Wine tasting on June 25, 2010

We were back in our regular venue and our tasters again complained about oak miasmas. Present were Uncle E, Uncle N, Winepath and Piroca. Jimmy was on vacation. For a change, uncle E was first to arrive. We blind tasted 6 wines but one of them appears to have gone bad while stored in Uncle E's bathroom.

1.Bodegas Castan Solanera 2005, Score=2+

Color is dark garnet with a brownish hue. Nose has no funk with lemon oil and cherry. Palate is a bit muted but the black cherry came through leading to somewhat "powdery" tannin with rather strong acidity at the end. We thought this was a New World wine; red blends with many grapes and guessed South America, specifically Chile being the country of origin. Of course we were wrong. This is from Spain. This is a new wine region of Spain in the "sunny" South. This is not bad (although the acidity bothers me). It has a high PQR.

winemaker's notes:"The name comes from "Finca La Solana" - very sunny in Spanish. From 40+ year old vines.
Varieties: 65% Monastrell, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Garnacha Tintorera"

90 points by International Wine Cellar:

"Saturated purple. Smoky raspberry and cherry on the nose, with a sexy mocha quality adding complexity. Fleshy, round dark fruit liqueur flavors caress rather than pummel the palate. Gentle tannins arrive late to add structure but this is all about silky, juicy fruit."

From K&L wine:

"91 points and listed as a "Spanish Wine Bargain Under $20" by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, no tasting note given. 90 points from Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: ........ Solanera is a slightly unusual blend of 65% Monastrell, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Tintorera from the warm climate region of Yecla. What is not unusual about it is it bold rich flavors. There is something that reminds me here of great Cotes-du-Rhone or even Chateauneuf-du-Pape, there is that same sort of deep tar like concentration, all counter-balanced by a fine, fresh, herbal character. Fine cracked white pepper and beef au jus define the aromatics here, this is not shy about what it contains. Sappy but bone dry, this has a coating, glycerin-like boysenberry fruit feel to it all the while fennel and wild thyme refresh and clean the palate. All this is bound together nicely by grainy tannins that melt away easily enough. (Bryan Brick, K&L) "

2. Optima Wine Cellars Dry Creek Valley Unfiltered Zinfandel 2006, Score=2+


Color is dark garnet and slightly lighter than our usual suspects. Nose is muted but no funk. Palate has nice upfront black fruit, blue berry, black berry, and plum laced with caramel and vanilla ending in moderate tannin. Piroca did not like this wine and said acidic and thin. But he is the only one who said this was Zin. The rest thought this was New World cab. This is from Winepath's Sonoma estate neighbour. It is made of 90% Zinfandel, 10% Petite Sirah and the winemaker is Mike Duffy.

90 points By Wine Enthusiast:
"Some Zins are “claret style,” made with the elegant structure of Cabernet Sauvignon. Not this one. It’s pure, classic Dry Creek, showing that region’s robust, slightly rustic tannins, explosive wild berry fruit and loads of briary, peppery tannins. It’s a very fine Zin that calls for upscale beef, pork and chicken dishes."  S.H.   (12/31/2009)

By Optima Winery
"The 2006 Zinfandel is a ripe full-flavored, exceptionally easy going Zinfandel. The wine delivers the regions classic robust wild berry fruit, balanced by creamy vanilla. The tannins are smooth and round and the expansive mid-palate leads to a firm and persistent finish. The balance of this quintessential Zinfandel allows great versatility with food. The 2006 vintage was produced from fruit grown on the eastern bench of Dry Creek Valley, 200 feet above the valley floor. The vineyard experiences cool, foggy mornings and rather hot days. Because there is a substantial difference between daytime and nighttime temperatures, the growing season lasts longer, so the grapes mature more slowly. Harvested on October 22, 2006, at 26.5 degrees brix, the fruit was gently crushed and destemmed, and fermented 10 days to dryness. Following pressing, the wine was clarified natu-rally by settling, and them moved to small oak cooperage where it aged for 12 months. We used a blend of sixty gallon French and American oak barrels to both enhance and complement the wonderful berry aromas."

3. Maroon Spring Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, Score=3

Color is nice dark garnet but has distinctive blue or purple hue. Nose is perfumey with some resin character. Palate is front loaded with fruit mostly black fruit especially black cherry laced with vanilla and dark chocolate leading to big chewy tannin. There is sweetness in the mid palate. Our tasters were a bit buffled. Based on the purple color, Malbec, Syrah and Petite verdot were considered but the palate is more like Cali cab. All agreed that this is New World wine. Spanish, may be Garnacha, was memtioned trying to explain the sweetness this wine has. We tasted two vintages (03 and 05) wines from this winery under the name of "Crauford" and  we liked them. With the  '07 vintage, they started using the "Maroon" name for their wines. This wine contains 9% Merlot.

By Marron Winery.com
"This wine is full of red and blue berry aromas. It has a bright fruit profile. It also has some nice lighter tones of floral aromas and well-integrated oak on the nose. It is a medium bodied wine with very nice balance and well integrated tannins. The flavors are a little darker than the aromas suggest, following through with chocolate, berry, cocoa and black licorice. There is s subtle grip of light chewy tannins on the finish. This wine is best served after an hour of decanting."

By Jonathan Newman:
"Paul Maroon, who has owned many choice vineyards in Napa Valley has just started producing wine under his own Maroon label with the release of the gorgeous 2007 Napa Valley Cabernet Vintage. Many of Maroon’s wines were vented under the Crauford label for almost the past decade. In addition to his ultra premium Maroon Vineyard Cabernet, he has introduced two additional Cabernets, including a beauty from the Spring Mountain District. Spring Mountain is known for growing very distinct dark and intense Cabernets and received AVA recognition in 1993, and is home to prominent wineries like Behrens and Hitchcock, Cain, Paloma and Newton. It is located above the Town of St. Helena on the Eastern slopes of the Mayacamas Mountains and it contains only about 30 wineries. The Maroon Spring Mountain Cabernet by winemaker Chris Corley has a luscious mix of black, red and blue fruits, including black cherries, dark plum, cassis and dark chocolate with touches of a nutmeg spice box. This wine is should be aerated or decanted and is best drank from 2011 to 2016. Only 1,000 cases produced. (J.N.)"


4. Asterisk Red by Sloan 2005, score=3+~4

Color is very dark garnet. Nose is nice but some protein (jus  de viande) note and some mentioned "blood"-like note. Palate is loaded with back fruit laced with usual vanilla, chocolate plus minerals and herbal, vegital characters (in a good way) leading to big chewy tannin and a long lingering finish. This tasted really like a high-end Cali Cab. We all liked it. We tasted this wine previously.

This is the second label of the cult winery "Sloan" and not much was written about it.


5. Neal Cabernet sauvignon 2002, Score=3+~4

Color is dark garnet. Nose has no funk and has a classic cab nose. Palate is nicely fruit loaded with black cherry, blueberry etc. Maybe a bit on the oaky side but a nice wine with firm tannin and long finish. Our consensus was Cali Cab.

92 points by Wine Spectater, (11/15/2005) "A bold, ripe, seductive style that packs in lots of flashy mocha and chocolaty oak, but also a delicious core of vivid blackberry, cherry and currant flavors. On the finish, the flavors come together in a rich, harmonious way. Best from 2007 through 2013. 133 cases made."

From the winery:
"November 15, 2004 - When the 2002 wines were youngsters in early 2003, we recognized the fact that the intensity of color, flavor and structure were such that we expected a longer aging period was needed to achieve the balance we strive for. Just like in our farming operations, every procedure is determined by what the vines and wines require for the highest quality. Repeating the same formula as was used the previous year won’t allow us to improve, and trying to stay within a schedule just for marketing purposes is not the way to make the best wine."
 
6. Valsacro Dioro Rioja 2001, No score

We tasted this twice before. Forewarned from previous experience, this time most of us only sniffed and did not allow this wine to cross our lips. Nose has pungent vinegary character and we deemed this wine "turned" and undrinkable. Uncle E won't give up on this wine. But trust us, bad miasma from the bathroom has not improved this stuff--Please do not bring this wine again, Uncle E. At least, he knew something like this might happen so, as a backup, he brought the Neal. Good thinking.

The first time we tasted this we  gave a 1 and said;
"The nose is most unpleasant with sulfa, "fecal", rubber and some herbal note (cut grass), in another word, smell of dog poop in your cluttered backyard with old tires piled up in the corner after mowing. Austere palate with tastes of tannin and acid. Not much fruits. The nose turned off many of us. This wine is made from 50% tempranillo, 40% grenacha (grenache or garnacha ---- so many different spelling), and 10% from mazuela (carignan)."

The second time we tasted it we gave score of 2 (improvement) and said;
"Color is dark brown/garnet. Nose has some sweaty feet notes but this is not too strong initially. Palate is bit austere but with some black fruit with coffee (espresso) component and chocolate leading to firm tannin and crisp acidity in the back end. After some air time, the nose became a bit strong to me but others did not mind it as much as I did. This turned out to be Rioja. I thought the label looks familiar. We tasted this before. At that time, we did not like this wine at all and gave a score of 1. "

Wine Drinking at Uncle N's on June 18. 2010

We again decided to change the venue and gathered at Uncle N's. Present were Grasshopper with Auntie A (guest), Jimmy, Piroca, Uncle M (guest), Winepath, Uncle-N and Lady SEA. Uncle E was seeing somebody important off at the airport and could not make it. Although we started out as a sort of formal tasting--with two wines in decanters and all other wines covered and even spit cups were provided, in the end the companionship, food and good cheer took over and we did not take any notes. So it became wine party. Since it was an unusually nice day, we were outside on the deck. During the imbibing, in addition to the usual flowers and fauna of the backyard, a large mama deer ambled out of the woods adding to the entertainment. The neighbors pixie-like dog, who has a fondness for Uncle-N's grill particularly when roasted chicken is involved stuck her head through the hedgerow to see what was going on. Later the fire flies were spectacular.

We started the wines with homemade pizzas (by request); pizza margherita (fresh mozzarella, homemade tomato sauce and fresh basil), pizza topped with smoked mozzarella, marinated artichoke hearts and three kinds of olives, pizza topped with caramelized onion, goat cheese and roasted pine nuts. No pictures were taken unfortunately. Due to the outdoor venue, the main course was barbecued chicken, oven fried potatoes, and grilled asparagus. Dessert was whiskey bread pudding with whiskey sauce.

We had 9 wines.

1. Philip Togni Cabernet Sauvignon, 2004

This was served decanted. About one year ago, we tasted this wine and at that time, we thought it was very tannic. This time, it did not taste too tannic but has a musty nose which is slightly bothersome.

95 Points - Robert Parker (Wine Advocate)
"Readers looking for more ripeness, opulence, and an extroverted character should check out the 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate, which is actually a larger crop than 2005. This sensational dense purple-colored effort boasts delicious blueberry, black raspberry, cassis, licorice, and olive-like notes. In the mouth, there is more creme de cassis as well as background toasty oak, structure, and tannin. I don’t think there has ever been a vintage where Philip Togni has cheated anybody on flavor intensity or tannic structure as his wines always last, even in lighter vintages, for twenty or more years. The 2004 will benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age, and should last for 25-30 years. It is, atypically for the vintage, front-end loaded."

91 points - Stephen Tanzer, May/June 2007
"includes about 15% merlot and bits of cabernet franc and petit verdot) Full medium ruby. Black raspberry, chocolate, minerals, tobacco, earth and a gamey nuance on the rather musky nose. Sweeter, broader and finer-grained than the 2005, in a distinctly easygoing, pliant style for this mountain cabernet. Highly nuanced flavors of plum syrup, violet, smoke and minerals. Though plenty tannic, here the tannins are not dry. Incidentally, Togni told me that the crop level at his estate is "the major variable affecting wine quality," but I prefer the balance and sweetness of this wine to the 2005, a year that featured a smaller crop."

2. Joseph Phelps Syrah 2007

Color is intense dark purple. Nose has black pepper. Some thouhgt this is Malbec mainly because the color. Nice wine.

Joseph Phelps 2007 Syrah Napa Valley (from i-winereview.com)
"A gorgeous and elegant Napa Valley Syrah with a powerful, aromatic bouquet and a savory, well-structured palate that’s generous with its flavors of blackberry, herbs, smoke, and roasted meat, finishing with chalky, ripe tannins. The wine is about 40 percent whole cluster, and it is aged 19 months in a mix of new and two year old used medium toast French oak. This is 100% Syrah from the Hyde Vineyard."




3. Cheap Red Wine by Vin Ordinaire
This was submitted to test our taste. Color is definitly light and  was drinkable but simple wine. Pinot and Grenache were mentioned. Did we pass?

This in a non vintage "red table wine" from Vin Ordinaire, Ltd.
you could read review by a blogger here.












4. Domaine Mas Du BouQuet Vacqueras 2007

We thouhgt this was Rhone blend. Again, nice wine.

90 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar:
"Deep ruby. Rich blackberry and kirsch aromas are complicated by candied flowers, anise and garrigue, with a sexy note of cola coming up with air. Sweet dark berry flavors coat the palate, firmed by fine-grained tannins that are quickly absorbed by the fruit. This sweet, long wine is already very alluring." (01/09)

89-91 points Robert Parker:
"The general style is one of fruity, good quality, commercially-styled wines that represent very good value, and are immediately appealing. All of the 2007s are fruit-laden, lush, and best drunk in their first 3-5 years of life. The sumptuous Domaine Le Mas du Bouquet, 60% Grenache, 30% Syrah, and 10% Mourvedre, is aged in tank prior to early bottling" (02/09)

5. Peter Michael 'Les Pavots" 2002

Color has brown hue indicating the age.

94 points, Robert Parker, Wine Advocate
May 2005
"...showing a near-roasted ripeness, with aromas of black raspberry, licorice, minerals and flowers. Thick, dense and superripe, with compelling sweetness and layers of dark fruit flavor. Wonderfully full and deep wine with extraordinary palate coverage. The finish offers explosive persistence..."

98 points, Robert Parker, Wine Advocate
February 2004
"...Dense purple-colored with an extraordinary nose of melted licorice, white chocolate, creme de cassis, licorice, and incense, the wine hits the palate with a silky opulence, and marvelous, full-bodied power, but it is light on its feet, with great delineation, vibrancy, and freshness. Superb purity and a finish that goes on for 50+ seconds is the stuff of modern-day California legends..."

94 points, Stephen Tanzer
May 2005
"Cooler on the nose than the 2002 despite showing a near-roasted ripeness, with aromas of black raspberry, licorice, minerals and flowers. Thick, dense and superripe, with compelling sweetness and layers of dark fruit flavor. Wonderfully full and deep wine with extraordinary palate coverage. The finish offers explosive persistence and the thoroughly ripe, sweet tannins reach the front teeth. This has really del ivered on its early promise."


88 points, Wine Spectator
July 2005
"Rich, concentrated and complex, it's also a bit earthy and reduced. The core flavors of currant, anise, leather, fresh-brewed coffee and sage are dense and multifaceted..."

6. Merus Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

This came in a heavy body builder bottle. Nose is classic Cal Cab. Upfront loaded with black fruit laced with caramel, vanilla and dark chocolate. We knew this is a high-end california cab but which one is the only question. I was on the pinion that this is 07 Caymus Special selection but I was wrong.


96+ points by Robert Parker:
"As for their own wines, all of which come from southern Napa sites in Oak Knoll and Coombsville, the 2005 is certainly one of the finest wines they have yet made. A 1,000-case blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Petit Verdot and Malbec, the wine is dense purple-colored to the rim, with an exquisite nose of charcoal, graphite, and blackberry liqueur. Full-bodied, with great power, richness, and sensational length, this wine will benefit from 4-5 years of bottle-age and last three decades." - Robert Parker, Wine Advocate # 174 (Dec 2007)

7. Pride Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

This was brought out without cover. We all liked this one. The deck God, however, must have been feeling left out and required its due. I knocked over the bottle while setting up the candles (LED battery powered) and our Deck God got most of this wine--the boards drinking thirstily. Sorry.


"This is it - the release we’ve all been waiting for – our big estate Cabernet Sauvignon from the exciting and age-worthy 2007 vintage. With ample structure, blue-black fruit and great aging potential, this phenomenal wine is reminiscent of past vintages of our Reserve Cabernet. The nose expresses gorgeous flavors of cassis, black raspberry compote, cocoa and blueberry. The mouth is firm yet round, with intense flavors that evolve in the glass and balance the wine’s structure. The final blend is composed of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot from our Wind Whistle and Callie’s vineyard blocks, and 6% Petit Verdot. The wine was blended and bottled in July 2009, and has been bottle aged for four months." -The Winery

8. Ramey Claret 2006

This was our old favorite. It did not impress us as much as it did in the past. Are we getting jaded?

91 points by Wine Spectator

"Offers aromas of ripe plum and berry, with spice and sage. Though firm and full-bodied, this reveals a sense of elegance and finesse, ending with integrated tannins. Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2010 through 2016."—James Laube, November 15, 2009.

88 pints by Wine Advocate

"The 2006 Claret has turned out to be less impressive than I initially believed. Made in an up-front, fruity style, it possesses a dark ruby/purple color, notes of licorice, spice box, roasted herbs, and red as well as black currants. This soft red is good to excellent, but not as stunning as I had hoped.

Score: 88." —Robert Parker, December 2008.

9. Clos Mogador Priorat 2005

Piroca and company enjoyed this wine when they were visiting Spain last year. According to Piroca, this wine did not taste as good now as he remembered it tasting when he had it in Spain with nice tapas. It has a funky nose and is a bit on the austere side but otherwise it's good. We could not give it a 98, however.

P.S. This wine was tasted the next day (about a half bottle left) and it was much better than when we first tasted it. The funk nose dissipated and the wine had complex layers of taste.

98 points by Jay Miller, February 2008. Wine Advocate
"The 2005 Clos Mogador is the first wine in Spain entitled to the new classification of “Vi de finca Qualificada”. The estate is 20 hectares composing a single vineyard. The Garnacha wines are 80+ years of age while the other varieties (Carinena, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah) have been planted since the early 1980s. Average yields are under 10 hectoliters per hectare and only 2000 cases are produced. The winery has never purchased outside fruit. The wine is deep purple-colored with a superb bouquet of toasty oak, pencil lead, mineral, blackberry and black cherry. This leads to an opulent, dense, packed, structured wine with 6-8 years of aging potential. Super-concentrated, sweetly-fruited, and complex, this tour de force of a wine will drink well from 2012 to 2040. "

Wine tasting on 6-11-2010

This was not quite a wine tasting. At the last moment, Piroca suggested we taste wines at his new place where he just moved in. Present were Jimmy, Prioca and Uncle-N. Uncle-E arrived just before Uncle-N had to leave for another engagement. Winepath was out of town on business and vicariously joined in by text messaging. Upon arrival we had an incident. When we entered the house, we smelled incense from the scented candle Piroca had burning.
There was also a whiff of Bordeaux-like funk which the smell of the candle could not cover up. What happened was a little mouse somehow fell into a narrow and deep space between two cabinets in the kitchen and met his creator. He now imparted a heavy Bordeaux-like aroma. Jimmy's excellent handy man skills come into use. He put crushed dry ice from the top of the cabinets and left it for 30 minutes and then took off the bottom piece of wood which was sealing the bottom of the narrow space between the cabinets. The operation was a success. Even solidly frozen, the little fellow was quite pungent. R.I.P. (and their comment on the deleterious effect of the oak smell miasma imparted on the wine at our other venue.) Finally, we could evaluate the nose of the wines without too much interference. We really did not do a tasting so I will just record what we had. I am sure more bottles were opened after I left.

1. Fattoria Viticcio Chianti Classico Riserva 2006


I knew we would not like this wine but this got 93 points and #35 of 100 best wines of 2009 by Wine Spectator and I could not resist. It was rather austere. This is not our type of wine. Chianti Clasico Reserva made of 95% Sangiovese, 5% Merlot from Tuscany.

93 points By Wine Spectator, Issue: Oct 15, 2009
Top 100: 2009, Rank: 35
"Designation: Highly Recommended
Fabulous aromas of blackberry, dark chocolate and flowers follow through to a full-bodied palate, with supersilky tannins and amazing richness and subtlety. Goes on for minutes on the palate. Best from 2010 through 2015. 2,345 cases made." –JS

91 ponts By Wine Enthusiast, 6/1/2009
"Lush richness and velvety concentration set this wine apart from most Chianti Classico. The blend includes 15% Merlot (which is a lot) and you can really taste spice, chocolate fudge and black cherry. Determined oak notes reveal themselves in the mouth and add to the wine’s overall richness." M.L. 

2. Pride Merlot 2006

We tasted the 05 vintage of this wine and liked it then and gave 3+. The 2006 vintage is also good. Using their advantage of having vineyards straddling both Sonoma and Napa counties, the 58% of the fruit is from Sonoma side and 42% from Napa side and also has some cabernet fruit. We will definitely give over 90.

92 points by Connoisseurs' Guide:

"Wispy suggestions of loam and briar are almost obscured by chocolate and cherries in the highly ripe aromas of this one, but, the wine judiciously takes a step back in the mouth from excess and eschews simple ripeness in favor of sweet oak and deep, fully extracted fruit. Its pushy tannins do get in the way of early enjoyment, but it is certain to smooth and expand over half a decade or more. "

89 points by Wine Spectator:

"Dense and rich, displaying currant, licorice and spice aromas, with concentrated plum, espresso and loamy flavors that finish with firm, minerally tannins. Best from 2011 through 2015. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 6,077 cases made. "

winemaker's notes:"From our vineyard atop Spring Mountain, the 2006 vintage produced wines of generous richness and expressive aromatics, and our Merlot is no exception. Red cherry, raspberry, cocoa and tar notes in the nose frame a broad wine with plenty of stuffing. With the first sip, the sensuous mouthfeel leads into the wine's more serious side, as weighty but sweet tannins extend into a minutes-long finish. The blend is made up of 81% Clone 181 Merlot, contributing classic red fruit and bright acidity, 7% Clone 3 Merlot, adding heady floral and black fruit notes, and 11% Cabernet Sauvignon from our terraced Canyon Ranch vineyard block, bringing structure and focus to the final cuvée. A wine for Cabernet lovers, our Merlot is no wine to underestimate, and will continue to evolve over ten to twelve years in the bottle."

3. Hess 19 block cuvee 2006

Piroca initially thought this had a dead mouse nose but apparently that was indeed from the dead mouse and this wine has fine nose after all. A very decent wine, indeed.


92 points by Wine Enthusiast:

"A very fine wine, basically a Bordeaux blend except with a splash of Syrah, which adds a meat and violet flower note to the ripe, powerful black currants. New oak shows up in the smoky, cedary overlay. It’s a tannicly dry wine, in the way of Napa mountain Cabs, but so balanced and refined, you can drink it now. Should develop through 2012."

winemaker's notes:"From the highest elevations of our Mount Veeder vineyards, early ripening red varietals have been planted for their compatibility with these vineyards specific growing conditions. The result is a layered Cabernet Sauvignon based wine with pronounced fruit characteristics that are balanced by supple tannins."

4. Girard Diamond Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2005


Nice wine. Tasted like a classic Napa cab.

95 Poiint by Wine Enthusiast

"Where Girard’s estate Cab is beautiful now, their Diamond Mountain bottling is one for the cellar. Veteran winemaker Marco DiGiulio has applied his considerable experience, with classic results. The wine is marked by firm tannins that make it astringent and sticky. But underneath all that is an explosion of currant, plum, licorice, chocolate and spicy curry flavor that dazzles. Should easily age for a long time in a proper cellar. Production was a paltry 325 cases, and worth the search. "

92 points by Wine Advocate:

"Slightly more earthy, displaying hints of burning embers, creme de cassis, new saddle leather, plums, and spice, is the full-bodied, powerful, opaque ruby/purple-tinged 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain. With loads of potential, with 2-3 years of cellaring, it should turn out to be as good as the Pritchard Hill. When Leslie Rudd purchased the old Girard estate, resurrected a new winery, and replanted much of the Oakville vineyards, the Rudd Estate became increasingly well-known, and the name “Girard” was seemingly forgotten. However, these Girard cuvees beg for attention."

91 points by Wine Spectator:

"Offers a smooth, rich core of earthy currant, wild berry, mineral and sage, along with the structure, focus, concentration and depth to merit your attention. Ends with a long, layered, complex finish. Best from 2011 through 2018. 325 cases made."

winemaker's notes:"The 2005 vintage offers lush blackberry, anise and cherry at the beginning, with hints of clove layered throughout. Extended maceration ensures soft, integrated tannins. This medium to full-bodied Cabernet is very approachable now with proper decanting, and should age well for 20 years."

5. Bressler Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

This one has a bit musty nose but otherwise a fine wine. This wine is made from 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 4% Merlot, 3% Petite Verdot. Piroca tells us that their praised vines' roots were infested with nematodes and they had to rip them all up.

From the Winery website:

Tasting notes from Mia Klein:

"The 2005 vintage gave ample rain in the winter, charging up the soil water profile for a very nice growing season. Temperatures were moderate and consistent from early spring through October. Both the mature, established Cabernet Sauvignon vines and the now five year old Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petite Verdot vines produced some wonderful juice.

In terms of volume and concentration this is one of the most exceptional Bressler has produced, with aromas of dark chocolate, black truffle,  raspberry and blackberry fruits, malty caramel, and lavender notes. In the mouth the tannins are almost silky fine with a very long finish and the mid palate offers some rich flavors.  The wine has plenty of structure and intensity for good aging, but with plenty enough finesse for enjoyment in the near term.

This wines shows well young but will continue to improve over the next several years."

Late tastings, Friday night, June 4.

Present were four of the the die hard Club members: Uncles E, P, Jimmy, Winepath, special guest OZ. Uncle N had to leave early and is now sorry he could not stay.
We tasted two additional wines, without diguise (i.e. "naked"). The first, a fabulous repeat guest, was the Mica 2006.
This is a 2nd level Bucella wine. The grapes used consisted of 90% cab sauvignon, 4% merlot, 3% petit verdot, 2% cab franc, 1% malbec. A total of 617 cases made, aged for 22 months in new French oak this wine is a true masterpiece. Color was almost black with with first impressions of acai, jabuticaba and orange rind, with hibiscus and passionfruit background. Lingering aromas of African peaberry medium roast coffee grounds and fennel soaking through fermenting Costa-Rican rain forest floor. (If you don't believe the last statement, you should immediately visit Manuel Antonio National Park on the Pacific coast of C. R. and carry with you some decanted Mica, 2006 ).
Since Mica means "morsel" (while Buccella means "mouthful")-we could do with morsels like this, once a week. What a vino! A 5 (yes, a 5)

The second "Late tasting" bottle, a 4.

This was the second "naked" bottle tasted tonight. Revana Family Vineyard cabernet sauvignon, 2006. This exotic and excellent wine, produced by the "Screaming Eagle" -famed Heidi Barrett has the finesse of a black jaguar in a bottle. Powdered dark chocolate in a spice box with cardamom, nutmeg and redwood forrest. A very long finish. In the words of the winemaker:

Heidi Barrett’s Tasting Notes:

The 2006 Revana Cabernet is deep ruby in color with aromas of ripe blackberry, black cherry and cassis. Hints of sweet French oak lead you into the first sip confirming this is a special wine. The wine is full, yet soft in the mouth, dense and structured with mouth coating velvety tannins. Flavors on the palate match the aromas of ripe black fruits layered with toasty, elegant oak components. The flavors persist with good balance and tremendous length. The 2006 Cabernet will benefit from a few years in the cellar and will be at its best from 2012 to 2020."

Wine Tasting on June 4 2010

We are having unseasonably hot weather in the DC area. This reminds us to take heed not to ship wines during the hot summer days--one of the bad things associated with hot summer. All core members were present; Uncle N, Piroca, Winepath, Jimmy and late arriving UnlceE with a special guest apperance of Uncle OZ. We blind tasted 7 wines; one of them was very special, if not this evening's favorite.

1. Bodegas Carmen Rodriguez Mendez Carodorum Especial 2005, Score=3

Like the Vilafonte we tasted in the last tasting, this one donned a tissue paper which is blight yellow instead of red. This was further wrapped with 2 sheets of paper with a streamer of yellow paper sticking out like a yellow scarf flapping in the wind.

Color is very dark opaque garnet. Nose has slight funk and also we sensed high alcohol and somewhat oaky. Palate is loaded with intense dark fruit especially plum and black berries coated with melted dark chocolate and a hint of cinnamon. Nice smooth mouth coating viscous feel ending in well integrated but rather firm assertive tannin. Some tasters thought it was a bit too tannic. Our tasters' opinions were all over the board; "Cab or cab blend", "No, not cab, maybe syrah", "could be a Bordeaux", "Not a Bordeaux" and finally "Tempranillo from Spain" was mentioned. Some thought this was an older vintage (specifically 2003, I do not know why). This turned out to be Carodorum 2005, 100% tempranilo from Castilla Leon. We tasted the 2004 vintage before and liked it.

94 points by International Wine Review (Spanish Selections 2008-9 - Part 2):
"100% ungrafted, 100 year old Tempranillo aged 18 months in new French oak casks. Opaque ruby color with classy, nuanced aromas of toasty French oak and black plum fruit. Shows a soft, dark attack and an elegant, silky textured palate of black fruit and pepper. Beautifully balanced, with soft, round tannins and a long, lingering finish. A stunner! And not shy when it comes to alcohol either (15%).."

93 points by Jay Miller (Robert Parker's Wine Advocate # 175, Feb 2008):
"The 2005 Special Selection was sourced from ungrafted vines over 100 years old and aged for 18 months in new French oak. Opaque purple-colored, it presents a striking perfume of pain grille, scorched earth, espresso, blueberry, and blackberry liqueur. Powerful, concentrated, layered, and full-flavored, this spicy, rich wine has 6-8 years of aging potential and will drink well through 2025 Importer: F.L. Navarro, Quality Wines of Spain, New York, NY; tel. (212) 842-8181"

About the winery By qualitywinesofspain.com:
"The family of Guiller Diez had been growing grapes in Toro for generations but he is the first formal winemaker in the family. After completing his major in Winemaking, 2003 was the first vintage he created and his wines are already amongst the best in the region.
Practically garage wines, only 21 000 bottles are made. Everything is carefully crafted by hand.
The small Estate has 16 Has in small plots southeast from Toro, particularly the Cascajera Estate. This part of Zamora is one of the very few places in Spain where Phylloxera could never take hold. For their top wine, Carodorum uses only grapes that come from ungrafted vines that are more than 100 years old.  Guiller continues to take care of the vines in the same way his ancestors did-- without pesticides or fertilizers; all organic matter is re-used; the soil is plowed without machines; by hand in some cases, the grapes are hand-picked
The wines are bottled unfiltered nor they are estabilized.
Carodorum Seleccion Especial 2005. Toro.
100% Ungrafted Tinta de Toro +100 year old vines. 1500 kg/Ha
Aging: 18 months in new French Oak casks.
3000 bottles made"

2. Bodega Diaz Bayo Nuestro Ribera del Duero 2005, Score=2+~3

Color is nice dark garnet/ruby. Nose has, again, slight funk like gasoline or diesel, with mint and licorice. Palate has black fruit laced with a smoky note leading to well-integrated tannin. Some felt this wine was a bit too oaky. I thought this one is not as complex or intense as the Carodorum but many of us like this one better. Cab, Cab blend and Malbec were suggested. This is also from Rbera del Duero, Spain and 100% Tempranillo. I almost forgot to mention; our resident linguistic expert, Winepath, said "Nuestro" means "Ours". So here is "Our" wine.

90 points by Jay Miller, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate # 175 (Feb 2008):  
"The talented David Sampedro makes the wine at Diaz Bayo. The 2005 Nuestro is 100% Tempranillo aged for 12 months in French oak. Deep crimson in color, it has a fragrant nose of cedar, pencil lead, spice box, and blackberry. This is followed by a wine with a forward personality, ripe, spicy fruit, sweet tannins, and 1-2 years of cellaring potential. Drink this tasty effort over the next 5-7 years. Importer: Patrick Mata, Ole Imports; www.oleimports.com"

By bodegadiazbayo.com:
"A wine produced with the Tinta del País grape variety (also known as Tempranillo). Malolactic fermentation takes place in oak barrels, then aged for 18 months in French oak barrels.
Grape Variety: Tinta del País (aka Tinta Fino and Tempranillo)
Harvest and Production: The handpicked grapes are harvested in boxes and then refrigerated at 5ºC. A double selection process of clusters, then berries. Malolactic fermentation takes place in new French oak. Ageing: Following malolactic fermentation, it is aged for 18 months in 100% French oak, before bottling."

TASTING NOTES
"Color: A beautiful, powerfully intense, deep red cherry color. Very clean with a youthful color and rich potent legs, evident on the glass. Nose: Intense and very complex. Initially, ripe black fruit appears (blackberries, prunes, etc) that evolve into red fruit with touches akin to balsamic and fragrant herbs. As it evolves, very subtle shades of toast begin to emerge with hints of cocoa and licorice. In the mouth: As it enters the mouth it is clearly a very pleasant, powerful and fleshy wine with good structure. It has a very velvety, smooth mouth feel to it, as ripe black fruits begin to reveal themselves with notes of cocoa and licorice with an underlying subtle veil of toasty smokiness. Ripe fruit flavor dominates the oak. This is a complex wine that has a very long finish."

3.  Poem Cellars Tastevin Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, Score=2+

Color is dark garnet. Nose has black cherry and is more classic cab nose. Palate is upfront loaded with black fruit especially back cherry with sweet after taste laced with vanilla and herbs leading to well-integrated smooth tannin and some acidic kick.
 Zin, Merlot were first mentioned and we concluded that this was California cab or Cab blend with a component of Merlot.

It is very difficult to find any information about this wine. It appears this one is trying to be a cult winery and their web site only has a list of their wines and a page to join the mailing list but not any other information. This wine was a small production and only 100 cases were made. We are not sure this winery will attain a cult status judging from this wine and considering the current economic situation.

4. Winepath Cabernet Suavignon 2009 for topping off, no score

Color is light ruby. Nose is fragrant and sweet with medicinal and soapy characters. Palate has nice sweet red fruit and almost effervescent mouth feel leading to mild tannin.  Sweet fruit is the main taste. We were a bit perplexed as to what this was. All agreed that this was the least favorite wines among the wines we tasted. California Zin (because of fragrant nose) was suggested. This turned out to be Winepath home brew for topping off his cask. Although this was made from California Cabernet fruit with the rest of his 09 vintage cab, this batch did not see any oak and was kept in a glass carboy for topping off his grand vin in an oak cask. Although this could not compete with the rest of the wines we tasted, it is still quite drinkable and I bet it is much better than some of the home made wine and certainly 100% better than the Greek wine we tasted.

5. Buehler cabernet sauvignon 2007, Score=2+

Color is dark garnet. Nose has burned caramel. Palate is black fruit predominant with vanilla and moderate tannin. It is a pleasant enough wine but nothing too impressive. We thought this is Cali cab or may be with Merlot.

from Buehler Vineyards:

"Comprised of 100% cabernet sauvignon, our Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is crafted from grapes grown on our estate hillside vineyards (30%) in conjunction with grapes from other mature, high-quality, low-yielding Napa Valley cabernet vineyards located on the valley floor. We've found the resulting blend to produce a wine that displays a broad spectrum of aromas, flavors, and textures that cabernet can show in the Napa Valley. The wine is brimming with fruit aromas and flavors biased to the black fruit end of the cabernet spectrum: plums, blackberry, black currant. Rich and full-bodied on the palate, this cabernet drinks well on release but will soften and develop with additional age"

6. Robert Foley Petite Sirah 2007,score=2+~3
 
This one came in a sloped shoulder bottle. Color is very dark almost black. Nose has cracked black pepper and a hint of rubber tire. At this point, this looks and smells like syrah. Palate is rater intense black fruit with plum laced with vanilla but no jus de viande leading to moderate tannin. Nice smooth mouth feel. We all thought this is California Syrah. This turned out to be Robert Foley's petite sirah. Although there is some confusion and controversy about the exact origin and relations of this grape varietal to syrah, DNA studies appear to indicate the majority of California petite sirah is related to Durif rather than syrah.

From Dean and Deluca web page:
"Sourced from one of the best Petite Sirah vineyards in Calistoga, vintner Bob Foley now produces PS for his own line-up. Inky, with ultra-deep blue fruit, this 2007 is a combination of last year's Muscleman and Pepperlan single bottling Petite Sirahs. I highly suggest tasting this Petite Sirah with a rich meal. USA"

7. Souverain Cabernet Sauvignon 2005, Score=2+

Color is nice dark garnet. Nose has some funk and mineral or rocky dusty notes. Palate is upfront loaded with black fruit laced with chocolate and vanilla and ending in firm tannin.It is nice drinkable wine but nothing spectacular. Our conclusion was California Cab.

winemaker's notes:"Blend: 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Syrah, 1.5% Petite Sirah, 1.5% Cabernet Franc
Rich aromatics of roasted coffee, black and red fruit on the nose lead to flavors of black cherry, black plum and blackberry on the palate. The high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon creates dark, brooding yet structured tannins along with subtle layers of vanilla, bittersweet chocolate and baking spices. This balanced wine offers a well-structured mouthfeel that contributes to a long, toasty oak finish. This Cabernet Sauvignon is a wonderful introduction to Alexander Valley."