Had a dinner party last night that left me on puppy duty a good part of the night. We got a new pup this week, a bright light for our lives now but challenging in that I forgot how hard the work is to help the new guy get adapted. He’s part of our family and so while he is sleeping this afternoon, it gave me time to taste all the reds (most of them, although a Rhys Swan Terrace and Rivers-Marie Summa OV went home with the birthday boy, Cris Whetstone). Aside from missing those bottles, I believe I have captured all the other still reds that were left behind. Gotta say, of all these below, the Dehlinger is my best of the six, and I really enjoy it. At 8 years old, it shows a vivid, pure fruited, jammy quality that just gets me. Thanks for reading and to all the Berserkers, happy holidays and new year. Remember, appreciate what you have, appreciate those around you that care about you and tell them how much they mean to you. We can always have wine, but we must me reminded to reach out and thank those who are good to us, our best friends. These are the people who make our lives joyful (and new puppies, too). 
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1982 Olga Raffault Chinon Les Picasses - France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon (12/30/2018)
Opened last night, and is enough left for a decent pour this afternoon to write a TN and see what’s here. Has the Cab Franc aromatic of bell pepper/herbals. This has softened up, and while the structure is pretty well integrated, it offers a mix of red fruits, saddle leather and some light tang. For a 36 year old wine, this is hanging together nicely. Reminds me I should open some of my Baudry in 2019 and revisit some of my red Loire, as I do like the flavors and aromas it creates for me. -
2010 Anthill Farms Pinot Noir Comptche Ridge Vineyard - USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino County (12/30/2018)
This was opened last night, there was enough left for a good size taste. Little murky in color, maybe a little browning on the edges, too. The core of this spicy and tangy, almost pungent toned. This all wraps around soft red fruits, like a strawberry with some red apple. It closes with a loamy, piney finish that is tangy. From what I recall about Anthill Farms, stems were in the approach and they certainly show here. This is CA Pinot for the cerebral, as it makes you think and flips on my senses. -
2010 Dehlinger Pinot Noir Altamont - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (12/30/2018)
Opened last night, sitting out all night without even the cork in the bottle that held the last 5-6 ounces. So, plenty of aeration. The aromatic to this is all about fresh berry, kind of Zinfandel-like ala Carlisle RRV. Poured and tasted this next to the 2010 Anthill Farms Comptche Ridge, my mood tonight prefers this Dehlinger. The fruit is more round and pure, forward but not candied. It just pleasure. A bit of clove, raspberry jam and some licorice/spice into the finish that is lively and bright with acidity. This is a solid mix of fruit and acid that works for me. Delicious. -
2011 Nicolas Rossignol Volnay 1er Cru Santenots - France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Volnay 1er Cru (12/30/2018)
Opened last night for a dinner party, simply left under cork on the counter. Some funk in the aromatic, with a creamier texture and red hard cherry candy. Some mushroom and herbal tang shows up in the finish, that has good length and structure. Like the Anthill Farms Comptche pinot I tasted tonight, this Rossignol makes me think. -
2015 Cavallotto Langhe Freisa - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC (12/30/2018)
Opened last night, just a few ounces remain today. Never had Freisa before. Some rose petal aromas, Reminds me of a cross between strawberry and minerals, colliding together. Medium weight, vivid fruit and good structure in the finish. I could see buying some of this and enjoying it when I wanted something to lift my mood and bring me a smile. Nice stuff. -
2016 William & Mary Proprietary Red Shifflett Ranch - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oak Knoll District (12/29/2018)
Have not tasted this since the winery visit to see Will this past July, Opened tonight six hours ahead of the meal in order to get some air into it. Composing my note here with no food paired with the wine, and the only thing I am tasting right now. I really like this, as the core of this wine is blessed with terrific acidity, soil and a deep core of red fruit that is tangy and intense. There is an irony quality to the wine that frames the core. What is absent here, and the same quality I noted this past July, is oak and a thick, dark flavors. Truly, none of that here. Lots more air this will see before I serve it to a # of smart palates, wrapped in a bag so it will be blind poured, too. The best way to get a real perception without the bias. For what this wine shows now, it’s delicious…over dinner when we served this blind, some comments about oak came into the discussion. Some wood did seem to blossom as the wine aired for the hours after I opened it, and yet I didn’t find the oak out of context nor the ripeness levels to be different than my original impression from when I first opened it. I very much dig this wine…as a final comment, there was some leftover in the bottle from last night so I poured what was left and gave it a go. The oak seems to have diffused nicely into the wine, adding a touch of vanilla bean to the flavors. It also allows the fruit to become a little creamier, with a core of red fruit now seeming more accessible, too.
Posted from CellarTracker
