That sounds fascinating.
As I mentioned earlier, I sent my Sabelli Rieslings home with my aunt and uncle because my uncle absolutely loved the bottle we opened. They opened one on Easter and the photo of him holding the bottle with a huge smile is so cute.
I ordered some new bottles today and am looking forward to having this.
Thank you for the beautiful review of our Pinot Noir @Brad_S_w_a_l_l_o_w. Your notes really capture the wine—thank you. We’re known for producing Pinot Noirs that age well, and I think that “lifting acidity” you mentioned plays a big part in that. Also, thanks for introducing me to the term AFWE. I went down a rabbit hole in the Wine Berserkers archives (and on Google too), and the deeper I went, the more confused I got—lol.
Robert Parker’s identification of a rebellious faction of terroirists and calling them out for what they really were – the Anti-Flavor Wine Elite – saved wine appreciation for the common man and confirmed once and for all that, despite what was quickly becoming accepted dogma at the time, it was still okay for wines to have “flavor.”
Many believe it was Parker’s greatest achievement as a professional wine critic, with his development of the 100-point scale a distant second.
I opened the extradimensional 2023 Mariana’s Chardonnay for my blind zoom group on ‘Monday. A wowish wine
On the nose people guessed Chablis, after tasting they said no, maybe Meursault. After I nixed that as well guessing went to Oregon. everyone loved it
I also opened the two Fritzsche Cabernets. Two more hits with the group. The bengier had a slight lactic thing on the nose which eventually faded but a pure beautiful palate. The family reunion was friendlier now but with tannins to age. Vincent is proving just as skilled with Cabernet as he is with Burgundian grapes
I am very happy with these purchases
My second encounter with Mariana’s Chardonnay within the last few weeks (@Dale_Williams also poured it for me), and it’s my personal favorite white from @H_Wallace_Jr ever. Fabulous.
2023 Elkhorn Peak Pét-Nat Pinot Noir.
I’m kinda the acid test for this wine since I haven’t cared for the Pet-Nats I’ve tried. I can honestly say that this is one of the few I’ve actually enjoyed, maybe even my favorite. With a surprisingly strong and long perlage this pét-nat delivered a refreshing watermelon/aloe taste. Usually I find the aloe notes in these Pinot variants off putting; here however they integrated with the overall profile. Distinctive and well made, this should be (and sounds like it is from the BD16 comments) on the shopping list of anyone who likes these style of wines. Really looking forward to trying the other Elkhorn wines from Berserker Day!
2022 Sabelli-Frisch “Red Blend” is open for business. Great brambly berry aromas. Loads of red-berry fruit, some light tannin. It’s just a good time.
Thank you! So glad they dug it!
This is a spectacular vineyard.
Thank you, Jayson! 
. It is one of our personal favs, too.
Cool! I have been staring at my lone bottle recently. Its time is coming soon.
Had company over last night, and it now occurs to me that two of the three wines we opened were from Berserkerdays long past. No real notes, just my recollections, but all three wines last night were great.
While cooking: 2019 Beau Rivage Chenin Blanc. This was light, bright, and very inviting with lots of tropicals and lifting acidity. Disappeared fast.
With dinner (dry aged NY strip and risotto): 2000 Ch. Larrivet-Haut-Brion (Pessac-Leognan). Totally PAME. In a great spot now, the tannins are resolved but the wine has lots of vigor and probably will drink well for another decade. Dark, saddle leather, pencil lead. Superb compliment to some of the best steak I have had in years. You guessed it – this was the “not Berserkerday” wine.
With dessert: 2007 Florian Beck-Hartweg Gewurtz VT. Wow. Mouth-filling, viscous, and full of dried fruit and caramel. This was a big hit. Too bad I don’t have any more of these.
Just to follow up on this, I contacted Vincent, and he offered a more than satisfactory solution.
None of us that know Vincent are surprised
Opened a 2011 Virage Vineyards last night. Really nothing more to say than @JohnMag review. This was singing on PnP. Really nice wine and the best Virage I have had so far. @Emily_Richer
Had one a week or so ago. Really nice secondary notes and flavors. Drank the bottle over two nights, and really barely any falling off that second night.
This was a revelation for me in not dismissing the 2011 vintage in Napa. IIRC the Virage vintage notes just eviscerate — with facts and logic — tendencies to paint Napa vintages with a broad brush.
I have had all vintages of Virage, and the 2011 is my 2nd favorite, only bested by the 2007. I stockpiled the 2011, and think I have a bottle maybe 2 left of the 2007.
Last night, a battle of the (not even remotely similar) Zinfandels:
This blew me away. CT note says it all:
A stunning reinvention of white zin. It has the same light pink blush as the much-derided white zin of the 80s — but similarities end there. Bone dry, with a barely-there initial effervescence, this rapidly settles down into a strawberry/floral/blanched orange rind flavor mix. @Markla’s allusion to rooiboos is inspired and spot on. Very slight matchstick reduction. The finish is an absolutely gorgeous, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it flash of rosewater.
So much more than a simple summer porch wine. For all its gossamer delicacy it stood up to cold kielbasa, Humboldt Fog cheese and chicken drumsticks in bbq sauce. Fantastic.
Edit after a day under bottle evacuation: possibly even better than day 1: all the taste and mouthf notes are now even more harmonious. I am now just loving this bitter/smoky wtf element to the bouquet that wasn’t there yesterday. Just gorgeous stuff.
Score: 93. Relative to expectations: +++
Gobsmacked:
I’ll again let my CT note do the talking:
Pnp (well, about 5 minutes of air) and served in Zalto Bdx glasses. An absolute wow of a CA zin/Syrah
blend (I think a little viognier is thrown in as well IIRC). Tastes astonishingly old world — imagine the midpoint between a mid-1990s left bank Bordeaux and a similar epoch Brunello, only a little less tertiary/ umami notes. A gorgeous nose of currants, cranberries and cherries, some smoky stalkiness, cardamom, clove(?), oh I don’t know — the crowd tasting this will have field day comparing notes. Utterly firm yet transparent tannins, holy crap this had amazing see-through structure. Medium bodied, fresh and not at all tired, nor tiring at all to drink.
After about 1.5 hours of air this started to show its age: still delightful but with acidity showing a bit too much compared with the absolute magic it was earlier. Don’t decant this : pop the cork and give it a few minutes standing, that’s all it needs. Very fine sediment at the bottom, and not profuse : a day or two of chambering prior to serving won’t hurt either.
This was a monument to just how excellent CA zin can be. Mind: blown.
Score : 95, probably the highest score I’ve ever given a zin.
Relative to expectations: +++
Saw this note, thought I might have one in the cellar, and bingo! I agree that it is indeed very nice!
