiaretto California 14.8% $18... Read moreHere's a brief rundown on the wines we enjoyed at Tuesday's PTP. I've just posted my full notes and the blog post is on the way but down and dirty here are my impressions. 1 - 2005 Cosentino Il Chiaretto California 14.8% $18 http://www.snooth.com/wine/cosentino-winery-cosentino-il-chiaretto-sangiovese-california-2005/ Not bad at all, a bit clumsy and rich but a good match for a grilled steak 2 - 2006 Ruffino Santedame Chianti Classico 13.5% $18 http://www.snooth.com/wine/tenimenti-ruffino-santedame-chianti-classico-2006/ Bracing and clean, this speaks of Chianti but not too loudly 3 - 2007 Flora Springs Napa Valley 14.2% $15 http://www.snooth.com/wine/flora-springs-sangiovese-2007/ This screams Sangiovese and is having a party in my mouth! Delicious! Flight 2 4 - 2004 Podere il Palazzino La Pieve Chianti Classico 14% $20 http://www.snooth.com/wine/podere-il-palazzino-chianti-classico-la-pieve-2004-2/ Another bottle that talks of Chianti, this time alittle louder, well done if a touch modern. 5 - 2005 Ruffino Riserva Ducale Tan label 14% $22 http://www.snooth.com/wine/ruffino-chianti-classico-riserva-ducale-tan-2005-4/ Another wine that speaks of Chianti but like the song say, a little bit softer now. This could be better. 6 - 2006 Pope Valley Winery Napa Valley 14% $18 http://www.snooth.com/wine/pope-valley-sangiovese-napa-valley-2006/ I don't know what this is saying but it's a wine that somehow appeals to me in a weird way. Plenty of wood paired with ripe, sweet fruit but balanced and well made, a pretty fine bottle. Flight 3 7 - 2004 Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva 14% $20 http://www.snooth.com/wine/monsanto-chianti-classico-riserva-2004/ This ROCKS! All sorts of things in here, fruit, minerals, things you find in basements, attics and barns. Elegant and screamingly old school Chianti . I love it AND it's a crazy value! 8 - 2004 Felsina Chianti Classico Riserva 13.5% $30 http://www.snooth.com/wine/felsina-chianti-classico-riserva-2004-10/ This has all the elements to be very good but there is a bactirial/ msuty edge here that I have consitently found in 3 bottles. There might be clean bottles out there but I'm not risking it. 9 - 2004 Castellare Chianti Classico Riserva 13.5% $35 http://www.snooth.com/wine/castellare-di-castellina-chianti-classico-riserva-2004-7/ Super Chianti, richer and a touch more modern than the Monsanto but almost as satisfying. This has more stuffing and may turn out to be as impressive in time. Flight 4 10 - 2005 Kuleto Estate Napa Valley 14.8% $20 http://www.snooth.com/wine/kuleto-estate-sangiovese-2005/ This was cheating a bit since there is Cab in this. Still showed some Sangiovese typicity but this was a more muscular style of wine. Solid if a bit too youthful. 11 - 2004 Deerfield Sonoma 14,6% $25 http://www.snooth.com/wine/deerfield-ranch-sangiovese-2004/ The second time around this still reminds me of late harvest Zin. Perfectly fine but anonymous. 12 - 2006 The Midlife Crisis Winery Paso Robles 16.6% $20 http://www.snooth.com/wine/midlife-crisis-sangiovese-2006/ A huge Sangiovese fruit bomb with huge alcohol. Certainly not for everyone but I can see how this may appeal to some folks. It's not for me though.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Snooth GTI - Sangiovese -... by Gregory Dal Piaz

  
  

• February 2009

  A follow up to the first tasting though with more of an Italian slant this time. I have to say that several of the Californian examples continue to really impress me. Some great wine is being made out there but they will never replace the classic Chianti Classico Riservas that... Read moreA follow up to the first tasting though with more of an Italian slant this time. I have to say that several of the Californian examples continue to really impress me. Some great wine is being made out there but they will never replace the classic Chianti Classico Riservas that Tuscany can offer. Still it's worth taking a look westward! Flight 1 - Starting off easy 1 -2005 Cosentino Il Chiaretto California 87pts 2 - 2006 Ruffino Santedame Chianti Classico 87pts 3 - 2007 Flora Springs Napa Valley 89pts Flight 2 - Let's step it up a bit 4 - 2004 Podere il Palazzino La Pieve Chianti Classico 89pts 5 - 2005 Ruffino Riserva Ducale Tan label 87pts 6 - 2006 Pope Valley Winery Napa Valley 90pts Flight 3 - Now were talking 7 - 2004 Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva 94pts 8 - 2004 Felsina Chianti Classico Riserva 83pts 9 - 2004 Castellare Chianti Classico Riserva 92pts Flight 4 - Is more always better? 10 - 2005 Kuleto Estate Napa Valley 88pts 11 - 2004 Deerfield Sonoma 85pts 12 - 2006 The Midlife Crisis Winery Paso Robles 86pts Flight 1 1 - 2005 Cosentino Il Chiaretto California 14.8% $18 http://www.snooth.com/wine/cosentino-winery-cosentino-il-chiaretto-sangiovese-california-2005/ A bit dusty and with a fair amount of earthy cocoa/choco notes over bright strawberry, black raspberry fruits lurking with nice notes of smoke and leather adding interest. Big and a touch sweet on entry with plenty of acidity from front to back and a touch of slightly austere tannins but ultimately chunky and a bit disjointed. Some attractive green herbal notes add depth to the wild strawberry fruits but there is a heavier load of wood here than the fruit wants to carry. Offers a moderately long finish dominated by grilled meat and licorice tones 87pts 2 - 2006 Ruffino Santedame Chianti Classico 13.5% $18 http://www.snooth.com/wine/tenimenti-ruffino-santedame-chianti-classico-2006/ A bit woody on the nose yet fresh and precise with faint notes of tobacco, some sweet wood tones, cherry notes, with a dusty/steely closed wine overlay. Silky on entry and polished with a good core of dark wild berry fruit that has a lively edge of astringency. There are notes of mineral rich salad greens and a hint or beef blood adding complexity and while this is a touch fleshy it remains very mineral driven and finishes with a rare meaty core of sour cherry fruit. Lean and taut with good balance and a nice stony finish this is a bit simple but quite typical. 87pts 3 - 2007 Flora Springs Napa Valley 14.2% $15 http://www.snooth.com/wine/flora-springs-sangiovese-2007/ A touch estery at first then turning floral and crisp smelling with mineral, herb and woodsy treebark tones. This really picks up a slightly brambly strawberry note on the nose that incorporates the fruit, leaves, and soil tones of picking wild strawberries. Silky and slinky in the mouth with good acids and plenty of tannins supporting pure, if easy, sweet strawberry/cherry fruits making this uncomplicated yet delightful. The moderately long finish is clean and offers a touch of herb as contrast to the strawberry fruit. Simple yet playful, this is fun to drink! 89pts Flight 2 4 - 2004 Podere il Palazzino La Pieve Chianti Classico 14% $20 http://www.snooth.com/wine/podere-il-palazzino-chianti-classico-la-pieve-2004-2/ Espresso foam and a touch of baking spice offer hints of the oak here but the candied cherry cough syrup notes and a hint of lemon oil offer good balance. There is an underlying touch of earth funk that adds complexity and depth. Lovely balance in light-medium body package that had juicy acidity and soft tannins that barely intrude and let the lightly candied red cherry fruit shine. Feels very clean with a nice pure slightly unripe raspberry, iron mineral finish of moderate length. Nice precise feel, a lovely wine that is just a touch simple. 89pts 5 - 2005 Ruffino Riserva Ducale Tan label 14% $22 http://www.snooth.com/wine/ruffino-chianti-classico-riserva-ducale-tan-2005-4/ Soft on the nose with gentle notes of leather and earth, a touch of woodsy spice, a touch of violet a little smoke and some dark cherry tones. Big fruit up front backed by solid, integrated acidity with very polished tannins give this a round, pleasant mouthfeel, yet without not much complexity or depth, A bit diffuse on the mid-palate with nice flavors of raspberry/black raspberry, a touch of earth, mint and leather, but this has the feel of not trying hard enough but it’s still hard to fault it too much. 87pts 6 - 2006 Pope Valley Winery Napa Valley 14% $18 http://www.snooth.com/wine/pope-valley-sangiovese-napa-valley-2006/ A bit of sulfur needs to resolve here but under that there are ample wood tones of butter, cinnamon sugar, burnt marshmallow, vanilla, mace and all-spice yet the rather intense fruit notes seem to balance these pretty well. There are hints of cured pork fat, tea, figs, floral, apricot, and tobacco that emerge with time. A whip of acid cuts through the round, fleshy feel in the mouth and the tannins build quite quickly but the black raspberry, mulberry and boysenberry flavors are deep and solid. This turns more black cherries on backend and finishes with fresh pomegranate, spice, and berry fruits that yield the stage back to the sweet wood tones on the finale. This is fun and fresh with good complexity coupled with a really attractive mouthfeel. It is certainly not Chianti and may lack some Sangiovese typicity but it’s pretty darn good in a big, spiced, modern idiom. 90pts Flight 3 7 - 2004 Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva 14% $20 http://www.snooth.com/wine/monsanto-chianti-classico-riserva-2004/ Intensely aromatic with a floral and salame tones then burnished sour cherry/strawberry fruit, very floral, smells decidedly funky, leathery, and slightly sour with a touch of cigar ash smokiness. With air earth, oystershell, mint, spice, dried orange peel, old wet leather, soil, and even a hint of truffle emerge on this effusive and complex nose. A brilliant nose. Bright acids and a touch of fat up front yield to a nice layer of astringent tannins that coat the mouth with silky, smoky, dried strawberry fruit. This offers an array of flavors running from soil notes, black tea, maduro tobacco, frutti di bosco preserve and old wood notes to beet root, ripe berry, and dried citron peel. Finishes with good length and an almost curranty red/bitter cherry fruits with great mineral and herb cut and a classic steely character. This is Classic Chianti and a huge value but it is a pure, delicate, traditional style of wine that will never bowl one over with power or extract. It just seduces you with complexity, depth and purity. 94pts 8 - 2004 Felsina Chianti Classico Riserva 13.5% $30 http://www.snooth.com/wine/felsina-chianti-classico-riserva-2004-10/ Initially this offers typical damp earth, forest floor and floral, notes framing the slightly peachy raspberry coulis fruit with a hint of vanilla but with air this turns cola and rootbeer like with an emerging fungal note and gamy edge. Rich and round in the mouth with very finely polished tannins and tons of acid with a classic medium body with earthy, tobacco and almond tinged strawberry fruit. Kind of gentle but still classically styled but the moldy edge detracts from the wines. Tasted 3 times with consistent results. 83pts 9 - 2004 Castellare Chianti Classico Riserva 13.5% $35 http://www.snooth.com/wine/castellare-di-castellina-chianti-classico-riserva-2004-7/ A touch of funky brett greets the nose and is followed by earthy, tobacco, notes with lots of dried herb, leather and dried flowers. Certainly not a fruit driven nose as it develops further notes of limestone, rusts funghi, smoke, touch of oak, and a very mineral backdrop. Sour berry right up front with wonderfully ripe tannins and good acids offering lots of richness in the mouth with a seductive mouthfeel. The fruit is rich and forceful, almost concealing the austerity with layers of leather, earth, dried herb, with emerging bitter cherry/wild strawberry fruits and a touch of green anise and peach seed on the backend. There is that edge of brett entwined with the flavors but at this point it is well integrated. Very cleansing finish, a touch short with a sneaky return featuring hints of roasted nuts, salt, lingonberry and funghi. A very solid wine. 92pts Flight 4 10 - 2005 Kuleto Estate Napa Valley 14.8% $20 http://www.snooth.com/wine/kuleto-estate-sangiovese-2005/ A bit smoky and gamy with deep, dark, fruit backed up with notes of wood and herb. This turns more savory with an emerging olive brine note and gains a mineral/cigar ash edge. With a big, sweet and smooth entry, this begins deceptively then turns dark and muscular on the mid-palate with lovely rich fruit accented with an earthy, bitter cocoa streak of oaken spice. The finish is also dark and brooding with jammy fruits, a hint of vanilla, and linger spice tones. The wood tannins are significant at this stage yet this is so well balanced that it will reward cellaring. Youthful 88pts 11 - 2004 Deerfield Sonoma 14,6% $25 http://www.snooth.com/wine/deerfield-ranch-sangiovese-2004/ Heavy VA greets the nose followed by a jammy fruit quality and lots of fudgy, sweet, spiced toasted pecan, pecan pie notes. There is a touch of briar here and a bit of camphor that gives this a bit of a medicinal tone. Big on entry with big notes of dried strawberry and cherry fruits. Decidedly on the soft side with a silky mouthfeel, plenty of ripe tannins and adequate acidity. This is a bit hot; some nice gently austere tannins that really gain traction, short finish. Not bad wine just lacks distinction 85pts 12 - 2006 The Midlife Crisis Winery Paso Robles 16.6% $20 http://www.snooth.com/wine/midlife-crisis-sangiovese-2006/ Offers an array of nutty, red-woody, hot spicy tones and a big dried figgy fruit note. There are interesting notes of tea, cola and dried beef adding complexity. Big sweet entry, then a bit chewy with lots of subtly jammy undertones, mulberry jam, some mulling spice, a touch of pie crust but with a gentle herbal note as well. A little licorice on the backend leads to the long fruit driven finish that is slightly medicinal/minty. A huge Sangiovese fruit bomb. 86pts    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Sangiovese PTP 2 by Gregory Dal Piaz

  
  

• January 2009

  Well this was an unusual evening, a Sangiovese tasting with most of the wines from California! As unusual as it may have been the results speak for themselves. Plenty of impressive wines and three standouts. I'll go into more detail in the corresponding blog post and well follow this... Read moreWell this was an unusual evening, a Sangiovese tasting with most of the wines from California! As unusual as it may have been the results speak for themselves. Plenty of impressive wines and three standouts. I'll go into more detail in the corresponding blog post and well follow this set of wines up with more Sangiovese next week but suffice it to say, me likee the Sangiovese. Flight 1 - Chianti 2006 Borgianni Chianti 84pts 2005 Volpaia Chianti Classico 88pts 2003 Castel’in Villa Chianti Classico 87pts Flight 2 - Other styles of 2006 Sangiovese 2006 Nespoli Sangiovese di Romagna 88pts 2006 Perrucci Santa Cruz Mtn Sangiovese “Family Selection” 89pts 2006 Moris Farms Morellino di Scansano 86pts Flight 3 - California’s Sangiovese terroir 2005 Pietra Santa Cienega Valley 90pts 2005 Martin & Weyrich Il Palio - Paso Robles 91pts 2004 Deerfield Ranch Sonoma County 78pts Flight 4 - Modern Sangiovese 2005 Stolpman Santa Ynez - 89pts 2004 Salustri Marleo Montecucco Rosso 73pts 2006 Miner Gibson Ranch Mendocino 92pts Flight 1 Chianti 1- 2006 Borgianni Chianti 12.5% - $12 http://www.snooth.com/wine/castello-di-volpaia-chianti-borgianni-2006/ A bit estery but quite intense and fruity with wild strawberry tones on the nose with hints of leather and forest floor. With air and adds a nice mineral/rain water note and a hint of flowers. Very light fresh and pure with marginal tannins and juicy acids that are a bit hard on their own. Finishes with a touch of herb and sand. Correct and simple if a touch lean. 84pts 2- 2005 Volpaia Chianti Classico 13% $18 http://www.snooth.com/wine/castello-di-volpaia-chianti-classico-2006/ A touch meaty and first then turning very floral with a touch of wood spice, quite spicy fruit, black cherry, sweet almost red-hot cinnamon (-), very floral. Medium light on entry with nice acids and soft tannins. There is good depth of flavor with twisty herbal and mineral veins that offset the sour cherry/ red currant fruits. A classic austere character that is fairly richly flavored and finishes with nutty, slightly bitter amarena cherry tones. 88pts 3- 2003 Castel’in Villa Chianti Classico 13.5% $20 http://www.snooth.com/wine/castelin-villa-chianti-classico-2003/ Tight on the nose with a touch of caramel and roasted red fruits, menthol and limestone, smoke. A touch of VA adds lift and the aromatics drift off towards dried herb and woodland scents. Elegant and balanced in the mouth with integrated acidity and finely polished tannins, a bit drying on the midpalate, actually quite so with a mineral, smoky forest floor character. Bracing, cleansing finish with some violet and menthol notes even a long touch of bitter almond but not much more. An interesting wine but it lacks freshness of fruit on both the nose and the palate. 87pts Flight 2 - Other styles of 2006 Sangiovese 4- 2006 Nespoli Sangiovese di Romagna 13% $18 http://www.snooth.com/wine/sangiovese-di-romagna-poderi-dal-nespoli-2006/ Very nice, earthy, floral, forest floor, complex and typical sangio scents, some soft warm wild cherries and a bit of dried orange peel round out the nose which turns sweeter and grapier with airing. . Lovely mouthfeel, precise, balanced, full of soft tannins and juicy acids supporting just ripe red fruits in an elegant and lean expression of Sangiovese. Cleansing cherry pit finish is moderately long with a distinctly earthy, leathery, herbaceous edge then turning more spiced on the finale. Classic with a touch of tarry anise. A touch simple but so varietal! 88pts 5- 2006 Perrucci Santa Cruz Mtn Sangiovese “Family Selection” 13.5% $28 http://www.snooth.com/wine/perrucci-family-sangiovese-2006/ Gentle aromas of wet sand, roasted herbs, sweet vanilla(-) ham(-) and strawberry jam filter up from the glass. There is also a minor note of brett adding a bit of sweat here. Cool and crisp up front with good acids and slightly aggressive yet not drying tannins support moderate notes of rosehips, sweet wild cherry, and floral flavors with a spearminty top note. Quite fruity on the finish with the well measured tannins and mouthwatering acid finale. This continued to improve through out the course of the evening. Good intensity 88pts 6- 2006 Moris Farms Morellino di Scansano 14% $15 http://www.snooth.com/wine/moris-farms-morellino-di-scansano-1/ Intense moss, oily herb and stone notes at first with a lovely blackberry fruit compote and spice tone that is a touch saline. A touch simple but nicely aromatic. Astringent and feeling a touch extracted in the mouth with good, intense bitter cherry fruit but the tannins are a bit out of balance, they are polished but prominent and give the wine a rather steely feel. Needs some food or 12-18 months to integrate. Deep cocoa and earth nuances help frame the fruit. Drying finish but also nicely spiced. Well made in a minor way. 86pts Flight 3 - California’s Sangiovese terroir 7- 2005 Pietra Santa Cienega Valley 15.1% $18 http://www.snooth.com/wine/pietra-santa-sangiovese-2005-1/ Rather intensely herbal and sweet at the same time with a powdery,dusty granite/vitamin tone over a warm cherry coulis base. Turns a bit smoky and oily with air but that big herbal element remains the core here. Big sweet fruit on entry parried by great mineral notes and great mouth grabbing tannins that offer a lovely austerity. There is a fine green herbal streak running through this that keeps this from becoming too much. A touch of coffee cream and bitter chocolate gains traction on the back half along with a touch of citron, the red cherry fruit is a touch hidden at the moment. Nice clean and fresh finish with a touch of mouth puckering tannins. Mouthwatering with good structural length. 90pts 8- 2005 Martin & Weyrich Il Palio - Paso Robles 14.3% $16 http://www.snooth.com/wine/martin-and-weyrich-winery-il-palio-sangiovese-2005/ Clean and clear fruit on the nose,, smoky and slightly cedary with great green herb and mineral tones and a touch of graham cracker. Adds a touch of rare meat and sage with air and develops lovely bitter cherry and dried strawberry tones. Smells complex and balanced. Rich fruit, lots of raspberry and mulberry fruit, hanging from a high wire of acid that is accented by a gentle blush of cocoa powder and a hint of almond milk. Rich yet so well balanced by bracingly correct acids and supported by fine, austere tannins, just love this mouthfeel. A touch candied perhaps but the sweetness is perfectly cut by the acid and slightly astringent tannins. Delicious with a fine finish that adds a bit of spice in good length with a red currant final. A great Value Buy this wine. 91pts 9- 2004 Deerfield Ranch Sonoma County 14.6% $25 http://www.snooth.com/wine/deerfield-ranch-sangiovese-2004/ Deep and dark with fresh turned earth and damp cigar tones, a bit of spicy wood, smoky and dark, a touch of coffee. VA and a bit chemically smelling with a late harvest Zin nose that recalls cherry cough syrup. Big in the mouth with a bit of a roasted character, good acid, modest but stiff tannins, wood tannins feel like. Dark indistinct fruit flavors, touch rasinny with lots of chocolate and coffee character, and a bit hot. Finishes a touch short. Stocky and sturdy but without varietal character. 78pts Flight 4 - Modern Sangiovese 10- 2005 Stolpman Santa Ynez - 14.9% $30 http://www.snooth.com/wine/stolpman-sangiovese-estate-grown-2005/ Very ripe herbal tones, integrated oak, cocao, vanilla, lots of good wood notes makes this quite spicy if a touch hot. Fresh fruit is in there, slightly macerated and sweet smelling with a hint of amaretto lurking. Big acid right up front then a fairly plush and well integrated mid-palate with herbal and citrus notes adding complexity to the rather rich red cherry fruits with a slightly exotic wild edge to them. Noticeable but not offensive wood offers a clean brisk finish with woody tannins lingering. I think this would be better with less wood but it is very nice. In a particularly rich, smooth style. 89pts 11- 2004 Marleo Salustri Montecucco Rosso 13.5% $24 http://www.snooth.com/wine/salustri-montecucco-marleo-2004/ Smokey woody, coffee candy notes, not much in the way of fruit here, woody and slightly chemical. This really jumps the cliff with air turning decidedly beef brothy and devoid of fruit exhibiting a dusty old green coffee bean nose. Candied and dark in the mouth with a slinky feel that is elegant if a touch compact. Dark berry fruits, spice, earth and a surprisingly strong green walnut, green herb vein are obvious on the mid-palate until everything just disappears, reverting to darker, coffee, sassafras and licorice laden character. Finishes long with a bracing mineral note and then dark, indistinct fruit leather notes. Drying too. Better than the nose would indicate but still not worth the effort. 73pts 12- 2006 Miner Gibson Ranch Mendocino 14.1% $24 http://www.snooth.com/wine/miner-family-vineyards-sangiovese-gibson-ranch-2006-1/ Lightly smoky, dried meats, integrated cedar, dried cherries, layered and high toned with a touch of brownie oozing in, Nice aromatics with a touch of green tea lurking, sweet spices, strawberry jam notes, really ripe red fruits and a touch of apricot, sweetness that blossoms with air. Lovely lithe mouthfeel that is fairly seamless even though this is big, rich and relatively packed with tannin. Bitter cherry and bitter almond fruit offset the tannins which are a touch astringent but refreshing, nicely integrated acids, dark cherry fruit, a touch of brownie again, and a little bit of citron peel, nicely assembled and balanced. Bracing, astringent finish, good length in a powerful style that isn’t overdone. A touch oaky and in need of a bit of cellar time but the fruit is deep enough to age well and there is plenty of intensity here. 92pts    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Sangiovese PTP 1 by Gregory Dal Piaz

  
  

• January 2009

  In coordination with Snooth's Global Tasting initiative I scheduled our Panel Tasting Program blind event this past week as a focus on Syrah, California Syrah to be specific. With every PTP there tends to be a few wines at both end of the spectrum that are really divisive. This... Read moreIn coordination with Snooth's Global Tasting initiative I scheduled our Panel Tasting Program blind event this past week as a focus on Syrah, California Syrah to be specific. With every PTP there tends to be a few wines at both end of the spectrum that are really divisive. This weeks event was no different and in fact several of the wines really polarized the group with people voting for a certain wine as either their favorite or their least favorite without much middle ground. A surprising result, especially since I was one who named this wine my #1! But that is the way things go sometimes and why it is so important to assemble a panel with diverse interests and palates. One lesson I hope people come away from after participating in or reading about our tastings is that there simply is no "right" palate. Everyone needs to come to their own conclusions as to how the wines taste to them. That is simply the only thing that really counts. Relying on critics can be helpful, especially when one is only just getting in to wine, but once you've found your style finding additional wines that excite you is something only you can do. It can be argued that this is exactly why professional critics are needed, they bring some consistency to the marketplace. Of course that is simply not true. They may bring the consistency of their views but as this panel has shown that will only correlate with a segment of the market, and another equally large segment might very well have diametrically opposed views. So what can one do, well read as much as possible, find people whose palates seem to match well with yours, and try, try, try! Snooth Panel Tasting Program - where we try, try, try. You might notice that this weeks PTP photos are of the bottles after the tasting. Just for fun I thought we might want to illustrate which bottles had seemn the most demand and whether that actually correlated to our most highly rated bottles. The answers are inconclusive but it was a fun excersize none-the-less. The Players Mike - Wine enthusiast Cheryl - Wine enthusiast Greg - Wine professional Justin - Wine professional Scott - Wine professional Mark - Wine enthusiast Dave - Wine enthusiast And me your humble scribe. Flight 1 - postcards from Napa 1 - 2006 Neyers Napa Valley Ca - Hudson Vineyards Syrah 14.1% $40 Groups #8, my #8 There was a fair amount of consensus on this wine with virtually everyone commenting on the growing sweetness of the wine as it breathed. Greg Justin and Scott all felt that it turned too sweet with Justin initially liking “the sweet blackberry nose” but being turned off by the wine turning “syrupy and bitter on the finish”. For Greg this wine “went from being my favorite of the flight to least favorite… it turns too sweet on the finish.”  Cheryl and Mark were the wines biggest proponents and while Cheryl felt it turned “a little sweeter with air” it also become “ fruitier with nice wood, dark fruits and a little pepper.” Mark felt the heat “ took a bit away from it” but noted that it was “potent with ripe cherry, licorice and leather.”  I found it polished and a bit simple but well balanced. 2 - 2004 Burgess Napa Valley Syrah 14.7% $20 Groups #4, my #6 This wine was a bit more divisive with Mike finding “a little candy on the nose but the palate is nice with nice structure, red fruits and vanilla notes. A fairly nice wine” Scott also found “forward aromas of black berry, vanilla and cola”, but thought the wine, while “ texturally very smooth is linear and not very deep, pleasant but not much to it.” Both Justin and Greg noted a bit of an herbal note on the nose and commented on the tannins sticking out. This was a bit simple but I found it to be well built to highlight the bright, pure fruit. 3 - 2005 LaTour Vineyards Napa Valley Ca Syrah 14.8% $26.50 Groups #10 my # 9 This wine was a bit of an odd bird with its powerful, dark, earthy character. Cheryl “didn’t care for this, its earthy and barnyardy, green in the middle and drying.” Dave found similar traits of “mushrooms, and earth” and Commented on “the tannic structure but this opens nicely with black cherries.” Mark “thought the nose was light but this has a rough bite of tannins followed up by medicinal, herbaceous eucalyptus, menthol notes in the mouth.” Scott also found “medicinal, chemically, eucalyptus flavors with dark fruits and a little earth” on the nose and felt the “flavors were smoky cherry with a white pepper finish.” I found this to be pretty aggressively styled and will benefit from some age to mellow the tannins and allow the wine to fully integrate but it is a dark, earthy style that is not typical for California. Flight 2 - A mixed bag of the World's Syrah 4 - 2006 Alesia Santa Lucia Highlands Ca Fairview Ranch Vineyard Syrah 14.25%  $60 Group # 7, my #1 This was the most polarizing wine ever in one of our blind tastings. Greg felt “ far and away the best of the flight with a spicy earthy nose” while Scott felt this was the “ worst wine by far, heavy sulfur on the nose and more sulfur on the palate.” Dave pretty much shared Scott’s take finding “ vinegar, sulfur and cat pee” on the nose but finding that the wine offered “ dark ripe fruit with coffee and chocolate notes.”  Mark also found some redeeming features in the wine, it’s “bright red fruit, huge acidity, medicinal and meaty” flavors with an “ earthy, mushroomy finish.” I thought this was just great, elegant, varietal pure and correct, lively and complex. Sure it’s got a lot of acid but isn’t that what we want in a wine? A polarizing wine indeed! 5 - 2006 Snoqualmie Columbia Valley Washington State Syrah 13.9% - $12 Groups #12, my #12 And just to keep thing unpredictable here we had unanimous consistency. Mike found the wine to be “very simple” which was pretty much the most complimentary thing anyone had to say. Cheryl noted that it smelled “like Mattel in a very bad way”, recalling the aroma of a particular era of Barbie doll, which lead to a brief discussion on which G I Joe would have been comparable, a discussion far more interesting than the wine! Justin had his politician’s cap on noting, “ there is nothing obnoxious here, some reduced flavors with a soft mouthfeel.” I found this to be insipid and amorphous. Nuff said. 6 - 2006 Luca Laborde Double Select Syrah Uco Valley Mendoza, Argentina 13.9%  $25   Groups #2, my #4 Here we had a fairly broad range of opinions and this finished in second place based on it’s showing as a few folks second and third place wine. It did not receive any first place votes so it sort of snuck in the back door. Mike was not a fan finding that this smelled “ like cough syrup” and noting “there’s not much good to find in it”. Greg Noted it was “ big, sweet, extracted and woody” Perhaps a better review but still not complimentary. Dave enjoyed the “ simple aromas of toasted red fruit” and found the wine to be “ very balanced and chewy with notes of white pepper and blueberry and a great finish.” Scott also found a lot to like noting “ there are nice red fruits here. This has best balance of the wines so far, nice full flavor, balance of dark fruit, oak, forest floor and a fairly lengthy finish,” I found this to be elegant, complex and complete. A well crafted surprise! Flight 3 - Santa Ynez Valley 7 - 2006 Stolpman Santa Ynez Valley Estate Syrah 15.1% $30 Group’s # 5, my #5 This wine also had some divergent views but perhaps less so. Scott felt this was part of the “Australian flight!” and did not enjoy the “ sweet, candied cough syrup” quality of the wine or “it’s alcoholic finish.’ On the other hand Cheryl “loved everything about this wine!’ It’s bright and sweet and reminds me of Watermelon Bonny Bell lip gloss!” Mike thought, “there’s a lot happening here, it’s a little awkward but it has a decent mouthfeel and nice, dusty black cherry fruit.” Justin found the nose to be “bright and fruity” but thought the palate “ was a bit watery and lacked concentration with a fruit rind bitterness on the end.”  To me this was proto-typical California Syrah and well done at that but the acid was a touch out of whack. 8 - 2005 Firestone Santa Ynez Valley California Syrah 13.5% $18  Group’s #11, my #11 This fell to the bottom of the heap based more on the relative strength of the other wines than through any fault of it’s own. As Dave put it “ this feels diluted and just fizzles on the palate.”  Greg was more complimentary noting “sweet vanilla and wood on the nose then a slightly acidic feel but this is nice and easy going.” Mark found the nose to be “tangy and a bit hot” which he also found on the palate but “with a nice leather character, the acids are refreshing and the long finish has some nice pepper. This is good.” Scott felt this was another “hit you over the head with sweet fruit” wine. He found “ blueberry pie, orange rind and a hint of rubber “ aromas with some “stewed tomatoes” on the palate feeling that there “was a lot up front but not enough in the back.” In contrast Mike found this to be “ the most elegant of the flight with black cherry, bacon and pepper on the nose and a nice dustiness on the finish. I like it.” I enjoyed the flavors of this wine but the structure felt very disjointed and left me flat. 9 - 2004 Zaca Mesa Santa Ynez Valley Ca Estate Syrah 14.5% $20 Group’s # 3, my #3 Initially Greg “disliked this wine. It smelled of gasoline, really reductive and a little hot” but as Mike noted “this came around in a big way.” Justin noted, “while this was a little funny at first it shows the most typicity and while it’s a touch oaky and alcoholic it has the best structure and concentration of the flight.”  Cheryl never got pas the “definition of bad nose” though she did find it “much better on the palate though it was watery in the middle and not very well knit together.” Dave found “strawberries, meat, herbal and burnt rubber notes” on the nose and though this was “kind of balanced if a little woody.” I thought this was youthful, balanced, complex and among the most interesting wines of the night, and a great value! Flight 4 10 - 2006 Dry Stack Cellars(aka Grey Stack) Dry Stack Vineyard Bennett Valley Ca- Marie’s Block Syrah 15.5% $40 Group’s #6, my #2 Here we had another divisive wine, what a surprise! Mike “hated it! It’s over-extracted beyond comprehension, I couldn’t even drink it.” Scott found “ a touch of sulfur, the sage and forest floor” notes on the nose and felt ‘ the flavors are almost over the top and there’s lots of alcohol that really take over the second half.” Or as Cheryl put it “ that’s a drown your sorrows wine!” Mark also found this “ extremely alcoholic, it took over and hit me on the head overpowering the medicinal, sharp, leather flavors.” Greg on the other hand commented on the “ meaty, spicy nose, I really like that note of clove here.” Justin found this “weird and exotic” and felt the “fruit flavors were really out there with marzipan, wild cherry candy and cotton candy notes.” This is an extreme style but I found the depth and balance bode well for positive development.  I can’t drink a lot of this or have it frequently but this was some well made power Syrah! 11 - 2006 Grey Stack- Dry Stack Vineyard - Bennett Valley Ca The Narcissist Syrah 15.8% $48 Group’s #9, my #10 While from the same winemaker and vintage this really presented a different side to California Syrah. While Cheryl felt “ this didn’t have a lot going on” she did not it was ‘easy like Sunday morning”. Greg found the nose to be “meaty and baconny, it even had a pine needle quality to it.” Scott also found bacon on the nose But with “ floral notes, cola, cherry and some vanilla.”  Mike found this to be “smooth on the palate with nice cherry and blueberry fruit, nothing objectionable.” To me this was a bit flabby and over-oaked with not much Syrah character and way too much wood spice. 12 - 2006 Four Vines Santa Barbara County Ca Los Alamos Vineyard- One Tree Hill Block Syrah 14.8% $36 Group’s #1, my # 7 Well we had to have a winner and this was it! Dave found the nose “medicinal but natural with violet, lilac and herbs. It felt really natural to me and fruity with cherry, cola and spice flavors.” Mark felt the “ lower alcohol helped the bright, medicinal nose with notes of licorice and red berries. It was crisp on the palate with black pepper and anise on the finish that carried through from the mid-palate.” Mike also found this to be “very medicinal but it’s not a negative element. It’s elegant and well structured, rich and chewy with a lot going for it.” Justin thought it was “pretty full bodied with walnut and cherry flavors, a little leather, some bell peppers but it kind of tailed off after awhile.” Greg enjoyed the “ super-ripe fruit, vegetal notes on the finish and lingering smoky flavor.” Scott was the lone dissenter in the group adding, “ I really didn’t like this, it smells wooly and of camphor. That chemical, medicinal thing followed through on the palate with brown sugar and cherry flavors. This was very disjointed. “ I sort of agreed. This was not my style of wine at all, too ft and creamy for me, but it was well made and intense without really being over the top, for California Syrah. Gregory Dal Piaz is the Community Manager at Snooth, an avid Wine Geek with a passion for things Italian, and a long suffering Mets fan.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Syrah PTP by Gregory Dal Piaz

  
  

• January 2009

  Syrah PTP In coordination with Snooth's Global Tasting initiative I scheduled our Panel Tasting Program blind event this past week as a focus on Syrah, California Syrah to be specific. With every PTP there tends to be a few wines at both end of the spectrum that are really divisive.... Read moreSyrah PTP In coordination with Snooth's Global Tasting initiative I scheduled our Panel Tasting Program blind event this past week as a focus on Syrah, California Syrah to be specific. With every PTP there tends to be a few wines at both end of the spectrum that are really divisive. This weeks event was no different and in fact several of the wines really polarized the group with people voting for a certain wine as either their favorite or their least favorite without much middle ground. A surprising result, especially since I was one who named this wine my #1! But that is the way things go sometimes and why it is so important to assemble a panel with diverse interests and palates. One lesson I hope people come away from after participating in or reading about our tastings is that there simply is no “right” palate. Everyone needs to come to their own conclusions as to how the wines taste to them. That is simply the only thing that really counts. Relying on critics can be helpful, especially when one is only just getting in to wine, but once you've found your style finding additional wines that excite you is something only you can do. It can be argued that this is exactly why professional critics are needed, they bring some consistency to the marketplace. Of course that is simply not true. They may bring the consistency of their views but as this panel has shown that will only correlate with a segment of the market, and another equally large segment might very well have diametrically opposed views. So what can one do, well read as much as possible, find people whose palates seem to match well with yours, and try, try, try! Snooth Panel Tasting Program - where we try, try, try. You might notice that this weeks PTP photos are of the bottles after the tasting. Just for fun I thought we might want to illustrate which bottles had seemn the most demand and whether that actually correlated to our most highly rated bottles. The answers are inconclusive but it was a fun excersize none-the-less. The Players Mike - Wine enthusiast Cheryl - Wine enthusiast Greg - Wine professional Justin - Wine professional Scott - Wine professional Mark - Wine enthusiast Dave - Wine enthusiast And me your humble scribe. Flight 1 - postcards from Napa 1 - 2006 Neyers Napa Valley Ca - Hudson Vineyards Syrah 14.1% $40 Groups #8, my #8 There was a fair amount of consensus on this wine with virtually everyone commenting on the growing sweetness of the wine as it breathed. Greg Justin and Scott all felt that it turned too sweet with Justin initially liking “the sweet blackberry nose” but being turned off by the wine turning “syrupy and bitter on the finish”. For Greg this wine “went from being my favorite of the flight to least favorite… it turns too sweet on the finish.”  Cheryl and Mark were the wines biggest proponents and while Cheryl felt it turned “a little sweeter with air” it also become “ fruitier with nice wood, dark fruits and a little pepper.” Mark felt the heat “ took a bit away from it” but noted that it was “potent with ripe cherry, licorice and leather.”  I found it polished and a bit simple but well balanced. 2 - 2004 Burgess Napa Valley Syrah 14.7% $20 Groups #4, my #6 This wine was a bit more divisive with Mike finding “a little candy on the nose but the palate is nice with nice structure, red fruits and vanilla notes. A fairly nice wine” Scott also found “forward aromas of black berry, vanilla and cola”, but thought the wine, while “ texturally very smooth is linear and not very deep, pleasant but not much to it.” Both Justin and Greg noted a bit of an herbal note on the nose and commented on the tannins sticking out. This was a bit simple but I found it to be well built to highlight the bright, pure fruit. 3 - 2005 LaTour Vineyards Napa Valley Ca Syrah 14.8% $26.50 Groups #10 my # 9 This wine was a bit of an odd bird with its powerful, dark, earthy character. Cheryl “didn't care for this, its earthy and barnyardy, green in the middle and drying.” Dave found similar traits of “mushrooms, and earth” and Commented on “the tannic structure but this opens nicely with black cherries.” Mark “thought the nose was light but this has a rough bite of tannins followed up by medicinal, herbaceous eucalyptus, menthol notes in the mouth.” Scott also found “medicinal, chemically, eucalyptus flavors with dark fruits and a little earth” on the nose and felt the “flavors were smoky cherry with a white pepper finish.” I found this to be pretty aggressively styled and will benefit from some age to mellow the tannins and allow the wine to fully integrate but it is a dark, earthy style that is not typical for California. Flight 2 - A mixed bag of the World's Syrah 4 - 2006 Alesia Santa Lucia Highlands Ca Fairview Ranch Vineyard Syrah 14.25%  $60 Group # 7, my #1 This was the most polarizing wine ever in one of our blind tastings. Greg felt “ far and away the best of the flight with a spicy earthy nose” while Scott felt this was the “ worst wine by far, heavy sulfur on the nose and more sulfur on the palate.” Dave pretty much shared Scott's take finding “ vinegar, sulfur and cat pee” on the nose but finding that the wine offered “ dark ripe fruit with coffee and chocolate notes.”  Mark also found some redeeming features in the wine, it's “bright red fruit, huge acidity, medicinal and meaty” flavors with an “ earthy, mushroomy finish.” I thought this was just great, elegant, varietal pure and correct, lively and complex. Sure it's got a lot of acid but isn't that what we want in a wine? A polarizing wine indeed! 5 - 2006 Snoqualmie Columbia Valley Washington State Syrah 13.9% - $12 Groups #12, my #12 And just to keep thing unpredictable here we had unanimous consistency. Mike found the wine to be “very simple” which was pretty much the most complimentary thing anyone had to say. Cheryl noted that it smelled “like Mattel in a very bad way”, recalling the aroma of a particular era of Barbie doll, which lead to a brief discussion on which G I Joe would have been comparable, a discussion far more interesting than the wine! Justin had his politician's cap on noting, “ there is nothing obnoxious here, some reduced flavors with a soft mouthfeel.” I found this to be insipid and amorphous. Nuff said. 6 - 2006 Luca Laborde Double Select Syrah Uco Valley Mendoza, Argentina 13.9%  $25   Groups #2, my #4 Here we had a fairly broad range of opinions and this finished in second place based on it's showing as a few folks second and third place wine. It did not receive any first place votes so it sort of snuck in the back door. Mike was not a fan finding that this smelled “ like cough syrup” and noting “there's not much good to find in it”. Greg Noted it was “ big, sweet, extracted and woody” Perhaps a better review but still not complimentary. Dave enjoyed the “ simple aromas of toasted red fruit” and found the wine to be “ very balanced and chewy with notes of white pepper and blueberry and a great finish.” Scott also found a lot to like noting “ there are nice red fruits here. This has best balance of the wines so far, nice full flavor, balance of dark fruit, oak, forest floor and a fairly lengthy finish,” I found this to be elegant, complex and complete. A well crafted surprise! Flight 3 - Santa Ynez Valley 7 - 2006 Stolpman Santa Ynez Valley Estate Syrah 15.1% $30 Group's # 5, my #5 This wine also had some divergent views but perhaps less so. Scott felt this was part of the “Australian flight!” and did not enjoy the “ sweet, candied cough syrup” quality of the wine or “it's alcoholic finish.' On the other hand Cheryl “loved everything about this wine!' It's bright and sweet and reminds me of Watermelon Bonny Bell lip gloss!” Mike thought, “there's a lot happening here, it's a little awkward but it has a decent mouthfeel and nice, dusty black cherry fruit.” Justin found the nose to be “bright and fruity” but thought the palate “ was a bit watery and lacked concentration with a fruit rind bitterness on the end.”  To me this was proto-typical California Syrah and well done at that but the acid was a touch out of whack. 8 - 2005 Firestone Santa Ynez Valley California Syrah 13.5% $18  Group's #11, my #11 This fell to the bottom of the heap based more on the relative strength of the other wines than through any fault of it's own. As Dave put it “ this feels diluted and just fizzles on the palate.”  Greg was more complimentary noting “sweet vanilla and wood on the nose then a slightly acidic feel but this is nice and easy going.” Mark found the nose to be “tangy and a bit hot” which he also found on the palate but “with a nice leather character, the acids are refreshing and the long finish has some nice pepper. This is good.” Scott felt this was another “hit you over the head with sweet fruit” wine. He found “ blueberry pie, orange rind and a hint of rubber “ aromas with some “stewed tomatoes” on the palate feeling that there “was a lot up front but not enough in the back.” In contrast Mike found this to be “ the most elegant of the flight with black cherry, bacon and pepper on the nose and a nice dustiness on the finish. I like it.” I enjoyed the flavors of this wine but the structure felt very disjointed and left me flat. 9 - 2004 Zaca Mesa Santa Ynez Valley Ca Estate Syrah 14.5% $20 Group's # 3, my #3 Initially Greg “disliked this wine. It smelled of gasoline, really reductive and a little hot” but as Mike noted “this came around in a big way.” Justin noted, “while this was a little funny at first it shows the most typicity and while it's a touch oaky and alcoholic it has the best structure and concentration of the flight.”  Cheryl never got pas the “definition of bad nose” though she did find it “much better on the palate though it was watery in the middle and not very well knit together.” Dave found “strawberries, meat, herbal and burnt rubber notes” on the nose and though this was “kind of balanced if a little woody.” I thought this was youthful, balanced, complex and among the most interesting wines of the night, and a great value! Flight 4 10 - 2006 Dry Stack Cellars(aka Grey Stack) Dry Stack Vineyard Bennett Valley Ca- Marie's Block Syrah 15.5% $40 Group's #6, my #2 Here we had another divisive wine, what a surprise! Mike “hated it! It's over-extracted beyond comprehension, I couldn't even drink it.” Scott found “ a touch of sulfur, the sage and forest floor” notes on the nose and felt ‘ the flavors are almost over the top and there's lots of alcohol that really take over the second half.” Or as Cheryl put it “ that's a drown your sorrows wine!” Mark also found this “ extremely alcoholic, it took over and hit me on the head overpowering the medicinal, sharp, leather flavors.” Greg on the other hand commented on the “ meaty, spicy nose, I really like that note of clove here.” Justin found this “weird and exotic” and felt the “fruit flavors were really out there with marzipan, wild cherry candy and cotton candy notes.” This is an extreme style but I found the depth and balance bode well for positive development.  I can't drink a lot of this or have it frequently but this was some well made power Syrah! 11 - 2006 Grey Stack- Dry Stack Vineyard - Bennett Valley Ca The Narcissist Syrah 15.8% $48 Group's #9, my #10 While from the same winemaker and vintage this really presented a different side to California Syrah. While Cheryl felt “ this didn't have a lot going on” she did not it was ‘easy like Sunday morning”. Greg found the nose to be “meaty and baconny, it even had a pine needle quality to it.” Scott also found bacon on the nose But with “ floral notes, cola, cherry and some vanilla.”  Mike found this to be “smooth on the palate with nice cherry and blueberry fruit, nothing objectionable.” To me this was a bit flabby and over-oaked with not much Syrah character and way too much wood spice. 12 - 2006 Four Vines Santa Barbara County Ca Los Alamos Vineyard- One Tree Hill Block Syrah 14.8% $36 Group's #1, my # 7 Well we had to have a winner and this was it! Dave found the nose “medicinal but natural with violet, lilac and herbs. It felt really natural to me and fruity with cherry, cola and spice flavors.” Mark felt the “ lower alcohol helped the bright, medicinal nose with notes of licorice and red berries. It was crisp on the palate with black pepper and anise on the finish that carried through from the mid-palate.” Mike also found this to be “very medicinal but it's not a negative element. It's elegant and well structured, rich and chewy with a lot going for it.” Justin thought it was “pretty full bodied with walnut and cherry flavors, a little leather, some bell peppers but it kind of tailed off after awhile.” Greg enjoyed the “ super-ripe fruit, vegetal notes on the finish and lingering smoky flavor.” Scott was the lone dissenter in the group adding, “ I really didn't like this, it smells wooly and of camphor. That chemical, medicinal thing followed through on the palate with brown sugar and cherry flavors. This was very disjointed. “ I sort of agreed. This was not my style of wine at all, too ft and creamy for me, but it was well made and intense without really being over the top, for California Syrah. Gregory Dal Piaz is the Community Manager at Snooth, an avid Wine Geek with a passion for things Italian, and a long suffering Mets fan.    (hide)

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