TNs: Some recent wines

Berry_Crawford · September 19, 2015, 4:07am

2013 Meiomi Chardonnay - I had remembered the thread about this producer being sold so when I saw a bottle at trader joes I was curious to see what I would think of it. Its a perfectly fine crowd pleasing chardonnay. It has up front oak flavors, is a bit sweet and generally in the lemon end of the fruit spectrum. I wouldn’t buy it again but I wouldn’t hesitate to pour a glass at a neighborhood dinner party or something.

2006 Two Hands Coach House Block Shiraz - A friend of mine ordered this at a restaurant. Its been years since Ive had an aussie shiraz and I was a little fearful of this but I actually enjoyed it just fine. Its a big burley wine with a sizeable wallup of fruit and it isn’t syrupy or confected and I didn’t notice any heat despite a rather high alcohol level. It had some savory olive and even some meaty elements which was a pleasant surprise. Not totally my thing but in general a pleasant surprise.

2004 Lamarache La Grand Rue Grand Cru - Its been a while since Ive had a 2004 red burgundy so I was eager to try this. Off the bat its tight on the palate and has a earthy and somewhat perfumed nose. The 2004 character manifests as some celery seed at this point. With air the palate fleshes out considerably and has some red cherry kirsch qualities. Once fully opened the 2004 character gives the wine a Bordeaux-like graphite character. I enjoyed it but one has to be tolerant of the 2004 character to really get into it.

2011 Domaine de la Pinte Arbois pinte bien Poulsard - It took quite a while for a reductive bug spray like aroma to blow off but once it does this is a really enjoyable wine for me. Its very light color. Kind of like a dark rose. It has wonderful floral and stone fruit flavors and aromas. It is surprisingly full of flavor for its weight and has a reverberating finish. I just love Jura Pouslards. It would be so fun to find some growing in California but I don’t think any is.

2012 Ladd Cellars Nash Mill Anderson Valley Pinot Noir - This is a bit tight at opening as I expected but some slow ox wakes it right up. Aromatically it has some earth and the barest touch of oak but mostly some violet floral perfume. Very pretty. Red maraschino cherry intermixes with dominant violet floral perfume middle weight flavors that are framed with vibrant acidity. It drinks great now but comes across as a bottle that would really develop some complexity with some cellar time. At first I thought there was a touch of oak vanilla but it disappears as the fruit and flowers wake up so it should totally integrate with time. Eric Lunblad who is the winemaker is a friend and I knew he would want to know how I liked it so its a great relief that its delicious. Its what one would expect from a winemaker who drinks a lot of red burgundy.

Berry_Crawford · September 20, 2015, 8:42pm

Berry Crawford:

2012 Ladd Cellars Nash Mill Anderson Valley Pinot Noir - This is a bit tight at opening as I expected but some slow ox wakes it right up. Aromatically it has some earth and the barest touch of oak but mostly some violet floral perfume. Very pretty. Red maraschino cherry intermixes with dominant violet floral perfume middle weight flavors that are framed with vibrant acidity. It drinks great now but comes across as a bottle that would really develop some complexity with some cellar time. At first I thought there was a touch of oak vanilla but it disappears as the fruit and flowers wake up so it should totally integrate with time. Eric Lunblad who is the winemaker is a friend and I knew he would want to know how I liked it so its a great relief that its delicious. Its what one would expect from a winemaker who drinks a lot of red burgundy.

I followed this over three days. Over both days it continues to broaden in mid palate density and aromatic intensity. Even though I kept it on the counter in half full bottle there is zero oxidation notes. This really flirts with excellence. I’m super impressed.

F.Daner · September 23, 2015, 10:34am

The Ladd Cellars sounds very good.

I think Cabot makes a Nash Mill pinot as well ? Did they both lose the fruit contract ?

Will have to look for some of these.

thanks for posting.

Markus_S · September 23, 2015, 11:32am

Mmm…just love the smell of bug spray in wines!

I’m sure Tom Hill can chime in here, but I thought I recently read something this summer that said someone down toward Santa Barbara or Santa Rita was putting a (very) small plot of poulsard in.

Berry_Crawford · September 23, 2015, 12:59pm

Unfortunately, yes

Berry_Crawford · September 23, 2015, 1:00pm

Poulsard should just be your cup of tea then. Sometimes we get super lucky and it doesn’t blow off at all.

Craig_G · September 23, 2015, 1:15pm

Where is Nash Mill in the AV?

Eric_Lundblad · September 23, 2015, 5:18pm

Thanks for the great notes Berry, and for the nice comments on my Nash Mill. I love that wine as well and agree it has a long/interesting future ahead of it.

The 12 NM is a mix of Pommard and 115, with 20% whole cluster, some extended maceration and 25% new oak…a Vosges light long toast barrel. A light long toast is a similar concept to a medium long toast, instead of a medium intensity fire for a longer amount of time, they toast with a light intensity fire for a longer amount of time. This reduces the amount of toasty oak aromas/flavors in the wine, which I think have the hardest time integrating into the wine. Some folks, Roty for example, can use heavier toasted oak to good effect…but you need fruit that can work/integrate with that and I think that’s rare in Calif.

With time (air or bottle time), Nash Mill develops excellent forest floor and autumn leaves qualities that I really love. But the 12 is a ways away from that…looking forward to tasting it when it does.

I also made a 12 Anderson Valley wine, based on 667 and 115 (and a bit of Pommard) clones, all from NM.

Nash Mill is in the deep end of AV, between Philo and the end of the valley. Nash Mill road is just past Husch and the ‘Day Ranch’ vineyard. Hacienda Secoya vineyard is near the intersection of Nash Mill road and highway 128. Burt Williams’ Morning Dew Ranch is part way up the hill . Nash Mill vineyard is further along in a sub-valley of AV called by the locals as Octopus Valley (referring to Octopus Mt).

Nash Mill vineyard has lots of shale in the subsoil…part of what makes it an interesting vineyard, and what makes it age so well. There are several sections around the vineyard where you can see this, mostly due to erosion. Sadly, I lost access to NM along with John Cabot…my next offering will include some NM tho (sorry for the commercial post here…feel free to remove if it’s inappropriate).

Thanks for the education on reduction of Poulsard Berry. I had no idea bug spray was in reduction’s arsenal! I wonder if anyone has used reduced Poulsard as an organic pesticide?

I’m looking forward to tasting (and perhaps someday making) a Calif Poulsard. I’ve heard that someone brought it in…was it Arnot Roberts? Anyone know if it was through official channels? Hopefully, I don’t like sneaking cuttings into the country…we have enough problems with pests as it is.

Berry_Crawford · September 23, 2015, 5:23pm

Its crazy how much it can smell like DET. Thankfully it (usually) blows off.

SteveBrown · September 23, 2015, 5:40pm

Yep, Arnot Roberts. Don’t know anything about the route though.

Paul_Gordon · September 23, 2015, 6:26pm

Eric Lundblad:

Thanks for the great notes Berry, and for the nice comments on my Nash Mill. I love that wine as well and agree it has a long/interesting future ahead of it.

The 12 NM is a mix of Pommard and 115, with 20% whole cluster, some extended maceration and 25% new oak…a Vosges light long toast barrel. A light long toast is a similar concept to a medium long toast, instead of a medium intensity fire for a longer amount of time, they toast with a light intensity fire for a longer amount of time. This reduces the amount of toasty oak aromas/flavors in the wine, which I think have the hardest time integrating into the wine. Some folks, Roty for example, can use heavier toasted oak to good effect…but you need fruit that can work/integrate with that and I think that’s rare in Calif.

With time (air or bottle time), Nash Mill develops excellent forest floor and autumn leaves qualities that I really love. But the 12 is a ways away from that…looking forward to tasting it when it does.

I also made a 12 Anderson Valley wine, based on 667 and 115 (and a bit of Pommard) clones, all from NM.

Nash Mill is in the deep end of AV, between Philo and the end of the valley. Nash Mill road is just past Husch and the ‘Day Ranch’ vineyard. Hacienda Secoya vineyard is near the intersection of Nash Mill road and highway 128. Burt Williams’ Morning Dew Ranch is part way up the hill . Nash Mill vineyard is further along in a sub-valley of AV called by the locals as Octopus Valley (referring to Octopus Mt).

Nash Mill vineyard has lots of shale in the subsoil…part of what makes it an interesting vineyard, and what makes it age so well. There are several sections around the vineyard where you can see this, mostly due to erosion. Sadly, I lost access to NM along with John Cabot…my next offering will include some NM tho (sorry for the commercial post here…feel free to remove if it’s inappropriate).

Thanks for the education on reduction of Poulsard Berry. I had no idea bug spray was in reduction’s arsenal! I wonder if anyone has used reduced Poulsard as an organic pesticide?

I’m looking forward to tasting (and perhaps someday making) a Calif Poulsard. I’ve heard that someone brought it in…was it Arnot Roberts? Anyone know if it was through official channels? Hopefully, I don’t like sneaking cuttings into the country…we have enough problems with pests as it is.

Eric

Who now gets the Nash Mill fruit?