Tasting Notes - May 2005

Tasting Notes From May 2005

Sticks
2002 Chardonnay
Yarra Valley Vineyard
Blind White 1 - Nice nose - sweet lemon? Peach. Medium-bodied with lightly tangy white fruit. Clean, no wood. Good. Aussie's at Momo's

Kaesler
1999 Old Bastard
Barossa Valley
Blind Red 1 - Some oak and smoke on the nose. Dense and slightly tannic smelling. Touch of crème de menthe. Black fruit. Pretty good stuff. Fairly structured still. Slightly syruppy, but not really overripe. This was probably my favorite of the night. Aussie's at Momo's

Rosemount
1998 Syrah
Balmoral, McLaren Vale
Blind Red 2 - Dry extract and not much else going on with the nose. Vague. Closed? A bit high-toned. Somewhat elegant. Older. Not really very impressive. Aussie's at Momo's

Marquis Philips
2001 Shiraz 9
McLaren Vale
Blind Red 3 - Big nose. Concentrated vanilla and black cherry-black berry fruit. Liqueur. Sweet, concentrated, lengthy. A touch hot. Pretty good. Aussie's at Momo's

Rolf Binder Wines
2002 Heinrich
Blind Red 4 - Veritas by another name for the states - Rich, plush smelling. Touch of brown sugar and red fruit. Meat and blood. Iron. Slightly corked? Not showing well again. Aussie's at Momo's

Penfolds
2001 Shiraz
RWT, Barossa Valley
Blind Red 5 - Pruney nose. Smokey, concentrated. Bit Monolithic with sweet red fruit. Hot on the nose. Touch of candy. Okay. Aussie's at Momo's

Elderton
2001 Shiraz
Command
Blind Red 6 - Big, sweet brown sugar and maple with a touch of crème and vanilla. Sweet, slightly tangy, with bright red fruit. Aussie's at Momo's

Carlisle
1999 Syrah
Sonoma County
At first fragrant with blackberry liqueur. Sweet, fruity smelling. Then the wine seemed to veer toward the dark side with meat and smoke aromas coming out. Full-bodied, meaty. Slightly tannic. Good.

Turley
2002 Zinfandel
Old Vines, California
High-toned red fruit. No sense of the 16.8% alcohol. Sweet red berries with nice banking spice and cloves on the nose. Pretty good. May have some cranberry and sweet orange nuanes too.

Radio-Coteau
2003 Pinot Noir
La Neblina, Sonoma Coast
This is Radio- Coteau's blended Pinot Noir. My first impression is, well, yes, this is pretty good, but it is a far cry from the other Pinot Noirs I have tasted of theirs. Rather tangy with red fruit and nuances of metallic Pinot Funk. $37;

Andrew Murray
2002 Syrah
Tour les Jours, Central Coast
Deeply colored. The nose on this wine is a little unusual. In addition to black fruit and a hint of olives, there is a strong suggestion of hickory and worcesthire sauce. The mouthfeel is a little strange because the wine seems very plush and thick, like lots of chunky fruit is in your mouth, but at the midpalate the wine turns high-toned and lighter. Okay. $15;

Silver Oak
2000 Cabernet Sauvignon
Alexander Valley
Somewhat better than I expected. Red currant fruit and a bare hint of dyll on the nose. Medium-bodied with normal red fruit flavors. Has a slight dryness on the palate. Okay. PopPop Turns 85

Carlisle
2002 Two Acres
Russian River Valley
We drank this after dinner but it really would have been better with the steaks. The nose is a bit peppery, but the overall effect is more of a spice or pinon type aroma. Full-bodied with black fruit. Has a slightly hard edge to it suggesting more time will be good. Different than most other Carlisle wines. $30; PopPop Turns 85

Cheers!
James

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