Cabot Bacon Fat, 90 Caymus, a nice Eyetalian

WINE TALK
1
  • 2006 Cabot Vineyards Syrah Bacon Fat “One Barrel” Kimberly’s - USA, California, North Coast, Humboldt County (1/21/2010)
    Had a great showing among the seven wine geeks at dinner, particularly two mid 1970s graduates of Humboldt State University. One looked at the bottle beforehand and boldly stated that no good wine grapes could be grown in Humboldt County but seemed the most tickled to be proven wrong.
    I pulled the cork the day before and left it out overnight.
    Obviously bacon fat on the nose. Meaty and smokey. The winemaker talked about this having more red fruit than the regular bottling but it wasn’t very far on the spectrum to red fruit. It was mostly dark fruit. Smokey. No white pepper but black pepper. Maybe just the slightest bit of oak. Balanced. Good finish. I liked this a lot. I’m not sure it can be laid down for a decade but I can see it improving for another couple of years.
    It’s not just my first wine from Humboldt County, it’s my first intoxicant of any kind from there.

  • 2005 Torricino Fiano di Avellino - Italy, Campania, Fiano di Avellino (1/21/2010)
    Another great recommendation from Roberto at Wine Expo. Lots of acid to let you know it’s Eyetalian. Nutty. smokey nose. On the palate there’s maybe a streak of melon and a dab of honey but it’s all about the stony minerality. Nice focus and good finish. Another good food wine. I was afraid this might be over the hill but this wine has several years left. Texture wise, more like an auslese than a kabinett. Vitis Imports.

  • 2005 Handley Pinot Noir Anderson Valley - USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley (1/21/2010)
    Loved this wine. Elegant and didn’t betray its 14.5 percent alcohol. Nice pinot funk on the nose. The palate was mostly dark cherry with a nice streak of tart cranberry from the acidity. Silky smooth. Nice finish. Went well with the food.

  • 2005 Turkey Flat Shiraz - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley (1/21/2010)
    Huge, massive, over-the-top Shiraz, the one that gives Aussie wines a bad name. It’s an interesting contrast. This label said 14.5 percent, the same as the 2005 Handley Anderson Valley pinot noir. The Handley was elegant and matched the food well. This was liquid Ludens and antagonized the food. Sweet red fruits all on the attack. Moderate finish. Hollow midpalate. Oak. American Estate Wines import.

  • 2006 Vino Noceto Sangiovese Riserva - USA, California, Sierra Foothills, Shenandoah Valley (1/21/2010)
    Loved this wine. It’s food friendly. It will go with a wide range of meats, from fish to thick steaks. No oak. Nice acidity. Really good black cherry flavors. Maybe some chocolate. A little bit of earthiness. Smooth. Only the slightest bit of tannin. Balanced. Good finish. (91 pts.)

  • 1990 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley (1/21/2010)
    My success rate finding cabernet sauvignon I like to drink is about one in 20 and this is one of the rare ones I liked. As soon as I smelled it and didn’t pick up that cardboard I so often get I saw potential. Darker fruits and maybe some coffee on the nose. Dark fruits and some pepper on the palate. Smooth wine. There’s still some tannins but they’ve mostly resolved. Decent finish. This wine has several years left in it.

  • 2004 Selene Chesler - USA, California, Napa Valley (1/21/2010)
    Cabernet Sauvignon isn’t my grape. I got oak and vegetal flavors with this wine. Not pleasurable on my taste buds.

2

Way to go Steve. I had my first Cabot single barrel tonight and really loved it, I picked up a lot more red fruit notes than you seemed to and found it very northern Rhone and a dead ringer for Cote Rote. Fortunately it wasn’t my first intoxicant from the region. neener Keep the notes coming.

3

That Sierra foothills Sangiovese sounds really interesting. Time for a google search to check them out.

Got to get my hands on a few more Cabot syrahs.

4

The Doggie Diner head at Vino Noceto in Shendandoah Valley, Amador County.

5

Thanks for the comments.
Tim, the cool thing about Vino Noceto is that the regular bottlings are almost as good as the special cuvees.

6

I agree 100%. The One Barrel is great stuff.

7

Thanks for the kind words guys.

When I said red fruited, I wasn’t refering to strawberry/red cherry/red rasp, but more mullberry and dark red(bing) cherry, bordering on kirsch. I agree on not waiting ten years to drink these. I think they will show the fruit/meat/pepper balance best within the next few years- but I don’t have a lot of history to go by. I’d rather error on the younger side for those of you who enjoy the fruit stuffing mixed with your bacon [wink.gif] .

8

I would like to add that you have excellent taste in tee-shirts. [berserker.gif]

9

i am going one/year @ holiday season until i run out. we really enjoyed our bottle this year…

10

These colors don’t run. [berserker.gif]

11

ran into the 2007 Noceto Sangiovese yesterday at K&L, so I picked one up for $15. What a fantastic bottle! Great QPR and easily the best (of a limited sample) of domestic Sangiovese I’ve ever had.

[dance-clap.gif]

12

Tim:
Does it seem food friendly, too? No spoof.

13

Absolutely. It had some bright acidity and was in a ligher, medium bodied frame. Good fruit but far from anything that would overwhelm food. I didn’t notice any oak, but I am not sensitive to it and usually love its influence, so I might now be the best measure on that.

If you have ever tried the Skowket Sangiovese, this one is in the opposite end of the spectrum.