Tasting on June 27, 2008

Present were Uncle-N, Piroca, and Winepath with a late arrival of Uncle-E. We tasted 5 wines; first 4 with blinds and the Chimney Rock without a blind.

1. Burge Family Winemakers Garnacha 2003, score=2+

Color is dark ruby. Nose is nice with black fruits, cedar with hints of chocolate and caramel. Palate is predominantly black fruits with good tannin and long finish. We thought this to be in Bordeaux style but it is a new world wine (no funk and too much fruits). We guessed this to be mostly Cab Sauv or Bordeaux blend but we were wrong again. This is from Burge Family Winemarkers from Australia and it is made out of Garnacha/Grenache (92% Grenache and 8% Mourvedre from 10- to 80-year-old vines). RP gave 92. We have been fooled before by Alto Moncaya and other Garnacha wines made in this style. Piroca continues to bring Garnacha and we continue saying it is Cali Cab.

2. Barbourseville Octagon 2004, score=2+

Nose has black cherry and some funk (Piroca thinks wet basement but I think it is sweaty foot smell derived from malolactic fermentation). Palate is complex but restrained like Bordeaux with nice tannin but rather short finish. Piroca and Winepath were convinced that this was Bordeaux and Uncle-E thought this was Italian. Actually, some time ago, Uncle-E brought Octagon to the tasting (either 04 or 05). At that time, we all thought it was Northern Italian (i.e. Piedmont) wine. I think that among the red wines from Northern Virginia, Octagon especially 04 is the best wine. This one tasted wonderful especially on our back deck on a nice sunny weekend but it did not taste as good as I remembered. In any case, this is the flagship red meritage from Barbourseville. Quoting from their website; “A proprietary blend driven by Merlot, with elements of Reserve Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. The constituents are vinified in different lots, using the same method. Fermentation in stainless steel tank for 5-7 days, macerated for 10-20 days depending upon the varietal. Aged 12 to 14 months in new Gamba barriques of the most select French oak, air-dried a minimum of 3 years before coopering, laid down in bottle for an additional six months before release.”

3. L'aventure Estate Cuvee 2005, score=3+

Color is black. Nose is distinctively plumy. The consensus was that this must be a syrah just by the color and nose. Palate is mostly black cherry and plum with smooth mouth feel and relatively long finish and nice firm tannin. We say syrah or syrah blend from California or Australia. RP 94 and he said, “The blockbuster 2005 Estate Cuvee (52% Syrah, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 8% Petit Verdot) exhibits an inky/blue/purple color as well as sumptuous aromas of charcoal, blueberry and blackberry liqueur, truffles, pain grille, and chocolate. Medium to full-bodied with good acidity, fabulous richness, a multilayered texture, and a stunningly long finish, it possesses a Bordeaux-like weight. Give it 2-3 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 10-15."

4. Familia Mayol Quatro Primos Mendoza 2005, score=2

Nose is floral but has hints of sulfa and mint. Palate is somewhat sugarfied fruits taste, weak mid palate and finish. Our consensus was syrah or syrah blend or Cab, Malbec blend. Quoting from E. Joseph Wine, “ Familia Mayol is among Argentina’s new wave of cutting edge wineries. Quatro Primo, a blend of Malbec 55%, Syrah 35%, Cabernet Sauvignon 5%, Bonarda 5% is their top offering. You can expect a rich, concentrated wine showing blackcurrant and plum fruit enhanced by notes of chocolate. It is smooth and well balanced ending with a long finish. You can also squirrel some away for a few years.”



5. Chimney Rock Cabernet Sauvignon 1995, score=2

This one was tasted without cover since it arrived late in the tasting with Uncle-E. It must have been a nice wine but it certainly passed its prim. Nose is rather closed and the palate is bit flat and fruits are mostly gone with mild nice tannin. It is rather old wine and I do not know exactly but there must be some Merlot mixed in.

Tasting on 6-20-08

For some time we did not have full attendance but today, Uncle-E (early arrival), Uncle-N, Piroca, Winepah, and Jimmy were all present. We blind tasted 6 wines; all were good.

1. Behrens and Hitchcock 2003 Petite Sirah, score=3

Dark almost black color with nice plumy nose. Uncle-N immediately thought of syrah. The palate reflects the nose; plum, plum, plum with blueberry laced with caramel and vanilla but no black pepper. Good tannin with bit bitter finish. Uncle-E declared this is petit sirah and he was right. There is lots of controversy around syrah and petite sirah; about the origins of both grape varietals as well as their tastes especially when it comes to California Syrah and petite sirah. Some claim California petit sirah tastes more like syrah from other places such as Rhone and Australia. It is beyond me, how uncle-E could figure this out without a hint of doubt. Only thing missing from classic syrah is black pepper finish. In any case, those who are interested in the academic discussion of all this please see an article by Gerald Boyd (please click for the article).

2. Barnett Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain 2001, score=2+

Nose has some spice almost reminded some of us of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Some thought there was slight funk which dissipated after some time. The palate is bit reserved but some black fruits coming through with good firm tannin. Some of us thought this could be Italian specifically Brunello or super Tuscan. But we were wrong. This is a Cali Cab from Barnett. We tasted the barrel sample some time ago and some liked wines from this vineyard. Overall, good wine but not spectacular and at least to me, it is in a more old world style.

3. Hewitt Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford 2004, score=3 ~ 3+

The bottle is tall and extremely heavy. You need to hold it with two hands. Nice nose with lots of black cherry with caramel and vanilla suggesting this must be a highly oaked fruit bomb from California. The palate is more reserved than we expected. Certainly it is not a fruit bomb. More Bordeaux-like with restrained black fruits with big firm tannic finish with acidic kick. Some complained of short finish. The testers thought of Cali cab, Spanish, Argentina etc. This is Hewitt Cab. They started making their estate wine few years ago (before that the grapes from this estate was sought after) and 2004 is 4th year for them. It is interesting to see if this winery will make it to a boutique status in near future.

4. Pride Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2003, score=3

Cedar nose with some sulfur (fecal) note with black cherry. But the sulfur nose goes away rather quickly. The palate is nice with black fruits and customary vanilla and caramel. Some thought this is Bordeaux-like but some felt this is definitely a new world wine and that it is a Cali cab or cab blend. Actually, Uncle-N had this wine at the restaurant 2 weeks ago with a nice dinner and liked it as a classic Cali Cab but, of course, he could not identify it as such. It is interesting that Barnett and Pride are both in the Spring Mountain across from each other and we tasted them together by chance. We all felt Pride is better in this competition.

5. Ladera Cabernet Sauvignon 2005, score=2+

The nose is similar to Pride in that cedar nose with some sulfur. The palate is somewhat subdued with black fruits and acidic finish and bitter tannin. Malbec and Syrah were mentioned but no body thought of Cali Cab. Again, this is a vineyard that we tasted barrel sample some time ago and Piroca and Winepath were impressed with the barrel sample. So, it was bit disappointing.

6. El Puntido by Viñedos de Páganos, Rioja 2003, score=2+

The nose is nice with mocha and coffee. Nice black fruits on the palate with nice but not too assertive tannin. The tasters felt this is Spanish or Rhone. This happened to be El Puntido from Rioja and we assume that this is 100% tempranillo. 96 points and the #1 wine in "The Enthusiast 100" from Wine Enthusiast (which we feel is over rated), 91 W&S and 90 ST (which we agree).

All wines we tasted this evening are quite good.

Tasting on June 13, Friday, 2008

Present were Uncle-N, Piroca, Winepath, Jimmy and sweaty bicycle-riding Uncle-E. We blind-tasted 4 interesting wines.

1. Peter Lehmann Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon 2004, score=2

Nose is rather closed but black cherry and a hint of chemical or burning rubber note coming through. No apparent “funk”. It was a bit hot (later found out the alcohol is 14.5%) with nice but rather controlled fruits with somewhat hollow mid palate and sour cherry finish. Most tasters felt this may be too acidic. Good tannin. The tasters could not quite place this wine; we thought of Bordeaux-style meritage possibly from California and felt that the style is rather old world but must have come from the new world. This was Peter Lehmann Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 from Australia. According to the winery, American oak was used but we did not detect typical vanilla and caramel. We have not tasted Australian cab in our blog before (if I am not mistaken). The wine maker is Andrew Wigan. The reason Winepath bought this wine is that he heard about demotion of the CFO at Lehman Brothers “Erin Callan”. We are not sure if this is a good way to buy wine. Some quote about Peter Lehmann.
"As a young man Peter Lehmann (pictured with Andrew Wigan and Doug Lehmann) worked at Yalumba during the 1940s, beginning a lifetime of achievement in the Barossa Valley. He is one of the most important characters in the Barossa. The son of a Lutheran pastor, Lehmann kept the spirit alive during periods of severe economic downturn. His reward is access to some of the very best fruit in the Barossa Valley. With a reputation for making quality Shiraz since the 1950s, Lehmann’s winemaker, Andrew Wigan, represents in winemaking terms a blend of traditional thought and modern practice." - Andrew Caillard MW.

2. Cabreo Toscana Il Borgo 2001, score=2

We detected no obvious funk but rather closed nose with some coffee grind and black fruits. The palate is definitely more “old world” but some black fruits are coming through with nice structured tannin and long sour cherry or acidic finish. This one tasted very similar to Peter Lehmann. Chile, Argentina, Spain and Italy were mentioned. In the passing, even suggestion of Cab and Sangiovese was made but the person who said it quickly retracted this suggestion. This happened to be Super Tuscan with 70% Sangiovese and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon from Cabreo. This wine got 91 from both WS and WA. Quote from WA (do not know if this is by RP or JM or AG).
"Tenute del Cabreo belongs to Ambrogio and Giovanni Folonari, formerly active in the family firm of Ruffino but now out on their own. The 2001 Cabreo il Borgo, a Sangiovese with Cabernet, shows a new finesse in the integration of the two grapes with its fragrant and elegant aromas of red currants and black currants, spicy oak, and violets, its ample and polished palate, and the lingering, well-sustained finish. It will drink well for another decade." - 91 Points - The Wine Advocate.

3. Orin Swift Mercury head Cabernet Sauvignon 2004, Score=3

This one was a classic Piroca wine. Nose is nice with lots of fruits (black berry, black cherry) with tons of vanilla and caramel. The nose said this is a new world high-end Cali cab. The taste is also classic with lots of fruits, nice smooth mouth feel, lots of vanilla and caramel leading to rather gentle finish with soft smooth tannin. Although the soft tannin made some of us to think this is not cab but we though this has to be Cali Cab. This turned out to be among our old favorite; cab from the Orin Swift line-up. The coin has dropped off so the picture is the back of the bottle.


4. Paloma Merlot 2005, score=2+

Nose has fruits, chocolate, vanilla and caramel but whether it has “funk” depended on the taster. Uncle-E felt that this is definite funk but the rest of us could not perceive it. The palate is nice with good fruits laced with vanilla, chocolate and caramel (definitely new world) with some sweetness in the finish. Nice wine. After some discussion and help from Uncle-E, Piroca uttered “Merlot” and even guessed Paloma (this is due to the shape and color of the bottle and the fact Uncle-E previously brought Paloma Merlot 2004). Although I could not get exact percentage but this one contains small amount (12-18%) of cabernet sauvignon as well.

So back-to-back, we tasted wines from small Napa boutique Wineries with cult followers.