Tasting Notes From March 2002

2003

Lambert Bridge
1996 Zinfandel Amador County

Color is Deep maroon with a bit of brown. Nose is interesting with tar, smoked tea, port-like. The palate is almost non-existent. Thin, bland, watery. Disappointing. $18.00

2004

Domaine Santa Duc
1999 Cotes du Rhone La Vielles Vignes

Nicely done Cotes du Rhone. Medium bodied, ripe, with extra interest. Strawberry and raspberry fruit, white pepper, spices, touch of wood. Better day two. Moderate length with pleasant balance. $10.00

2006

A. Clape
1993 Cornas

Reasonably deep maroon color. Subdued nose of cinnamon, cloth, rose petals or some non-fragrant flower, and maybe metal. Medium-full bodied, pleasant palate, medium acidity, nice balance. The fruit not very fresh or exuberant. Vaguely red, perhaps plum. The acidity grows some with time. The wine also seems to have a slight murky quality. Fine, but maybe over the hill, or just not from a good vintage. Not quite worth what I paid, but decent enough. $30.00

2007

Freestone
1999 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Nose suggests cedar and red currants. Plush body, with good length. Some cinnamon spice and late acidity. We paid $28 at a restaurant, but at $19 it is a very pleasant Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. $19.00

2008

Pikes
1997 Shiraz Clare Valley

Lovely sweet nose of blueberries, blackberries, vanilla, toasted coconut, and something like bittersweet chocolate or coffee. Ripe sweet palate. Much better integration of the wood than I recall. Tasty. $20.00

2009

David Coffaro Winery
2000 Sauvignon Blanc Dry Creek Valley

Woody? Somewhat nondescript, ill-focused style of Sauvignon Blanc. Some green varietal character. Noticing the wood alot on this one. Seems like American oak, perhaps, but I don't get the vanilla nuance. $11.00

2010

Havens
1998 Syrah Carneros

Charcoal, Rhone-style nose overlaying lots of fruit. Seems very successful for the vintage. I liked this better than the Staglin served alongside. Ripe fruit, some nice complexity. Well done. $24.00

2011

Staglin Family
1996 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Initially impressive with great balance and supple mouthfeel. The oak in it seems a little drying as the wine opens. Straightforward, pleasant, even delicious, but I think it needs drinking soon. $45.00

2012

Pride Mountain
1999 Viognier Sonoma Valley

Delicious Viognier, perhaps Prides best vintage of this I've tasted. Ripe apricot fruit. Nice concentration and balance. $38.00

2013

Chateau St. Jean
1999 Pinot Blanc Robert Young Vineyard

Pleasant melon fruit but has an off putting bitter quality in the finish. $20.00

2014

Chateau St. Cosme
2000 Cotes du Rhone

Ripe raspberry and grape nose with a hint of leathery Rhone funk. Medium-full bodied with some excess acidity and maybe some extra CO2. Smoky bitter charcoal finish. Nice, but I don’t really get it what makes it such a great value. Has some cottony tannins lingering in the finish. The mouthfeel on this wine is unusual. $11.00

2015

Vita Nova
1997 Cabernet Franc Santa Barbara County

Translucent raspberry colored in the glass with some cloudiness. Delicious nose of earth, pepper, pencil lead?, liqueur, stone fruits…wonderful…The palate is medium bodied with some acidity but nice ripe fruit. Cherry finish that reminds of the aftertaste of eating cherry sours. $12.00

2017

Guigal
1998 Cote Rotie

Brune et Blonde Masculine wine, with a complex nose of charcoal, minerals, smoke, meat, flowers, and pepper. Underlying ripeness, but currently has an austere edge to it. Medium-full bodied. Decent enough. Went well with Mona's Venison steak. $40.00

2018

Etude
1999 Pinot Noir Carneros

From .375L - Ripe and tasty Pinot that opened very nicely in the glass. Ripe blackberry, somewhat brambly an jammy. Good concentration and length. Not Merry Edwards, but damn fine. Worked well with almost all our courses, especially the Foie Gras. $20.00

2019

Beringer
1996 Cabernet Franc Third Century Napa Valley

Fantastic nose of pencil lead, ? $80.00

2020

Redbank
1999 Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon Victoria Long Paddock

58/42 blend Pleasant, medium bodied and fruity with a lemony finish. Just nothing to get excited about. $11.00

2021

David Coffaro Winery
1999 Aca Modot Dry Creek Valley

Ripe fruity and medium bodied Cabernet Sauvignon blend. Jazzy fruit with creamy American oak. Added interest from all the blended varietals. Actually managed to guess this one blind! $18.00

2022

Sportoletti
2000 Rosso Assissi

Deeply colored, ripe fruit $15.00

2023

Domaine de Tourettes
1999 Cotes du Luberon Le Petite Tourettes

Pleasant Grenachey strawberry fruit with some spices and pepper. Pleasant. I went back to retaste and get a better sense of it the second day, but I had developed cold that kept me from smelling and tasting much of anything. $12.00

2024

L'Eccosse
1996 Cabernet Franc Napa Valley Cuvee Homage a Jean d'Arc

Ripe and sweet with obvious Cabernet Franc overtones. Particular stemmy quality in the finish. Nice little wine. $26.00

2025

Didier Dagenau
1997 Silex

Not as intense and flavorful as the bottle I tasted a couple years back. I suspect this one suffered too long on a retailer's shelf. Nice Sauvignon Blanc nonetheless, but lacking in much distinction particularly for the sticker price ($65). Awfully glad I paid less, in fact would not buy it at full price. $65.00

2026

Marques de Velilla
1996 Ribera del Duero

Great nose of raspberry liqueur. Has a tawny color in the glass as an accent to the medium-deep, transparent ruby. Medium bodied, with nice sweet fruit, but drying tannins, like licking velvet are taking over and the wine has a drying presence. Probably suffering some from spending too long on a retailer shelf. Nice Price though. $7.00

2027

L'eccosse
1996 Cabernet Franc Napa Valley Hommage a Jean d'Arc

Ripe and medium-bodied with decent concentration. Distinct dusty quality intermingled with the red fruit. $12.00

2028

Andrew Murray
1999 Syrah Tours les Jours Santa Barbara County

Yum! Spicy clove nose…intense ripe fruit. Full bodied, very concentrated and long. Noticeable acidity but everything is actually rather balanced. Impressive little wine. $15.00

Cheers!
James

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