Wine tasting on May 14, 2010

For a change we had a full attendance of our regulars; Uncle-E, Uncle-N, Jimmy, Piroca and Winepath. I was a bit under the weather and none of the wines tasted particularly good to me but that was because I could not really taste well; I had a metallic taste in my mouth. Despite this, as dedicated as I am, I am recording our proceedings of the event. We (except me, I guess) tasted 5 wines. All were decent (as per other tasters).

1. D'Arenberg The Coppermine Road Cabernet Sauvignon 2006, Score=2+

Color is nice dark garnet. Nose has prominent cedar and a hint of mint. Palate is a bit muted with black fruit laced with herbal and medicinal components ending in rather rough hewn tannin leaving a lingering "bitter" taste. In addition, there is a rather strong acidic component with lemon and grapefruit notes. Malbec+Cab (from Argentina), California Cab were among those mentioned. Although I was not tasting well, it was a disappointment to me as well. I was expecting much more. This is D'Arenberg's  "The Coppermine Road Cabernet Sauvignon 2006". We, in general, like D'Arenberg; their Dead arm Sihraz to Laughing Magpie. Certainly we do not agree with the high scores  that the wine experts gave.

95 pints By Jeremy Oliver:
"Full-bodied, rich, gutsy wine overflowing with blackcurrant fruit, cassis and tannins; good oak sustains the long finish"
Date Tasted: Mar 08

93+ point By Jay Miller, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate:
"The saturated purple 2006 The Coppermine Road Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits aromas of pain grille, pencil lead, vanilla, cinnamon, black cherry, and black currant. Impressively structured and well-balanced, this dense Cabernet demands 6-8 years of cellaring after which it will drink beautifully from 2016 to 2036. D’Arenberg has been owned and operated by the Osborn family since its inception in 1912. The portfolio, with a focus on the Rhone varieties, is wide ranging and value-oriented from top to bottom. The winery produces a bevy of value priced reds and whites that were reviewed in Issue 178. They should not be overlooked. At the higher end of the portfolio there is one white wine on which to report. Importer: Gavin Speight, Old Bridge Cellars, Napa, CA."

2. Asterisk Red by Sloan 2005, score=3+

Color has a definite brown tinge. Nose has very nice black cherry with dusty minerals, crushed rock notes. Palate is well-controlled black fruit laced with caramel leading to firm big tannin. I tasted an unpleasant after taste (but this is just me in my less-than optional physical condition).
We thought that this is a High-end Cali cab. One suggested this could be Harlan (wishful thinking). Because of the brown tinge and rather muted fruit, we thought of older vintages--maybe 1998-2001 but this turned out to be the second label of the cult wine "Sloan". We do not know what is in it. Just said "red wine" which even we can tell it is. Although I searched extensively, I was not able to find any information about the content of this wine. I assume this is a Bordeaux blend. My guess is that this is more of the right bank style with Merlot, Cab sauv and Cab frank but whoever is in-the-know, please inform us.

The tasters except for Piroca (who brought this) were not as impressed as we should be. The cultivated cult status certainly helps to hype this wine (their web site does not contain any useful information except for putting your name on their waiting list.) Among us, Piroca and Grasshopper are more into cult wines and probably in a lesser degree, Uncle-E. We were, however, very fortunate to taste this cult wine.

3. Stephen and walker zinfandel 2005, Score=2+

Color is nicely dark garnet. Nose has pleasant perfumey and fragrant notes. Palate is a bit simple but nice mixed red and black cherries leading to nicely integrated tannin. Very pleasant wine. Piroca was very sharp and said this was Zin and he was right. This is a Winepath's Dry creek estate neighbour's wine.

From the Winery:
"This Zinfandel grows on the hills above the valley floor on West Dry Creek Road in Dry Creek Valley just west of Healdsburg.  The wine is very concentrated and has dense fruit flavors complemented by smoky oak aromas and flavors.  The wine was aged in small French and American oak barrels for 15 months prior to bottling."

Winemaker’s Notes:
"Voluptuous and rich dark berry fruit, with generous flavors of smoky oak and chocolate truffle, over subtle notes of plum and tangerine."

4. Beau Vigne Juliet Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, Score=3-

Color is dark garnet. Nose is very pleasant with cassis and licorice. Palate is loaded with fruit especially black cherry and has a sweet taste in its back end leading into well-integrated tannin. Well-balanced wine and we liked it but the sweetness (not a residual sugar sweet, though) may be a bit too much. This is cab sauv from Napa. We are not familiar with Beau Vigne Vinayrd but this is a nice effort.

93 points by Robert Parke:
"A very good value in top-flight Napa Cabernet Sauvignon is Beau Vigne’s 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Juliet. Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, it exhibits a dark ruby/purple color in addition to abundant amounts of creme de cassis and floral characteristics, full-bodied power, supple tannins, a layered mouthfeel, and a long, savory finish. It can be enjoyed now and over the next 15+ years". (Dec 2009)

From the winery:
"This Reserve has smooth pointed entry of black currant, black cherry, and creme de cassis, backed by tobacco leaf and cocoa notes. Offering a complex harmony of flavors and aromas. Nicely structures tannins lead to a full 60 second finish. Drink 2010 - 2018 Winemaker: Dave Phinney  |  Production: 700 Cases  |  Alc. 16.3% By Vol."

5. Outpost "The other" Petite Sirah 2006, score=3

Color is very dark with a purple hue. Nose is very pleasant. Palate is full of black fruit especially black raspberry (as per Piroca) with a faint sweet aftertaste leading to firm big tannin. Somebody mentioned (?Winepath) that it had a "Jabuticaba" taste as well. Very nice wine. Because of the purple hue, we thought of P. Verdot or P. Syrah and mentioned that this is not tannic enough to be P. Verdot. We were right, this turned out to be P. Syrah from Outpost, Napa, Howell Mountain region, a very small production wine.

90 points by Robert Parker:

"Outpost has not overlooked one of the most underrated varietals in California, Petite Sirah. Their 2006 Petite Sirah The Other is a massive, broodingly backward, foreboding purple-colored, dense wine that reveals scary levels of concentration and extract. It should be forgotten for 5-8 years, and should provide gorgeous drinking for 20-25 years thereafter. This beautiful 40-acre estate (19 of which are under vine) high on Howell Mountain enjoys a sensational view of Napa Valley and the Mayacamas Mountains to the west. The renowned Thomas Brown is the winemaker. There are only around 300+ cases of the Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon and significantly less of the single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon True Vineyard.", Issue #180, December 2008.

Winery Notes:
"Creating wines that express a unique sense of place is part art, part science - and pure passion. All Outpost wines are handcrafted onsite at our winery from estate grown fruit. While our primary focus is on Zinfandel, an all-American varietal, we also produce limited quantities of world-class Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah and Grenache. Outpost wines are distinctively spicy, with strong hints of black and white pepper and brambly mountain fruit, with a power and complexity in keeping with Howell Mountain's reputation for producing 'big California reds'.

Release Date=March 2009;Appellation=Howell Mountain elev. 2200 feet above the Napa Valley floor; Winemaker=Thomas Rivers Brown; Varietal composition=100% Petite Sirah, all from our estate; Production=185 cases;Alcohol=15.3%;Cooperage=50% new French oak barrels 50% 1 year-old French oak barrels."