@Jason_L Sure hope I tagged the right Jason, but I think I did.
Anyway, tonight I am taking my my first turn with a Dostert wine: The 2022 Chardonnay. It is lean, mean and filled with lime and tropical, not overly acidic, but with a good bit of length and lift. Digging this, but it is a unique style for me. I am trying to think of a Chardonnay I would confuse with this one, and I am coming up empty. That’s okay, though. This is why I love Berserkerday: This new (to me) wine is opening some doors.
Huge shoutout to @Renee_Saint-Amour and @grant_coulter at Hundred Suns Winery! I had ordered a BD16 6 pack from them and one of the wines shipped was not from that list — received a ‘16 Shea Vineyard in place of a Bednarik vyd. I did let them know. Within minutes of sending out my email I got a response from Renee. Lo and behold, a shipment of one bottle of the Bednarik just arrived! They won’t let me pay for the extra bottle, but they had better believe that I’ll be buying during BD17!
Drinking wine for me is all about having a good relationship with the winemaker. Mutual respect for what we do, how we live, is important. And winemakers who care enough to cultivate long term goodwill with their customers is huge.
It doesn’t hurt that their wines are capital D Delish!
Recently had the Perlegos Stampede Zinfandel. I thought this really hit a sweet spot for the variety. Very good wine and very flexible at the table. A great value at SRP as well.
Had the Mariedam and Eserra white zinfandel rosé on back to back nights and really enjoyed the contrast.
Mariedam improved monumentally with air, and poured such a pale color that i’m not sure i’d guess rosé immediately. Had I only had one taste right out of the bottle I likely would have written it off. It has a lot more body than I expected, and a biting dryness that slowly mellowed over time into a nice saline/mineral combo. I got peach on the palate, and a bit of oak. This felt like a more “serious” wine that should be approached with your eyes and mind wide open.
The Eserra was more what I had expected from a rosé, but still carefully crafted. If the Mariedam was “wearing a business suit” serious, the Eserra has ditched the jacket and loosened the tie up for Friday happy hour. Definitely has some flint and petrol on the nose. Drinking it I got a lot of rounded, not overly sweet strawberry that seemed to linger. I wouldn’t call it barnyard but there was a very nice subtle funk that went well with the strawberry. Think strawberry goat cheese salad, not any “off” flavors or aromas.
These wines were both great in my book, and I think are a real win for white zinfandel’s reputation.
I bought a bunch of the Saunter Eagle Summit Howell Mountain Cabs during past BerserkerDays before they closed up shop……great wines and incredible deals during BD! Wish they were still in business……
Alas, my last one. I burned through probably a case of these during the COVID days. Absolutely stunning and nowhere near peak. One of the best deals out there!
We had the 22 Stars and Dust ‘Both Sides Now’ Grenache earlier this week. Lovely stuff- at around 13.5 abv, this highlights the floral side of Grenache and while there’s plenty of fruit, it’s not a fruit bomb by any means. It’s got a savory aspect that I really enjoyed.
I had the Eserra last weekend with similar notes to yours. A very nice and “serious” white Zinfandel. I really enjoy Adam’s wines, so interesting and unique.
2021 Sandar & Hem Mountain Vyd. Chardonnay (SCM). This is really nice. I tried one last year and thought there was a lot of oak and the wine needed time. The oak is still present, but it is much more of a compliment than a distraction now and blends with some lime and tropical fruit. This is a very elegant Chardonnay that seems old world in style. Very enjoyable. What a difference a year makes.
I’m so glad to see this thread going. The hubs and I are now drinking our last 2015 Briceland Ishi Pishi Ranch Petit Verdot from Humboldt County from BD15. Delicious. We coravin’ed it and are drinking it against a 2019 Hendry Block 15 Napa Valley Petit Verdot, just for fun. Slightly lower alcohol (12.7%) than the southern Napa Balley foil (15.1%) - smooth, a little vanilla woodsy and dark berry goodness, has been changing over time in a luscious way. Very happy with the introduction to Briceland. Also loving our usual purchases from Hendry (not from Berserker Day) but always in our cellar. I hope everyone is drinking something good tonight!
Tonight, I am drinking a 2019 Elkhorn Peak Estate PN. Very dark in the glass and earthy nose. Lots of loamy forest floor and some pit fruit, with subtle but silky, lifting acidity. The wine is engaging and alive, with a very full-bodied but velvety smooth presentation. No hurry on this one, but I think now is fine.
I recognize that I am not known for my tasting notes, but I feel duty-bound to say this to the two or three people who have read my past notes and know my palate: This is not an AFWE wine. That is not a bad thing, just something to consider. I am enjoying this.
I tasted his soon to be released '23 Mariedam when I was in California last week. I’ve loved this style since his first vintage in '21, but the '23 is Adam’s best expression yet.
Hi Steve - yes we decant the 14’s for about 30 minutes (just to get some air). We figure if you were stuck in a bottle for nearly 10 years, you’d need some air too
