TNs--FALLTACULAR 2017

WINE TALK
21

Wish we had a “like” button

22

Frank and Jill deserve huge props for opening up their house and being the driving force behind this event, now into its second decade. Everyone pitches in, but they drive the bus. Also big thanks to all of the wineries that send their wine for the event. There are always some new and interesting things to try. All of them deserve props, but as Frank noted at the presentation, Brian Loring has been a consistent supporter which is no surprise.

It’s really a fantastic event, and the wine, while plentiful, is third fiddle. It’s great to see the group in such a spirited mood and, primarily, it’s awesome to turn our common appreciation of wine into something good. The day’s testimonial is such a tear-jerker. Anyone from another city should make it to Falltacular someday. There’s no better chance to see/meet so many Berserkers. Every year I come away saying that I have to
make an effort to hook up with some of the folks I typically only see at Falltacular.

I don’t take wine notes, so am glad to see Mike with his notebook. One wine I came away deciding to add to my must-buy list is the Riverain Cab. It, and their Syrah are not for the faint of heart but we’re both standout wines. Glad I snagged one of the auction lots.

23

So many great wines. Rasi killed it, Boheme chards, cool climate syrahs, Pinots are always a favorite, too many actually.


Wait for it… wait for it…

[bleh.gif]

FALLTACULAR 2016 - FMIII in the OC (2/18/2017-2/20/2017)

  • 2014 Agnitio Wines Pinot Noir Rosé - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (2/19/2017)
    Peach flavors and light pink color. Good acid with a hint of earth. More along the Provance style of rose.
  • 2013 Cattleya Chardonnay Pratt Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (2/19/2017)
    Medium gold color. Aromas of caramel. Sweet red apple and light caramel flavors. Very good balance. This is a nice wine.
  • 2014 Bohème Wines Chardonnay English Hill Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (2/19/2017)
    This was very easy to like. Good floral and perfume nose. Medium mouthfeel. Everyone enjoyed this wine that was tasting along side of me. Nice.
  • 2014 Tablas Creek Esprit Blanc de Tablas - USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles Adelaida District (2/19/2017)
    Green bean nose and expressive. Low acidity and very smooth mouthfeel, lacking much structure or bite. Taste good but comes off as flat.
  • 2013 Oro Bello Chardonnay - USA, California, Central Coast, Monterey (2/19/2017)
    Nose has a bit of diesel, would have guessed something like a Riesling. Not a distinctive Chardonnay profile. Fruity sweet pear and medium plus oak through the finish. This was up against some tough competition.
  • 2014 Carlisle The Derivative White - USA, California, Sonoma County (2/19/2017)
    This showed very well with white flower, terrific acidity and balance. Nice clean and crisp. Ding ding!
  • 2014 Kendric Vineyards Viognier - USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Marin County (2/19/2017)
    Good Viognier representation with this wine. Ripe tropical fruit nose and citrus flavors. It’s fruit forward in style and enjoyable.
  • 1995 Domaine Huet Vouvray Cuvée Constance - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Vouvray (2/19/2017)
    Ramon strolled by pouring this and I said just a tiny bit. Mistake! This is delicious. Deep brown/gold colored, sweet nose of apricot and fig. Apricot and surprising acidity, real treat.
  • 2014 Witch’s Hand Pinot Noir The Shillelagh - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (2/20/2017)
    Never heard of the is producer and has a scary label. LOL Really nice PN here with lots of cinnamon, spice and raspberry fruit. Good stuff.
  • 2015 Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Silver Eagle Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (2/20/2017)
    Hey, it’s a '15 and it showed very young. Don’t open for a few more years. It’s very dark and nice fruit profile but give it some time.
  • 2013 Alma Fría Pinot Noir Doña Margarita Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (2/20/2017)
    This is an easy drinker with integrated tannins and soft mouthfeel. Not much spice here, more flowers and red berries.
  • 2013 Agnitio Wines Pinot Noir Walala Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (2/20/2017)
    Mossy nose and a little fun funk thing going on to entertain myself. On the riper side of the fence.
  • 2015 Liquid Farm Pinot Noir SRH Radian & Sanford & Benedict - USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills (2/20/2017)
    Hope this was the correct bottle of LF, didn’t remember seeing the vineyards on the label… Delicious cherry and excellent balance. Bright and clean. Really good.
  • 2014 Rasi Wine Company Pinot Noir Three Barrels - USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills (2/20/2017)
    Wow, this is a REALLY terrific wine. It was standing next to the Rhys Alpine and held it’s own. Impressive. Beautiful fruit and stem/oak notes. I put down three pluses in my tasting notes. Not sure what that means except it’s good.
  • 2014 Rhys Pinot Noir Alpine Vineyard - USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains (2/20/2017)
    Excellent, as always. Dark cherry/strawberry, mysterious and coiled at this stage with a slight dry finish. Don’t open this wine yet. Yes, it’s great now but…
  • 2012 Edward Lane Wines Syrah Canihan Vineyards - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley (2/20/2017)
    Lots of big ripe blackberry. A little “stewed fruit” thing going on here. OK
  • 2015 Rasi Wine Company Mourvedre - USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles (2/20/2017)
    Dark opaque color. Dark fruit profile and a hint of mourvedre funkiness. Very well done. Tannins are very prickly at this stage, good overall structure.
  • 2013 DV8 Cellars Eau Rouge - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County (2/20/2017)
    Very good but very young GSM. Is this really only $20? That might be the QPR of the evening if true. Classic fruit profile. This needs a few more years to settle down.
  • 2013 Switchback Ridge Petite Sirah Peterson Family Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley (2/20/2017)
    Giant blue fruit and swarm of fine tannins, like being attacked by fire ants, at the finish. This is always fun.
  • 2012 Enfield Wine Co. Syrah Haynes Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley, Coombsville (2/20/2017)
    This was a great surprise. Very light syrah, lots of strawberry. I would have guess a cold climate Grenache or even pinot. good stuff here.
  • 2014 Campesino Grenache Steel Plow Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley (2/20/2017)
    More in an old world style with horse saddle and plenty of tannins.
  • 2015 Wind Gap Wines Syrah Nellessen Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (2/20/2017)
    Not your typical cali syrah, very light and fruit is along the lines of strawberry jam. Iodine on the nose.
  • 2012 Bohème Wines Syrah Occidental Hills - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (2/20/2017)
    Pushing the ripe envelope with dark plum and bit of raisin.
  • 2012 Cabot Vineyards Syrah Kimberly’s - USA, California, North Coast, Humboldt County (2/20/2017)
    Dark blackberry, sage, and a Chambord note at the finish. No bacon fat this year but still very good.
  • 2014 Ladd Cellars Chardonnay - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (2/20/2017)
    Good balance and nice oak presence. Tart red and green apple. This was a favorite of Traci and Chris. Good.
  • 2014 Ladd Cellars Chardonnay Cuvée Voile - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (2/20/2017)
    Again, great balance and green apple. I really enjoyed the edginess and tension of this wine. Good acidity.
  • 2014 Sojourn Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford (2/20/2017)
    Ripe red/black currant. A little too ripe and light on the backbone/finish.
  • 2014 Sojourn Cabernet Sauvignon Cuvée Home Ranch - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley (2/20/2017)
    I enjoyed this more than the GIII, Red and black currant, plum and nice firm tannins. Age worthy.
  • 2015 Sandler Wine Company Cabernet Sauvignon Lazare Vineyard Oak Knoll - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oak Knoll (2/20/2017)
    Chestnuts aroma and pickling spices. Dark berry flavors and baking spice at the finish. Would be difficult for me to pick as CS blind, I think.
  • 2014 Calluna Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Chalk Hill - USA, California, Sonoma County, Chalk Hill (2/20/2017)
    great structure and gritty tannins. Classic cab profile and beautiful mocha note. Really good.
  • 2015 Halcon Vineyards Esquisto - USA, California, North Coast, Yorkville Highlands (2/20/2017)
    Black fruit, incense, and sagebrush. Young and very good.
  • 2015 Halcon Vineyards Pinot Noir Wentzel Vineyard - USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley (2/20/2017)
    Very light, cool climate pinot. Raspberry, red berries, and fantastic.
  • 2014 Big Basin Vineyards Pinot Noir Lester Family Vineyard - USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains (2/20/2017)
    Cinnamon and red berries all mixed together. Very entertaining. Super long finish. I like this one too.
  • 2014 Bohème Wines Chardonnay Taylor Ridge Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (2/20/2017)
    Wow, this looks like an older chardonnay. Has a really brass color to it. Huge salinity underlying the palate, even shows on the nose. Touch of butter and baked red apples. Medium plus acidity. This is a winner.
  • 2014 Riverain Syrah Cardiac Hill Bennett Valley - USA, California, Sonoma County, Bennett Valley (2/20/2017)
    Hang on kids, this is a full throttled Syrah like northern Rhone. Very concentrated and extremely aggressive tannins, it’s a beautifully structured wine with black fruit and herbs but it needs a few more years before even thinking about opening it.

Posted from CellarTracker

24

Very well done Frankie. This event is one of, if not the, finest things this board has ever helped to grow and sustain.

25

Great counterpoint and additional notes, Brig, thanks! Bummed I missed the LF Pinot—I love the fruit from Radian. Also missed the Rivers-Marie Silver Eagle. I was able to taste, a day later, a bit of one of the Foursights, the Big Basin Rattlesnake Syrah and the Kiser En Haute. I will report on those and more in a separate thread later today/tonight–have to type up the notes on the plane ride to Honolulu.

Mike

26

Thank you sir for the nice comments and making the effort to attend. It is really a terrific event for a very worthy cause.

27

Both Calluna wines were 2014. I wanted to send 2013 Estate, but our warehouse mis-picked and shipped the 2014 Estate. While it doesn’t release until this Fall, I thought it was showing really lovely aromatics and textures for such a young BX red.

28

Great wine, that and the Riverain were the best in class for the cab table.

29

Mike and Brig are the TN gods [worship.gif] [worship.gif]

30

One interesting phenomenon that always seems to happen after every Falltacular is that Mike and Brig post notes, but then few others do . . .

I don’t think I’ve ever experienced a tasting where so many wines are tasted by so many members of this board at one time, but so few post notes about them.

It’s neither good nor bad - just an observation. And yes, I understand about the ‘big picture’ of this event - every year, Frank asks me ‘how I did’ and I always give him the same answer - AWESOME because I was around a bunch of folks who I dig; I was able to actually talk to them in person and get tons of hugs; and I was able to take part in an event that raised a great deal of money for a great cause.

Talk amongst yourselves :slight_smile:

31

It’s difficult to write tasting notes at Falltacular. Not many places to scribble and lots of interesting people to chat with to distract yourself. If you saw Mike and myself, we looked like octopus with a pen, spit cup, notebook, glass of wine and whatever else in our tentacles standing in front of the Everest of wine lineups.

I easily could have written another 20 tasting notes as Cris W and I crushed the whites together but I didn’t write them down as we were locked up in geek mode analyzing the wines. Fun stuff. Plus we had a young kid, first Falltacular, watching us so we were expanding on comments for his edification. I’m sure he thought we were insane but seemed to enjoy it.

Ideally, I’d like to get a head start without distractions and do a “century”. I think I could write 100 TN in 4 or 5 hours. But it’s not going to happen at Falltacular. [cheers.gif]

BTW- your barrel sample rosé was awesome. I just forgot to write it down! Doh!

32

Agree w Brig, it was an Everest of lineups! So many delicious wines I’d never previously tasted. The Ladd Chardonnays were outstanding. Had also never enjoyed Bearwallow or Kiser PNs - outstanding. Abundance of warm, friendly people too. Thank you all, especially Frank & Jill!!

33

Hey Kurt, it was a pleasure meeting you. Hopefully, you enjoyed yourself and look forward to next year [cheers.gif]

34

see next one.

35
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8 copies, though I’ll admit mine was a gift [grin.gif]

Thanks for weighing in and for some great notes, Darren.

In the HK-Macau part of the trip now…still haven’t unleashed the suntan oil on this trip—but meeting some fantastic people.

Mike

37

[/quote]


That’s cool to have them side by side. The Lester’s grow 10 different clones of PN at the vineyard. The Betwixt version is all clone 2A (Wadenswil), which always lacks color, and was 100% de-stemmed. I believe the Big Basin is 100% whole cluster but not sure which clones they get but I think it includes some dijon and heritage stuff.

38

Hi Darren, I wish I was there to taste those side by side with you. I can tell you a few things that might explain the differences: First, we are always the first to start picking in Lester, so my guess is that our Pinot might be lower alcohol (13%), but this certainly doesn’t explain the Betwixt having less color. Maybe they used one of the other Pinot selections that just doesn’t have much color (Mariafeld?). Our 2014 vintage included Mt. Eden (mostly) and 667, and was fermented 100% whole cluster with NO additions or any kind (until we added a little SO2 after Malo completed in barrel). I guarantee you that this wine has no brett. We are very careful in our winery and keep the brett out. Maybe you were just smelling/tasting the influence of stems? We have been making Pinot out of this vineyard since 2009 and I started experimenting with whole cluster in 2011 and gradually increased the percentage as we saw the positive results. No doubt my favorite Burgundy producers are all known for whole cluster fermentations as it contributes complexity, texture, and aromatic beauty. Of course, it doesn’t work everywhere, so one has to know their vineyards and pay attention to the vintage.