Drink a BerserkerDay Wine Week!

WINE TALK
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And no, I’m not necessarily talking about BerserkerDay II here, as I doubt many of you have wines from the event Thursday. (If you do, bravo!)

Let’s pop some corks on BerserkerDay wines, and post notes here. A BerserkerDay Appellation Week, so to speak??

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I know I posted this earlier but I want to keep it in the right thread.

  • 2008 Holdredge Pinot Noir Selection Massale - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (1/31/2011)
    Part of my Berserker Day 4 pack. Pop and pour. Transparent cranberry/ruby color. Was holding back a bit so I gave it an hour plus to air. Floral nose with a hint of cinnamon and cherries. In the mouth it has lots of texture and a RRV fullness without the cola, velvety smooth, balanced acidity, some minerals, more cinnamon and syrah-like gaminess on the finish which lingers. Rockin’ good Pinot. Definitely a re-purchase. (92 pts.)
    [welldone.gif]

Posted from CellarTracker

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Ok, just popped a 2006 Cabot Vineyards Syrah Kimberly’s…will check back in later tonight and possibly tomorrow.

Initially it is dark maroon in color. I get cedar and smoked meat on the nose. On the palate, some red fruit and a Twizzler-like cherry/licorice note. It has a long, almost minty finish. Distinct tannins, but not out of balance – could use some time. Will be interesting to see how it develops in the glass.

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Am excitedly waiting for all my wines to arrive… I’ll post notes from CT when they get here…! And thanks again, Todd, for organizing such a spectacular event!

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hmmm, popped one of the PB Hein Trailblazer Syrahs from last year’s BD. I have to admit this was our 3 bottle, so of course it tasted good. The hangover… not so great. [cry.gif]

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Sounds like a cool idea, but I will need to wait for my wines to arrive.

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None from BerserkerDay I?

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I somehow missed BDI. Not sure why, but it went completely over my head until this year when I read about last years.

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2008 Holdredge Pinot Noir Bucher - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (2/1/2011)

Decanted for one hour, tasted over a span of three hours. It definitely improved and became more balanced as it opened. Beautiful aroma on this Pinot… gorgeous really – strawberry, wet asphalt/gravel, and a little barnyard hay. Acid noticeably high, body medium, long finish. Palate flavor was mainly strawberry puree with a touch of steminess. Hint of spice near the finish, almost tobasco-like. A bit of caramel/candiness in there as well (very slight).
I did not pair this wine with food, but imagine it being incredible in a broad spectrum of cuisines. For those who wish to age this wine, I think you will be rewarded. It should only get better. (91 pts.)

*BerserkerDay Wine* TN: 2008 Holdredge Pinot Noir Bucher - WINE TALK - WineBerserkers" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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Opened a bottle of 2006 Siduri Saphire Pinot last night, wonderful wine, initially cherry cola with nice acidity, after a couple of hours it was all blending together very, glad I have a few more. Thanks WB and WL for the Berserker Day offer.

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Kimberly and I opened an 08 Aeon PN Willamette Valley and it is a very solid bottle of Or PN, showing nice focused cherry, cranberry, and strawberry fruit with some nice spice on the finish. SHowed hints of underbrush and mushroom as it sat, but is still a baby of a wine, and a total steal for the $15 we paid for them.
Thank you Linda [cheers.gif]

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I am waiting on a case of the Hein Napa Syrah. Can’t wait but will post notes here when it is received. I did get a letter from the winery this week stating that they were waiting on the weather to clear up. [cheers.gif]

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Had a glass of the 2007 Rascal Willamette Valley Pinot Noir last night ($6.25/bottle). For a sub $10 wine, it was very good. In 9 out of 10 cheap wines, a flaw can be found that makes it tough to drink (VA or acid imbalance, brett, RS, ethyl acetate, or simply unattractive flavors). This wine was extremely light, but no flaws to be found. It was quite enjoyable. Points-wise, I’d say 85-87 range.

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  • 2007 Cabot Vineyards Syrah Humboldt County - USA, California, North Coast, Humboldt County (2/3/2011)
    Berserker Day spoils again. Got my BD order today. This was supposed to be one of 2 '06 Aria’s but my order was mixed up and I got 2 Humblodt Syrahs instead. So, pop n pour, big meaty nose but I’m getting uncooked baby back ribs. Interesting to say the least. Add some smoke and nice Cote Rotie essence. Big and juicy in the mouth. Wonderful texture, pepper, smoke, black and red fruits and killer tannins on the finish that exhibits some tangy red fruit. My first Cabot. Wow! Can’t wait to try the rest of them. Yum yum.

Posted from CellarTracker

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I really enjoyed this wine at Falltacular

  • 2006 Cabot Vineyards Syrah Aria’s - USA, California, North Coast, Humboldt County (2/7/2011)
    Decanted and tasted right away. Dark garnet color with slight violet tone. Nose shows smoked meats, corned beef, purple fruits, crème brulée. Palate is one of the purest expressions of bacon I’ve ever tasted in a wine. Figs wrapped in bacon with white pepper sprinkled on top, placed under the broiler to caramelize. With about an hour’s air, starts to reveal plums, canned peaches and flowers. Easy drinking now and delicious, with plenty of room for further age. Wife approved Syrah, which says well done to the Cabots! (91 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

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this is up in a separate thread… but… repetition helps…

2007 Beck-Hartweg Pinot Noir “F” - France, Alsace, Dambach-la-Ville, Alsace AOC (2/7/2011)

This was a Berserker day offering (at least part of an offering BerserkerDay Offer: The Alsation Sensation - BerserkerDay Forum (Jan 27, 2012) - WineBerserkers) that I got to try when George Tita, who distributes these wines, opened it at Legend Cellars for me, the Yamadas, and Wetrock.

This just knocked my socks off. Restrained red fruit with great acidity, minerals and mild tannins made this refreshing and very, very interesting. At $20, this is an absolute steal, and I’m going to get a few for sure. We were drinking this alongside a 2007 St. Innocent Momtazi Pinot (that was also delicious and shared some similarities with the Beck-Hartweg) and a 2009 Sandler Keefer Pinot (which was stylistically very different from the other two, but also very good).

If Alsace makes Pinots this good, I need to look for some more. (93 pts.)


Posted from CellarTracker

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Posted in another thread, but will repost here. Cabot '06 EXT Syrah. Liked it, but didn’t love it. Maybe I should have let it rest for more than a day–regardless, I suspect the Aria’s will be more likely to knock my socks off based on the notes I’ve read.

  • 2006 Cabot Vineyards Syrah EXT - USA, California, North Coast, Humboldt County (2/4/2011)
    Smoky, meaty, leathery nose with berry fruit, garrigue and coffee in the background. Full bodied, but not fruit driven. Spicy, meaty and earthy with vanilla. Has a somewhat rustic profile; I like it though it’s hard to explain. Good acidity, moderate tannin, hint of heat on finish. A bit tight right now and lacking some lift for my taste. Cool climate Syrah character shows nicely. This does not feel heavily extracted as Syrah often is.

According to John Cabot’s notes, this spent an additional year in seasoned oak relative to regular cuvee–so 30 months total it appears. He also recommends holding for oak to integrate. Probably explains the vanilla on the finish at this point. It’ll be interesting to try the other cuvees with differing aging regimes (and blends). I’d say hold for now. (87 pts.)