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

Sushi Lunch w/ Dietz & Frayer/ & A. Mann, Beaux Freres, Pey-Marin, Littorai, Arcadian & Siduri

What to do. About time to close for the holidays so a few of us gathered at the office, grabbed some sushi and enjoyed some wine. We had me, Dietz, Frayer as well as Darren and Matt who just gettings sucked into the world of wine.

We started off with a mystery white. A really nice white which I found rich and mouth coating. Jim and Gerry danced around its Alsace characteristics but then headed down a new world Rhone styled white. It was interesting to hear them go through and narrow the possibilities. It was actually very impressive. I figured this would be a sneaky one. It was a 2004 Albert Mann Auxerrois VV. I really enjoyed this wine. Great stuff and fun one to use as a stumper. Lots of flowers and lush fruit.

Then we poured my 1998 Beaux Freres Pinot Noir. My hopes were not high as experience has shown me that these wines don’t hold up well. The color was showing some age but still very vibrant. The nose was a bad sign. Odd. Probably VA. At first sip there was a lot tannin and the fruit was fading. Not great flavors. Once we broke out the sushi it seemed to smooth out a little but still not great.

Time for my 2004 Pey-Marin Pinot Noir. Nice ripe nose. The wine is still very primary. Tasty but somewhat simple. Still a well made wine that is enjoyable now but will round in about 2 or 3 years. Wine Spectator gave this an 83. Classic! I am not sure what they were smoking.

On to Jim’s 2004 Littorai “Les Larmes” Pinot Noir Anderson Valley. Wow! Fantastic. Tons of ripe red fruit jumping out of the glass then a nice smack of fresh squeezed orange juice on the front palate. A really great wine. I found this more expressive than other young pinots from the Anderson Valley I have had.

Arcadian time. 2003 Arcadian Dierberg & Fiddlestix Pinot Noir. Guess who brought these. The Dierberg is killer. Drinking great right now. Mixed opinions on the Fiddlestix but for me it was very closed off right now. Lots of stix and little fiddle at this stage. Seems to have the right stuffing but I won’t touch it for a few years.

Gerry also provided us with an Arcadian 2000 Francesca’s Cuvee that was opened the night before. Shows age when you look at the color as well as on the nose. There is plenty of fruit but it is also showing earth, blood and meat. Still a bit of a bruiser. A pleasure to drink but I think the elegance will continue to develop as the years go by.

For a final treat, Jim brought a 375 of the 2005 Siduri Sonoma Coast (maybe County…not sure) Pinot Noir. Cocktails. Your basic black cherry milk shake. Enjoyable but out of place in this group.

How They Stacked Up
A. Mann Auxerrois: One 3^rd place = 1 pts
Arcadian Fiddlestix: One 3^rd place = 1 pts
Beaux Freres: One 2^nd place = 2 pts
Arcadian Dierberg: Two 2^nd place = 4 pts
Pey-Marin: One 1^st place, Two 3^rd place = 5 pts
Arcadian Francesca’s: Two 2^nd place, One 3^rd place = 5 pts
Littoria: Four 1^st place = 12 pts
Siduri: No votes

12 points 2004 Littoria “Les Larmes” = 1^st place bye a mile

5 points 2004 Pey-Marin & 2000 Arcadian Francesca’s = 2^nd place

4 points 2003 Arcadian Dierberg = 3^rd place

Cheers!
Jason

For More CLICK HERE

Dinner @ Belle Provenance Vineayrd (now Zenith Vineyard) W/ St Innocent

As many people know, I am a bit of a St Innocent fanatic. So I need to plan a dinner for the Board that I report to while I am in Oregon. So who do I turn to? Tim Ramey (Belle Provenance Vineyard, previously O’Connor Vineyard) and St. Innocent. Being the resident wine geek in my company they asked me to set something up….during harvest of course. For them wine tasting is driving through the main drag of St Helena in Napa. Not a bad thing … just not my thing. Thankfully Tim and his lovely wife Kari offered up their house, with Kari handling the cooking. Now that’s what I am talking about. Beautiful weather, wonderful company and world-class food.

Since Mark Vlossak was busy taking care of his fresh grapes and he did not arrive until later in the evening, we were joined by his father (John Innocent), his mother Dot and his wife Vickianne. For those of you who have met John, you know that is a walking encyclopedia. It was a pleasure to hear his perspectives as well as Vickiannes.

So what did we drink!?

2004 Adelsheim Auxerrois: This is the first time I have knowingly drank a wine made from 100% Auxerrois. Unique from the nose to the mouth-feel. Mouth coating like cream. Creamy herb flavors mixed with pears and light sweetness. Really nice.

2005 St. Innocent Pinot Blanc Freedom Hill Vineyard (from a magnum): Wow!...and Wow! Awesome wine. I loved the 04 but I like this one even more. This was a major hit. Buy now or you’ll be sorry.

2005 St. Innocent Pinot Gris Vitae Springs: Last year I preferred to Gris to the Blanc. The 05s may turn out the same but I am going to hold off drinking the Pinot Gris while I roll through the Blanc. This is holding back right now. Great fruit with just a hint of spice. I think this well develop more.

John teaching us

First Course: Salmon (I think poached) served in an amazing fish stock with mussels (with andouille sausage… I think) and potatoes. Top 3 mussels I have ever had.

2004 St. Innocent Chardonnay Freedom Hill Vineyard: No notes here. I only had a small glass but having had this wine on a few occasions, I can say this is world class. Nuts cream and minerals wrapped in perfect acidity.

Main Course: Braised beef cheeks served over risotto and fresh chanterelles. Kill me know. Damn this was good.

2004 St. Innocent Pinot Noir 7 Springs Vineyard: Drinking surprisingly well. Very silky right now and already showing flowery fruit. Very nice but one I would prefer to wait for it to show its true colors.

2004 St. Innocent Pinot Noir Anden Vineyard: Wow. I can’t believe I am saying a 04 Anden is drinking awesome. My favorite Anden so far. A pinot of dark fruits that runs the gamut of spice aromas and flavors. From nutmeg to black pepper. Great stuff that has a bright future.

Now the rare stuff

1994 St. Innocent Pinot Noir O’Connor Vineyard (from a Magnum): Great color. Cherries and tart strawberries mixed with an almost Rhone like meatiness. Plenty of minerals mixed in as well. On the palate it is showing its age but is also showing the difference in this vineyard from the 7 Springs. There is still quite a bit of structure here. If I had 3 bottles I would drink two now and save one for another 6 or 7 years…if I had one bottle I would save…just to see but I like taking risks and I like old pinot.

1994 St. Innocent Pinot Noir Seven Springs Vineyard (From a Magnum): Still lots of tannin and structure on this puppy. Great spiciness and cleaner flavors than the O’Connor. Certainly not acting like a 12 year old Oregon pinot. I love the texture and the way the fruit hit my mouth and then the minerality coated my tongue.

I think most people would pick these as Burgundies. Maybe someone with a long history of tasting Oregon pinot would recognize them as Oregon. I have drunk a lot of Oregon Pinot over the last 7 years but not with this kind of age. And it is great news that Mark V. will be getting fruit from this soil again.

We tasted some other wine during our trip but I will post that separately.

Tim and Mark

Cheers! & Thanks to Tim, Kari, John, Dot, Vickianne.

Jason