Tasting Notes From September 2005

Noon
2003 Eclipse
South Australia
15.5% alcohol. Deeply colored, but not quite impenetrable in the glass if you look at the edges. Tannic smellin with some new wood vanilla and inky black fruit on the nose. Tight and unyielding on the palate with structured black fruit. Turns a little tangy toward the finish. Judgement reserved, but this is not worth $50 at its current level of evolution. $50;

Paul Blanck
2003 Gewurztraminer
Alsace
13% alcohol, from screwcap bottle. Nice spicy, classic Gewurztraminer nose. Medium-full bodied with similar fruit on the palate. The wine is just a little bit too sweet for my tastes on a regular basis, but this might be good for spicy food. $25;

Yves Cuilleron
2004 Viognier
Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes
Medium bodied with light apricot aromas and some minerals and gravel. Sweetish tangy pear and apricot fruit on the palate. Decent. $25;

Karl Lawrence
2001 Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley
A really lovely Cabernet Sauvignon with classy aromas of black currant, cedar, toasted oak, and a lace of mint and menthol. Concentrated and slightly chewey but in a round, ripe way, not a tannic or detractive way. Nice. $45;

Andrew Murray
2000 Syrah
Roasted Slope Vineyard, Santa Ynez Valley
According to the label, this is 95% Syrah and 5% Viognier. On the nose, this has slightly high-toned aromas of dark fruit, new leather, overripe white fruits, and a wee bit of olive. I really hadn't pinned down the white fruit aspect of the nose until I noticed the blend. Tangy red fruit on the palate. Medium-full bodied with a creamy feel despite the acidity. Decent, not great. $30;

Duval Leroy
1995 Brut
Millesime
Toast and apple cider flavors. Light, decent. Rhone Rangers and Lola

Copain
2003 Viognier
Broken Leg Vineyard, Anderson Valley
Light apricot and soap nose. Smells good. The palate is a little disappointing to me, but others seemed to think it better. I found it blowsy, lacking focus, acid, and concentration. Normally I like Copain's whites, and many California Viogniers, but this one didn't do it for me. I thought maybe it was damaged. Rhone Rangers and Lola

Copain
2003 Grenache
Eaglepoint Ranch, Mendocino
Blind Red 1 - Light nose of cherry kirsch, red fruit. Juicy smelling. In appearance this is slightly translucent, but decent depth of color. Medium-bodied bright cherry fruit on the palate finishing with a bit of harshness in the finish - alcohol perhaps? This is pretty good stuff. Rhone Rangers and Lola

Carlisle
2002 Two Acres
Russian River Valley
Blind Red 2 - Slightly translucent rim with a dark, opaque center. Slight white pepper dark fruit nose. Raspberry. Tangy red fruit and kirsch. Slightly hot? John thought this had some eucalyptus in the finish, which I often mistake for something else. Has a certain edge of austerity or firmness to it. Rhone Rangers and Lola

Joseph Phelps
1997 Delice
Napa
Sweet White intermezzo to accompany foie gras - Sweet apricots and botritys. Deeply colored. Sauterne? Light sweet and flavorful. Nice. This was apparently a $15 closeout bargain someplace. Rhone Rangers and Lola

Andrew Rich
2002 Syrah
Columbia Valley
Blind Red 3 - Deeply colored, opaque. Smells tannic. Ringer? Dense, slightly austere, old world qualities. Lacks midpalate. A bit astringent. Not my favorite. This is apparently from the Oregon side of the the Columbia Valley. Rhone Rangers and Lola

Arnots-Roberts
2003 Syrah
Beckstoffer Vineyard, Napa Valley
Blind Red 4 - Sweet red fruit nose, slightly perfumey with a little bit of a makeup smell. Bright sweet red raspberry fruit, slightly minty finish. Pretty good, not worth the price. $60; Rhone Rangers and Lola

Bennett Lane
2000 Syrah
Napa Valley
Blind Red 5 - Bid sweet nose with licorice and eucaplyptus. More mint. Astringent palate. Huh? More Cabernet-like. Rhone Rangers and Lola

Carlisle
2002 Syrah
Sonoma County
Blind Red 6 - Slightly minty with roasting coffee and a touch of alcohol. Concentrated red berry fruit, black raspberry. Good, but I have had better showings of this wine. Rhone Rangers and Lola

Red Car
2002 The Table
Thompson Vineyard, Santa Barbara County
Blind Red 7 - Somewhat austere nose. Black fruit and minerals. Steely. Slightly high-toned. The aroma reminds me of a Behrens and Hitchcock wine in some respects - sort of a slight chemical or older barrique character, and this is not the first time I have noticed that comparison. Further study required. Rhone Rangers and Lola

Lagier-Meredith
2000 Syrah
Mount Veeder, Napa Valley
Blind Red 8 - Dark in the glass, and at this point my nose is failing me or this wine is reticent on the nose. Concentrated and a bit closed/structured. Judgment reserved. Rhone Rangers and Lola

Iron Horse
2004 Viognier
Late Harvest
Very light and clear in the glass with light sweet syrupy flavors. Rhone Rangers and Lola

Hanna
1997 Cabernet Sauvignon
Bismark Ranch, Sonoma County
large scaled with a big nose of red berries and red currants with a whiff of alcohol and a tiny whiff of tea. Sweet, concentrated, open-knit. Slightly turning towards tired, so I deem this at or slightly past peak drinking.

Justin
2000 Isoceles
Paso Robles
Big with a very port-like, dry extract nose. Black fruit and wood. Slightly too dry. Okay.

Garretson
2002 Syrah
Hoage Vineyard, Paso Robles, The Bulladoir
17% alcohol. Like the Justin, tasted a couple days before, this smells strongly of Port. Big, rich, extracted, and alcoholic. Really more like Port than un-fortified wine. Hmm.

Domaine Weinbach
2000 Riesling
Schlossberg, Clos de Capucins
Moderate aromas of petrol in this concentrated, slightly bitter Riesling. Okay, but not Zind-Humbrecht. This seems to be missing nuance and smells a little too strongly of petrol for my tastes.

Turley
2000 Zinfandel
Mead Ranch, Atlas Peak
Pronouned peppery and spicy nose, that I thought grew prettier with receding pepperiness with a little air time and sip time. Bright red fruit balanced with earth and pepper. More dry than many Zinfandels I would put in this quality level. Nice. $40;

Argiolas
2004 Vermentino Costamolino
Sardegna
This seems like a damaged bottle - the nose has a slightly nasty stink that detracts from the rest of the wine's qualities. Medium-full bodied with somewhat richly flavored honey and lemon flavors. Will retaste. $10;

Cheers!
James

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