Wine tasting July 17, 2009

We had our tasting at Winepath's. Jimmy and Piroca are still on vacation. Present were Uncle-E, Winepath, Uncle-N, Lady-SEA and late and guest appearance of Lady-P. We blind tasted 5 wines. We had interesting wines with only one to be truly New World. We also went down to the Winepath's most technically advanced wine cellar to do barrel tasting as well as tasting some of his library wines of Ch. Winepath. I expect there may be a short report about this from Winepath himself.

1. Villa Poggio Salvi Brunello di Montalcino 1998, score=2+~3

Color is dark brown/garnet indicating some age. Nose has plum, powdered cocoa and mineral (iron). Palate is rather austere with plum and black cherry leading to assertive tannin which is bit mouth drying. Nice long finish. Good structures but bit short of fruit. The tasters thought French possibly Bordeaux or may be Rhone (Cotes de Castillon?). Then Italian specifically Nebbiolo came up, although no body thought this was Barolo. This was indeed a bit old Brunello 1998 from Villa Poggio Salvi.

2. Poesia Argentinian red 2005, Score=3

Color is nice dark granet. Nose, some thought, has smoky earthiness or funkiness. Palate is again rather austere but some layers of red and back fruits with nicely structured tannin and reasonably long finish. The tasters thought that this is European in origin or at least in style and felt that there was a cab component. Among the country of origin mentioned were Span, Rhone, Italian, Chilean and Argentinean.

This was indeed from Argentina, Bordeaux-style red made of Malbec (65%) and Cab Sauv.

WE gave 93: "Winemakers Helene Garcin and Patrice Leveque have coaxed a ton of character from 70-year-old Malbec and Cabernet vines, and the result is juicy but dark, with asphalt and tar aromas sitting in front of tight but generous black fruit (cassis and blackberry). Finishing notes of coffee, mocha and char leave you happy." ST and RP gave 90.

3. Greenock creek Cabernet Sauvignon 2001, score=3+

Color is nice dark garnet. Nose has some protein-related funkiness but also has plum and nice fruits. Palate is definitely new world with upfront fruit loading of sweet tasting fruit especially plum which leads to nicely integrated tannin and lots of oak-related tastes such as vanilla and caramel. The tasters thought this is Aussie Shiraz or at least Shiraz dominant mix despite there was no black pepper or meat juice. Some described this wine "Girls in mini skirts". Everything about this is very attractive and nicely done New World wine. Such a contrast from the previous two.

This happened to be indeed Australian wine but not Shiraz.

93 points Robert Parker: "The 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon, fashioned from 15-year-old vines that yielded one ton of fruit per acre, reveals classic, intense aromas of creme de cassis intermixed with loamy soil, new saddle leather, and vanilla notes. Aged in neutral French oak for 26 months, this beauty is one of the finest Cabernets Greenock Creek has recently made."

4. Finca Luzon Altos de Luzon 2005, score=2

Nose has faint burnt rubber/chemical note. Palate is semi-New World with some black fruit with mild tannin finishing the taste. Not extremely complex wine. The tasters had a difficult time deciding what this is. Uncle-E's suggestion was if wine defies the categolization, it must be from Spain and this was from Jumilla Spain.

winemaker's notes: "50% Monastrell Old Vines, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Tempranillo. Oak-influenced aromas of vanilla and baking spices, ripe blackberry, plum and boysenberry. Lush dark berry flavors with vanilla, cinnamon and clove accents. Finishes on a dark berry liqueur note, with subtle tannins and a good finish."

90 Points International Wine Cellar "Dark red. Suave, oak-spiced cherry and cassis on the nose, with a gentle vanilla undertone. Sweet dark fruit flavors are round and supple, with soft tannins building on the back. Picks up a spicy quality on the long, juicy finish. The fruit and oak work very well together."

5. Sequoia Grove Cabernet Sauvignon 2005, Score=2+
This was ticky one. Nose has definitive funk (basement). Rather austere palate but nice red cherry with good tannin. All jumped to the conclusions that this was Bordeaux 2006 to be exact and that this must be from rather small unknown chateau. We are all wrong!! (as usual) This is Cali cab from Sequoia grove which we tasted previously.

WE 93

“Tasting Notes - Deep garnet in color with aromas of ripe cherry and blackberry with a bit of mocha and cocoa. The fruit intertwines lovingly with the oak, hints of which can be found in aromas of clove, black pepper and spice. The palate is rich and bold but the tannins are soft and supple creating an endless finish. The acid compliments the lushness of the fruit and gives structure and balance throughout the wine"

Wine tasting on July 11

We had an impromptu mini-wine tasting at Uncle-N's. Both Jimmy and Piroca are on vacation and we did not have a regular tasting. Both of us had to work on Saturday so why not some tasting in the evening? Usually J-bug joins us for such tastings but she is on foreign assignment. Present were Winepath, Lady-SEA and Uncle-N. We had a special barrel tasting of Winepath's opus--his latest vintage, and then blind tasted 4 wines, all of them were quite good. Besides the ususal cheeses, we had very thin cracker-like rosemary Focaccia bread, sauteed protabella mushroom in Fino sherry and thyme, baked sardine in olive oil with bay leaves, lemon and tomato and finally we had "wagu" or "Kobe" style (American) tenderloin. All the dishes went well with these wines.

1. Chateau Winepath Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 Barrel tasting

Color is light garnet and very clear reminiscent of Burgundy. Compared to a few of his previous vintages, there is no turbidity (as per Winepath this vintage is fined against the advice of RP and MR). Nose is very nice with floral note with red fruits. No funky or unpleasant nose. Palate reflects the nose and color; upfront is mixed red fruits which leads to rather mild tannin. Balanced acidity without overly acidic. Overall, it is pretty good, although we would not have guessed this is Cab. I would say I would have mistaken this for a young Romanee Conti.

We think this one is ready to be bottled. If any reader is interested, Winepath may start taking mailing lists and decide on the price soon. I suspect, knowing the quality of the barrel tasting, the price will be equal to good vintage Romanee Conti.

2. Anwilka South African red 2007, score=3

Color is nice dark garnet. Nose is pleasant with some smoky note but no unpleasant nose such as burned rubber or chemical. Palate is classic; not over-the-top fruits bomb but nicely layered mixed red and black fruits with nice firm but not too assertive tannin. Well balanced, muti-layered and long lasting finish. Australian Shiraz was mentioned but settled on Cab, maybe Australian, Chilean or even California. This happened to be Anwilka form Stellenbosch, South Africa. There is an interesting article in New York Times recently about South African wines specifically Stellenbosch wines which have been maligned for having "burned rubber" nose. It may be worthwhile to read this article. Anwilka certainly does not show any unpleasant nose. This is a mix of Syrah and Cab but tasted more like cab than Syrah.

96 Points - Gary Vaynerchuk "Colour: Deep ruby at core, with fresh, youthful ruby rim. Nose: Abundant blackcurrant & blackberry fruit aromas with exotic spiciness adding to the aromatic complexity. Palate: Exhibits hallmarks of a classically-styled wine: linear, concentrated dark berry and plum fruit flavours are perfectly balanced by the supple tannins and fresh acidity, evident through to the positive, flavourful finish. Moderate alcohol and judicious oaking contribute perceptibly to freshness & elegance. Potential: Accessible now, but can be enjoyed within the next 8-10 years. 50% Syrah, 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot." -Winery

3. Anaperenna 2006, score=3

Color is nicely dark. Nose has lot of berries (raspberry and blueberry) and hint of black pepper and faint brunt rubber smell. Again, palate is nice without being fruits bomb. Nice firm tannin and slightly acidic finish. Nice wine. All thought this had to be a Cab; California, Australia or Argentina. This turned out to be "Anaperenna 2006" from Barossa valley. it is made of predominantly Shiraz somewhat similar to Anwilka but again we though this tasted more like Cab than Shiraz. We have tasted the previous vintage (2005) from the wine maker Ben Glaetzer when it was called "Godolphin" on November 24, 08 and gave 2+~3+ score. 2006 is as good as 2005. Godolphin appears to be name of the breed of horse and/or stable and a trademark dispute made him change the name but not the symbol on the label.

94-97 Points - Jay Miller - The Wine Advocate, "The 2006 Shiraz (75%) - Cabernet Sauvignon (25%) 'Anaperenna' is the wine formerly known as Godolphin, the change resulting from a trademark dispute. It was aged for 15 months in new French and American oak. Opaque purple, it offers a sensational bouquet of pain grille, scorched earth, meat, game, blueberry, and black currants. This is followed by a surprisingly elegant yet powerful, structured wine with gobs of spicy fruit, ripe tannins, and a plush texture. The long, 60-second finish is succulent and sweet. Give this classy wine 4-6 years in the cellar and enjoy it through 2030."

4. Pride Cabernet Sauvignon 2005, score=3

Color is nice dark garnet. Nose is very pleasant with black fruits. Palate is fruit forward, most fruit bomb-ish among the wines tasted tonight. No rough edges and ending in well-integrated tannin, nice finish. This indeed tastes like a classic Cali cab. and it was. Ths is 2005 Pride mountain Cab. 58% from Napa and 42% from Sonoma. Most of our members have visited Pride one time or another. On the top of Spring mountain, Pride saddles Sonoma and Napa counties and produces fruit form both sides.

Wine Advocate Review
Rated 96-98 "Even more impressive (than the 2005 Reserve Claret) is the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve. Its inky/purple hue is accompanied by aromas and flavors of incense, pain grille, blackberries, blueberries, and cassis. It is a rich, dense, full-bodied, pure, layered effort that should
drink well for 15 or so years."

Wine Tasting Notes. "Displaying blue fruit notes ranging from mulberry and blueberry to cassis, this dense, weighty wine is not afraid to flaunt its personality. Coffee, anise and tobacco flavors can be found in its depth, while the finish lingers for over a minute. Tannic yet jammy Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from our 25-year old Rock Arch vineyard make up the backbone of this wine, while our more unctuous Quartz Hill and Rim Rock vineyards round out the mid-palate and add finesse. The blend is polished with 0.5% Petit Verdot to add acid and spice. Approachable when young by those who are not intimidated by its heft, this wine will reveal layers of complexity as it evolves over the next 15 to 20 years."

5. Dominio Del Plata Malbec "Susana Balbo Signature", 2007, Score=2+

Color has bright with purple tinge. Nose has dusty note or wet brick or mineral tones. Palate is full of berries (strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, blueberry) ending in rather mild tannin. Not much of acidic or lemony taste. We thought this could be cab or Grenache but did not think of Malbec.

Wine Review:" This very impressive Malbec from Susana Balbo finished in 4th place in our recent blind tasting. This very dark purple offering opens with a black raspberry and toasted oak like bouquet. On the palate, this medium bodied wine is balanced, with no hard edges. It displays juicy and mouthwatering black raspberry flavors with notes of oak mixed in. The finish is quite dry and its tannins linger for quite some time. Many of the panelist thought this wine could be even better with some cellar time. If you could not resist, you could decant it and enjoy it now with a steak with a béarnaise sauce. Enjoy" – KWGTP

Winemaker Notes: "Beautiful deep violet color with exploding aromas of blackberry, black cherry, and violets framed by hints of oak and mint. The wonderful aromas are mirrored on the palate, and they are joined by ripe plum fruit and a hint of toasty vanilla, bittersweet chocolate, and a hint of mint on the finish. This is a ripe & rich style of wine, but the Cabernet adds structure, reigning in the fruit and focusing it into a long finish. Pairs well with a wide range of foods from beef and pork to game birds or even meat-based pastas."