We tried last night (7/24/19) Some New Odds&Ends:
-
TularosaVnyds Mission NewMexico TW (www.TularosaVineyards.com) NV: Light garnet bit browning color;
light fragrant Mission/high-toned slightly tired/raisined/overripe nose; rather sweet somewhat underacid
slight cinammon toast/juicy/fruity/Mission somewhat interesting flavor w/ little tannins; very long
off-dry juicy/Mission/high-toned slight cinammon toast bit earthy/coarse finish w/ no tannins; a somewhat
interesting wine & much better than expected; nothing bad about it but nothing to write home about.
-
Harrington Mission SomersVnyd/MokelumneRiver (OldVine; Carbonic; 13.3%) 2017: Very light garnet rather
cloudy/murky color; rather exotic very fragrant/Mission bit watermelon bit carbonic strange if attractive/
exotic nose; very high acidity/screechy rather sour quite perfumed/Mission/bit watermelon rather dusty/OV
bit carbonic rather interesting flavor w/ little tannins; very long jucy/perfumed/high-toned/Mission/
watermelon bit carbonic finish w/ a fierce acidity; quite a lovely high-toned/Mission/aromatic nose but
fiercely acidic & a bit hurtey on the palate; one of the most interesting Missions I’ve tried; strange/
exotic stuff. $25.00
-
Harrington HardLuck Calif RW (13.7%; 50% Grenache/25% Syrah/25% Mission; 150 cs) 2015: Med.color; quite
attractive Grenache/strawberry some high-toned/Mission/spicy/cinammon slight earthy quite lovely nose;
quite tart/tangy light Grenache/strawberry some high-toned/Mission/earthy bit cinammon flavor w/ very
light tannins; very long rather tart/acidic mostly strawberry/Grenache light Mission/cinammon finish w/
light tannins; a light low-key/Grenache but the Mission really shows thru; quite attractive red if a bit
on the acidic side. $23.00
-
Harrington HardLuck Calif RW (50% CedarLaneVnyd Grenache/50% Lover’sLaneVnyd Carignane; 14.1%) 2014:
Med.color; light Grenache/strawberry bit funky/reductive that clears bit coarse/Carignan/cherry earthy/
dusty rather interesting nose; fairlytart/tangy some Grenache/strawberry rather earthy/Carignane/dusty/bit
coarse/slight cherry flavor w/ light tangy tannins;very long fairly tart/tangy some Grenache/strawberry
some earthy/Carignane/rustic finish w/ light tannins; an interesting low-key Grenache w/ a bit of
coarseness from the Carignane. $25.00
-
Harrington Tempesta HeirloomRanch/Lodi Calif RW (76% Corvina/24% PinotNoir; 13.2%; 100 cs) 2016: Rather
light garnet color; quite pretty/fragrant floral/rose petal/spicylight earthy/Lodi/mushroomy slight PN/
floral light toasty/oak quite pretty nose; fairly tart/tangy/sour rather earthy/dusty/Lodi light floral/
Corvina slight PN/cherry rather pretty vin de soif flavor w/ light tangy tannins; long quite tart/tangy
some earthy/Lodi/mushroomy attractive Corvina/floral/rose petal sligh PN/cherry finish w/ light tannins;
rather on the tart side but a quite drinkable vin de Soif. $27.00
-
Harrington Tempesta Calif RW (13.2%; 76% Corvina from HeirloomRanch/Lodi + 24% PinotNoir from SilettoVnyd/
SanBenitoCnty) 2017: Rather light garnet bit cloudy color; less fragrant rather cherry/PN bit floral/Corvina/
rose petal quite pleasant nose; quite tart/tangy/citric/persimmon some floral/rose petal/Corvina slight PN/
floral pretty flavor w/ light tangy tannins; long quite tart/tangy/acidic light floral/Corvina/rose petal
light floral/PN finish w/ light tannins; another pretty vin de Soif but pretty tart on the palate. $25.00
-
Harrington tempesta Calif (64% Corvina/36% PinotNoir; 13.2%) 2018: Light color w/ some suspended matter;
quite fragrant Corvina/floral/rose petal/quite spicy slight PN/cherry quite pretty nose; lightly tart/tangy
quite fragrant/floral/rose petal/spicy/cherry blossom/bright bit earthy flavor w/ light bit tangy tannins;
very long fairly tart/tangy bright/rose petal/Corvina/spicy slight cherry/PN bit earthy/Lodi/loamy finish
w/ light tannins; not nearly as acidic as the first two & shows a bit of Lodi character; quite a pretty
vin de Soif. $30.00
-
Harrington Corvina SilettoVnyd/SanBenitoCnty (13.0%; www.HarringtonWines.com) 2018: Very light garnet almost
rose color w/ lots of suspended matter; quite fragrant Corvina/floral/rose petal/cherry blosom/high-toned
slight earthy/dusty very perfumed attractive nose; fairly tart/tangy bright/flral/Corvina/rose petal/spicy
slight earthy/dusty/metallic flavor w/ light tangy tannins; very long light tart/tangy bright/spicy/floral/
rose petal slight earthy/dusty finish w/ light tannins; not at all like a Valpolicella of the Veneto; a
lovely vin de Soif w/ quite pretty aromatics. $25.00
-
Carlisle ThreeBirds RW SonomaCnty (14.9%; 73% Grenache/14% Syrah/13% Mourvedre; U/U; 175 cs) 2012: Very dark
color; strong plummy/ripe/Grenache/strawberry some spicy light toasty/oak bit earthy/dusty quite attractive
classic Carlisle nose; bit soft very rich strong quite plummy/rather strawberry/Grenache light earthy/dusty
some toasty/oak bit complex flavor w/ light gentle tannins; very long/lingering strong plummy/strawberry/
Grenache light earthy/dusty finish w/ light smooth/ripe tannins; quite an attractive GSM blend that speaks
mostly of Grenache; not a profound GSM but a bit more complex/interesting than the '11; probably as good as
it’ll ever be. $29.75
-
Carlisle ThreeBirds SonomaCnty RW (14.9%; 78% Grenache/16% Mourv/6% Syrah; 200 cs; U/U) 2011: Med.dark color;
very strong Grenache/strawberry/ripe light plummy light toasty/oak lovely bit complex nose; bit soft fairly
rich/lush very strong Grenache/strawberry/bit plummy some toasty/oak some complex flavor w/ light gentle
tannins; very long fairly strong Grenache/strawberry light toasty/Fr.oak/pencilly bit plummy/Mourv/earthy
finish w/ light smooth tannins; probably at peak drinkability; shows more Grenache character than the '12;
a very good drinking GSM blend. $29.00
-
Bedrock Ode to Lucien RW (14.1%; 63% Mourv/27% Grenache/10% Syrah; Vnyds planted before 1900;
EvangelhoVnyd + GibsonRanch; 1 600 gal foudre) 2013: Very dark color; very strong plummy/Mourv earthy/dusty/OV
slight strawberry/Grenache bit ripe/chocolaty rather ContraCosta/mushroomy/loamy some toasty/oak bit complex
lovely nose; bit soft fairly rich/lush strong CC/plummy/Mourv bit earthy/loamy/mushroomy bit toasty/oak some
dusty/OV flavor w/ modest ripe/bitey tannins; very long/lingering classic CC/Mourv/plummy/mushroomy/loamy bit
toasty/oak some complex finish w/ light ripe tannins; probably near its peak; a bit more earthy/clunky less
aromatic than the '15; not Bandol but very/very good Calif Mourv. $38.00
-
Bedrock Ode to Lucien RW (75% OakleyRd Mataro/15% GibsonRanch Grenache/10% GibsonRanch Syrah;
Bandol-style blend; 14.1%) 2015: Very dark color; very strong plummy/Mourv/black cherry almost floral bit
herbal/thyme some toasty/oak quite fragrant nose; soft bit herbal/rosemary/thyme strong plummy/Mourv/bit
black cherry classic CC/earthy/mushroomy light toasty/oak rather dusty/OV some complex flavor w/ light
ripe tannins; very long/lingering classic CC/Mourv/plummy/earthy/loamy bit toasty/oak complex finish w/
modest soft tannins; more aromatic & more herbal but a bit more rustic than the '13; my favorite wine of
the night. $38.00
-
Harrington PinotNoir CentralCoast (13.4%) SanFrancisco 2018: Med.light color; rather earthy/herbal slight
black cherry/PN very strong toasty/pencilly/pungent/oak almost Burgundian rather atypical PN nose; quite
tart/tangy bit lean/coiled/wirey rather earthy/PN/bit black cherry some herbal/spicy bit earthy/dusty some
pencilly/toasty/oak flavor w/ light tangy tannins; very long some pencilly/toasty/Burgundian/oak some earthy/
PN/black cherry/herbal finish w/ light brisk tannins; almost shows a Burgundian character but rather atypical
for Calif PN; an unusual rendition of Calif PN that reminds some of Jura or Sudtirol PN but lighter and not
as earthy/mountain character; quite an interesting PN. $30.00
More pusewaite from TheBloodyPulpit:
- Corvina: The classic grape grown the Veneto and used in Valpolicella & Bardolino. Bryan has two sources of
Corvina, Heirloom Ranch in Lodi and Ron Siletto down near Gilroy. The only other Corvina producer that I
know of is Avangardia up in the SierraFoothills in GrassValley. Bryan particularly likes Corvina for its
fragrance, something you don’t get a lot of in Valpolicella/Bardolino. And particularly likes how Corvina
blends w/ PN. I would love to see Bryan take a stab at a Recioto or Amarone style of Corvina.
Of these 4 Corvina based wines, my slight favorite was the '18 Tempesta, followed by the '18 Corvina.
- ThreeBirds: This is a blend Mike puts together most yrs, typucally a GSM Rhone blend, from a variety of vnyd
sources. Mike/Kendall/Jay all went to the Pomona coleges, whose athletic teams are known as the SageHens.
They are the three birds. It is a very attractive blend yr in & yr out, showing the Carlisle style in a more
easy drinking red. But still a serious wine.
- Ode to Lucien: This is Morgan’s tribute to Lucien Peyraud, the mind/behind of Bandol’s famed Dom.Tempier.
That iconic Bandol is based on the Mourvedre grape. Morgan’s rendition of Bandol is based primarily on the
old-vine Mourvedre that is grown in the Oakley area of ContraCosta. Dom.Temperier Rose is regarded by many
as the greatest rose in the World and Morgan makes a Mourv-based rose called Ode to Lulu, in tribute to
Lucien’s wife Lulu.
Of these two Mourvs, I slightly preffered the '15 for its greater complexity and stronger aromatics.
Compared to the Dom.Tempier, these are not as rustic and don’t have the structure of those wines. But these
are danged good expressions of Calif Mourv.
Tom