I’ve posted some tasting notes and a list of favorite wines from the recent TAPAS (Tempranillo Advocates, Producers, and Amigos Society) tasting at Fort Mason in San Francisco.
There are more tasting notes, photos, and other impressions of the tasting in the full report on Grape-Nutz.com:
TAPAS 2011 - 4th Annual Grand Tasting – June 5, 2011
Some Favorites
WHITES:
Abacela 2010 Albariño
Bokisch 2010 Garnacha Blanca
Bonny Doon 2009 “Vinho Grinho”
Dancing Coyote 2010 Verdelho
Forlorn Hope 2010 “La Gitana” Torrontés
Longoria 2010 Albariño
Pierce Ranch 2010 Albariño
Quinta Cruz 2010 Verdelho
St. Amant 2010 “Miss Independent” Verdelho
Urbanite 2010 “Caliberico White”
REDS:
Abacela 2007 Reserve Tempranillo
Bodega de Edgar 2009 Garnacha
Core 2006 “Ground Around”
Dos Cabezas 2009 “El Campo”
Fenestra 2007 Livermore Tempranillo
Forlorn Hope 2007 “Mil Amores”
Pierce Ranch 2008 “Cosecheiro”
Quinta Cruz 2007 “Concertina”
Quinta Cruz 2008 Touriga
Turkovich 2009 “Cosecha III”
DESSERT WINES:
Quinta Cruz 2006 “Rabelo”
St. Amant NV Tawny Port
St. Amant 2006 Vintage Port
Selected Tasting Notes
Abacela Vineyards and Winery
Abacela 2010 Albariño, Estate, Umpqua Valley, Southern Oregon. Very light color, with minerally stone fruit, a bit of spice, and a pleasant briny note. Lighter-bodied with a vibrant mouthfeel and crisp finish, very nice.
Abacela 2008 Tempranillo, Southern Oregon. Medium color, fruit-forward raspberry and plum aromas plus a touch of earth. Medium-light weight on the palate, smooth and not very tannic.
Abacela 2007 Tempranillo, Estate, Umpqua Valley, Southern Oregon. Mostly from 1, 2, and 11 clones, aged in 95% French oak, about 10% new. A touch darker color than the ’08 Tempranillo, this was less overtly fruity, showing more earth and spice character along with plum and a touch of pepper. Bigger mouthfeel and grippier tannins than the ’08.
Abacela 2007 Tempranillo, Reserve, Umpqua Valley, Southern Oregon. From 100% Estate fruit, 95% French oak, about 30% new. Medium-dark color, showing a darker fruit profile, tobacco/dried herbs, smoke, and a distinct stony, mineral component. Medium-bodied and fairly smooth, with more refined tannins than the regular Estate bottling, nice.
Comments: Abacela owner (and TAPAS founder) Earl Jones and his wife Hilda were behind the table, and I thought this was the best showing yet for the Abacela wines.
Berryessa Gap Vineyards
Berryessa Gap 2008 Tempranillo, Yolo County. Medium color, fruit-forward aromas featuring ripe strawberry and raspberry, along with touches of spice and smoke. Light-medium bodied, this had moderate tannins and a long finish that highlighted the sweet fruit.
Berryessa Gap 2008 Tempranillo “Rocky Ridge Collection,” Yolo County. Medium-dark color, this showed more earth, herbs, and spicy oak than the regular bottling. Bigger mouthfeel, with fairly chewy tannins that sneaked up on the finish.
Bodega de Edgar
Bodega de Edgar 2010 Albariño, Paso Robles. Light straw color, with floral and citrus aromas, plus some pineapple/tropical fruit notes. Moderate acidity, this had a smooth mouthfeel and a tasty finish.
Bodega de Edgar 2009 Garnacha, Central Coast. Sourced 50% each from Cedar Lane and Ishka vineyards. Medium-light ruby color, displaying red fruits, lots of spice, and a touch of sweet oak on the nose. Lively on the palate with moderate tannins and a tasty finish, nice.
Bodega de Edgar 2009 Tempranillo, Paso Robles. Sourced from 90% French Camp and 10% Bella Collina vineyards. Medium purple color, with ripe plum, earth, and herb aromas, with an undercurrent of oak. Medium-bodied with a fairly smooth mouthfeel but bigger tannins on the finish.
Bodega de Edgar 2008 “E2” Arroyo Seco. 45% Grenache, 55% Syrah, from Cedar Lane Vineyard. Darker color, this showed plum and blueberry fruit along with dried herb and pepper notes. Bigger but livelier on the palate than the Tempranillo, with a grippy tannic finish.
Comments: Edgar Torres, who’s worked with McPrice Myers, Russell From, and Augie Hug among others, makes his Bodega de Edgar wines at the Barrel 27 facility in Paso Robles.
Bokisch Vineyards
Bokisch 2010 Albariño, Terra Alta Vineyard, Clements Hills-Lodi. Very light color, with apricot and tropical fruit aromas, medium-bodied on the palate, and a smooth finish.
Bokisch 2010 Garnacha Blanca, Vista Luna Vineyard, Borden Ranch-Lodi. Very light color, showing bright stone fruit, pear, and spice. Showing a minerally side as well as a creamy texture, this had a long, crisp, and delicious finish, quite nice.
Bokisch 2008 Garnacha, Terra Alta Vineyard, Clements Hills-Lodi. 75% Garnacha, 25% Graciano. Medium-light ruby color, the nose featured upfront raspberry, plum, and spice. Medium weight in the mouth, it finished with fairly mild tannins. Good, though I found it not quite as focused as earlier vintages.
Bokisch 2008 Monastrell, Belle Colline Vineyard, Clements Hills-Lodi. 75% Monastrell, 20% Tempranillo, 5% Graciano. Medium-light color, with earthy and slightly peppery plum and darker fruit aromas, plus a touch of dried herbs. Medium-bodied and fairly lively, this had moderate tannins.
Bokisch 2008 Tempranillo, Lodi. 75% Tempranillo, 25% Graciano. Medium color, with earth, leather, and tobacco at the center, framed by plum and blueberry fruit. A nice middleweight Tempranillo, with grippy but not harsh tannins.
Bokisch 2008 Graciano, Las Cerezas Vineyard, Mokelumne River-Lodi. 95% Graciano, 5% Garnacha. Medium-dark purple color, with ripe darker berry fruits, clove and other spices, and a bit of earth/funk. A bit richer mouthfeel, with bigger tannins on the finish.
Comments: Bokisch always presents one of the stronger line-ups of wines at this event. Their Garnacha Blanca may have been my favorite white wine of the tasting, and the Monastrell and Graciano were quite good.
Bonny Doon Vineyard
Bonny Doon 2009 Albariño, Ca’ del Solo Estate, Monterey County. 91% Albariño, 9% Loureiro. Very light color, with minerally stone fruit and spice on the nose. Medium-bodied with a smooth finish.
Bonny Doon 2009 “Vinho Grinho,” Ca’ del Solo Estate, Monterey County. 56% Loureiro, 44% Albariño. Light color, slightly saline character with bright citrus, stone fruit, and herb aromas. Medium-bodied with a lively mouthfeel and crisp finish, very nice.
Comments: Two very good wines, both sourced from Bonny Doon’s biodynamic Ca’ del Solo vineyard near Soledad.
Callaghan Vineyards
Callaghan 2009 “Wayne’s” Grenache, Sonoita, Arizona. Medium-light ruby color, showing very ripe red fruits and lots of spice. Fruit-forward, with medium weight in the mouth with moderate tannins.
Cimarron Vineyards
Cimarron 2009 “Rojo del Sol” Cochise County, Arizona. 68% Tempranillo, 19% Garnacha, 13% Monastrell. Medium-light color, with ripe red fruits and touches of earth and spice. Lighter-bodied and not very tannic.
Comments: Poured at the Dos Cabezas table, this is a collaboration between Dos Cabezas winemaker Todd Bostock and noted Oregon vintner Dick Erath, who owns Cimarron Vineyard.
Core Wine Company
C³ 2007 Reserve Tempranillo, Santa Barbara Highlands Vineyard, Santa Barbara County. Medium color, with ripe plum and blueberry fruit, earth, and oak undertones. Medium-bodied with good structure and moderately grippy finish.
C³ 2006 “Crazy Eights,” Santa Barbara County. 78% Tempranillo, 11% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon. Medium-dark purple, showing smoky plum, spice, and herb notes on the nose. A bit smoother on the palate than the Tempranillo, with medium-big tannins.
Core 2006 “Ground Around,” California. 39% Grenache, 36% Tempranillo, 25% Syrah. Medium-dark color, this displayed red fruits, smoke, earth, and pepper aromas. Structured for aging, this had big but fairly refined tannins on the finish. Tasty now, and should develop well with some cellar time.
Core 2007 “Elevation Sensation,” Alta Mesa Vineyard, Santa Barbara County. 62% Grenache, 38% Mourvèdre, 42 months in barrel. Medium-dark color, ripe and high-toned red fruit aromatics, medium-full bodied with grippy tannins.
Core 2007 “Mister Moreved,” California. 93% Mourvèdre, 7% Grenache, 42 months in barrel. Medium-dark purple, this showed earthy dark berry fruit, spice, and pepper on the nose. Big and mouthfilling, this finished with big, chewy tannins that will need some bottle age to mellow out.
Comments: Dave Corey poured wines from both his Core and C³ labels. These wines often improve with some age, and the ’06 “Ground Around” in particular was showing nicely.
More notes in the full report
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