Caveat: Chris is a good friend who started coming in to the store in 2003, when he first started working in the wine industry while attending college. After schooling and working his way through farming to wine making, Chris interned at Colgin as the assistant wine maker and is currently the winemaker for Cliff Lede/Poetry. Tonight he showed up with his new wines for us to try. All bottles opened at 4:55 PM, sampled over 2 hours and revisited as I write.
2012 Meleagris gallopavo Vineyard Old Vines Napa Cabernet Sauvignon: ABV 15.1. 76 cases produced. The vineyard is 900 feet above St. Helena. Inky dark purple with crimson edges, medium legs. I can’t describe what little aromatics there are, (allergies). Spicy cassis, supple fruit with good acidity and ample tannins, 20 second finish, a classy Cab.
8:15 PM The wine has gained in weight. The spicy cassis is prominent with dark fruits through the mid palate and a finish extending to 45 seconds ending with some dust. I did not expect this wine to develop this much concentration, flavor and complexity based on my initial tasting. Impressive.
2012 St. Helena Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve: ABV 14.4. 124 cases produced. The Cab grapes are sourced from a vineyard 200 feet lower that gets more sun. It was co-fermented with some Petite Verdot sourced from Stage Coach Vineyard. Again, I’m unable to discern the aromatics. Inky purple with near purple edges and heavy legs. Dark fruits are predominant, followed by licorice turning in to dark chocolate covered cherry and culminating in the mouth drying of the Petite Verdot. Again, 20 - 25 second finish.
8:30 PM The wine actually feels lighter in the mouth, but all the flavors are more poignant with the dark chocolate waning and the fruit more visible. The finish is 30 plus seconds and is actually closing down some. This wine is still concealing all that it has and needs some aging. This is a sleeper that will be a show off in 10 plus years or with a long decant.
2011 Judge Family Vineyard Bennett Valley Syrah: 80 cases produced. Colder climate, Rhone like wine. 13.6 ABV. Opaque purple and I CAN smell some briar and blackberry. Medium legs. Typical cold climate light blackberry flavors with some kitchen spices. Kind of one dimensional at first sip with heavy tannin, smoothing out with time in the glass. 30 second finish.
9:00 PM Blackberry, kitchen spice, full bodied, mouth coating with a one minute finish, who’d of thunk.
Chris is a member of WB so you can contact him if you are interested in purchasing any of his wines and trust in my tasting notes.
