Dusty Hill Winery

• January 2010

  Top Picks from 2009 Now that a new year is upon us, it’s time to reflect a bit on the wines tasted, and enjoyed, throughout 2009. Everyone publishes their list of top wines, heck just last Friday we published a couple of lists, but about what interested you,... Read more Top Picks from 2009 Now that a new year is upon us, it’s time to reflect a bit on the wines tasted, and enjoyed, throughout 2009. Everyone publishes their list of top wines, heck just last Friday we published a couple of lists, but about what interested you, the Snooth user. Today I want to take a look back at what interested me. I’ve put together some lists, grouped by grape variety, of wines that were not only great, but that are also available on your retailer’s shelves. These are the wines I want to buy again, or that get filed in the deepest recesses of my brain to be referenced when I’m faced with a particularly puzzling restaurant wine list. I’m not saying these are anything but some of my favorites. I think it’s a pretty good list, full of some surprising selections in many cases, but always open to discussion. Not with me, I chose them after all! So without further ado my many Wines of the Year, in no particular order. One of the Year's Best Buys This will not come as a surprise to anyone who knows me. I am a certifiable Nebbiolo freak. I love the grape and the wines, but the prices have gotten a bit out of hand lately. I always suggest that people turn to the best Nebbiolo d'Alba for the greatest values, but when a meticulous, artisanal producer starts offering Barolo from the village of Serralunga at a rock bottom price, well lets just say it's a great way to get my attention, and my wallet open. 2004 Guido Porro Barolo Vigna Santa Caterina Priced from $31.99 This was wonderfully fresh on the nose with heather floral tones and whisps of wild strawberry emerging with some air yet with time the floral elements took control of the aromatics and added a base of cigarette smoke, oily coffee beans and spearmint that was compelling... See page 2 for all of my favorite Nebbiolo wines Pinot Noir Tops My List In trimming each of my lists to fit this email the one I had the greatest difficulty with was the Pinot Noir list. There is simply a ton of great Pinot coming from around the world. I think my favorite Pinot of the year has to be the utterly surprising 2007 Johan Estate from Oregon. Sadly it seems that this particular wine is now sold out, so I did not include it on my list. If you happen to find a bottle, grab it! It's a real treat! 2008 Felton Road Central Otago Pinot Noir Priced from $32.99 Lightly smoky and earthy on the nose with watermelon and spicy cherry fruit that has a light candied cranberry tone. Fairly lightly bodied though juicy and transparent in the mouth with spicy mineral tones giving the wine an almost salty tinge that adds to the subtle... See page 3 for my favorite Pinots Cabernet Sauvignon Rounds out the Top Three Cabernet Sauvignon is still king of the red wine world. So many of the wines really are great, but the prices of the best, from California to Bordeaux, have become difficult to deal with. One great find this year that did not make my list is the 2005 Sausal Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. If I could have found it at retail it would have gotten top billing, a truly delicious California Cabernet that recalls the great wines of the past, at a very affordable price. Until it shows up on the retail shelves I guess we'll have to make due. 2006 Trinitas Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon Priced from $38.59 Intense yet fine with plenty of oak but strong black currant, tomato leaf , licorice, vanilla and mint tones. Lovely mouthfeel, rigid with a touch of woody sweetness and wonderfully pure fruit. The tannins are modest and a touch stiff but in proportion and well balanced... See page 4 for all of my favorite Cabernet based wines My Top wines of the Year Nebbiolo - Page 2 Pinot Noir - Page 3 Cabernet- Page 4 Zinfandel - Page 5 Sangiovese - Page 6 Syrah and Rhone Blends - Page 7 White Wines - Page 8 The Best of the Rest - Page 9 [PAGEBREAK] Guido Porro Barolo "Vigna Santa Caterina" 2004 This was wonderfully fresh on the nose with heather floral tones and whisps of wild strawberry emerging with some air yet with time the floral elements took control of the aromatics and added a base of cigarette smoke, oily coffee beans and spearmint that was compelling. Polished and broad in the mouth with wonderfully fresh strawberry fruit and elegant notes of anise and herbs, this remains lithe and refreshing in the mouth. Air adds to the power here, introducing a touch of pruniness and the fruit turns darker but retains a seamlessness and purity that is very attractive. A wonderful bottle of Barolo 93pts. Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco Santo Stefano 2004 This offers astounding purity on the nose with a high toned appeal that melds jammy wild blackberry fruit with spicy soil tones and a touch of sweet wood. Structured and tough in the mouth with a seamless feel though packed with tannins. The tannins are so ripe and the wine so full of fruit that this is rich and flannelly in the mouth before the wine begins to close in the glass. Fine balance and deep balsamic tones accentuate the fruit and leads to a long, savory sweet finish. 96pts Oddero Barolo Bussia Soprano Vigna Mondoca 2004 The smoky nose opens slowly revealing a bit of Ivy, some gravel dust, fresh green herbs then darker notes of old wood, dried flowers and subtle dried fruit tones. 3+ Round with a big, powerful entry very ripe tannins and excellent supporting acidity 3 Great intensity of flavor in the mouth weight any excess weight, melon rind and spicy almost gooseberry fruits that develops a more red fruited aspect with time yet retains the spicy, almost exotic edge 3 Very focused finish with great intensity of mineral tones and huge reserves of fruit on the long, lingering finale-3. 95pts Burlotto Barolo Cannubi 2004 100% Lampia clone from vines averaging 20 years old. 15 days maceration in tini, temperature controlled if needed, Aged 10 months in small, 3-5 HL, French oak barrels where Malolactic fermentation takes place. Aged an additional 20 months in botte. Slightly liquory fruit at first with a touch of fresh sawdust on the nose then turning very sweetly fruited and expressive with handfuls of freshly picked aromatic herbs, sandy soil tones, bright spicy red fruits, ever so jammy currants, sharp notes of dry, white soil, beautifully perfumed. A powerful yet elegant expression in the mouth with great structural balance that support a rich core of red fruits with a subtle medicinal edge. Very aromatic in the mouth with almost spearminty sweet herbs, dark spice notes and an edge of fennel. This offers up an impressive core of sweet-tart wild cherry fruit that shines brightly on the finish accentuated by subtle fennel seed and bitter cherry pit tones. Classic Barolo in need of 5-7 years in the cellar 93pts. Castello di Neive Barbaresco Santo Stefano 2004 Smoky on the nose with a deep earthen spice and limestone notes. The fruit is still tight on the nose but in the mouth this unfurls seamlessly with fine elegance and low key fruit that is tight and unyielding but builds on the backend with a wonderfully richly fruited finish. thus deserves a few more years in bottle or several hours in a decanter but is super stuff! 92pts [PAGEBREAK]Pinot Noir Johan Vineyards Pinot Noir Estate 2007 At first the nose seems dominate by oak influence with vanilla and spice tones but with time the earthy fruit begins to rise from the glass. Earthy and stemmy with lots of cola and root beer, this lacks some focus. Very fresh feeling with a natural quality to the fruit supported by big structural elements, the palate impression of this wine is certainly different than what the nose promises. Wild berry tones on the palate are a touch gamy and sauvage with earth and spices tones playing supporting roles. This pushes through with a bright and assertively refreshing finish. Give it another year though it’s excellent today. 90pt Felton Road Pinot Noir Central Otago 2008 Lightly smoky and earthy on the nose with watermelon and spicy cherry fruit that has a light candied cranberry tone. Fairly lightly bodied though juicy and transparent in the mouth with spicy mineral tones giving the wine an almost salty tinge that adds to the subtle stemmy and floral complexity of the wine. 92pts Domaine des Lambrays Morey St. Denis 2005 Very floral and sweet on the nose with cherry, mint and a light medicinal character that continues to gain sweetness in the glass and has great complexity revealing deep soil spice tones and a lovely violet pastille top note. In the mouth this is soft and rich and packed with sweet fruit that has a melony freshness to it. Deep, dark mineral tone weave through the fruit and offer compelling length on the finish. Very fine and drinking well though this has the potential to move up a notch with half a decades cellaring 94pts. Holdredge Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2007 Sweet and a touch overtly woody at first with a bit of Grenache like garrigue, dirt, red flowers, a touch of toast and hot iron over a reticent core of very fresh cherry. With air really gains Pinot typicity with a dusty minerality and subtle redwood and sappy accents to the red fruit. Soft and almost viscous tasting, but feeling fine and elegant, though the wine does seem to ooze across the palate a bit. Very fine tannin and a fair bit of them. Very autumnal top notes, dried herbs, leaves, tea, touch of caramel apple, dark spicy black cherry with a touch of ludens cough drop to it. Good transparency with real lush ripeness to the flavors. Turns sappy and twiggy on the finish, which has an assertive mineral cut. Very perfumed on the very long finish but without a lot of intensity. Classic Pinot. 93pts Domaine des Lambrays Morey St. Denis 2005 Very floral and sweet on the nose with cherry, mint and a light medicinal character that continues to gain sweetness in the glass and has great complexity revealing deep soil spice tones and a lovely violet pastille top note. In the mouth this is soft and rich and packed with sweet fruit that has a melony freshness to it. Deep, dark mineral tone weave through the fruit and offer compelling length on the finish. Very fine and drinking well though this has the potential to move up a notch with half a decades cellaring 94pts. Antica Terra Pinot Noir Oregon 2006 Awesome aromatics with a beefy, black pepper tinged core that is accented by slight cola notes and lovely sweet/savory Burgundian fruit. On entry this seems a bit muddled with it's earthy presentation but quickly sorts itself out as the mid-palate brings together that earthiness with a bit of roast meat juiciness allowing the wild blackberry fruit to pop in all it's organic, herbal tinged glory. Finishes with good length and deep, dark fruit tones set off by a pumpkin pie spice note. Unusual and delicious. 93pts Melville Estate Pinot Noir 2008 Fantastic on the nose with animal fur, spicy, green herbs and stems, and incredible lift and height. This is a particular expression of Pinot that certain has its followers and dramatic appeal. There’s plenty of fruit lurking under the engagingly high-toned aromatics in the black raspberry and slightly boysenberry toned register. This is smooth and rich with rich strawberry and raspberry toned fruit that has a dusting of cocoa with a real deep core of wonderfully ripe fruit that has a lively, vegetal, rhubarb edge to it. . The finish is still a bit rough with tannin and acid poking out but the fruit is pure, fresh and nicely complex. 93pts Foley Estates Vineyard and Winery Pinot Noir Rancho Santa Rosa 2007 Very floral at first with a light, whispery character that gains a soft, lightly vanilla and tamarind-scented edge to the soft strawberry fruit. There are backing notes of mocha, oaken spice that gain intensity but don’t cover the fruit. Silken on the palate with stealthy tannins and wonderfully supportive acids that keep the slight herb and cocoa toned cherry and strawberry fruit fresh and lively across the palate. Really very fruity on the backend yet with a refreshing slight green edge that yields to some more oak spice and some obvious, yet integrated wood tannins. This should benefit from another year or two in bottle but is already delicious and very well balanced with impressive length to the finish. 92pts [PAGEBREAK]Cabernet Sauvignon Based Wines Sausal Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 A wonderfully fruit driven nose with deep, smoky, dried chili notes, leafy ripe black currant fruit, hints of black olive, leather, dill, and crushed flowers and just the faintest traces of oaken spice. A bit light on the palate with fresh red fruits topped with green herbs and sweet bell pepper tones. This lacks some of the complexity found on the nose but offers up a refreshingly pure mouthful of slightly minty, slightly herbaceous, coffee tinged, unabashedly Cabernet fruit and finishes with the fuzzy mouthgrab of fruit tannin. 91pts Trinitas Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 Intense yet fine with plenty of oak but strong black currant, tomato leaf , licorice, vanilla and mint tones. Lovely mouthfeel, rigid with a touch of woody sweetness and wonderfully pure fruit. The tannins are modest and a touch stiff but in proportion and well balanced allowing the pure fruit tones to take center stage. This is not a powerhouse but a well balanced, well focused bottle of cab that recalls some of the classic wines of the 80’s and shows very little sign of the formidable 14.9% alcohol. 93pts. Château Cos-d'Estournel St.-Estèphe 2001 A bit of woody sweetness greets the nose with woodspice notes well integrated into the core of fresh black currants, dried chilies, and a hint of crushed flowers. The aromas here are amazingly well defined. Explosive freshness greets the palate with those silky tannins giving this good breadth but the height in the mouth is profound. It still has a hint of buttered herbs but the core of bitter cherry and black currant fruit powers thought e mid-palate leaving the backend saturated in slightly minty crème de cassis tones with hints of juniper and spice on the long finish. The integration here already is quite remarkable and the tension the wine retains is profound. A great bottle of Bordeaux in the making. 96pts Malk Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District 2006 Black olive, black currant, intensely aromatic, milk chocolate, roast beef, lots of paprika and coriander spices. Like velvet on entry, good acidy very well concealed tannins, tons of plush, vanilla and cinnamon scented fruit. This is super refined, very fresh and a fruit bomb without the fat and weight of most fruit bombs. This is very easy to drink with a broadly appealing style and a structure that is soft enough to allow this to be enjoyed on it’s own but substantial enough to benefit from food. Really nice length on the fruity, spicy finish. 94pts Monsanto Nemo Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in 100% new barrique Adult candy, that’s what this smells like. It’s got a nice hint of underbrush followed by ripe black currant fruits edged in pencil lead and herbs in a cool, precise register. On the palate this is rich but not unctuous with a seamless fell that carries the dense fruit effortlessly across the palate. The ripe fruit tones are framed with slightly spicy notes of cinnamon and cigar box on the back end. This has exceptional balance, nothing sticks out, there is no excess fat or weight and no sign of the heat of the vintage. It’s still youthful so there is a touch of tannin to resolve and the finish ends with a bit more oak spice than I would like but that should all work itself out in after a year or three in the cellar. While I am not usually a fan of Tuscan Cabernet this ranks among the best of its type. 94pts Boyd Cantenac 2005 This is just classic Bordeaux. Big and deep on the nose with classic cassis, deep earthy tones and well integrated spice tones from the wood ageing all in harmony. In the mouth there are tons of fuzzy fruit tannins and good acidity supporting a mass of plush ripe fruit. This may lack a touch of Margaux typicity, though that may come with time, but the cassis and wild black raspberry fruit is complemented by lovely notes of earth and mineral with an animale note on the back end that keeps this just a touch sauvage. A bit of refreshing acidity pokes out on the finish which is long and very pure with a touch of wood spice return on the finale. Compelling bordeaux and at great value in this vintage. Bordeaux as it used to be! This should live a long and storied life. 2013-2030 95pts [PAGEBREAK]Zinfandel Ravenswood Old Hill Zinfandel 2004 Lovely on the nose with it's array of earthy tones and purple berry fruits. Classic Old Hill in a great vintage. This has all the depth of fruit one could ask for. It's got superb, abundant yet ripe, sweet tannins backing everything up. Just about as good as Zinfandel gets. The depth here is married to phenomenal freshness and focus. 95pts Howell Mountain Vineyards Zinfandel Beatty Ranch 2005 Intensely dark fruited aromatics greet the nose with a very powerful backdrop of earth, mineral, brambly, and oak tones. Really evolves in the glass revealing notes of dried herb, dried flowers and rocky, shale notes to the pomegranate and grenadine fruit. Shows surprising restraint in the mouth with excellent focus and precision. The acid is bright and the tannins are fine-grained allowing the deep core of dark yet fresh plummy fruit to come to the fore. There is a lurking touch of peach nectar and vanilla but the fruit is accented by expressive spice and soil tones. A well behaved monster of a Zin with the structure and balance to reward cellaring Finishes with good length if a touch clumsy due to the youthful tannins. A bit of buttery wood lingers on the finale. 92pts Neyers Zinfandel High Valley Vineyards 2006 Fine fruit here with plum tones wrapping up some vanillin and fine French oak, smell expensive and refined. There are nice notes of fudgy chocolate and deep, dark blue and black fruits on the nose with a bit of earth, spice and pencil shavings on the edges. Wow this enters with admirable precision for such a big wine. Very well put together and layered with a cool, composed personality and seductive feel. Nice small, tight berry fruit with notes of spice, and herb breaking up the matteness and a touch of caramelly wood spice but there’s plenty of fruit to stand up to it. This is deep and precise with a sophisticated feel. Claret style Zin at it’s finest. Really nice finish is sneaky with subtle, almost grapy fruit and lovely integration. 93pts Kunde Estate Winery & Vineyards Reserve Century Vines Zinfandel 2005 Very earthy on the nose with great briar tones, woodsy and even a touch feral with a whiff of mushroom adding complexity to the melon rind and pomegranate fruits. There is a lovely campfire note complete with toasted marshmallow. This is so rich in the mouth yet retains elegance due to the fine acidity and superb, ripe and polished tannins. This has the subtle power of old vines and while the red cherry fruit with it’s hint of watermelon may not have the spice or power of many other Zins the depth and jewel-like quality to the fruit is absolutely compelling. The finish offers up a bit spicier and allows the density of the tannins to build but this is just a fabulous bottle of Zinfandel. 94pts Carol Shelton Zinfandel Rocky Reserve Rockpile Vineyard 2005 Big and fruit bomb nose with intense orange peel and stewy raspberry fruit that is quite complex with tones of vanilla and game accenting the fruit. Gains in the glass adding toasted hazelnut, bitter cocoa and earth, clove tinged baked plum fruits. Surprisingly lean on entry with an intense attack of very spicy fruits and fine herbal top notes. The mid-palate reveals a core of sweet, earthy fruit rich with strawberry and raspberry tones. In a lighter style with lots of polished tannins and while it is a bit lean it really speaks with excellent soil tones. Lacks the chewy weight of many Zins but makes up for it with a fine, elegant feel and remarkably transparent red fruits. 94pts [PAGEBREAK]Sangiovese Tenuta Sette Ponti Crognolo 2007 Reticent on the nose but obviously deep and layered with slow to emerge jammy, spicy fruit with a nuance of oaky cocoa and a touch of a tarry, very extracted tone. In the mouth this is rich and powerful with ripe, precise fruit that shows fine balance and good mineral cut. With air this gains a lovely black cherry tone with some youthfully chalky tannins that don’t detract from the wine and add length to the finish. 92pts Querciabella Chianti Classico DOCG 2006 This has a textbook nose of cherry, mineral, moss, tobacco and leather with woodsy undertones. On the palate this is elegant and silky with rich raspberry fruit touched with subtle hints of earth and herbs. The fruit has a nice crystallized edge to it and wonderful purity and cut finishing with a hint of mint. 92pts Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva 2006 90% Sangiovese/ 10% Canaiolo and Colorino Aged in Barrique, 25% of which were new. This is intensely aromatic with a strong rosemary/balsamic note that adds a lovely counterpoint to the red currant and candied red raspberry fruit tones. There are top notes of violet pastille and a whisper of vanilla adding gentle edges to the fruit. On the palate this has the classic rush of Sangiovese acids followed by juicy, wild strawberry fruit flecked with earth, herbs and mineral tones. There’s a slight roast meat savoriness to the mid-palate, with finely textured tannins adding some nice weight to the slightly under-ripe strawberry tones of the back end. This gains a little creaminess on the finish but end with a nice snap. 92pts Pedroncelli Winery & Vineyards Alto Vineyards Dry Creek Valley Sangiovese 2005 This has a great raw character, it’s a bit too woody but the light sour cherry,spice, herb and fruit notes are both intense and distinctive. There is a stoniness that is mouth watering and lovely notes of mushroom and watermelon accents the fruit. Lean on entry with great acidity and a nice mineral cut to the cherry pie filling fruit. Impressive length and surprisingly complex with herb and spice notes, Perhaps a touch rustic though the good acids and tannins are well balanced, excellent austerity with a zest cherry finish. This has real Sangiovese character though many might want more body and a bit less herbal character. 91pts Boscarelli Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2006 The nose here is a bit on the subtle side with a slightly medicinal edge to the candied blackberry fruit with hints of burnt beef fat. On the palate this offers up crisp tannins in a light, bright, energetic feeling medium bodied wine that is very precisely balanced. The fruit is wonderfully fresh with a wild berry edge that tightens up admirably on the finish yet remains elegant and unforced. It’s light on its feet and holds it’s 14% alcohol effortlessly. Lovely wine. 92pts [PAGEBREAK]Syrah and Rhone Blends Alain Graillot Crozes-Hermitage 2006 Very fine on the nose with superb purity to the syrah fruit with blackberry, floral/herbal nuance, granitic minerality and a touch of wood. Very well balanced in the mouth with bright red fruits given good thrust by the bright, juicy acids, finishes a bit short and tight at this point with lovely cranberry fruit in a lean, sinewy package. There is good stuffing here but it is tightly wound. 92pts Château de Beaucastel Côtes du Rhône Coudoulet de Beaucastel 2005 As usual Coudoulet punches well above it's price class! This is so well framed with the assertive structure of 2005 wrapped in a deep flannelly blanket of spicy plum fruits. There are nice mineral, floral and earthen notes here but this is really about wonderfully pure, deep fruit. I love Coudoulet with some age on, I just, regrettably, finished my stash of 1998s which were absolutely singing. In a world where $50 Cheateauneuf have become the norm this remain a serious bargain. 91pts Qupé Syrah "Bien Nacido" 2006 A distinctively styled Syrah with plenty of peppery notes on the nose as well as hints of grilled meats and crushed autumnal flowers. In the mouth there is a lovely snap to the youthful texture and real depth here. The flavors range from slightly stringent red apple skins to juicier wild red berries but remain rather elegant and particularly fresh with a lovely finish of middle eastern spices and sapwood. This will benefit from several years in the cellar. 93pts Ojai Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard 2005 funky sweaty leather, intense, earthy, savory escargot, some raw coconutty wood here, boysenberry juice, lots of forest floor. Great complexity with only a subtle fruitiness. Very finely focused in the mouth with lots of soft tannins and finely integrated acids supporting soft, almost grapy, slightly peppery black raspberry fruit. This is rather agile on the palate for such a big wine. This has a slightly raw feel to it and will definitely benefit from another 2-4 years in the bottle. There’s a very attractive herbal note on the back end that contrasts nicely against fruit and the finish is a mélange of apple, pomegranate and boysenberry fruits that are fresh, pure and long with a hint of that sweet/sour jolly ranch character. 93pts Capel Vale Shiraz Regional South West Australia Margaret River 2005 A wonderfully intriguing nose sets this apart from many Shiraz. There's the typical notes of fruit and spice but underlying it all is a taut floral note and the whole thing is just so well focused and balanced that I keep coming back for another sniff. That focus translates wonderfully to the palate where this achieve a wonderful sense of harmony among the components and lets the very clear blackberry and boysenberry fruit really take center stage. This is just lovely, balanced and with the subtle evolving complexity of a great wine. 94pts [PAGEBREAK]White Wines Cliff Lede Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley 2008 What a lovely nose, packed with fresh pineapple, passion fruit and lime tones that are backed with hints of cactus and a whisper of vanilla. There are even emergent notes of red raspberries playing in the mix. Great focus right up front with a rich but linear style that plays off the excellent balance in the mouth. There’s a touch of fresh almond nuttiness right up front then rich flavors of Asian pear, minerals, and apricot croissant that end with a zesty and yet ever so creamy finish. This would be an excellent wine with a holiday roast Turkey but should work exceptionally well with a broad range of foods. 94pts Belle Pente Pinot Gris Reserve 2006 A wild nose, gorgeous slightly honied fruit nose, yes its hot but so rich with great wax, incense, dried orchard fruits pressed flower and forest floor tones, noticeably sweet with plenty of acid to balance it, deep dried pear and spiced peach tones with honied pineapple nuances on the quite thick and powerful but still elegant, mid-plate with deep honey notes on the backend that dips a bit on the finish but has a nice balsamic toned dried apricot finale. Big rich sweet and delicious, bring on the foie! 94pts Kick On Riesling 2007 At first a reticent nose, what is here is lightly honeyed, with nice pressed floral tones, very elegant and very retrained, there is some real salty minerality that grows on the nose with emerging notes of petrol, quince paste, dusty stones and a hint of vitamin. Very fine entry, big acids but fairly well integrated, nice finesse in the mouth with some rather subtle but intense mandarin orange, almost quince, mineral and a huge almost salty mineral finish, then some peach pit and lime pith note, absolutely lovely stuff. I wine I want to drink more of. 92pts Coenobium "Rusticum" 2007 Very big VA right off the bat tbut that is followed by herbs, chalk, leather, roasted chestnut, salty prosciutto tones all over a lovely balsamic base. Bright and crisp in the mouth with nice sprightly tannins up front that are quickly subsumed by the candied, burnt orange rind fruit and biting mineral tones that linger on the exceptionally long finish. Great balance and finesse here with everything in place. 94pts Von Hövel Oberemmeler Hütte Riesling Kabinett 2007 Sharp and dusty on the nose this offers up a balanced array of crisp orchard fruits with notes of apple and unripe peach above the base of dusty earth. Sweet and broad on the attack before the lemon and green apple tones burst through in a bolt of crisp, lean freshness. The finish here is focused and very acid driven giving the impression of a zesty, racy wine but one that is brilliant! Offers lovely Kabinettiness! Drink 2009-2016 92pts Stuhlmuller Vineyards Alexander Valley Estate Chardonnay 2007 A lovely nose with nuanced honey, toasted wood, nutmeat, yellow flowers and dusty earth tone. In the mouth the texture is just fantastic, bright and balanced with intense yet tense and focused mandarin orange, apricot and fig notes that are framed with just a hint of almond and measured oak notes. The finish is fruity, clean and crisp with refreshing acids and a delicacy to the flavors that makes this a winner for geek and novice alike. 93pts [PAGEBREAK]The Best of the Rest Moric Neckenmarkter Blaufrankisch 2006 Boy was this beautiful! I loved everything about this wine. Burgundy in Austria! The nose smells like a farmer's hands with a touch of wet earth, a hint of nutty pipe tobacco and rushed black fruits with just an edge of sappy bark. In the mouth this is pure, elegant and refined with a wonderfully fresh fruited, grape/black cherry. black currant fruit is presented in a crisp, tense, perfectly balanced package. Killer wine 93pts Bodegas Miguel Merino Rioja Reserva 2000 Full and deep on the nose with roast peach, wood spice, leather, game, white truffle and white chocolate tones then with air this gains notes of saw dust, old books, cocoa powder, sweet red licorice, cherry pie, vanilla, beefy, lovely complex and balanced nose. The entry is rich and soft with bright acid driven fruit flavors, layered and juicy with a balsamic edge and dried bark, tea and rosehip notes to the bright cranberry/cherry fruit. Classic interplay of red fruit and vanilla in the mouth, lovely mid weight wine with a really elegant feel and a haunting sweetness to the fruit, finishes with sour cherry, vanilla and café-au-lait tones in balance and with good, bright length. A wonderful wine that is drinking perfectly today. 92pts Duckhorn Merlot Napa Valley 2006 Black cherry, vanilla, tobacco leaf, herbs, earth, and a touch of French oak are all nicely balanced. This is seamless on entry with excellent purity of black cherry fruit. The acidity creeps up on you a little but the fruit is very precise and fresh with lovely suggestions of herb and tomato with fine shadings of cigarbox and cedar. This is refined and elegant with excellent length in a surprisingly fresh and juicy style that really highlights the red fruits. 93pts Mettler Family Vineyards Petite Sirah 2005 Deep nose has nice notes of crushed currants, spice, tree bark, red currants, earth, clay, and subtle medicinal/menthol tones with a hint of curing tobacco. Big and bright in the mouth with the depth and richness that PS can deliver yet very little fat or flash. This is deep and plush with muscular fruit and ripe tannins. There’s a floral almost rose like note in the mouth with lots of earthy spice framing the black currant and mulberry fruit. Really well balanced particularly since the simplicity and rusticity of PS has not been entirely finessed away. Lovely freshness with a nice licorice/menthol medicinal tone and plenty of milk chocolate notes on the moderately long finish. Embryonic but super stuff even now. 94pts Wine of the night! Giacomo Conterno Barbera d'Alba Cascina Francia 2006 An immediate, intense nose of deep, dark fruit with a muscular disposition that reveals green floral, balsam and spice notes above the coiled fruit. Big and dense in the mouth this will need a bit of time to show well though it is layered and long with exceptional intensity and great acidity that is couched in the chewy fruit. This has the feel of very ripe, perfectly ripe fruit. 2011-2018 92pts These three wines just offer a glimpse of what I've included in the complete article. So follow this link to read all about my favorite wines of 2009. From Pinot to Cabernet, Blaufrankisch to "Orange Wine", there's something for everyone in my top 40!    (hide)

  From the article GDP Wines of the Year 2009

  
  

• Oct 14

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• July 2009

  California’s Sierra foothills appellation spans across some of the least heralded great wine producing regions of the state. Unlike Napa and Sonoma, Cabernet Sauvignon did not serve as a historic touchstone here, though the history of wine production is almost as long. In contrast... Read moreCalifornia’s Sierra foothills appellation spans across some of the least heralded great wine producing regions of the state. Unlike Napa and Sonoma, Cabernet Sauvignon did not serve as a historic touchstone here, though the history of wine production is almost as long. In contrast to the hype and glitter of “newer” regions propelled to fame by faddish whims, the Sierra Foothills continue to stake their claim to fame on old vine Zinfandel, as they did during the gold rush, as well as newer plantings of grapes from across Europe that adapt well to the favorable climate of the region. photo courtesy of: El Dorado Winery Association The fact that these counties, eight in total, three in particular, from north to south El Dorado, Amador and Calaveras counties, are leading the way in planting exciting, new to the state, varieties, captures the pioneer spirit that continues to infuse not only the people of these beautiful hills but also the wine they produce. For example, as opposed to competing with the so much of the state, not to mention the world, by planting Cabernet Sauvignon (not that Cabernet doesn’t have it’s spots in this ranging AVA) one finds Rhone style blends based on Grenache and Syrah, Vermentino, Sangiovese, and even Tempranillo!  This “prospecting for riches” carries over a long tradition, going back to Sutter’s mill and the original 49er’s, that’s 1849, who braved the variable climate of this rugged region in search of gold. Today’s gold comes more frequently in a bottle, and some is even of the golden persuasion. All the wines of the region share a certain character that expresses the unique terroir of this interesting AVA that admittedly crosses many county borders as it travels from meso-climate to meso-climate.  One reason for such an extensive AVA is that the rolling foothills here are the key to providing welcome relief from the heat of California’s central valley. This slice of the foothills, where vines thrive in the moderate climate between 1400 and 3000 feet of elevation, is double blessed. Not only do the warm days and cool night preserve the acidity in the grapes but these conditions also extend the growing season by slowing down the ripening during the final days of the growing season. This is especially beneficial with Zinfandel since the grape clusters on many Zinfandel vines tend to have berries of varying ripeness as harvest approaches. These hillsides are also blessed with a variety of soil types that give the wines produced here a distinctive character.  Around the 2000-foot level many patches of decomposed granite are to be found. These poor soils offer great drainage forcing the vines to struggle a bit for their survival, yielding fruit that, when mature, gives rich, rugged flavors and balanced structure to the wines they produce. At higher elevations several regions have soils of volcanic origin that can add a spicy tone to the wines and a crispness to the tannins that makes them distinct and unique additions to the pantheon of California wine. Situated as they are between the heavily populated coastal areas of northern California and the rich beauty of the Sierra Nevada range, the foothill wineries are ideally located to be part of a true California adventure. Escaping from the herd mentality that drive tourists to Napa, Sonoma and San Francisco provides that savvy wine tripper not only a chance to taste great wines at a pace more akin to that of 1950 but serves as a gateway to some of the most impressive natural beauty one is able to find in the vast land of ours. So next time you’re thinking of a California vacation consider adding the Sierra Foothills and visits to Yosemite to your plans.  I know I will. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Amador Foothill Winery -  Leading the way with innovative wines! With plantings that range from Aglianico to Zinfandel, it should come as no surprise that Amador Foothill Winery is leading the way with innovative wines from the Sierra Foothills. From Rose to Rhone Blend, and never forgetting the Zinfandel, this is a winery that delivers. Amador Foothill 2008 Rosato of Sangiovese Amador  13.5%  Soil, oil, dusty earth, pollen, wild raspberry, lovely subtle spice ad herb tones,  a tuch of leather, a bit of Swedish fish, wild cherry+,  A touch sweet up front then the wash of acid cuts through the weight leaving very pure wild berry fruit tones, great interplay of acid/fruit on the palte, really zippy style with duge refreshing acids that lead to a brick finish full or wild raspberry tones with hints of earth and spice.  A lighter style in the mouth and a great rose that may lack a touch of complexity but more than makes up for it with it’s extremely pretty pure fruit and texture that makes you want to drink more. A great rose 92pts ~ ~~ ~ Amador Foothill  Winery 2006 Katies Cote Shenandoah Valley  14.4% Lots of cigar box and sweet vanilla laced tones on the nose dominate the blackberry and black plum note though intriguing notes of violet, black pepper and thyme slowly emerge from the glass.  Slinky entry is immediately delicious with crisp herb inflected black fruits that have great intensity yet are not clumsy or thick. The wood adds a bit too much sweetness here yet the ample spice tones with hints of cinnamon, black pepper and juniper add a nice contrast on the back end. This finishes with a touch too much wood induced sweetness again but the tannins are lovely and crisp so this should take another year or two of age well, allowing the wood tones to soften and integrate. Very aromatic and cedary in the mouth at times, this is a rich, gutsy wine with good promise. 51% Syrah/49% Grenache 88pts ~ Bantam Cellars - A new winery making Shenandoah wine scene. With only 3 vintages under their belt bantam Cellars are the new kids on the block. Following in the path blazed before them they are offering an array of Mediterranean varieties yet continue the great tradition that Zinfandel has developed in the region. Bantam cellars 2008 Vermentino  Amador County12.5% Quite intense mineral, almond, pear and light spiced white peach fruit on the nose. This is lovely and balanced on the nose. Good acids, a touch grapey fruit, quite grapey fruity in fact but with lemon shaded juicy Asian pear notes that are rich and satisfying.  Finishes with a touch of raspy mineral, a hint of gooseberry and surprising length. A delicious wine perfect for casual sipping and light fair. 88pts ~ ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~ C. G. di Arie - From the creator of Cap’n Crunch, no kidding! Set to celebrate their first decade in business C.G di Arie makes the most of their estate fruit. With the major red varieties planted here at 1700 feet the focus here is on getting a consistent expression from these vines while relying on partner grower sto provide top-quality fruit for their non-estate wines. G D di Arie 2008 Sauvignon Banc Shenandoah valley 13.8% Starts out with sweetish notes of powdered sugar a sage that are joined by tropical fruit notes.  Soft and broad in the mouth with a velvety texture and juicy orchard fruit tones. A simple wine in an easy to drink style 85pts ~ ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~ G D Di Arie 2008 Rose Di Arie  Sierra Foothills 13.7% Earthy sweet raspberries and fleshy black grape tones right off the bat are joined by a touch of herbs, black pepper and peach fruit.  A rich, soft style with tones of sweet red currant and plum fruit tones that are a touch spicy and hold a nice earthy center. Rich and fruity with a touch of RS yet also a nice hint of tannin to add some contrast to the texture. A touch sticky on the finish but with lingering jammy blackberry tones. If you love a fruity rose this is for you.  50% Syrah/40% Tempranillo/10% Zinfandel 86pts  ~ ~~ ~ Cooper Vineyards - Offering a complete array of wines Cooper Vineyards produces and impressive line-up of wines encompassing 17 varieties. From Pinot Grigio and Roussanne to Cabernet and Zinfandel, naturally, there is a wine for every palate. And in that inclusive spirit one can also find a pair of dessert wines, one white, and one red to tempt your taste buds. Cooper vineyards 2008 Pinot Grigio Amador 14.9% Rather intense citrus zest and ripe herb notes with lovely floral top notes some alcohol shows but surprising well-balanced nose.  Lots of sweet fruit up front, green berries and green plum combine with a rich, plush mouthfeel to produce a rather unusual wine. One that feels over-ripe yet maintains surprisingly good freshness of flavor; inner mouth perfume is very sweet with notes of green tea and jasmine. The wine lacks some freshening acidity but is bursting with apricot and almost guava tones. The alcohol is more apparent in the mouth but this still manages to pull it off. The finish is a touch short but this is quite an interesting wine, though certainly not for everyone. 88pts ~ Deaver Vineyards -  Four generations and 150 years later still going strong! If any name should be associated with the wines of the Sierra Foothills it should be Deaver. With a proud lineage extending back to the first years of wine production in the region it’s no surprise that Deaver continues to be at the forefront with great new Italian and Rhone varietals as well as the classics. Deaver Vineyards 2008 Sauvignon Blanc Amador 13.3% Light kiwi and grassy notes on the nose, fresh almost earthy clumps of sod tones that are less herbal than manner SB. Bright zesty and fresh on entry with a very lively and refreshing mouthfeel. Classic medium bodied Sauvignon Blanc feel with modestly fruity flavors and a nice hint of lemon pith and sweet grapefruit that leads to a medium length finish. Actually has good persistence to the modest flavors but the appeal here is drinkability. 86pts ~ ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~ Deaver Vineyards 2007 Sierra Foothills Chardonnay with an ATTITUDE 14.5% Smells lemony and floral like some Muscat or Viognier made it into the blend.  The fruit is citrussy and the nose quite high pitched with salty undertones and a touch of honey, toasted spices and green anise seed.  Rich yet lively in the mouth with an impression of sweetness accentuating the deep fruit yellow fruit tones. A mouthfilling wine but well balanced with interesting layers of citrus and peach fruit.. Very clean and crisp on the finish with a touch of lingering almost coffee like toasted spice 88pts ~ ~~ ~ Deaver Viognier 2007 Amador County 14% Smells sweet with a leather fruit tone that recalls dried apricot, a hint of lanolin and a touch of water chestnut add some complexity. This gains a nice pale honey note with hints of pollen and light tobacco. Very light with an attractive airy quality even though the wine is noticeably viscous with obvious RS., but it is well balanced by the integrated acidity. Lovely honied flavors of quince, candied lime and peach round out thee mouth. The finish is a bit gentle but with nice feathery complexity and a very friendly disposition. The sweetness is a bit much for a table wine but this finishes fairly read more...dryly so it can work but is better suited as a very light dessert wine particularly well structured for a cheese course. 90pts   Deaver Vineyards NV Orange Muscat Amador 12.5% Gorgeously fragrant nose full of black tea, orange blossom, light passion fruit and pink grapefruit tones. Really intense and fresh and gently frizzante with a honied tone to the warm citrus fruit tones and  an easy appeal. Some tea notes add a bit of depth but this is a rather sweet and slightly rich style of Moscato with long honied flavors yet not much detail. 85pts ~ ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~ Ironestone Vineyards - A pioneer growing premium grapes in the Foothills. Ironstone Vineyards is one of the Sierra Foothill’s premium producers of Bordeaux blends. By intelligently adding small amounts of blending grapes and allowing the wines time to age in barrel in the deep, cool caverns under the winery, Ironstone has created nuanced wines in a satisfyingly smooth style. Ironstone 2006 Cabernet Franc Reserve Sierra Foothills 14.5% Dark, toasty, grilled fruit notes with spicy herbs lurking, and something very meaty about this wine, Nicely gamy smells like grilling lamb over eucalyptus. Lush in the mouth with lots of rich fruit, plums, cassis, black cherry with hints of dried tomato, herb, mint, and oak,. Very nicely balanced both texturally and favor wise with there is a touch of barbq sauciness on the backend but the bright cherry tones and light vanilla note power through and dominate the long finish. A big velvety richly fruited yet fresh wine with a touch of earth at its core, and just a hint of mint chocolate shavings helping read more...to frame the fruit. Certainly is ripe Cab France 89pts ~ Ironstone 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Sierra Foothills 14.5% Reticent and minty with an interesting mineral edge to the nose, smells granitic.  A touch leaner and more transparent than the CF with a redder fruit profile. Bright acids and nicely measured tannin yield a firmly medium plus bodied wine with a touch of cola/root beer spice helping to frame the astringent red fruits. The wood is really well integrated here and while this is neither super complex or super rich (a good thing) it is very well behaved in the mouth. Not particularly varietal either but rich, polished and fruity. A well-made and enjoyably drinkable wine that finishes a touch short with a Mexican cocoa note.87pts. ~ ~~ ~ Morse Wines -  A leader in Rhone varieties from the Sierra Foothills Morse Wines is a new label being utilized by the Il Gioiello Winery to differential their Rhone Varietals from their Italian bottlings. Determined to make a name for both schools in the Foothills, Morse offer carefully crafted small lots of wines that offer a new interpretation of French Classics. Morse 2007 Ensemble Blanc 55% Viognier/45% Roussanne Sierra Foothills 15.1% A bit slow to open with soft floral tones married to deep, almost honied, quite smoky baked banana peel, and preserved lemon tones, Gains a big acacia tone with air. Rich with good acidity and a nice mineral edge to the deep orchard fruit tones. Real snap to the flavors and fine balance with rather restrained kwi and goosebbery notes that gain the upper hand on the back end with an interesting candied floral top note and lingering sweet/mineral tension on the moderate finish. Excellent complexity and balance in this very solid wine. 90pts  ~ ~~ ~ Shenandoah Vineyards- A pioneering winery in California’s Shenandoah Valley With a broad array of small lot reserve wines, Shenandoah Vineyards offers a complimentary line-up to the Sobon family’s eponymous winery. Actually the first of the 2 brands Shenandoah Vineyards continues as a leading producer of wines that represent a classic style that can only be associated with California’s Shenandoah Valley. Shenandoah Vineyards 2007 Special Reserve Zinfandel Amador 14.4% Subtle and soft blackberries, peach and black plum skins contrast with a hint of baking spice and coconutty oak tones on the nose.   Very sweetly fruited entry, nice balance with good acidity and very soft tannins give the moderately spicy but very fruity style with a soft, friendly feel.  Full of sweet, vanilla toned black plum and blackberry fruit, on the short finish. Classic Amador Zin though. 86 pts ~ ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~ Sobon - a family affair dedicated to sustainable farming, and great wine! The Sierra Foothill’s forte has always been their deep, flavorful old vine Zinfandel. Many of these hillside vineyards were originally planted to supply the 49ers and now are gloriously mature. Sobon has consistently captured the wonderful fruit of these vines, allowing them to express themselves in classic style. Sobon Estate 2008 Roussanne Amador 14.1% Great nose, lots of boiled chestnuts and toasted chestnut shells, intense with a noticeable yet integrated oak backdrop. Lilacs, white pepper and very light mangosteen fruit.  Decidedly soft in the mouth with a rich, viscous feel and initial honied fruit note that yields to an almost strawberry tinged mid-palate with rich orange tones and a touch of butter cream.  The finish returns to a more citrussy vein with a nicely floral inner mouth perfume of almost tropical orange blossoms. Big rich balanced and different this is a winner 90pts ~ ~~ ~ Sobon Estate ReZerve 2008 Rose Amador 13.6% Mineral, strawberry, herb and roast pork with a hint of rosemary and a hint of flowers on the nose give this a succulent and savory appeal.  Dry and crisp with good focus in the mouth. This is a touch tight even with a subtle richness and lovely, slightly tannic red berry and sweet pomegranate tones with a touch of papaya and papaya seed spice. Wonderful fruit and subtle spice tones linger on the moderately long finish. Great balance and freshness here make this really lovely. Grenache/Syrah/Carignan 90pts ~ ~~ Sobon Estate 2007 Old Vines Zinfandel Amador 14.9% A touch of fudge and moist earth with lovely brambly notes of sapwood, herb and wild black raspberry fruit edged with a touch of pipe tobacco. Pure black raspberry fruit on entry, very good acids, lots of sweet fruit here, nice top notes of briar and bramble. Nice purity of well-expressed yet uncomplicated fruit. A wine for drinking, not for thinking about. Finishes with a slightly jammier tone and more wood spice but still nicely balanced and fresh 87pts ~ ~~ ~ Story Winery - A lovely white surprise from a great Zin producer. Story Winery has made a name for themselves producing small lots of old-vine Zinfandel from great vineyard sites in Amador county.  In true pioneer spirit they have also explored several white wines enjoying the fruit from these unusual head-pruned and dry farmed vineyards. Story Winery 2007 Chenin Blanc Shenandoah  15% A touch funky right out of the bottle with notes of caramel, butterscotch and quince paste over a funky chalky earth, seashell and herb base. Deceptively light bodied with gentle flavors of apple, apple butter and pressed flowers slowly building in the glass. Holds its 15% amazing well. The subtle flavors power through on the medium length finish adding notes or biter orange marmalade and a light cashew brittle tone. Before gaining a nice mouth grabbing chalky tone again. A very subtle wine that will rise to the occasion pairing well with a wide variety of foods. 87pts ~ ~~ Story Winery 2006 Picnic Hill Old Vines Zinfandel Shenandoah  Valley 16% Light vanilla tones are backed by lots of astringent red fruits, red currant and pomegranate, with a hint of herb and roast meatiness.  Enters with sweet red fruits, slightly exotic berries fruits, fruit di bosco, nice freshness and good balance that help to hide it’s 16% Very candied but in a fresh way, sugared raspberries with a peppery cinnamon edge for balance, Nice crisp tannins and a lovely stemmy tone add length to the finish.  88pts ~ ~~ ~ Story Winery 2006 Creekside Vineyard Old Vines Zinfandel 16% Really briary aromas in the glass are joined by smoky earth tones and reduced wild raspberry notes with hints of lightly spiced cranberry and orange rind.  Rich and velvety, this has power and depth with a slightly sweet character that accentuates the rich wild cherry and astringent, spicy red fruit tones. A mouthfilling wine that is a touch minty and medicinal on the finish with a nice tannic bite that helps balance the RS. This is a monster wine; serve it with cheese or instead of dessert. Really spicy notes gain prominence on the midpalate.  Finishes with a really intense red hots tone. A divisive wine for sure but it’s pretty cool. 90pts ~ ~~ ~ Story Winery 2006 Alitia Vineyard Zinfandel Shenandoah Valley 16% Smells like leather and ass and not in a bad way. Slow to open, with slightly buttery licorice tinged tight black fruit. Tight concentrated and velvety with a deep savory core folded up with black currant and dry, not terrible sweet mulberry fruit. This is reticent yet with excellent balance that gives it an elegance that their other wines lack. Shares a touch of that peppery cinnamon with lovely dried herb notes and lots of potential but this needs another year to express itself. 88pts ~ ~~ Vino Noceto - This Tuscan styled estate is a relative newcomer to the region. Recognizing that the climate of Amador County’s Shenandoah Valley was Mediterranean in nature, family owned Vino Noceto took a brave and unique path, choosing to focus on premium Sangiovese based wine as opposed to sticking to the Zinfandel roots of the region. Noceto 2008 Pinot Grigio Clarksburg/Amador 13% Light rainwater, clay and floral tones on the nose give this an airy note before they are joined by fragrant pear fruit with a hint of dried pineapple.  Round and soft but not flabby, in fact nicely balanced on a rich if medium bodied frame that supports soft, juicy fruit flavors with grace notes of mint and almond and herb that lead to a slightly sweet finish that hints at baked apple with a nice almond tone. 86 ~ ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~ Noceto 2006 Sangiovese Shenandoah Valley 14% Very intense sweet cherry, vanilla and soft toast notes greet the nose.  There is a slight medicinal note that combines with the black cherry fruit to give this a slight cough lozenge note. A nice hint of herb adds complexity.  Big, rich sweet cherry fruit with just a hint of oak is well supported by tannins are a touch astringent, as they should be, and good acidity giving this a refreshing feel. Very medium bodied and with lightness that keeps this centered in the mouth despite the intensity of the rather simple yet pure cherry fruit. On the backend it turns a bit spice with a nice flourish of strawberry and herb adding to the long finish.  Very solid wine and great for the bar-b-q this summer. 90pts   Noceto 2008 Frivolo Moscato Bianco California 7.1% Delicious smelling with note of lemon, lime leaf, powder sugar and hints of angelica root and white tea, with a gently biscuit note. Just ever so softly frizzante with good acidity balancing the rather light, fresh citrus driven flavors. Plenty sweet but with a touch of lightness on the palate, really attractive flavors of subtle ginger inflected candied citrus fruits, with good length, lovely and freaking delicious 88pts  ~ ~~ ~~~ ~~ ~ Gregory Dal Piaz Community Manager Snooth    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Strike it rich in the Sierra... by Gregory Dal Piaz

  
  

• July 2009

  You’ve heard it before I’m sure. Anything but Chardonnay, and I mean anything, or do I? I don’t know if you’ve noticed but all the cool kids have left that club and formed a new club. You should come and join us in the Anything But (crappy) Chardonnay Club! Fortunately in... Read more You’ve heard it before I’m sure. Anything but Chardonnay, and I mean anything, or do I? I don’t know if you’ve noticed but all the cool kids have left that club and formed a new club. You should come and join us in the Anything But (crappy) Chardonnay Club! Fortunately in this club we are allowed our dalliances with Chablis and Montrachet, not to mention Hanzell, Stony Hill and Aubert. OK I won’t mention them. While wine snobs have chosen to ignore Chardonnay, perhaps revealing a bit of ignorance n their own part, the wine drinking public has continued to embrace Chardonnay. I am all for ignoring wines that made in a style that doesn’t suit you but throwing the baby out with the bathwater is just nuts. So much great Chardonnay is made around the globe that it would take several tasting just to touch on all the main regions. This past week we at Snooth took a look at a few examples of the styles now in the marketplace and came up with a few recommendations for almost every palate. Well that may actually be a bit of a reach. A funny think happened to California Chardonnay over the years. Chardonnay, like Pinot Noir, came to fame in France’s Burgundy region, a place fart less sunny, warm and hospitable than much of California. The wines that put California Chardonnay on the map came from places like the Sonoma Hills and Santa Cruz Mountains. Places that had growing conditions similar to those of Burgundy. The fruit of these vines was very well adapted to the traditional techniques used in Burgundy. The use of French oak to add spice, Malolactic fermentation to tame the hard acids of cool climate grapes, and long ageing on the lees with frequent stirrings to impart a creamy texture and subtle layer of complexity to these sleek beauties that rarely topped 14% alcohol, heck many barely topped 13%. Well once Chardonnay became a viable wine in California vineyard creep set in. That’s that insidious habits growers have of planting grapes farther and farther from their ideal terroir. Vineyards first crept down those hillsides and eventually onto the rich soils of the easy to farm valley floors. Warm, luxurious valley floors were grapes got RIPE, yielding wines that routinely topped 14% alcohol, and 15% was certainly not a stretch. With these wines, rich, fruity and soft the affects of the traditional winemaking techniques used to such advantage in Chardonnays’ earliest years was to create big, tropical fruit laden, buttery wines with little form, or function for that matter. But people liked them, well some did, while others then began to found their own little ABC clubs. The tipping point for Chardonnay, not coincidentally, came when it finally established itself as the market leader.  Some say it was an accident, a stuck fermentation that gave the world the first taste of what was to become this nation’s most popular Chardonnay. That stuck fermentation left the wine with just enough sugar to make it taste remarkably fruity without being cloying, and ushered in an era of populist plonk that created a backlash like no one had ever seen. A huge, raucous, vocal backlash that had virtually no effect on the sales of Chardonnay! So what exactly happened one is left to ask. I guess a few vocal people let off a lot of steam while more and more consumer were lulled into believing those slightly sweet, oaky, spicy, butter chardonnays represented Chardonnay at its finest. A true American original. Now I am being a bit too harsh here, both on the producers of these wines and certainly on their consumers. I am a firm believer in to each his own and that just barely trumps my desire to like all wine. I think we have gotten to a point in our collective American viticultural experience where the idea of terroir, not necessarily that lands speak through the grapes but rather that certain plots of land are better suited to Chardonnay or Zinfandel ,or even almonds and plums! We have moved beyond the application of certain techniques as fixed recipes. Winemakers are coming of age with both the fruit grown where it should be and the understanding of the impact of each technique on what will become their finished wine. Chardonnay is emerging from its angry adolescence, all pimply and oily, covered with cream, and hair gel (or residual sugar and oak chips) in a desperate attempt to hide what it was while it searched for what it may become. We are witnessing, if we choose to taste with an open mind, the emergence from it’s cocoon of a beautiful new Chardonnay. One capable of being big, bold and buttery on the one hand while remaining cool crisp and composed on the other. Wine is an art, winemakers are the artists, growers create the paints and history has prepared the canvasses. The question cannot be simply do you like the results. One must first answer the question: Is this the best that could have been done with the raw materials? That is where we are. We have some of the finest artists working with brilliant raw materials. Join the ABcC Club and experience what Chardonnay can be in its range of expressions, then decide if one is right for you. Perhaps, in the end, you will not find one that is right for you. That is as valid a conclusion as any that can be drawn, but making that conclusion on old experiences, or worse on not much more than a fad or fancy is simply, well, it’s simply stupid. Anyway, onto the tasting and our notes! Flight 1 - Better Budget Wines Good Daughter CA 2007 13.5%                    $14.00 Has some nuanced smoky oak tones light a light lemon curd and cut nectarine fruit tones. In the mouth this is a touch sweet and round with a fleshy, friendly feel. A bit soft but shows a sense of restraint as well. 85pts Both Cheryl and Evan found this to be a bit grassy though Didi and Paul both found nice citrus tones on the palate. Michael David Vineyards 7 Heavenly Lodi 2006  14.5%        $15.00 A fairly raw woody nose is a touch blunt. There is good acidity here but the wine needs it to balance out the sweetness. A bit of Fruit Stripes gum, artificial banana flavor on the round palate that turns a bit spicy with a bitter, pithy edge to it on the angular finish. 83pts Eddie thought this was "over the top" and Cheryl and Paul both found this to be typically oaky and indistinctly fruity. Toasted Head Russian River Valley 2006 13.5%             $14.00 Not particularly aromatic with integrated spice tones and hints of floral, pear, and pineapple. In the mouth this is smooth and balanced with a touch of mineral cut and a dry leanness across the mid-palate that keeps the subtle fruit and spices tones in harmony. This finishes with a hint of refreshing minerality. 86pts Several people commented on the stinky aspect of this with Didi noting that it was sulfury and Evan added that the buttery. apple flavors grew on him. Flight 2 -  Cooler Climates, than Napa at least. Kunde Estate Sonoma Valley 2007 13.8%                $18.00 Earthy and slightly minerally on the nose with dried apple, pineapple and dried floral tones that have a sage like edge. In the mouth this is focused with a big acid spine that keeps this fresh and juicy but not weighty. The flavors are a touch soft and subtle but recall nectarines and apples in a creamy, creamsicle style that grows on the long finish which has a delightfully sneaky return of sweet orchard fruits. Eminently drinkable 91pts Everyone enjoyed this wine though Paul wanted to see more acidity  and Didi noted a "chemical" scent the consensus was that this was something to go out buy and share with friends. Stuhlmuller SV Estate Alexander Valley 2007 14.2%        $22.00 A lovely nose with nuanced honey, toasted wood, nutmeat, yellow flowers and dusty earth tone. In the mouth the texture is just fantastic, bright and balanced with intense yet tense and focused mandarin orange, apricot and fig notes that are framed with just a hint of almond and measured oak notes. The finish is fruity, clean and crisp with refreshing acids and a delicacy to the flavors that makes this a winner for geek and novice alike. 93pts Cheryl liked the "oily texture" of this wine and both Paul and Evan commented on the " caramel and hazelnut" oak tones. Didi found it "tinny and metallic". Bouchaine Carneros 2006 13.9%                    $20.00 This is laden with sweet fruit aromas but has a raw wood note that adds an acrid edge. In the mouth this is very fruit driven with a hint of wood derived honeyed sweetness up front that yields to a chemical vanilla tone on the diffuse mid-palate. This does gain a little bit of creamy intensity on the backend and has good length but the finish feels a little stripped and spoofed. 85pts Eddie went back and forth on this one, finding that the wine alternated between " a bit skunky" and "exotic fruit".  Cheryl and Evan both noted off aromas but then went on to say that they enjoyed both the texture and the flavors of the wine. Flight 3 - Napa Valley Duck Shack Napa Valley 2007 14.2%                 $24.00 A touch of vanilla on the nose but this is driven by lime, apricot, and pineapple fruit tones that seem fresh and bright. Zesty acid on entry is followed by cool, crisp flavors of green fruits, pineapple and peach with creamy vanilla undertones and light wood spice notes. The texture is lovely and shows excellent integration. This is refreshing yet doesn’t lack power or richness and finishes with an absolute flourish of lime, starfruit, and peach fruit salad notes with even a hint of blueberry. Delicious 92pts Nearly everyone loved this wine, though Didi felt the palate was a let down after the nose. Paul notes that this was a "big lemon bomb" and Cheryl added it"like Goldilocks, just right!" LaTour Mt. Veeder 2006 14.5%                    $25.00 Very oaky on the nose with buttery, nutty, vanilla candy notes that almost become tarry in the glass. Big and soft with lots of flavor but not much focus. This is not fruit driven and while made and in a way Burgundian, with a touch of rocky minerality on the mid-palate, seems a bit to aggressive and lacks a sense of elegance. In it’s own way it is intriguing with a smoky, hazelnut scented finish that has a certain allure but this is not for everyone. Given time I can see this emerging into something distinct and enjoyable.88pts Both Eddie and Evan found a lot of oak on the nose here with "coconut oil" and "strong toast flavors".  Paul found the nose to be "the most complex so far with orange blossoms, fig and fresh cream then oak, oak, oak on the palate." Frank Family Napa Valley 2007 14.4%                $28.00 This has a nice dominated by spicy French oak with dried apple fruit and a bit of lemon oil. In the mouth this is very bright up front with big citrus tones that yield to a rich, viscous, powerfully built mid-palate full of pineapple, peach and apricot tones with plenty of acid backing it up yet it still becomes cloying and sticky on the backend. The finish is also sweet with big, pure notes of cinnamon toast with cream and vanilla. A lot of wine that’s not my style but should find many admirers. 90pts For the most part everyone enjoyed the "rich, oily, full, dense" mouthfeel of this wine but the intensity was off-putting to some as was the "spintry oak that paul found though Didi enjoyed the "caramelized, molasses  flavors." Flight 4 - Up and down the coast Ch St Michelle Caone Ridge Estate WA 14.1%            $20.00 The nose here is subtle and seductive with notes of eggshell, lime leaf, butchers wax, and a wildflower sweetness tat is seductive. A leaner style in the mouth, really taut and focused with intense notes of very fresh orange, peach, pear and papaya fruits that even have a suggestion of red berry. A bit soft on the backend yet with great freshness to the slightly exotic tropical fruit flavors. The finish is a little light with a hint of mineral and hazelnut adding complexity. Very nice stuff 92pts This wine split the crowd with Eddie noting that this was " big, full and seductive, caressing and bold like Naginsky." while Paul felt it was "full of black tea, too simple and no fun." Ojai Solomon Hills CA 2007   14.0%                $30.00 This smells very hard yet has intense and pure chardonnay fruit with background notes of saffron, honeycomb, and forest floor. Very bright and full of malic acid in the mouth that supports the intense lemon, peach and grapefruit oil fruits in the mouth. The huge acidity keeps this large scaled wine remarkably focused and highlights the wonderful purity of the fruit. The finish is snappy and as refreshing as can be with a gentle almond tone and a hint of toasted coconut. This retains a tightly coiled feeling and I expect this might get even better in the cellar. Not for everyone but a brilliant style of Chardonnay. 92pts This was not liked by the group. Paul though it was simply "bad" and Didi felt it had a "strong, bitter, pungent taste." With time some of the group fund more to like though with Cheryl noting that " it did a 180 going from dirty and funky to clean and and pleasant with a bite." Eddie added, "this was probelmatic but ended up tieing for my number 2." Stoller Estate Dundee Hills OR 2006 14.1%                $31.00 This smells heavy like white chocolate pudding with lots of caramel notes from the wood and not much fruit. In the mouth this is lush and chewy yet feels a bit to fat with good fruit but not much follow through and finishes with over-ripe tropical fruits and movie theatre popcorn. 86pts The oak on this wine was noted by all with most tasters finding it to be, as Evan put it, "creamy and spicy." Paul liked it's "creamy white raisin and mango" flavors while Cheryl found it to be "  astringent and oaky" but still enjoyed the caramel and fruit flavors. Well that was it. I was actually very surprised by how much I enjoyed several of these. It's been too long since i took a look at West Coast Chardonnay and I am glad I took the time to give these a test drive. I found a few for my summertime drinking. How about you? Ready to join us in the ABcC club? Gregory Dal Piaz Community Manager Snooth    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Join the ABcC Club! by Gregory Dal Piaz

  
  

• June 2009

  Last night was Snooth-a -thon II and we celebrated in style with some classy Cabernets from the past several decades and a few other gems thrown in for good measure! Fourteen of us descended on North Square restaurant for another wonderful night of fine food, great service and... Read moreLast night was Snooth-a -thon II and we celebrated in style with some classy Cabernets from the past several decades and a few other gems thrown in for good measure! Fourteen of us descended on North Square restaurant for another wonderful night of fine food, great service and general debauchery! There was lots of scheming going on, or at least so it appeared: Truth be known there was just a lot of the usual Witty, winey banter going on as we all compared notes on the 17 or so wines in attendance. We started the evening with a pair of whites: 1993 Eyrie Oregon Chardonnay - This had a lovely waxy nose with notes of golden raspberries, cashews and hazelnuts. In the mouth the fruit remains sweet and expansive with bright acids backing up the dried apple fruit tones that lead to a finish with inner mouth aromatics of tobacco and cocoa powder and piercing minerality on the finale. Drink em if you can find them but this is holding superbly. 92pts 1997 Kalin Sauvignon Blanc - With it's unusual nose of clay and dried fruity marshmallows and minty herbs this was intriguing to smell if totally outside or expectations, but that's what Kalin does so well. This was rich and quite viscous in the mouth with great tension between the sparkling minerailty and the green gage plum fruit tones that had great resonance. 90pts After these two starters we were off to the races. I poured a magnum as we took our seats to peruse the menu. 1978 BV Claret from magnum -  This was dusty and ashy on the nose with light cherry fruit and hints of leather and tobacco. It retains a bright, juicy character and may be simple but is so fresh and simply enjoyable that this was a bit of a surprise. Even at the end of the night, as we scavenged around for remaining wine this retained a lovely roasted berry/cranberry fruitiness that made it so easy to drink, and enjoy. Nothing earthshaking but a very solid bottle. 87pts 1941 Sebastiani Cabernet Sauvignon bottled in 1947 - I have already gone into detail regarding this bottling and you can read more about it here. Tonight we had a bottle that lacked the depth of the better bottles that I've had of this wine  with a nose that showed fraying at the seams but still offered up a bit of poopy beet root, black pepper, and deep smoky tones with lots of cigar box and tobacco. In the mouth the acid drew this out and highlighted the small core of slightly chunky fruit with some slightly gritty tannins giving a bit of structure to the wine. It's fading in the glass but remains a treat to try and completely drinkable. 86pts. 1974 Stag's Leap  Cabernet Sauvignon - This was rocking this evening with a sweetly earthy nose full of sweet middle eastern spice tones, green olive, beef broth and dark berry fruit. This is still superbly fresh on the palate with silky smooth polished tannins that float across a sweetly fruited black cassis and olive toned mid-palate with a hint of rusticity that shows itself in the slight animale tones that lead to the long finish. A brilliant wine 95pts 1985 Charles Krug Vintage Selection Cabernet Sauvignon - From magnum- This was pumping out pure black currant fruit with a deeply herbaceous almost grassy edge and notes of ace bandage adding complexity. For all it's herbal tones on the nose the palate showed masses of bright, juicy intense fruit with fairly substantial tannins backing up all that richness. The finish is nice and long with black raspberry tones and while this really is a bit simple it is so exuberantly fruity you have to love it if you love Cabernet! 91pts Next up was a horizontal from 1986. In general I am a big fan of these wines, they are great examples of California Cabernet in their prime and along with 1985 offer some of the greatest values on the market today. 1986 Inglenook Cask Selection - This was very pungent, brothy and evolved on the nose with like flavors in the mouth. Past peak and a victim of mishandling along the way. 1986 Laurel Glen Cabernet Sauvignon - A nice dose as ass leather great the nose but behind it this is very clear and pure with black currants, eucalyptus, and soil tones.  It's dense and chewy in the mouth with solid supporting acidity and tannins that remain slightly chalky. It's got great length and comes off as a particularly sinewy, muscular example of Sonoma Mountain Cabernet that may benefit from another several years in the cellar. 91pts 1986 Rutherford Hill XVS Cabernet Sauvignon - This still has a touch of vanillin on the nose along with black raspberry tones, mint, a hint of stemminess and a touch of wood spice. In the mouth this is incredibly vibrant with a very precise, chiseled feel and lovely rosemary stem tones that help frame the black berry fruits. the tannins are mostly resolved but add support to the fruit giving the wine nice volume in the mouth. A great time to drink this! 91pts After the great 1986's we took a bit of a detour with two wines on their own. 1989 Diamond Creek Red Rock Terrace - From what is widely regarded as a crappy vintage comes this surprisingly appealing wine that speaks more of Diamond creek than the crappy vintage. Lightly gamy on the nose with some nice iron tones and deeply spicy earth tones that translate to a lean, focused palate presence with lots of leathery tones but nice dark, dried cherry fruit and tea notes as well.  Neither a power house nor a sweetly fruited wine but rather a wine built on Bordelais sensibilities. 89pts 1995 Teldeschi Zinfandel - This provided a real break in the action with it's sweetly fruited nose that retained a bit of nougat and spice from the wood but had great, spicy brambly blackberry fruit. Big, round and plush in the mouth with lots of slightly roasted plummy fruit up front and a great spicy, peppery follow through. Great with my duck breast in port reduction! 90pts The 1995 Teldeschi moved us from the past into the almost present as we now were faced with some big, badass wines that had a lot of evolving to do! 1996 Laurel Glen Cabernet Sauvignon - Much like the 86 this had a wonderful nose with cassis and herb in harmony and gentle backing tones of wood spice and eucalyptus. Big and chewy in the mouth with superbly refreshing acidity that prevented this from becoming ponderous. This seems a touch hot and short at this moment though the wine is packed with fruit and tannin that are very well managed so this should have a long life ahead but tonight it is a touch diffuse. 90pts 1995 Cornerstone Beatty Cabernet Sauvignon - This has a huge chocolate and raspberry nose with tons of backing spice/gingerbread notes and integrated french oak tones.  Rich and polished in the mouth yet at the same time this is restrained and transparent like fine strawberry jelly. Impeccably  well balanced for such a fruit driven wine. Really fabulous modern Cali Cab with mouthfilling sweet patisserie notes and a long, spicy finish with lingering hints of ginger and vanillin. 94pts 1999 Dunn Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon -  Smoky and deep on the nose with alot of oak showing but lots of muscular, extracted fruit too. This is super TIGHT in the mouth with big structure showing excellent balance but this is all about potential at this point so I'll give it a conservative 90pts with the warning not to touch this for another 5 years at bare minimum! My finale wines of the night were two great vintages of Chateau Montelena which shared such a resemblance that they became quite the topic of conversation! 1990 Chateau Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon- This is just classic Montelena with it's notes of seared black cassis mingled with spiced oak tones and a hint of green anise seed. In the mouth it's smooth and seamless with full, ripe round tannins and gentle hints of tomato leaf and herb framing the deep black fruit tones. Lovely wine and with a bright future. 92pts 1999 Chateau Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon  - This is very young and still heavily marked by oak on the nose with a fudgy quality that detracts from the rich, jammy fruit. In the mouth this has great balance with good mineral cut on the finish but the wood intrudes here as well offering a bit of bitter tannin on the finale that needs several years to resolve itself. Nothing wrong here just too young. Give this another 5 years or so and it should reveal much better definition to the fruit. 91pts. And that was our night, well most of it anyway. Some of us ventured out into the evening for a few additional drinks where the conversation turned to hiccups, oral indiscretions and hookers but that's a story for another night! I just want to thank everyone who came and contributed to making this another great evening. I had a blast and can't wait to do it again. Well actually give me a few days to recover but I'll be ready soon enough. In fact I have to run now to a business dinner where we'll have to drink 1997 Fontallorro, 1997 Flaccianello, 1996 Oddero Vigna Rionda Barolo, 1996 Pira Marneca Barolo... That one hardworing Gregory Dal Piaz Community Manager Snooth Photos by Brooklynwino - Thanks Steph!    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Snooth celebrates with some... 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)

  From the article Syrah PTP

  
  

• January 2009

  Blind Tasting of Twelve Syrahs At Snooth's tasting room I had the opportunity to sample 12 Syrahs selected by Greg Dal Piaz. They were all 100% Syrah varietal, so it still amazes me how much of a range there was in the flights. A few common threads were the high alcohol content (a... Read moreBlind Tasting of Twelve Syrahs At Snooth's tasting room I had the opportunity to sample 12 Syrahs selected by Greg Dal Piaz. They were all 100% Syrah varietal, so it still amazes me how much of a range there was in the flights. A few common threads were the high alcohol content (a 14.57% average), full body, dark fruits, black pepper and spices. (Please note all bottles were opened 2.5 hours before tasting). So here they are, a powerfully dirty dozen. 2006 Neyers Napa Valley California - Hudson Vineyards Syrah 14.1% - $40 On the nose a funky barnyard waft and later opened but showed a medicinal aroma, while up front on the palate dark sour cherries and mainly black pepper in the mid palate. 2004 Burgess Napa Valley Syrah 14.7% - $20 Perfumed aromas, lilac, and a playful candy twist, fresh-cut wood or bark peeled back, green peppers, spices and a bit of raw onions with a cola finish. Liked it. 2005 LaTour Vineyards Napa Valley California Syrah 14.8% - $26.50 On the nose mushrooms and turned soil, black cherries and tannic structure. 2006 Alesia Santa Lucia Highlands California Fairview Ranch Vineyard Syrah 14.25% - $60 On the nose getting vinegar, sulphur, cat pee, and meats, while on the palate dark fruits, coffee, chocolate and blackberry...with smooth integration of flavors somewhat redeeming the rough aromas. 2006 Snoqualme Columbia Valley Washington State Syrah 13.9% - $12 Muted aromas of dried herbs lead into a diluted texture and a palate of ash, wood, blueberries, dried fruits and a dusty glycerine. 2006 Luca Laborde Double Select Syrah Uco Valley Mendoza, Argentina 13.9% - $25 Simple bouquet of toasted red fruit and barnyard, balanced, chewy, white pepper, blueberries with great finish... very nice. 2006 Stolpman Santa Ynez Valley Estate Syrah 15.1% - $30 On the nose, herbal and violets with specks of meat, flavors of sweet stewed tomatoes, white pepper, alcohol, red fruits and candy. Good one. 2005 Firestone Santa Ynez Valley California Syrah 13.5% - $18 Nose of petrol, oak, butter with a subtle diluted leather, fizzles on the midpalate. 2004 Zaca Mesa Santa Ynez Valley California Estate Syrah 14.5% - $20 Strawberries, meat, herbs, burnt rubber, dust, wood, fairly balanced. 2006 Dry Stack Cellars (aka Grey Stack) Dry Stack Vineyard Bennett Valley California Marie's Block Syrah 15.5% - $40 Earthy mushroom, meat, barnyard, black pepper, blackberries, sharp ripe fruits and very high alcohol. 2006 Grey Stack - Dry Stack Vineyard - Bennett Valley California The Narcissist Syrah 15.8% $48 Muted aromas of raw meat, on the palate alcohol, stout tannins, oak, chalky mid-palate, and a sour cherry finish. 2006 Four Vines Santa Barbara County California los Alamos Vineyard - One Tree Hill Block Syrah 14.8% $36 Bigger and fruity with cherry cola on the nose and a palate of violets, spices... medicinal but in a natural way, very herbal finish... my favorite of the twelve.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Snooth GTI - Syrah - post... by vigna uva vino

  
  

• November 2008

  What Wine for Thanksgiving – Snooth Panel Tasting Program blind tastes West Coast Pinot Noir. Wines tasted for this report; Flight 1 A)    2006 Ponzi A Tavola Willamette Valley – 13.5% B)     2006 Willakenzie Willamette Valley - 14.2% C)     2006 Benton Lane... Read moreWhat Wine for Thanksgiving - Snooth Panel Tasting Program blind tastes West Coast Pinot Noir. Wines tasted for this report; Flight 1 A)    2006 Ponzi A Tavola Willamette Valley - 13.5% B)     2006 Willakenzie Willamette Valley - 14.2% C)     2006 Benton Lane Willamette Valley - 14.1% Flight 2 A)    2006 Elk Cove Willamette Valley 14.5% B)     2006 Duckhorn Migration - Anderson Valley - 14.5% C)    2007 Wild Horse Central Coast - 13% Flight 3 A)    2007 Holdredge RRV 14.3% B)    2006 Davis Bynum RRV 14.9% C)    2007 Rodney Strong RRV 14.4% Flight 4 A)    2007 Alma Rosa Santa Rita Hills 14.5% B)    2006 Stoller JV Estate Dundee Hills - 14.5% C)    2006 Saxon Brown Parmelee Hill Son. Valley - 14.5% Just in time for Thanksgiving I convened Snooth’s blind tasting panel to take a look at what may very well be the most recommended wine for Thanksgiving:  West Coast Pinot Noir. I have posted my impressions separately and have just added a few comments in the group round up notes that follow.  Members of this week's panel: Jeanne - Wine enthusiast Elizabeth - Retail wine sales Greg - Wholesale wine sales Stephanie - Retail wine sales Ali - Retail wine sales Jeff - Restauranteur Justin - Wholesale wine sales Jamie - Wine enthusiast While I personally prefer a good bottle of Zin for Thanksgiving, as illustrated by last week’s email, the appeal of Pinot Noir in undeniable.  We assembled a selection of wine in what might be characterized as the middle price point. One of the problems with Pinot is that demand continues to outstrip supply, though thousands of recently planted acres will be coming into production over the next year or three so that situation may change. Regardless the price for Pinot today includes a demand premium making these wines a bit on the pricy side. I made this a West Coast pinot tasting since there really is a difference between say, Oregon Pinot and Russian River Pinot.  Not only does the climate produce different wines, not to mention the soils, but there are also different wine making schools of thought out on the west coast. Light elegant Burundian Pinots deliver a very different experience than say, full on fruit bombs from the Santa Rita hills. This Panel tasting was among the most interesting we have had since the distinct attributes of Pinot had very polarizing affects. The high acidity of many of these wines was off-putting to many but makes them very food friendly and refreshing to drink so your experience at the dinner table could be far different from our experience with saltines in a blind tasting. The other factor that proved to be crucial in determining one’s preference among this admittedly limited selection of wine was the earthy, funkiness that some producers strive to capture. Some people simply prefer big, ripe, clean fruit and for these people some of the attempts at producing a Burgundian style of Pinot just do not, and never will, appeal. Fortunately there seems to be a wine and a style for everyone. While opinions diverged on many wines in this tasting I was surprised at how closely the panel’s results mirrored my own. The opinions on the top 6 wines were pretty universal and overwhelmingly positive.   This was a strong group of wines and I was delighted to see that people ranked elegant examples as highly as they did some of the more assertive wines. With two vintages to try, most of the wines on the market today are the current 2006's and a smattering of 2005's and just released 2007's, it's useful to just touch on the character of each. 2006 wasa hot growing season in Oregon and produced big, ripe wine. In many cases production was very high and that helped ameliorate the elevated levels of alcohol that could have been produced but none-the-less the vintage produced unusually robust, exceptional wines through much of Oregon. California on the other hand was a challenging vintage with some decidedly bright spots, like the Russian River Valley where fruit forward wines were produced. But if one would have to generalize the vintage was spotty and produced a large number of wine that are more reserved than normal with an unusual touch of austerity to them. Many people may find this to be to their liking however. 2007 On the other hand looks to be very promising for California's Pinot Producer. A long mild spell of weather during harvest allowed  slow, even ripening of the fruit producing complex and balanced wines. Yeilds were down from the highs of 2006 but so was ripeness so resultant wines have a bit more structure and a bit less alcohol. The cool spell during harvest allowed for fairly elegant wines to be made. Oregon suffered from significant rain during harvest but the cool weather, it had been a fine cool season all along, allowed grower to wait for the grapes to loose some of the accumulated water without having to worry about rot, mold, or excessive ripening.  The wines have lower alcohol than their 2006 counterpoints with brighter structure, much like the Californias but relying more on the bright acids than richer tannins. That's the long of it, the short of it is that both vintages produced great wines with each playing into the  strengths of one or another group of wine makers. With so many great bottles on the shelf it's no surprise that retailers will be pushing Pinot with a vengeance this Holiday season While we at Snooth agree that it can be a very strong choice we hope you will be able to use the limited sampling of our tasting for some guidance. Some of the wines we tasted, particularly the 2007's, have just been released on the market. They may not yet be widely available but should you see a bottle of back vintage Holdredge or Wild Horse on the shelf you should feel comfortable trying it if that seems to be the style of Pinot that suits you. This tasting was as much about the character of the vintage as it was about the house style of each winery. Recommending Pinot is sort of like recommending shoes. There are a lot of them out there that do the same job but finding the style and the size that suits you takes some trying  on. So without further ado let’s try on some Pinot Noir.      Group’s 12th/my 12th - 2007 Rodney Strong  RRV 14.4%             $20 Greg captured one issue with this wine when he stated, “this really pissed me off, there’s just too much sulfur here, it could be a good wine but this shouldn’t be for sale”. The sulfur did dominate the wine and with time blew off a bit revealing some good raw materials, as Justin said, “this is weird and chemical but lurking there is a lot of fresh, pine forest”. Elizabeth noted that it was “ crisp with toasty wood and super-ripe fruit”. But in general the mood could be characterized by Jamie’s “I didn’t hate this” or Stephanie’s “meh”.      Group’s 11th/ my 9th -2007 Alma Rosa Santa Rita Hills 14.5%             $40 Elizabeth was the most complimentary regarding this wine noting that it had “plummy fruit with a spicy mushroom edge, it’s fairly decent but kind of simple”. Greg also enjoyed it’s core of “ dried leaves and tea” and the mouthfell, though felt it was “ very high in acid and fairly lean”. On the other hand Jeff felt this was “horrible” and Stephanie did not put it in her mouth after smelling “armpit and not with fresh sweat” on the nose. This was not well received.      Group’s 10th/ my 11th - 2006 Benton Lane Willamette Valley - 14.1%         $25 There were a range of opinions on this wine running from Stephanie’s “inoffensive” to Jeanne’s “tilted and off balance” and Greg’s “ a little short but complex”. Both Ali and Elizabeth round violet and black pepper notes here with Elizabeth feeling that they were a touch candied, a sentiment shared by Justin and Jamie who noted “this smells like a cold Jolly Rancher”. I think Ali and Jeff got it right when the both said, “it’s a little simple”.      Group’s 9th/ my 7th    -2007 Wild Horse Central Coast - 13%             $22 Justin couldn’t muster any enthusiasm for this wine saying it tasted “weird and disjointed, I can’t get into it”. Greg felt this was “ grapy with some mocha coffee going on and finishes pretty long with raspberry/cranberry fruit”. Ali had the most complimentary take on this wine noting “ it’s got pretty floral notes with cinnamon and balsamic notes and in the mouth it’s got sweet fresh fruit with a kind of orange thing going on. “ Jamie though it was a bit simpler adding, “cherry coke, it tastes just like cherry coke”. This was certainly fruit driven but it played that riff very well.      Group’s 8th/ my 10th  -2006 Duckhorn Migration - Anderson Valley - 14.5%        $32 Justin welcomed this wine noting, “it’s floral and earthy and a welcome relief. It’s restrained and elegant but it does suffer from a hint of dilution on the mid-palate.” Elizabeth agreed noting the “rather complex nose with eucalyptus and mixed floral bouquet but there’s not a whole lot of flavor”. A sentiment shared by Ali who felt the nose was “pretty complex with roots, bark, and white chocolate but it’s lacking structure, it’s flabby and round.” This didn’t generate much enthusiasm but at the same time no one really hated it. A solid middle of the road performance.      Group’s 7th/ my 8th - 2006 Davis Bynum Russian River Valley 14.9%                 $32 This was perhaps the most obviously oaky wine of the line-up with virtually everyone commenting on the wood from Greg’s “obviously woody with lot’s of sweet vanilla” to Justin’s “too oaky for me”. A comment that may have been supported by Stephanie’s contention that this wine tasted of “cherry wood, this tastes like a Spanish wine with all this wood”. Jamie concurred with the notion that this tasted as though it could have been Spanish adding “ this confused the hell out of me, it’s really concentrated and I even get olives on the palate”. Jeanne went down a similar path adding “ I wouldn’t have any idea that this Pinot Noir” . Ali liked the wines unique character noting “I love this, it tastes really old and tarry, like an old Nebbiolo with wet leaves, tea and drying tannins on the finish.”  While atypical this was undeniably well made.      Group’s 6th/ my 6th -2006 Ponzi A Tavola Willimatte Valley - 13.5%         $25 This was met with universally positive response with Stephanie noting the “tree bark, clove and black cherry fruit on the palate with a soft feel and a pleasant finish. A view virtually mirrored my Ali experience which she described as “ Cherry, cola and earth in the mouth and the nice acid gives this a really juicy finish.” That acid was a bit off-putting to Greg who found the wine “too acidic”. While this was, as Jamie pointed out “ not very fruity” It did “ hang around in the mouth” with fine length ad Jeanne noted. I thought the acidity was just fine and lent freshness to this easy drinking wine that’s just perfect for Turkey day.     Group’s 5th/ my 5th  -2006 Willakenzie  Willamette Valley - 14.2%        $30 The rather organic smelling nose of this wine caused a bit of controversy with Jeff commenting on it’s “gamy Character” which Jamie noted “smelled like dirt at first but then more like barnyard” adding “ I like it a lot!” Jeanne added what I think may be a common response to this wine when she commented “This tasted differently than I expected it to taste based on the nose. I didn’t like the nose.”  There was plenty of ripe fruit on the palate with this wine but the funky aromatics makes this a love it or leave it kind of wine. The only wine of the tasting that honestly could be called Burgundian, and that is your style this is a winner.      Groups’ 4th / my 3rd - 2006 Stoller JV Estate Dundee Hills - 14.5%         $30 While Justin though this was “not very Pinot Noir like” that didn’t dissuade Ali from commenting “ I really like this, it’s really floral and earthy with sweet fruit and spiced with cinnamon” Jamie also got the floral tones adding “ it smells sweet but more bitter chocolate kind of sweet than fruity sweet.” Jeff really enjoyed this, saying it “ was really very well balanced, I like the way the fruit and acid play of each other” In addition to the cinnamon spice both Elizabeth and Greg found a mushroom edge on a nose they both characterized as very ripe. This seemed to have something to appeal to each palate and I really enjoyed its fine balance and transparent fruit. A new producer for me, and a great surprise.      Group’s 3rd / my tie for 1st - 2006 Saxon Brown Parmelee Hill Sonoma Valley 14.5%     $40 Ali was not a fan here “I hated this, green, mint and geranium, uhg” Jeff was more of a fan adding “I liked this a lot, it’s a bit over-oaked and the killed the fruit a bit but it’s still intense and balanced”. That intensity appealed to Elizabeth who noted on the “ red, dusty fruit, this is very expressive. It’s really, really ripe but elegant with earthy dirt on the complex nose”. Greg felt “it smelled better than it tasted” though Jeanne added, “ I enjoyed this wine more than most of the others” and Justin Appreciated the “floral and raspberry fruit on the nose, this is tightly wound but there’s really good length here and it’s got real minerality.” This is a fuller style but is made in a seamless style that seems to conceal some of the sheer weight here.      Group’s 2nd / my 4th- 2006 Elk Cove Willamette Valley 14.5%             $30 This really created divergent opinions among the panel. Justin found this wine to be “over-ripe and too alcoholic with Tina Turner legs. Just brutish” while Jeff really liked it, adding” it’s very soft but really well balanced with a sense of terroir”.  Jamie felt this was “ a really cool wine, not typical pinot but with creamy fruit yet herbal and wet pebble notes keep it spicy and stony.” Jeanne didn’t agree and characterized the wine as smelling like “ a dirty rag” adding “ I feel like I’d get heartburn if I drank this”. Greg noted that the nose was really ripe but he was “totally disappointed with the palate. Ali also got a lot on the nose calling it “really concentrated with blackberry and truffle but this is super freaking hot in the mouth!”  I can’t account for the divergent opinions here as I found this complex and elegant, classic Oregon Pinot.      Group’s 1st/ my tie for 1st  -2007 Holdredge Russian River Valley  14.3%             $40 A wine that caused some controversy at first due to its noticeable oak on the nose. Ali called it “charred oak, new oak, cinnamon and oak on the nose” while Jamie characterized it more as “cocoa and dark chocolate and a little woodsy”. Elizabeth felt it was “ easy and pleasant to smell with medium body and very crisp acidity”. Acidity that was appreciated by Justin Who felt it was “ very acidic but an enjoyable acidity adding crisp, zingy forest notes to the wine” Jeff disagreed feeling the wine was “out of whack with this intense acidity”. Ali got past the oakiness on the nose and found the wine to be “ tart and tangy with a ripe raspberry sweetness”.  This is a bit young yet and really benefitted from its time in the glass. This was the overwhelming favorite today and should only get better. 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 Wine for Thanksgiving -... by Gregory Dal Piaz

  
  

• November 2008

  Wines tasted in this report Flight 1 A) 2006 Ponzi A Tavola Willamette Valley – 13.5% 88pts B) 2006 Willakenzie Willamette Valley - 14.2% 90pts C) 2006 Benton Lane Willamette Valley – 14.1% 84pts Flight 2 A) 2006 Elk Cove Willamette Valley 14.5% 91pts B) 2006 Duckhorn... Read moreWines tasted in this report Flight 1 A) 2006 Ponzi A Tavola Willamette Valley - 13.5% 88pts B) 2006 Willakenzie Willamette Valley - 14.2% 90pts C) 2006 Benton Lane Willamette Valley - 14.1% 84pts Flight 2 A) 2006 Elk Cove Willamette Valley 14.5% 91pts B) 2006 Duckhorn Migration - Anderson Valley - 14.5% 85pts C) 2007 Wild Horse Central Coast - 13% 89pts Flight 3 A) 2007 Holdredge RRV 14.3% 93pts B) 2006 Davis Bynum RRV 14.9% 88pts C) 2007 Rodney Strong RRV 14.4% NR Flight 4 A) 2007 Alma Rosa Santa Rita Hills 14.5% 86pts B) 2006 Stoller JV Estate Dundee Hills - 14.5% 92pts C) 2006 Saxon Brown Parmelee Hill Son. Valley - 14.5% 93pts I've just posted some great tasting notes and cursory information regarding both Californian and Oregon Pinot on the Snooth blog. While I usually would want to post a more informative piece here on my page I'm going to make an exception this time. With thanksgiving right around the corner I'd rather get these notes up to help you make some purchasing decision now and make a promise that the next Pinot review will include all the background information these pieces should provide. Flight 1 - Oregon’s emerging Star A) 2006 Ponzi A Tavola Willamette Valley - 13.5% $25 Screwcap - Very fresh with touches of sweet soil, aromatic wood/pencil shavings, and balsamic tones. More barrel and soil than fruit at first. Very savory spice notes add some depth to the perfumy sour/gamy fruit. Light yet lush and relaxed in the mouth but with real solid intensity to the slightly roasted strawberry fruits. Lovely bright acids and minor tannins are in good balance. Lot’s of twizzler red licorice fruit on the fresh, clean finish with a gentle sweep of forest floor that ends with a balsamic note. Very solid pinot and the right weight for Turkey day. 88pts http://www.snooth.com/wine/ponzi-pinot-noir-tavola-2006/ B) 2006 Willakenzie Willamette Valley - 14.2% $30 Screwcap - Light and ethereal nose with herbal and raspberry notes, spicy black, anise high tones, very engaging nose, light and willowy. Touches of emergent peanut brittle, clay, mineral rich potting soil and a touch of cracked peppercorn add complexity. Soft and round in the mouth with minimal tannins and well integrated acidity. Rather sleek in it’s softness. A lovely sappy note in the mouth, with clean, pure red berry fruit in a very easy style that finishes with long, sweet and subtly spicy red berry notes. Elegant and understated with gentle flavors that are edged with fresh earthy, beet root and herbal notes. 90pts http://www.snooth.com/wine/willakenzie-pinot-noir-willamette-valley-2006/ C) 2006 Benton Lane Willamette Valley - 14.1% $25 Screwcap - Sweet and slightly jammy red raspberry and blackberry fruit. Tree bark and soil tones a touch of cola but also with very sappy spice notes. Soft tannins but nice, refreshing acids help maintain liveliness even though there is blocky density here. Really nice herbal, cherry, and very subtle coriander/cola tones make for a round, fairly complex midpalate. A more fruit driven style yet not overtly fruity though with air this does turn a little clumsy and seems a bit heavy handed. 84pts http://www.snooth.com/wine/benton-lane-pinot-noir-2006/ Flight 2 - Moving to the South A) 2006 Elk Cove Willamette Valley 14.5% $30 Deep fruit, dark cherry with mint, dark herb, green spice and tea notes. Has a little Burgundian funkiness going on with a nice note of peppercorns and grilled, rare beef. Very clean, precise with modest but lovely crisp tannins, solid acidity is refreshing, red cherry fruit is fresh and crisp with a touch of that green spice up front then tea and earth on the midpalate. Medium bodied but very fine and layered with an absolutely refreshing feel, lovely focus and a moderately long finish that ends with a flourish of fine spice tones. Elegant and complex. 91pts http://www.snooth.com/wine/elk-cove-vineyards-pinot-noir-2006-1/ B) 2006 Duckhorn Migration - Anderson Valley - 14.5% $32 Sweet on the nose with a strong vein of cola and spice tinged cherry fruit that gains a rather prominent medicinal/cough syrup quality. Very treebarky and smoky forest floor emerge with air and there is a gentle nuttiness with green walnut tones. Round and soft, a touch chewy and dense with dark spice and cola tones, RC cola. Nice structure but a bit blocky with an overt wood tones and a hovering vanilla sweetness. Finishes a bit short with tannins that are still a touch austere. 85pts http://www.snooth.com/wine/duckhorn-migration-pinot-noir-anderson-valley-2006/ C) 2007 Wild Horse Central Coast - 13% $22 Warm and ripe with a juicy, roast meaty edge and smoky, little caramelized wood tones Gains freshness in the glass with distinct floral top notes and intense warm black raspberry and ollalieberry notes that gain an exotic persimmon tone. Low acid, rich and soft, dense with a very ripe feel but fresh flavors. A bit of wood tannin is a touch out of balance and a bit too assertive. Very nice minor liquory wild red berry/cranberry flavors, then finishes with a strong herbal/rhubarb vein. Lovely baking spice notes and a touch of watermelon on the finale. A curious wine with a big feel, yet gentle and offering surprisingly fresh flavors. Delicious in a very fruity way. 89pts http://www.snooth.com/wine/wild-horse-vineyard-pinot-noir-2007 Flight 3 - Historic Russian River Valley A) 2007 Holdredge RRV 14.3% $40 Sweet and a touch overtly woody at first with a bit of Grenache like garrigue, dirt, red flowers, a touch of toast and hot iron over a reticent core of very fresh cherry. With air really gains Pinot typicity with a dusty minerality and subtle redwood and sappy accents to the red fruit. Soft and almost viscous tasting, but feeling fine and elegant, though the wine does seem to ooze across the palate a bit. Very fine tannin and a fair bit of them. Very autumnal top notes, dried herbs, leaves, tea, touch of caramel apple, dark spicy black cherry with a touch of ludens cough drop to it. Good transparency with real lush ripeness to the flavors. Turns sappy and twiggy on the finish, which has an assertive mineral cut. Very perfumed on the very long finish but without a lot of intensity. Classic Pinot. 93pts http://www.snooth.com/wine/holdredge-russian-river-valley-pinot-noir-2007 B) 2006 Davis Bynum RRV 14.9% $32 Smells a bit soapy at first with a very floral character. With air Syrah like black pepper, beef, dried hay, violet and floral tones emerge. Atypical, and a bit raw woody at first then much more typical heavy vanilla and candied cola notes emerge with the candied black cherry fruit. Pretty fresh and pure raspberry in the mouth with lovely tannins, brisk and crisp and pretty well measured against the great backing acidity. Elegant yet rich with citrus and floral tones framing the fruits, and a good dollop of oaken spice emerging on the finish. Somewhere between intense and elegant with an intriguing astringent edge, yet a touch loose and lacking a bit of complexity. 88pts http://www.snooth.com/wine/davis-bynum-pinot-noir-russian-river-valley-2006 C) 2007 Rodney Strong RRV 14.4% $20 Funky, kinky smoky, rubbery sulfur notes hide the core of spicy, complex fruit with intense cola, cold coffee and graham cracker notes struggling to emerge from the sulfur. Blackberry jam and a touch of char peak out then recede. A bit dead in the mouth with the sulfur tamping down the midpalate. . Not lively or fresh yet with a rich round mouthfeel. The dark cherry fruit it fairly intense with complicating notes of spicy, light vanilla and cinnamon that leads to a finish that accentuates the oaky vanilla a touch and has a cherry candy tone to it. A bit short. Solid if uninspiring but marred by the sulfur today. When it blows of this should emerge around 85-87pts http://www.snooth.com/wine/rodney-strong-russian-river-pinot-noir-2007/ Flight 4 -Single Vineyard Highlights A) 2007 Alma Rosa Santa Rita Hills 14.5% $40 Screwcap - pretty intensely perfumed with strong floral, sandy soil and spice tones, cardamom and green, almost minty anise seed. Some almost citrussy tones and a touch of coconut cream and cedary oak get added to the mix. Rich yet lighter styled with very, very fine tannins and good acidity. Nice dark fruit tones but without any roasted or over-ripe notes. Dark medicinal spice tones play off the richly fruited core and lead to a touch of spice on the backend that turns peppery on the long finish with red fruits and a subtle insinuation of pomegranate. This explodes then fades quickly in the glass. 86pts http://www.snooth.com/wine/alma-rosa-winery-and-vineyards-pinot-noirsanta-rita-hills-2007/ B) 2006 Stoller JV Estate Dundee Hills - 14.5% $30 Screwcap - Intense and ever-so-slightly roasted fruit that has excellent warm middle-eastern spice notes, and a grilled rare steak tone. Very interesting on the nose as it has some cool climate rainwater character but also offers up very ripe fruits with spicy, dried cherry tones. Sweetish yet with acid to support the fruit, very fine polished tannins sit comfortably under the drape of fruit. Very fresh yet completely ripe with complex shades of berry fruit, spice, soil, and herbs. Really complete stuff. Lots of very subtle coriander/sassafras tones that don’t veer off into the cola/root beer end of the spectrum. Very impressive transparency and mouthfeel. 92pts. http://www.snooth.com/wine/stoller-jv-estate-2006-pinot-noir-2006 C) 2006 Saxon Brown Parmelee Hill Son. Valley - 14.5% $40 Deeply fleshy and earthy on the nose with slightly smoky ham, cola, and toasted almond notes. Warm red currant and black cherry fruit emerges with air and features a touch of tar and oily herbs with a sappy green wood stemminess. Soft yet expansive in the mouth with almost imperceptibly fine tannins and ok acidity. Very richly flavored, with expansiveness that seeps into the corners of the mouth. Ripe and decidedly new worldy but with assertive mineral and stem notes that keep the solid yet delicate, intense red berry fruit from becoming monotonous. A vanilla top note leads to a cleansing, brisk finish with tiny tannins emerging through the plush fruits. 93pts http://www.snooth.com/wine/saxon-brown-wines-pinot-noir-parmelee-hill-sonoma-valley-2006/    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Pinot Noir in time for... by Gregory Dal Piaz

  
  

• November 2008

  What Wine for Thanksgiving – Snooth Panel Tasting Program blind tastes West Coast Pinot Noir. Wines tasted for this report; Flight 1 A)    2006 Ponzi A Tavola Willamette Valley – 13.5% B)     2006 Willakenzie Willamette Valley - 14.2% C)     2006 Benton Lane... Read moreWhat Wine for Thanksgiving - Snooth Panel Tasting Program blind tastes West Coast Pinot Noir. Wines tasted for this report; Flight 1 A)    2006 Ponzi A Tavola Willamette Valley - 13.5% B)     2006 Willakenzie Willamette Valley - 14.2% C)     2006 Benton Lane Willamette Valley - 14.1% Flight 2 A)    2006 Elk Cove Willamette Valley 14.5% B)     2006 Duckhorn Migration - Anderson Valley - 14.5% C)    2007 Wild Horse Central Coast - 13% Flight 3 A)    2007 Holdredge RRV 14.3% B)    2006 Davis Bynum RRV 14.9% C)    2007 Rodney Strong RRV 14.4% Flight 4 A)    2007 Alma Rosa Santa Rita Hills 14.5% B)    2006 Stoller JV Estate Dundee Hills - 14.5% C)    2006 Saxon Brown Parmelee Hill Son. Valley - 14.5% Just in time for Thanksgiving I convened Snooth’s blind tasting panel to take a look at what may very well be the most recommended wine for Thanksgiving:  West Coast Pinot Noir. While I personally prefer a good bottle of Zin for Thanksgiving, as illustrated by last week’s email, the appeal of Pinot Noir in undeniable.  We assembled a selection of wine in what might be characterized as the middle price point. One of the problems with Pinot is that demand continues to outstrip supply, though thousands of recently planted acres will be coming into production over the next year or three so that situation may change. Regardless the price for Pinot today includes a demand premium making these wines a bit on the pricy side. I made this a West Coast pinot tasting since there really is a difference between say, Oregon Pinot and Russian River Pinot.  Not only does the climate produce different wines, not to mention the soils, but there are also different wine making schools of thought out on the west coast. Light elegant Burundian Pinots deliver a very different experience than say, full on fruit bombs from the Santa Rita hills. This Panel tasting was among the most interesting we have had since the distinct attributes of Pinot had very polarizing affects. The high acidity of many of these wines was off-putting to many but makes them very food friendly and refreshing to drink so your experience at the dinner table could be far different from our experience with saltines in a blind tasting. The other factor that proved to be crucial in determining one’s preference among this admittedly limited selection of wine was the earthy, funkiness that some producers strive to capture. Some people simply prefer big, ripe, clean fruit and for these people some of the attempts at producing a Burgundian style of Pinot just do not, and never will, appeal. Fortunately there seems to be a wine and a style for everyone. While opinions diverged on many wines in this tasting I was surprised at how closely the panel’s results mirrored my own. The opinions on the top 6 wines were pretty universal and overwhelmingly positive.   This was a strong group of wines and I was delighted to see that people ranked elegant examples as highly as they did some of the more assertive wines. Retailers will be pushing Pinot with a vengeance this Holiday season and while we at Snooth agree that it can be a very strong choice we hope you will be able to use our limited sampling for some guidance. Recommending Pinot is sort of like recommending shoes. There are a lot of them out there that do the same job but finding the style and the size that suits you takes some trying  on. So without further ado let’s try on some Pinot Noir.      Group’s 12th/my 12th - 2007 Rodney Strong  RRV 14.4%             $20 Greg captured one issue with this wine when he stated, “this really pissed me off, there’s just too much sulfur here, it could be a good wine but this shouldn’t be for sale”. The sulfur did dominate the wine and with time blew off a bit revealing some good raw materials, as Justin said, “this is weird and chemical but lurking there is a lot of fresh, pine forest”. Elizabeth noted that it was “ crisp with toasty wood and super-ripe fruit”. But in general the mood could be characterized by Jamie’s “I didn’t hate this” or Stephanie’s “meh”.      Group’s 11th/ my 9th -2007 Alma Rosa Santa Rita Hills 14.5%             $40 Elizabeth was the most complimentary regarding this wine noting that it had “plummy fruit with a spicy mushroom edge, it’s fairly decent but kind of simple”. Greg also enjoyed it’s core of “ dried leaves and tea” and the mouthfell, though felt it was “ very high in acid and fairly lean”. On the other hand Jeff felt this was “horrible” and Stephanie did not put it in her mouth after smelling “armpit and not with fresh sweat” on the nose. This was not well received.      Group’s 10th/ my 11th - 2006 Benton Lane Willamette Valley - 14.1%         $25 There were a range of opinions on this wine running from Stephanie’s “inoffensive” to Jeanne’s “tilted and off balance” and Greg’s “ a little short but complex”. Both Ali and Elizabeth round violet and black pepper notes here with Elizabeth feeling that they were a touch candied, a sentiment shared by Justin and Jamie who noted “this smells like a cold Jolly Rancher”. I think Ali and Jeff got it right when the both said, “it’s a little simple”.      Group’s 9th/ my 7th    -2007 Wild Horse Central Coast - 13%             $22 Justin couldn’t muster any enthusiasm for this wine saying it tasted “weird and disjointed, I can’t get into it”. Greg felt this was “ grapy with some mocha coffee going on and finishes pretty long with raspberry/cranberry fruit”. Ali had the most complimentary take on this wine noting “ it’s got pretty floral notes with cinnamon and balsamic notes and in the mouth it’s got sweet fresh fruit with a kind of orange thing going on. “ Jamie though it was a bit simpler adding, “cherry coke, it tastes just like cherry coke”. This was certainly fruit driven but it played that riff very well.      Group’s 8th/ my 10th  -2006 Duckhorn Migration - Anderson Valley - 14.5%        $32 Justin welcomed this wine noting, “it’s floral and earthy and a welcome relief. It’s restrained and elegant but it does suffer from a hint of dilution on the mid-palate.” Elizabeth agreed noting the “rather complex nose with eucalyptus and mixed floral bouquet but there’s not a whole lot of flavor”. A sentiment shared by Ali who felt the nose was “pretty complex with roots, bark, and white chocolate but it’s lacking structure, it’s flabby and round.” This didn’t generate much enthusiasm but at the same time no one really hated it. A solid middle of the road performance.      Group’s 7th/ my 8th - 2006 Davis Bynum Russian River Valley 14.9%                 $32 This was perhaps the most obviously oaky wine of the line-up with virtually everyone commenting on the wood from Greg’s “obviously woody with lot’s of sweet vanilla” to Justin’s “too oaky for me”. A comment that may have been supported by Stephanie’s contention that this wine tasted of “cherry wood, this tastes like a Spanish wine with all this wood”. Jamie concurred with the notion that this tasted as though it could have been Spanish adding “ this confused the hell out of me, it’s really concentrated and I even get olives on the palate”. Jeanne went down a similar path adding “ I wouldn’t have any idea that this Pinot Noir” . Ali liked the wines unique character noting “I love this, it tastes really old and tarry, like an old Nebbiolo with wet leaves, tea and drying tannins on the finish.”  While atypical this was undeniably well made.      Group’s 6th/ my 6th -2006 Ponzi A Tavola Willimatte Valley - 13.5%         $25 This was met with universally positive response with Stephanie noting the “tree bark, clove and black cherry fruit on the palate with a soft feel and a pleasant finish. A view virtually mirrored my Ali experience which she described as “ Cherry, cola and earth in the mouth and the nice acid gives this a really juicy finish.” That acid was a bit off-putting to Greg who found the wine “too acidic”. While this was, as Jamie pointed out “ not very fruity” It did “ hang around in the mouth” with fine length ad Jeanne noted. I thought the acidity was just fine and lent freshness to this easy drinking wine that’s just perfect for Turkey day.     Group’s 5th/ my 5th  -2006 Willakenzie  Willamette Valley - 14.2%        $30 The rather organic smelling nose of this wine caused a bit of controversy with Jeff commenting on it’s “gamy Character” which Jamie noted “smelled like dirt at first but then more like barnyard” adding “ I like it a lot!” Jeanne added what I think may be a common response to this wine when she commented "This tasted differently than I expected it to taste based on the nose. I didn’t like the nose.”  There was plenty of ripe fruit on the palate with this wine but the funky aromatics makes this a love it or leave it kind of wine. The only wine of the tasting that honestly could be called Burgundian, and that is your style this is a winner.      Groups’ 4th / my 3rd - 2006 Stoller JV Estate Dundee Hills - 14.5%         $30 While Justin though this was “not very Pinot Noir like” that didn’t dissuade Ali from commenting “ I really like this, it’s really floral and earthy with sweet fruit and spiced with cinnamon” Jamie also got the floral tones adding “ it smells sweet but more bitter chocolate kind of sweet than fruity sweet.” Jeff really enjoyed this, saying it “ was really very well balanced, I like the way the fruit and acid play of each other” In addition to the cinnamon spice both Elizabeth and Greg found a mushroom edge on a nose they both characterized as very ripe. This seemed to have something to appeal to each palate and I really enjoyed its fine balance and transparent fruit. A new producer for me, and a great surprise.      Group’s 3rd / my tie for 1st - 2006 Saxon Brown Parmelee Hill Sonoma Valley 14.5%     $40 Ali was not a fan here “I hated this, green, mint and geranium, uhg” Jeff was more of a fan adding “I liked this a lot, it’s a bit over-oaked and the killed the fruit a bit but it’s still intense and balanced”. That intensity appealed to Elizabeth who noted on the “ red, dusty fruit, this is very expressive. It’s really, really ripe but elegant with earthy dirt on the complex nose”. Greg felt “it smelled better than it tasted” though Jeanne added, “ I enjoyed this wine more than most of the others” and Justin Appreciated the “floral and raspberry fruit on the nose, this is tightly wound but there’s really good length here and it’s got real minerality.” This is a fuller style but is made in a seamless style that seems to conceal some of the sheer weight here.      Group’s 2nd / my 4th- 2006 Elk Cove Willamette Valley 14.5%             $30 This really created divergent opinions among the panel. Justin found this wine to be “over-ripe and too alcoholic with Tina Turner legs. Just brutish” while Jeff really liked it, adding” it’s very soft but really well balanced with a sense of terroir”.  Jamie felt this was “ a really cool wine, not typical pinot but with creamy fruit yet herbal and wet pebble notes keep it spicy and stony.” Jeanne didn’t agree and characterized the wine as smelling like “ a dirty rag” adding “ I feel like I’d get heartburn if I drank this”. Greg noted that the nose was really ripe but he was “totally disappointed with the palate. Ali also got a lot on the nose calling it “really concentrated with blackberry and truffle but this is super freaking hot in the mouth!”  I can’t account for the divergent opinions here as I found this complex and elegant, classic Oregon Pinot.      Group’s 1st/ my tie for 1st  -2007 Holdredge Russian River Valley  14.3%             $40 A wine that caused some controversy at first due to its noticeable oak on the nose. Ali called it “charred oak, new oak, cinnamon and oak on the nose” while Jamie characterized it more as “cocoa and dark chocolate and a little woodsy”. Elizabeth felt it was “ easy and pleasant to smell with medium body and very crisp acidity”. Acidity that was appreciated by Justin Who felt it was “ very acidic but an enjoyable acidity adding crisp, zingy forest notes to the wine” Jeff disagreed feeling the wine was “out of whack with this intense acidity”. Ali got past the oakiness on the nose and found the wine to be “ tart and tangy with a ripe raspberry sweetness”.  This is a bit young yet and really benefitted from its time in the glass. This was the overwhelming favorite today and should only get better.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic by Gregory Dal Piaz

  
  

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