Wine tasting on May 28, 2010

As you may recall, some of us were blaming our venue for wines tasting excessively oaky because of a bad oak miasma leaking off the furniture. Uncle-E graciously invited us to his place for this Friday wine tasting. Although in the middle of moving, Piroca made an appearance-- what dedication. Present were our core members, Uncle-E, the host, Uncle-N, Prioca, Winepath and Jimmy. We blind tasted 6 wines; one was uncorked early in the day and decanted carefully several hours before the tasting by Uncle-E. All of the wines were wonderful and "NOT" too oaky which appears to add some credence to this wacky theory of the oak miasma. We are all grateful for Uncle E's hospitality and letting us taste 3 wonderful and rare wines from his vast collection (after I left, the rest were to taste Bordeaux, someone, please add the entry for this one).

1. Vilafonte Series M Paarl South African Bordeaux bend 2004, score=3

This wine sported a red wrapping tissue. It was further wrapped in sheets of white paper with the red tissue paper streaming off from the neck like a red scarf flapping in the wind providing a nice effect. Color is nice dark ruby/garnet. Nose has slight sweaty foot kind of funk but not the basement and mouldy smell of a classic Bordeaux. Palate is well balanced and controlled with predominant black fruit with herbal notes especially mint, roasted red meat and mushroom leading to well integrated smooth tannin. Nice mouth feel. Our tasters really liked this wine. Tempranillo was mentioned but the majority of us thought this had to be Bordeaux. Jimmy said this is a Bordeaux blend but not from Bordeaux and suggested possible California origin. Although initially reluctant, even Uncle-E conceded that this could be Bordeaux. This happened to be from Paarl, South African Bordeaux blend (Cabernet Sauvignon 36%, Merlot 31%, Cabernet franc 8%, Malbec 25%).

91 points By Wine Enthusiast (3/1/2008)
"Zelma Long’s tradition of excellence continues with the Series M: Its deep chocolate, cinnamon and berry aromas and full, complex waves of delicious fruit and spice are exactly what a Bordeaux blend should be. Restrained but memorable, the wine has firm structure and will age beautifully."  - S.K.

91 points By Wine Spectator (Mar 31, 2007)
"Ripe and juicy, yet restrained and pure, with a fine minimality leading the way for spice cake, fig, raspberry and briar notes. The long, supple finish is carried by the fine structure. Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2008. 1,764 cases made."–JM

90 points By Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar, (Mar/Apr 07)
"Bright ruby-red. Sexy aromas of musky redcurrant and spicecake. Dense, lush, broad and dry but distinctly laid-back today and in need of a bit of cellaring. Intriguing note of fruitcake. Finishes with substantial dusty tannins and noteworthy persistence."

2. Amici Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004, score=2+

Color is nicely dark garnet. Nose has perfume and a hint of cracked black pepper. Palate has a fruit forward initial taste of fruit laced with vanilla leading to well controlled tannin leaving a sweet after taste. It has some acidic kick at the end but good lingering finish. Our consensus was California Cab.

"After giving the 2004 Amici Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon an additional year and half of bottle age, winemaker Jeff Hansen finally decided to release this exceptional wine in October, 2008. And, the additional time really helped, allowing this rich puppy to evolve and open up to show its true depth of character. Deeply colored, the nose is loaded with cassis, currants, blackberries and espresso notes, which is underscored by mild toasty tones. In the mouth, you will be treated to an expansive, hugely complex, multi-dimensional cabernet, with well-integrated, silky tannins, tons of structure and a finish that refuses to quit. Although, with airing, you will be able to enjoy this Gem near-term, it will easily age 7- to 12-plus years. This is probably the best valued cabernet on the market." (Jim Barr, K&L Wine Merchants)

3. Steltzner Malbec 2006, score=2+

Color is dark garnet without any purple hue. Nose has burned popcorn and some Jus de Viande. Palate is fruit forward leading to rather big and firm tannin with some bitterness at the end. Acidity was there but not too intrusive. We all thought this was California Cab but this turned out to be California 100% Malbec. This is a limited production by Steltzner. I do not think we ever tasted California Malbec. It is interesting that this Malbec did not have any purple hue and the acidity was much less than usual Argentinian Malbec.

From Dean and Deluca Web site
"The only Stags Leap District Malbec in Napa Valley, Steltzner Vineyards continues to produce this varietal because of the vineyard's ability to produce malbec high enough in quality to bottle on its own. This offering comes from their 1.4 acre Malbec vineyard on the eastern foothills of the Vaca Mountains. The Steltzner's are true believers that the cool evening breezes from the San Pablo bay combined with the eastern exposure make for the ideal grape-growing climate. USA"

4. Cliff Lede Cabernet Sauvignon "Poetry" 2006, score=3+~4

Color is dark and nice. Nose is classic cab nose. Upfront black fruit laced with caramel, chocolate, toasted almond and a hint of espresso coffee leading to nicely crafted firm tannin. One said long and one said short finish so I assume the finish is average. Our consensus was again Cali cab, rather high-end. We all like this one.

94 points, Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (December 2008)
"Even better is the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Poetry. A 969-case blend of 96% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest equal parts Merlot and Petit Verdot, this wine has sweet tannins, a big, rich kiss of blackberry and creme de cassis interwoven with subtle smoke, graphite, and loamy soil undertones. The wine has gorgeous purity, full-bodied flavors, elegance, and finesse. Like great cuisine, it offer tremendous intensity of flavor without any sense of heaviness or weight. Drink it over the next 20+ years"

About the Winery Poetry (Cliff Lede)
"One of the new up-and-coming wineries in Stags Leap is Cliff Lede, run by the proprietor of the same name and his winemaker Michelle Edwards. (None other than superstar David Abreu is the viticulturalist, and this is another place where Michel Rolland makes his semi-annual stop for consulting purposes.) 2006 turned out to be very successful for the wines of Cliff Lede, all displaying the elegance one expects from the Stags Leap region, but with substantial flavors as well as intensity"

5. Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, Score=3+~4

This one was uncorked in the morning and decanted for several hours by Uncle-E. Color is nice garnet. Nose has some slight funk but has lilac flower, mint licorice with mineral dusts. Palate is rather complex with well-controlled black fruit with mint, tobacco and black tea leading to rather big and firm tannin and lingering long finish. We wondered if this was Italian, possibly super Tuscan, California Merlot and just because Uncle-E served this, French (Bordeaux)?? This turned out to be 07 Quilceda creek, and is one of the rare wines from Washington states which we like.

According to Robert Parker:
"In 1990, in Issue 69, after tasting a complete vertical of Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, I wrote that the winery was producing Washington’s (and possibly America’s) finest Cabernet Sauvignon. Little has changed in the intervening years. The winery has been upgraded and the portfolio has been expanded, while quality remains at the summit. As a postscript, I was able to taste barrel samples of the 2007 collection. The Golitzins describe it as an 'exceptional vintage' a conclusion that I cannot dispute." (10/09)

6. Booker "The Ripper" Grenache 2008, score=2+

Uncle E gave us this Bonus wine but he used a Quilceda Creek bottle as a decoy bottle since the Booker bottle has a sloped shoulder. Color is a bit lighter than our usual suspects but not transparent like Pinot. Nose has sour bread or spoiled milk notes but not unpleasant. Palate is predominantly red fruit with rather sweet aftertaste leading to mild soft tannin. We thought this was a Rhone blend if not from Rhone. Although there was no strawberry nose, we suspected grenache as being the main grapes rather than syrah.

This is rather unusual wine from Paso Robles.

92 points - Robert Parker
"Lastly, the 2006 Ripper (90% Grenache and 10% Syrah) is a sexy Paso Robles Chateauneuf du Pape look-alike. Licorice, roasted Provencal herbs, kirsch liqueur, and creme de cassis characteristics emerge from this broad, concentrated, intensely flavored effort. Full body along with stunning opulence, purity, and length suggest this beauty will drink well for 6-8 years. Sadly, fewer than 150 cases were produced."

"This wine shows beautiful sweet black cherry and cassis but has a finish of some traditional Grenache flavors like strawberry and kirsch with some gorgeous oak integration. Not near as over the top as the '05, this wine should pair well with food and satisfy New World and Old World fans alike. Like most grenache, I feel they are far superior in their first 5 years."