Virtual Offline Tasting December 14-16

2004 Colonial Estate Envoy "GSM"

NOTES POSTED!

2004-2006 Aussie Shiraz Shootout - BLIND

Before I go on … 2006 d'Arenberg The Laughing Magpie kicks some serious booty!






Wow! For the first time we saw a unanimous decision with 7 first place votes. So here is how it went.

Wine # 1: Big oak on the nose. Enjoyable aromatics. Lots of boysenberry and sweet oak on the palate. Big fruit and big oak but nice balance. The finish originally showed hot but when we revisited about an hour later the wine had a big improvement. (0,5,1 = 16 points) Group # 2, my # 2 2005 Two Hands Shiraz “Sophie's Garden”

Wine # 2: Much subtler nose. Leather and a touch of menthol. Flavors showed more cherry. More red fruit. The finish was dried and hot. (0,0,2 = 2 points) Group # 5 2005 Razor's Edge Shiraz

Wine # 3: Okay, here is some complexity … novel idea. Aromatics showed minerals and flower elements along with the fruit. It was Bordeaux like to me. Showed much better acidity than the previous two. There was also a nice amount of tannins. Great balance. Needs a few years. (7,0,0 = 35 points) Group # 1, my # 1 2006 d'Arenberg “The Laughing Magpie” Shiraz-Viognier

Wine # 4: Again big oak on the nose. Showed dark fruit. Nice bright acid. A good amount of tannins. The finish did show heat and some bitterness but overall very nice. (0,1,2 = 5 points) Group # 3 – tie, My # 3 2005 Two Hands “Brave Faces”
** I took this one home and it showed very nicely with dinner.

Wine # 5: Plums on the nose. Not so oak dominated. A touch of black licorice. Somebody (Dietz?) nailed this with coriander. Coriander seed to be exact. Earth and mushroom too. Again, there were solid tannins. (0,1,2 = 5 points) Group # 3 –tie 2005 Yalumba “Y Series” Shiraz/Viognier

Wine # 6: Oak shake aromatics. Texture is like a blanket. Tastes like old crusty boysenberry syrup from IHOP! Sweet syrup… old syrup. Wow…people were not even willing to spit this. It just got poured straight into the bucket. Port like … just not as good as port. Dietz said it was like Ultimate Fighting Challenge. Thankfully, there was a nice hot alcoholic finish to go with it. (NO VOTES) 2006 Mollydooker Shiraz “Blue Eyed Boy”
** I did take this home. My wife needed a glass of wine. I pulled out the wine and she thought the label was so cool. She wanted a glass. After a few sips she gave it back … she was done. It must be noted that I have never seen her refuse to drink a red wine that was not flawed!

Wine # 7: Interesting aromatics. Most like number 3. I was sure this was not 100% Shiraz (of course it was). Scott nailed this as watermelon Jolly Rancher. It was Jolly Rancher but it wasn’t candied. A nice wine but didn’t get any votes. (NO VOTES) 2004 The Colonial Estate Shiraz “Explorateur”

Huge kudos to D'Arenberg!!! Great job and Great price!

I must say, I love the Marquis and was sorry to see them take a beating … but it happens. Although they don’t necessarily make “my style” of wine, I will continue to keep some in the cellar… because sometimes I need some Ultimate Fighting Challenge!

Cheers,

Jason

To See More - CLICK HERE

Next Tasting: Tuesday December 4

Theme: 2004 - 2006 Big Aussie Shiraz! The wine needs to be at least 65% Shiraz.

Tasted: Blind (bring wrapped in foil) ScrewCaps okay...there are enough out there now.

Start Time: 12:00 Sharp

Food: The Hat

Mystery White: Jason and/or anyone else

Location: The Command Center

Virtual Offline Tasting November 14-16

2006 Castle Rock Pinot Noir Sonoma County

It maybe wise to try this over two nights since it is so young. We'll post the notes on Saturday November 17.

The 2005 Blind New World Pinot Tasting

That was fun. Great job on the wines too. No stinkers. And way to go Darren ... the Belle Pente was awesome. Here is my brief write up. Let me know if you guys remember things differently.

Mystery White #1Very pleasant wine. I thought it was slightly oxidized but everyone else disagreed. A clean pure wine with no off flavors. Guesses varied. Dietz landed on a Rhone…which is what I would have guessed … had I not brought it. A great example of what chardonnay can be. Can still hold for a few more years. 2000 Domaine Guy Amiot et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet

Pinot #1As the first wine tasted I liked this. Toasty oak on the nose but not over powering. Clean and smooth. Somewhat simple. NO VOTES 2005 St Innocent Anden Vineyard

Pinot #2
The bar goes up a little bit. This wine is showing much better. Good acid and a fair amount of structure. I think shows good potential for a number of years. (2, 2, 1 = 17) points 2005 Belle Pente Willamette Valley (my 1^st)

Pinot #3
Nose is showing much more candied than the previous two wines. Caramel and bubble gum. Good purity through the middle but the finish seems to dry out. (0, 0, 2 = 2 points) 2005 Kenwood RRV

Pinot #4
Lots of hey on the nose. Not in a bad way…but a good way .. hey. Big red fruit and big juicy acidity. Things do not seem to be integrated to me. (2, 0, 2 = 12 points) 2005 Alma Rosa La Encantada SRH (my 3^rd)

Wine #5
The aromatics imply some whole cluster. Nice although there was an element of stewed tomatoes that I wasn’t crazy about. On the front palate you get big fruit but it is completely overshadowed by the massive oak. The finish is vanilla ice cream. A very tasty wine but I do not think I could drink more than one glass at this time. If the oak integrates and becomes less sweet, this wine could be a blockbuster. At this stage monolithic. (2, 2, 0 = 16 points) 2005 Miner Rosella’s SLH. (my 2^nd) I could not believe this was SLH … let alone Rosella’s

Mystery White #2
Flowery aromatics. Great. The wine showed very sweet fruit. Not really like RS but very sweet. A nice wine. I was sure it was Alsatian. Once I found out it was Cali Chard I was sure it was the Novy Rosella’s...as the foil was being removed I stood up and walked away in all my pompousness. I was right! … ha ha … I was wrong … It was the 2006 Novy Chardonnay Keefer. This wine was very well liked. This was the 06 right?...or was it the 05?

1^st Place = Belle Pente

2^nd Place = Miner

3^rd Place = Alma Rosa

Post Script
Since I brought the Anden, I thought I should do some further tasting. I took it home along with the Alma Rosa. It did show better but very different from anything else we tasted. It showed a little more complexity but ultimately with St Innocent’s track record, I think it will need more time. The Alma Rosa on the other hand was no longer pleasant to me. It was bubble gum city. I could not take the sweetness after a day of trying 7 wines. My wife on the other hand liked the flavor explosion brought on by the acidity a loads of fruit. I stuck to the SI.

Post Post Script
The Cali Pinots showed a lot more sweetness than the 2 Oregonians.

Cheers,
Jason

For More Click Here

Next Tasting: Tuesday November 6

Theme: 2005 Pinot Noir - New World

Tasted: Blind (bring wrapped in foil) ScrewCaps okay...there are enough out there now.

Start Time: 1:00 Sharp

Food: Sushi or Burgers

Mystery White: Jason and/or anyone else

Location: The Command Center

TNs From "Rhone In America"

Mystery White: Grassy nose. Lots going on. Melon, tropical fruit (pineapple) and of course cat pee. Dietz surely knew this was sauvignon blanc. He was pretty much right. 2005 Vision White Wine (80% SB from Napa, 20% Pinot Gris from SLH). A decent wine. Nice acidity and a fair amount of complexity. (2 third place votes = 2 points)

2006 Alban Vineyards Viognier Central Coast: I was looking forward to this … sadly it did not deliver. You got to love Viognier aromatics but the palate was a fat flabby mess. Way too heavy and seemingly showing a lot of wood. I think the room was united that this was not good. I took it home…maybe a new environment … maybe a little more time … yep … it got worse. (NO VOTES)

2001 Ridge Syrah/Grenache (50/50): Opinions went back and forth on this one. At first the nose seemed oxidized. The palate seemed nice but simple. Complexity never seemed to increase but with the food this started to shine. I took this wine home. By the evening this wine became more flabby and oaky. Not sure what happened. I don’t think I would wait any longer on this one. (1 first place vote, 3 second place votes, 1 third place vote = 15 points … SECOND PLACE)

2003 Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastel: Not one of the favorites. Hard to figure out. Interesting aromatics but the palate was very sweet. Sweet and sour to be more accurate. No one was looking to take this home. I think it was out shined by its companions. (NO VOTES)

2004 Alcina Syrah Gabrielli (Mendocino County): Aromatics showing very ripe. Much heavier texture than the previous two wines. For me it was very tasty but just a little over ripe. The plums were close to prunes. Showed a more dark and unique character compared to the up coming RRV syrahs. Like so many of my 04 Cali wines … not sure I should hold or drink up. (1 first place vote, 1 second place vote = 8 points…THIRD PLACE)

2004 Radio-Coteau Syrah Timbervine (RRV): I thought this wine would clean up in this tasting. After loving the 03 I was waiting on this one. At first the nose was showing something (so2 or co2 any of the 02s) … sorry don’t know the correct descriptor … but it was there. That blew off quickly and the wine should nicely … but it was just unsure whether it should be a big bruiser or a kindly gentleman. With air time I thought the wine started to shut down. Nice structure but just not sure if it has the stuffing and acid to go the long haul. But a nice wine. I brought this one home and the wood seemed to become more prominent. (1 second place vote, 1 third place vote = 4 points)

2004 Kosta Browne Syrah Amber Ridge (RRV): I haven’t noticed this wine getting much attention. I loved it when I tried it last year when M. Browne came to FMIII’s house and made sure to get some. This is my first taste of it post release. It showed bigger and fuller than I remember it but it did not disappoint. Consistent from the aromatics to the palate. Broad and heavy but not overly dark. I wrote down “smooth sweet candy”. This is a sweet syrah with what seems to be a lot of oak but there is also big fruit. With the finish I would have liked some more acid to keep it going. As it was the mocha elements dominated. I really wanted to see Dietz use a “Red Vine” as a straw and take a few sips…but he was scared. Nice one to have in the mix. (3 first place votes, 1 third place vote = 18 points…FIRST PLACE)

Next Tasting: Wednesday August 29

Theme: Rhone in America (Any Vintage any Rhone Varietal)

Tasted: Blind ?

Start Time: 12:30 Sharp

Food: The Hat ... or tacos from Durango

Mystery White: Jason and/or anyone else

Location: The Command Center

Virtual Offline Tasting July 16-18

2003 J.J. Prum Bernkasteler Badstube "Spatlese"
*Let me know ASAP if those dates don't work. We can post our notes on the 19th.
*Also, I am very glad to announce that the Houston Crew will be joining us on this tasting.
*We can start to post some thoughts on meals that will work well with the wine. My initial instruction from an expert is to go full flavor but not hot.

German & Alsatian Whites (Any Vintage)

This month we ventured out and went to my mother-in-law’s new Mexican restaurant with a theme of German & Alsatian wines. Jason Hagen is the mastermind behind the tastings, and he led us thru the wines as we ate nachos and cheese, tostadas with lomo, crispy fish tacos, chicken enchiladas in red sauce, and chile rellenos.

My take on the wines….

My favorite of the whites, and the group favorite as well, was the 02 Trimbach Pinot Gris “Reserve Ribeauville”. Good acidity with subtle fruit and minerality. Subtle alongside some of the other Pinot Gris today, but well balanced and able to stand on its own with the food (which was not spicy spicy). 92

The 04 Zind Humbrecht Pinot Gris “Rotenberg” was my and one of the group’s second place whites. It was entirely different from the Trimbach. From the color, it looked like a much older wine, almost amber. On the palate, RS, tropical fruit flavors, including coconut. My only complaint about this wine was a somewhat short finish. Good balance here, despite the RS that could have been off-putting. 89

The 05 Domain Ostertag Sylvaner “Vieilles Vignes” didn’t get many votes, but it was tied for me for my second place white. Very dry, with an inviting nose. Smooth on the palate, though I think it lacked a bit of acidity that would have propped up the fruit and made this show much better. Brought by Ki Punwar, who joined us for the first, but hopefully not the last, time. 89

The 02 Zind Humbrecht Pinot Gris “Rotenberg” was tied for second place for the group among the whites. It was lighter in color than its 04 sister, and showed more RS and lots of tropical fruit. That extra RS put this down a notch for me, but it was still quite nice. 88

Also tied for second place among the whites by the group was the 05 Dr. Loosen Riesling Spatlese "Erdener Treppchen". Very sauternes like, a better as a dessert wine, in my opinion, than a savory food wine. The waitresses, who don’t drink wine, loved it when I gave them the remainder of the bottle. 88

There were some other wines (2004 Protocolo, 05 Dr. Loosen Riesling Spatlese "Graacher Himmelreich”), but the WOTD was not a white, but a mystery red, brought by Jason. We always have at least one bagged wine that someone brings and then everyone goes thru an interative `game’ to see if we can identify the wine.

The mystery red, and the overwhelming first place choice among all the wines, was……drumroll…. 2003 Eagle Point Ranch Coro, which is a Zin-dominant blend. Great balance, nice aromatics, spicy fruit and nice acidity to carry thru to the finish. A very very tasty bottle. Casey Hartlip has reason to be very proud of this wine.

These intimate and focused tastings (we were 7 persons yesterday) are a great way to compare wines. There is enough time to go back and retaste, few enough wines to be able to do that, and also enough time for the wines to develop, if they are going to do so. And some great folks to share a meal with. Without their fellowship, these lunches would not be the same.

For More CLICK HERE

Cheers, Jim

TASTING FOR JUNE 21, 2007

Theme: German & Alsatian Whites (Any Vintage)
Tasted: Non-Blind
Mystery "Red": Jason
Place: Las Brisas
Time: 1:15
Misc: Bring stems!

The Line Up
Hage - Mystery Red #1

Ki - 2005 Domain Ostertag Sylvaner "VV"

Dietz - 2002 Trimbach Pinot Gris "Reserve Ribeauville"

Hage - 2002 Zind Humbrecht Pinot Gris "Rotenberg"

Matt - 2004 Zind Humbrecht Pinot Gris "Rotenberg"

Hage - Mystery Red #2

DJ - 2005 Dr. Loosen Riesling Spatlese "Erdener Treppchen"

Mel - 2005 Dr. Loosen Riesling Spatlese "Graacher Himmelreich"

Robo Cop? -

Good Read About Mark V. of St Innocent

Mark is one of my favorite wine-makers. Not just for the wine but his philosophy. It is a quick read that I would recommend. Before too long I think we should have a VLG featuring some St Innocent wines. Maybe you'll be intrigued as well.

Jason

Mark V Interview

Just in case you want more info...Click HERE and HERE for a couple of my visits with SI.

J

Pets event... (not the four legged kind)

Gentlemen,I know the majority of you are Pinot freaks... (not that I do not share an appreciation - it is actually growing). However, can we consider a Petite Sirah event? I would like to explore this wine in the presence of people who know something more than myself.I think it would be neat.

I've had a few that I like and a few that I haven't.

Thoughts? Admonishments?

Orion CLICK HERE

Virtual Offline Tasting May 8 - 15

The first wine of our inaugural "Virtual Offline" will be 2004 Kermit Lynch Cotes du Rhone. This wines is from old vines (30-40 years) and is primarily Grenache but there is a small amount of Syrah in there as well. Please drink before May 16. Make notes on any pertinent details (decanting, drank over 2 days, what food you had with it, etc.). Keep notes on your (and your significant other's) impressions of the wine.

Cheers!

Napa Cabs 2002-2005 (Blind)

Starters:
2002 Pax Hillsides (Sonoma County): Didn’t take much of a note. Just remember the wine be very restrained at this stage. Great aromas but not showing much complexity on the palate.

1995 Von Strasser Cabernet Sauvignon (Diamond Mountain): At first it was off-putting to me. Strong tart acids along with olives. Later in the day showed better, especially with the food. A unique wine.

1997 Corison Cabernet Sauvignon Kronos Vineyard (Napa Valley): Again not much for notes but this was showing very nicely. Still young but very plush and rich. An elegant wine.

Mystery White: A nice “racy” wine. Grassy elements along with rich fruits. Oily mid-palate. A very nice wine … and I forgot to right down what it was … Dietz?

Now onto the Blind Cabs (2002-2005...Jim messed up the theme)

Wine #1: Lots of fruit on the nose. Lots of chocolate on the palate. Finishes with heat but overall pretty nice. 2003 Sterling (Votes: 1^st = 1, 3^rd = 2 – 5 Points = 3^rd place)

Wine #2: Not much on the nose. Lots of red fruit on the palate. Finishes with solid tannin and acid. Needs time. 2003 Karl Lawrence (Votes: 2^nd = 1, 3rd = 2 – 4 Points = tied for 4^th) I think this wine will improve with time and rise above some of the others.

Wine #3: Didn’t know what to make of this at first. Not much on the nose. Palate is a bit green. Some earth but then finishes with heat. 2002 Waterstone Rumor has it that this is made from declassified Harlan Fruit. If it is true…we know why it was declassified. (Votes: Zero)

Wine #4: Nose is showing nicely. Seems to foretell a restrained cab. Nice on the palate. I thought it was showing oak. Good structure and the wine worked well. Long finish. 2003 R-Collection (Raymond) (Votes: 2^nd = 3 – 6 Points = 2^nd place)

Wine #5: Aromatics are light but what it is showing is big. Fair amount of concentration on this thing. A simple and straight forward cab. Finish hot and short. 2004 Ramsay ($9.99) (Votes: Zero) I stuck this in there to see how it would do. Nice value.

Wine # 6: Big and ripe. Lots of fruit and oak but then a slight touch of green pepper. Not bad but seemed a little out of balance. 2005 NHL All Star (Made by Miner for the NHL All Star game) (Votes: 1^st = 1, 3^rd = 1 – 4 points = tied for 4^th)

Wine # 7: Wow. The nose immediately sets this apart. Melisa smelled sea salt which hurt the wine for her. I love it. Very approachable but still tons of structure. Lots earth and leather on the palate but it is all covered with nice fruit and acid. Way more interesting and showing more complexity than anything on the table. On the finish there is lots of tannin and wood. 2002 Chateau Montelena The Montelena Estate (Votes: 1^st = 3, 2^nd = 1 – 11 points = 1^st place) I had been waiting to taste this in a blind setting after Laube’s asinine rating of 72 points. As it should have in this lineup, it really stood out. Although I was actually surprised a young Montelena was showing so well. Clearly a little more hedonistic than usual.

1^st Place – 2002 Chateau Montelena The Montelena Estate – 11 Points

2^nd Place – 2003 R Collection – 6 Points

3^rd Place – 2003 Sterling – 5 Points

Great fun again.

Jason

TASTING FOR APRIL 19, 2007

Theme: Napa Cabernet Sauvignon (2001-2004)

Tasted: Blind

Misc Wines: A few other pre 2000 Napa Cabs

Mystery White: Dr. D

Zins @ The Vineyard

Mystery White: A very nice wine that no one picked … until Gerry said “you talkin about the Chenin” :-) 2005 Ken Forrester Chenin Blanc Stellenbosch South Africa.

2006 Hug Cellars Sauvignon Blanc Cedar Lane: Ummm….not so much. Cat pee and grass city … is that a Guns and Roses song? Maybe a year in the bottle will be its friend.

On to the Old Zins…

1993 Ridge Lytton Springs: Still showing signs of life. Not exactly Zin like at this stage but drinking well with food at this stage.

1998 Rosenblum Richard Sauret Vineyard: Its best days are behind it.

1999 Franus Brandlin Vineyard: Again, this wine was really enjoyable about 5 years ago. More proof that the new full throttle Zins need to be drank young.

1999 Joseph Swan Mancini Ranch Mt Olivet RRV: Drinking nicely. More delicate and juicy. Nice acidity.

On to the 2004 Blind Zins…(notes by Darren)

Frogs Leap -- fleeting, white pepper, acid/grip, nice finish with the Humbolt Fog cheese, smoother on the revisit; balanced; tannins

Ridge Panzo (RRV) – “cabby”; “oaky”; silky/velvet; slightly darker in color than #1; tannins, very tart

Thackrey Pleiades XV – Unique nose (a hint of “tar”; almost “pinot” like); lighter color; hot; ripe fruits; metallic; “slutty yet nice” (Gerry) …My bad. I tried to slip in something that with throw everyone for a loop…but I thought there was at least some Zin in there. Well it had everything but Zin :-) Nice wine though. Kind of like a really clean CdP (J)

Ridge Paso Robles Dusi Ranch – pruny; riper fruits; tannins; balanced (front/middle/finish); rich and tart; complement to BBQ ribs; American oak; lingering finish … I really thought this wine was cooked (J)

Carlisle Dry Creek Valley – Massive; “Paso Robles or Carlisle” (Jason); right amount of oak; big/ripe fruits; Syrah-like; peppery; Turley Old Vines?; Napa/Central coast…

Thanks Darren!

The clear winner was the Carlisle. Every person voted it number one.

I took a couple of pictures but the turned out blurry…maybe my camera forgot to spit J

After this tasting I am firmly of the opinion that Zin is at it’s very best when young. I really love older Zins that are made in a leaner style but the full throttle Zins just get hot and pruny. Zins like the Swan and Ridge become more Bordeaux like but are absent of the hard tannins. Interesting.

Cheers!

Jason

The Acid Test

This is something I had previously posted on my other blog. I think it an important aspect of tasting and enjoying wine. Cheers, J

I had been meaning to write a post on “acid” with regards to wine. Well Robin Garr did it for me. I think he does great job of explaining acid in wine. If you have any interest in wine, I recommend reading this and then experimenting. Try a wine before you begin to eat and then have it with you meal. See the effect of food on your wine. I like to open two different wines, maybe a pinot noir from California (generally lower acidity) and a pinot noir from Burgundy (generally higher acid), so that I can compare them with and without food. When you get use to identifying the acidity in wine, you will be better able to pick the right wine. If you want a wine just to drink and enjoy with your friends prior to a meal, you may choose a wine with less acidity. The wine still needs balance and should not be flabby. Once the food comes, you can open something with more acidity so that the food can shine as well.

Click Here

Jason

Wine Geek Info On Pinot Noir

The link below has some great info if you are curious about alcohol and sugar level in Pinot Noir. Among the contributors are some wine-geeks with a lot of wine knowledge as well as some of very prominent American wine-makers and winery owners.

It is somewhat long...and growing but it was really cool to get this kind of debate for free!

CLICK HERE

Of Note:
Tim Perr - Pali Wine Company Winery Owner
Jim Arterberry Maresh - Arterberry Maresh Vineyard and Winery Owner, Wine-Maker
Todd Hamina - Maysara Winery - Wine-Maker
David Dain Smith - Dain Wines - Wine-Maker/Owner
Brian Loring - Loring Wine Company & Pali Wine Company - Wine-Maker, Owner (Loring Wine Comany)
Kevin Harvey - Rhys Vineayards - Winery Owner
Kathleen Inman - Inman Family Wines - Vineayard and Winery Owner, Wine-Maker
Mark Vlossak - St Innocent Winery - Wine-Maker/Owner (I have put Mark's name in bold because he is one of my favorite wine philosophers and have been a long time fan of his wine. There are more St. Innocent wines in my cellar than any other producer. For more CLICK HERE
Adam Lee - Siduri Wines & Novy Family Wines - Wine-Maker/Owner

Nice line up!
Cheers, Jason

The Kanzler Symposium - Feb. 07

The Vineyard Lunch Gang met again for a Kanzler Vineyard Symposium. We tried multiple bottles but I never wrote anything up so I am just putting a link to Gerry’s notes.

CLICK HERE

Enjoy!

Jason