Tasting Notes From November 2004

Patrick Lesec Selections
2001 Chateaneuf du Pape
Marquis
Peppery powdery nose. Grenachey. Chalky rocks. Red cherry fruit. Has a sappy edge. Medium-bodied and a bit compressed. Retaste tonight. $30

Chateau Beaucastel
1999 Coudoulet de Beaucastel
Cotes du Rhone Blanc
Corked $20

Domaine Ehrhart
2002 Pinot-Auxerrois
Val St.-Gregoire, Vin d'Alsace
A Bobby Kacher wine. Organic vineyards. Aromas of melons. Light bodied with fresh fruit and hay flavors. Slight fruity sweetness with moderate acidity. Food friendly and quaffable.

McCrea Cellars
2003 Vin Rose
Washington State
14.6% Alcohol. A blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Viognier. Medium-salmon colored in the glass. Aromas of bubble gum and some complex chalk-like aromas that I never quire pinned down. Peach, pear, strawberry fruit on the palate. Decidedly on the dry rose side but with a pleasant fruity sweetness and nice concentration. I'm almost sorry to have opened this on a relatively cool night in Dallas, but it was good anyway. $13

Cusamono
2002 Benuara
Nero d'Avola and Syrah, IGT, Sicilia
Deeply colored in the glass. Interesting aromas of pepper and earth. I think I detect an underlying streak of olives and roasted meat that reminds me of the Northern Rhone. Medium-full bodied with satisfying chew. $15

Mas de Bressades
2003 Roussanne Viognier
Vin de Pays du Gard
Nicely made, clean white with a balance of apricot and other white fruits. Presumably the Roussanne tones down the fruitiness of the Viognier. Rather toward the full-bodied end of the scale for a white with nice concentration. $13

Marquis Philips
2003 Shiraz
South East Australia
Not quite up to the last two vintages. In fact, I've always preferred the 2001 over the 2002. Now I also prefer the 2002 over the 2003. The price has gone up some too, here in Dallas. Anyway, I think RMP's rating is right about spot on. Dense in the glass with initial aromas of swimming pool water. Rich sweet black fruit with a creamy vanilla edge. Decent, but not what its older bothers are. $17

Palliser Estate
2003 Sauvignon Blanc
Marlborough
From screw cap bottle. Aromas of chalk, lime and lemon. Hints of a peppery green quality that adds rather than detracts. Large scaled on the palate with racy citrus flavors. Decent. $17

Carlisle
2002 Zinfandel
Sonoma Valley
Dense and thick looking in the glass. High toned red fruit, clove and eucalyptus on the nose. Concentrated boysenberry syrup on the palate. Still toward the high-toned side with lots of sweet fruit. Nice. $23

Justin
2002 Trois Blanc
Paso Robles
An ugly blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Viognier. Apparently done up in French oak. Lean, acidic and vinous. Nothing to recommend here.

Van Duzer
2002 Pinot Noir
Estate, Willamette Valley
Spicy nose of cola and some cinnamon. I think this must have picked up some spice from whatever oak was used. Medium-bodied with flavorful black cherry and cola tinged with a slight Pinot-green-funk. Nicely made.

Pride Mountain
1999 Chardonnay
Napa Valley
Quite an improvement over the Justin. Milky cereal nose. Most of the fruit is of the pear variety, but the fruit is more of a secondary characteristic behind the creamy, slightly smoky texture. Medium-full bodied and well-made. I enjoyed this Pride Chardonnay more than I have any in recent memory.

Trespass
2001 Cabernet Franc
Napa Valley
Yum! Lovely nose of toasted barrel, black currant, and black raspberry (?), with a pleasant nuance of weediness and wax, presumably from the grape variety. Rich and fairly dense flavors of black and red fruit. Balanced and satisfying. I might have to find some more of this.

Cusamano
2003 Syrah
Sicilia
With a youthful sheen, this saturated black cherry colored in the glass. The nose shows some grapiness and suggests tank fermentation. Secondary nuances of pepper. A fruity, value-priced quaffer that is relatively satisfying, though not complex. Medium-full bodied with good flavor concentration. $10

Domaine Jean Marc Morey
2002 Chassagne Montrachet
La Bergeute
Light aromas of white fruit and minerals. The nose is a bit deceptive, however, because the wine is loaded with apple and pear fruit. Forward and concentrated. Very ripe and powerful. Really impressive. Dinner at Campisi's

Domain Zind Humbrecht
1995 Pinot Gris
Clos Windbuhl
Aromas of petrol. Smells like it will be concentrated and a little syrupy - maybe even a little sweet. ON the palate this is concentrated stuff. Really more towards a dry wine with thick, dense white fruit flavors. Slightly tropical fruit flavored. Very interesting wine. Nice. Dinner at Campisi's

McCrea Cellars
2003 Viognier
Red Mountain
This showed a lemony nose with subtle hints of apricot. Lemony fruit on the palate with significant acidity for Viognier. Turns a bit lean and austere in the finish. Just okay. Day Two I enjoyed this quite a bit more. It seemed less lean and more evocative of Viognier character. Dinner at Campisi's

Paolo Scavino
2000 Barolo
Light violet nose or light flowers and earth. A pretty wine with a very light body and weak strawberry flavors. Almost rose like with your eyes closed. Decent, but not impressive. Dinner at Campisi's

Sportoletti
2001 Villa Fidelia
Umbria Rosso
John says this is mostly Cabernet, with the balance being Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Another Ricardo Cottarella wine. Initially it has plummy, leather and black currant flavors, then a late suggestion of raspberry jam. The palate is very creamy, soft, and seamless with no sense of oak at all. So seamless it seems a little hollow. The nose is quite nice. I wonder what is going on with this wine. Dinner at Campisi's

Brown Estate
2001 Zinfandel
Napa Valley
15.2% alcohol, but it hides it well. Clove and pepper nose with a suggestion of brown sugar and bramble. Red berry fruit on the palate. Moderate acidity gives the wine a little spritz on the attack. Medium-bodied. This grew on me, but never became a Zin I was excited about. $32 Dinner at Campisi's

Domaine du Chateau de Chorey
2000 Beaune Cent Vigne
Premier Cru
Harris Polakoff, the owner of Pogo's swung by and dropped this off for us to try. Unknown to Harris (?) the bottle was a leaker but we never established why. The nose was subdued but showed some sulfury funk. John thought burnt rubber. Light berry flavors Has a somewhat bitter, harsh finish. Probably needs some food. The next day this seemed a little more corpulent and powerful, but not very fruity or complex. Decent. Dinner at Campisi's

Hourglass
2000 Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley
A big, lush mouthful of sweet Cabernet juice. The nose, however, does show a slightly raw aspect that I attribute to the vintage. Very good wine nevertheless. CDC meeting at Momo's

Dalla Valle
2001 Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley
I didn't know what to expect from this wine. Somewhat closed, but the nose shows lovely minerals and graphite, subtle rich leather, and restrained black currant fruit. Tannins are present, but fine grained. Concentrated layers of black currant fruit on the palate. Seamless. Needs some time. Dark, not in color, but in density. CDC Meeting at Momo's

Elan
1999 Cabernet Sauvignon
Atlas Peak
This wine just does not strike me very well. The wine seems to have too much acidity and the overall impression is thin or lean on fruit. Red currants. Potential, but something is not quite right.

McCrea Cellars
2002 Syrah
Washington State
Initially I was very disappointed in this wine. It had reductive aromas and was very acidic. Later it seemed to be gaining some ground. We'll see tonight if it improved much. $24 CDC Meeting at Momo's

Matua Valley
2004 Sauvignon Blanc
Marlborough
from screw cap - Very pale and colorless in the glass. Nice nose of passion fruit and lime zest. Sweet zippy fruit on the palate. Nice QPR. $11

Carlisle
2001 Zinfandel
Carlisle Vineyard, Russian River Valley
ZOWIE! - Awesome nose of clove and pepper underlying a huge snootful of bramble and raspberry jam. Stunning. I wanted to sit and sniff this all night, but it tasted too good to let hang around in the glass. Concentrated, dense raspberry fruit. No sense of the 16.3% alcohol. Delicious - best Zinfandel I've had in awhile. $34

Torbreck
2003 Woodcutter's Red
Barossa Valley
Screw Cap top. The nose starts with a little funky pepper reduction, but that mutates into more of a Grenache kirsch pepper aroma. Medium-bodied with tangy red berry fruit and a creamy texture despite the tanginess. Decent. A good food wine. $20

Vinoce
2003 Sauvignon Blanc
Napa Valley
Mona liked this for its balance of fruity sweetness and lemony acidity. I enjoyed it, but also found it somewhat vinous and lacking character. Overall, a well made wine. Flavors of lemon, some chalky earth, and beeswax(?). Medium-bodied with a sweet attack and building acidity. $20

Unti
2000 Syrah
Dry Creek Valley
This wine's palate and aroma seemed a little disconnected or contradictory to me. The nose was dominated by sweet oak scents overlying red berry fruit liqueur, but the palate is more masculine and meaty with some definite red berry flavors, but also some soy sauce and roasted game. Pretty good. Mona really enjoyed it. $28

Mas de Avelyans
2001 Syrah
Vin de Pays du Gard
A Bobby Kacher wine and definitely in my top 10 for best values ever. I would love to put this into a Cote Rotie tasting. The nose has overtones of apricot and lime, like Viognier blended with cool climate Syrah, then an undercurrent of red berry fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with more red berry fruit and late suggestions of tar and sap. Maybe a little flat on the palate, but delicious stuff for the money. $12

Cartlidge and Brown
2001 Syrah
California
Not a bad buy here - the nose is a little vinous, but decent with some light peppery notes. The palate is fruity and fairly balanced with red and black berry fruit. Medium-bodied with decent concentration and length. $10

Marquis Philips
2003 Sarah's Blend
South Australia
Not bad, but not quite up to the 2001. Similar nose of liquer, sweet vanilla, and red berry milkshake. Full-bodied if a little rough in the finish with sweet berry fruit. Just doesn't have the power and seamlessness of previousvintages. Still not bad QPR. $16

Carlisle
2002 Zinfandel
Dry Creek Valley
Slightly rougher than some of Carlisle's Zinfandels with lots of spice. Higher-toned red berry fruit with lots of alcohol, but not a lot of burn. Nice, but not quite up to the Carlisle Vineyard Zinfandel from last week. $24

McCrea Cellars
2003 Roussanne
Washington State
Smoky and nutty nose. Rather full-bodied and fat on the palate. Tasted blind, I might have guessed this was Chardonnay. Slightly oily texture. Waxy white fruit. Re-taste tonight. $20

Chateau Reignac
2001 Bordeaux Superieur
Like the Beaujolais, this is clearly Bordeaux. Deeply colored in the glass. The nose is evocative of coffee and loamy earth with an underlying sense of black currant fruit and sweet alcohol. Medium-bodied and nicely concentrated with black currant fruit on the palate. Finishes with more flavors from the nose. Decent when you are in the mood for these flavors. $24

Georges DuBoeuf
2003 Regnie
Beaujolais
Light bodied with overtly fruity cherry flavors. With eyse closed, I almost think this could pass as rose. Obviously Beaujolais from the nose, given the aromas that I tend to attribute to carbonic maceration - sort of a talc and metal aroma. $11

J. Dumangen
1995 Champagne
Chigny les Roses
Rich nose. A heavy toast aroma nose. Monolithic and tight. A big mouthful for Champagne. Turns tangy in the finish. Decent. Shanghaied for the night

Dobbes Family
2002 Viognier
Sundown Vineyard, Rogue Valley
We struggled to pin down exactly what it was about this wine that made it a little different. Not necessarily better, but different. A more restrained Viognier, but it does not suffer the fault of losing its apricot fruitiness. The nose is just different, but familiar. Apricots, lemon, earth, tea, minerals. Grass? Nuts? Interesting. Semi-sweet on the attack with a touch of hollowness mid-palate and a tangy finish. $30 Shanghaied for the night

Txomin Tixaniz
NV Txakoli
Basque area of Spain
Here is an oddity…I initially though the label looked Greek. 11.5% alcohol. Somewhere between Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling was my first impression. Crisp, medium-bodied with a nice little spritz on the palate. Good quaff I guess. Shanghaied for the night

Zind Humbrecht
1996 Riesling
Brand
Intense nose - smells big and dense with a touch of Riesling/Gewurztraminer spiciness. Rich, concentrated and dry with petrol and lychee fruit. Does not pair well with the crazy looking scrotum-shaped dumplings we were served. Not quite as big as it smells, nor do I like it as much as the Pinot Gris Z-H John brought a couple weeks before. Interesting. Shanghaied for the night

Donnhoff
2003 Riesling
Oberhauser Leistenberg Kabinett
Light nose of lychee. Light-bodied with light, sweet pretty fruit. Medium-acidity. Okay. A little flabby. Shanghaied for the night

Chateau de la Gardine
1996 Chateaneuf du Pape
Cuvee Generations, Gaston Philippe
Tannic smelling. Old wood. Dense, tight, closed and fading. A little bit of Grenachy red fruit and pepper. Not yielding much and I don't think this will get better. Shanghaied for the night

Warwick Estate
2002 Pinotage
Old Bush Vines, Simonsberg, Stellenbosch
Aromas of bandaid and rubber initially. Rich, concentrated on the palate with a sappy sweetness that turns into a creamy oakiness. Pretty nice, but the nose is off-putting. Shanghaied for the night

Pride Mountain
2000 Cabernet Franc
Sonoma County
Includes 25% Merlot. Aromas of herbs and toasty oak. Bitter chocolate and a touch of raw oak. Rich, medium-full bodied palate. A bit monolithic. Nice. Sappy. Traci described it as having a "fresh, bright, leanness." Shanghaied for the night

Havens
2000 Bourriquot
Napa Valley
Compared to the Pride, this is initially richer smelling and more fruit driven. The merlot in this seems to dominate the nose. Elegant and somewhat soft. Drink now, but its drinking well. Shanghaied for the night

J. Lassale
1996 Champagne
Premier Cru, "Special Club"
sweet citrusy sparkler with a toasty, yeasty nose. Decent Blind Red Hot and Blue Wines

Martinelli
1999 Zinfandel
Giuseppe and Luisa Vineyard, Russian River Valley
Blind 1 - Spicy nose with a touch of brown sugar and weeds. Smells a bit masculine at first, then sweet. A little hot in the finish. Not much palate presence. Eh. Blind Red Hot and Blue Wines

Marquis Philips
2003 Shiraz
9, McLaren Vale
Blind 2 - Subdued nose. Slightly floral…then vanilla. Aussie? Touch of sour caramel. We made comparisons to the S9, but didn't think this had the concentration to be it. Surprisingly disappointing. $40 Blind Red Hot and Blue Wines

Arrowood
1995 Syrah
Saralee's Vineyard, Sonoma
Blind 3 - Tastes like it has some age. Soft with touches of floral on the nose. Light red berry fruit. Fading a little bit. Others liked this more than me. I preferred the samples and vintages we tasted at Hospice du Rhone last May. Blind Red Hot and Blue Wines

Seghesio
? Zinfandel
Home Ranch, Alexander Valley
Blind 4 - Zinfandel, I thought, but a more claret-style of Zinfandel given the bread toast nose and absence of much spice. Okay. Blind Red Hot and Blue Wines

Foppiano
1996 Zinfandel
Centennial Harvest
Blind 5 - Smells a little tired and alcoholic. Zinfandel most likely. Eh. Blind Red Hot and Blue Wines

Rosenblum
2001 Syrah
Hillside
Blind 6 - I was pretty certain this was a high-octane Zinfandel when I first tasted it. Youthful with a touch of nail polish on the nose. Bright red berry fruit. Smells a little Turley-like but the bottle is wrong. Not very balanced on the palate. Okay. Blind Red Hot and Blue Wines

Finca Sandoval
2001 Manchuela
Blind 7 - Bright lemon and red fruit nose. Bright, sweet raspberry fruit on the palate. Not bad. Loved by several other tasters. Maybe I was spending too much time trying to guess what it might be. I was told that it is mostly Syrah. Supposedly a pretty good value. Blind Red Hot and Blue Wines

Hartford
2000 Zinfandel
Fanuchi-Wood Road, Russian River Valley
Blind 8 - Big clove spice and boysenberry nose. The palate is different -more meaty, acidic, and austere. Hmmm? A for the nose. C for the palate. I usually enjoy this wine. Blind Red Hot and Blue Wines

Carlisle
2002 Syrah
Sonoma County
Blind 9 - roasted caramel, meat, espresso. Someone else kept suggesting it smelled like the candy circus peanuts. Not sure about that. Dense. Smells like it will be a little hard. Concentrated on the palate. Dense, tight black fruit. This needs time, but it is going to be good. Blind Red Hot and Blue Wines

Radio Coteau
2002 Syrah
Timbervine Ranch, Russian River Valley
Blind 10 - Syrah, cofermented with Viognier, judging by the nose. Pretty nose. Interesting. Definitely gives a nod to the Rhone valley, but pretty ripe. Complex and somewhat challenging wine to pin down. Nice. Blind Red Hot and Blue Wines

Paloma
2002 Syrah
Napa Valley
Blind 11 - Big, sweet rich wine. Touch of alcohol. Sweet and concentrated. Maybe a little bit flabby, but very pleasing. Blind Red Hot and Blue Wines

Lewis
2002 Alec's Blend
Napa Valley
Blind 12 - Also a big, sweet nose. A bit of liqueur and apricot. Concentrated palate. Nice wine. Blind Red Hot and Blue Wines

Carlisle
2002 Zinfandel
Carlisle Vineyard, Russian River Valley
Blind 13 - Zinfandel, clove spice nose. Bright sweet red fruit. High-toned and spicy. Not very similar to the 2001 I tasted recently. More red fruit driven. Blind Red Hot and Blue Wines

Rosenblum
2002 Petite Sirah
Rockpile Vineyard, Dry Creek Valley
Blind 14 - Dense - must be Syrah or Petite Sirah. Meat, oak Thick. I didn't get much more into my notes on this wine. Blind Red Hot and Blue Wines

Titus
2000 Lot 1
Napa Valley
Blind 15 - Corky or waxy nose. Big smelling. Slight metallic quality. Hmm. Not quite right. I retasted this the next day and enjoyed it more. Blind Red Hot and Blue Wines

Pax
2003 Syrah
Alder Springs, Mendocino
Blind 16 - Big, high-toned red boysenberry nose. Smells huge and concentrated, but savory, not sweet. Somewhat less dense than it smells on the palate. Good. Blind Red Hot and Blue Wines

Lagier Meredith
2002 Syrah
Mt. Veeder
Blind 17 - Peppery and rootbeer qualities. Dill. Mesquite beans. Rich, acidic brightness. We're rushing at this point…I don't have any notes on the palate. Blind Red Hot and Blue Wines

Turley
2000 Zinfandel
Pesenti Vineyard, Paso Robles
Blind 18 (labeled 20) - Clovey, spicy Zinfandel nose. Served a little too cold at the moment. Smells a bit sweet with bright red berry fruit. The palate seems a little weaker than the nose. Decent. Blind Red Hot and Blue Wines

Cheers!
James

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