Additional tasting on August 29, 2008

A seventh bottle was opened for tasting. This was a late arrival, a generous contribution of Uncle P. Unfortunately, Uncle N was gone by the time we opened this bottle.
It was Hourglass Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, 2005. Our rating: 4+
While all previous wines tasted tonight were very good, this bottle was by far the best. R.P. gave it 93 points.
Great California Cab nose (even Uncle E was impressed-our great French wine afficionado), velvety, dark, yet not too forward. In my opinion, this is an elegant wine and as soon as the price will drop logaritmically (this will not happen), I will buy three cases. Fruits galore, but subdued, for a Napa high-end cab. Grilled blackberry, Jamaican smoked-chicken jerky, ginger-rhubarb jam and wild pistachio comes to the foggy mind. A long lasting finish, reminded us of the excitment felt during the first high school dance.

Wine tasting August 29, 2008

Our new wine refrigerator is still working and all wines are at correct or maybe colder temperatures. Present were Piroca, Winepath, Jimmy, Uncle-N and after some hiatus, Uncle-E. Hope Uncle-E will appear more regularly (which he will). We blind tasted 6 good wines (Are we getting good at choosing wines or are we getting too generous?). It seems we do not have wines that scored 1 or 1- nowadays.

1. Greg Norman Australian Estate Reserve Shiraz 2001, score=3

Color has brown tinge at the rim indicating the age. Nose is predominantly black cherry with dusty minerals or after the rain note. Palate is nice with good black fruits up front with nice firm tannin. In the back end, it felt bit hot (Alcohol: 14%). Everybody thought this is Cali cab or Cab blend. But as usual, we were all wrong. This is Shiraz from Australia. We thought we can reliably pick Australian Shiraz but that appears not to be the case. According to Jimmy this is a Costco offering and has a very good PQR. If you are a golfer you may remember former pro Greg Norman. He has wine estates in California as well as Australia (the original estate).

The grapes were from vineyards in Coonawarra and Padthaway region of South Australia. According to their website; “The 2001 vintage was characterized by an exceptionally long ripening season. The cool, clear nights helped to retain the distinctive cool climate Shiraz characters - intense flavors and elegant structure. ….After crushing, the fruit was fermented for 7 days in small rotary and static fermenters. Special fruit parcels were then pressed to barrel to complete 16 months' fermentation in new American oak hogsheads (79%), with a portion in seasoned oak barrels (21%).”

2. Celler De L`encastell Marge Priorat 2006, Score=3

Nice cherry nose. Piroca thought some “funk” but the rest of us could not detect it. Good fruits with nice strong but integrated tannin. Nice wine. Cali cab and cab blend were mentioned. Just because Uncle-N brought it, some passing mention of Spanish, maybe piorat was also noted. This is from Spain. Here is the quote from WA, Jay Miller who gave 92. "The 2006 Marge is 60% Garnacha, 14% Syrah, 13% Merlot, and 13% Cabernet Sauvignon aged for 8 months in French and American oak. Purple-colored with a ruby rim, it has an enticing nose of lavender, violets, garrigue, cherry and blueberry which jumps from the glass. Smooth textured, spicy, and full-flavored, the wine has terrific depth and length. Give it 2-3 years to blossom and drink it through 2020." What the heck is “garrigue”? According to the definitive reference (Wikipedia) It is a type of low, soft-leaved scrubland found on limestone soils around the Mediterranean Basin but I have no idea how it smells. One thing they should improve is the label. One of the ugliest labels we have seen.

3. Catena Zapata Malbec Adrianna Vineyard, Gualtallary-Mendoza, 2004. Score=3~3+

Color is very dark almost black (later Piroca pointed to purple rim). Nose is intense best described as “farty” plum. Nice back cherry palate with plum and intergraded tannin. Very nice. Because of the plum component and dark almost black color, we thought it must have predominant syrah in this one but again we are totally wrong. The bottle is tall and very heavy type common among high-end (or trying to be high-end) Cali cab and we considered that possibility but did not think it is Cab. Proca fooled us again with this one. This is 100% Marbec from Catena Zapata! The single-vineyard 2004 Malbec “Adrianna Vineyard” from the Gualtallary district and got WA 97. It was aged 8 months in 100% new French oak with 14.2% Alcohol. This is the description of the 2004 fruits “The Adrianna Vineyard, planted in 1992, has Malbec vines on their own roots which were part of amassal population from the Catena family’s historic, 80 year old Angelica vineyard. Early shoot removal in October and a cluster thinning on December 20 lead to an extremely low yield of 1.1 tons per acre. (2.28 tons per hectare). With plantation density of 1,925 plants per acre (4,000 plants per hectare), this translates into a yield of 20 ounces (570 grams) per plant. With veraison taking place on January 28, a strict water restriction was implemented to maintain vine water content below 1.4 megapascals, stopping any secondary shoot growth.“

4. Delisio Quarterback Red 2006, score=2+~3

Nose has some slight funk but according to Uncle-E “all green pepper”. Nice berry palate with strawberry and blueberry with good tannin. Nice one. People thought that this may have syrah, Granache or Cab sauv (which are all correct) and thought this could come from Spain or Australia (which is again correct). This is a red table wine by Delisio (we tasted some of his higher priced Shiraz and liked it very much). According to Jay Miller of WA; “De Lisio's entry level wine, the 2006 Quarterback, is scheduled to be bottled in September 2007. Composed of 30% Shiraz, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, and 21% Grenache, it spent 15 months in used French oak. It offers a complex perfume of cedar, spice box, black cherry, and black raspberry. This leads to a full-bodied wine with opulent, ripe, sweet fruit, in a nearly seamless package. This outstanding value has tons of flavor and a long, pure finish. It will evolve for 2-3 years but why delay your gratification?" He gave 90-92 at this early (barrel) tasting. This one has a good PQR.

5. Worthy Sophia's Cuvée 2005, score=2+~3

Nose has some funky component of “sweaty foot” but nice black fruits. Palate is rather austere and nice chewy tannin. It is definitely Old world style or Bordeaux-blend. We considered Bordeaux but with this tasty with fruits (even restrained as it is), it is bit unlikely (although we have tasted Bordeaux with these characters, Chateau Pape-Clément 2001 and Château Destieux Saint Emilion 2005). Therefore we settled on Bordeaux-blend California Red. It turned out to be Worthy 05 which many of us had drunk before. It has 77% Cabernet Sauivgnon, 21% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Frank. For the price, it is a good PQR wine and a good substitute for (expensive) 05 Bordeaux.

6. Aalto Ribera del Duero, 2004. Score=3

Nose has some incense (inside the church for some with that childhood memory) or smokiness, cedar and hint of citrus. Nice muted black fruits with complex layers of flavors and very strong tannin. It finishes with too much tannin but still a nice wine. At this point of different degrees of inebriation among the tasters, nobody even made good efforts to guess what this is but it turned out to be Aalto (100% Tempranillo from Ribera del Duero). Actually, Uncle-N posted this one while he was on vacation. Quoting from this post “Nice nose with black cheery and slightest hint of "funk". Extremely smooth mouth feel. Not a fruits bomb but nice black berry and blueberry flavors. Good firm tannin and nice finish with moca or coffee. With food, the strong tannin appears to diminish. Among the Ribera del Duero wines we tasted in the past, we like this the best. Very complex wine. we will give either 3+ or 4-” . WA (JM) gave 94. Definitely, strong tannin will be milder with decanting and food.

Wine Tasting of August 22, 2008

Our depository of wines to be tasted (Wine Enthusiast 16 bottle wine Refrigerator) stopped working last week after only 14months. Despite some efforts by Jimmy and Uncle-N, it was determined that the circuit board appears bad not the fans and not repairable. So, the replacement just arrived in time. It looks identical but is under other name (all made by the same Chinese company). Hope this will last longer.

Present were Uncle-N, Piroca, Winepath, and Jimmy. Uncle-E has been absent for some time. We blind tasted 4 wines; all of them quite good.

1. Blue Rock Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004, Score=2+ ~ 3

This one has the best nose. Nice cherry and some vanilla with floral note, very nice. The palate initially felt bit thin and had acidic finish but after some aeration it got much better with less acidity and more complex fruits layered with vanilla and cedar box. Just because Uncle-N brought this, everybody was thinking Spanish, maybe Garnacha, Monestrell. This was brought here for sentimental reasons. Way back when we just started wine tasting and Piroca was just into drinking reds, he brought this wine, which we all liked. His reasoning for buying this was because he liked the “label”. In any case this is Blue rock Cabernet from Alexander valley. It is 100% cab. 93 points Wine Enthusiast. Only 576 Cases made from 100% Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley, Winemakers: Nick Goldschmidt and Kenneth Kahn, Alcohol 14.2%.

2. Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon 2004, Score=3+

This is probably the best of the tasting. Nose has slight mineral or metallic smell but nice mix of fruits with caramel and vanilla and cedar note. The plate is nice with predominant black fruits with silky smooth mouth feel, nice but very pleasant tannin with long finish. Everything said this is high-end Cali Cab but Jimmy’s comment that this was bought at Giant in Virginia threw us off track. But regardless, we really liked this one. It turned out to be Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon 2004. According to Jimmy, Giant was selling this at 38% discount. It appears that it must have had some storage problem and wine seepage was noted on the label but certainly we did not feel that there was significant deterioration. We have tasted this before several times and we consistently like this wine. 86% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Merlot from estate-owned vineyards and independent grower.

3. Clarendon Hills Brookman Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2005, Score=3

The nose has slight musty or sweaty smell to it. But black fruits aroma comes through. The palate is better with nice black fruits with firm tannin with coffee and chocolate finish. Some are bothered by bitter tannin in the finish but others felt the bitterness was fine. Winepath refrained from drinking it by himself few nights ago and bought it here. This is Australia’s premier winery Clarendon Hills. This wine was made of cabernet fruits from Brookman Vineyard and matured in 100% new French oak.

4. Delectus Merlot Merlot, 2005, Score=3

The nose, again, has slightly musty or sweaty smell. The palate is very balanced with good fruits and nice tannin but again finishes bit bitter. We could not place this wine. We thought this is a new world style wine. Southern hemisphere (Argentina, Chile, Australia) or even Spain were considered but we did not guess this is Merlot from Napa. Certainly tasted more like cab predominant wine to us and we did not consider Merlot. No grapey jammy plate we usually associate with Merlot. Wine Spectator, 90 points. We had conversation with the owner and winemaker Gerhard Reisacher at the barrel tasting hosted by Addy Bassin this year. It is interesting to know that he thinks French wine’s nose may come from contamination of wild yeasts in the barrel during fermentation rather than coming from the soil (terroir).

We tasted 4 good ones, although Blue rock was bit disappointing.

Wine tasting August 8, 08 or 080808

Present were our core member of Winepath, Piroca, Jimmy and Uncle N. We tasted one white (not blind) and three reds (blind tasting).

1. Clos La Chance Sauvignon Blanc, 2005

Piroca is now somewhat into limited whites, especially hot summer season and brought this one. Nose is nice with pear, green apple and melon. Some other smell which Uncle N associate with malolactic fermentation but we are not sure that was done here. The Clos La Chance vineyard is located in central coast and their 05 Sauv Blanc also contain 20% Semillon and ¼ fermented in oak barrel and the rest in stainless steel tank. Good Sauv blanc but it is white and it tastes like white (as expected).

2. Concha y Toro Marques de Casa Concha Cabernet Sauvignon 2006, score=3

Color is nice with deep dark ruby. Nose has predominantly black cherry, hint of smoke and definitive, albeit slight, funk (as per Piroca “Algae”-smell but to me, more like fungus mildew smell). Palate is smooth with black fruits, plum, with hint of smoke, with good tannin and mineral finish. Good wine. Fruits are rather subdued but complex layers of tastes. Cali cab was mentioned. Despite Bordeaux- like nose and palate, our tasters did not think this is French (don’t know the reason but may be, nose is not funky enough). This happened to be Chilean. “WaS” gave 91. At Costco, this is $15, so PQR is very good. Best buy.

3. Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 by Eponymous, score=3+

Nose is very nice with floral scents mixed with mixed red and black fruits. The palate reflects the nose with forward fruits, vanilla, chocolate with nice mild but firm tannin with good lasting finish. Very clean and everything said this is well-crafted California Cab or Cab meritage. This is Cab Sauv by a wine maker and proprietor Rober Pepi in its 4th iteration. This was bit less than $50 at Costco but at most places, $60 and up. Quoting from their web page, “The grapes come from the same unique Napa Valley vineyard as the previous three vintages of Eponymous, approximately 300 feet above the Silverado Trail and the Valley floor. It is a steeply terraced, very rocky site with a Southwesterly exposure. After picking, hand-harvested fruit was fermented with utmost care and the resulting wine was aged 20 months in new oak (85% French and 15% American), with frequent racking the first year”.

We are not sure which one is better. Concha y Toro is more complex but Eponymous is so enticing and so approachable. For me, just sipping I will take Eponymous. With food, I may go with Concha y Toro. Knowing the price point, by far, Concha y Toro has a better PQR.

4. Bodegas Lan Rioja Edicion Limitida 2005, score=3

Nose is bit more closed that the previous two with cedar coming through. Piroca felt it has “sardine” smell but most of us could not detect it. Palate is nice with balanced fruits and tannin associated with vanilla and coffee and chocolate with nice firm tannin. Some felt finish is short some felt finish is just fine. We felt this is also well-made Cali cab (definitely New World) but mentioned that Piroca fooled us with Spanish Garnacha (Alto Moncayas). This happened to be Tempranillo from Rioja. About $36 at Wine Library which is a good deal.

Wine tasting of August 1, 2008

Hot summer days are crimping our (at least my) style since sending wines becomes impossible and therefore getting interesting wines from Internet wine stores and auction have to wait until September when cooler weathers return. We had to resort to running to the local wine stores instead and take whatever is available.

Present were Winepath, Jimmy and Uncle-N with a guest appearance of a still-temporarily-bachelor Uncle Ozi. We tasted first 2 uncovered and the last, by Jimmy’s wisdom, covered and was opened 24 hours ago. Thoroughly missed were Piroca and Uncle E.

1. Anakota 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Montana Vineyard Knights Valley, score=3

The color has slight brown tinge indicating the age (hope this was kept properly at the store). Nose is predominantly black cherry with vanilla. No appreciable funk. The palate is like good Bordeaux should be; nice restrained fruits mostly black fruits with nice chocolate, caramel and vanilla. There is some precipitate indicating softening of the tannin but still good supportive tannin with good finish. We can imagine when this was young; it must have been quite tannic. Overall, good balanced wine and we like it.

Quoting RP: 90-92 POINTS, Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, August 2002 "...possesses terrific color saturation in addition to sweet, concentrated blackberry and currant fruit intermixed with underbrush and smoke characteristics. Medium to full-bodied, ripe, layered, and impressive, it is one of the finest Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignons I have tasted. Given its opulence, it will be accessible young, and should age well for 10-15 years."
Here is the description of the vineyard from their website: “Sourced from estate-owned vineyards, Anakota is a collection of single vineyard, single varietal, Knights Valley appellation wines that personify the rustic elegance and spirit of rural Sonoma County. Situated on the flanks and foothills of Mount St. Helena (at the heart of a complex volcanic zone that erupted several million years ago) the Helena Montana Vineyard is brought to life as stressed vines struggle with the rocky soils and challenging climatic conditions to create small, intensely flavored berries.”

2. FISHER COACH INSIGNIA 2001 CABERNET SAUVIGNON, Score=3+

Again, there is slight brown tinge in the color of this wine. Nose is more intense with some smoky note and slight protein smell but nice. Taste is nice with more forward fruits than Anakota. With more complex layered tastes with good tannin. We liked this best. Although Anakota improved as it opened up. This is Fisher’s flagship red with small amount of Cab frank and Merlot mixed in. WE= 93, I think.

Here is the description of this vintage from the winery web page;

“Vineyard Sources: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot from Fisher Napa Valley Estate. Vineyards in the North Eastern part of the Napa Valley along the Palisade mountain range. Cabernet Sauvignon from the Eastern hills above Oakville, Merlot from Sonoma Mountain.
Production Notes: 100% Whole berry native yeast fermentation, Native malolactic fermentation in barrel, Aged 19 months in 70% new French oak, 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12.6% Merlot, 8.4% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec. Bottle date of April 2003.
Tasting Notes: Bright blackberry fruit mingled with aromas of cedar and dark cherry. Smooth entry on the palate, flavors of ripe red fruits mingle with the earthy tones of tobacco and cedar as they combine with sweet tannins for a lengthy finish.”

3. Castano Hecula 2005 Monestrel, Spain, Score=2

The nose has peppery note and Uncle N though this to be syrah but he was wrong as usual. Taste is good but bit of acidic after taste and relatively mild tannin. This was Jimmy’s idea. Maybe one year ago, Uncle N bought 2004 vintage which got RP 91 and was less than $10. Our group did not like it that much but Jimmy took it home and tasted it next day and he thought it improved and really liked it. So this was the experiment; he opened it yesterday and brought it to the tasting. According to him, the improvement is not as significant as 2004 vintage. The 05 Hecula is still $10 and got 90 from Josh Raynolds - International Wine Cellar.

"Inky violet. Deep cherry and cassis aromas complicated by an array of floral, mineral and herbal nuances. Powerful dark fruit flavors are firmed by solid tannins and lifted by gentle minerality. Picks up smoked meat and anise notes on the long, chewy finish. This could be a Bandol. Is the average buyer at this price point ready for this? Another amazing value."