There’s one thing I definitely realized. I was not happy missing this last year and I don’t intend for that to happen again. Another fantastic day with everyone and all the wines—a record number of whites for sampling, it was very hard to make choices and I have no problem having tasted fewer than I might have in return for loads of talk time with all my friends down here. A huge thank you yet again to Frank and Jill for opening their house and their arms so willingly to yon horde, and to all the winemakers who came down to spend time with us.
THE WINES
2010 Cowan Cellars Isa Lake County Sauvignon Blanc
Loveliest pale pink-tinged amber. Touches of pineapple and grapefruit and gooseberry all play around the nuzzie. Pretty clean, some hints of thyme and basil around sharp apple skin. May want a bit more zip, but nice wine.
2010 Loring Aubaine Vineyard Pinot Noir
I think this and the Durell were the only Lorings I sampled this time, though I’m pretty sure I tried a few others at Pinot Days in Chicago. This has lots of sweet spices and macerated cherry. Cloves, cinnamon poke through. Tasty, nips of dates even to go with cherry and sweet blackberry. Creamy finish, not a long ager. I guessed 14.9%, close at 14.7%
2008 Saxon Brown Casasantina Maria vineyard Semillon
Well, if someone’s gonna make a California Sem, you know I’ll have to try it! I want to say chalky pear for bouquet, so I guess I will. In the mouth, quite sweet, some vanilla overlay on pear and orange. Not quite what I want, and surprising expression of Semillon.
2010 Tercero Viognier
This has zippy aromatics of orange, flowers and perhaps a subtle ripe pear note. Light snack dans la bouche, it could do with some filling out, but is a good sipper/starter type wine which may gain a little bit of weight with a year’s time.
2010 Dragonette Santa Ynez Sauvignon Blanc
Good sniffs of white pepper and crisp greens. This really bounces and rolls around on the tongue in a great and engaging way, very balanced and clean with slices of grapefruit and granny smith apple. This might’ve been my #3 today, I kept thinking about it.
2010 Dragonette Happy Canyon Sauvignon Blanc
Dans le nez, this is really good—a little nougat seems to weave in and out of gingersnap with capiscum underneath. Less aggressive and spirited than the Santa Ynez on palate, leans towards grapefruit and orange rind. Room to grow but the Santa Ynez is the better and more striking wine today.
2010 Maze Knights Valley Sauvignon Blanc
Crisp and seemingly smoky (even though done without wood) with gooseberry and lime. To taste, mushrooms/truffles, with more of the lime. Classy-to-be stuff, I think, just quite kinetic and young at the moment.
2010 Copain Tous Ensemble Anderson Valley Chardonnay
Florals present, with some pear and citrus and a touch of sage. Dans la bouche, young and a bit disjointed, but good component parts of pear with edgeing of anise, citrus and apple
2010 Tercero Mourvedre Rose
There are some herbs mixed in with small berry fruit scents. Quite light—controlled and not too sweet but also missing some definition too, though elegant.
2010 Dunstan Durell Vineyard Chardonnay
Fine perfume here, some lychee nuance and pineapple, coconut and pear all show up. Good thrust and interest, with pear, apple some of that lychee and orange peel, all with a very nuanced vanilla overlay. This had lovely proportions and I think I’ll put it in at #7
2010 Jemrose Viognier
This might be the winner for best bouquet. Explosive with honeysuckle, nectarine and a back end of orange sherbet. Light but fresh to taste, with lemon-infused peach, I think. Still, the dichotomy in intensity from the bouquet to the palate is a little distracting. Certainly interesting
2009 Black Kite Stony Terrace Pinot Noir
Sooo much spice, like sniffing a market in Marrakesh. Sweet coriander and cinnamon and nutmeg, oh my. Plenty of red fruit underneath. In the mouth, strong, too much really, emphasis on strawberry and cherry. For me, a real departure from their 07 stable.
2009 Black Kite Kite’s Rest Pinot Noir
Less of everything that is in the Stony Terrace in bouquet, but more balanced, perhaps a rooty side. this has more acidity, less developed is the fruit—raspberries ad unknit spices. Yet, I think there’s more promise for a good wine here.
2010 Poe Angel Camp Pinot Noir
Lovely and complex, keeps revealing berry, plum and even tomato leaf. Secondaries of spicecake here. Strict, but plenty of verve, with raspberry and earth tones. For being so young, this quite hits my sweet spot in what I look for in Cali Pinot, and might’ve been the best one I had. Let’s call it #4.
2010 Bluxome Street Winery Moriah Vineyard Pinot Noir
From Mendocino county, the vines are recently converted from Zin. And there is a burgundy-like nose, with earth, cocoa, and dark cherry. When tasted, this needs some balancing fruit, too much on the currant and very slight tomato side for now, but with some more age on the vines, the structure seems to be there for good wines to be made.
2008 Boheme Taylor Ridge Pinot Noir
Almost a mesquite side to this, plenty of cherry and plum too. Mustard in the mouth, but holds the cherry fruit. Decent.
2008 Boheme Stuller Vineyard Pinot Noir
I keep sniffing it—that’s a good sign. Roses and strawberries and sweet cranberry. Underneath, a blast of maybe sarsparilla. Quite vivacious with unripe strawberry, currant and slight jalapeno side to this wine. Really intriguing stuff.
2008 Ladd Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
A lightness of being that soars out of the glass—cherry, forest floor aspects, some baking spices, but all cool-seeming. Almost dramatic freshness, a real savoury aspect that marries well with the mix of fruit and spice. #9, I am delighted with the progress Eric has made.
2008 Ladd Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
Also fragrant, with florals and red berries. On the tongue, tangy as well, a little more bridled than the Sonoma Coast, but still very much a wine in proportion with all its parts.
2008 Ladd Cuvee Abigail Pinot Noir
More earth here and some pepper to accent darker fruit. Still bright to sample, with red and black raspberries and a tiny truffle backhit.
2009 Rhys Skyline Vineyard Syrah
Quite expressive here, with aromas of chocolate ganache, plum and sweet blackberry and black cherry. Decent—controlled with plum and cherries and a little cocoa dust. But just decent.
2009 Rhys Horseshoe Vineyard Syrah
Splendid nose—small funk deftly woven into terrific pepper-and-cocoa mix with plums and blackberry. Nummy—grips every part of the mouth and excites, with spice, pepper and rich dark plum. A wine to enjoy and appreciate now and in 10 years for what it might be. #2 today.
2008 Big Basin Rattlesnake Rock Syrah
These rarely disappoint me, and this one is good also. Chock full of aromatics, including Christmascake and a little root beer around very nice dark plum. Smooth and strong this is, has plenty of fruit and a dash of cinnamon in the middle. Nice.
2009 Carlisle Two Acres Old Vines Russian River Valley Mourvedre/Syrah
Solid bouquet, blueberry bits with mulled spices among other things. Good, solid presentation with tasty red licorice, plum and currant. Good.
2008 Tercero Mourvedre
Fun in the glass here, some earth and perfume, brambles and fruit. Le gout is somewhat less enthusiastic, the fruit seems to be in the background for now, but there needs to be more earth and cocoa foreground in that case.
2010 Poe Ferrington Vineyard Chardonnay
Touches of smoke, vanilla and plenty of tropical fruit in evidence. Sweet and soft, but with guava and other interesting tropical fruit in the mouth.
2009 Wind Gap Woodruff Vineyard Chardonnay
A very nice anise and ginger frame to the pineapple bouquet. Tactile and tangy tangerine. Maybe a tiny bit thin, but certainly energetic and quite pure expression of fruit. #11?
2010 Loring Durell Vineyard Chardonnay
Lots of wood here, overt but underneath there is apple and citrus. Really, really sweet on palate, too much for me. Pineapple, mango and orange are all present. This may need time to settle down, but not sure.
2009 Coastview Terraces Chardonnay
Really smoking aromatics, lavender and bosc pear. Good crispness here, with more pear, some apple and an end tang of grapefruit. I liked this.
2009 Tercero Outlier Gewurtztraminer
Fine scents of lots of florals and apple hints. tongue finds it zipply and with surprising tangy citrus. Very refreshing. I like!
2008 Clos Pepe Pinot Noir
I had tasted much of Wes’ slate in November, seem to remember missing this one though. This has remarkably expressive strawberries and nutmeg, with a small earth secondary. Lean, but not mean—good proportion to the raspberry and currant fruit. (Editor note—I DID have this in November and, in fact, loved it—very interesting to see the divergence I had in different circumstances/time/company. My note from November’s Pinot Days event, where 80 wines were tasted…
"2008 Clos Pepe Pinot Noir
Spicier, with some chipotle and habanero pepper between the red fruit. Le gout is extremely tasty, I like this a lot. It has raspberries and rhubarb, apple skin too. Suave yet vibrant, the more I sip, the more I declaim this as truly great. I see why Wes likes this one. My #2 today.")
2009 Copain Kiser en Haut Pinot Noir
Nose is minerals and earth around raspberry and chokecherry fruit. This is stern at this point, lots of spices and some black raspberries, but it needs some finish.
2009 Copain Kiser en Bas Pinot Noir
More cocoa and spices in this, along with riper fruit. To taste, replays, but also nicely contained. Good.
2010 Cowan Cellars Bennett Valley Pinot Noir
mmmm—cherry cheesecake aromatics hit ya right between the eyes. Le gout is soft and somewhat sweet, with cherry and a sour cream lacing. I would like to see more character, but interesting building blocks here.
2010 Sandler Bien Nacido Vineyard Pinot Noir
Rich and full bouquet of baking spices, cherry and lingonberry. Palate is wonderfully velvety, smooth like silk but retaining that richness, with red and black cherry in the main. Grows on me too. Yummy, yummy. #6
2009 Dunstan Durell Vineyard Pinot Noir
Great aromatics–cherry, strawberry, bits of clove and milk chocolate. Very smooth and fully expressive to taste as well, bursting with red fruit and a little citrus. One of the better efforts today, #5
2009 Quivet Cellars Kenefick Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon
Heavy-duty bouquet, with high-toned cherry, cassis and dark chocolate. Lots of black fruit and some licorice too, while this needs time and while I appreciate how Mike wants to get expressiveness into the wines, this is awfully big and somewhat hot right now.
2009 Sojourn Proprietor’s Cuvee Cabernet Sauvignon
Lovely, fresh, full-of-forest stuff here, with mint, pine needle and plenty of fruit underneath. Reaches quite a beguiling level of expressiveness. This, to taste, just has great feel—not too deep, but velvety and delicious, with a mix of fruit, wood, spices and mint chocolate chip, all working in harmony. I probably would rate a 92+ to this WOTD
2009 Virage Napa Valley Red
71% Cab Franc with most of the rest of it Merlot, Emily informed us. There IS some graphite and some cocoa and small blackberries and blackcurrant that has hints of Bordeaux. The palate is a touch on the lean side, but has requisite black and blue fruit and some woodsmoke. A neat grip at the end.
2008 Jean Edwards Stagecoach Cabernet Sauvignon
Mix of meats and pepper and red fruit. Good smooth entry, it is nice indeed in a gentle way. Fine, fine smooth cherry, plum, meat and creamy. Good-good-good. #8
2009 Switchback Ridge Peterson Vineyard Petite Syrah
brooding—hard to assess, even with 6 hours open. Dollops of black fruit, some pepper and some spiciness. Palate is plenty structured but very closed. Meat-tinged cassis perhaps. A giant, needs 6 years at least.
2010 Sojourn Cellars Sangiacomo Vineyard Pinot Noir
My happy sniffing place, strawberry, cherry, some uncured tobacco and almost a sweet grassiness. This has the most front-end bite of any of the Sang’s I’ve tried from Sojourn, but still plenty tolerable and pays off with dee-lish strawberry jellybean action and lots of spices, maybe evevn some chickoree. It deserves and needs a bit of time to develop, and I like it more with each sip. #10
2009 Black Kite River Turn Pinot Noir
As their others, plenty of spicecake and red bing cherry. There’s a varnished wood secondary as well. Again, this is sweet and big for me, too much of the fruit, not enough substance. This was a real surprising lineup given their 2007s (which I adored).
2008 Amelle Keefer Ranch Pinot Noir
Like at first snort—there’s a suavity, an old wood smell framing crisp strawberry and red cherry fruit. Very light cocoa dust too. Le gout, it has that combo of fresh and smooth that I do love in Keefer fruit. This does need some depth and an extra gear, but is quite satisfying for its bright spiced berry presentation.
2010 Sojourn Cellars Gap’s Crown Pinot Noir
This is more reserved, concentrating on spices, woodsy and sweeter raspberry undertones. Curious variability in the mouth–sharp entry, velvet middle, sharp back-end. Good fruit, spice and cocoa elements, give it some time in the bottle, maybe 1.5 years. (Editor’s note–Craig was positive that I hadn’t tried any of the 2010s yet, and I insisted I had tried some at November Pinot Days. Craig, as usual, was correct, only 09s tasted there, so I’m glad he convinced me to taste here!)
2009 Jemrose Cardiac Hill Syrah
Likey-likey, pepper steak and juicy plum and blackberry meet in the bouquet. Good substance, though missing some wow factor. Very polished stuff, though.
2009 Jemrose Foggy Knoll Grenache
Has an interesting (not offputting) veggie and greens sidebard to a dark fruit nose. Unfortunately, some of that vegetal continues and that and the fruit and wood elements just don’t knit together for me here.
2009 Dragonette “Seven” Syrah
94%, with 4% Grenache, 2% Mourvedre. Bit of a mustard hit in the schnozz, with cocoa and meats and plum. This has plenty of interest, with pepper and blackberry in the main roles, but also looking for harmony.
2008 Argot The Opening Salvo Bennett Valley Syrah
Big smoked sausage, fruit and somewhat alcoholic aroma. Palate finds it big—very big. Very meaty and juicy but missing a level of depth and complexity, and also some fruit.
2008 Tercero Cuvee Loco Larner Vineyard Grenache Syrah
50% of each. Wow. I like this. It has style, grace and a delectable meat, berry, spice and wood bouquet. Larry can sleep at last, knowing he has achieved a miracle—he’s made a grenache that I actually enjoy. This is controlled with a very-understated collared greens element to the blackcurrant, blackberry and bacon main themes. Very interesting stuff, bravo. #12
2009 Jaffurs Verna’s Vineyard Syrah
Rich and fruity—cherry and plum. This has some slinky side, but is also quite beefy, with meat and fruit sides fighting it out a bit. There’s a chance it will come together with time.
At dinner and later in the evening, I ported over a 2002 Jadot Savigny-Les-Beaunes La Dominode which was badly corked, and a 2004 Henri Boillot Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru Les Chaumees which was definitively not, nor oxidized. Instead, it swirled up into the nostrils with lemon, wet stones and binned unripe apple, and continued with a lovely silvery palate with lemon replays, some nuttiness at the back and bits of smoke here and there. This would have been about my #4 if allowed to include it in the count.
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