Tasting Notes From March 2006

L'Aventure
2003 Syrah
Rim Rock Vineyard, Paso Robles
Corked. Bummer.

Pride Mountain
2003 Merlot
Napa and Sonoma Counties
100% Merlot. Reticent nose of red berry with light oak. Particular light oak for Pride at first blush. Medium-bodied with mocha and red fruit on the palate. The palate is open and expressive with decent balance. Coming back to this later I noted some smokiness and a touch of dried herbs. Not Bad.

Unti
2002 Petite Sirah
Dry Creek Valley
Opaque, nearly black in the center. Thick looking. Smells a little gamey and earthy initially. Dense, concentrated palate with a tangy blackberry core. Chewey texture. Decent, could have laid a while longer.

Mason
2004 Sauvignon Blanc
Napa Valley
Light citrus nose of grapefruit, orange, and tangerine all combined. Slightly stinky (not cat's pee). Medium bodied with similar tangy flavors on the palate. Okay.

Behrens and Hitchcock
2001 Merlot
Alder Springs Vineyard, Mendocino County
15.6% alcohol. Extracted, port-like nose. Not at all like Merlot. Slightly hot with dense, chewey extract. The fruit seems more like red berries, but in a slightly overripe way. In the glass, the wine is translucent with a color of slightly tawny maroon.

Rosenblum
2003 Viognier
Kathy's Cuvee, Santa Barbara County
Less floral on the nose than my memory of this wine from last tasting. On the palate, medium-full bodied and sweet turning tangy with sweet, low acid citrus flavors along with some honeysuckle and apricot.

Linne Calodo
2003 Rising Tides
Paso Robles
42% Syrah, 37% Grenache, and 21% Mourvedre. 15.7% Alcohol. Extracted nose - it just smells like dry extract initially. Totally opaque in the glass. Concentrated, extracted palate of black fruits. This wine needed a little more time. Right now it is in your face and not showing any nuance. Judgement reserved.

Vinos Sin-Ley
2004 Garnacha
G-5, Puerta Bonita, DQ Vinos de Madrid
Smoky, reductive sulfur nose. Grenachey. Tank fermented smells. Not liking much. Saved some to try later.

Vallana
2000 Spanna
Colline Novaresi
Aromatic nose of violets, creosote, and peppery dried herbs. Tngy attack with a dry palate of waxy red berry fruits. Has a lot interest to it.

Gossett
1996 Brut
Champagne
Blind Sparkler - Yeasty, doughy nose. Lemony. Light and crisp on the palate with a tangy finish. Okay, but not my style of sparkler. Favorite Producers at Taverna

Lucien Albrecht
2003 Pinot Blanc
Cuvee Balthazar, Alsace
Blind White 1 - Mineral nose which morphs into smokiness. The palate is richer than anticipated with lemon and honey flavors. The texture has a certain oily quality and the finish is slightly bitter. I was guess this was a Pinot Gris or Pinot Blanc from Alsace. Sometimes you get lucky. Okay, not great. Favorite Producers at Taverna

Maximin Grunhauser
1989 Riesling
Auslese
Blind White 2 - Slightly golden color in the glass. Heavy petrol nose of aged Riesling. Rich sweet tropical fruit on the palate. Decent once you accustom yourself to the nose. Favorite Producers at Taverna

Pegau
2001 Chateauneuf du Pape
Cuvee Reserve
Blind Red 1 - Pretty nose of framboise, smoke, and rocks. Touch of garrigue. Great nose. Rich "sweet" attack with lots of red raspberry fruit, turning tangy in the finish. Really great nose on this wine, and I like it on the palate too. Nice. Favorite Producers at Taverna

Chateau Fortia
2003 Chateauneuf du Pape
Non-Blind Interlude - Fruity, dense, sweet cherry and raspberry fruit. A touch hot. Very new world like ripeness. Favorite Producers at Taverna

Behrens and Hitchcock
1998 Merlot
Napa Valley
Blind Red 2 - Dense, with a slightly smoky caramel nose that reminds me strongly of veneto wines like Amarone. Burlap. Rich concentrated palate with sweet black fruit and fig flavors. A little hot. Surprise surprise. No one guessed anywhere close on this. Favorite Producers at Taverna

Lewis
2000 Syrah
Ethans Blend, Napa Valley
Blind Red 3 - French, northern Rhone nose to my sensors with blood, iron, gravel and black olive aromas. Tangy red fruit with good density on the palate. Lots of debate around this one, but again we were stumped. In hindsight, it was awfully concentrated and ripe for a Northern Rhone wine, but at least I got the variety right. Favorite Producers at Taverna

Illatraia
2003 Toscana
IGT
Blind Red 4 - Funky candle wax nose. Sweet attack of minerals and black fruit. Pretty Good. I can't recall now whether the texture and weight of this wine lead me to think it was Italian. Favorite Producers at Taverna

Chateau Frombrauge
2003 St. Emilion
Blind Red 5 - Bordeaux nose of cedar and pencil lead. A bit lean smelling. Rich soft palate. Good. I thought this was left bank. Nice value. Favorite Producers at Taverna

Pride Mountain
2003 Petite Sirah
Napa Valley
Blind Red 6 - Dense, inky nose and not much else. Soft on the palate initially, but quickly growing inky and thick. Just too much at this point. Favorite Producers at Taverna

Leoville Barton
1999 Paulliac
Corked Favorite Producers at Taverna

Carlisle
2003 Syrah
Dry Creek Valley
15.8% alcohol. Aromas of roasting coffee beans, maple and caramel dominating some sweet black fruit. Charred meat. Sweet attack with meaty plum and black fruit turing back to roasting coffeein the finish. Some unresolved tannin perhaps and a little bit of tanginess. Good.

Loring
2004 Pinot Noir
Rancho Ontiveros Vineyard, Santa Maria Valley
15.1% alcohol. Earthy nose with overtones of metal, meat, and wood. Further sniffing reveals coffee and smoke. Earthy sweet palate of black cherry fruit. Slightly warm in the finish. Tangy. Rich and powerful in structure. Pretty good, but not quite was I was in the mood for on this Friday evening.

Paloma
2003 Merlot
Napa Valley
From memory - Pleasant red berry fruit with some mocha nuances. Plump, ripe, easy going. Okay.

Noon
2001 Eclipse
McLaren Vale
Polished new oak aromas with a touch of alcohol. Concentrated, high-toned and tangy red berry fruit. Just okay.

Crios de Susana Balbo
2005 Rose of Malbec
Mendoza
Beautiful color of pink rubies. Roses, earth, and cherry stones on the nose. Rich, medium-full bodied for Rose with spicy red raspberry, watermelon, and strawberry flavors. Good. Good value.

Radio Coteau
2003 Pinot Noir
Savoy Vineyard, Anderson Valley
Metallic sweet black cherry nose. Concentrated sweet tangy fruit. Primarily red fruit tinged with sweet citrus flavors. Good texture. Made a pretty good match with pesto tortellini with mild pork weisswurst.

Clos Floridene
2003 Blanc
Graves
Nice inexpensive white Bordeaux with typical aromas of oak and a vague white fruit palate with good concentration and sweetness.

L'Aventure
2003 Syrah
Rim Rock Vineyard, Paso Robles
Big, bold boysenberry aromas and flavors. Thick mouthfeel, but at times I found the wine a little bit hollow on the mid palate. Pretty good.

Pride Mountain
2003 Cabernet Franc
Sonoma County
Wow! Nose on this wine. Pretty violets and red berry fruit with a little oak. Has that uplift of leafy/weedy (in very good way) aroma that I love in Cab Franc. Touch of brown sugar. Muy Sniffable. Sweet black and red fruit on the palate tending toward black raspberry I suppose. Nice.

Zind Humbrecht
2001 Gewurztraminer
Herrenweg Turkheim
From 375 at Legal Sea Foods in Boston. Fairly priced at $29. I really enjoyed this wine. Thick mouthfilling but mostly dry Gewurz fruit with classic leechy fruit along with white pear and floral flavors. Nice. Boston

Cheers!
James

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