Last night a group of friends got together at my home to taste some California Pinots (this seems to be a popular theme this month in Cleveland). Some of the wines were consumed blind, others not as additional cork kept popping. We went at it for about 4 hours in a very casual atmosphere of tasting and later going back to re-taste. Breads and cheese were served. It was a fun night with the conversations ranging from the avalanche of mailers (and why, and why we did not, buy) to politics and world economies. Thanks to everyone for bringing some great stuff. I will admit that as a group, Cal Pinots are not my favorites. As a broad generalization, I prefer Burgundy and Oregon. That said, these are well crafted and very nice wines. If your tastes run this way, a few more points on many of these would not be unreasonable.
We started with a white:
2005 Hanzell Chardonnay Sonoma Valley
I saw this at the local supermarket that day and thought this would be a great starter for the evening. I had not had a Hanzell in years. Green/gold in color, clear and bright. The nose is clean and crisp with a nice lemon chiffon quality to it. Smooth and nicely balanced. Excellent acidity. This is really crisp and enjoyable. White grapefruits on the palate. Slightly tart (in a good way) on the finish. At $70 Ohio, this may be over priced, but it is near the top for me in California Chards. 50+7+13+18+8=93
The Reds:
2005 Kistler Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast
Purple in color with a ruby rim. Mostly opaque and bright. The nose is earthy but also candied. A good amount of smoke too. On the palate, this is sweet cherries, cherries and alcohol. Slightly menthol on the back end. A long finish. It did not change much over the evening. 50+4+12+17+7=90
2002 Melville Pinot Noir Terraces
Purple at the core, ruby at the rim. Slightly earthy, cherries with hints of cola on the nose. Very ripe. It shows some age and complexity. Sweet ripe cherry compote on the palate. Nice acidity. Good texture. Seems well crafted and while perhaps not my favorite style, the age has taken some of the robust edges away. 50+4+13+17+7=91
2002 Migration Pinot Noir Andersen Valley
Apparently the second wine of Goldeneye. The crowd was split on this with a few loving it. Ruby in color, clear and bright. The nose has cherries and cherry Kool-Aid® powder. Full bodied. On the palate, this is tart and yet feminine. Simple cherry juice. Slightly harsh on the finish. I liked the lightness of being but it lacked the complexity I would hope for, especially at this point in its life. As I said, others loved it. 50+4+12+16+5=87
2006 Aubert Pinot Noir UV Vineyard
Ruby in color, slightly purple hues. Mostly clear and bright. The nose is very tight at first. With air it showed cherries, oak and a slight earthiness. On the palate, it had an astringent quality. It is very powerful and tannic. Plenty of alcohol showing some heat. With air it started to relax a bit. May liked this more than I. I think it has some potential for improvement though. Too big and clumsy for me to really love right now. 50+4+12+17+6=89
1997 Williams-Selyem Pinot Noir Hirsch Vineyard
This does not taste its age. Still a big fruity wine. Ruby in color although a bit cloudy and opaque. The nose is earthy with dark cherries and charcoal. Very tight at first. With air it starts to unwind. A good amount of alcohol and lots of cherries and cherry pie filling on the palate. A bit cough syrupy on the finish. Needs even more time? I think so. 50+4+12+16+6=88
2006 Small Vines Pinot Noir RRV
Ruby in color, clear and bright. The nose has cherries and a dill pickle note. Full bodied. On the palate, this has cherries and heat. A tart cherry pie quality to it. I am guessing it needs some time to develop an elegance that it is not showing in her youth. Not much complexity here. 50+4+12+16+6=88
2006 Aubert Pinot Noir Ruling Vineyard
I liked this much more than the UV. Ruby in color, clear and bright. The nose is very nice with cherries, raspberries, asphalt and a slight earthy tone. This is huge but also has some complexity. Lots of cherries and raspberries on the palate with plenty of tannins. Some menthol on the finish. Not a style I love in a Pinot, but this one seemed really well done. A glass was outstanding. 50+4+13+18+7=92
2006 Copain Pinot Noir Cerese Vineyard
Ruby in color, slight purple hues, mostly clear and bright. The nose has cherries. It’s simple, powerful and nice. On the palate, this is tight. You can taste layers but it is so dense. Slight tannins. Lots of cherry fruit. Velvety texture comes out with air. More than any wine on the table, this needs some time in the cellar. Still, the raw materials are there. 50+4+13+17+7=91
2005 Paul Hobbs Pinot Noir Ulises Valdez Vineyard
Purple in color, ruby at the rim. The nose has dark cherries. It seemed almost port-like but still pinot in flavor. Full bodied. On the palate, this has cherries, currants and craisins. A good amount of alcohol. Others liked it more than I, but this seemed too ripe for my tastes to be considered outstanding. 50+4+12+16+5=87
2000 J. Rochioli Pinot Noir West Block
Purple in color with some ruby swirls. Cloudy. Great nose if you like da funk. I do. Barnyard, funk, macerated cherries, dark cherries. Nice texture. On the palate, this tastes clean with dark cherries and root beer. Nice, not over ripe fruit. Complex. I really liked this. Sorry Larry, I still take off points for the appearance. 50+2+13+18+8=91
2005 Chasseur Pinot Noir Twin Hill
Ruby in color, with some purple hues. Mostly clear and bright. The nose has a slight funk with light cherries and slightly green note (not in a bad way). Velvety texture. On the palate, cherries and raspberries. Some heat. This got opened later and I think it still needs some time. 50+4+13+17+7=91
2006 Saintsbury Pinot Noir Cenise Vineyard
Ruby in color, clear and bright. The nose shows some garden hose which mostly blew off. Cherry powder. Thin and clipped. Light cherry juice. Perhaps this just needs time as it got opened late. Compared to the Copain, this is weak. Not elegant or feminine, just seems to be missing. Perhaps it will develop. I did not hear any positive comments from the crowd but I may have missed them. Certainly worth drinking (as opposed to spilling out), but nothing more. 50+4+11+15+5=84
2002 Jadot Clos de Ursules
It was interesting trying this in this group. Ruby in color, clear and bright. The nose is slightly cheesy at this point with some nice cherries. Tight layers. Showing some complexity. Silky texture. Cherries on the palate. Still quite young and in need of cellaring to develop. 50+4+13+17+7=91
We finished the evening with
Thunder Canyon Russian Imperial Stout (Tuscon Az)
George brought this growler of beer. Dark brown in color. It had great coffee and bitter chocolate aromas which matched on the palate. Ever so slightly thin (if I was going to nitpick) but great mouthfeel. Certainly has “drinkability”. Really woke up my palate at this point. A truly great beer! A/A-