Tasting Notes From October 2005

Loring Wine Company
2003 Pinot Noir
Cargasacchi Vineyard, Santa Rita Hills
A muscular, meaty Pinot Noir with touches of cinnamon spice. Semi-sweet dark cherry and light berry fruit with a tangy acid profile. Somewhat tannic. Pretty good. $44;

Mas de Avelyans
2003 Syrah
Vin de Pays du Gard
Rather vinous, but I suppose a decent value with plump dark fruit. Ultimately kind of boring. $10;

Yves Cuilleron
2004 Roussanne
Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes
I did not care for the Marsanne from the same producer and vintage, but this Roussanne is appealling with apricot-like stone fruit flavors and a light, pleasant sweetness balanced by sufficient acidity. Decent. $20;

La Valentina
2003 Montelpuciano d'Abruzzo
Rosso
A nicely made Italian red and a decent value with cherry fruit and leather flavors. Made a decent impression. Medium-light bodied and somewhat quaffable. $13;

Wild Duck Creek
2001 Shiraz
Heathcoate, Springflat, Central Victoria
Meaty, spicy, and extracted on the nose, laced with concentrated blackberry. Rather chewey on the palate with tannin with slightly pruney, meaty, blackberry fruit. Somewhat unbalanced. $35;

Meeker
2002 Syrah
Dibble Vineyard, Sierra Foothills
Showing some alcohol on the nose, otherwise rather vinous with some peppery red fruit.

Melville
2004 Viognier
Estate, Santa Rita Hills
I never looked at the back label on this wine the first two times we enjoyed it. This time sitting around on a Sunday afternoon I noticed the alcohol content - 16.7%!!! Holy crap. I really would not have guessed it was much more than 14% I guess that indicates balance, but it does go to your head. Anyway - a Lovely "little" Viognier with aromas of apricots and sweet white fruits. Rather full bodied. Nice. $25;

Pride Mountain
2001 Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley
Lovely aromas of mint, anise, cedar, cocoa, and maybe some lavender then black currant. Intense and slightly chewey with tannin in a good way. Thick. Shows a little more toasty caramel oak on the palate, but remains true to the black currant fruit on the nose. Enjoyable. Would be good with red meat, as opposed to Chinese. $58;

Loring Wine Company
2003 Pinot Noir
The Llama, California
Pretty nose of cinnamon, clove, maybe some wood and new leather, along with something slightly leafy green and minty. Rich aromas. Silky texture with bright red berry and tangy berry fruit. Nice. $44;

Carlisle
2002 Zinfandel
Dry Creek Valley
An awesome showing for this wine. Big sweet and spicy nose that makes you smile. Rich red and black berry liqueur flavors. Concentrated long and slurpable. $28;

Egelhoff
2001 Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley
This big, bold, brash and and a little backward Babernet Bauvignon (sorry coultn't resist) has a fair amount of character. The fruit is very dark and chewey with overtones of slightly drying wood and cedar. Decent and probably better with a little more time.

Radio Coteau
2003 Pinot Noir
Hellenthal Vineyard, Sonoma Coast
1/8th inch clear at the rim with a translucent, slightly hazy body colored rosy-garnet. Leaping aromas of baking spices that smell a little more exotic than your everyday cinnamon and clove. Pungent. Tangy-sweet attack with rich cranberry and cherry flavors. Pretty nice. $45;

Cheers!
James

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