TN's: Brief Impressions from Kriss and Daisy's belated wedding offline in Tustin

I didn’t get around to everything on the table, but here’s some brief impressions of what I did get to:

• 2007 Domaine Belluard Gringet Vin de Savoie Le Feu - France, Savoie, Vin de Savoie (10/9/2010)
  – popped and poured –
  – tasted a single glass non-blind over approx. 20 min –
  NOSE: smoky; steely; expressive. I liked this a lot.
  BODY: golden yellow color; clear; (forgot to note weight – seem to recall it being about medium bodied)
  TASTE: a bit spicy with a strong mineral-laden palate; 12% alc. is not noticeable at all; juicy acid; short finish of moderate intensity. Nice wine. bweimer’s bottle.
  
  
  
• 2009 Graves Monkey Wrench - USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles (10/9/2010)
  – cracked and poured –
  – tasted a single glass non-blind over 30 minutes –
  – 50% Grenache Blanc, 50% Viognier –
  NOSE: oily; a bit stony; green fruits.
  BODY: golden yellow color of light-moderate depth with a slight tan hue throughout; clear; medium bodied.
  TASTE: juicy fruits and juicy acidity; nice fruitiness; a tad sweet; I like the addition of Viognier to this wine, which has been a Grenache Blanc varietal bottling in the past. 13.5% alc. is a little noticeable
  
  
  
• 2007 Valdicava Rosso di Montalcino - Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Rosso di Montalcino (10/9/2010)
  – tasted a single glass non-blind over approx. 10 min. –
  Medium bodied. A bit ashy, with typical young sangio red berry flavor. A tad on the acidic side of well-balanced; not overblown; Good, but not great.
  
  
  
• 2006 Mission Mountain Winery Riesling - USA, Montana (10/9/2010)
  – tasted a single glass non-blind over approx. 10 min –
  Nose was very expressive, and dominated by diesel. Diesel also dominated the palate, which I found to be lacking in fruit; half-dry; 12.5% alc… Best days are probably behind it.
  
  
  
• 2007 Bibich Riserva - Croatia, Dalmatian Coast (10/9/2010)
  – tasted a single glass non-blind over approx. 15 min. –
  This was one of the lighter-bodied wines we had this evening – probably about medium-light bodied. This reminded me of a 2000 vintage Xinomavro I had recently. A bit spicy, lean, not complex, but very easy and pleasurable drinking. 12.8% alc., iirc.
  
  
  
• 2003 Alcina Cellars Carignane - USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino County (10/9/2010)
  – tasted blind over 20 min. –
  Incredibly dark purple color of great depth. NOSE is minerally with purple fruits. Very ripe purple fruits on the palate; not complex, but pretty darn tasty. Blind, I thought this was a 2007 CA Syrah ---- was very surprised to find out it was a different Rhone variety and was already 7 years old. jdietz’s bottle.
  
  
  
• 2000 Joseph Swan Vineyards Zinfandel Lone Redwood - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (10/9/2010)
  – tasted a single glass non-blind over approx. 15 min. –
  Orange fruit on the nose. Red fruits and a bit of funk on the palate. Hides its 15.6% alc. very well. One of the most distinctive wines on the table this evening. I liked this a lot.
  
  
  
• 2003 Brancaia Ilatraia Maremma Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Maremma, Maremma Toscana IGT (10/9/2010)
  – tasted non-blind over a couple hours on Day 2 –
  – 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Sangiovese, 10% Petite Verdot –
  NOSE: rose petals; mild oak; cassis; not complex
  BODY: garnet-tinged purple color of great depth; clear; medium-full bodied.
  TASTE: plum and blackberry fruits; hints of earth and background funk; old wood; moderately complex; full palate; soft-but-drying tannins; noticeable acid; slightly on the acidic side of well-balanced; alcohol is barely noticeable; finish is approx. 38-45 sec. long and is of moderate intensity; Drink now - 2015.
  B: 50, 5, 11, 15, 7 = 88 (88 pts.)
  
  
  
• 2000 E. Guigal Hermitage - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage (10/9/2010)
  – tasted a single glass non-blind over approx. 15 min. –
  Rather open-knit; cherry flavor with a slight oxidative note running throughout; not funky. Overall impression: good-not-great. gut impression score: 88- 90.
  
  
  
• 2007 Graves Mourvedre Ohana Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles (10/9/2010)
  – decanted for a few hours before tasting –
  Dark purple color of great depth. Ripe fruits on the nose, with flecks of earth; not funky. NOSE is repeated on the palate, along with moderate oak treatment; decent acidity; not overblown.
  
  
  
• 2006 Copain Syrah Brosseau Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Chalone (10/9/2010)
  – tasted a single glass non-blind over approx. 15 min –
  Very tight NOSE – some perfumed purple fruits, and that’s about it. Tight purple fruits on the palate, too; a bit soapy; soft tannins, and noticeable acid — good balance; alcohol is barely noticeable on the palate; medium length fininsh of moderate intensity.
  
  
  
• 2006 Turley Zinfandel Duarte Vineyard - USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Contra Costa County (10/9/2010)
  – tasted a single glass non-blind over approx. 15 min. –
  Dark rustic red color. Tasted a bit raisined or oxidated; 15.8% alc.; round tannins; may have been served a bit too warm. I didn’t like this.
  
  
  
• 2006 Outpost Zinfandel - USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain (10/9/2010)
  – tasted a single glass non-blind over 15 min –
  NOSE: oaky; pepper; hint of v/a; not complex.
  BODY: medium-full bodied; dark purple color.
  TASTE: purple fruits; alcohol presence is moderately noticeable (labeled at 16.2%, iirc); rather hot in the belly; soft tannins; I see no ageing potential in this wine. This may have been served a bit too warm. I had higher expectations for this wine.
  
  
  
• 2003 Château Rieussec - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes (10/9/2010)
  – popped and poured –
  – tasted a single glass non-blind over approximately 20 minutes –
  Make no bones about it: this is a fat, sticky, super-fruited heavily-honeyed beautifully-botrytised lady! Lacking in acidity, but I don’t care — this is how I like my stickies! Clipped finish. Tastes great; rather filling. Drinks well now, but better with a bit more time. Yum. Thanks, e.g.!

Thanx for posting notes, BeeGee… good to have some record.

Never heard of Graves (well… the Paso Graves), but I did like the Monkey Wrench. Good fruit and acid and a nice starter wine.

The Domaine Belluard Savoie was tasty. Savoie is one of my new favorite regions. Terrific prices and un-spoofed wines.

The Bibich was quite good, with real interest to drinking, and certainly my first Croatian wine. Kind of like a nice Zin.

The Copain was closed or something. I could coax zip out of that bottle. And it didn’t improve with time.

It was nice to drink an Alcina that had not turned to crap, like all the Pinots have. This Carignane also was under that ridiculous black neocork, but this wine was far from DOA. Still vibrant and full of fruit. Unfortunately, this was a gift from Greg, while the Pinots I bought from him have all turned to shit.

I also brought the Swan, Bee Gee. It’s probably my 4th bottle to consumer, and it is ridiculously good every time I have it.

I finished off the last of the ribs from the dinner today… and damn were they good!!!..

dang, that Swan was yours!?! you’re on quite the roll last week!

See what you have missed all this time not drinking with me???

The OC’ers have been hiding you from me!!

Thanks for the notes Brian. The Swan was very nice. My favorite on the night was a '97 Tuscan Sangio. Excellent balance on the palate under a funktastic nose.