Wines Tasted - June 20, 2010

La Togata - Brunello di Montalcino - Tuscany - Italy - 2004 - $55 - (Modern, Showpiece) - Now when I call this Classically produced masterpiece a Modern-Showpiece, it's only because it is atypically ready to drink, with soft tannins and well developed fruit.  So, it starts off as a clear ruby wine with slight development at the rim and medium viscosity.  The nose just blows me away with ripe red & black cherry, and fresh plums mixed with tobacco box spice, leather and forest floor notes.  Very dimensional and complex.  Oak notes are subtle(boti, I suspect).  The wine was very dry, showed less fresh and more dried fruit impressions on the palate than the nose would lead you to believe, and had lower than expected acidity.  This is why I call it Modern, not because it was black and oaked to hell!  The body was medium+ all the way, it was perfectly balanced and had great length to the finish.  This was enjoyed with some toasted baguette and a bit of mature Hudson Vally Camembert with sliced Pears, and yes it went well...not perfectly, but without the Pears it would've gone awry;-) 
Get this at:
http://www.jjbuckley.com/2004-La-Togata-Brunello-di-Montalcino-Sangiovese-Grosso/p~2004~11094~750~f~ws before it's too too late!

Wines Tasted - February 8, 2010

 Chateau Durfort-Vivens - Margaux - Bordeaux - 2004 - (Classic, Classified 2nd Growth, Ager, Food Wine) - $36 - An absolute stunner at this price or any price under $100.  I'd seek this wine out on Wine Searcher myself, if you don't.  Deep garnet color with a medium garnet rim.  Classic BDX nose of crushed wet gravel, and turned compost with ripe plum, cassis and curranty cherry blossoms and rose petals.  Ripe and soft on the entry, yet always Bordeaux.  Moderate tannins with moderate+ acid and a balanced-medium+ length to the finish.  The fruit was equally well developed on the palette with obvious Merlot ripeness and structure traits.  It was my first experience with this 2nd Growth from Margaux, and I was more than impressed with it's poetic nature.  

 

Araujo Estate - Eisele Vineyard - Napa Valley - Syrah - 2004 - (Modern Wine, Ager, Showpiece) - $135 - My first experience with this wine and it was quite an evening. OK, get ready for the most expensive Syrah in Napa (Colgin?). 

"My Lord, are you sure this isn't a young Howell Mountain Cabernet?"  That was my impression on this young, young, young Monster of a wine.  Black as night with a deep purple/garnet rim, opaque and of high concentration and viscosity.  A nose of licorice, ouzo, spice, pepper, blueberry liquor and berry jam.  On the palette it was: "Angry at us for opening it, hard to drink since it was so overwhelming with tannin, Mad at us, full of cinnamon stick, like liquid licorice, finished with blackberry liquor and mineral"

A wine that needed 10 more years in the cellar before we should revisit.

Wines Tastes October 21, 2009

2001 Onyx – Threw major sediment.  Color was a transparent medium garnet with a medium red rim and a thick pink band leading to a clear meniscus.

The nose was of fresh red cherry, red plum, black plum, vanilla, cedar, ground cinnamon, clove and dried anise.

The palette revealed the immediate fleshyness of the plum and cherry fruit, while air allows the development of dried sage, black pepper and bresola as well as dried violets and dried bluberries to bolster the finish.

The wine has medium acidity, medium tannin and medium plus alcohol.

2003 Fortis – Threw major sediment.  Color was deep garnet/black fading to a medium garnet rim with a thin clear meniscus.

Aromas of coconut, vanilla, cedar shingles, black plum, cassis and very ripe red and black cherry led an aromatic charge on my senses. 

While the palette showcased spicy black plum, cassis, red cherry and kirsch liquor with cedar, cocoa, bakers chocolate, cinnamon bark and pink peppercorn.

The 2003 Fortis had medium acidity, medium tannin and medium plus to high alcohol.

2004 Fortis – Threw nearly no sediment at this point, but expect it in the future.  Opaque Garnet/black color fades to a medium garnet rim with a pink meniscus. 

Aromas of pure cassis, blackberry, black cherry, black plum and Hoisin sauce were driven like a 911 Turbo across my senses! 

Just unforgettable in its intensity!!  Full of sweet cocoa, vanilla and fruit extract along with the aforementioned fruits.

Tannin was moderate, moderate acid and moderate plus alcohol

Pine Ridge Vineyards Staff Tasting - January 23, 2009

Staff Tasting Recap – Jan. 2009
By: Eric C. Maczko

On January 28th I led the first tasting of 2009: the Line up of All Current Release Wines
We had 18 attendees. Most were able to stay the duration. We even had a top referrer join us.
I began the tasting with a comparison of 2007 & 2008 Chenin Blanc Viogniers.
I followed those with a flight of Chardonnays: 2006 & 2007 Dijon Clones and 2006 Le Petit Clos.
The first two reds were: 2005 Carneros Merlot & 2006 Crimson Creek.
Then we covered the Cabernets two by two: 2005 Cabernet Franc & 2005 Onyx;
2006 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon & 2005 Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon;
2005 Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon & 2005 Epitome Cabernet Sauvignon;
2005 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon & 2005 Andrus Reserve;
2004 Fortis & 2005 Fortis were the concluding wines.

In revere, I found that both vintages of Chenin Blanc/Viogniers tasted great, but different due to acid/fruit profiles. But, one could conclude that the wine will age for 3 – 4 years successfully. I also noted that the Dijon Clones wines were remarkably similar, even now. That did surprise me. I found the 2006 Crimson Creek to be “early” in its bottle development, while the 2005 Carnereos Merlot was excellent, if a bit bulky, now.
The 2005 Cabernet Franc was less expressive than previous vintages as far as raspberry fruit, but more expressive in the bittersweet chocolate, cocoa and black cherry/dry sage arenas. The 2005 Onyx impressed upon me a solid, Rioja Reserva character, now that is a positive despite some people’s reactions to my observation. It was hearty, toasty, cedary and full of Zino Platinum Cigar qualities. Spice led fruit in the general state of affairs in the Onyx, and that’s why I feel it is always a cigar lover’s style or a Syrah lover’s style.
The 2006 Napa Cabernet was showing its Malbec component up front, while expressing firm wood based tannins through the finish. The fruit layers were evident as well as being pleasant. The 2005 Oakville was tight and firm with classic Napa character: black and red cherry, cedary toast, rigid tannins and ‘peppery’ spice-box. The 2005 Stags Leap District Cabernet was by-and-long the most fruit driven of the line-up, pumping out ripe black cherry, plum, cassis, and bursting blueberry character astride with fresh tobacco leaf, tannins were caressing yet firm. While it’s “brother”, the 2005 Epitome SLD Cabernet, was atomic with crushed red currant, fresh brewed mocha latte’ and green peppercorns: this is easily my crush for the vintage. The 2005 Howell Mountain Cabernet was a full bodied, massively structured wine laden with black cherry, grilled blueberry, beef carpaccio, coffee grounds, and minerality only Howell Mountain’s Volcanics can deliver. The 2005 Andrus Reserve was so quaffable I had to repour myself! A Rutherford based wine from the vineyard of the same name, it showed elegance in place of power. The red berry mix was both ripe and balanced here. The 2004 Fortis was showing well. The full bodied, layered cuvee was all about cherry pie filling, spice and chocolate, while the highly anticipated 2005 Fortis was more about black cherry and plum with coffee grounds. Both versions of the Flagship Fortis were highly extracted, full bodied, and balanced while drifting slightly to the ultra modern.