Another spectacular event, a record number of people, great weather, incredible food, super company and the wines…really, it is absolutely worth the flight down (and, regrettably, back!) from Toronto. Tremendous that Ted and JoAnn Erfer could again come from Philly and this year Jay Carroll and his wife were able to make it from Chicago.
One of the hard things about this unique day is that you just can’t taste everything. Thus regret—I only got to a couple of Ed Kurtzman’s wines. Missed the Sojourn Cabs (got upstairs too late). Didn’t end up getting the chance to taste any of Eric Lundblad’s pinots (though I kept hearing good things throughout the day–I did taste the chard), missed a good many whites and roses. Ah well, hopefully that’s where some of the other guests will augment these notes.
Here we go then, with the 51 wines I did get to taste. In order of consumption
2013 Rhys Bearwallow Pinot Noir
Frank was pretty excited this was here, as very few people have tasted this yet. Holy rose petals, really that and potpourri, very unique aroma. The merest baby right now, tart raspberry and cranberry mix with a sage element. Not tannic structure, but long lines nonetheless. Plenty of promise. #8
2013 Poe Manchester Ridge Pinot Noir
This also throws plenty of florals but has plenty of earth too. Lean and zippy, some cedar and raspberry here. Needs time.
2013 Poe Van de Kamp Pinot Noir
Pretty—flowery, strawberry, lots of “juiciness” to sniff at. This is lighter than the Manchester Ridge, but I like it, has a smoothness and light sweetness to the berry fruit, touch of saffron at the back. This is done in a nuanced style that puts me in mind of Kathleen Inman’s wines. Good.
2012 Kutch Falstaff Pinot Noir
Frankie’s WOTY last year and now I see why (I haven’t opened any of mine yet). Ahhh–smells like luxury. Great strawberry, baking spices, touch of sandalwood and dusting of cocoa. Drinking really well already, zings around the mouth with very balanced and bright berry fruit. Nick of coffee grounds and potpourri at the back. Great wine, #4 today.
2012 Alesia Alder Springs Pinot Noir
Bouquet has more potpourri and raspberries, a little pomegranate. Initial hit of cherry and crabapple on the tongue, but it blends into some woodsy berry notes too. Good length and acidity here.
2013 Rivers Marie Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
Coffee and cocoa-infused cherry and strawberry scents. To taste, strict but good drive, quite pure berry and some spiciness too. Check again in a year’s time.
2014 Liquid Farm Vogelzang Rose
Wow–heady and heavenly aromas of watermelon, kiwi and citrus. Drinks light and fresh, cranberry snap, tangy but mists off the tongue at the end. The nose is the calling card here, but overall a big like for me, #10
2013 Liquid Farm Golden Slope Chardonnay
Mm–pineapple on pancakes? Orange blossom wafts up the glass too. Tasty frame, but I find this more structured and layered than the 2012 version. Guessed 14.2%, 14% listed. A bit jumpy right now but should settle down.
2013 Liquid Farm White Hill Chardonnay
aromatics have ginger and even a dash of cinnamon sugar for me, to go with white fruit. Not as precise and less drive than the 2012, but I like this version too, it show beautiful craftsmanship with citrus, apple, pink grapefruit and lilac. #9
2013 Liquid Farm Bien Bien Chardonnay
Flower/hibiscus and also a rather saline side, maybe even a small nip of motor oil? Fruit is citrus and unripe pineapple. Authoritative and with front and back bite, this needs the most time but does have explosive pineapple, melon and toffee sides. Try again in 2 years, could be terrific.
2013 Rivers Marie Theriot Chardonnay
Nose of, well, all I can describe it as is smoked buttertart and underlying honeydew and lilac. The palate is a dream—velvety, lush yet not at all torpid. Wonderful balance, creaminess and life with citrus, bits of toffee and whole peach. It complements the nose to make a fantastic whole. #1 WOTD, I have not taken to Thomas’ Theriot bottlings before, so this was a terrific surprise. Bravo.
2008 Arcadian Sleepy Hollow Chardonnay
Melons and also a dry mustard element makes for an intriguing bouquet. Wood varnish perhaps? This is still big and bold, has a fine frame and zappy citrus. A real spicy character. Different.
2013 Ladd Cellars Sonoma Coast Chardonnay
A sort of sea air freshness here. Dandelions and pear. Dans la bouche, nice lightness of being, more pear and some nectarine. Maybe a bit short on the finish, but what’s in the mouth is enjoyable indeed.
2013 Rivers Marie Joy Road Chardonnay
Oak is more prevalent here for me, and it’s a bigger wine for sure, replays of tropical fruit and butterscotch. Settles down with subsequent tastes but lacks the elegance, balance and magic for me of the Theriot.
2013 Rivers Marie Silver Eagle Pinot Noir
Spicecake and dark cherry aromas, a li’l cola too, or sarsaparilla maybe. Needs…time…blazing sharp right now, lots of fruit underneath but needs…time…like 5 years.
2008 Arcadian Sleepy Hollow Pinot Noir
Great clove-filled nose, dark strawberry. In a very fine spot now, carry and length with defined black fruit and baking spice overlay. Overall very balanced. #11
2008 Arcadian Pisoni Pinot Noir
Scents of earth, as I find this vineyard tends to be. Dark cherry and sweet blackberry. This does still need time–grips and rips with stemmy red and black berries and a sidebar of herbs.
2012 Bailiwick Sangiacomo Pinot Noir
Major espresso and cocoa side to the strawberry and crabapple bouquet. Mm—this is delicious! Nice round sweetness, even a touch of meat on the cherry fruit. #7
2013 Kutch Bohan Pinot Noir
Was excited to try this new SVD from Jamie. Earthy and even a little gamey at the start, cinnamon tinged raspberry comes through later. Good solid expression, cherry and earth mix, more time should smooth it out, but the whole cluster is showing itself at this point.
2013 Sojourn Cellars Rodgers Creek Pinot Noir
Touches of tomato leaf, spices, herbs, cherry. Interesting mix. Has some signature Erich Bradley creaminess to it, fruit is there, but somewhat unresolved at this point. Raspberry and boysenberry mix. I expect this to come into focus in 6 months or a year.
2011 Tercero Mourvedre
Mocha lovely with plum, underlying dust and earth aromatics. Really, this hits my spot so much, length acidity and bold spiced red fruit. And this has an extra level and gear this year. Larry is nailing this variety without question. A pure pleasure to drink, one that I might have been tempted to go back for seconds. #3
2012 Switchback Ridge Peterson Family Petite Syrah
Tarry for sure, black pepper deluxe, dark chocolate nuzzie. Palate is super-rich, super sweet and super-big. Um, yeah. 16.5%. Plum and a framing of licorice, I think. This will probably last forever.
2013 Carlisle Montafi Zinfandel
Bouquet is brambles with blackberry compote. Some raisin but definitely controlled. Textured and replays but some spice gets added. Very young and kinetic right now, promising.
2013 Kutch McDougall Pinot Noir
I love McDougall anyway, but I am starting to understand why Jamie has said this is probably his best vintage yet. The sensational nose–perfume and cherry essence, all with some earth threading through. And on the tongue, this is potentially tremendous–so much flavoured, elegant power. Cherry and sweet herbs, raspberry. Not could–this will be stunning. #2 today.
2013 Sojourn Gap’s Crown Pinot Noir
A nice mix of baking spices and sweet red fruit–raspberry and plum. Palate is lovely, smooth and velvety with nicely sweet replays. Very good.
2011 Copain Kiser en Haut Pinot Noir
Supercharged cola, cherry and plum bouquet for me. Le gout is a fine mix of zippy entry and cool follow. Blackberry tang at the back. A wine full of interest that should be better in 2 years.
2012 Siduri Sonatera Pinot Noir
Cardamom, cloves and sandalwood float around dark strawberry and a little citrus fruit. Definitely has character–cherry & strawberry, some cola and a red licorice side. For all these parts, the whole works for me. Like.
2013 Kutch Falstaff Pinot Noir
An already refined set of aromatics, light spice and rose petal accent berry and citrus. Even so young, has a thrilling quality about it, length, purity of feel, red berry, watermelon and citrus. Dee-lish. #6. With my #2, 4 and 6, Jamie kicked it today.
2010 Big Basin Old Corral Syrah
Black cherry, dark plum, smoke and meat aromas. Rich to taste, but not over-rich, tons of pepper edgeing to plum and blackberry replays.
2012 Jemrose Cardiac Hill Syrah
Big black cherry here and some motor oil too, also a sense of baked black licorice. Coats the cheeks completely, too sweet and rich for me with blackberry and boysenberry jam.
2012 Wind Gap Syrah
Reticent bouquet, I do get licorice and plum with some swirling. This has flow, but the fruit–blackberry, tart blueberry, plum–and black pepper are all broken up right now. Maybe comes together with time.
2007 Virage Napa Meritage
A very curious cinnamon bun slash with an underlying touch of dill and pine needle to accentuate blackcurrant and black plum. This comes in at 14.4% (guessed 15%), it certainly has some warmth to it–there’s cherry and plum and the cinnamon bun is on the breathe-back. Quite interesting.
2011 Virage Napa Meritage
Some of the same cinnamon bun and plum elements as the 2007, but I like this better–the lines are longer and it has more authority with blackcurrant and plum in the fore.
2012 Fogline Dry Creek Zinfandel
A very seductive chocolate-covered sultana raisin aromatic. Palate is soft, balanced and a little sultry, with raisin and blueberry follow-through, but with a fresh side that’s quite nice. Much more than decent, #12
2012 Crawford Family Walk Slow Pinot Noir
Liking this, a cedar and sandalwood combo and coffee crisp too, nice bouquet. Follows through with ripe red fruit and some replays. Just a hair on the sweet side, but still very enjoyable and well made.
2013 August West Rosellas Pinot Noir
Herbs, berries and light baking spices sniffs. Already a roundness to this, berry and crabapple fruit with a dash of mocha. Good and will be better. What I’d expect from Ed with Rosellas.
2014 Tercero Mourvedre Rose
I enjoy the apple skin and pink grapefruit nuzzie. Very tasty and fresh–has a bold line but still great verve. A winner. #13
2013 Cowan Cellars Bel North Coast White
Bready-yeasty aromatics here, melon and some banana. A lot of bounce-around dans la bouche. Interesting but not necessarily my cup of tea. I get some lemon and perhaps banana custard on palate.
2012 Fogline Sun Chase Pinot Noir
Spices, almost hint of pepper, strawberry and cranberry fruit. Tangy with some rhubarb, pomegranate and berries. Good and different.
2013 Loring Keefer Ranch Pinot Noir
Aromas are of slightly sweet red berry and plum fruit. Soft, some cola here, but balanced by the strawberry and cherry fruit. Quite nice.
2013 Loring Durell Pinot Noir
Enticing baking spices, allspice too, kirsch and black strawberry. Here, sarsaparilla, and chewiness to the cherry primary. OK.
2013 Loring Cargasacchi Pinot Noir
high-toned cherry and black forest cake scents, with macerated plum. Tongue finds tangier fruit, has plenty of lively berry and life to it. Good lines, I like this and would want to revisit in a year.
2013 Sojourn Sangiacomo Pinot Noir
Very attractive spice, meat, berry and cherry bouquet. And already, everything is in balance to taste, fine flow, flavor filled with cherry, plum and pomegranate. Should be great #5
2012 Dunstan Durell Pinot Noir
Presents as dark chocolate, rooty with small berry and currant fruit. Sweet but smooth, sticks to your cheeks with rhubarb and bing cherry.
2013 Sandler Buck Hill ZInfandel
For aromatics, I get raisins, molasses and some dates. Thick and kind of syrupy today, raisins and plum, but heavy for me.
2013 Tercero Viognier
Traces of honey and lanolin and perhaps some lilac in the schnozz. Palate finds good level of flavor, peach and pear leading out, almost a hint of gooseberry too, which Larry confirms he’s also gotten at this early stage. Interesting for sure.
2013 Tercero Roussanne
Delectable bouquet of pear, star fruit, jackfruit and ginger. Still somewhat straitlaced but very promising aromatic replays here. Give it another 2 years.
2013 Jemrose Egret Pond Viognier
This is the only wine today I really didn’t like. Although the aromatics are nice with dollops of honey and honeysuckle around pear and vanilla, I wonder about VA on this bottle, because it hits really hard, like the feel of poire William or something, with a very bitter and hot entry.
2012 Siduri Soberanes Pinot Noir
Very spice-driven nose. Rhubarb, apple pie and citrus come to mind with strawberry. Spicy and sweet with rich berry fruit and some chocolate-soaked cherry. A bit to frontal assault for me right now, but good building blocks.
2013 Sandler Keefer Ranch Pinot Noir
A pure strawberry and pomegranate mix wafts up the glass. Turns raspberry and spice on the taste. Good length and acidity. Give time.
I also finished with a taste of the 2014 Cowan Cellars Ribolla Gialla—didn’t make a note, but liked its freshness and forthrightness.
Looking forward to others’ impressions. Again a huge thanks to Frank and Jill and the whole team of other volunteers and huge congrats as well, as initial returns sound like a total of $25k was raised for this very worthy cause.
A bientot, j’espere.
Mike