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By
califusa Although not all of the wineries participated in this tasting, those that did brought treats that were well worth the price of admission, and gave some valuable insight into the aging potential of these varietals. George Heritier's tasting notes (and more photos) are here.
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Cline
Cellars – 1999 Big Break Cuvee - 66 % Grenache, Cold
Heaven with Morgan Clendenen - 1996 Viognier - a bit oxidized in the
nose, but in the mouth some lovely aged litchi nut, peach and nectarine
flavors with a hint of mineral - quite lovely. Domaine
de Triennes - 1995 Syrah Epices du Rhone - shy notes of garrigue
and Syrah spice - rich and full in the mouth - good balance, still
tasting rather young for a 95 - will be interesting to taste this wine
when it has been bottled and released. Edmonds
St. John - 1999 "Cotes Rouge" - Sonoma Valley - half Durrell
fruit, half Parmalee Hill. Very, very dense color - absolutely bodacious
in the mouth - rich with spice and roast meat - it all comes together
with the structure to go for long time. Jaffurs
Wine Cellars - 1996 Viognier Santa Barbara - the touch of madeirization
in the nose - still has some pretty and sweet fruit with good acidity on
the palate - very nice palate cleansing astringency. Jaffurs
1999 Syrah Stolpman Vineyards - shows a bit of stemmy herbaciousness -
the acids are a bit on the firm side - although I like what it has
to offer, I'm not sure this particular wine is ever going to come into
good balance without some blending. Jasper
Hill - 1996 Shiraz Georgia's Paddock - shows a bit of char
in the nose over some very nice black raspberry and spicy plum aromatics
- the wine is long and deep in the mouth, showing rich and pure fruit
flavors that stylistically remind me of Rafanelli and some of David
Coffaro's wines, in that they offer a beam of pure fruit that goes right
down the center of the palate, and define very nicely the region from
which the wine originates. Qupé,
and tasting with Louisa Lindquist - 1998 Mourvedre Ybarra Young
Vineyard - 1998 was one of the better vintages for this varietal in this
region. Effusive aromatics arise from the glass – great meaty, plum,
bacon fat, earth - all in a wonderful perfume that is both intoxicating
and captivating - just fabulous aromatics! Somewhat surprising in the
mouth - not the intensity of fruit that I might have expected given the
aromatics, but a very smooth and elegant, lovely wine in the mouth.
For those of you don't need to feel the earth move every time you open a bottle of wine, this could be a very special experience – an
absolutely delicious wine. Qupé
1994 Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyards Hillside Select from magnum - this wine
is just a classic. It has everything you could want to
have if you were looking for a meaningful relationship. Beautiful
aromatics of sweet red and black plumy fruits with hints of leather and
game - and absolutely delicious - smooth and eminently drinkable.
I could sit down and make an evening with a bottle of this wine. Alban
Vineyards – 1999 Grenache Seymour’s Vineyard - lovely roasted coffee
and toffee overtones in the nose over some restrained but dense
black stone fruits. The wine is very successful in the mouth,
showing bright acidity to carry the very formidable concentration of
fruit - long follow with clean and smoothly balanced tannins. This wine
has a very bright future ahead of it. Alban
1995 Estate Syrah Reva - interestingly, the wine has a fair amount
of funk in the nose - in the mouth the wine is very smooth and
successful - clean entry, smooth and rich dark fruits that flow smoothly
across the palate - a very long and clean finish - quite delicious. Lindeman’s
- 1970 Shiraz Hunter Valley - decanted, and certainly shows signs
of an older wine in its appearance – it’s brownish with a trace of
orange at the rim - lovely cedar and cigar box aromatics - a nice little
hint of mint on the nose. Although a certain inexperienced taster did
not appreciate the nuances of this well aged Syrah, I, on the other
hand, thought it was pretty nice. It still shows some fruit that is
alive and well, and some of the lovely complexities that only an older
wine can express. Linne
Calodo - 1999 James Berry Vineyard Bone Rock Cuvee – 90% Syrah
10% Mourvedre - Linne Calodo is a new venture of the Smith and
Trevesin families - they have been grape growers in Templeton for quite
some time and now are making their own. This will be their
top-level cuvee - a bit subdued in the nose but does shows some good
aromatics of roasted coffee that give way to weighty and dense purple
and black plum. The wine has good heft in the mouth, and
considerable tannins that may take a bit of time to settle down. It
certainly shows promise, and has intensity and character - very tasty,
with excellent potential. Curtis
Winery - 1995 Syrah Santa Ynez Valley Ambassador’s Vineyard -
this wine was made from only the second crop of fruit from this new
vineyard - shows spicy and coffee overtones on the nose - on
the palate the wine is amazingly dense and concentrated, especially
given the youth of these vines - very clean flavors, but even at five
years of age it still has some significant tannins and may never come into
good balance. Curtis
1999 Syrah Ambassador’s Vineyard - this barrel sample is dense
and dark in color, with good viscosity - very, very herbal - all herbs
all the time – Herbs de Provence with added rosemary and marjoram –
did I mention herbs? George Heritier's tasting notes or move on to the Auction
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