TN: More New Reds...(long/boring)

WINE TALK
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We tasted last week (1/25/17) some More New Red Wines:

  1. PelletiereEstate Tievoli WillowCreekDist/PasoRobles (72% Sangiovese/28% Syrah; 14.5%) 2014: Very dark color;
    bit milk of magnesia/dusty/earthy black cherry/Sangio/spicy quite Chianti-like bit rustic/bretty nose; some
    black cherry/Sangio/slight blackberry lightly tart bit bretty/leathery/rustic flavor w/ light rough tannins;
    very long slight leathery/bretty rather Sangio/black cherry/cherry lightly tart/wirey bit rustic finish w/ light
    bit rough tannins; not the purity of fruit of an Italian Chianti but resembles some a good VinNobile di Montepulcino;
    quite an Italianate type of red. $46.00
  1. Harrington l’Avventura 50% Sangiovese/Montepulciano Calif (81 cs; Mourv: GianelliVnyd/TuolumneCnty;
    Sangio: SilettoVnyd/SanBenitoCnty; 14.1%) 2014    : Med.dark color; very bright cherry/Sangio/black cherry/spicy
    quite perfumed clean/bright/zippy nose; lightly tart bright/Sangio/cherry slight earthy/dusty almost Pinotish
    flavor w/ light tangy tannins; very long light/bright/cherry/Sangio slight earthy/dusty very light toasty/oak
    finish w/ light sharp tannins; a very bright elegant expression of Sangio; almost like a Sangio made by a Pinot
    producer; can use several yrs of age; a very pretty/attractive Sangio. $25.00
  1. PelletiereEstate Zin WillowCreekDist/PasoRobles (14.9%) 2014: Dark color; strong plummy/blackberry/boysenberry/
    quite spicy/fragrant slight alcoholic light vanilla/oak quite attractive nose; bit soft rich/lush/strong
    blackberry/boysenberry/Zin/very spicy slight licorice slight earthy/dusty balanced flavor w/ light smooth tannis;
    very long strong blackberry/boysenberry/ripe/Zin/quite spicy slight earthy/dusty light vanilla/oak balanced/
    rich/lush finish w/ light silky tannins; a balanced/smooth Paso Zin that avoids straying into the overripe/jammy
    Paso Zin territory; reminds me a lot of the early Eberle SauretVnyd Zins w/o the strong oak signature;
    very good Paso Zin. $42.00
  1. Harrington Zin OldVine/MixedBlacks ZeniRanch/MendoCnty (13.8%) 2015: Med.color; strong very spicy/Zin/raspberry
    bright/zippy quite dusty/OV light toasty/oak some complex/OV nose; bit tart bright/raspberry/Zin/very spicy quite
    dusty/OV light toasty/oak flavor w/ light gentle tannins; very long very spicy/raspberry/Zin bright/vibrant light
    toasty/oak very dusty/OV finish w/ light smooth/graceful tannins; a lovely bright elegant OV Zin; reminds a lot
    of the early Fetzers from Zeni but w/o Barney’s heavy-handed Am.oak. $nc (BH)
  1. PelletiereEstate Lagrein WillowCreekDist/PasoRobles (14.8%) 2014: Very dark/near black color; very strong licorice/
    plummy/boysenberry/ripe bit alcoholic almost chocolaty quite perfumed nose; strong ripe/plummy/blackberry/
    boysenberry/licorice/bit pungent fairly extracted slight earthy/dusty flavor w/ modest rough tannins; very long
    rich/ripe strong boysenberry/blackberry/licorice/chocolaty light earthy/loamy finish w/ some rough tannins;
    quite structured and needs 4-8 yrs of age; lots of ripeness but not straying into the overripe/jammy Paso red
    territory; speaks strongly of Lagrein but not the earthy/loamy character of those fromthe AltoAdige; a bit on
    the pricey side at $56.00
  1. DavidCoffaro Lagrein DryCreekVlly/SonomaCnty (U/U; EB; 15.8%; 125 cs; BarrelAged: 16 mo.; www.Coffaro.com)
    Geyserville 2014    : Very dark/near black color; very strong vanilla/toasty/oak very strong chocolaty/very ripe/
    plummy/boysenberry somewhat alcoholic/fumey nose; soft rather fumey/alcoholic very strong vanilla/oak strong
    chocolaty/plummy/boysenberry slight earthy flavor w/ modest bitey tannins; long very strong toasty/vanilla/oak
    very ripe/chocolaty/plummy/boysenberry finish w/ modest hard tannins; resembles Dave’s PetiteSirah more than
    Lagrein; still a good example of what Calif Lagrein can be. $35.00
  1. Jolie-Laide Song of the Sunset (Grenache/Syrah/Viognier/Muscat of Alexandria; RossiRanchVnyd/SonomaCnty;
    13.4%) Forestville 2014    : Dark color; strong strawberry/blackberry/plummy/bit boysenberry some dusty/OV light
    earthy/garrige/herbal light toasty/oak nose; rather tart blackberry/strawberry/fairly plummy some Rhonish/garrigue
    light toasty/oak flavor w/ light rough tannins; long rather strawberry/Grenache/plummy light toasty/charred/oak
    bit earthy some Rhonish/garrigue finish w/ light gritty tannins; a quite attractive somewhat Rhonish GSM blend
    but a bit overpriced. $41.50 (Cured)
  1. BedrockWineCo Heritage GibsonRanch/McDowellVlly/MendoCnty RW (Planted in 1880’s; 14.3%; Syrah/PS/Peloursin/
    TrousseauNoir/Grenache) 2013    : Dark color; beautiful peppery/spicy/blackberry/Syrah slight black olive/roasted/
    smoked meats some dusty/OV complex nose; bit soft strong blackberry/Syrah/bit peppery light black olive/smoked
    meats quite dusty/OV flavor w/ modest smooth tannins; very long rather dusty/OV strong blackberry/Syrah/spicy
    slight black olive/smoked meats/bit Rhonish flavor w/ modest ripe/smooth tannins; a beautiful wine that only
    hints at what GibsonRanch can deliver. $38.00
  1. Once&Future Zin BedrockVnyd/SonomaVlly/SonomaCnty (126 yr old vines; Picked: 9/2/2014; 100% Fr.oak,
    30% new brls; 200 cs; pH: 3.51, TA: 0.58 gm/100ml; Bttld: Nov 2015; www.OnceAndFutureWine.com; 13.77%)
    JoelPeterson/Sonoma 2014    : Dark color; beautiful dusty/OV very spicy/blackberry/Zin/peppery very light toasty/oak
    quite complex nose; lightly tart very spicy/blackberry/Zin/bit peppery light toasty/oak rather dusty/OV balanced/
    rich flavor w/ modest ripe/smooth tannins; very long/lingering quite dusty/OV very strong blackberry/peppery/very
    spicy/Zin very light toasty/oak slight earthy very complex finish w/ some smooth/ripe tannins; not a huge amount
    of fruit but very spicy and much like Joel’s Ravenswoods of yore; the balance should carry this out at least 10 yrs.
    $42.00
  1. Carlisle Zin BedrockVnyd/SonomaVlly/SonomaCnty (15.3%; Plntd: 1888; +Mourv/PS/AlicanteBouschet; 355 cs) 2014:
    Dark color; more fragrant/perfumed very spicy/blackberry/Zin/licorice/slight peppery slightly alcoholic quite
    fruity/juicy/lush lovely intense nose; soft very spicy quite dusty/OV intense blackberry/boysenberry/Zin/ripe
    structured light toasty/oak flavor w/ modest hard tannins; very long/lingering quite dusty/OV intense blackberry/
    boysenberry/Zin/very spicy light toasty/oak ripe/lush/rich structured bit complex finish w/ ample ripe/hard
    tannins; clearly riper and more intense fruit but nowhere near being over the top or overripe; a classic
    Carlisle Zin that should age very well. $44.70
  1. Once&Future PetiteSirah PalisadesVnyd/Calistoga/NapaVlly (37 yr old vines; Picked: 9/8/2014; 100% Fr.oak,
    30% new; 270 cs; pH: 3.61, TA: 0.58; Bttld: Nov 2015; 14.01%) 2014    : Very dark/black color; strong boysenberry/
    huge fruit/blackberry/PS some spicy light toasty/oak rather intense nose; soft ripe/blackberry/boysenberry/PS/big
    fruit light toasty/oak slight earthy/peppery quite structured some spicy flavor w/ modest hard/ripe tannins;
    very long ripe/blackberry/PS/bit spicy light toasty/oak finish w/ modest angular tannins; quite structured &
    needs age; loads of fruit and not your usual PS clunky oafishness; an outstanding PS. $55.00
  1. Carlisle PetiteSirah PalisadesVnyd/NapaVlly (15.4%; 570 cs; U/U) 2013: Very black color; very ripe bit alcoholic
    deep/chocolaty/boysenberry/licorice/PS some earthy/dusty light toasty/oak rather big nose; slight hot/alcoholic
    softer huge/chocolaty/blackberry/PS/licorice/boysenberry light toasty/oak bit earthy/dusty flavor w/ ample hard
    tannins; very long softer huge fruit/blackberry/chocolaty/PS/licorice bit pungentlight toasty/oak bit earthy
    finish w/ ample firm tannins; shows more of the clunky side of PS but loads of fruit; cleary a bit riper but
    not at all overripe or raisened; very structured and needs age. $47.20
  1. PelletiereEstate Viognier WillowCreekDist/PasoRobles (14.2%; www.Pelletiere.com) 2015: Light gold color; quite
    fragrant perfumed talc/peach/pear/Viog/bit spicy light vanilla/oak quite attractive nose; lightly tart/tangy
    bright/spicy ripe pear/Viog/peach/floral perfumed talc nutmeg/spicy light vanilla/oak flavor; very long tart/
    tangy/metallic ripe pear/Viog/peach/rather spicy finish; a bright elegant spicy Viog far from DollyParton
    territory; lots of ripe pear character w/ spicy/nutmeg; doesn’t seem as ripe as the 14.2% would suggest. $32.00
  1. PelletiereEstate Syrah WillowCreekDist/PasoRobles (15.2%) 2014: Rather dark color; strong blackberry/Syrah/
    boysenberry/ripe slight jammy/PR some toasty/smokey/oak bit plummy/licorice/peppery rather fragrant nose;
    soft ripe/blackberry/Syrah/boysenberry bit PR/jammy light toasty/smokey/oak balanced flavor w/ modest smooth/ripe
    tannins; long ripe/blackberry/Syrah/boysenberry/plummy/licorice bit soft light smokey/oak finish w/ modest soft/
    ripe tannins; lots of ripe PR/Syrah fruit w/o being overripe; alcohol does not show at all; a bit along the style
    of the Eberle Syrahs. $46.00

More stuff from TheBloodyPulpit:

  1. PelletiereEstate: This is the PasoRobles wnry of JanisDenner. I had a Harrington Lagrein from her vnyd over a
    month ago that blew me away, so I wanted to try her Lagrein and decided to order a few others of hers to try.
    I was rather impressed by these five wines I tried. They had a fair amount of alcohol but carried it well, I thought.
    Though on the ripe side, they didn’t have that jammy/overripe character that many Paso reds tend to show. Good
    wines and good winemaking from Paso.
  1. Lagrein: A variety that descendes from Teroldego, making it related to Syrah. Grown almost entirely in the
    SudTirol of Italy, where it produces reds w/ a distinct earthy/loamy character that are often on the soft
    side. It was first produced in Calif by ChrisWhitcraft some yrs from the Miller’s vnyd on Eastside Paso. It
    was a wine that spoke more of Chris’ Pinots, dominated by toasty Fr.oak. The Harrington & Pelletiere Lagreins are
    world-class expressions of this grape and evidence there should be more Lagrein planted in Calif…as in all
    up & down the Coast. For folks who believe that an intensely black wine is a hallmark of quality…Lagrein is
    your grape.
  1. BedrockGibson: Back in the mid-late '80’s, the McDowellVllyVnyds made a PS from GibsonRanch that was outstanding.
    The wines were made by GeorgeBursick. They eventually found that much of the PS in GibsonRanch was acttually
    Syrah and started making McDVV Syrah. It was world-class Syrah…as good as anything made in Calif. Alas, the
    McDVV Syrahs went downhill over the yrs. When the Bilbros bought GibsonRanch, I was very excited that, once
    again, GibsonRanch would be delivering world-class Syrah. Alas, this Bedrock is not that wine. It is good…
    nay…very good GibsonRanch red. But it only hints, I think, of the glories that GibsonRanch will eventually
    deliver.
  1. O&F: I had tasted these two wines overlooking the beautiful/scenic scum pond at BedrockVnyd last June when
    Susan & I had lunch w/ Joel. I liked them quite a lot then. In this tasting, I liked them even more. Reminded
    me a lot of those old Ravenswoods Joel used to make. I’m looking forward to trying the latest O&F’s.
  1. PS: I’m not a huge fan of PetiteSirah. I find that many renditions of the grape are on the oafish/clunky/
    stupid side and lacking in fruit. Both of these were loaded w/ rather Zin-like blackberry fruit. The Carlisle
    showed a bit more alcohol but was nowhere near being over the top. Both outstanding expressions of a grape that
    often doesn’t deliver.
    Tom
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Thanks for the notes, Tom!!! Boy, you sure picked a wild selection for this “long/boring” post! :wink:

The Pelletiere winemaker (according to the winery’s website) is none other than Ranchero Cellars’ Amy Butler. I am shocked at the listed pH for the 2014 Zinfandel - 3.28! The other reds don’t have the same low pH/high acidity as the Zin, but the alcohol levels are more or less in line with it.

I have not tried a Lagrein in a looong time. Some articles online speculate that it will become more common in Calif and Washington in the coming years. A bottling from Harrington doesn’t surprise me, but the fact that you can find one from the Dry Creek Valley AVA does. I guess that I need to reacquaint myself with the variety.

A couple of questions:

• Did you drink the Jolie-Laide PnP?

I haven’t had any of their wines, but the note seems to hint that the wine needed time and/or air. I wouldn’t have thought that a J-L red would’ve been as smoky/oaky as you indicate in your TN.

• Just how good can the McDowell/Gibson Ranch get?!?

I have seen only positive notes on the wines made from this vineyard. I think that the oldest Syrah vines in California supposedly are found here. I am led to think that if anyone can squeeze the best potential from the site, it’d be MTP or the Bilbro family. I concede that I never had any 1980’s bottlings from the vineyard, so you would be inclined to know better than I. :slight_smile:

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Thanks for the excellent notes Tom. A couple of quasi-related, quasi useful observations:

  • Palisades is one of the most accessible Petite vineyards around. It ultimately may not age as well as Hayne, Library, etc., but Palisades Petites are almost always relatively suave and well mannered - even very young.

  • I’ve been tasting through the latest O&F release (15s). Seems to me to be even better than the initial release. I guess that Peterson guy is finally getting his winemaking feet under him?

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Hi Tom. I really enjoy your notes. Well-structured!

I am curious, do you write them down in a journal, or type them, or dictate them as you taste? do you use a sheet with sections? I ask because I would like to be more systematic about taking tasting notes myself, but find it challenging and time consuming. Also, I find it can be inconvenient to do when as a live tasting event.

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Really enjoy the notes! I’m very intrigued by the O&F - I’ve run across it a couple of times on this board since joining but unfortunately didn’t sign up for the mailing list until after the current allocations.

Hoping to find some out in the wild and get in on starting on the next allocation cycle.

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Ya think, Mike??? Guess it’s about time!!! [snort.gif]

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Yup, Drew…just a PnP. I had the wine the next morning w/ my PostToasties and it still had a strong oak signature.


• Just how good can the McDowell/Gibson Ranch get?!?

I have seen only positive notes on the wines made from this vineyard. I think that the oldest Syrah vines in California supposedly are found here. I am led to think that if anyone can squeeze the best potential from the site, it’d be MTP or the Bilbro family. I concede that I never had any 1980’s bottlings from the vineyard, so you would be inclined to know better than I. > :slight_smile:

Those early Syrahs that GeorgeBursick made were as good as any being made then in Calif. After George left McDowellVlly and BillyCrawford sort of lost interest
in what he was doing, the wines started into a slow decline and became nothing near their early glories. Now that Jake/Sam Bilbro have taken over GibsonRanch,
I have great hopes for it. Don’t think LimerickLane uses any of those grapes yet. This Bedrock is the first SV GibsonRanch I think I’ve seen. MTP has done a good/very good
job w/ it. I think, eventually, it’ll be seen to be one of Calif’s great OV vnyds. I’ve been hounding MikeOfficer to make a wine from GibsonRanch. Maybe, someday
Mike will realize the wisdom of his elders!! [snort.gif]
Tom

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Thanks for the compliment, Barry. You do know, don’t you, that I’m a LosAlamos guy…we just make stuff up!!! [snort.gif]

In my (long/boring) TN’s…those are ones I take during my tastings w/ my tasting group. I have a hand-out that lists the wines and I just
write down my impressions. I take those notes & enter them into my computer on the file that I used to make the handout. That often
takes several days to get all done. I then print these TN’s out and archive them in a binder. I have my TN’s going way back in those notebooks
to the early '73’s. Alas, I very rarely refer back to them.

In my (short/boring) TN’s, those are just on wines I have w/ dinner or some such. On a piece of paper, I just write down the label details and
scribble down my impressions of the wine. I then just go directly to WB (and WCWN & WLDG where I also post) and enter the TN directly.

Like you, when I’m in a large venue like RhoneRangers or tasting at a tasting room, I have a hard time making any kind of TN.

But, to me, the TN’s themselves are only of limited importance. Mostly, it’s the BloodyPulpit where I like to give background info and
spin my yarns. Heck…some of it may even actually be true!!! [snort.gif]
Tom