Wine tasting on March 5, 2010

We did not have a wine tasting for 2 weeks for one reason or another. Today, finally, all the members were here which include Uncle-E, Uncle-N, Jimmy, Piroca, and Winepath. We blind tasted 6 wines.

1. Frescobaldi Tenuta di Castiglioni 2007,score=2+~3

Color is dark garnet and opaque. Nose shows cherry and liquorish; some sensed a hint of earthiness or slight basement smell but it is rather faint if it exists. Palate is well-controlled with mostly black fruit leading to moderate tannin supported by good acidity. Decent finish. Our tasters round up the ususal suspects; Cali cab and cab blend, Argentinian Cab, Spanish Tito de Toro, and finally, Italian possibly Tuscan.

Wine Spectator 93 Points
"Intense aromas of currant, raisin and licorice, with hints of toasty oak. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a powerful currant, blackberry and mineral aftertaste. Dense, and all in reserve. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Sangiovese. Best after 2013. 9,200 cases made." –JS

Winemaker's notes:

"ruby red with dark, purplish highlights precedes a nose exceptional for its depth and breadth, offering a strikingly rich and diverse mosaic of aromas. A complex of black cherry, blackberry, and blackcurrant finds a beautiful foil in spicier notes of roasted coffee beans, bitter chocolate, tobacco leaf, and essence of vanilla. All of the elements blend beautifully together to create an impressive, already-evolved bouquet".

2. Phoenix Vineyards Estate Series Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, score=2+~3

Color is very dark. Some suggested syrah without smelling or tasting. Nose has some earthiness. Palate is rather restrained with black fruit and well integrated tannin. One of our tasters thought it tasted like "cough syrup". It has some acidic finish which was felt in the back of your throat (that is if you are swallowing). Some liked this over Frescobardi but some didn't.

92 points by Jonathan H. Newman
"This is a beautifuly done  Estate Cabernet from the spectacular  2007 vintage from winemaker David Bader’s Oak Knoll  vineyard in  the Napa Valley. Exhibits a deep purple hue, with rich, perfumed aromatics of crème de cassis, and sweet black currants. Nicely integrated oak with relatively sweet tannins, medium bodied with black raspberries, dark chocolate, and  kirsch  with touches of caramel  and mocha.  There are layers of concentration, a silky mouth feel with fairly round tannins and a solid finish. It’s drinking nicely now and should continue to drink well  for at least  the next five years. It should pair nicely with lean steaks, leg of lamb, elk, spaghetti with a hearty meat sauce or with a chocolate mousse for dessert."

Wine maker's note:
By Phoenix Vineyards Proprietor/Winemaker David Bader
2007 Phoenix Vineyards Estate Cabernet Sauvignon,Appellation: Napa Valley
Varietals: 100% Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Alcohol: 14.0%,100% Napa Valley Estate fruit,  538 cases produced.
"Our 2007 Estate Cab has a deep garnet color with robust floral nose of ripe berry-cherry fruit. The mouthfeel and midpallet are soft with  smooth  silky  tannins.  A lingering finish with overtones of classic cassis and black fruit briar follows. The wine is wonderful now but a few years in the bottle will give added complexity. A grand vintage for sure."

3. Glades Pike Winery Norton 2008, score=2

Color has very pronounced red purple hue which made us think of P. verdot and Malbec without tasting. Nose is not one of the best with some sulfa, fecal and under arm characters which (fortunately) dissipated significantly after some air time. Palate is rather light with red fruit and somewhat grapey leading to  soft tannin. Short finish. Our tasters could not place this in terms of varietals and origin. This was not one of the evenings  favorites. To our surprise, this was from Pennsylvania, Gladys Pike Winery. The grape is called "Norton". It is the grapes only grown in North America, specifically, in Mid-Atlantic and Mid-West. Certainly not the best grapes from which to make wine. It was frst introduced in Virginia. Please follow the above link to read more about it in Wikipedia.

4. Barbouseville Merlot 2008, score=1+

Color is thin like Pinot but a bit turbid. Nose has some purfume but one of the tasters thought it had an unpleasent smell. Palate is mostly red fruit but rather simple and thin and hollow mid palate leading to mild tannin with acidic finish. The acidity was a bit unbalanced without supporting tannin. This was by far the least favorite wine we tasted. Pinotage from South Africa, poorly made Zin, and Pinot were considered. This was from Barbouseville, Virginia. We have tasted their flagship wine "Octagon" a few times and among the Virginia reds it was decent. This Merlot, however, was not good.

Winemaker's note:
"Here, Merlot is so ideally adapted to its terroir, and therefore so perfected by the vine, itself, as to claim exemption from almost all winemaking “intervention.” Its tannins are so amiable as to ask for very little emphasis in barrel, and its body and flavors naturally suggest the readiest drinkability with the foods it traditionally accompanies. This Merlot may surprise those accustomed to the grape’s domination, in most New World productions, by efforts to shape it in a more fashionably aggressive style. But ours is a culture which accepts that there is no occasion more special than the meals we share every day, and values a wine which can mark those moments with beauty and simple delight. This is why we craft our Merlot to “set the table” with a spontaneously approachable wine."

5.  Clos Les Lunelles Cote de Castillon 2004, score=2+

This one came in a bottle with slightly sloped shoulders which reminded of us of the bottle shape of Chateau Pavie. Color is dark brown-garnet. Nose has some earthiness and forest floor note but pleasant. Palate is a bit restrained but nice black fruit coming through supported by well balanced acidity, leading to firm tanin. The tannin left a bitter finish in the mouth. We thought this must be Bordeaux although we did not think this was Ch. Pavie. According to Uncle-E, the wine maker is the same person who makes Ch. Pavie. He must have gotten a special deal with this particular bottle.  I can not confirm the wine maker is the same but found this statement; "Tiny yields (20hl per hectare) and old vines (averaging 40 years old) are the secret behind the success of Gerard Perse' Clos des Lunelles. The owner of Chateau Pavie in St Emilion spares no expenses at his new property in the Cotes de Castillon, the new "hot" appellation on the Right Bank of Bordeaux."

92 Points by Robert Parker The Wine Advocate
"Perhaps the biggest sleeper of the vintage, the amazing 2004 Clos les Lunelles (owned by Chantal and Gerard Perse) is made from 38-year-old Merlot (80%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (20%) with a touch of Cabernet Franc included in the blend. This Cotes de Castillon vineyard receives the same treatment as Perse’s other properties in St.-Emilion, including one or two deleafings (depending on the vintage conditions) as well as several crop-thinnings (yields were 20 hectoliters per hectare in 2004). The result is a dark ruby/purple-tinged wine boasting fabulous aromas of blackberries, cherries, pain grille, spring flowers, and forest floor. Textured, full-bodied, and fleshy, it tastes like a top classified growth rather than an obscure Cotes de Castillon. Sadly, production is only 1,700 cases. "

Winemaker's notes:

"The grapes are picked and sorted by hand, and alcoholic fermentation is triggered by indigenous yeast in temperature-controlled cement vats. The wine stays on the skins for 5 weeks. Malolactic fermentation in barrel.

Clos des Lunelles is aged in new oak barrels for 18 to 24 months with racking every 3 months. The finial blend is made just before bottling, without fining or filtering."

6. Shafer "Hillside select" Cabernet Savignon 2005, score=4~4+
This came in a heavy and tall body builder bottle and just from the shape and size of the bottle, we had some idea what this could be. Color is classic dark garnet. Nose is also classic cab nose with black cherry laced with vanilla and chocolate. Palate leaves no doubt that this is one of the high end Cali Cab. Loaded with black fruit; chocolate covered black cherry, blueberry, black berry laced with vanilla and caramel. it is so smooth and well-balanced and leading to firm but smooth well-integrated tannin. Nice lingering finish. This does not leave much doubt that this is Shafer Hillside select. The only question was the year.

97 points Robert Parker:
"The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select continues to put on weight, and displays a Bordeaux-like personality because of the vintage's cool growing season. A black purple color, stunningly sweet fruit, and a gorgeous bouquet of underbrush, forest floor, creme de cassis, lead pencil shavings, and toasty barrique are found in this ripe, full-bodied, deep, stunningly well-balanced, substantial wine with undeniable complexity as well as richness. It is approachable now, but promises to evolve for 25 or more years." (12/08)

94-97 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar:
"Bright ruby-red. Pure, vibrant aromas of blackberry, cassis, lead pencil, violet, licorice and minerals. Wonderfully fine-grained and deep, with sharp definition and lovely floral high notes to the flavors of blueberry, cassis and spice. Finishes with noble, suave tannins and outstanding slow-building length. This 100% cabernet wine has all the elements to make an outstanding bottle. Winemaker Fernandez, who rates it with the 2002 and 2001 as his favorites among recent vintages." (May/June '07)

94 points Wine & Spirits:
 "The texture is often what sets Hillside Select apart from other Napa Valley cabernets... It appears to be seamless, sleek in the best sense of the word-a luxurious wine that feels authentic...A fine vintage of Hillside Select, this glows with the contemporary ripeness of Napa Valley cabernet without overreaching."