TN: One Fun-Filled Afternoon Spent Poolside with Friends

ONE FUN-FILLED AFTERNOON SPENT POOLSIDE WITH FRIENDS - Los Olivos, CA (8/26/2018)

It was family day for our tasting group, with beautiful weather and fine contributions to the potluck. I provided the bottles, with the reds organized in pairs intended to pose a relatively restrained wine against a comparable powerhouse, based on reputation anyway, though I can say that perception mirrored reality in most instances.
Assorted Whites for the Afternoon Heat

• 2014 Accendo Cellars Sauvignon Blanc - USA, California, Napa Valley
  I don’t turn too often to Sauv Blanc, but was really pleased by this expression. All the expected flavor notes: citrus, grass, some tropical fruit and a fine acidity. What really made this work for me was the wine’s precision, a purity and balance that for me added some energy and seriousness to an easy drinker. (92 pts.)
• 2010 Jermann Vinnaioli Vintage Tunina Venezia Giulia IGT - Italy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Venezia Giulia IGT
  I didn’t get to spend much time with this bottle, but the quick tastes I had confirmed for me that time continues to serve this wine very well. The crisp fruit is now complemented by a honeyed warmness, adding depth as well as texture. A bit clipped on the finish, but very enjoyable. (91 pts.)
• 2006 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  Others enjoyed this more than I did. Fairly advanced and oxidative, but the fruit is there still, and rounded out with air. Notes of honeysuckle, cedar, white pit fruit and herbs. Missing the energy I noted in previous bottles. Drink up. (89 pts.)
• 2012 Sine Qua Non In the Abstract - USA, California, Central Coast
  A hard wine to wrap one’s head around, offering things very familiar and others that defy categorization. Fat and concentrated, with intense stewed apple, lemon, orange, mint and floral notes. Very good balance, medium finish. My reflections bounce between deeming this a hedonistic treat and a one-off curiosity, but in the end I can’t dismiss this as a serious wine. (92 pts.)
• 2011 Castello della Sala (Antinori) Cervaro della Sala Umbria IGT - Italy, Umbria, Umbria IGT
  A stellar showing. The acidity that was excessive a few years back has settled down, leaving the wonderful, viscous fruit and minerality of this bottling to joust playfully for supremacy. Notes of underripe apple, almond, lemon and orange oil. Pure class. No rush whatsoever to drink. (93 pts.)
• 2011 Peay Vineyards Viognier Estate - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
  This showed much better than prior bottles, which were lean and ungenerous. Floral and citrus notes, a touch of apricot. Benefitted from air and warmer temperature. (90 pts.)

US Pinot Comparison

• 2009 Brewer-Clifton Pinot Noir Cargasacchi Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills
  Nearly ten years old, and firing on all cylinders. A seamless wine, absolutely no edges. Sweet cherries and plums, with touches of fennel and mint. Acid, fruit, structure — harmonious, confident, powerful. (94 pts.)
• 2009 Peay Vineyards Pinot Noir Scallop Shelf Estate - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
  At first somewhat austere and bitter, it took hours for me to perceive the quality of this wine, and when I went back to it the next day, it was even better. Beautiful, smokey red fruit, both sweet and tart, some orange peel and muted spice that rounds out the very long finish. (93 pts.)

US Grenache Comparison

• 2009 Keplinger Red Slope - USA, California, Sonoma County, Knights Valley
  Another wine I wanted to spend more time on, this showed a great purity of aromatic, black and blue fruit, complemented by a fennel aspect. Grippy and energetic. Florality emerged in the expansive, slightly tannic finish. Just entering the earliest stages of its drinking window in my estimation. (92 pts.)
• 2011 Booker Vineyard Grenache The Ripper - USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  A fascinating, and divisive, wine, but one I really enjoyed despite the evident heat. There’s a place in my wine world for fruit-forward powerhouses when held in check by the wine’s energy and mineral backbone. Loads of bright red fruit, pepper and mild. Decadent doesn’t mean flawed, to me anyway. (93 pts.)

Super-Tuscan Comparison

• 1997 Castello del Terriccio Lupicaia - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
  Just a stellar wine. Possibly the best QPR red of my life, with each bottle topping the last. This has no right to be such a profound and complex bottle. Cassis, blackberry, some cherry, beautifully balanced. Sweet tannins emerge on the mid-palate and carry into the lengthy finish. (96 pts.)
• 1998 Castello dei Rampolla Vigna d’Alceo - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
  Super-Tuscans indeed have a reason to exist, and not just my Bolgheri Syrah and Merlot favorites, as proven by this Cabernet-driven beauty. Why this estate remains below the radar in the US is beyond me, but no complaints. Here’s a 20-year old beauty, easily obtainable, and drinking in its prime. Plenty of cassis and sweet tannins, but with its accents of licorice and bay leaf, I doubt anyone experience confuses this with France or Napa. Found it hard to move on to the next wines. (94 pts.)

Aussie Shiraz Comparison

• 1996 Henschke Shiraz Mount Edelstone - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Eden Valley
  Easily my best bottle so far from an auction lot I got about three years ago. The brett blew off quickly, and what a treat, smooth, pure and powerful, with loads of green and black pepper, some menthol and a touch of dark cherry. Velvety texture, smooth and rewarding. (94 pts.)
• 2003 Clarendon Hills Astralis - Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, Clarendon
  Presents as very young, in fact almost backwards. More liquor than fresh fruit, kirsch and blueberry, along with plenty of green pepper. Evident heat. Extracted and powerful, but will need time to show finesse, and with time may even display true elegance. (91 pts.)

A Cannibalistic La-La Battle

• 1994 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Landonne - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
  My last of these, and the best performer — Wine karma anyone?! Plenty of dark red fruit, meat juice, pepper, some smoke and spice. Very expansive finish. A true classic. (95 pts.)
• 2008 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Landonne - France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
  Just a baby, but the roadmap for a stellar Syrah is all there. Plum and fig, pepper, leather, some tobacco. Gained weight and concentration with air. Very long finish. (94 pts.)

US Syrah Comparison

• 2009 Sine Qua Non Syrah The Thrill of… - USA, California, Central Coast
  So dense and concentrated, and while that’s no surprise, I found this as monolithic and unyielding a Sine Qua Non as I’ve had, even when revisited two days later. More blue and black fruit than red, showing a bit green, with the Viognier evident as well. Just too intense. Maybe with time? (92 pts.)
• 2010 Ovid Syrah - USA, California, Napa Valley
  Wow, it’s been a while since I encountered a wine that paired pleasure with seriousness as easily and confidently as this one. Neck and neck with Colgin for the best Napa Syrah I’ve had (though I am due to pop a Tynan, the upstart darling of the moment — fingers crossed!). No need for air. Rich, lush, smooth black fruit, plus a myriad of spice, bacon and truffled aspects. In prime drinking form, I can’t imagine there’s a hurry here. (95 pts.)

Aussie Cab. Comparison

• 1990 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon John Riddoch - Australia, South Australia, Limestone Coast, Coonawarra
  Color me biased, and take this note with a grain of salt, but as an aficionado of Aussie wine, with an appreciation of its legacy, I am again humbled and awed by this wine. It tastes as if 8-10 years old, consistent with other recent bottles, and present as complex an array of Cabernet signature notes as I have encountered. Cassis, eucalyptus, some smoky sage notes and smooth, sweet tannins. Unmistakably of its place, and with a firm footprint in the global wine cartography. (96 pts.)
• 2005 Noon Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve - Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, Langhorne Creek
  True to form, a crazily concentrated powerhouse, but as much as I wanted to love it, the heat and polish just aren’t my thing these days. Eucalyptus, mocha, baked raspberries and smoke. Opulent, structured, but veered over the top to my palate. Not sure I could ID as Cab if tasted blind. (90 pts.)

Another instance of Italians and Aussies staying well in stride with French and US examples, if not outpacing them in terms of interest level as well as quality, but truly everything showed exceedingly well, making for a wonderful day indeed.

nice notes on some interesting wines
funny to see astralis and elegance in the same sentence

Sounds like a fantastic way to spend a day and insightful notes as always.

Couple of comments…

Noon has dialled back their wines, I think it is a progressive, year by year thing. I am even noticing some green notes in the latest vintages. Remind to crack a later vintage one next time you are in the neighbourhood. All the cool kids tend to poo-poo the wines but I enjoy them and Drew is a true gentleman.

The Wynns Riddoch should be regarded as a national treasure. It is like Lakes Folly where you need 20 years for them to start strutting their stuff. Whereas other wines are waning and on the slide these are just coming into their drinking window.

The Astralis is a somewhat polarising wine. There doesn’t seem to be a grey area with them, you either love them or hate them

The Castello del Terriccio Lupicaia sounds amazing, will have to hunt some down.

Do you have access to Leeuwins Estate Chardonnay in the US, or even Giaconda? You will have to get some of the top shelf Aussie Chardies in your wheelhouse

Jonathan,

Thanks for posting your notes - and for a fantastic evening. Though I arrived late, I tried to make up for it

I didn’t find as much pleasure in the Sauv Blancs as you did; I enjoyed the Clos de Papes, and even though it was a bit more ‘advanced’ than perhaps it should have been, it was quite enjoyable; the SQN white was really interesting - and I enjoyed it for what it was. It’s difficult to ‘categorize’ it - but perhaps that’s the point . . . and the Peay viognier was good to me but not great, with scents of fruit loops and vitamins.

I enjoyed the pinot comparison, but felt the BC, though beautifully aromatically, was missing a finish, and the Peay, though wonderful structure-wise, was a couple of notches down aromatically.

The Grenaches to me were a bit of a disappointment. I was looking forward to the Keplinger but it just seem disjointed or closed down. I would never have guessed ‘grenache’ if tasted blind, and I’ve had a few others in the past that were mighty fine. I wish I got the same aromatics that you did but it just wasn’t giving that up in my glass. And the Booker was a bit one dimensional, screaming of ‘warm climate’ with bright strawberry aromas and a bit too much heat for my liking.

The challenge with an afternoon/evening like this is that there were so many wines that would probably have been ‘WOW’ wines if they were on their own, but with so many, some just took a back seat. Though I enjoyed both of these, I don’t believe I gave them the time or ‘respect’ that they deserved - and I’m bummed about that . . .

The 96 Henschke was definitely one of my wines of the night - beautiful, complex and singular in its expression. Awesome. I did enjoy the Astralis as well, though it was definitely more ‘in your face’ than the previous wine. The La Las were such a treat - and I can still smell and taste that 94 days later. It certainly left a mark, and was at the top of the list of the wines that night. The 08 was great as well - though I would like to revisit in a decade or two when it shows all that it will. You also enjoyed the US Syrahs more than I did - the SQN was big and bold, and though I liked it aromatically, it just wasn’t my cup of tea. And the Ovid, again though made well, was simply not that distinctive to me - I got too much oak for my liking.

That 90 Wynns was also fabulous - and singular in its expression. You would not mistake it for a CA or FR cab in any way, but it was complex, expressive, and simply a joy to savor and drink. I would love to sit with that glass for 3-4 hours on another night . . . And though other found the Noon to be too aggressive alcohol-wise, I did not. Some commented that they felt it was margarita-like - not for me at all. I didn’t get any heat, despite its list 17% alcohol. I agree that I’m not sure that I’d pick it out as cab, but still enjoyable.

The evening was fantastic - and I’m glad that glasses were raised in honor of a good friend, who was off once again to fight fires - this time in Oregon.

That’s a lot of wine! Glad nobody fell in.

Wow!!

That’s an interesting, diverse, and expensive, line-up of wines to be sure! Cool, coastal California wines (Peay makes a Viognier?), boisterous reds, La-La’s, Super-Tuscans, and Australian classics?!?

Thanks for sharing!