OK, here’s what I scratched out, tasted about 50 or so:
(I didn’t taste too much Loring/Sandler/August West/Sojourn/Tercero/Liquid Farm/Tablas/Fogline, not because I didn’t want to, but partially because I had visited all those wineries in July (and was seeing Larry and Jeff at LF on the Monday) and one has to make choices at this marvelous event)
2016 Dirty & Rowdy Skinner White Oak Flats Mourvedre
Chocolate cranberry nose, fairly open. Fresh in the mouth, rather light though with red fruit core
2016 Dirty & Rowdy Antle Mourvedre
Bit more of a spice fan here with still an undercurrent of currant. A little on the unfinished side to taste, it has some good elements but want more intensity here
2017 Dirty & Rowdy Evanghelo Mourvedre
Although younger than the 16s, I find this more polished and composed to sniff, lovely foresty herbs all around currant and dark cranberry. Yummy, yummy, yummy—radiant snap and freshness Will grow into itself. Splendid. Heather gets licorice nibs, which I can see. #6 today
2017 Rivers-Marie Thieriot Chard
Super-tropical and vanilla, nectarine too. The wood is in evidence, lots of stuff and stuffing but will need time to integrate.
2015 Rivers-Marie Bearwallow Chard
Pineapple and peach—lovely scents. Orange blossom a little. That’s a pretty little thing, yet lithe. A solid structure to this, let the fruit catch up with time—2 years?
2017 Kutch Trout Gulch Chard
Wish this had been served a bit warmer. With swirling, definite gingersnap component. Very tactile, very strict for now, but has all the acidity and drive you could want.
2016 Rhys Alpine PN
Nose gets wild strawberry and true gaminess for sure. Mm—that’s going to be good. Real depth and feel for the minerality and acid it brings to the table, plenty of buttressing red berry fruit. Give time as usual, but #7 on potential alone.
2017 Kutch Sonoma Coast Chard
Aroma is nicely yellow fruit with some floral perfume. Clean as always—still somewhat gangly but requisite acidity. Not, admittedly, the magical 14, (which was, of course, the Santa Cruz/Trout Gulch fruit) but still good.
2016 Myriad Stelzner Cab
Full of sweet black pepper over plum core. A small sarsaparilla nick adds beguiling interest. Super-soft entry and quite sweet-ish, but it is composed too, with sneaky length and the sarsaparilla note is further accented.
2016 William & Mary Shifflett Proprietary Red
Nose gets nips of blueberry around black cherry and plum, just a hint of tar. That’s secret power—just builds and builds and all with harmonious boysenberry and plum. Really good. #4 today
2016 William & Mary Shifflett Cab
Tucked in tighter-dark red and black fruit with a touch of black tea. Also of the same cut—plum and some prune, but with a needed trace of sweetness. Links with a cassis finish. Good and a complete picture
2015 Grimm’s Bluff Petit Verdot
Real presence aromatically—spiky black fruit with an earth/forest component. Great in the mouth, licklicious balance. Can’t stop sipping #10
2017 Kutch Bohan PN
Citrus for sure, almost fun grapefruit and strawberry coulee. To taste, some of the whole cluster, but it’s also quite lissome, nice baking spices ending. Like
2017 Kutch Bohan Graveyard PN
Love the black-backed label for this! I used to have Hermes Orange et Vert cologne. I am reminded of that here, this is so aromatic with citrus notes again limning the red fruit. Love it—herbs and pomegranate and sparkly feel. Sticks around with a nutmeg trace at the end. #9
2017 Kutch Falstaff PN
Wow—can-not stop scenting the pure red fruit and also undercurrents of baking spice and earth. Le gout is strict still, but excellent length. A very good Falstaff, I may not be quite as effusive as Frank about it, but will be glad to add it to my cellar
2017 Kutch McDougall PN
Bouquet of citrus and herbed red fruit is replayed on the palate. Maybe a bit lighter than I’m used to tasting, but it is early days. Will be interested to track its development
2014 Tercero Mourvedre
Needs swirling to coax out morello cherry and some licorice. Fine, fine bite and length here, with evocative red and black flavour. Delish and very pure. #8
2016 Grimm’s Bluff Reserve SB
Really wild aroma—at times lemon-quince, at times super-smoky. Palate is very young, lots of mixed elements around yellow fruit. Some promise here.
Loring Family Brut Rose
Quite pretty strawberry, perky nose! Just what it should be, lightly sweet and sparkling, not super-deep but refreshing for sure
2016 Darren Delmore SRH Pinot
Happy, happy vivacious purple fruit bouquet. To taste, a little high-charged, but it fits into its fruit, and there is structure too in its way. One that may benefit from a year’s age.
2017 Loring Family Kessler-Haak PN
While I’m sorry I didn’t get to taste the other Pinots Brian brought, I was very keen to try this, which was so promising in barrel. It has fulfilled all that promise. The mix of florals and red berry and plum scents is gorgeous. And shoot—this is plain glorious. Seductive, it flows so nice with such pretty red fruit, everything is where it should be. For my own tastes, I honestly believe this is the best wine Brian’s ever made. #3 today.
2016 Riverain Cardiac Hill Syrah
Cherry nose, but outlined with meat. Solid base of blue and black plum, with boysenberry around the outside. Not bad at all, but not quite my style either.
2015 Velvet Bee La Encatada PN
Quieter but pretty aromatics—raspberry and roses and some potpourri. A little brash on the tongue, but fruit matches it and it gets sunny as it stays in your mouth.
2015 Switchback Ridge Peterson Petite Sirah
Blast of cherry and black forest cake. Big and rich, but actually sort of approachable. Still a big mouthful of wine. Very front-loaded.
2015 Mending Wall Petite Sirah
Strong in the nose, with no-doubt blackberry and plum. No surprise here, big, unruly purple people eater. Very well made, mind, just not in a style I take to.
2016 Carlisle Papera Zin
Evocative red fruit and roasted herbs makes up the bouquet. Bountiful nose. Big and young, but fine fruit and herbs richness. Another that keeps building, a lovely mix of red and black fruit.
2005 Alcina the Sorceress Syrah
Fruit is on the evolved side for me, but it’s OK. Taste mirrors, not earthshaking, but rounded and a clear expression of black plum for me. Not bad.
2016 Ladd Cellars Avio Zin
There’s defined brambly structure both in the aromatics and on the palate here, but tasty small berry fruit and a touch of rosemary underneath adds interest
2014 Young Hagen Riddle PN
Another lovely fragrant wine, strawberry jam, but only in fragrance. Le gout is tangy and long, with a trace of sweetness amid the firm red fruit. A promising beginning for this first—timer to FallTac
2016 Matthiasson White
Nose is cleaner and more defined from what I remember in the summer. This presents well in the mouth, with nice shimmering pear fruit. Fresh and very likeable.
2017 Carlisle Compagni Portis
Perfumey with tropical fruit. Round—very—with star fruit and light pineapple. Can’t say I dug it, though I know others certainly did
2018 Tercero Mourvedre Rose
Pink grapefruit and some touches of raspberry this time. Almost cuddly in a rose way—it has a very suave roundness buried within the fresh structure. Like.
2016 Myriad Halcon Syrah
Almost-sexy bouquet—cherry pie with very light meats. Truly kinetic dans la bouche—almost searing acidity but a wealth of black and red berry and cassis. Tells me I should leave mine for some time yet.
2017 Rivers-Marie Occidental PN
That’s nice. It teases the nostrils with strawberry, raspberry, the barest hint of mocha. Even better on the tongue, sleek and gentle and insistent with raspberry and wild strawberry. Amazed that it’s drinking this well so young. Beautiful PN and my WOTD
2017 Rivers-Marie Summa PN
Evocative Sonoma berry fruit. Lots of acidity and tartness to taste. In contrast to the Occidental, this will need a lot of time.
2016 La Boheme English Hill PN
Polished, with a chestnut component to pomegranate and rhubarb. Energetic, some stems, but also sweet red plums and raspberry. Plenty of interest in this enthusiastic expression.
2017 Iskaranu Putnam PN
It was good to see the bear again after a long absence. Bits of anise, perked up with blackberry, and some pine needle maybe? I do like! Tasty and a smooth chewiness with good red fruit and a light cinnamon whisk. #12
2015 Calluna Estate Calluna Cab
Dusty chocolate, cherry, currant. Lots of grip, yet sweet lilt too. A lot going on.
2015 Calluna CVC Cab
Bigger in its way, more intense, but reflection of the estate. I like and more length here, but time will be needed.
2015 L’Ecole 41 Apogee
Wintergreen and fresh green herbs around red fruit. Well now—this blasts the mouth but settles down immediately to a nice fan-out of plummy and rhubarb-tinged fruit.
2016 Sandler Cab
Hmm—a little poached, the red fruit plum and chokecherry. Tasty though, has nice flow and replays with a definite sweet rosemary tinge. Not like the others.
2015 Ladd Moore Ranch PN
Really fragrant nuzzie, carries essence of field with it. Already poised, with raspberry, earth and cocoa, another fine Moore from Eric. #5
2016 Sojourn Sonoma Coast PN
Tasty and open with good cherry and strawberry mix. Still has Erich’s velvet feel and fine-tuned for a “villages”—happy to try this again
2017 Lucia PN
Strawberry bouquet, but also with a touch of funk. Lighter-bodied and not sure it will add depth
2017 Marnet Alder Springs PN
Reserved, some stuff hiding behind red berry fruit scents. This is OK on the tongue, has some sass and character. Replays and nicks of earth and dark nuts. I’d like to try again in a year
2010 Tercero Petite Sirah
Open for a day, this is utterly fantastic. Nose and mouth harmonize with blackberry, tomato leaf and black tea and so much drive yet enough stateliness too. Tee-riffic. #2
2016 Dirty & Rowdy Maple Springs Petite Sirah
Has a it of motor oil but blends blueberry and blackberry into the aromatics. Nice sappiness with young but firm red fruit. Leave it some time
2015 Pax the Vicar Red
Sweet sugarplum nose. Perky and very red plum and berry. It stops just short of too big and too sweet, but also just on one level.
2014 Ladd Cellars Cuvee Voile Chard
Another success for Eric, I echo Brig’s notes—the flor is well-integrated here and is a wonderful interesting add. Lovely balance and length to go out some years too. #11
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