Virtual Tasting Series XIX - Jay Hack & The Cali Rhone Ranger playing for The Men's Homeless Shelter

WINE TALK
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. HA HA! :stuck_out_tongue:

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Mark needs to put on his big boy long pants. champagne.gif I even tried the 2000 Pavie he gave me blind, so he should try some good Rhone Rangers. PS - the Pavie was horrible, and not for the reasons Jancis and friends claimed. It just tasted like an over the hill 30 year old fifth growth.

And now back to our regularly scheduled programming. I’m going to go downstairs and bring up a 2004 Copain Les Copain James Berry Vineyard for dinner.

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Any left? I can come by with my 5 er. [cheers.gif]

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We’re visiting friends & family in south FL at the beginning of the week.
I’ll take an 09 Copain Brosseau and an 09 Saxum JB. The label “says” 15.8 but you and I both know it’s a ten buck wine. [wink.gif]

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god, the 2009 and 2010 Copain Brosseau syrahs are such kick ass wines, Scott. The 2009 is bigger than the 2010, more open-textured and ready then the 2010, but at any rate, enjoy!

Here is my contribution at 5 bucks. Sorry, Jay, I own so few of the 16 percenters any more so you’ll have to accept this wine, listed at 14.9%. Thanks for your generosity through the thread, buddy.

  • 2011 Carlisle Syrah Sierra Mar Santa Lucia Highlands - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands (4/11/2014)
    I like dky’s note below, as he does a fine job of capturing this wine. His comments about tar, licorice and dark fruit are spot on. For context, I opened this wine about 24 hours ago and tasted it in 3 passes: right out of the chute, then at dinner a few hours later and then finally now as I write this note, with a full 24 hours of air. To think across this time spectrum, I will say I liked the wine less over dinner, as I found it big and a little soft and I couldn’t much find the acid I wanted so perhaps that was a context thing, as I certainly am liking it quite well tonight. True to the SLH ground from where it comes, there is some light shading of pepper, the requisite SLH citrus and then what makes it all work is the licorice note that is woven into the dark, tarry fruit. Even some garrigue is plashed through the finish, which I would bet is some seasoning from the whole cluster? Is there oak here? Hmm, maybe a little, in a graham cracker note, but it’s light and if anything, it seasons the finish. I’ll say this about Mike’s wines, he’s really matured through his syrah, still managing to get color, great fruit texture and the wine’s are in balance. This is my first 2011 Carlisle syrah I have drank and with the tough vintage, Mike did well. Drink window? I’d say this wine does fine now, as I don’t find a lot of tannin, and yet with the citrus here, it should help buffer the wine. My advice would be to enjoy the fruit, citrus and AVA character here, drinking now and enjoying through 2016.

Posted from CellarTracker

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Beautiful project, Jay. At only 15.5%, the 2011 Saxum James Berry Vineyard that I just popped puts me in the wimp category, for tonight, at least.

I will probably get to the TN in the next couple of days… though I can say that 10 minutes in, it is some killah juice.

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  • 2004 Copain Les Copains James Berry Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles (4/12/2014)
    This wine begins to prove a point I have argued for years. We must be prepared to allow Cali wines to age in order to bring out the best tertiary favors in the same way we allow French Rhones to age. Decanted for an hour and then followed for three hours. At first, the wine was beginning to show the emergence of deep cherry flavor. Actually like the start of a 50 year old Hermitage we had a few years ago. As it gains more air, the fruit comes out even more. There is raspberry and blackberry to go with the cherry. The flavors are exploding. The feel is smooth and almost glycerine-like, without any glycerine flavor. The finish goes on and on and the fruit flavor actually gets stronger as the finish continues. I have three more. I want to space them out because I think in 5 more years this will be an absolutely exceptional wine, not an exceptional example of Cali Rhone Rangers, but an exceptional wine of any type. 93 pts is today. If I am right, give this five years and it will be otherworldly. (93 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

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2011 Carlisle Syrah Sierra Mar Santa Lucia Highlands. Black licorice on the nose, and a savory/umami note. Dark fruit and pepper on the palate with prickly acidity. Nice wine.

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Jay: pants are on.

I may add that I brought the 2000 Pavie because a. Neal Martin wanted to try it, and b. all the other bottles in the cellar were yelling at me to get rid of it, as it was too loud and spoofalated. Would a new note on the pomegranate blueberry smoothie earn me $5? newhere

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2011 Copain Hawks Butte Syrah

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A VTS theme close to my own heart. I’ve been on a white Rhone kick this spring and here are notes to 2 recent California standouts. The Peay was 65% Roussanne, 35% Marsanne, the Keplinger 55% Viognier, 23% Roussanne, 22% Grenache Blanc. Cheers!

  • 2008 Peay Vineyards Roussanne/Marsanne Estate - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (4/12/2014)
    Served at 60+ degrees. Creamy, roasted nut nose with honeysuckle. Glossy vanilla and lemon verbena custard palate. Some powdered limestone on the back end never fully integrated so I think this could have benefited from decanting like previous bottles, because I do not believe this is past peak with an aroma simultaneously powerful and sublime. Taken to a new restaurant in Palo Alto, Lure and Till, and a nice match with successful rich pasta and chicken dishes. 92-93 and my last bottle, alas. (92 pts.)

  • 2012 Keplinger Eldorado - USA, California, Napa Valley (4/1/2014)
    This started out showing its Grenache Blanc – slightly bitter kiwi? – but integrated quickly in the decanter, ending up with a sublime mix of walnut, lychee, honeydew, vanilla, and stone, presented in a layered waxy cashmere texture that floats on forever. Thick and weightless at the same time. Drinkable and maybe preferable at room temperature. (94 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

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Solid syrah - amazing property. Pix in the link.

Posted from CellarTracker

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I found this bottle in my cellar using the CT link

  • 2008 Carlisle Two Acres - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (4/14/2014)
    Both the palate and aromas have blackberry, black cherry and a bit of earth. Light acid/tannins and a short finish. I don’t know if this is peaking or shut down but this bottle certainly doesn’t show the same level as most of the notes here. (88 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker
The rest who have written a CT note on this certainly like it more than me. I’m not sure if this bottle is shut down, a bit past peak or it’s just my palate. Over a 91pt CT average [boredom.gif]

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Only 15.7% stated abv… I’ll try to get a 16+ before the week is up

2005 Lillian Winery Syrah Blue Label - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County (4/14/2014)
dark nose has lost some fruit, and the secondaries are still filling in a bit. plum, blackberry, pine needles, and sweet spice. full bodied palate has enough acid to stay fresh. tannins are resolved and this has a very creamy mouthfeel. more fruit on the palate than on the nose. long finish. not too much heat, although you know the alcohol is there. a beautiful wine that still has a long ways to go. (94 pts.)

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Jay, this one says that it is 15.8% but I think it is 16%+ neener

  • 2009 Saxum James Berry Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles (4/14/2014)
    Thick, rich mouthfeel with a balanced mix of sweet red and black fruits, but not over the top. Red plum, black cherry, licorice, spice, orange peel. This toes the 16% line but I find it to be less of a bruiser than the Saxum Syrahs.

Posted from CellarTracker

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Fortunately, a flight of SQN Grenaches was included in a tasting I attended Sunday. Unfortunately, they were all under 16% alcohol. We had the 2004 Ode to E, 2005 Atlantis, 2006 Raven and 2007 Pictures. At first sip they were more similar than different, certainly way different than the Chateauneuf flight that preceded it (which included the 2003 Clos des Papes and 2009 Janasse Chapin as well as two others).

The 2004 (15.5) was initially alcoholic with some heat, but got better with air, plush with a long finish. The 2005 (15.3) had brighter fruit, but also had some heat. It too improved in the glass. The 2006 (15.5) did not show the alcohol, and was nicely balanced. The 2007 (15.6) was similar to but much bigger than the 2006, very rich but balanced, and did not show the alcohol. I liked it the best, followed by the 2006, 2005, and 2004 in that order. Some of the others in the group liked the 2004 best.

It’s always a privilege (and fun) to taste wines from SQN (and the next tasting of this group will include SQN Syrahs) but I do not regret dropping off the list after purchasing one vintage (the 1996).

David

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I’ll open a 2007 Joseph Swan Trenton Estate Syrah tonight and post a tasting note tomorrow. I also considered opening a 2005 Lagier Meredith Syrah, Mt. Veeder, but I just took delivery today and Pobegaing it might lessen the enjoyment through travel shock. It was part of a three-pack Berserker Day purchase.

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Here is another one for the cause, also less than 16% for whomever is the bean counter in the thread!

  • 2008 Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastel Panoplie - USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles (4/14/2014)
    Solid. I seem to sense the grenache over the other two varieties. Good balance, leaner expression with a level of ripeness that to me was in check for Paso. The color suggested this too, reddish tinged but nothing dark or thick here. Enjoyed this for being more subtle and restrained and given the balance, this ought to round out well and I’d be curious to try again in say 2-3 years.

Posted from CellarTracker

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16.4% (and I felt it!)

I’ve enjoyed both the 03 and 05 Rocket Block on several occasions int he past, so this bottle is a bit of an outlier. And, as the note makes clear, I did enjoy this quite a bit, just found the alcohol too prominent this time.

2005 Saxum Cuvée Rocket Block James Berry Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles (4/15/2014)
I’ve enjoyed this before, but this bottle was not as balanced for whatever reason. No decant, this had very forward fruit, with little secondary appearing as of yet. Very dark profile, the alcohol was overly prominent on this. Delicious, but the balance detracts. Long finish shows some heat, but is otherwise quite delicious.

Opened up after 2 hours in glass – alcohol is still too forward, but strong fruit is now more nuanced and showing some interesting herbal notes. Finish is stunning. (91 pts.)

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Erich, that last time I had the 2005 RB, I didn’t care for it at all. My own tastes have changed and inside of that, I found the wine boozy. I used to really dig that wine and it represents probably a great example of what I liked before but no longer enjoy. You got $10 more out of Jay so good on you, man.