Falltacular 2020 - Tasting notes, thoughts and impressions.

WINE TALK
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My day was wonderfully spent talking to folks, explaining why I wasn’t eating that much, pimping my salted dark chocolate and espresso cookies and blue cheese bread, and truly taking it all in.

No formal notes but wines of distinction to me included:

Pax Sonoma hillsides for its vibrancy and freshness
Pax Alder Springs for the same except more umph
Loring Clos Pepe PN - a special wine
Mathiason Red
Rivers Marie Occidental PN
Kutch Bohan PN
Big Basin Altitude 2292 Bordeaux blend
Chiron Emergent Truth Grenache
Iskaranu Secret Clone PN
(I also thought my unlabeled 2019 Mourvedre Rose showed really well . . .)

But as I say every year, the wines are really secondary to the cause - and to being around all of those in attendance.

Cheers

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Thanks Frank. The notes are greatly appreciated.

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You know, my first year was all about the wines and the pageantry but after that I really got it and now feel the same way you do Larry.

Sorry I wasn’t able to attend this year, the first two months of 2020 have been about loss for us and hopefully that is all behind us now because I don’t think either of us can handle any more right now. I was, though, able to enjoy it vicariously through the photos of Francine, Jim and yourself although yours were 5 years old :wink:. See you next year!

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I need to get underway, but tasted 50 wines with notes. They’re coming…

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I also took a lot of notes. I’m typically the worst at typing them out, but for Franktacular, I’ll force myself.

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Jim Burk and Francine Haight have now added several dozen photos from Friday and Saturday’s events so you can see them on Facebook if you want to click the link below.

Still working on the final results but for sure, the front door tickets raised just over $17,000, and the silent auction has exceeded $30,000, both of these record totals for us. Once I have the final verified number, I will post. But, to raise $47,000 for Laura’s House in 24 hours, it’s a testament to the generosity and passion people feel for this event, for the Laura’s House cause. THANK YOU!

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Thanks to Frank and to Jill for hosting yet another stellar Falltacular. First and foremost, to Laura’s House!

I didn’t take detailed TNs, primarily because I like to see how a wine evolves over at least 2 days before finalizing my thoughts. And, too, there’s so much going on at Falltacular to focus on TNs. Too much fun chatting with the attendees, vintners, geeky conversations, other conversations, etc. But here are a few impressions.

Whites:
Carlisle 2017 Derivative: white blend: very enjoyable. Purchased Carlisle wines in January so had to taste. Part of my ongoing efforts to support a Falltacular vintner.
Tercero 2015 Grenache Blanc: so refreshing and varietally correct. Regret missing the Rose’ of Mourvedre, but palate fatigue set in. Sidebar: Larry, great blue cheese bread!
Rivers-Marie Chardonnay Bearwallow: smooth and subtle. On the target list because one of my January purchases was R-M Pinot Noir. Another Falltacular find.

Syrah:
Darren Delmore 2018, Stolo Vineyard/Boulder Ridge: great clarity, drinkable and yet polished eve now. Should evolve well. Hey Darren, so glad we bought this during your release!
Lucia 2018 Gary’s Vineyard SLH: a hint of smoke, complex. And I thought SLH primarily did great PNs. Delighted to experience another red from the AVA.

Pinot Noir:
Rivers-Marie 2018 Occidental Ridge, Summa: preferred the OR. I had read so much about the Summa that when it came time to buy R-M I chose the OR just to be different. Both are standouts, but I really preferred the OR. These wines remind me why PN is one of my key grapes. Ran into several PN lovers in the afternoon (no surprise). Referred them to the R-M and now they are fans as well.
Rhys Alesia 2017, Santa Cruz Mountains: second year Alesia tasted, red fruit, understated spice, potentially reliable, seems food-friendly.
Big Basin 2017 Alfaro, Santa Cruz Mountains: distinct spices, cinnamon, red berries. A vintner we’d have never found without Falltacular. Have purchased PN and Syrah.

Cabernet Sauvignon (all Napa Valley):
William & Mary 2017 Shifflet Ranch: elegant, classy. A standout. Will, you rock!
Mending Wall 2017: fruit here just has to be from great sites. A hint of mint, pepper, distinct dark fruit.
Switchback Ridge 2016 Peterson: more great fruit. It matters.

Petite Sirah:
Mending Wall 2016 Palisades, Calistoga: deep, dark and big. Whoa. And that’s a compliment.
Switchback Ridge 2016 Peterson, Napa Valley: great expression of one of our favorite masculine grapes.

Tempranillo: Ladd 2017 Alney, Sierra Foothills: innovative, I understand no oak, very approachable right now. Enjoyed tasting with you and learning from you, Eric.

William and Mary 2017 Shifflett Ranch, Proprietary Red, Napa Valley: Cab Franc and Merlot. I’m a big fan of Cab Franc, and typically not of Merlot. Yet in this wine, the Merlot has the effect of softening the edges and bringing out blueberry notes. Smooth and creative.

Wines I wish I’d tried: Riverain, Matthiasson. Maybe next year. Palate fatigue. Wanted to do justice to these and it wasn’t possible.

Not surprising: palate fatigue after about half of the wines on my target list. Water from about 3pm on. Didn’t want the very pleasant experience to transition away from tasting/appreciating.

Great event for a worthy cause. Thanks again, Frank and Jill!

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Great work Frankie!

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Last of the notes.

Posted from CellarTracker

And two producers new to me that I thought were excellent. L’ECOLE and Belharra.

Anne doesn’t know it yet but she’ll be in berserkerday 12 next year and will kill it.

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Brian, the Block 1 has settled down and softened so 48 hours of air worked it’s way into the wine.

Cab/Bdx two nights in a row flirtysmile
20200224_180730.jpg

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OK, here we go…50 wines tasted. Huge congrats for posting another record sum, Frank.

2018 Pax Sonoma Hillsides Syrah

Floral some, base of cherry, some meat. To taste, replays but a little clipped and bitter at the back. Raspberry shows through. I was told this softened out and lengthened as it gained air during the day

2017 Tablas Creek Mourvedre

Not much coffee–instead, bright red berry fruit and maybe some rosehips. Light-ish but composed, red and black fruit with equal say. Not bad at all

2016 Belharra Carneros Syrah

floral for sure, some potpourri in the nose. Chewy mouthful and super-perfumey. Bouncy too. A very interesting wine.

2017 Carlisle the Integral

62% syrah, 38% mourvedre. This will take some serious swirling to unlock right now. Eventually, fireside and sweetmeats. Big, but not as big as some of the Carlisles, it does have a bridle on it. Quite a bit of nice smoky quality.

2016 Pax Alder Springs Syrah

Super aromatic profile of flowers, luminescent red fruit and very light spice overlay, I keep sniffing this. Dans la bouche, that’s absolutely lovely. Wow, there’s so much pretty, tempered-acid drive and life here. Scrumplicious and my co-WOTD

2016 Pax Griffin’s Lair Syrah

Deeper nose, some nuts and black plum. Richer, though not overdone. But a forward-march wine that has a touch of middle bitterness, though this time that adds interest.

2017 Big Basin Alfaro PN

Pretty strawberry and boysenberry bouquet. Palate is light (after all the syrahs) but flavourful floral and red berry impressions. I think this has a bit of room to grow.

2017 Big Basin Coastview PN

Like this a lot! Cinnamon furls inside vibrant red fruit. Palate lets me down some, replays but undeveloped? Needs more presence

2018 August West Cortada Alta PN

I get rooty and mineral here in the sniffer, with deep red cherry. Curiously ripe and has definite cherry replays and a small red licorice hit. Fun wine.

2017 Alesia Santa Cruz PN

Tiny bit of candy floss. Plenty of raspberry and strawberry underneath. Good PN here–length, touch of sweetness around the edge of rooty berries. A really interesting nectarine afterbreathe.

2017 William & Mary Proprietary Red

Fab nose–spices, blackberry, some torrefaction, coffee, cocoa. And in the mouth, it’s really good. Really full of confidence. Sweet but in a nicely complementary way to the fruit and spice. Will has every reason to be proud of this one. #4

2018 Rivers-Marie Occidental Ridge PN

Adored the bouquet here–smells like sea air on the mountainside. Right in my taste wheelhouse, even this early. Fine, fine lines and very expressive strawberry and raspberry fruit with nips of cola. Not quite as good as the 17, but I wouldn’t say no to adding it to my cellar #5

2018 Rivers-Marie Summa PN

Bit of coffee, some sea air, some spiced berry. Deep and rich already on the tongue, as it grows it may end up being slightly ripe for me, with cherries and boysenberry taking prime place. It is very well made.

2017 Cobb Doc’s Ranch Swan and Calera PN

Cloves a bit, cocoa, red fruit. Zippy in mouth, nice acid carry. Solid PN that should put on a bit of weight

2018 Kutch Sonoma Coast Chard

Lemon cake aroma and a certain added freshness. Very fine stuff. If you like acid, you’re here. Tangerine and lemon really water the mouth. I do want to see it knit itself together more, but lots of promise for sure #8

2018 Kutch Trout Gulch Chard

Scintillating—like minerals bulldozed up the nose. Lemon, pear and apple all clamber in behind. And ohhhh. Ahh-mazing. Such drive! Such identity. Lemon, lime and apple all carry so strong with the acid and mineral backbone. I see why Jamie is so excited about these. Comparisons to the early days of his 2014 are not unwarranted. Co-WOTD

2017 Rhys Mt. Pajaro Chard

Some saline and some mineral scents. Light apple in fruit. Has Santa Cruz identity on the tongue, but dialed down in intensity from e.g. Alpine or Horseshoe.

2018 L’Ecole 41 Chenin Blanc

Sour cream? Definitely some funk to this nose. To taste, nice lilting approach–it is chenin, with some lanolin and waxy feel. OK.

2017 Ladd Cuvee Voile Chard

Almost perfume-driven, but there are yellow and white fruits to be found. Quite interesting. In the mouth, very tasty and tangy–kumquat and lemon. I like the individuality and fine work here. #12

2017 Riverain Cab

Lots of stuff–mocha, cinnamon a bit of black tea, plenty of black fruit. Complicated and busy bouquet. This is again terrific–very honest sweet plum and blackberry fruit but with lots of push and carry too. #3

2017 Caterwaul Cab

Some bits of creosote and campfire to black plum. Taste is smooth and deep–good solid wine with replays.

2017 William & Mary Shifflet Cab

Smoky, meaty with macerated plum and cassis to sniff. This was some freight train on the nose. Wild child for now, but you can taste the prodigy. Super tannins, but need to leave 3-4 years at least. #13

2016 Calluna CVC

A meritage, 49% merlot, 26% CS, 10% CF, 8% PV and 7% Malbec. Still putting itself together, but emphasis on big plummy and black cherry fruit in nose and mouth

2015 Mending Wall Cab

“thick” bouquet full of black and blue fruit. A livin’ large wine. Chock-full of purple plum & boysenberry with a tiny bit of woodsmoke.

2013 Tercero Larner Syrah

Sweet herbs, tobacco, black fruit. Solid, with repays, if a little missing on depth right now. Would like to try again in 2 years.

2018 Loring Kessler-Haak PN

Sarsaparilla but tamped down with blackberry. That’s yummy–real spice and it is mature fruit, but it fits. I continue to have confidence in Brian’s interpretation of this vineyard. #9

2018 Liquid Farm SBC PN

Baking spices, strawberry and mulberry scents. Le gout is jumpy, but in a good way, lots of real fruit sparks here. Time should benefit this wine.

2018 Rivers-Marie Bearwallow Chard

Quite sweet impression aromatically, tropical fruit. To taste, very orange and tangerine. Has a real personality, though maybe not in my wheelhouse

2018 Kutch McDougall PN

Very focused this time, quite dark berry fruit. A fine-bodied drink, purity of red and dark berry fruit with a dash of citrus and baking spice. Very nice again #11

2017 Betwixt R Bar R Ranch Chard

Ginger & gingerbread components to an interesting nose with lemon pie added. Replays on the follow-through, though the oak is a bit overt at times.

More to come when I have more time…

More time :slight_smile:

2015 Matthiasson Michael Mara Chard

Shy nose–lime and some citrus with some work. Has their classy, restrained feel, with lime fruit replays

2018 Kutch Bohan PN

Some cedar on the aroma, tight berries. Still quite rustic, but has good feel and flow. Give time

2018 Kutch Bohan Graveyard PN

Pitched a bit darker. Possibly a tinge of cola? Very stiff right now, somewhat rooty and stem-chewy. A lot of fruit stuffed in there. Will it all come together? Patience is certainly required.

2018 Kutch Falstaff PN

Maybe the best nose of these. Floral, red fruit, plenty of sandalwood. delicious. Really delicious. Surprises me with how nicely full and complete this is. Falstaff isn’t always my top pick, but it is this time. A winner. #7

2018 Young Hagen Platt Chard

Bouquet contains some pretty caramel and baking dough and spices. Curvy and round to taste, with pineapple and citrus quite active.

2017 Carlisle Derivative

Lemon, lime and lilac make up the aroma. Some inkling of star fruit here, a certain light creaminess. Relatively front-end loaded.

2015 Matthiasson Napa Red

Nose is inflected with very spicy and smoky but super-black cherry too. Sweet middle, but has a defined front and back to it too. Red plum and cherry. Has interest

2017 Say When Petite Beast Petite Verdot

Quite grapey-plum, evocative scents in that direction. Le gout is extremely full and clearly the sweetest PV I’ve ever had. For all that it has enough fruit to exert a certain fascination.

2016 Sojourn Oakville Cab

Mature red and black plum-based sniffs. Cedar and woodsy notes, ends with a tab of licorice, red plum and sweet currant.

2016 Fogline Summit Select Syrah

Bits of mint, bits of meat and cassis in the bouquet. Chocolate goodness–really nice complement in front of quite sweet plum. Has a cuddly likeability

2018 Darren Delmore Syrah

Quite balanced between mocha/spice and plum/chokecherry. A tamed lusciousness here, this is enjoyable wine. A persistent almost-tangy quality that is fun.

2018 Sojourn Sonoma Coast PN

Rather ripe presentation with sarsaparilla and firm berry. Sweet fruit and quite expressive, though maybe a touch ripe and sweet for my own taste. But that is just personal preference, doesn’t detract from quality winemaking.

2018 Iskaranu Secret Clone PN

In the nuzzie, neat minty component to wild strawberry. Sedate but prettily-controlled strawberry on the tongue.

2018 Iskaranu Mimma PN

This has spice-driven interest. Pomegranate and cherry present too. Fresh and lifted, but a second wave of strawberry and then a potpourri afterbreathe. Enough acid to make it all work. A lot going on, a lot I like. #6

2018 Loring Cargasacchi PN

rather brambly and spiced aromatics. Very, very sweet–full of fruit.

2016 L’Ecole 41 Apogee

Hard to make out bouquet initially. Some swirling gets a bit of dill, bitter chocolate, herbs. In the mouth, I like this a ton. Very nice balance and freshness to solid sweet currant and berry fruit. A fine effort. I think I made the right choice in leaving this close to the end of the day to take on some air. #2

2018 Loring Boekenoogen PN

Fine cumin-inspired strawberry and raspberry scents. Palate is good and composed, has a li’l volcanic/iron tinge for me that is neat.

2018 August West Peterson PN

Bouquet is earth–maybe chestnut even. Elevated sweetness to taste, definite cola and cherry combo. OK

2017 Chiron Emergent Truth Grenache

This had some varietal authenticity to me, with herbs and red berry fruit coming into play in both nose and mouth.

Another true privilege to be a part of all this, my very sincere thanks to ALL the winemakers who donated wines and participated.

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Grams…WOTD on the 18 Kutch Trout Gulch? And a mention of it with 2014 Santa Cruz Mountains? NICE!

Looks like Brig liked it too based on his TN he put in CT.

I think Jamie will have it in his second half 2020 release?

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My first time to this event. I focused mainly on the outdoor station. From memory/no formal notes:
– Enjoyed the Kutch Trout Gulch, pretty yellow lemon fruit popping with the bright acidity. I love acid but probably too high acid for my wife or those who don’t like it. Would be great with food.
– Ladd Cuvee Voile: it had the cooler climate/Sonoma Coast chard fruit and acid but also a really interesting aromas and flavors that made it stand out a bit more to me. Had a cool moment meeting Eric who explained the process of making the wine and why it had the interesting notes in there.
– Cobb Doc’s Ranch was very good, initially tight but with air blossomed into a balanced elegant wine
– Matthiasson Mara was excellent, again nicely balanced to my taste and maybe my favorite of the Chards there that I tasted
– Rhys Mt Pajaro Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains: talked to Chris about this, my comment was that it was something that was very familiar to previous Rhys chardonnay experiences very well made but I’m not sure it really stuck out in this line up. Glad I had a chance to try it though, unfortunately only one bottle was available for the event (I think?)
– Big Basin enjoyed their style (not just their chard, one of the few producers who I made a note to taste through their line during the event) and made me think I should drink more Santa Cruz wine. I talked to Blake (very cool dude) a little bit about how I wished visiting that area was as easy as Sonoma/Healdsburg. Kicking myself in the butt for not exploring this region when I was doing my VA residency at Palo Alto.
– Also enjoyed Young Hagen’s SC chard, realized that I missed out on tasting their PN
– Rivers Marie: maybe an unpopular opinion but I felt like their chard had tropical notes/banana which I didn’t expect. I was a little surprised (or likely just off base?)
– Liquid Farms had a richer flavor profile to me (compared to the Sonoma Coast chards) but does not get into the butter territory.
– Tablas Creek: well made wines. I used to be part of their VINdependant club when I first started getting into wine. Still enjoy their wines but I haven’t been drinking their wines as much as I used to. Love their blog and how transparent they are about everything.
– Shout to to Larry/Tercero for their crushable wines: the Grenache blanc was delicious fruit in a glass. Was next to the first person who opened that barrel sample of Mourvedre rose and I smelled the perfume coming out of the bottle. I can see how a bottle of that rose can be gone in ten minutes during a summer bbq: pretty nose, fruit with balanced acid, nice texture, no hot/alcohol signatures.

For the pinot noir:
– Kutch: The McDougall and Falstaff were very aromatic, lovely florals/rose. Tasting the wine the Falstaff leaned a bit more on the darker side (hint of licorice?) and I liked the McDougall the most. Pretty silky texture.
They were all very tight/high structure but I think the Bohan was so tight it wasn’t revealing as much as it could. Really beautiful wines and I think if I had to compare more floral and elegant than Rhys which has more of a savory style to me. Wondering if others would agree with that sentiment?
– Cobb: I think these were more ready to drink and less intense structure. Very enjoyable wines.
– Ladd: the Estabrook was definitely the outlier, with very ethereal light style with savory peppery elements. The Pratt had a more typical SC flavors and the Moore in line with a fruitier expression from RRV (or maybe just label bias). As an aside, I also tried the Tempranillo upstairs from Ladd and thought it was really interesting. Not something I’d reach for often but I like how they’re making some fun stuff outside of the box too.

I spat about 90% of the wines during the tasting, had a bite to eat then did a few tastes of reds upstairs then downstairs. By then my palate was not very reliable so I won’t comment on those. Kudos to Frank for the enormous amount of energy/organizing to make an event like this so successful. Thanks also to all the producers who generously donated their wines. Next time I will try to get through more wines and take better notes to better highlight their donations. Although a bit crowded, the group all got along well and I liked seeing how people would chip in here and there to help even without being asked.

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Yes, confirmed to me that he’s releasing the Trout in the fall. A lot of people were pleased with that one.

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Love the TNs and comments…keep them coming. In the midst of these, let me provide some final results on how the event did this past weekend.

I want to thank all of you for making 2020 a huge success. We broke another record this year, raising $48,005 for Laura’s House this past weekend. This captures all the donations on Saturday (front door and silent auction), as well as adjacent donations made to the event by other inspired folks.

These funds go a long, long way to further the Laura’s House mission, so thank you to everyone who helped, donated, spent money and emotionally supported the event. We will be back in 2021 to apply some improvements to support the evolution of the event.

In the next few days, I will post a survey for those of you who want to give me anonymous feedback. I’ll take this feedback to look at how we can strategically improve Falltacular…we always have room too grow, as does the event.

God bless everyone!

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That’s fantastic Frank. Great work as always.

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While have become almost secondary to the rest of the experience for a lot of us I did take a bit of time this year to jot down some quick impressions. I got through some whites and Pinots before I got more distracted or at least less interested in trying to note take while tasting.

Favs of only those with notes would be 16 Cabot Sparkling, 17 Ladd Voile, 18 Kutch Trout Gulch, 15 Cabot Lost Coast, 18 RM Summa, 18 Pax Sonoma Hillsides

Impressions:
16 Cabot Sparkling - This had some stickers on it with names that looked like filenames from the sys folder of your OS. Someone clued me in John had sent some Sparkling kinda on the down low. The 16 stood out being fresh and tasty. It won’t fool you into thinking Champagne but the balance was on point without being overly fruity.
14 Cabot Sparkling - Denser than the 16. Kinda closed or just less impressive.
17 Ladd Cuvee Voile Chard - Dense and dry. Needs some more time for my palate but still quite impressive. The light touch with the voile really gives this a nice character without pushing the sherried thing that would scare off many. Eric is onto something with this.
17 Ladd SC Chard - Floral and fruity. Still primary.
17 Rhys Mt Pajaro Chard - Sulfury oak. Fresh feeling but not really showing much.
18 Kutch SC Chard - Pure
17 Cobb Doc’s Ranch Chard - Very fresh but doesn’t seem quite awake. The denisty suggests potential
18 Kutch Trout Gulch Chard - Powerful and impressive. Lots of fruit. Wide open. Frank told me it was just bottled Wed. Straight tasty.
17 Carlisle The Derivative - Aromatic and pretty. Nice. Needs a bit of time.
17 Young Hagen Platt Chard - Narrow showing some oak.

17 Cobb Coastland Pinot - Herby and a bit ripe
17 Cobb Doc’s Ranch Swan/Calera - Riper and tannic
15 Cabot Humboldt Pinot - Big and roasty
15 Cabot Lost Coast Pinot - Complex. Very herbal. Forward and almost animal like. Kinda big but kinda damn good.
15 Cabot Elk Prairie Pinot - Riper in character but also more lean. Fresh. More classic than the first two.
18 Kutch SC Pinot - Stemmy. Tannic.
18 Kutch Bohan Pinot - Tight. Tannic.
18 Kutch Bohan Graveyard Block - Fresher than the regular with the acidity really showing well.
18 Kutch Flastaff - Again, stemmy and tannic.
18 Kutch McDougall - Nice aromatics. Lots of fruit. Also tannic. This stood out among the Kutch Pinots. They all seemed tannic and stemmy to me. More than I like. Maybe they need time but they were hard to get through. The McD really woke me up.
18 Kutch Signal Ridge - Bright, yet dark fresh fruit. Tasty.
16 Ladd Estabrook - Funky. Very different expression for Pinot.
13 Ladd Moore Ranch - Juicy. Very fresh. Some tannin.
11 Ladd Pratt - Little bit funky baked fruit aromas. Great acidity.
18 Rivers Marie Occidental - Big, forward, sweet fruit. Late clean tannin. More in line with what I used to think of this bottle as. Some recent renditions were a bit more balanced in expression.
18 Rivers Marie Summa - Very Fresh and expressive acidity. Less fruity than past years. This is closer to the Old Vines. Impressed. Maybe these vines are starting to mature too.

17 Ladd Cab Franc Giesler Baron - Very bright. Light tannin. Clean. Nice acidity. Not a classic Cab Franc but a very bright fresh wine on it’s own.

18 Pax Sonoma Hillsides Syrah - Bright fresh fruit. Touch of green stems Lovely acidity. Interesting how these newer wines seems to fall in between the old saucy Pax wines and the much thinner Wind Gap renditions. This was kind of electric.
16 Pax Alder Springs - Very purple fruited. Greenish tannins. Good acidity.
16 Pax Castelli Knight - Rocky nose. Pepper. Dense fruit.
16 Pax Griffin’s Lair - Complex with some charcoal smoke. Green tannin.
17 Lucia Gary’s Syrah - Dense core. Not as forward as you would expect. Tannic.
17 Carlisle The Integral - Big and dense. Very tight.

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My wife flipped over this wine and thought it was great, as in an A+. She insisted I taste it and I gave it an A-, which is still a very good score.

More notes later. The surprise for me was the Liquid Farm. I hated it four or five years ago when I last was at Falltacular because it was teeth-etching acidic. I have not had it since. This year, it was very nice, toned down and not a caricature. No IPOB BS. Very nice aromatics blending white fruits, even a bit of peach, with a slightly floral nose, but we were outside, so who knows where the flowers came from.

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My tasting notes from Falltacular. As others have stated, it was difficult to stay focused as you tasted tiny pours of all these wines amidst all the people and activity, so take this for what little it’s worth.

Kutch PN Bohan Vineyard Graveyard Block 2018. This has a friendlier red fruit nose and flavor to it, sharp spicy raspberry and red cherry, orange peel and mineral on the finish. I liked this a lot, and I feel like it will be more open earlier in its life than the other Kutch pinots.

Kutch PN Sonoma Coast 2018. This was also pretty open for a very young Kutch. Subtle notes of herb and orange back up the snappy cherry, cranberry and pomegranate fruit. Great quality for the price.

Kutch PN Bohan Vineyard 2018. This was stern, very young, dominated by grippy chalky tannins. Hard to evaluate at such a young age.

Kutch PN McDougall Vineyard 2018. Big, inviting nose, brighter cranberry and raspberry fruit, orange, bay leaf. Great potential, and seems like a wine with a broader appeal.

Kutch PN Falstaff Vineyard 2018. This was quite lean, even in the context of the Kutch lineup, yet it was also impressive in its potential. Orange peel, bay leaf, herbs, savory mineral finish.

Rivers Marie PN Occidental Ridge 2018. Orange cream, vanilla, pretty red fruit. Smooth texture. Wait a couple of years, has good potential.

Rivers Marie PN Summa Vineyard 2018. Smooth red cherry, orange cream, pine, very nicely knit together. Good stuff.

Cobb PN Doc’s Ranch Calera 2017. Shows excellent potential. Hint of sweetness to the fresh red cherry, grippy minerals, herbs.

Cobb PN Coastlands 2017. This is serious wine which will need several years, maybe longer, but it has loads of upside. The fruit is pretty well buried behind the broad shoulders of this wine.

Riverain Cabernet 2017. Dark fruit but of a high quality and without jamminess or sweetness, some creamy oak but in check, a big of mocha, lovely texture. This has all the hallmarks of a high quality and well made wine, avoiding the excesses (including ridiculous pricing) common in the world of higher end Napa cab.

Ladd PN Hirsch 2011. This was an interesting older wine, but it seemed a lot older than 9 years, and I wonder if this bottle was a bit oxidized. Mature sweet cherry, bit of that caramel and brown sugar you often see in old wines.

Ladd PN Moore Rancy 2013. Smart move putting a wine in its prime in among all the too-young new releases. This showed awesomely. Dark cherry fruit, apple skin, pine, mineral. Still a bit of grip and surplus structure left at the back end. This is in a great place now, with many good years ahead.

William and Mary Proprietary Red 2017. Smooth dark fruit, medium tannin, very balanced and well crafted. A favorite of mine last year and this year at Falltacular.

William and Mary Cabernet 2017. While I slightly preferred the Proprietary Red at last year’s Falltacular (the 2016s), I leaned this way for the 2017s. Tremendous purity and intensity to the purple berry fruit, just the right hand with the oak program.

Matthiasson Red Napa Valley 2015. Towards the fresher, redder fruited side of the Bordeaux varieties table. Not really old school in terms of tasting like wines from the old days (even in their youth), but definitely with more a sensibility about balance and freshness over power and ripeness. Light notes of cedar and herbs.

Switchback Ridge Merlot 2016. I think the merlot is my favorite from the Switchback lineup, as it offers the best value and doesn’t quite push hugeness beyond my tolerance. Big vanilla, creamy oak, dark plums, mocha. I can enjoy this in the intended style.

Ladd Cabernet Franc Giesler Baron 2017. One of my favorite discoveries from this year’s Falltacular. A good quality cabernet franc which finds a middle ground between Loire and your typical California expressions. Smooth, mellow purple fruit, subtle notes of tobacco leaf and gravel, a light floaty mouthfeel.

Big Basin Altitude 2292 Coastview Vineyard 2016. A BDX blend which embraces the cool climate and the pyrazines, but balances them nicely against cool purple fruit. Fresh and tannic, should be great in 3+ years.

Iskaranu PN Secret Clone 2018. Quite a layer of sweet oak to this one. Smooth, pretty black cherry fruit. A crowd pleaser.

Iskaranu Minma PN 2018. Exuberant, juicy orange and sweet red cherry, oak is moderate. A joyful wine.

Iskaranu PN Putnam 2018. Bigger volume and concentration to this one, pure beam of red fruit, minerals, structure. I think this had the most potential of the three Iskaranu pinots I tried.

Tablas Creek Mourvedre 2018. Balanced between dark fruits, hint of meat, some smoke and pepper. Not showy but a good solid wine.

Pax Sonoma Hillsides Syrah 2018. I’m not much of a syrah guy, but this is very good quality. Emphasizes the exotic characters of old world syrah. Lavender, olive, pretty purple fruit. Should improve.

Kutch Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2018. Wow. Great intensity to the flashy ripe lemon flavors. Bright acids. Really fun to drink, and I think other nuances will develop as the fruit mellows a bit.

Kutch Trout Gulch Chardonnay 2018. Where the Sonoma Coast immediately dazzles you with huge ripe lemon fruit, this wine builds slowly before arriving at an intense lemony finish, with ocean breeze and white spice. Great now, but will be better down the road.

Rhys Chardonnay Mt. Pajaro 2017. Very Burg-like, already showing more complexity and layers. A bit of smoke and flint, ocean mineral, white flower, tart tropical fruits, sharp citrus. Loved it.

Cobb Chardonnay Doc’s Ranch JoAnn’s Block 2017. A serious wine with a Burg mentality. Flinty, deep yellow fruit, damp earth, mineral, white flowers. Needs a few years to open.

Ladd Chardonnay Cuvee Voile 2017. Perfumed nose, nice stone fruit and citrus, great balance. A high quality composition.

Tablas Creek Counoise 2017. This was a lot of fun. Intense brambly fresh berries, juicy acids on the finish. Not as complex, but a really interesting different wine to try.

Cabot Zinfandel Marier 2016. Red fruited, fresh wild berry bush, mineral. Nice red fruited low alcohol take on zin, reflecting the cool climate.

Cabot Zinfandel Humboldt 2016. Has a rounder feel than the Marier, which I preferred for its better definition and energy.

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Great notes, counselor—really sorry we didn’t have more chance to talk during the day, but glad you got to so many

Mike