TN: 2006 Scholium Project Naucratis Lost Slough Vineyards

WINE TALK
1

This wine was so drmatically different last Sunday from the bottles I had a few years ago that I am posting all three of my notes on the w2ine to show the contrast.

  • 2006 Scholium Project Naucratis Lost Slough Vineyards - USA, California, Central Valley, Clarksburg (5/22/2011)
    At the Not Lisa Celebrate Surviving the End of the World Offline. Brought by Ted E. This was one of the most unusual white wines I have ever tasted, and its evolution from the bottles I bought and consumed a few years ago is truly remarkable. The fruit is all gone and it has been replaced by strong spice, finely ground but intense white pepper, and sharp acidity. If I had tasted this with a blindfold, I might have thought it was a syrah with lots of pepper spice. After the spice, and after swallowing the wine, there was a noticeable, even strong, tingle on my lips that lasted for at least 20 seconds. One of the other people at the table felt the same thing. The intensity of the wine was excellent. This was not like a weird wine with off-putting flavors and aromas that makes you turn away. It was a weird wine that makes you exclaim “WOW, how did he do that?” For the uniqueness and the intensity of the experience, I will give this . . . (91 pts.)
  • 2006 Scholium Project Naucratis Lost Slough Vineyards - USA, California, Central Valley, Clarksburg (11/16/2008)
    Tropical fruits with guava and aparent sweetness from the fruit but RS is probably zero. The nose has tropical fruits and some tangerine. Nice sharpness and minerality to balance the fruit. After it’s open for a while, there’s a bit of vanilla on the palate. The bottle says alcohol is 15.2% but it is not noticeable. None on the nose. Very nice wine with scallops in a butter and white wine sauce over couscous. (90 pts.)
  • 2006 Scholium Project Naucratis Lost Slough Vineyards - USA, California, Central Valley, Clarksburg (3/22/2008)
    You either love them or you hate them. I am on the plus side of the ledger. Very light in color. Floral and tropical on the nose with a bit of banana. No sulphur, which some people have complained of. The palate has white fruit, guava, a bit of banana, acid, minerals, and, to me anyway, a bit of botrytis flavor. The finish is longer than average. Very fresh and easy to drink. The bottle says the alcohol is 15.2%. I am not conscious of it on the nose or palate, but my head certainly feels it after drinking the wine. I drank this with a home made chicken picata. There were no problems with the lemon citric acid in the chicken. (90 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

2

Thanks for the notes, Jay.

I popped my a bottle of this last week (after not having had any in about 2 years), and had a similar observation of its evolution. While I agree almost entirely with what you describe, I found the wine difficult to drink, much less enjoy, as its lack of fruit and really intense (and a bit hot) flavor profile was not exactly the pleasure cruise I was seeking. It was much tastier (but not less complex) when I first tried it on release.

A curious bottle, no doubt, but more of a side-show than a main attraction, IMHO.

3

I had the same reaction. This was very different from the one I had in 2007.
The white pepper was unexpected. The last TN on CT was from 2009.
The CT drinking window says 2006-2008. Maybe it was over the hill - but still “good.”
I have some more and will try one in the near future to see if that one has the same characteristics.

4

The 2005 Naucratis at Trestle last winter was amazing for a wine that is intended to be consumed young. I have lots of the 06, I will have to try one soon.

5

Seems that Abe’s whites tend to go interesting places with age. The Cena (2005) we opened last week was intense to say the least, almost defying description. Worth opening if you’re lucky enough to have some.

6

Hear, hear - an amazing showing with that strange precipitate. I am curious where Marché sur la Lune will go with bottle age.

7

Well all of the whites have a very good track record of aging including 2000 Les Tenebres, 2002 Sylphs and as Nate mentioned Cena. Cena out of Magnum a year and half ago was mindblowing. I think the Marché sur la Lune will evolve nicely.

8

I will hold my remaining MSL for a while. Tried it recently, and felt it was a bit hot and blocky, lacking a bit in structure. Really super aromatics, though.