Tasting Notes From November and December 2003

Folie a Deux
1998 Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley Private Reserve
To me this shows a definite green streak and imbalance suggestive of the difficult vintage. On the nose the wine has mint, cedar, possibly tobacco, and raw oak component. A bit astringent on the palate. Full bodied, muscular, but lacking in charm. $30.00

LinCourt
2000 Chardonnay
Santa Barbara
Minerals and French oak..toasty pear and apple fruit. Nice value. $13.00

Dalle Valle
2000 Sangiovese
Pietre Rosso Napa Valley
Somewhat disappointing. Initially this wine has tree bark and cherry fruit along with a loamy quality. Slightly hard. Well made but hardly inspiring. $35.00

D'Arenberg
2001 Shiraz
The Footbolt McLaren Vale
To me this is like essense of crushed blackberries. Has a slightly tart nuance to it, as well as an occasional cloying note, but otherwise offers good flavor and concentration. The nose is really fun. Decent Value. $15.00

Pride Mountain
2001 Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley
Yum…14.5% alcohol. A very nice Cab with cedar and red currant fruit. Toasty sweet oak with a hint of anise. Structured tannin but definitely drinkable now. Tons of length and excellent balance. $60.00 Dinner in Las Vegas at Bistro Baccus

Henry's Drive
2002 Shiraz
Reserve Padthaway
Interesting nose has the characteristic sweet vanilla oak milkshake liqueur nose of a Marquis Philips wine along with a nice, piercing mint note in the middle. Sweet and rich, but a bit flabby next to the Pride Cabernet. $52.00 Dinner in Las Vegas at Bistro Baccus

Melka Cellars
2000 Cabernet Sauvignon
Chloe and Jeremy Napa Valley
A very nice Napa Cabernet for the price. Shows nice complexity on the nose - even has a slightly Bordeaux-like character. Cedar, red currant, coffee, mint, earth, pencil lead. Slightly austere and green on the palate and lacking in length and depth, but generally quite pleasant. $22.00

Darioush
2002 Viognier
Napa Valley
This is a Wow! Wine for me. High octane at 15.2% alcohol, but it is all hidden underneath lovely peach honeysuckle fruit. Sweet attack with minerals sneaking in at the finish. Delicious juice. Reminds me of a spring day on the patio. $30.00

Unti
2000 Syrah
Dry Creek Valley
14.5% alcohol. Starts off quite oaky with lots of cedar and dry oak character. Underneath this is black fruit, Rhone-like funk and some green pepper corns. Full bodied, but grew softer with airtime and Pizza. Okay. $25.00

Fieldstone
2001 Viognier
Staten Family Reserve Alexander Valley
Very disappointing…I remember enjoying this at the winery but this wine is disjointed with light peach and apricot fruit and some soapy minerals. $20.00

Neyers
1998 Merlot
Napa Valley
I was not expecting much from this, but it showed quite well. On the nose it has an pretty blackberry fruit liqueur flavor along with some melted licorice and a bit of herb. Medium-bodied with good weight and length. $20.00

Havens
1997 Bourriquot
Napa Valley
Served with Macaroni and Cheese and brussels sprouts. Velvet red appearance with fading at the rim, a hint of tawny, and a bit of haze. Smells Bordeaux-like with leaves, lead pencils,cedar, and undergrowth. Nice nose. On the palate it shows sweet red fruits - raspberry and strawberry mostly I think with enough acidity, nice length and balance. Mona found this didn't carry its alcohol well. I wonder if she was finding it a bit past its prime. $40.00

Chateau Grande Cassagne
2002 Costieres de Nimes
Le Triage "G.S."
Youthful deep red. Tank fermented smells along with Garrigue, olives, pepper. Fruity, but rather bland and lacking in stuffing. Disappointing. $12.00

Castano
2001 Solanera
Yecla
Lots of sweet new oak, ruby red fruit with strawberry, plum, cherry flavors along with a hint of wax and white pepper. Decent little wine, but this did not greatly excite me this time. Incongruous with Thai chicken salad, meatloaf pizxa, and wedge salad. $12.00

A Blind Tasting of Zinfandels with Mediterranean Food at Fadi’s

Coturri
1998 Zinfandel
Freiburg Vineyard Sonoma Valley
A bit stinky with a sweet cherry cough syrup impression. Tart with prickly acid and excess carbon dioxide. Bitter in front. Not very pleasant. This is what happens without sulfiting.

Turley
2000 Zinfandel
Dogtown Vineyard Lodi
Awesome spicy clove nose. Cinnamon, and a soupcon of maple. Rich sweet boysenberry, blackberry fruit on the palate. Nice! Wine of the night all around the table. 16.2% alcohol $40.00

Martinelli
2000 Zinfandel
Giuseppe and Luisa Russian River Valley
Tight intense clove nose with cinnamon and a late note of green spearmint. Harshly extracted with a bad combination of sweet, thin, and slightly green. This doesn't live up to reputation. 17.2% alcohol.

Martinelli
2001 Zinfandel
Giuseppe and Luisa Vineyard Russian River Valley
More subdued nose with reticent clove spices. Sweet blackberry, zinberry with better balance than its sibling. Nice. #2 wine of the night. 15.2% alcohol.

Robert Biale
2001 Zinfandel
Black Chicken Vineyard Napa Valley
Light clove nose. Initially I perceive acids and Zinberry fruit. Slightly thin and austere? I liked this better when I retasted it. Judgement reserved.

Abundance
2001 Zinfandel
Mencarini Vineyard Lodi
Maple syrupy nose with a hint of pepper, and citrus. White pepper later. Decent attack, but rather high in acid and not in the same league as these other Zinfandels in terms of concentration of fruit and flavor. $12.00

Abadia Retuerta
1996 Sardon de Duero

Deeply colored with a hint of maroon tinged with brown at the edge. Sweet (bottle sweet?) nose of cigar box, a suggestion of crayons, red fruit liqueur. Nice. Somewhat less interesting on the palate - a little lacking concentration and still slightly tannic but with good sweetness. Rather quick finish. Overall very good.

Downing Family Vineyards
2001 Zinfandel
Oakville Napa Valley
Red velvet in appearance with some translucence. Clove and baking spices, along with tea and excess alcohol on the nose. Sweet on the palate, and little spicy, but a bit thin and not holding its alcohol that well. 14.8%. $38.00

Justin
2000 Justification
Paso Robles
Shows a touch of leafy, violet Cabernet Franc character on the the nose, along with lots of oak. The label says the oak is French, but it smells like some American oak was included in the program. Decent, but the oak seems to have overwhelmed the fruit in this vintage.

Garretson
2001 Syrah
Rozet Vineyard Paso Robles
Peppery syrah nose with some Rhone (black olive?) funk that speaks to the grapes French heritage. Beautiful mouthfeel - the wine's best attribute. Lush, rich, very balanced with sweet black fruit. Silky tannins. Nice!

Paringa
2002 Semillon Sauvignon Blanc
Individual Vineyard Australia
60% Semillon, 40% Sauvignon Blanc. Aromas of lemon and maybe some apricot…somewhat neutral nose. Similar flavors on the palate with lemony, nondescript fruit flavors, a hint of grass, but nice concentration and a little sweetness. $10.00

Kaesler
2002 Shiraz
Stonehorse Barossa Valley
Deeply colored with grapey, youthful froth when poured. Minerals, tar, apricots, and liqueur on the nose…lovely and a little tight. Big and intense on the palate but with a balanced blend of acidity and struture. Nice! $24.00

Warwick Estate
2001 Pinotage
Sinonberg Stellenbosch
15% alcohol…labeled as old bush vines….Big wine, slightly spicy with balsa, syrup, green leaf, sap…tight and interesting. Smells a bit like a Zinfandel with some toasty oak. Spicy finish is a little hot. Mainly cherry and red berry fruit. A very interesting Pinotage. $14.00

Carlisle
2001 Zinfandel
Gum Tree Ranch Russian River Valley
16.2% alcohol…a big spicy Zinfandel with eucalyptus, clove, and other baking spices. Sweet smell of alcohol and loads of blackberry fruit. Slightly hot, but with sweet zinberry fruit that is well-delineated across the palate. The last wine to be made from this vineyard before it was plowed under for housing. $30.00

Marquis Philips
2002 Sarah's Blend
South Australia
Has an interesting nose this time which reminds me of the 1996 Abadia Retuerta Sardon de Duero I tasted recently. Sweet red fruit liqueur, cigar box. Full-bodied and sweet with great concentration. Nice little wine. $15.00

A Tasting of Blind Petite Sirah with Memphis BBQ at Red, Hot, and Blue

Henri Boillot
2001 Bourgogne
Blanc
Nose of steel and cloth and a waxy, subdued fruit. Rich pear fruit on the palate along with hay. Fairly soft. Decent white Burgundy.

Ridge
1974 Petite Sirah
York Creek
Tawny hue in the glass. The nose shows dirt, funk, earth. Slightly Bordeaux-like nose. Rather mature and unyielding. No fruit, just some sweetness from alcohol. Not my thing.

Chateau Petit Village
1986 Pomerol

Slightly fading sunset at the rim. Smells older, guessed late '80s. Earth, iron, old wood, tannin. I correctly guess this was not Petite Sirah and might be Bordeaux.. Medium-bodied and a bit tired with some lingering structure.

Vinum Cellars
2002 Petite Sirah
Clarksburg
Fruit! Youthful spicy wine with violets and baking spices. Sweet, full-bodied with red fruit that is rich and fairly soft. Tasty value. $14.00

Amphora
2002 Petite Sirah
Dry Creek Valley
Tannic smelling, likely older oak barrels. Some pepper along with blackberry fruit, but the fruit is in the background. Full-bodied and reasonably open - unexpectedly so based on the nose. A bit grapey with an acidic streak in the finish. Good complexity, I wonder if the nose will come around to match the palate better.

Stag's Leap
1996 Petite Sirah
Napa Valley
Spicy pepper nose with sweet liqueur and balsa. Rich, full-bodied with thick tannins. A bit unyielding but not quite hard. Hidden black fruit. Decent.

Petite Rousse
2002 Syrah
Paso Robles
Strange nose. Subdued pinon. Missing descriptors of the fruit. Rich, sweet undefined fruit on the palate with a tannic finish. This is a lousy note.

Aida
1999 Petite Sirah
Napa Valley
Reduced raspberry. Spicy and high-toned with a little funk. Young and sweet on the palate. Pretty nice.

Markham
1997 Petite Sirah
Napa Valley
Similar nose to the Aida - reduced fruit, pepper, a little high-toned and funky. Rich and thick but unbalanced on the palate. Eh?

Behrens and Hitchcock
2000 Petite Sirah
Napa Valley
High-toned lemon and minerals on the palate. Rich on the palate with hefty acids. Semi-sweet. Interesting and decent. 14.1% alcohol. $40.00

Ridge
1985 Petite Sirah
Devil's Hill York Creek
Earth, some pepper, tannins, and red fruit. Rich, full-bodied. Some sweetness to it. The youth of this is surprising.

Ridge
1999 Petite Sirah
York Creek
Tannic with spice, dry earth, minerals, and piney oak. Some fruit, but also a lot of dirt. Okay.

Chateau St. Martin de la Garrigue
1999 Bronzinelle
Languedoc
Apparently a Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre blend. Lemon, white fruit, apricot nose defies the wine's color. Rich red fruit with a citrus streak and a sweet-tart finish. Okay.

Jacob Franklin
1998 Petite Sirah
Hayne Vineyard Napa Valley
Aromas of tannic bark and a bit of Mexican cinnamon. Rich palate with sweet black fruit. Nice. Outstanding even. $60.00

Biale
2000 Petite Syrah
Thomann Station Napa Valley
Pencil lead, Cabernet Franc-like nose. Vanilla. Sweet rich fruit. Medium-full bodied. Nice.

German Riesling
1983 Auslese

Petrol, glue, oxidation, crab apples. Sweet, but not overly sweet. Nice balance. Overall, not my bag.

Puy Servain
1996 Haut Montravel

Petrol glue nose, but better than the Riesling. Rich sweet fruit with lots of interest. Strangely seems also dry.

Marquis Philips
2003 Holly's Blend
South Eastern Australia
Aromas of honey(?), melons, and gooseberries. Shows a touch of evervescence and zippy acidity, almost like a Sauvignon Blanc, but rich, full-bodied, and long with great presence and lovely fruity sweetness. Outstanding value. Screwtop. $9.00

Loring
2002 Pinot Noir
Rancho Ontiveros Vineyard Santa Maria Valley
From a .375 liter bottle - Deeply colored, the color of black raspberry juice with some translucence. Caramel (from oak) on the nose it somewhat off-putting, but it also shows spice, rootbeer, and cola aromas. Smells a bit like a barrel sample. Rich, black cherry fruit and plum fruit on the palate. Nice, but the oak seems unintegrated and dominating. $42.00

Loring
2002 Pinot Noir
Brosseau Vineyard Santa Maria Valley
Similar in color to the Rancho Ontiveros. Beautiful nose of cinnamon, some oaky caramel, spices, cola, rootbeer, and tree bark. Tight on the palate, but lovely. Shows cola, cherry, and some wood flavors. Great concentration. This may need time, but I like it. Mona loves it. $42.00

Mas de Guiot
2001 Cabernet Syrah
Vin de Pays du Gard
A bit of a chameleon over the course of the evening. Started off showing moderate oak and Cabernet flavors of black currant. Slightly coarse tannins and traces of olives. Later it took on a strong buttery component. Never really pushed the right buttons for me, and remained a little tannic. $11.00

Colosi
2000 Sicilia
Rosso
Unusual nose of dry herbs and dusty earth. Dry, savory flavors with some plum fruit. Okay. Probably a bit over-the-hill. $10.00

Torbreck
2001 Woodcutter's Red
South Australia
This is a good wine that is simply priced a bit high. Shows interesting Grenache cherry and berry fruit with some pepper that suggests Syrah. Ripe, round, with a streak of supporting acidity. Decent. $20.00

Livingston Moffet
1999 Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley Stanley's Selection
Moderately saturated with clear edges. Red garnet. Cedar, red current, and possibly some mint on the nose. The Tannin is slightly coarse. Shows red currant fruit. Has arather astringent, tart cherry edge. Overall, a decent, rather classically styled Napa Cabernet. $30.00

Domaine des Cantarelles
2002 Viognier
Vin de Pays du Gard
Spicy apricots and long lemony apricot fruit. A decent wine for quaffing. $10.00

Fox Creek
2000 Shiraz
Short Row McLaren Vale
14.5% alcohol. A big, pleasant nose of vanilla and crushed blackberries, along with a suggestion of liqueur. The palate follows the nose fairly closely with ripe blackberry fruit, some supporting acids and a light edge of hard tannin. Drink now. $30.00

Christmas Eve Dinner...Brief Notes

Pride Mountain
1999 Merlot
Napa and Sonom Counties

Stag's Leap Wine Cellars
2000 Merlot
Napa Valley

Lewis
1997 Merlot
Napa Valley

Brewer Clifton
2000 Chardonnay
Marcella's Vineyard Santa Ynez
Very Burgundian - slightly austere with strong overtones of roasted hazelnuts, minerals, nut butter. Dry, large-scaled, and tough to love. Eh? $35.00

Dinner with the Family at Momo's for Carr

Sheridan Vineyards
2000 Red Table Wine
Yakima Valley
This is an unknown to me, but something Larry found in Vancouver. The pretty nose shows sweet oak and a nice dry earth pencil lead component that suggest Cabernet Franc. Rich red fruits - raspberry primarily I guess - with good balance and concentration. Drinking well now. $40.00

Turley
2000 Zinfandel
Old Vines California
Decidedly Turley - Lightly spicy clove nose, with a nice whiff of liqueur bramble fruit. The nose is slightly muddier than some other Turleys. Rich, sweet raspberry and blackberry fruit. Nice. $30.00

Darioush
2002 Viognier
Napa Valley
Lovely once again - rapidly becoming my favorite Viognier from California. Sweet honey and apricots. Rich, lively. Like a spring day. $30.00

Cheers!
James

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