We tried last night (4/17/19) Some New Releases:
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Arnot-Roberts RibollaGialla VareVnyd/OakKnoll/NapaVlly (12%; 8 brls; Cuttings from JoskoGravner) 2017:
Light gold color; slight cidery/volatile rather stony/mineral light floral/RG/peppery rather spare/lean
some appley nose; quite tart/lean/austere some stony/chalky light appley/floral/RG/grapefruity almost
screechy flavor; long quite tart/acidic/grapefruity/screechy brather stony/chalky light RG/floral/peppery
finish; not a lot of fruit intensity & rather lean/eviscerated and a bit painful to drink. $40.00
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Ryme RibollaGialla VareVnyd/NapaVlly (13.6%) 2016: Med.dark gold color; rather fragrant/floral/RG modest
phenolic/resiny slight earthy bit spicy nose; rather tart/tangy/bit grapefruity fairly phenolic/resiny/
austere some earthy/dusty slight stony/metallic flavor w/ light tannic bite; very long rather phenolic/
resiny/skin-contact light RG/floral/spicy quite tart/tangy/grapefruity slight earthy/dusty finish w/ bit
tannic bite; rather attractive RG nose but dominated by the phenolics on the palate; should be a wonderful
RG w/ 4-6 yrs of age. $42.00
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Matthiasson RibollaGialla MatthiassonVnyd/NapaVlly (11.2%) Napa 2016: Med.dark gold color; fairly strong
phenolic/resiny light spicy/floral/RG light earthy fairly attractive nose;rather tart/tangy some resiny/
phenolic bit grapefruity/lean/spare light earthy/floral/RG flavor w/ light tangy tannins; med.long some
phenolic/resiny light RG/peppery/floral/earthy finish ; not dominated by the phenolics but a bit on the
lean/spare/skinny side & short on fruit; may evolve into something interesting, though. $45.00
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Harrington RibollaGialla ClementsHills/Lodi/Calif (skin-frmtd/Amphora-aged; 13.2%; www.HarringtonWines.com)
2018: Med.gold rather hazy/cloudy color; strong phenolic/resiny/some cidery some RG/floral/appley/spicy
quite attractive nose; bit soft some phenolic/resiny/cidery light RG/floral/sppley/spicy/peppery rather
interesting flavor w/ little tannins; very long/lingering some resiny/phenolic/bit cidery slight tangy/
metallic bit floral/RG/earthy/peppery bit complex finish; has some richness & lushness not usually found
in RG; lots of phenolics but a good balance of RG fruit; will be interesting to see how this ages; quite
an interesting RG. $30.00
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Ryme Vermentino “Hers” LasBrisasVnyd/Carneros (11.9%) 2015: Light gold color; very fragrant/perfumed slight
volatile floral/carnations/Verm bit appley slight earthy quite attractive aromatic nose; very tart/acidic/
bit sour some floral/carnations/Verm/appley somewhat lean/austere flavor; very long rather tangy/sour/tart
some floral/Verm/carnations bit earthy finish; quite an attractive Verm nose but rather acidic/lean/austere
on the palate. $26.00
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Ryme Vermentino LasBrisasVnyd/Carneros/SonomaCnty (“Hers”; 11.2%; www.RymeCellars.com) Geyserville 2018:
Light gold color; very strong perfumey floral/Verm/carnations/apple blossom ripe peach/pear beautiful
fragrant nose; very tart/tangy bit metallic fairly floral/Verm/carnations rather lean/austere/bit eviscerated
flavor; very long/lingering quite tart/lean/tangy/almost screechy some floral/Verm/carnations/apple blossom
finish; a beautiful Verm nose but a bit spare/lean/austere on the palate. $25.00
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TablasCreekVnyds Vermentino Estate/AdelaidaDist/PasoRobles (13.0%; 1140 cs) 2018: Light gold color; strong
Verm/floral/carnations/peach/pear/slight mango/tropical fruits bit earthy/chalky quite lovely aromatic nose;
lightly tart very strong floral/Verm/carnations rather rich/lush light chalky/mineral slightly metallic/tangy
bit complex flavor; very long/lingering strong Verm/floral/carnations/peach slight chalky/stony bit complex
finish; lovely aromatics & lots of richness & depth; a world-class Verm at a great price. $21.60 (VIN)
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TablasCreekVnyds Roussanne Estate/AdelaidaDist/PasoRobles (12.0%; 1050 cs) 2017: Med.light gold color; very
strong floral/honeysuckle/Rouss slight smokey/pungent bit tight/closed lovely perfumed nose; lightly tart
strong Rouss/floral/honeysuckle light smokey/pungent/bit Rhonish slight chalky lovely flavor; very long fairly
strong floral/Rouss/honeysuckle light pungent/smokey/oak/bit Rhonish slight chalky finish; quite a lovely Rouss
but seems a bit subdued to other TCV Rouss right now; should put on weight w/ age and become another beautiful
TCV Rouss w/ a yr or two. $32.00 (VIN)
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Harrington Misteri SumuKawVnyd/ElDorado (“Mystery of MtEtna”; not NerelloMascalese; 13.2%) 2018: Med.light ruby
bit cloudy color; strong somewhat earthy/rustic/dusty slight ElDorado/mushroomy slight fumey/volatile light
strawberry/red fruit/floral rather fragrant nose; lightly tart somewhat earthy/rustic/dusty light strawberry/
floral/Frappato-like rather savory/saline very interesting flavor w/ light bit gritty tannins; very long
earthy/dusty/rustic some floral/strawberry/alpine strawberry rather savory finish w/ light tangy tannins;
a bit earthy/rustic/Sicilian-like but quite fragrant like a Frappato; quite a dead-ringer for an EtnaRouge.
$35.00
9a. Harrington Alvarelhao SumuKawVnyd/ElDoradoCnty (13.2%) 2016: Med.dark color; very strong plummy/blackberry/
bit boysenberry some earthy/loamy/dusty slight herbal some earthy/mushroomy/ElDorado rather Mourv-like quite
interesting if rustic nose; lightly tart/tangy strong plummy/Mourv-like/blackberry some earthy/loamy/mushroomy/
ElDorado somewhat rustic flavor w/ modest bit bitey/tangy tannins; long rather plummy/Mourv-like slight
blackberry/spicy some earthy/loamy/ElDorado bit rustic finish w/ modest tangy/bitey tannins; as a rather rustic
character that hints of a Portugese connection but more like an ElDorado Mourv, but more angular & less soft/lush;
quite an interesting if rustic red. $30.00
9b. Harrington Corvina SilettoVnyd/SanBenitoCnty (13.0%; www.HarringtonWines.com) 2018: Very light garnet slightly
cloudy color; very strong strawberry/spicy/Grenache-like/bit plummy some earthy/dusty very pretty fragrant nose;
lightly tart bright/strawberry/cherry/Corvina/quite spicy some earthy/dusty light-bodied very pretty flavor w/
light brisk tannins; very long bright/cherry/strawberry/Corvina/Grenache-like slight earthy/dusty finish w/ light
tannins; no complexity or profundity here but just a very pretty strawberry-laden Vin de Soif. $25.00
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TablasCreekVnyds Cotes de Tablas Estate/AdelaidaDist/PasoRobles (53% Grenache/25% Syrah/12% Counoise/10% Mourv;
14.5%; 2135 cs) 2017: Med.color; very strong strawberry/Grenache/floral slight earthy lovely perfumed nose; bit
soft strong/delicate flowery/Grenache/strawberry bit earthy perfumed attractive flavor w/ light tannins; very
long very bright/perfumed/floral/strawberry/Grenache bit earthy finish w/ light bit bitey tannins; a very pretty
bright floral/strawberry/Grenache a bit on the light/delicate side; will probably put on weight and bulk up a bit
but a very pretty drinkable Grenache now. $28.00 (VIN)
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TablasCreekVnyds LeComplice Estate/AdelaidaDist/PasoRobles (59% Syrah/20% Grenache/19% TerretNoir/
2% Roussanne co-frmtd w/ Syrah; 14.1%; 750 cs) 2016: Fairly dark color; strong spicy/Syrah/blackberry/somewhat
spicy/peppery bit Rhonish/roasted/espresso light toasty/oak quite fragrant nose; lightly tart/tangy bit
NorthernRhone/Rhonish strong blackberry/Syrah/spicy slight roasted/pungent bit complex rather structured
flavor w/ modest crunchy tannins; very long/lingering strong blackberry/Syrah/spicy bit Rhonish/roasted/espressy/
bit pungent slight earthy/chalky bit complex finish w/ some crunchy tannins; a rather structured Syrah-dominated
blend of the level of their Esprit Mourv-based blend; more Rhonish Syrah than their varietal Syrah; should age
into something quite special. $40.00 (VIN)
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TablasCreekVnyds Panoplie Estate/AdelaidaDist/PasoRobles (66% Mourv/25% Syrah/9% Grenache; 14.5%; 760 cs) 2016:
Slightly less fairly dark color; very strong perfumed/plummy/Mourv/black-fruite/blackberry/Syrah light smokey/
toasted/Fr.oak slight earthy/dusty/bit chalky some Rhonish/roasted fairly complex nose; some tart/tangy rather
rich/structured very plummy/Mourv/some Syrah/blackberry bit Rhonish/roasted some complex flavor w/ modest
chewey tannins; very long/lingering bit Rhonish/roasted/toasty/oak strong very plummy/Mourv/light Syrah/
blackberry slight earthy structured finish w/ ample ripe tannins; should age into a beautiful Rhone blend.
$76.00 (VIN)
More titsurple from TheBloodyPulpit:
- Misteri: BryanHarrington goes to Europe nearly every Spring and arranges to have sent to FPS cuttings of varieties
that he’s particularly interested in propagating in Calif. FPS puts them thru quarantine and cleans them up
before releasing them, though they have finally put a limit on how many he can send back each year. When they’re
released, this silver-tongued devil then manages to convince his cadre of growers to plant them for him.
His interest in these obscure varieties is a passion run amok. Gawd-forbid if his forays begin to include
Georgia and other seats of ancient viticulture.
In 2015, he made arrangements for Nerello Mascalese to be sent back from MtEtna/Sicily. After FPS released it
to him, he convinced David Bush of SumuKawVnyd in PleasantVlly/ElDorado to plant it for him. This is his first
crop from those vines.
Ooops…when FPS did the DNA on this “Nerello Mascalese”, it was found not to be that variety. In fact,
from the 28,000-some varieties in their data base, it was not a match for any known variety. So Bryan just
labeled it as a mystery grape…“Misteri”.
Though not a huge fan of EtnaRosso, of which is mostly Nerello Mascalese, I was quite entranced by its
rustic/savory character and the strong perfume which reminded me of some Frappatos I’ve liked. Moreover, I
usually get a strong earthy/mushroomy signature (must be that “terroir” thing the wine geeks babble endlessly
about) in reds from ElDoradoCnty. This wine does not speak of ElDorado…it speaks of Sicily. Not a profound
wine but pretty amazing juice.
- Ryme Ribolla: Really liked this RG a lot. Though on the palate, it was dominated by the phenolics, it did not
have that very austere/tannic character some skin-contact RGs show. This was actually made w/ 11 months of
skin-contact in tinija and then another yr aging in the tinija. With that extensive skin-contact, I would have
expected it to be painfully phenolic…but there was a nice balance of RG coming thru underneath. I expect it
to age into something pretty special.
Ryan & Megan have two tinijas they use. They are probably the only tinijas in the USofA from Juan Padilla,
who is acknowledged as probably the master tinaja producer in the World. Made in Spain, it is less porous than
those made in Italy. These are the tinajas that are used by ElisabettaForadori. Ryan & Megan’s NY importer
imports the Foradori wines and persuaded her to ship two of them to Ryan&Magan. The story of JuanPadilla is here:
Master tinajero in Albacete - Wine Chords
- Ryme Vermentino: Megan & Ryan make two Vermentinos from LasBrisas (one of the coldest Vermentino vnyds in the
World), the “Hers” and the “His”. “Hers” is made conventionally, direct to press. The “His” is made w/ varying
degrees of skin-contact. Of the two, the “Hers” is typically my favorite right out of the gate. But the “His”
usually evolves into a very interesting/honeyed Verm with age. Latelt, Megan has been dialing back on the alcohol
in the “Hers” and it is showing more lean/austere on the palate. Not has rich as the previous versions of “Hers”.
But I still like them quite a lot.
- TCV: Another solid release from TCV. The Vermentino was a knockout, we’re going back for more.
The LeComplice is TCV’s first new Rhone blend in over a decade. It supposedly is intended to display the
complimentary character of Syrah and TerretNoir. I’m not sure what the TerretNoir brings to this blend but it
is a Syrah-based blend of the level of their Esprit. The EspritRouge typically ages into a beautiful wine and
I see no reason this Complice won’t do equally well.
The Panoplie is, of course, the TCV top-of-the-line wine. I love the EspritRouge and find it ages extremely
well, one of Calif’s great Rhone blends. But I’ve never been convinced the Panoplie is worth the tariff over
the Esprit. At least when I taste them both young. I would like to, sometime, taste the Esprit & Panoplie
side-by-side with some age on them to convince myself it is worth the tariff.
For the 2019 SantaFe Wine&Chile Fiesta, TablasCreek has been named the 2019 Honored Wnry of the year. TCV
has long been a supporter of the SFW&CF. When TCV was just lifting off, RobertHaas gave a first Seminar on
Rhone varietals. At that point in time, TCV was very big in the nursery business of spreading the TablasCreek
Rhone varieties across the state of Calif. Rather than milk a monopoly they had on those varieties, it was an
astute decision by Robert to make the TC plant material widely available…based on a rising sea lifts all ships.
Now, the TC clones are held in high regard by the Calif Rhone producers. Robert’s Seminar was quite memorable
because he schlepped all the way out from Paso their bench grafting machine. He sat at the front of the seminar
venue in the ElDoradoHotel and demonstrated how grafting to root stock was done…kerThunk/kerThunk/kerThunk…
and passed out the grafted twigs as souvenirs. It was a memorable event.
- Corvina: This is of course the grape grown in the Veneto. Used primarily in the wines of Valpolicella/Bardolina.
Those wines have, to me, a certain rustic/coarse character. This unusual rendition of Corvina would probably not
be recognized in the Veneto.
Tom