Blind Zin Results

I guess I never stuck these up here. These are Cris's notes. For more CLICK HERE

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The latest installment of tastings at Jason Hagen's office was blind Zinfandels. We had our usual blind white starter and enjoyed some pizza for lunch. The wines showed a decent amount of variety which was heartening to me as Zinfandel is so often lumped into a narrow category which I find unwarranted. All revels came after the tasting was finished.
I voted
1 - 2006 Sandler
2 - 2003 Fife
3 - 2003 Swan

Group Vote was pretty tight if I remember correctly with only a couple points separating the top 3 or 4.
1 - 2003 Fife
2 - 2005 Leonesse
3 - 2006 Sandler
4 - 2006 Saucelito

• 2003 Arcadian Chardonnay Sleepy Hollow Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Monterey County
  Light butter and lemon nose. Touch of honey with plenty of lemon and strong acidity. A nice Chard without the hussy dressings.

• 2003 Joseph Swan Vineyards Zinfandel Mancini Ranch - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
  Very deeply colored this displayed huge yummy zinberry aromas. Bright palate with a good amount of tannins and big brightly fruited though somewhat straightforward giving some sweet boysenberry and licorice. Would have normally expected a big more complexity from a Swan and not quite a biggish in the fruit department.
• 2005 St. Francis Zinfandel Old Vines Sonoma County - USA, California, Sonoma County
  Soft round nose with some heat and tart berry. Dark heavy fruit, somewhat soft and bland. Seemed to be have some oxidation or an aged quality in the background.

• 2005 Leonesse Cellars Zinfandel - USA, California
  Very ripe juicy type of nose with plenty of heat and VA. Very juicy with a nice palate feel. Full and candy like. The type of Zin that gave it a bad name with wine geeks. VA got worse with air.
• 2006 Sandler Wine Company Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley - USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley
  Very light color. Soft light berries on the nose. Soft elegant lean palate feel with very late acting tannins. Has potential to get better. My favorite on the tasting.

• 2006 Saucelito Canyon Zinfandel - USA, California, Central Coast, Arroyo Grande Valley
  Tight nose showing plenty of heat and a touch of reduction. Big juicy full feeling palate, big sweet fruit showing signs of oak.
• 2005 Chateau Montelena Zinfandel Estate - USA, California, Napa Valley
  Odd nose showing some brown sugar and caramel, bit tight. On the leaner side of palate feel with a dark fruited young character with some sweetness and violets. Odd for a Zin.

• 2003 Fife Zinfandel Mendocino Uplands - USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino
  Straight forward zinberry nose that seems tart. Palate has nice tannic grip still with a juicy quality. Lots of berries and a bit of heat. Still pretty good and won our blind tasting on the day. A terrific bargain.

Bring Your Blind Zins! - Any Vintage

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 19, 2008

Let's just do this thing! It has been well over a year since we Zined as seen HERE. Just bring your blind zin and a cane.

Who's in?

Theme: Zinfandel served blind ... any vintage

Location: The Command Center

Start Time: Sipping at 11:15 ... eating and drinking at 11:30

Food: Pizza?

Mystery White: Karnopolis

Zinners: The Hage, Dr/VP, DJ, Mel-K, Karnopolis, C-Rock

Not Sure: G-Dawg, Scottie

Southern Rhone - Notes! - Finally

Sorry, I forgot to add these here. Add any additional thoughts ... if you can remember.

Thanks to Cris for being the scribe.

I believe the Alary was voted tops which was a recent discovery for me at WineX for only $20. I voted #1-99 St Cosme, #2-05 Alary and #3-tie between the Walla Walla Syrah and the Crozes-Hermitage. Seems the outsiders always end up in the top. Jason will drop in with the overall voting hopefully.

• 2007 Novy Family Wines Pinot Noir Blanc de Noir - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
  Served blind. Light nose of soft butter and a note of caramel with a touch of heat. Lean feeling palate with a very soft light richness in the middle with lemon and stony notes. Guessed Chardonnay that seemed something between the Cotes and Chablis. Cool surprise, a very unique wine and very good for the price. First time I tried this next to Adam and liked it them though not quite as much as I did on this occasion.
• 2006 Italo Cescon Friuli Grave Pinot Grigio - Italy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Friuli Grave
  Served blind. Soft nose of lemon chiffon and white flowers. Soft and light palate that is a bit inexpressive but no real flaws. Guessed Grenache Blanc or Pinot Blanc....close!

• 1999 Château de Saint-Cosme Gigondas - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Gigondas
  Rustic nose of roasted fruits, figs, bits of herb and 'garrigue' roasted slope. Very richly fruited and long, soft yet substantial. Finish seems abrupt yet lingers in the corners of my mouth. The nose really picked up sitting in my glass for over 20-30 minutes becoming more expansive and deep. Lots of fruit here. Drinking well now with a bit of air but seems like it has quite a few years ahead of it. Very nice and the fav on the day for me.
• 2005 Château de Saint-Cosme Gigondas - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Gigondas
  Nice to try this next to the '99 for comparison. Garrigue and roasted hillside dominate the nose. Rich and dark palate, very tannic with a light note of brett. Not showing much more than potential today. Throw this in the back of the cellar.
• 2005 Domaine Santa Duc Gigondas - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Gigondas
  Big sweaty sock/wet wool brett upon pouring that lingers for some time but does blow off with some time in glass. Nose is still primary with a touch of heat. Very tight palate with tons of tannin and young primary fruit without the roasted quality seen in most other wines from the region. This was more of the riper, brighter, sweeter styled fruits but I'm not going to touch the modern versus old world styles. Interesting contrast next to the 05 Cosme though.

• 2005 Montirius Vacqueyras Garrigue - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Vacqueyras
  Big dark and ripe with lots of garrigue. Full feeling yet soft palate with tannins that linger on the finish that is silky and long. Probably needs a few years for the fruit to express itself best but a very good wine now and would be a great dinner companion.
• 2005 Domaine Daniel et Denis Alary Côtes du Rhône Villages Cairanne La Font d'Estévenas - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône Villages Cairanne
  Slight brett greets with bright fruits, spices and some espresso. Complex dark palate with nice tannins and good acidity. The pieces are all very good right now yet probably need another year or two to really come together. Very good all around and I think this won the voting for the day.
  Took the remnants home and finished it 3 days later. Showed no signs of oxidation unrefrigerated and had actually picked up some palate weight. Will get more and leave them be for a couple more years. Still the bargain I tasted in store at WineX.

• 2006 Sierra Vista Grenache El Dorado Estate Bottled - USA, California, Sierra Foothills, El Dorado
  Served blind. Odd nose that changes a lot with some herbs and heat. Very sweet palate that is soft and has some length. Thought maybe a ripe Pinot....way off.

• 2005 Waters Syrah Pepper Bridge - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
  Back to the New World, I could have really taken this for a Cali Syrah. Light pepper on a big broad nose with a dose of vanilla. Big dense with decent acidity and some sweetness. Very modern styled though a good example of that kind of wine. Hadn't heard of this producer before but will keep my eye out. A Frank Murray wine I'm sure.
• 2005 Alain Graillot Crozes-Hermitage - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Crozes-Hermitage
  Very dark in color. Lots of pepper on the nose. Nice lean feel and kind tight and wrapped up. The nice Northern Rhone Syrah is in there but is still hiding a bit. I still liked this and would love to try it again in a few years.

FOR MORE CLICK HERE

Southern Rhone! ... but no Chateaux Neuf du Pape!

Friday July 25 (date change)

Theme: The wines of Southern Rhone - excluding CdP

Start Time: 11:15 AM

Food: The Hat

Location: The Command Center

Mystery White: Dr. Dietz -VP

The Wines:

1999 Chateau de Saint Cosme "Gigondas" - Dr Dietz - VP

2005 Domain Santa Duc "Gigondas" - The Hage

2005 Chateau de Saint Cosme "Gigondas" - Mel-K

2005 Montirius "Vacqueyras" Garrigues - DJ

2005 Domaine Daniel et Denis Alary "Cairanne" La Font d'Estevenas - C-Rock

Robert Parker On California Pinot Noir

I honestly get the impression he is just stirring the pot on some points. The good news is that as someone who drank Cali Pinot in the early 90s ... I would agree that the region has made great progress. I can't really compare to other regions. It is sad that he makes silly comments like, "but most of them will eclipse almost any red Burgundy made today." The aromatic and flavor profiles are very different. Also, remember that Parker does not rate Burgundy nor like it. He likes California Pinot Noir because it is a different animal ... and his palate is completely blown ;-)

Jason

P.S. For more CLICK HERE Some interesting discussion ... but mostly just silly bickering :-)

Post Your Belle Pente Notes Here!!!

2006 Belle Pente Pinot Noir Dundee Hills

For more CLICK HERE

J

Virtual Offline Tasting May 5-9

I know this seems like a long way off but I am gone most of April and this gives me time to get the wine to the Houstonions ... and time for the wine to rest. You of course can drink the wine earlier ....JUST SAVE YOUR NOTES. We'll post notes on Saturday May 10.


2006 Belle Pente Dundee Hills
Pinot Noir

If you are wondering how to pronounce the name, it is Bell - Pont.

Another Oregon Trail

I must apologize. I totally spaced and did not got to my locker for the 2003 Brick House. I suspect, that despite the vintage, this would have been a very fine wine.

Beyond that, the 2002s were great. And I think we confirmed that all the hype about 2006 is ... well marketing bull. Well at least until the top wines are released.

• 2006 Cristom Viognier Estate - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Eola - Amity Hills
  My first Oregon Viognier. A nice wine but far from inspiring. A bit of cream on the nose and some heat. The palate was more Roussanne like. Not much complexity on the palate. I enjoyed this and for the price was not disappointed but I was not wowed. Drink soon.

• 2002 Belle Pente Pinot Noir Estate Reserve - USA, Oregon, Yamhill County
  Wow. This was great from the first taste to the last taste. All the way through the lunch I loved this. So smooth and seamless. I loved how it was getting comments about dark red fruit and bright red fruit. nice complexity. All about balance. Nice tannins on the finish. Should continue to improve. I really liked this.
  4 First place votes, 1 Second place vote and 1 Third place vote = 24 points - 1st PLACE WOTD


• 2002 St. Innocent Pinot Noir Seven Springs - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
  This wine is exceptional. I would guess that in 5 years it would clean up in this tasting. At first pass I got a lot of oak and and empty mid-palate. Much darker than the Belle Pente and much stronger tannins. But despite being a bit vacant on the mid-palate the wine still showed complexity and nice structure. At the end of the lunch the wine really started to blossom. The oak seemed to creep into the background and the complexity of the palate filled out. I loved the 02 Belle Pente but part of me found this wine the most interesting. Hold! for at least 3 years. 2 First place vote, 3 Second place votes and 1 Third place vote = 23 Points - #2 Wine Of The Day (92 pts.)

• 2005 Coelho Pinot Noir Paciencia - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
  I must say I didn't write a single note on this wine. Nice but... wanting. Nothing to grab you but not a bad wine. It is even steven. I brought the wine home and had a small glass with dinner and it was quite pleasant. Nice acid and a fair amount of tannin. Although this wine showed very little complexity it did have a few qualities that may make it last. With that in mind I could foresee new elements developing. 0 votes.


• 2005 Belle Pente Pinot Noir Murto - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills
  Okay, so this wine had some funk. Some hated it. It did not bother me in the least. This is why I love Pinot. A very nice wine and despite the funk, I thought the fruit was very clean. The finish was short and somewhat boring. But this wine, like the St Innocent, certainly improved and grew on people as the day went on. Tough to say much. This wine was very young. 2 First place votes, 1 Second place vote and 2 Third place votes = 15 Points - #3 Wine Of The Day.

On to the 2006 wines. The Scott Paul was the clear class of the field IMO.

• 2006 Scott Paul Cellars Pinot Noir Cuvée Martha Pirrie - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
  A very tasty wine. Even though this is supposed to be the early drinker, I think this wine needs 6-12 months. Toasty oak. Simple and tasty. That seems like what the vintage has to offer. 1 Second place vote, 2 Third place votes = 5 Points #4 Wine Of The Day. (88 pts.)


• 2006 Siduri Pinot Noir Beran Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Chehalem Mountains
  Another wine I took no notes on. Out of place. So abrasive. Lots of stink and a very heavy mouth feel. More of a cocktail but while drinking multiple glasses of wine I could not handle this. Later the wine did mellow a bit. I would wait 12 months on this and plan on having the wine with some nice BBQ. 1 Second place vote = 3 Points


• 2006 Erath Vineyards Pinot Noir - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
  The nose was "pretty". I am no fan of Erath but this smelled nice. The flavors were all over the place. Tart cherries, flowers, earth etc ... but it was completely disjointed. This was a case of tasting a wine and saying ... hmmm complex yet bothersome. Time my meld these flavors an take this wine from a solid B to a solid A. 1 Third place vote = 1 Point.


• 2006 Auteur Pinot Noir Hyland Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, McMinnville
  Wow ... this was by FAR the biggest disappointment of the day. I have been waiting to taste an Auteur wine after all the praise ... well this wine missed it. Again no notes on this one but I did bring it home to try it again. Blah... that would be my tasting note. Blah oak and blah mouth feel. Granted this is too young to be judging an Oregon Pinot ... so I am hoping ... despite my disparaging comments, Jim will let me try this again in 3 or 4 years. My guess is the wine is too soft. 1 Third place vote = 1 Point

Another great tasting. I do love Oregon Pinot, it is a way back from Burgundy but for price and reliability .... hmmm I love it. I love Cali pinot too but it was nice to have a tasting with some very fruity wines but no cloying candied fruit. I am very glad I can drink Pinot most nights of the week and have nice variety.

1st Place - 2002 Belle Pente Estate Reserve - 24 Points
2nd Place - 2002 St Innocent 7 Springs - 23 Points
3rd Place - 2005 Belle Pente Murto - 15 Points

Thanks everyone for another great tasting!

J

FOR MORE CLICK HERE

.

Interview w/ Scott Paul Wright

Very timely since we'll be tasting one of his wines on Friday. I think very highly of his wine and he is a great guy ... which always adds to the enjoyment. And I believe that is Martha Pirrie in the picture.

HERE WAS MY LAST VISIT W/ SCOTT

J

Oregon Pinot! Next Tasting Friday April 4

Theme: Oregon Pinot

Wines:

2002 St Innocent Pinot Noir 7 Springs - The Hage
2002 Belle Pente Pinot Noir Estate Reserve - G-Dawg

2003 Brick House Pinot Noir Les Dijonnais - The Hage

2005 Coelho Pinot Noir Paciencia - C-Rock

2006 Scott Paul Pinot Noir Cuvee Martha Pirrie - DJ
2006 Auteur Pinot Noir Hyland Vineyard - Dr. Dietz
2006 Siduri Pinot Noir Beran Vineyard - Karnopolis

Start Time: 12:00 Sharp

Food: Cheese and Sushi

Mystery White: Jason and The Dr.

Location: The Command Center

Post Your Ercavio Notes Here!!!

2005 Mas Que Vinos "Ercavio"

Young Spanish Wine - Results

Cris's Notes

• 2006 St. Innocent Chardonnay Anden - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
  Tight with slight butter, soft florals and lemon custard on the nose. Soft lemon and nice minerals on the palate. Notes of oak and some tartness, some heat. Served blind and I was way off. Nicely styled Chard.

• 2004 Descendientes de José Palacios Bierzo Petalos - Spain, Castilla y León, Bierzo
  Deep dark primary, notes of earth and smoke, pepper and violets. Light palate feel with some grip, medium concentration and nice minerality. Nice wine for the money and has some years ahead of it.
• 2002 Bodegas y Viñedos Castro Ventosa Bierzo El Castro de Valtuille - Spain, Castilla y León, Bierzo
  Old world styled nose with secondary characteristics ahead of the fruit including caramel, florals and dark sweetness. Concentrated palate with a bit of a bite and solid tannins. Nose more expressive than the palate. Has plenty of time ahead of it but drinking well now.

• 2004 Condado de Haza Ribera del Duero - Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero
  Tight yet concentrated nose. Showing some ripeness, depth, funk and notes of of American oak. Tight on the palate but very balanced feeling, lovely body, very even and pretty. This tightened up with air so recommend a decant if served now but leave alone for a few more years. A terrific wine that will reward some patience.
• 2003 Bodegas Alejandro Fernandez Ribera del Duero Tinto Pesquera - Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero
  Earthy nose with some Old World style funky old oak notes and some tobacco. Light and lean on the palate and not as expressive as I expected. Maybe a bit closed.
• 2004 Pago de los Capellanes Ribera del Duero Crianza - Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero
  Big young and chunky, deep and concentrated, pretty with chocolate notes and slight bret. Deep with long concentration on the palate. Sweet with bright violets. Similar to my last experience with this one. Very nice wine in there but very young. Another that will reward patience or at least plenty of air.

• 2005 Melis Priorat Elix - Spain, Catalunya, Priorat
  Funky barnyard on a tight nose to start with a dark character and depth, smoke, herbs and slight greenness. Concentrated yet a bit tight still, nice mouthfeel. Good grip with plenty of violets. Another one that needs some time but plenty of potential here.
• 2004 Heron Terra Alta Sexto - Spain, Catalunya, Tarragona, Terra Alta
  Bright, tart, juicy and light nose with pruney candied fruits. Bright juicy palate that is light bodied, acidic and sweet of raisins. Some heat. Nice daily drinker for the weeknights that will work with dinner.

Jason's Notes

Thanks for the notes Cris. I was really happy with this tasting. For me there wasn't even a questionable wine. I would gladly serve any of them. The Bierzos were both very nice and very different. I don't think I have yet found a Bierzo that blew me away ... but I haven't been disappointed either.

• 2006 St. Innocent Chardonnay Anden - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
  Very nice. This needs a little time for the oak to integrate. Displays nice richness but miles away from buttery. Not fatiguing to the palate like many American chards.

• 2003 Bodegas Alejandro Fernandez Ribera del Duero Tinto Pesquera - Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero
  Very structured. I really liked this. A pretty serious Crianza. I took the remaining bit home but it had really closed up. Wait!
• 2004 Condado de Haza Ribera del Duero - Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero
  This started off smooth and with nice qualities from fruit to flowers. Coming back to it at the end of the lunch the tannins had really stepped up. This wine needs time. Less funky than some of the other Condados I have had. I think I just finished my last 96 that was just getting started.
• 2004 Pago de los Capellanes Ribera del Duero Crianza - Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero
  This plain rocked. Lots of sweet red fruit. Balanced acid. Earth and mineral elements. For me this was showing the most complexity. This had been splashed decanted and then left open for a few hours. But I was still surprised how well this was drinking. May be a slightly younger drinker than I originally thought. I took a bit home and it was still drinking beautifully.

• 2004 Heron Terra Alta Sexto - Spain, Catalunya, Tarragona, Terra Alta
  A nice surprise here. Not something I had ever seen. As Cris said it was slightly candied but the wine really worked well with the food. Not cloying and not overly oaked.
• 2005 Melis Priorat Elix - Spain, Catalunya, Priorat
  This seemed to be the darkest wine of the day. Slightly brooding. Lots of oak showing and a bit of a green streak. Where the other wines all worked well with the food this one was a bit out of place. A very nice wine that may improve with some time.

One of my favorite tastings as here we were eating Pastrami sandwiches, fries and chili ... and all the wines worked.

Here is how they finished. It should be noted that the SI Chardonnay got at least 2 First Place votes, but we decided to exclude it from the voting.

1st Place - 2004 Pago de los Capellanes - 17 Points
2nd Place (tie) - 2003 Tinto Pesquera & 2005 Melis Priorat Elix - 12 Points
3rd Place - 2002 Bodegas y Viñedos Castro Ventosa - 10 Points

FOR MORE INFO ... CLICK HERE

Cheers,

Jason

VIVA ESPAÑA! Next Tasting Monday March 3

Theme: 2003 - 2005 Spanish Reds - Any Region

Wines:

2002 Bodegas Castro Ventoso El Castro de Valtuille (Bierzo) - Ger

2003 Tinto Pesquera Crianza (RdD) - Dr. Dietz

2004 Pago de los Capellanes Crianza (RdD) - The Hage
2004 Condado de Haza Crianza (RdD) - DJ
2004 Descendientes de Jose Palacios Petalos (Bierzo) - C-Rock
2004 Heron Terra Alta Sexto (Catalunya, Terra Alta) - Mel-K

2005 Melis Estate Elix (Priorat) - Karnopolis

Start Time: 12:00 Sharp

Food: The Hat

Mystery White: Jason and/or anyone else

Location: The Command Center

Virtual Offline Tasting March 12-14

2005 Mas Que Vinos
"Ercavio Roble"

POST NOTES ON SATURDAY MARCH 15