Wine tasting on July 16, 2010

This was indeed a hard week. It has been very hot as well--not to mention the earthquake. Buying wines on-line is getting to be a bit difficult in this weather. In any case, we had a tasting. Present were Uncle N and E, Piroca, and Winepath. Jimmy was on vacation. We tasted an  interestig mix of 5 wines including, God forbid, Bordeaux, and its extreme opposite Sloan.

1. Edna valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, Score=2

Color is dark garnet, slightly lighter than our usual wines. Nose is  somewhat muted. Because it was a bit warm, it also smelled alcoholic. Palate is rather muted but has some black fruit. It tasted very acidic to some, leading to rather moderate tannin. Piroca thought, though, it showed strong "tannicity", if such a word exists. Reasonable finish. We thought this was New World Cab. This one turned out to be from Edna Valley.

Winemaker's notes:
"Dark raspberry, blackberry and cassis take the lead in our 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, tinged with sweet earth and toasted oak. Layers of rich forest fruit unfold across the midpalate, accented by anise and dusty cocoa. Neither daunting nor heavy, this Cabernet Sauvignon is a perfect marriage of robust character and smooth drinkability. The full flavors and well-balanced acids pair  well with rich, creamy foods such as chicken Cordon Bleu or seared steak dressed in herb butter."


2. Vina Caliterra Tributo Edicion Limitada Colchagua Valley Carmenere/Malbec 2006, score=2+

Color is dark garnet without any blue hue that we could detect. Nose is quite assertive with chemical, skunky somewhat BO'ish notes. Palate is much nicer than the nose with good upfront fruit laced with herbal note leading to moderate tannin with some acidic kick and reasonably lingering finish. Cab, Syrah, Italian, and Spanish were words uttered. This is an unusual blend of 60% Carmenere and 40% Malbec from Chile. I was a bit disappointed especially that the nose was not pleasant. I am not sure how we differ on the perception of the nose from these professional tasters below.

P.S. Please see an additional tasting note on this wine.

90 points by Jay Miller Wine Advocate # 179 (Oct 2008)
"The 2006 Tributo Edicion Limitada Carmenere (60%)-Malbec (40%) was barrel-fermented and aged for 14 months in French and American oak. It exhibits a nose of pain grille, pencil lead, spice box, black currant, and blackberry. This leads to a medium to full-bodied wine with layered fruit, savory black fruit flavors, and enough structure to evolve for 1-2 years. It will be at its best from 2010 to 2018. Caliterra’s less expensive Reserva lineup did not move me but the Tribute portfolio was excellent. Each of the wines spent 14 months in French and American oak."

90 points by  International Wine 

"Calitera’s blend of 60% Carmenere and 40% Malbec is a successful cuvée in which each variety complements the other. The Carmenere is soft and aromatic with low acidity, while the Malbec contributes fruity, floral aromas, tannic structure, and acidity. Dark ruby in color the wine exhibits a ripe nose of dark red fruit, blackberries, and smoky oak. It has good depth of flavor, excellent structure and balance and a long finish without any green notes."

By caliterra.com

Winemaker´s Notes: 

"This enchanting limited release is a unique exponent of what South America can give to the world by blending the two most distinctive vine varieties of the south cone. The delicate union between 60% Carmenère and 40% Malbec results in a wine with a beautiful deep red colour, fresh aromas, notes of ripe fruit, tobacco and rain forest. The Carmenère delivers a silky spicy edge while the Malbec stands out for its strength and sweetness. On the palate, the wine shows a great length, personality and elegance."

3. Cameron Hughes Lot 136 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa valley 2007, score=2+~3

Color is nice dark garnet. Nose is very pleasant with cherry note without any funk. Palate is also pleasant with upfront black fruit laced with vanilla and caramel leaving sweet taste in your mouth and ending in rather smooth well-integrated tannin. Finish is not bad. For some, the sweet taste was too much. Our consensus was Cali cab. This is one of Cameron Hughes wine which we got into after it was featured in WSJ. Among three lots we (at least some of us) tasted, this one appears to be the best. 

If you are interested, please read the WSJ article (the link above). He buys wines from well-known wine makers which would have been bottled and sold much more expensively using their own labels. Because of the economic down-turn, these wineries have extra-inventories that Cameron Huges buys and bottles under the "Cameron Hughes" label, simply naming the wine by lot number such as Lot 136. Initially, we could only get them through the website but now we see them everywhere from neighborhood wine stores to Costco. One of the problems is that if you find something you like and want to buy more, that particular lot may be all sold out. 
   

4.Chateau Canon la Gaffeliere 2003 score=2

Color is brown indicating either age or accelerated oxidation. Nose is funky with rubber tire and BO'ish notes. Palate is much better with very gentle smooth mouth feel with controlled sweet fruit with cedar overtones leading to mild tannin. The midpalate felt flat, though. We thought this was Italian or Bordeaux and came down on the side of Bordeaux. As per Uncle E, this was stored in his garage which may have seen some 80F temperature in recent days. Whether this wine was affected by this or this wine was supposed to taste like this reamins uncertain.

89 points by Rober Parker 

One of St.-Emilion’s most consistently high quality estates, particularly since the late 1980s, this 50-acre estate is situated on clay and limestone soils in the appellation’s southern sector. The vineyard consists of 55% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Performing slightly better from bottle than it did from cask, the 2003 is a soft, relatively evolved style of wine. Up-front and forward, with a complex, perfumed (smoke, incense, fruitcake) style, it offers creme de cassis, cherry, plum, fig, incense, and cedar characteristics on the palate. The round, opulent attack quickly fades in the finish. Nevertheless, it possesses plenty of appeal, and is the most accessible Canon-La-Gaffeliere I have tasted. Drink it over the next decade."

Winemaker's notes:
"Remarkably well-structured, always elegant, and unfailingly long on the palate, Château Canon La Gaffelière eloquently illustrates Stephan von Neipperg's new orientation.
A rather "intellectual" wine with a great deal of finesse that is relatively open even in its youth... There is always a floral side to enhance its fruitiness, with hints of forest floor. A great pleasure on both the nose and the palate. Fine and delicate."

5. Sloan Proprietary Red 2006, score=3+~4-

Color is very dark garnet, almost black. Nose is very pleasant with lilac and dark chocolate. Palate is definitely New World with complex back fruit laced with vanilla leading to firm big tannin. We thought the tannin was still a bit too big and overly oaky. We all thought this is a high-end Cali cab (came in a big body builder bottle). This is Sloan 2006. Some of us may even prefer their second label "Asterisk" which we tasted before. Certainly this wine will evolve as it bottle ages. As per Prioca, among the all expensive high-end cali cab he tastes this one may be the least favorite of his.

98 points, Robert Parker, Wine Advocate December 2009

"The 2006 is performing even better from bottle than it did from barrel. Sloan and McClellan decided to bottle it later than usual, recognizing the rugged, tough tannins of the vintage could be sweetened up with longer barrel aging. Their strategy worked. The wine’s dense ruby/purple color is followed by notes of white chocolate, burning embers, creme de cassis, coffee, and scorched earth (think Haut-Brion or La Mission Haut-Brion). It possesses terrific structure, melted, well-integrated tannins, full body, and is already bursting with complexity. A great success, it is one of the vintage’s most thrilling wines. Drink it over the next 20-25 years."

93-96 points, Stephen Tanzer May 2008

"Deep ruby. Superripe aromas of blueberry, liquid graphite, violet, licorice and dark chocolate. Large-scaled, dense and primary; more muscular and a bit less harmonious at this early stage than the 2005 but also wonderfully creamy. Not quite as sweet yet on the back end, but brooding, tooth-dusting tannins and a sappy mineral pungency give this wine great structure for further development in barrel and a long life in bottle. Winemaker Martha McClellan told me she has been barrel-fermenting a growing portion of the merlot here, which typically makes up about 10% or 12% of the blend."