Tasting Notes From May 2004

Quinto do Alqueve
2001 Vinho Regional Ribatejano
Tradicional
A blend of Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, and Perquita. Deeply colored in the glass. Youthful looking. The nose has an initial suggestion of blackberry and strawberry fruit with a bit of caramel funk that I am having trouble describing. The palate starts off like the nose, but as the wine nears the back of the palate it takes on a strange leafy quality some where between the leaves of a lower, rhubarb, and watermelon rind. The flavor lingers into the finish and is not a flavor I particularly like. Nevertheless, I think there is a lot of potential in this region. $10

Behrens and Hitchcock
2000 Merlot
Alder Springs Vineyard Mendocino
14.9% alcohol. Initially out of the bottle this showed an aroma of old barriques, and a Bordeaux-like lead pencil and tannin, and tar smell, though with a sense of higher alcohol. Sweet on the attack with creamy black and red fruit. Turns a bit hot and tangy toward the finish with the tar flavors lingering. Balance issues. Will revisit tonight. After spending the night in the refrigerator, this wine had changed for the better in many ways. The nose metamorphasized into a raspberry cream and chocolate melange while the palate seemed to smooth out and gain balance. We'll see where this goes in a couple years. $45

Carlisle
2000 Two Acres
Russian River Valley
15% alcohol. A blend of Mourvedre, Valdepenas, Alicante Bouschet…maybe one or two other grapes. Possesses an alluring, piercing nose of clove, eucalyptus, and allspice over blackberry liqueur. Sweet on the attack with lush black fruits and more baking spices. No sense of excess alcohol. Nice length and supporting acidity that lends the wine a slightly tangy, but very pleasant finish. Like this. $30

Recent Wines from La Spinetta

La Spinetta
2001 Sauvignon Blanc
Langhe
Varietally correct nose with light grass and lemon drop notes. Sweet attack that plays out into sweet lime fruit and minerals. Pretty good. Not worth the price. $40

La Spinetta
2001 Chardonnay
Langhe
Labeled as "Lidia" I believe. Light french oak nose with toasty pear fruit. Nice concentration of flavor. Good, but I still don't think I would buy it. Even the importer pouring the wine said something to the effect that the white wines are an afterthought for Gorgio Rivetti. $43

La Spinetta
2002 Barbera
Ca' di Pian
High toned nose along with caramel and old wet wood aromas. Medium-bodied, seems a bit hard/tannic. Grapey and a little funky. Uh? $25

La Spinetta
2001 Barbera
Gallina Vineyard
Deeper smelling than the Ca' de Pian. Aromas of tar, violets, tannin, old wood. Rich, full-bodied palate with restrained black fruits. More a suggestion of corpulence than fruit. Pretty nice Barbera, though a bit monolithic now. Of course, for $60, it ought to be damn fine. $60

La Spinetta
2001 Pin
Langhe
Predominantely Nebbiolo with about 33% Barbera and a bit of Cabernet Sauvignon. Similar in aroma to the Gallina Barbera with an added floral nuance. Rich, concentrated attack, but again, this needs some time to unwind. Potential. $60

La Spinetta
1999 Barbaresco
Gallina Vineyard
Translucent ruby in the glass with a hint of tawny. Minty, colgate toothpaste aroma initially on the nose, then fruit and floral perfume. Beautiful wine. Smooth, rich red and black fruit, tar. Very nice. I wonder how much of the difference between this wine and some of the others is age and how much is vintage. $125

La Spinetta
2001 Barbaresco
Gallina Vineyard
Compared to the 1999, this has a much stronger sense of oak and tar on the nose. Closed smelling. Clearly less developed and tighter than the 1999. $115

La Spinetta
2001 Barbaresco
Valeirano
Strange nose that seems dominated by sulfur and tar. Tannin. Subdued strawberry fruit on the palate with lots of tar and rough tannins. Judgement reserved. $115

La Spinetta
2001 Barbaresco
Starderi
Perfumey, ivory soap nose - or is that someone's perfume? Rich, sweet black fruits on the palate with a late sense of tar. Nice. $115

La Spinetta
2000 Barolo
Campe
Apparently La Spinetta's first Barolo. Very closed with subtle hints of black and red fruit. My notes are not very complete on this wine. $135

La Spinetta
2000 Barbaresco
Starderi
A sort of bottle sweet nose with tobacco? A floral nuance. Sweet strawberry fruit and violets with slightly cotton textured tannins in the finish. Needs a little more time but should be good. At this price it sure ought to be. $150

La Spinetta
1999 Barbaresco
Starderi
Initially smelled more tannic, then perfumey. Rich sweet strawberry and pepper. Certainly more open than the 2000, but these compete with each other well. The 1999s were the real gems of this tasting, followed by the 2000 Starderi Barbaresco. I can't imagine buying any of these though. $145

A tasting of new world, non-Cabernet, Bordeaux varieties at Campisi's

Genesis
2001 Chardonnay
Stellenbosch
Blind white 1 - Smoky nose - Chardonnay? Minerals, sweet apple pear fruit on the palate. Interesting. This is totally off theme.

Origin
2001 Sauvignon Blanc
Gamble Vineyard Napa Valley
Blind white 2 - lime, lemon, sweet key lime, clearly Sauvignon Blanc. A decent, if not thrilling wine.

Casa Lapostolle
2000 Clos Apalta

Blind Red 1 - Deep color. High-toned nose with sweet oak, vanilla, mocha, a touch of weeds and bell pepper. Rich on the palate with red and black fruit. The finish is a bit tannic but shows lots of promise. Very nice wine. 42% Carmenere, 41% Merlot.

Copain
2001 Syrah
Eagle Point Ranch Mendocino
Blind Red 2 - (burgundy bottle) - Penetrating perfumey nose. I immediately guess Cabernet Franc, until Traci confessed that she had totally misunderstood the theme. Peppery nose, like ? Pencil lead, herbs, clove. Rich, turning a little bit green. Gun smoke/gun powder. Moderate acids with lots of stuffing. After this was unveiled, it was like, "duh, it smells very Rhone-like."

Pride Mountain
1999 Cabernet Franc
Sonoma County
Blind Red 3 - Deeply colored with a nose of toasty oak, pencil lead, mocha. Rich black and red berry fruit on the palate with smooth balance. Slight acidity in the finish, but that would be picking at minor faults. A very nice showing for this wine. $52

The Sisters
2000 Red Wine
Napa Valley
Blind Red 4 - Subdued nose of red berry and cherry fruit followed by some toasty oak and maybe some violets. Smooth and supple but with very little finish or length. 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Cabernet Franc. Apparently a new label from Jones Family. Surprisingly soft and "slurpable", almost to a fault.

Lewis
1997 Merlot
Reserve Napa Valley
Blind red 5 - Dense smelling with toasty oak, some mocha, and black fruit. Rather piercing nose. Smells a lot like a high quality California Merlot, a la Pride Mountain. Full-bodied with cedar and red berry fruit finishes somewhat short with lingering tannins. A big, well-made Merlot. Will retaste tomorrow.

Reverie
2000 Cabernet Franc
Napa Valley
Blind Red 6 - Spicy nose with mocha, dried tobacco, cigar box and red fruit. A bit high-toned. Dense red berry fruit. Perhaps a bit short, but not bad and a great wine for the vintage. As a group, we were all very pleased with how most of these wines showed. Even the off-theme Copain was a nice addition.

Carlisle
2001 Zinfandel
Sonoma County
As usual, a big spicy, satisfying Zinfandel. A mouthful of briary red berry fruit with lovely aromas of clove and baking spices. Rather high octane, but the alcohol is not obtrusive. Has a pretty perception of sweetness on the palate. $20

Renard
2001 Syrah
Schatz Vineyard Lodi
14.5% alcohol. Deeply colored with just a hint of translucency at the edges. Very peppery nose, with leather, black berries, like boysenberry. Full-bodied but given a fairly lean texture due to some zippy acidity. Very true to the Rhone valley. Nice value. $17

Chateau St. Cosme
2001 Cotes du Rhone
Les Deux Albion
Grenachey aromas of strawberries, pepper, and garrigue. This changed a lot over three days. Day two it was tight, hard and inky, day three it opened back up to more strawberry and powdery Cotes du Rhone flavors. $17

A dinner with Peter Spann, the wines of Spann Vineyards, and the Michael Broadbent Portfolio

Drappier
NV Champagne
Brut Nature Pinot Noir Non-dosage
Dry, yeasty, chalky nose. The palate is fruitier than the nose would suggest with sweet lemon and loads of very tart apple. Okay. On day two this seemed "sweeter" and more dominated by sweet-tart lemon mousse flavors. More open. Not bad.

Chateau Roubaud
2001 Costieres de Nimes
Cuvee Prestige Blanc
Crisp smelling. Dry, rather neutral fruit with some licorice and herb on the nose. Eh? 50% Marsanne and 50% Grenache Blanc. I would guess the Grenache Blanc is dominating the blend. $10

Spy Valley
2002 Riesling
Marlborough
12.5% alcohol. Very dry smelling with a touch of petrol. Medium-bodied green apple fruit. Not for me. I wanted more intensity of flavor from this. $12

Spy Valley
2002 Pinot Noir
Marlborough
14% alcohol. Zingy nose of cola with cinnamon, allspice, and what Chris H. aptly described as beets. Rich palate with cherry-berry fruit. A bit simple on the palate, but the nose makes up for it. This is probably the best New Zealand red I have tasted in my limited experience. $26

Hochar
1999 Reserve
Bekaa Valley Lebanon
13% alcohol. Smells a bit like Rioja due to an oxidized, leathery nose. Becomes a bit fruitier with swirling. Dry cherry fruit on the palate. Not bad, but not something I think I would buy. This is 25% Cabernet, 25% Carignane, and 50% Cinsault. $18

Chateau Roubaud
1998 Costieres de Nimes
Cuvee Prestige Rouge
12.5% alcohol. Citric grapefruit. Slightly green nose. Terroir, coppery funk. Dilute palate. Mostly body with some plum-like fruit and a black cherry finish. Pass. Somebody wasted this vintage in my opinion. The nose is the best thing going for this, but that's not saying much. $10

Warwick Estates
2001 Three Cape Ladies
Cape Blend
41% Cabernet, 29% Merlot, and 30% Pinotage. Dry smelling nose of cedar and red berry fruit. Nice, plush, mid-weight wine on the palate. Funny, the nose suggests a bit of Pinot Noir, but this is clearly fruitier and more evocative of a Bordeaux-varietal blend. Not bad. $20 Dinner wth Peter Spann

Warwick Estates
2000 Estate Reserve
Sinonsberg Stellenbosch
Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. Notably rich wine with mocha, cedar, red currant flavors. Smells rather big and tannic. Fleshy currant fruit with moderate oak. The finish seemed a bit lost, but nice. A fair amount of wine for the money. $30

Spann Vineyards
2001 Mo Zin
Sonoma County
84% Zinfandel, 12% Mourvedre, 4% Alicante Bouschet. 13.9% alcohol. Great nose of spicy clove and a touch of red berry liqueur. Medium-bodied, sweet palate with a suggestion of tea and tar. Pretty good. Seems more in the mold of the "claret-style" Zinfandel. The Spanns apparently assembled this by buying barrels from several sonoma county wineries and blending to their taste.

Spann Vineyards
2001 Sir Zin
Sonoma County
90% Syrah and 10% Zinfandel. 14.6% alcohol. Restrained nose that smells slightly high-toned with cherry fruit. A dense wine on the palate that seems a bit compressed. Might need a little time. Lots of stuffing though. Cherry liqueur flavors along with minerals. Slightly hard finish. Most of the Syrah apparently came from one of Deloach's vineyards. $30

Spann Vineyards
2001 MoJo
Russian River Valley
64% Sangiovese, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 4% Syrah, and 3% Petite Sirah. Something like that at least. Spicy cedar and dry cherry nose. Might have guessed this had some Sangiovese from the dry cherry fruit. Smells like it will taste dry. The palate seems more blueberry and raspberry driven with rich fruit and a brown sugar finish. Interesting wine. 14.4% $30

Merry Edwards
2001 Pinot Noir
Russian River Valley
Light nose of cola, cinnamon, copper, tomatoe, Pinot-funky-green. Fruit driven palate with some late spices. Nice, but early drinking. The next day this was rather soft and mostly gone. Needed a bit more cut. $30

Edmunds St. John
2001 Syrah
Peay Vineyard Sonoma Coast
14.9% alcohol. Dense, iodine meaty nose with minerals and black cherries. Rich meaty, bloody palate with black cherry fruit and a slightly orange-citrus finish. This was more open and fruity the next day. Nice wine, thumbs up. $30

Jamet
1990 Cote Rotie

12.5% alcohol. Spicy leather, smoky charcoal, merde, sharp-smelling nose. Medium-bodied with a suggestion of "sweet coffee grinds". Masculine. A high-toned quality hints at the Viognier, along with a vague chemical and floral nuance. Some late apricot perhaps. This wine never really came together. Chris had tasted this a month earlier and it was screaming delicious. Off-bottle I suppose. The next day it was softer, but the flavors never improved.

Quinta do Alqueve
2001 Syrah
Ribatejano Portugal
Sweet nose that has a very unique aroma that reminds me of burlap along with a gardenia, or some aromatic green plant (ferns?) Slightly high-toned. Pepper and rubber?. A bit port-like in its nose and presence. Black fruit with velvety tannins. A large-scaled wine. Very nice. $33

Vina San Roman
2000 Toro
VPO
100% Tinto de Toro (tempranillo). 14% alcohol. Good lord! This is a truly massive wine. When people talk about dry extract, this is what I will think of from here forward. Porty nose with black fruits. Sweet attack with lots of blackberry fruit. Fascinating mouthfeel that gives the impression of drinking a semi-moist sweet powder. Crushed and dried blackberries. Dang this is intense. The next day it was little changed, but maybe a bit fruitier. Amazing stuff. $42

Spann Vineyards
2002 Chardonnay Viognier
Sonoma County
I missed the official name of this wine. The blend is 80% Chardonnay, 20% Viognier. .8% Residual sugar. White fruit. A bit flabby and overpriced, but my palate is pretty worn out. $20

D'Arenberg
2002 Laughing Magpie
McLaren Vale
Dense, totally opaque appearance. WOW! Nose of honey and apricots overlaying black berry fruit with a small nuance of toasty French oak. Yum! Delicious, rich black fruits in a frame that offers moderate acidity to keep the wine humming. Finishes with more Viognier aromas in the finish. I love this stuff. $38

Henry's Drive
2001 Shiraz
Reserve McLaren Vale
Initially seems dominated by toasty oak and vanilla flavors. Opens some to reveal blackberry juice, jam, toast, and liqueur characteristics. Rich, full-bodied wine with tons of fruit. Seems a bit unbalanced in the back of the throat, possibly due to the 15% alcohol, but this is a hedonistic wine to be sure. $45 Dinner at Lola with Kris and Shane

Terlano
2000 Sauvignon Blanc
Quartz Alto Adige
This wine showed aromas and flavors characteristic of a European Sauvignon Blanc. Lighter styled than new world efforts with lemon, cream, and minerals. Somewhat dilute and watery, but gained some steam as it warmed up. Gained complexity as well, adding some orange and tropical fruit, and some lanolin scents. Okay. Dinner at Lola with Kris and Shane

Abadia Retuerta
1999 Seleccion Especial
Sardon de Duero
This struck me as a stunning wine for the price. Captivating, intense nose of black currant fruit, black berry fruit, with toasty French oak, a bit of liqueur and a bit of charred barrel-creosote type aromas. Somewhat tighter on the palate than it smells, but drinking fairly well now with more rich black fruits on the palate. The finish is slightly hard with some velvety tannins and jolly rancher flavors. As I sipped this I thought that it would be a wonderful contribution to a North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon tasting. Maybe a Washington State Cab tasting in particular. Really nice wine. $25

Beckmen Vineyards
2001 Roussanne
Purisima Mountain Vineyard Santa Ynez Valley
Nose of waxy kumquats skins. With semi-sweet-tart lean mouthfeel and moderate acidity. Has some interesting gravel and mineral components as well. Decent, though not thrilling.

Chateau Sissan
2000 Cotes de Bordeaux

This was a pleasant surprise. On the nose it shows aromas of tannin, leather, mocha, smoke, bitter chocolate, and light black fruit. Medium bodied on the palate, with a simple mouthfeel but pleasant mocha and black currant fruit. Nice value. 12.5% alcohol. $12

Morambro Creek
2002 Shiraz
Pathadaway
14.5% alcohol. The nose to me smells a bit like cigars, but also shows lots of minty anise. Full-bodied but fairly monolithic and rustic with sweet black raspberry fruit. $17

Traci Cooks Dinner

Plumpjack
1999 Chardonnay
Reserve Napa Valley
Light toasty oak nose. Surprsingly restrained in the oak department. Sweet apple and pear fruit on the attack with some smokiness and anise. Pleasant.

Pichot
1990 Vouvray
Moelleux
Suffering from secondary fermentation. Skunky, sulfury nose. Moderate acidity with suggestion of carbonation and light sweetness. Pass. This must be an off bottle.

Les Hauts de Montmiral
1998 Gigondas

Blind Red 1 - Fading edge, slightly mature smelling. Aromas of gravel, tannin, mint and cedar. Rather subdued nose. Medium-bodied with black currant fruit. Elevated acidity in the finish. Hmmm…smells rather Bordelaise to me, but the palate is inconsistent, and less interesting than the nose. We were surprised by this wine's absence of typicity.

Lucia
2002 Pinot Noir
Garys' Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands
Blind red 2 - SMELLS LIKE PINOT! Zesty green strawberry cola and fruit rind nose. Rich palate with middle green and pepper streak surrounded by red and black cherry fruit. Slightly tight in the finish. Pretty nice. 14.4% alcohol.

Corte Riva
2001 Merlot
Napa Valley
Blind Red 3 - Deeply colored with crushed black fruit on the nose with some toasty oak. Sweet palate with more rich, creamy blackberry fruit. Nice. (Could this be a B&H Merlot that is showing well?) This also smelled a bit Aussie at times. Slightly hot finish and a bit astringent, but overall, a very nice wine. 95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. 14.6% alcohol. John and Craig were convinced this might be an off bottle of Clos Mogador. $44

DuMol
2002 Pinot Noir
Russian River Valley
Blind Red 4 - Pinot-esque nose. Rusty tomato and watermelon fruit. The palate is very candied with sweet tangy red berry and watermelon fruit. Some light toasty French oak on the nose. Seemes to open and gain complexity. I was somewhat impressed. $38

Carlisle
2001 Syrah
Dry Creek Valley
Blind Red 5 - Big smelling - a bit port-like and carrying a higher level of alcohol. Bit of coffee. Rich, sweet attack with lots of blackberry fruit. A little warm in the finish. When I realized what this was, I concluded that it needs a bit more time in the bottle, and to be served a little cooler than we had it. $36

Castello di Brolio
2001 Chianti Classico

Pretty nose that screams "Tuscan Sangiovese!" Dry dusty cherry and cranberry fruit with a hint of pepper. The palate isn't quite as nice as the nose. Concetrated, but quite lemony, to a fault, and rather disappointing if you are expecting a more berry-flavored wine which the nose and deep color suggest. $15

Quinto do Alqueve
2001 Ancestral
Ribatejano
Somewhat tighter but with similar aromatics to the base bottling from this winery. Primarily red and black fruit framed in some toasty oak, but with nuances of watermelon. Somewhat backwards on the palate. Okay. $13

Behrens and Hitchcock
2000 Merlot
Fortuna Vineyard, Oakville, Napa Valley
15.5% alcohol. Initially had some rubbery, old wood aromas that I seem to always perceive in B&H's wines. Black cherry, balsa wood, blackberry fruit. Bit hot in the finish. Creamy texture at times. Generally improved with time, as the black fruit became emphasized. Not much evidence of new oak, and some lingering minerality. Not a bad showing, but I'm not sure it is worth the price. $42

Garretson
2002 Rose
Paso Robles
Deeply colored for Rose - looks like bright cherry hard candy. Pleasing nose of strawberries and cedar. Semi-sweet strawberry fruit and sweet cranberry fruit flavors. Nice Rose, perfect for the lakehouse. $15

Equus
2000 Grenache
James Berry Vineyard, Paso Robles
Peppery, Grenachey strawberry fruit. Medium-dense. Less concentrated and serious than I recall from the tasting room, but nevertheless a nice California Grenache for the price. $20

Marquis Philips
2001 Sarah's Blend
South Australia
Maple syrup, toffee, new leather, coffee. Roasted grenache fruit. More restrained than I recall. Sweet liqueur. Red and black fruit. Not bad. The finish seemed a little hot or disjointed in this bottling, but tasty overall if you like the style. $15

Neil Ellis
2003 Sauvignon Blanc
Groenekloof Vineyard
A bit too cold initially. Pale colored. Somewhat creamy (oak?) with white fruit. Moderate acidity. Seems a bit dilute. Aromas of fig and quince. As it warms, a bit of grass, lime, and peppery dust. Light bodied. Okay, decent value. Interesting how this gained steam. $12

Guilhelm Durand
2001 Syrah
Vin de Pays d' Hauterive
A peter Weygandt import. Labeled as Vielles Vignes. This seemed like a lot of wine for the money. Rhone-influenced minerals, chalk, pepper, hint of garrigue, then medium-bodied red fruit. Sappy. Impressive. $10

L'Aventure
1999 Optimus
Paso Robles
52% Syrah, 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Zinfandel. First impression was strong with a polished, dark fruit nose with a modest amount of toasty oak. Sweet attack with black currant fruit in a lush package. Strangely the wine grows compressed and short in the back of the palate, then disappears in a blink of lemon and peppery black fruit. Overall, fairly positive. $32

Cheers!
James

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