Wine Tasing on September 25, 2009

Present were our usual, Piroca, Jimmy, Winepath, and Uncle-N. We blind tasted 4 good wines. Uncle-E is somewhere in Europe (we think). Two wines are from California and one from South Africa and Australia, respectively.

1.  d'Arenberg "The Dead Arm" Shiraz McLaren Vale South Australia 2006, Score=3+

Color is nicely dark. Nose is pleasant with chocolate and plum without any funk. Palate is very smooth with upfront mixed black fruit especially black cherry, leadig to nice big but well-integrated tannin. It has nice long finish.  It felt a bit hot (?high alcohol). All thought, this is in a New World style. Cali Cab and cab blend were mentioned. Spanish was thrown in for good measure. This is one of our past favorites; d'Arenberg "The Dead Arm" Shiraz from McLaren Vale South Australia. We've tasted "The Dead Arm" before. Several times before we started this blog. Then, after we started the blog Unlce-N posted a tasting note on the 2002 vintage.

95+ points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate:  "D’Arenberg’s flagship is the 2006 The Dead Arm Shiraz. Opaque purple-colored, the nose is reticent but gives up aromas of meat, bacon, game, truffles, blueberry, and blackberry. Firm, layered, and complex, this beautifully rendered Shiraz demands a decade of cellaring. It will be superb from 2018 to 2036." (02/09) 

93 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, Sep/Oct 08: "Opaque ruby. Blackberry and candied cherry on the nose, with suave graphite and anise qualities adding complexity. Deep and rich but also focused, with powerful dark berry preserve flavors and a late kick of iron. There's lots going on here, and this energetic wine is still painfully young. Finishes with mounting sweetness and a strong echo of minerals." 

91 points Wine Spectator: "Lush and ripe, with an earthy animal component to the generous cherry, currant and exotic spice flavors that keep sailing on the long, supple finish. Drink now through 2016." (09/09) "

2. Burgess Cellars Enveiere Napa Valley Bordeaux Blend 2002, Score=3

Again the color is just fine and dark. The nose has a strong herbal component, rosemary, sage, lavender and some woodsy note. No funk. Piroca described a "rubber tire" nose which he said he liked (the rest of us did not sense this smell). The palate is a bit austere but still has plenty of nice black fruit coming through. The ending has a nice firm tannin which, for some, tasted a bit bitter. The finish was reasonably long. Despite some austere characteristics, everybody felt this was from the New World and mentioned California Cab blend, with special identification of a cab franc component due to the herbal nose. Unlce-E who is a green pepper specialist was not here to comment if this wine had "green pepper". Spanish and syrah were also mentioned in passing. This is indeed a Califronia cab blend, Burgess Cellars Enveiere 2002. The blend consists of  Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petite Verdot with alcohol content of 14.3%.

Jonathan Newman – 93/100: "The delicious Red meritage is the marquee wine produced by long-time Napa pioneer and proprietor, Tom Burgess. Very ripe aromas of blackberry spice, violets and plum. A big wine with a very lush mouth feel with expressive flavors of black currants, blackberries, dark chocolate and vanilla spice. Both dense and round with sustained intensity and length that saturate the entire palate. From their Mountain Vineyard, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cab Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, aged mainly in new French Oak barrels. Will pair nicely with a porterhouse steak, cassoulet, leg of lamb and roasted meats."

3. Behrens & Hitchcock 4 blocks syrah 2002, score=3+

This one came in a sloped shoulder bottle. When it was poured, the color was inky black. Before going any further, this was identified as a syrah. The nose is bit closed but has nice black fruit, plum and cedar. The palate is loaded with upfront black fruit, black berry, blue berry, black cherry, plum with nice smooth mouth feel and big but nice silky tannin. Long lingering finish. Bit of herbal or parsley aftertaste. Because of ths rather bold taste, we felt this must be a high-end Australian Shiraz but this is from California. Behrens & Hitchcock to be exact. This winery has become one of Piroca's favorites. He brought several other B&H in the past but we have only one entry in our blog.

Producer note: "The husband and wife duo of Lisa Drinkward and Les Behrens got their start with their award-winning restaurant, Folie Douce in Arcata, California. When loyal clientele Joe Bob Hitchcock and his wife Lily learned of Les' thoughts of winemaking, the couple decided to put up some capital to join him in his endeavor. The first 175 cases were produced in 1993, and grew to 750 over the next three years. In 1997, the vineyard moved from Arcata to Napa Valley, where Behrens & Hitchcock eventually decided to purchase acreage on Spring Mountain. The team worked hard to produce its first single-vineyard wines during the 1999 harvest. Today the winery is seemingly an overnight success, producing single-lot Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Petite Syrah of outstanding quality. "

91 points WS: "Rich, firm, concentrated and well-focused, with earthy, beefy blueberry and wild berry flavors that are sharply focused, complex and expansive, ending with a long, persistent finish."

4. Capaia  (South Africa) 2005, Score=2+

This one takes the prize in the distinctive nose category.  The nose is very pungent with a metallic, soy sauce, and as some said, a bit farty smell. Winepath  uttered "handle-bar mustache" to describe this nose. We are not sure what that means but it somehow conveys the peculiar characteristic of this wine's nose. The palate is better than the nose. Nice upfront black fruit with smoky note ending in good big tannin. Bit short for finish. I could not get over this nose but some thought it was OK. Cab-Syrah blend from Australia, Marbec-Cab blend from Argentina etc were suggested but ths one is from South Africa.

Capaia Winery was established in 1997 by a German couple, Ingrid Baroness and Alexander Baron von Essen near Cape Town.

91 Points - Wine Spectator: "This is Capaia's flagship blend of traditional Bordeaux varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. The wine displays complex aromas of meat, spice, tobacco and dark berry fruit. These are supported by a deliciously full, well balanced palate packed with layers of flavor that linger beautifully. The wine was bottled without fining or filtration, and so it may form a deposit with time. It is therefore recommended that it be decanted before enjoying. Only 600 cases imported. "

This one requires some translation but is the wine makers description of this wine.

"Die Aromavielfalt, die Intensität und die Reintönigkeit im Bouquet lassen aufhorchen: Ein Genusserlebnis der besten Art kündigt sich in der Nase an. Stoff und Struktur in eindrücklicher Ausprägung und von nahezu vollendeter Harmonie prägen die Sinneseindrücke im Gaumen und bestimmen das anhaltende Finale. Der CAPAIA, vom international anerkannten Oenologen Stephan Graf von Neipperg gekeltert, überzeugt vollends durch Dichte, Nachhaltigkeit und Ausgewogenheit. Dieses Monument gehört zu den ganz grossen Weinen dieser Welt!"

As per Google translation. "Listen attentively to the aroma variety, intensity and cleanness in the bouquet: a pleasurable experience, the best way is heralded in the nose. Fabric and structure in an impressive expression and nearly perfect harmony characterize the sensations on the palate and to determine the persistent finish. The CAPAIA, pressed by the internationally renowned winemaker Stephan Graf von Neipperg entirely convinced by density, sustainability and balance. This monument is among the very great wines of the world!"

ODE TO PICASSO, by Behrens and Hitchcock-Forward fruit "American Oak" "dirty dishwater" nose ; great mouthfill, smooth with something "green" at the end (don't ask me, it was uncle E who figured this one); could be a high-end south american. Most thought this to be a blend of cab, with cab franc or petit verdot. Well, as usual, not even close. It is Behrens and Hitchcock melange of I don't know what 2004 grapes producing a suprising 15.5% alcohol-containing very drinkable wine, in memory of the famous Pcasso pussycat. A 3, for sure, probably the best tonight.

Present were: Uncle N (for a short time only), Uncle E, Jimmy, Uncle Piroca, Uncle Winepath with a brief cameo visit from Uncle Grasshopper. We tasted 5 wines, blindly (ALL LABELS WERE COVERED UP). The order in which wines were tasted: see the last one first.
Another Behrens and Hitchcock. Great wine: Kenefick Ranch Cuvee, 2003. A great CABERNET fom Napa, with 15.2% alcohol, these people make enviable wines. It is deeper than the Picasso, but uncle Piroca prefers the former-must be the pussycat label.
Uncle winepath could use this as his table wine. Another 2+ to 3.

Behrens & Hitchcock, "Kitchen Sink",2004 (3-3+)

This wine was tasted last. Good "syrah" nose, this is a dark, though tannic wine. Root beer, medicinal taste, but interesting, nothing like the other B &H wines. A mix of mostly syrah with cab, merlot and petit verdot-this is probably the best one of the lot. B & H will no longer produce under joint label; rumor has it that the partners have split up-apparently this made prices go through the roof. Uncle Winepath is expecting to be hired as the new winemaker, to make equally good wines. He is standing by the phone as we speak, waiting for the call.

Wine Tasting on December 7, 2007

We tasted 5 wines blind. Present were Winepath, Piroca, Uncle-E, Jimmy and Uncle-N. It was rather good tasting and we liked all 5 wines. They appear in order of tasting. For the first time in our history of tasting, Uncle-E arrived first.

1. Finca Allende Rioja 2004, score=2+ to 3

This is the wine that winepath raved about in the past post. Uncle-N found this and brought this to see if Winepath could recognize it (of course not). To quote Winepath, "it's what a Bordeaux should taste like when it grows up: fine nose of funky vanilla with undertones of clementine and tangerine dark-roast ethiopian coffee. Musty hints of green peppercorn and rubbing alcohol (isobuthanol, to be exact). The tannins reflected the 36 months spent in eastern-silesian bariques, followed by 400 days in in norvegian aspen barrels. Definitely spicy, peppery on the mid-palate with medium-toasted sesame, ginger afalfa and new mexican blue corn with a hint of lebanese cedar resin and european white oak acorns". The rest of us are not as astute to appreciate all this mambo jumbo but, again, we all like this wine. Spain is definitely doing better than other old world.

2. Cliff Lede cab sauv 2005, score=2+ to 3
Everybody agreed that this is a new world wine from Napa. Some thought it tasted like 2004 Neal. Nice nose with lots of red fruits and vanilla. It tasted like a good Napa cab with lots of fruits, vanilla and caramel. Some thought this is bit over oaked as many Napa cabs are. Rather young and tannin has bit of an edge. We agreed that bottle aging may do good.

P.S. Uncle-E brought 2004 Cliff Lede before which some of us have tasted (not Uncle-N) and gave score of 3.


3. Caro 2002, score=2+

We tasted this several times before but we could not identify it. Some thought this could be Bordeaux but lacking mineral or terriore taste. This was collaboration of French and Argentine; blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec made in Bordeaux style by two renowned wine families; Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) and Nicolas Catena. Nose has slight funk (reminiscent of Bordeaux) but by no means not too disturbing. Rather austere but nice complex taste of balanced tannin, fruits, and acidity. Finish is bit short. Again we will rather drink this than over-priced Bordeaux.

4. Contender 2003, score=4

We tested this in the past but none of us (beside Piroca who brought this) could not identify it. This is from famed Behrens and Hitchcock Winery. Blend of cab sauv (73%), cab frank (22%), Merlot (4%) and Petit Verdot (1%). Nice nose with cherry, vanilla and green pepper. This is by no means a fruits bomb and rather subtle but complex tastes. It tasted like good Bordeaux should be. Nice long finish and nice tannin structure. Our favorite of the evening.

5. Ghost Pine Sab Sauv 2005, score=3

It is 100% cab sauv, 61% from Napa and 39% from Sonoma. 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 complexed 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.

P.S. Additional "floral" description by winepath showing off his innate ability to bullshit and his unwillingness of using spell checker. Quoted as is; "Ghost Pines, to me, had a definite boysenberry and soft parsimon jam finish. Underneath all that, a subtle, yet noticeable whiff of parsley, azalea and seared radicchio was also detectable."

Tasting on 6-20-08

For some time we did not have full attendance but today, Uncle-E (early arrival), Uncle-N, Piroca, Winepah, and Jimmy were all present. We blind tasted 6 wines; all were good.

1. Behrens and Hitchcock 2003 Petite Sirah, score=3

Dark almost black color with nice plumy nose. Uncle-N immediately thought of syrah. The palate reflects the nose; plum, plum, plum with blueberry laced with caramel and vanilla but no black pepper. Good tannin with bit bitter finish. Uncle-E declared this is petit sirah and he was right. There is lots of controversy around syrah and petite sirah; about the origins of both grape varietals as well as their tastes especially when it comes to California Syrah and petite sirah. Some claim California petit sirah tastes more like syrah from other places such as Rhone and Australia. It is beyond me, how uncle-E could figure this out without a hint of doubt. Only thing missing from classic syrah is black pepper finish. In any case, those who are interested in the academic discussion of all this please see an article by Gerald Boyd (please click for the article).

2. Barnett Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain 2001, score=2+

Nose has some spice almost reminded some of us of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Some thought there was slight funk which dissipated after some time. The palate is bit reserved but some black fruits coming through with good firm tannin. Some of us thought this could be Italian specifically Brunello or super Tuscan. But we were wrong. This is a Cali Cab from Barnett. We tasted the barrel sample some time ago and some liked wines from this vineyard. Overall, good wine but not spectacular and at least to me, it is in a more old world style.

3. Hewitt Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford 2004, score=3 ~ 3+

The bottle is tall and extremely heavy. You need to hold it with two hands. Nice nose with lots of black cherry with caramel and vanilla suggesting this must be a highly oaked fruit bomb from California. The palate is more reserved than we expected. Certainly it is not a fruit bomb. More Bordeaux-like with restrained black fruits with big firm tannic finish with acidic kick. Some complained of short finish. The testers thought of Cali cab, Spanish, Argentina etc. This is Hewitt Cab. They started making their estate wine few years ago (before that the grapes from this estate was sought after) and 2004 is 4th year for them. It is interesting to see if this winery will make it to a boutique status in near future.

4. Pride Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2003, score=3

Cedar nose with some sulfur (fecal) note with black cherry. But the sulfur nose goes away rather quickly. The palate is nice with black fruits and customary vanilla and caramel. Some thought this is Bordeaux-like but some felt this is definitely a new world wine and that it is a Cali cab or cab blend. Actually, Uncle-N had this wine at the restaurant 2 weeks ago with a nice dinner and liked it as a classic Cali Cab but, of course, he could not identify it as such. It is interesting that Barnett and Pride are both in the Spring Mountain across from each other and we tasted them together by chance. We all felt Pride is better in this competition.

5. Ladera Cabernet Sauvignon 2005, score=2+

The nose is similar to Pride in that cedar nose with some sulfur. The palate is somewhat subdued with black fruits and acidic finish and bitter tannin. Malbec and Syrah were mentioned but no body thought of Cali Cab. Again, this is a vineyard that we tasted barrel sample some time ago and Piroca and Winepath were impressed with the barrel sample. So, it was bit disappointing.

6. El Puntido by Viñedos de Páganos, Rioja 2003, score=2+

The nose is nice with mocha and coffee. Nice black fruits on the palate with nice but not too assertive tannin. The tasters felt this is Spanish or Rhone. This happened to be El Puntido from Rioja and we assume that this is 100% tempranillo. 96 points and the #1 wine in "The Enthusiast 100" from Wine Enthusiast (which we feel is over rated), 91 W&S and 90 ST (which we agree).

All wines we tasted this evening are quite good.

Tasting of March 14 2008

Present were Uncle-N, Piroca, Winepath, and Jimmy. As usual we tasted 5 wines blindly and they appear as we tasted them. As always, we are pretty bad in identifying wines and there is some saying we should give up on the "blind" part of the tasting. But some day, we all may develop the palate of RP and alike. So we keep on.

1.Mas Doix Priorat Costers de Vinyes Velles 2005, Score=3+~4

Piroca did it again (fourth time). Everybody thought this is a high-end Cali cab or Cab blend. The Color is awesome with deep red/purple with beautiful nose of black cherry, vanilla and caramel with hint of mocha; all the indication of highly oaked and highly extracted Cali cab. But the wine is (again) from Spain (Priorat, Cariñena to be exact) and made of a blend of 50% Carinena (carignan or mazuelo), 48% Garnacha, and 2% Merlot and is aged for 16 months in new French oak. The palate is also very intense with lots of black fruits with big chewy tannin with long finish. Again we are struck by the fact that Spain keeps producing wonderful new world wines from grapes we do not expect. Carinena or Carignan is not the grape you are supposedly making this kind of new world wine. It should be a minor part of blends or, I hear, they grow it in Central Valley of California in large quantity and ends up in many jug wines. Hat off to the wine maker and Piroca who brought this to fool us again.

2. Behrens & Hitchcock Tenth Anniversary Cuvee 2003, Score=3

This is very interesting wine. The color has slight brown tinge at the rim. The nose has very slight funk (smoky), and some minerals (almost soapy). The palate has some red fruits (raspberry) but subdued fruits with raisin and nice long finish with bitter note. We thought of possible Amarone but we are wrong again. This is another one of B&H. This cuvee is made of 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. B&H keeps making interesting wines of different styles but this one, even after knowing the identity of the wine, reminded us of Amarone. It is interesting that a real Amarone followed this.

3. Brunelli Amarone Campo Titari 2001, score=2+

Piroca guessed it right because this was brought by Uncle-N (bringing Italian lately), shape of the bottle and helped little bit by the actual taste. The color has some brown tinge. It has somewhat medicinal or creosote-like nose with spices and "milk products" (by Winepath). The palate shows nuts, raisin, with sweet note and long finish with slight bitter taste. We are expecting bit more than this. Despite it was kept in the temperature controlled environment and was laid flat, there was slight wine seepage and cork was very fragile. We are not sure this bottle may have been oxidized too much before this tasting.
This is a definitely "pass".

4. Four Vines "Maverick" Zinfandel" Amador County 2005, Score=2+

The color is light resembling Pinot (but darker than most Pinot). Nice pleasant nose with red fruits especially strawberry, raspberry and blue berry, almost floral note. The taste is also pleasant with nice firm tannin and reasonably long finish. We thought of South of France grapes such as Granache or even Pinot but did not think it is from France or Europe. We did not think of Zin because it has so much red fruits and almost floral nose but this is an example of well-made Zin. We (I) think this has a good PQR.




5. Excelsior Paddock Shiraz South Africa 2005, Score=2

This one was easy for everybody; Shiraz! Everything was there; the nose and taste. The nose has plum and black pepper (not significant meat juice smell, though). New World Shiraz with plum black fruits and peppery finish. Very reasonable wine but not particularly special or complex. We all thought of Australia as an origin and we also discussed South Africa including Pinotage etc. This is indeed from South Africa. We like Excelsior Cab as a reasonable everyday table wine and this one also falls into that category.

Great wine, it was identified as "Behrens & Hitchcock" by Uncles Winepath and E. Smoky nose with ripe prunes and lavender. Of course, we were wrong as usual, this was a Chapellet from Napa, 3+ or 4. I had bad experience in the past with Chapellet cabs, but then I am only a young winemaker who has a lot to learn.

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. "