Wine tasting on January 29, 2010

Present were all core members including Winepath, Jimmy, Piroca, Uncle-N and Uncle-E. Uncle-OZ made another guest appearance. Courtesy of Winepath, we started with a mini-vertical (actually it is also horizontal since vineyards are different) tasting of FERRARI-CARANO's new winery "Prevail" cabs which were not blind tasted. The remaining 5 wines were blind tasted.

1. Prevail West face 2004 and Prevail Back Forty 2003

Prevail winery is a new venture by Ferrari-Carano which produce a small quantity of reds from two mountain estate fruits-- "West Face" and "Back Forty".  We tasted 2004 West Face and 2003 Back Forty.

Back Forty 2003 shows dark garnet with brown hue (a bit too brown for 2003). Nose has rubber tire chemical notes which is not pleasant. Palate is muted but mostly black fruit coming through leading to massive tannin which tasted bitter. Long lingering finish. To us, the wine is rough around the edges and the unpleasent nose follows everywhere which is bothersome.

West Face 2004 has a much better nose, at least, no unpleasant odor. Palate is not much different from Back Forty with muted black fruit and firm tannin. Both wines have lots of oak. I myself liked West Face 2004 better.

We are not impressed with these two wines. Especailly for the price, we can get much better polished wines elsewhere.

Here is information from their Web site.

Back Forty "Beyond the estate winery and across the lake to the back side of RockRise Mountain lies a 40 acre vineyard block, comprised of four specific mini-blocks, uniquely situated on diverse soils well-suited for growing superior Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. Back Forty is a wine with a "true sense of place"...respectfully reflective of this particular site."

Displaying deep aromatics of ripe blackberry and red cherry, Back Forty has a rich mouthfeel that is beautifully concentrated and supple, with silky sweet tannins and a long, lingering smooth finish.

The unique diversity of soil composition, extreme attention to detail in the vineyard, high-density planting of French ENTAV clones with their low yields, and the rigorous practice of blending selections makes Back Forty a recipe for success."
West Face "Superior Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah grapes are grown on LookOut Mountain to create this premier California-style red blend. Selected blocks are planted in volcanic soil on steep slopes with ideal western sunlight exposure, allowing the tiny berries to ripen evenly, producing a wine with intense concentration of fruit flavors. Slow ripening ensures long "hang time", producing an exotic, sensual wine. Deep purple in color with a flamboyant bouquet, West Face is a brilliant expression of mountain-grown fruit from specific vineyard sites. West Face will contiune to display consistent characteristics year after year."

2. Burgess Ilona 2003, SCore=2+~3

Color is nice dark garnet. Nose has chocolate and slight smoky earthiness. Palate has well-controlled fruit especially black cherry laced with vanilla leading to a nice firm but not too big tannin. Our tasters thought Italian, Spanish but settled on Cali cab or cab blend. This is 2003 Burgess Ilona which we tasted before. Again this is a consistency check. Last time, we liked this wine better and gave a 3~3+.

We said; "Color is dark garnet. Nose has lots of berries with very slight earthiness. Palate shows well controlled fruit mostly back fruit, blackberries and blueberries leading to well-integrated but firm tannin. Nice lasting finish.  Cali Cab was first mentioned. Other possibilities mentioned were Spanish, Priorat, Garnacha, Temperanilo, Argentinian Cab+Malbec etc. One of the tasters said he tasted a definite Merlot component. In general, everybody liked this wine. This is a Bordeaux blend from Howell mountain."

Winemaker Notes on 2003 Ilona Howell Mountain:

"Our soon to be released 2003 exhibits an intense yet subtle core of mountain-ripened fruit that reminds us of what makes our setting so unique, even amongst our neighbors on Howell Mountain. The 2003 is an estate blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. It has a deep garnet hue and complex aromas of spice, black cherries and balanced levels of vanilla, due to its aging in French oak barrels for 18 months. The full, rich flavors culminate into a lush finish – characteristic of the finest Howell Mountain wines."

The Origins of Ilona:

"Long-time Burgess Cellars veteran Catherine Eddy started Ilona, and explains its origins: "Ilona is an Eastern European name which over time had evolved into Elaine, my mothers name. The woman’s profile on the label comes from an ancient Greek coin I found in Paris, and after reading many stories of Greece, got the impression that the women of that time were both very strong, yet feminine. The label and the name set the right tone for this powerful, but also soft and rounded wine.”

3. d'Arenberg The Laughing Magpie 2007, Score=2+~3

This one came in a bottle with a screw top which limits the origin of this wine. Although Winpath tried his best to cover this up with a nice colorful cloth wine bag, we never miss any information we can glean from the bottles, color of foil and etc. Color is very dark. Nose has nice freshly cracked back pepper note. Combination of a screw top and this nose immediately makes us think of Aussie Shiraz. Palate is fruit forward with black fruit and plum leading to firm tannin. Some felt this one has an acidic kick. Most of us thought this is a very pleasent wine to drink. We thouht this is Australian Shiraz.

We are sure we tasted this wine in a different vintage but I could not find it in our wine blog.

92 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "Shiraz-Viognier blends have become quite the ticket in recent years (what to do with all that so-so Viognier) but one of the first and still one of the best is the Laughing Magpie. The opaque purple-colored 2007 The Laughing Magpie Shiraz (90%)-Viognier (10%) offers up an expressive bouquet of smoke, mineral, violets, and wild blueberry. Medium-to full-bodied on the palate, it has tons of ripe blue fruits, spice notes, and enough structure to evolve for 2-3 years. This lengthy, pleasure-bent effort will be at its best from 2010 to 2020." (02/09)

91 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, Sep/Oct 08: "Deep, bright-rimmed ruby. Exotically perfumed, sexy bouquet of blackberry and mulberry, along with fresh flowers and incense. Pliant dark berry flavors coat the palate, picking up a suave candied floral quality with air. Leaves a trail of Asian spices behind on the long, juicy finish. Already complex enough to drink."

winemaker's notes: "A blend of 90% Shiraz and 10% Viognier.
The intense aroma is young and forthright, offering a floral mix of peach stone, jasmine and dark maraschino cherries complexed by star anise, white pepper, black olives and fragrant garden herbs. The palate is full flavored, with beets, blueberries and red cherries and lovely cedary notes that compliment the black tea tannins and edgy mineral acidity."

4.  Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, Score=3+~(4)

Color is nice dark garnet. Nose is very seductive with dark chocolate and floral notes and cedar. Palate explodes with lots of fruit upfront especially black cherry and blueberries laced with ususal vanilla and caramel. Some felt this is over oaked but the rest of us were OK with oak. Nice well-integrated but firm tannin and lingering finish. This is our favorite of this tasting. Our consensus was California Cab and we even thought this is a regular Caymus. We did not guess at the vintage. This was indeed Caymus cab 2007. We have tasted both regular cab as well as special selection in the past. Caymus consistently makes excellent wines. We think 2007 is no exception. Certainly this has an aging potential and several more years in the bottle may tone down the oakiness.

92 points Wine Spectator: "Ripe and fleshy, with rich plum, wild berry, spice and savory herb notes that are complex, full-bodied and expansive on the palate, ending with firm tannins and a dash of espresso. Drink now through 2016." (11/09)

"Once again Caymus has hit a homerun with the latest release of their Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2007 is an amazing bottling that rivals past great vintages such as 1994, 1997 and 2001. Made in the quintessential California Cabernet Sauvignon style, this wine is big, rich and hedonistic, with flavors of dark berry fruit, mocha and chocolate that seamlessly lead into a smooth, supple finish that is nicely highlighted by rich oak accents. If you've been a perennial fan of Caymus, then this newest release will not disappoint! There are no scores as of yet, but experience leads me to believe this promises to merit scores in the low- to mid-90s." (Alex Pross, K&L Wine Merchants)

5.  Jean Louis Chave Mon Coeur Cotes Du Rhone 2006, score=2+

This one came in a green sloped shoulder bottle. Color is quite dark immediately excluding pinot based wines including Burgundy. Nose has a funky note but not that unpleasant. Palate has upfront muted fruit including red fruit, raspberries, cherry but definitely muted. Tannin is fairly assertive but mid palate is a bit flat and short finish. We all thought this is  from the south of France. Rhone was memetioned, probably blends of Grenache and Mourvèdre. Some thought it a bit on the heavy side for a classic Rhone. Languedoc, Crozes-Hermitage were also mentioned. This turned out to be Cotes Du Rhone. We assume this is mainly Grenache but it is much heavier and darker than usual Grenache wines. At this price range, it is not bad at all.

Wine Spectator Top 100 in previous two vintages

"Recently, when we tasted the 2006 vintage of the Mon Coeur, we understood why the previous vintages of the same wine have made the Top 100 list in the last couple of years. There are many very good Cote du Rhones produced, but only a few of them can rival Chateauneuf du Pape. One of them is the full-bodied, serious Mon Coeur Cote du Rhone! Hard to resist now, but will also age gracefully for 2-4 years. The reviews are now out on the 2006 and with 91 points it is well on its way to being in the Top 100 of 2009!"

Wine Spectator 91 points
"Alluring, with dark cocoa, game, braised fig and roasted plum notes laced with hints of iron and garrigue. The nice solid, muscular finish lets a loamy edge echo on. Drink now through 2010." -- J.M.

6. Las Perdices Malbec 2007, Score=2

Color is dark without any purple or blue hue. Nose has dirty sock, sardine mixed with "dried" poop (quoting Uncle-E's comment). Palate starts with mixed fruit with sweetness leading to mild tannin. Rather simple wine but pleasant enough. California Merlot was mentioned but most of us are not paying close attention at this point. This is Malbec from Argentina. !00% Malbec from Mendosa valley, Argentina.

Wine Tasting of January 2

We had a small tasting. Present were Jimmy, Piroca and Uncle-N. Winepath is out of town and Uncle-E is M.I.A. We blind tasted 3 OK but not great wines and as a reference wine we also tasted Caymus Special selection 2007.

1. Bodegas Arrocal Ribera del Duero 2006, Score=2+

Color is dark with purple tinge at the rim. Nose was initially a bit closed but later opened up with jammy red fruit, cedar and toasted oak but no funk. There is a black pepper note as well. Palate is a bit muted but mostly black fruit, mid-palate is a bit flat leading to moderate tannin. Because of the jammy red fruit nose and bit of peppery nose, our tasters thought this could contain granache and/or syrah. Consensus was young new world-style wine and Spain and California were mentioned. Indeed this is from Ribera Del Duero, Spain and is made of 100% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo).

 90 Points by Stephen Tanzer. Issue 133, July/Aug '07

"Opaque ruby. Potent mulberry and blueberry aromas expand seductively, picking up baking spice and floral qualities. Suave, silky and impressively pure, with vibrant dark berry flavors saved from the brink of jamminess by bright acidity and fine-grained tannins. Impressively juicy and persistent, with excellent palate saturation and clarity."

"Grapes: 100% Tinto Fino
Vintage: 2006
Color: Red
Produced from estate grown vines, gravity drives all movements of must/wine to minimize hard tannins. Grapes are hand harvested, destemmed but not crushed, macerated for 10 days in temperature controlled tanks followed by aging in new and 1 year old, 50% French and 50% American oak barrels for 6 months. Bottled without filtration after a gentle egg-white fining."

2. CrauforD Wine Co. Maroon Vineyard Tattoo Cabernet Sauvignon 2005, Score=2+~3

It came in a short body builder bottle. Color is dark garnet. Nose is pleasant enough but very faint musty funky note was detected. Palate is more fruit loaded than Arrocal with black fruit laced with dark chocolate leading to good firm tannin. Relatively long finish. Our tasters thought this was California Cab., not bad but lacking complexity and needing something more. We tasted 2003 vintage of the same wine before and gave a score=3.

94 points by Jonathan Newman
"I have now tasted the previous five vintages of Crauford Cabernet and the 2005 is their best effort yet. While the 2004 was certainly a benchmark vintage for this boutique Napa producer, this new release of single vineyard mountain fruit has great depth and complexity and is certainly worthy. On the nose, there is fresh black currants, rich oak and mocha flavors. The wine has a pleasant mouth feel with well integrated tannins, blackberry, licorice, and cassis with a nice long finish. It will pair perfectly with lamb, game meats flavorful steaks or dark chocolate. The wine drinks beautifully now but can be enjoyed through 2016. Tasted on January 6, 2009 and March 9, 2009 with consistent tasting notes. Only 2,800 cases produced."

By Crauford Wines
" RELEASE DATE: April 2009, PRODUCTION: 2800 cases, APPELLATION:100 % Napa Valley, 100 % Maroon Vineyard , 100 % Mountainside M Block –– 1200 ft. elevation, BLEND: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.
THE VINES
2005 marks our sixth vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon for CrauforD, although our connection with the vineyard dates back about 15 years into the late 1990s. We had done some winemaking work for the founder of the vineyard and really took a liking to the fruit that he was bringing in from his field, and the resulting wines. They were dark, and intense; the tannins were firm and the textures bold.
When the opportunity arose for us to produce our own wines from the site, we were excited, and it was pretty clear that M Block was the section that we wanted to pull our fruit from. M Block sits about two-thirds up the mountain on the southwest end of the vineyard.
THE WINE
The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon has very nice aromas of dark red berry fruits and nicely integrated aromas of sweet toasty oak and vanilla. The tannins are moderately firm, less than in vintages 2000-2003 but a little more grip than 2004. The wine is very well balanced and should continue to drink well for several more years.  Barrel aged for 24 months, and held in bottle for 18 months prior to release."

3. Santa Ema Merlot Reserve 2007, score=2

Color is dark garnet. Nose changed while tasting. In the first run, it has a nice floral and perfume note but in the later tasting, rather strong diesel oil and chemical notes over took the perfume. Palate is mixed red and back fruit but the mid palate is a bit flat and acidity is bit pronounced. This flatness became more apparent after the second pass. We thought this is California Cab. This turned out to be Merlot from Maipo Valley, Chile and got 90 from RP. We would not give 90 for sure.

90 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate:
"The 2007 Merlot Reserve is a glass-coating opaque purple. The nose offers up coffee, mocha, and cherry leading to a wine with no hard edges and plenty of character. If all Merlots offered this much pleasure, Pinot Noir would never have become so popular." (12/08).


winemaker's notes:

"Santa Ema was established by Pedro Pavone, the son of Italian winemakers from Piedmont in Italy. Having arrived in the Maipo valley of Chile in 1917, Pedro was an engineer by trade and spent his early years grape growing for other wineries, having planted his first vineyards in 1931 and harvesting his first cabernet, Merlot and sauvignon Blanc grapes four years later. He then established the winery with his son Felix in 1955. Santa Ema produces Chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc in addition to a reserve range, Barrel Select line, and a Bordeaux-style red blend called “Catalina” which consistently earns praise for each vintage. Santa Ema was named one of the 20 "World’s Finest value Brands" by Wine Spectator in 2005."

Wine tasting on January 15, 2010

All the uncles were present including Winepath, Piroca, Jimmy, Uncle-N and Uncle-E and a guest appearance from Uncle-OZ. We tasted 7 wines. Except for the first one, all the others were  blind tasted. The first one, d'Arenberg, Winepath had the night before and he really liked it and brought the rest for us to taste. All the wines were quite good except for one.

1. D'arenberg Ironstone Pressings 2004, Score=3+

This was brought in by Winepath who tasted it last night and was very impressed. Being generous and sharing, he brought this in for us to taste. Color is nicely dark. Nose has cedar and sandal wood notes. Palate explodes with fruit, mostly black fruit including plum. Some felt the fruit was a bit sweet. Almost viscous silky mouth feel. Tannin is good and firm but not too much with rather long finish. For a Grenache based wine, this is much more heavy duty than one would expect. d'Arenberg makes some good ones. We were not as blown away as Winepath was but thought this was still a quite impressive wine. Their Dead-arm Shiraz has been our favorite.

94 Points - Robert Parker (Wine Advocate)
"The flagship blend of Grenache, Shiraz, and Mourvedre, the 2004 The Ironstone Pressings, is stunning. A full-bodied, powerful red, it displays notes of kirsch, tapenade , blackberries, dusty loamy earth, pepper, and spice. Rich, structured, intense flavors cascade over the palate with fabulous fruit purity and density. This stunner should drink well for 12-15 years."

From the winery
"In its youth, d’Arenberg’s Ironstone Pressings has a deep, dark plum purple colour matched by just as intense black cherry, raspberry, spice, cedar, dark chocolate, liquorice, tobacco, mixed spice and brooding ripe blackberry aromas. Mulberry, ripe plum and fresh pepper spice dominate the rich full bodied palate before a long, intense, rolling, dark gritty cherry tannin finish. After quite some time in bottle the intense colour fruit aromas and dusty gripping tannins tone down, the colour moving towards brown ruby red. Eventually the Grenache and Shiraz blossom as rich, sweet, violet like scents, with spicy, cedary and tobacco based aromas before malty sweet dark chocolate flavours and crunchy, chewy textured black olive, spicy ginger and long fleshy textures. Serve at room temperature 16 – 24 ?C. now or in the next 3- 25 years with rich, full-flavoured foods like lamb shanks, pork fillets, goulashes, Russian cabbage dishes and game, even with warm chicken soups and cous cous, classic roast lamb and rump steaks. Also good with veal shanks and oxtail. Serve after decanting as an older wine."

2. Two Hands Wines Charlie's Patch Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2006, Score=3+~4

Color is dark with purple tinge. Nose is very pleasent with chocolate and coffee. Palate is impressive with black fruit such as black berries and blueberries mixed with black cherries laced with vanilla, caramel and dark chocolate leading to big assertive tannin. It has a good structure and long lasting finish. Most of us felt that this was the best of the tasting. California cab with Petit Verdot or Merlot component was suggested. Some thought this is one of Bond. This is Cab from Two hands Napa. We have tasted their second label Cab from Two hands Napa before which was 2006 "Some days are Diamond" and gave 2+~3. This one "Charlies Patch" is defnitely more upscale and refined. Very complex wine.

92 Points Stephen Tanzer International Wine Cellar, May/Jun 09
"Good deep medium ruby. Smoky, ripe aromas of black fruits, licorice and spicy oak. Juicy and concentrated, with its sweet black fruit flavors given clarity and lift by lovely harmonious acidity. Here the firm tannins seem a bit more sweet and suave, and the wine's spine is nicely balanced by mid-palate ripeness of black fruits. Structured to reward aging. Made mostly from Spring Mountain fruit, but also includes a bit from Oakville and Howell Mountain."

90+ points Robert Parker Wine Advocate # 180 (Dec 2008)  
"The exceptional 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Charlie’s Patch (from hillside vineyards) boasts a deep ruby/purple color followed by notes of black currants, licorice, and spicy oak, full-bodied power, and plenty of structure in the back end. The tannins are still elevated, but this is unquestionably a candidate for long-term aging. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2020+. Two Hands, which is well-known for their exceptional portfolio of wines from southern Australia, has branched out into Napa Valley, with the irrepressible Michael Twelftree and his partner, Richard Mintz, making serious Cabernet Sauvignon. There are about 600 cases of his luxury priced Charlie’s Patch, and 400 cases of the second wine, Some Days Are Diamonds. Both cuvees are made at the Outpost Winery on Howell Mountain, with winemaker Thomas Brown overseeing the production. www.twohandswines.com"

3. Salvestrin Estate Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2005, Score=3

Color is dark garnet. Nose has some smoky note with perfume and citrus (Piroca sensed some funk but the rest of us did not). Palate is a bit muted but well-controlled black fruit coming through with well-integrated tannin. We felt acidity was a bit much. Argentinian Malbec and Cali Cab were suggested. Indeed this is Califronia Cab.

92 points Wine Enthusiast (12/31/2008)
"A beautiful young Cab that continues Salvestrin’s unbroken track record of the last several years. Dry and rich in tannins, it shows enormously concentrated fruit flavors of currants, blackberries, black cherries, mocha and spice. Gorgeous now, and should improve over the next decade."

From the Vineyard
"Varietal Composition: 97% Cabernet Sauvignon 3% Merlot, Appellation: St. Helena, Harvest Date: 9/25/2005, Aging: 23 months, Alcohol %: 14.80%

It all began when Italian immigrants John and Emma Salvestrin fell in love with St. Helena while visiting friends in the early 1920’s. In 1932 they purchased a portion of the historic Crane Ranch, including the Victorian home of Dr. Crane.  With the repeal of prohibition in 1933, they started selling grapes and the industry began to grow again. Ed Salvestrin, who grew up on the family vineyard, continued to grow quality grapes through the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s preserving the family legacy for future generations. He still lives on site and frequently tends to his fruit trees (apples, pomegranates, grapefruit, persimmon) when he’s not helping out in the vineyard. In 1987, Rich Salvestrin completed his degree in viticulture from Fresno State University. He returned to the family vineyard to help farm and also to expand the families grape growing business to include winemaking. 1994 was the inaugural vintage of Salvestrin Cabernet Sauvignon and in 2001 the estate winery was constructed amongst the family vines. Today, three generations live on the 26 acre property and look forward to the time that Rich and Shannon’s three young daughters will become 4th generation owners and winemakers."

4. Reddust Shiraz 2007, score=2~2+

Color is a bit light and transparent especially in comparison with the first three wines. We sensed melting candle wax in the nose with jammy fruit. Palate has plenty of sweet fruit but mid-palate is a bit hollow and felt flat. Medium tannin finishes the wine. California Zimfandel was suggested.

This was thrown in by Uncle-N. We tasted this first in November last year.  We were all impressed at that time and thought this wine was quite good and has a very high PQR ($10). The second time we tasted it (I was not there), our tasteres did not like it. So this was meant to be a tie breaker to see how we reacted to this wine. Especially coming after the previous 3 wines, we still thought it was a drinkable wine but we were not as impressed as we were the first time we tasted it. Everything is relative.

From the Winery web pages.

"Distinctive Australian terroir produces distinctive Australian wines! As you’ve just learned, it’s taken the Australians a few decades, but little by little they’re zeroing in on the regions with the best terroirs. They didn’t have to look very far to come up with the name of this wine! This type of red earth is found only in some regions of Australia.

The striking image below gives you a pretty clear idea of just what the soil looks like. The color comes from iron oxides and it’s claimed to produce wines that are more refined and elegant.

A taste of Red Dust Shiraz will prove that fact to you. While the grapes benefit from the same warm, sunny climate of the Adelaide Hills that allows them to achieve perfect ripeness, they don’t get the overripe, jammy flavors that characterize Shiraz from some other regions in Australia.

The other secret to producing a wine with more elegance is the judicious use of oak. In the early days of New World winemaking, a lot of people were, shall we say, overenthusiastic in their use of oak on both red and white wines. The result was out-of-balance, heavy, tannic wines. Thankfully most have become less heavy-handed and have learned how to use oak to complement the natural fruit flavors without overwhelming them. In Red Dust, the oak is apparent but it makes up just one component in the whole. The personality of the Shiraz shines through with the sweet, spicy character of the oak playing an important yet secondary supporting role. Discover a stylish and well-balanced wine, you won’t regret it! This wine has the potential to age for another year or two, but enjoy it when the fruit is still youthful. Any red meat would flatter this Shiraz or serve it with an herbed pilaf of wild rice and lentils."

5. Casa Lapostolle Clos Apalta 2001, Score=2+~3


Color is dark garnet. Nose has some funk with sulfa which dissipated after some aeration. A hint of chocolate was detected as well. Palate has nice sweet fruit leading to big tannin. Relatively long finish. When we came back to this wine for the second time, it tasted better. Although the funky nose suggested old world the fruit-laden palate does not go with that assumption. We ended up with "may be syrah from California or Oregon" which was totally off the mark. This is one of the best 100 wines by Wine Spectator from Casa Lapostolle, Chile.

90 points Wine Advocate Issue 159

"The Clos Apalta luxury cuvee, primarily based on an old vine, non-irrigated Carmenere parcel, remains one of Chile's standard-bearers. The medium to full-bodied 2001 Clos Apalta explodes from the glass with powerful scents of black raspberries, cassis liqueur, and hints of mocha. An elegant yet immensely ripe wine, it offers spicy black cherry flavors in its bright, high-toned, and tannin-laced character."

95 points Wine Spectator

"Stunning purity, with concentrated plum, boysenberry and raspberry fruit that just glides across the palate, buttressed by superfine yet muscular tannins. Suave toast, coconut butter and spice notes along with alluring chocolate and black tea hints chime in on the long finish. A superb combination of fruit and elegance. 4,885 cases made".

We do not think we will give "95" for this wine.

6. Lehmann Clancy's 2006, Score=2+

This one came in a funky bottle--over filled and with a screw top. Without tasting, we thought of Australia. But despite all this, this wine had a decent taste. Color is dark garnet. Nose is pleasant with some cocoa flavor. Plate is rich in black fruit leading to rather big tannin. We felt this wine was too tannic and too acidic. Australian Shiraz cab blend was suggested.

This is one of Lehmann wines. Clancy's blend is composed of Shiraz (49%), Cab Sauv (33%) and Merlot (18%). Reportedly Wine Spectator gave 88 points but I can not confirm it.

From the Winery web page

"Peter Lehmann’s Clancy’s blend has become a firm favourite with lovers of red wine around the world. We follow the pioneering Australian tradition of blending Shiraz with Cabernet Sauvignon, but give it our own touch with the incorporation of Merlot to give a soft, approachable and richly enjoyable red wine.

Successive vintages of this wine have gained major recognition around the world for being an exceptional wine at a very fair price. America’s leading wine magazine, Wine Spectator, has selected Clancy’s in its prestigious Top 100 Wines of the Year listing on no less than four occasions since 1997, and selected the 2004 vintage to appear in its inaugural list of the world’s Top 100 Wine Values."

7. Château Croizet Bages 1997, Score=2-


Color is light brown indicating age. Nose is unadulterated moldy basement smell with green vegetables. Palate is muted with a flat mid palate leading to mild tannin. Our consensus was aged Bordeaux. Least favorite of all the wines we tasted tonight.

Nothing much I can find about this particular wine. Here is the information about the winery (Wikipedia).

"Château Croizet Bages is a winery in the Pauillac appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of eighteen Cinquièmes Crus (Fifth Growths) in the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855."

First wine tasting of 2010 on January 8

This was a special tasting since it was the very first tasting of 2010 and we were cerebrating our personal good fortune of a kind. Present were all core members (uncle-N, Jimmy, Piroca, and Winepath) sans Uncle-E who missed some quite good wines. There was a later guest appearance of Uncle-oz. We tasted 6 good wines.

1. Haran Maiden 1995, Score=4

Color has brown rim indicating age. Nose is very nice with floral and cherry but slight musty basement smell which became more apparent on the second tasting (15 minutes later). No green pepper or herbal nose was detected. Palate has nice upfront black fruit which is well controlled leading to good smooth well-integrated tannin. Good long lingering finish. Our initial reaction was this is an aged Cali cab. We estimated 1994-1997 (we were right then) but, after the second tasting, we thought this could be a Bordeaux, although it is a very good one with nice fruit. We were persuaded by the nose. This turned out to be the very first vintage of "the Maiden" from Harlan Estate! This is made of 100% Cabernet franc.

90 points, Robert Parker, Wine Advocate December 1998
"...an outstanding offering (300 cases made from 100% Cabernet Franc). It possesses a dense, murky ruby/purple color, and an expressive, cedary, leathery, spicy nose with plenty of black fruits. Some minerality comes through, but this complex, evolved yet structured, full-bodied wine is an amazing second wine..."

90 points, Stephen Tanzer May 1999
"...Slightly inky aromas of pungent black raspberry, black plum, minerals and Cuban tobacco. High-pitched yet lush on the palate, with black raspberry, tobacco and mineral flavors. Still, not nearly as dense as the above. Firmly built and persistent..."

We think the age has improved this wine except probably the nose. There are still lots of fruit but well-controlled and balanced. Tannin has mellowed and very silky smooth. If we are usig 100 score system, we will probably give 93 or more. We wonder if RB and ST tasted this now, they will give higher scores.

2. Juslyn Vineyard Select Cabernet Sauvignon 2004, Score=3+

Color is dark garnet. Nose has slight funk, minerals with chocolate and coffee. Piroca sensed "gasoline' smell which he said he likes (he must have been sniffing something in his youth). Palate is dark chocolate covered in black cherry (chocolate is very prominent) with caramel ending in very smooth well-integrated tannin and lingering long finish. Very nice wine. Initially, Spanish specifically Priorat was mentioned but everybody settled in for California cab. It was indeed a Cali Cab from Juslyn vineyard.

92 points Robert Parker Wine Advocate December 2007
"The 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Vineyard Select originates from purchased fruit, primarily Beckstoffer-owned vineyards such as To-Kalon. There are approximately 800 cases of this wine. The 2004 exhibits wonderful elegant, almost Pauillac-like notes of cedar, spice box, black currant, and a hint of underbrush. The wine has soft tannins, medium to full body, ripe fruit, but beautiful balance and overall symmetry. This is an elegant but substantial wine to drink over the next 10-15 years."

About the Vineyard:
"When British ex-patriots Perry and Carolyn Butler moved to California in 1982, they never dreamed they would own 42 acres of prime vineyard land in the heart of Napa Valley. They arrived in California as high-tech pioneers and founded their own computer company in the San Francisco Bay area. After routine 80-hour work weeks, the couple relaxed during weekend trips to Napa Valley, where they were bitten by the wine bug. Dreams of high-tech dominance soon turned to thoughts of returning to the land and grape growing."

"In 1997, their dream became a reality when Perry and Carolyn sold their computer business and founded Juslyn Vineyards on a site overlooking the renowned Spring Mountain Winery. (The name, Juslyn, is derived from the names, Justine-the Butlers' daughter-and Carolyn.) In 1998, they made their first vintage of Juslyn from grapes purchased from Andy Beckstoffer as they waited patiently for their own vines to mature. Their patience paid in 2000, when they were able to harvest their estate for the first time to produce 80 cases of Spring Mountain cabernet sauvignon."

3. Ghost pine Cabernet Sauvignon 2006, Score=3~3+

Color is nice dark purple. Nose has jammy note (grape jam-jelly). Palate has "lilac" (as per Winepath. I nerve tasted lilac-I assume flowers, so I have no idea what kind of taste this is), and berries (black berries and boysenberries) leading to rather mild tannin. This wine definitely has New World and young tastes. Reasonable finish. Malbec blend from Argentina was suggested.

So happened we tasted this before. One of us tasted 07 which was not as good but we will taste it sometime in the near future. To see how consistent we are here is the quote from the previous post:

"Nose is bit closed but it has a pleasant cab nose. Palate is also pleasant with black fruits, usual vanilla and some plum. Nice but not overly assertive tannin with some acidic finish and some chocolate and espresso note. Consensus was Cali Cab and this was Ghost Pine 06.

We tasted 05 vintage Ghost pine Cab before and gave score=3. We said, “Nose is bit closed but no funk and slight red fruits. It was bit warm when tasted. Taste is rather austere at first but after some time, it opened up (as per Winepath and Jbug, the wine tasted better next day) with nice complex tastes of berries, cherries with vanilla and caramel tastes in the finish. Nice solid tannin. To us, this is more subtle than many of the Napa or Australian fruits bombs but it is more sophisticated and complex.”

06 is made from 72% Napa and 28% Sonoma cab. This in one of the expanding Gallo brands and Louis Martini Vineyards (which was bought by Gallo in 2002) is making Ghost pine. 2006 is similar to 05 and a nice good cab for the price (the price has gone up significantly from 05). Reportedly, RP gave 90 but can not confirm it."

4. Bond Vecina 2002, Score=4+

Color is very dark, almost black. Nose is a bit grapey with floral and chocolate notes. Palate is exploding with fruit, mostly black fruit laced with chocolate, vanilla, and caramel leading to big assertive but pleasant tannin. Very long lasting finish. We all liked this wine the best among all nice wines we tasted this evening. We said a high-end Cali Cab. Harlan estate wines (Maiden?), One of the Bond were suggested. This is Bond Vecina 2002!

95 points Robert Parker Wine Advocate Issue 162

"The big, rich, brawny 2002 Vecina Proprietary Red is a primordial, tannic beast with a beef blood-like concentration, a huge, opaque purple color, and notes of scorched earth, blackberries, chocolate, camphor, roasted meats, and cassis. It's as if I took an aged porterhouse steak from Peter Lugar's famed restaurant, put it in a Cuisinart, and aged it in new French oak. Give this amazing wine 5-6 years of bottle age, and drink it over the following 20-25 years"

95 points Wine Spectator

"Smooth, rich and polished, with a seductive array of blackberry, currant and black cherry fruit that glides across the palate. This is a complex, deeply concentrated wine with tannins that are ripe and round, even silky for its age. 400 cases made."

About Bond:
"In his ongoing quest to produce world class wine in the tradition of 1st Growth Bordeaux, Bill Harlan - of Harlan Estate fame - started Bond to create single vineyard wines from sources meeting his high growing standards. Winemaker Robert Levy produces 4 vineyard designate wines: Melbury, St. Eden, Vecina and Pluribus, as well as a blend called The Matriarch. Levy's goal is for each wine to take on the unique expression of its vineyard site and Bill Harlan's ultimate plan is to produce wines from a total of 6 unique vineyards. The wines are known for their lush, deeply concentrated flavors, and their elegance and finesse, which Bill and Robert feel define them as the "Grand Crus" of Napa. Fewer than 1,500 cases of the Matriarch, and between 400 and 700 cases of the vineyard designates are produced annually."

5. Anaperenna 2006, Score=3

Color is extremely dark, almost black. Nose has faint burned sugar note. Palate has good black fruit leading to big tannin. This has very interesting mouth feel; almost effervescent which could be a reflection of crisp acidity. Because of the color, Shiraz was first mentioned, although it lacks black pepper, plum, and Jus du viende. Cali Cab was another possibility mentioned. This is Anaperenna 2006 which we had before. Again I quote firm the previous post, again to see our consistency.

"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."

We are not sure we will give this high score but it is a good wine.

6. Clio 2006, Score=3+

Color is dark with purple-garnet. Nose has mineral and coconut. Palate has tones of upfront fruit with chocolate and caramel leading to big chewy but pleasant tannin. Good lingering finish. Nice wine for sure. It is definitely New World in style. Cai cab will be our first choice. It came in a body builder bottle. Judging from the bottle and wine, the only other choice is Spain. Clio was then mentioned. We all settled on Clio as the final choice. We were right!

This one we tasted before. Again, I will quote from our previous post.

"Nice floral nose with vanilla and slight earthiness on the nose. (After cover was lifted, suddenly, Piroca smelled coconuts--- Aah, power of suggestion). Nice fruits forward wine with mixed black and red fruits with nice firm tannin. This is a nice wine. Australian Shiraz, Argentinean Malbec were suggested. Cab+Merlot or Merlot from California was also suggested. As usual, all were wrong. We should have identified this wine since we all tasted it more than once before and we liked this wine. This is 06 Clio."

“The consulting winemaker at Bodegas El Nido is Chris Ringland of Barossa Valley fame. Clio is 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 70% Monastrell (from 63-year-old vines) which received malolactic fermentation in new oak followed by 26 months of aging in new French and American barriques.” “96 pts Robert Parker on the 2005 vintage, 97 pts Robert Paker on the 04 vintatge, 93 pts Robert Parker on the 2003 vintage”

"We agree that 04 is the best but o6 is close behind. The last time we tasted this, we gave 3+~4. Now, we getting bit stingy in giving out the scores."