Wine Tasing on September 25, 2009

Present were our usual, Piroca, Jimmy, Winepath, and Uncle-N. We blind tasted 4 good wines. Uncle-E is somewhere in Europe (we think). Two wines are from California and one from South Africa and Australia, respectively.

1.  d'Arenberg "The Dead Arm" Shiraz McLaren Vale South Australia 2006, Score=3+

Color is nicely dark. Nose is pleasant with chocolate and plum without any funk. Palate is very smooth with upfront mixed black fruit especially black cherry, leadig to nice big but well-integrated tannin. It has nice long finish.  It felt a bit hot (?high alcohol). All thought, this is in a New World style. Cali Cab and cab blend were mentioned. Spanish was thrown in for good measure. This is one of our past favorites; d'Arenberg "The Dead Arm" Shiraz from McLaren Vale South Australia. We've tasted "The Dead Arm" before. Several times before we started this blog. Then, after we started the blog Unlce-N posted a tasting note on the 2002 vintage.

95+ points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate:  "D’Arenberg’s flagship is the 2006 The Dead Arm Shiraz. Opaque purple-colored, the nose is reticent but gives up aromas of meat, bacon, game, truffles, blueberry, and blackberry. Firm, layered, and complex, this beautifully rendered Shiraz demands a decade of cellaring. It will be superb from 2018 to 2036." (02/09) 

93 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, Sep/Oct 08: "Opaque ruby. Blackberry and candied cherry on the nose, with suave graphite and anise qualities adding complexity. Deep and rich but also focused, with powerful dark berry preserve flavors and a late kick of iron. There's lots going on here, and this energetic wine is still painfully young. Finishes with mounting sweetness and a strong echo of minerals." 

91 points Wine Spectator: "Lush and ripe, with an earthy animal component to the generous cherry, currant and exotic spice flavors that keep sailing on the long, supple finish. Drink now through 2016." (09/09) "

2. Burgess Cellars Enveiere Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend 2002, Score=3

Again the color is just fine and dark. The nose has a strong herbal component, rosemary, sage, lavender and some woodsy note. No funk. Piroca described a "rubber tire" nose which he said he liked (the rest of us did not sense this smell). The palate is a bit austere but still has plenty of nice black fruit coming through. The ending has a nice firm tannin which, for some, tasted a bit bitter. The finish was reasonably long. Despite some austere characteristics, everybody felt this was from the New World and mentioned California Cab blend, with special identification of a cab franc component due to the herbal nose. Unlce-E who is a green pepper specialist was not here to comment if this wine had "green pepper". Spanish and syrah were also mentioned in passing. This is indeed a Califronia cab blend, Burgess Cellars Enveiere 2002. The blend consists of  Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petite Verdot with alcohol content of 14.3%.

Jonathan Newman – 93/100: "The delicious Red meritage is the marquee wine produced by long-time Napa pioneer and proprietor, Tom Burgess. Very ripe aromas of blackberry spice, violets and plum. A big wine with a very lush mouth feel with expressive flavors of black currants, blackberries, dark chocolate and vanilla spice. Both dense and round with sustained intensity and length that saturate the entire palate. From their Mountain Vineyard, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cab Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, aged mainly in new French Oak barrels. Will pair nicely with a porterhouse steak, cassoulet, leg of lamb and roasted meats."

3. Behrens & Hitchcock 4 blocks syrah 2002, score=3+

This one came in a sloped shoulder bottle. When it was poured, the color was inky black. Before going any further, this was identified as a syrah. The nose is bit closed but has nice black fruit, plum and cedar. The palate is loaded with upfront black fruit, black berry, blue berry, black cherry, plum with nice smooth mouth feel and big but nice silky tannin. Long lingering finish. Bit of herbal or parsley aftertaste. Because of ths rather bold taste, we felt this must be a high-end Australian Shiraz but this is from California. Behrens & Hitchcock to be exact. This winery has become one of Piroca's favorites. He brought several other B&H in the past but we have only one entry in our blog.

Producer note: "The husband and wife duo of Lisa Drinkward and Les Behrens got their start with their award-winning restaurant, Folie Douce in Arcata, California. When loyal clientele Joe Bob Hitchcock and his wife Lily learned of Les' thoughts of winemaking, the couple decided to put up some capital to join him in his endeavor. The first 175 cases were produced in 1993, and grew to 750 over the next three years. In 1997, the vineyard moved from Arcata to Napa Valley, where Behrens & Hitchcock eventually decided to purchase acreage on Spring Mountain. The team worked hard to produce its first single-vineyard wines during the 1999 harvest. Today the winery is seemingly an overnight success, producing single-lot Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Petite Syrah of outstanding quality. "

91 points WS: "Rich, firm, concentrated and well-focused, with earthy, beefy blueberry and wild berry flavors that are sharply focused, complex and expansive, ending with a long, persistent finish."

4. Capaia  (South Africa) 2005, Score=2+

This one takes the prize in the distinctive nose category.  The nose is very pungent with a metallic, soy sauce, and as some said, a bit farty smell. Winepath  uttered "handle-bar mustache" to describe this nose. We are not sure what that means but it somehow conveys the peculiar characteristic of this wine's nose. The palate is better than the nose. Nice upfront black fruit with smoky note ending in good big tannin. Bit short for finish. I could not get over this nose but some thought it was OK. Cab-Syrah blend from Australia, Marbec-Cab blend from Argentina etc were suggested but ths one is from South Africa.

Capaia Winery was established in 1997 by a German couple, Ingrid Baroness and Alexander Baron von Essen near Cape Town.

91 Points - Wine Spectator: "This is Capaia's flagship blend of traditional Bordeaux varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. The wine displays complex aromas of meat, spice, tobacco and dark berry fruit. These are supported by a deliciously full, well balanced palate packed with layers of flavor that linger beautifully. The wine was bottled without fining or filtration, and so it may form a deposit with time. It is therefore recommended that it be decanted before enjoying. Only 600 cases imported. "

This one requires some translation but is the wine makers description of this wine.

"Die Aromavielfalt, die Intensität und die Reintönigkeit im Bouquet lassen aufhorchen: Ein Genusserlebnis der besten Art kündigt sich in der Nase an. Stoff und Struktur in eindrücklicher Ausprägung und von nahezu vollendeter Harmonie prägen die Sinneseindrücke im Gaumen und bestimmen das anhaltende Finale. Der CAPAIA, vom international anerkannten Oenologen Stephan Graf von Neipperg gekeltert, überzeugt vollends durch Dichte, Nachhaltigkeit und Ausgewogenheit. Dieses Monument gehört zu den ganz grossen Weinen dieser Welt!"

As per Google translation. "Listen attentively to the aroma variety, intensity and cleanness in the bouquet: a pleasurable experience, the best way is heralded in the nose. Fabric and structure in an impressive expression and nearly perfect harmony characterize the sensations on the palate and to determine the persistent finish. The CAPAIA, pressed by the internationally renowned winemaker Stephan Graf von Neipperg entirely convinced by density, sustainability and balance. This monument is among the very great wines of the world!"