Tasting Notes - December 2002 to January 2003

Tasting Notes From December 2002 through January 2003

These two months saw me spending long hours remodeling the house Mona and I bought. My notes suffered as a result and I didn't get quite as many wines in as I would like. Here are the highlights.

Martin Ray 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon Saratoga Cuvee California
Vanilla cream anise cedar nose - smells pretty rough and oaky. Medium to full in weight with fairly good currant fruit and some coffee. Kinda short in the finish. Just okay. I've got a chip on my shoulder about these wines. $25.00

Castano 2001 Monastrell Yecla
Clear garnet colored in the glass. Pears and stonefruit, balsa wood, white chalk soil, cherry nose. Touch of floral. Medium-full in body with ripe cherry strawberry fruit. Decent finish with some elevated acid in the finish. Not sure why this is supposed to be so great. Seems a bit Grenache-like at times, but I've also tasted Mourvedres like this - the Jade Mountain 1997 comes to mind. $15.00

Ravenswood 1998 Zinfandel Monte Rosso Sonoma Valley
Sappy, spicy, cinnamon and clove nose. Touch of excess alcohol. Reduced? Tight acidity with juicy black cherry and bramble fruit on the palate. Touch of coffee. Okay, but a bit sharp and mean. $30.00

Moet e Chandon NV Brut Imperial Champagne
Heavy yeasty nose with ginger, green apple, tart apple juice on the palate. Served with passed hors'doeuvre such as blini with crème fraiche and caviar, and medjool dates stuffed with foie gras mousse. After we sat down, they brought us an amuse bouche of egg custard with black truffles. $35.00

Dom Perignon 1995 Champagne
Nose jumps out of the glass at you - intense bready yeast with enough force to prickle your nose hairs. Intensely flavored with prickly mouthfeel. Served with a lobster salad that included some haricot vert, crème fraiche, and tarragon. $120.00

Dom Perignon 1988 Rose Champagne
Not quite what I expected. Slightly creamier than the regular champagnes with a subtle hint of raspberry on the nose. Bit less acid. Chalk. Okay. Served with carpaccio of Kobe beef with warm French olive oil, parmesan pudding, and shaved black truffles. $240.00

Dom Perignon 1985 Oenotheque Champagne
Served in a wine glass, which I thought was a nice touch, along side veal tenderloin with candied shallot, chestnut puree, whipped potatoes with more black truffles, and black port sauce. Complex nose which seems more tame and balanced than the younger ones. Expansive on the palate with candied ginger and some stone fruit. Wine of the night. We were also served a candied orange cake along side a Moet & Chandon NV Nectar Imperial, but the cake was uninspiring and too sweet. $225.00

Dalrymple 1999 Chardonnay Pipers Brook Tasmania
Dingy initially on top of toasty oak that seems French. Lime in the forepalate, tangy, then turning nutty. Interesting wine. Seems like a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc raised in oak, but then its obviously not Sauvignon Blanc.

Garretson 2001 Viognier Fralich Vineyard Paso Robles
Fragrant honeysuckles and peaches, with a hint of a peppery, green herb bitter quality. Rich and sweet on the palate. Heavy and long. Probably would be good with spicy food. Might not want to drink more than a glass or two. Interesting. Retasting it on the second day I'm picking up some pleasant candied lemon detergent notes. $20.00

Darioush 2001 Viognier Napa Valley
More herbaceous than the Garretson with underlying ginger. Rich fruit, but with a heavy dose of French oak. Chardonnay-like finish with lemon cream. $30.00

Fisher 1999 Chardonnay Coach Insignia Sonoma County
Sour smelling - malic - rich long and balanced. Red apples and pear on the palate. Long finish with a light butterscotch note. Very elegant wine, though not full of character (what Chardonnay is?) $40.00

Le Clos du Portrail 2000 Vouvray
Smoky flint on the nose along with some dry chalk. Interesting balance of sugar and acid, just slightly sweet. Worked quite well with a salad.

Gaja 2000 Promis Ca Marcanda Toscana
Served Blind - First impression suggests Italy - and Sangiovese. Certainly Tuscan. Possibly some Bordeaux varietals. Touch of brown sugar with rich red fruit. Trifle monolithic and short in the finish. Surprised I got so close - I was guessing Brunello.

Giuseppe Lonardi 1998 Amarone
Served Blind - smells like plastic - sour - band aids - hospital - paint thinner. Not as bad as it sounds from my description. Rich straw, burlap raisned fruit. Not bad. 15%

D'Arenberg 2000 Laughing Magpie McLaren Vale
Served Blind - sweet smelling with a touch of funk. California? Sour fruit quality. Nice overall. As soon as the name was said, the apricots jump out of the glass and one realizes why it had that sour fruit quality. $35.00

Pax 2000 Syrah Lauterbach Hill Russian River Valley
Served Blind - menthol, ripe, sweet smelling. Rich and monolithic with a touch of pencil lead. Theres potential here. 14.5% alcohol.

Rosenblum 2000 Zinfandel Hendry Vineyard
Served Blind - Maple and cinnamon spice with sap on the nose. Fun nose to smell. Rich fruit with eucalyptus and mint note. We were all guessing Australian Shiraz. Oops. $35.00

Marquis Philips 2001 Shiraz 9 McLaren Vale
Served blind - Cinnamon, vanilla, and creamy chocolate on the nose. More rich creamy fruit on the palate. Spike of late structure. Nice fruit bomb. $30.00

Viader 1998 Napa Valley
Served Blind - subdued mint. Fairly rich with sour red fruit. Nice complexity. Bordeaux-like sourness. Raw smelling. $60.00

Poggio Antico 1997 Brunello di Montalcino Altero
Served blind- rich nose that smells new world - Zinfandel perhaps, but the dried cherries on the palate say old world - probably Italian. I was guessing Umbria or something. Nice Brunello.

Veuve Cliquot 1990 La Grande Dame
Strange - has a strong whiskey barrel nose - maybe a touch of madeirization. $130.00

Marquis Phillips 2001 Sarah's Blend Southeastern Australia
Pretty, exotic nose of lavender, spices, and toasty vanilla. Lush black and deep red fruits - blackberry and raspberry. Decent length and mouthfeel. Nice. $15.00

Titus 1999 Zinfandel Napa Valley
The nose on this wine says to me, "I'm a spicy Zin, but not over-the-top, and not claret-like, either. Classy, spicy, clovy, and lush." Medium to full in body with nice red fruits and a little structure and tang. Not bad. $28.00

Argiolas 1999 Costera Isola dei Nuraghi
Herbs roasting on sauna rocks, cherries, black berries. Tastes of sunshine. Warm, plummy fruit on the palate. Medium to full bodied with okay length. $10.00

Clos Pepe Estate 2001 Chardonnay
No oak? Subtle in spades - vague pear fruit, some cinnamon spice. Not impressive.

Meo-Camuzet 2000 Hautes-Cotes De Nuits Bourgogne Blanc
Wet oak. Steely. "Cheesy feet" Rich sheeps wool lanolin. Apple, lemon. Nice.

Blair Estate 2000 Red Napa Valley
38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Cabernet Franc, 28% Merlot. 14.5% alcohol. High toast oak nose with black currants, licorice, pencil lead. Pungent nose. Bit flowery and pretty smelling. Somewhat monolithic and tannic on the palate. $60.00

Carlisle 2000 Zinfandel Gum Tree Ranch Russian River Valley
Killer nose of Eucalyptus - I also heard bacon fat and olives tossed around. Maple. Red fruit. Nice. $30.00

Parusso 1999 Bricco Rovella Langhe
Spicy nose with some violets. Blend is Barbera and Cabernet Sauvignon. No palate? Got lost with my risotto.

Bruno Rocca 1998 Rabajolo Langhe
Old wood. Nothing else made it into my notes.

Tomasso Bussola 1997 Valpolicella Classico Superiore
Sweet in comparison to the Piedmont wines, with a touch of straw mat. Not bad. My favorite of the Italian reds this night.

Agricola de Borja 2000 Borsao Campo de Borja
I think this is the first time I understood why this wine got so much publicity. Black cherries in a fruit forward, well balanced, rich little wine package. Nice with a grilled ham and brie sandwich after a long day of home remodeling. $6.00

Elyse 2000 Petite Sirah Rutherford Napa Valley
No notes, but Mona really liked it. $36.00

Pride Mountain 2001 Viognier Napa Valley
Light honey and apricots. Delicate. Good richness with a touch of soap in the finish. $40.00

Arthur Earl 1999 Syrah Meeker Vineyard San Luis Obispo
No notes. From memory, a chunky, rustic Syrah with a hint of Northern Rhone roasted quality.

Luca 1999 Malbec Altos de Mendoza
Funny nose - rubber, raw white flower, subtle French oak, touch of liqueur. Bit of tannin, but they are the silky type. Touch of metallic. Nice complexity. $40.00

Torbreck 1999 Descendant Barossa
Honey and apricots on the nose along with a touch of oak toast and licorice. Rich red fruits, not as compelling on the palate as on the nose. Blindfolded, I would think this was a Viognier from the nose. $100.00

Remirez de Ganuza 1998 Rioja Reserva
Tight and tannic but showing some potential. Reminds me of Bordeaux - in most respects. $50.00

Domaine Marc Morey et Fils 1996 Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru En Virondot
Very interesting - outstanding balance with minerality and apple juice flavors intertwined. Nice white Burg. $47.00

Consilience 1999 Petite Sirah Santa Barbara
Oops - this one had a bunch of excess carbon dioxide which resulted in a sort of sparkling red. Deeply colored. Shame. Nose has a toasty yeasty quality that reminds me Champagne. Red fruit on the palate, but it gets obscured some by the frizzante nature of the thing. $22.00

Paxton 1999 Shiraz McLaren Vale
On the sweet side Shiraz - rich, supple, round. Lacking a bit in stuffing and balance. Could probably benefit from some more acidity. $20.00

Nigl 2001 Gruner Veltliner Alte Reben Kemptal
Interesting wine. Deep coppery color. The wine started off with a subdued nose, but the palate was exploding with richness and flavor. Wax, peach, lanolin. Very nice. $30.00

Palliser Estate 2002 Sauvignon Blanc Martinborough
Yum nose - candied ginger, sweet orange juice. Very nice.

Patz and Hall 1999 Chardonnay Alder Springs Vineyard Mendocino
Intense minerally wood nose. Mint and butterscotch. Lemon custard fruit. Not bad.

Cheers!
James

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