With friends we had a night of cheeses, charcuterie, baked ziti bechamel style and lots more. We needed to wash it all down with something so we had the following three wines. The notes are brief and no food photos, we were have too good a time.
Littorai 2017 Vin Gris: This was crisp, mouthwatering and refreshing. Blood orange, grapefruit pith, pomelo and tarragon. Juicy with great acidity, could not have picked a better wine to start the feast. Bedrock 2012 Pagani Heritage: This wine was a beast (in a good way) when released and for several years later. Based on our bottle it is still a big wine but is not the burly beast it once was. Decanted for 3 hours. Dark fruit combo of black cherry, blackberry and boysenberry. The fruit is plenty ripe but not over ripe and is moderated with its acid and tannin. It is juicy with a long finish. If you have a few it won’t be a crime to open one now but these will continue to develop and evolve for some time.
Frogs Leap 2016 Petite Sirah Napa Valley: The Frogs Leap Petite was a revelation for me. Also decanted for 3 hours, this wine had good impact of blackberry, blueberry, plums herbs and vanilla. Moderate acidity and BARELY NOTICEABLE tannins. Blind there was no way I would guess Petite because of the low tannin profile though the flavors did say Petite. If all this sounds like a boring Petite well trust me it was not. It’s young, fruit forward and quite tasty. Don’t overthink it, enjoy it 13.8 % ABV.
I have to say, that Vin Gris sounds phenomenal! I wish I had some Bedrock “Pagani” with some years on it. I always pass on this bottling but, the more I think about it, I have no idea why.
Frog’s Leap has never let me down…be it a Zin with age, the “Rutherford” Cab Sauv, or their Sauv Blanc. Your TN on the Petite Sirah sounds very good.
Hey Drew, the Vin Gris was indeed delicious. Ted Lemon is pretty much golden with anything he touches. The Bedrock Pagani has certainly benefited with some time in the cellar but no rush on these.
A friend is a club member at Frogs Leap and I have been very impressed with everything they produce. Nothing flamboyant just tasty restrained wines that pair well with food. More and more that is a rarity with many Napa producers.
I have been a fan of Frog’s Leap since a broker I worked with represented them. They are not a large producer. Their Cabernets are superb, reasonably priced, and age beautifully at least to 20 years. I rarely see them. When I do, I usually open my wallet.
Thanks for the post! I especially found the tasting note on the Frog’s Leap Petite Sirah useful, as I received a bottle of this in the Frog’s Leap shipment this fall, and was wondering if it was too early to open, but it sounds like it showed well! I’ll plan on opening earlier than later (as originally I was going to lay this down for a few years).
The 2018 Vin Gris is part of their current offer. I remember really liking it when I had it a few years ago, but having a little trouble convincing myself it’s good enough to justify the current $34/btl (+shipping or pickup fee) pricing.
13.8 % ABV.
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