TN: Dallas Berserkers do Campania

WINE TALK
1

DALLAS BERSERKERS DO CAMPANIA - Campania in Dallas, TX (7/10/2009)

A few Dallas Berserkers gathered Friday night at Campania for some great pizza and conversation. Wine theme was “bring anything good”.

Now onto the show…

  • 1999 Roederer Estate L’Ermitage Brut - USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley
    WIML89-90

Tasted July 10, 2009 at an offline.

Opened and served immediately. Lgiht yellow color in the glass, clear hue throughout with tiny fine beading. Nose of yellow pears, yellow apples and a dash of cookie. Flavors of yellow pears dominates with a little yellow apple. Medium to high acidity, light to medium body. Drink over the short term. (89 pts.)

  • 1999 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
    WIMLNR

Tasted July 10, 2009 at an offline.

Opened and served immediately. Yellow to dark yellow color in the glass. clear hue throughout. Light nose of paraffin, wet stones, pears and freesias. Light flavors of minerals, fruit pit and bitters on the short finish. Light to medium acidity, light to medium body. Based on this bottle I’d drink now if not yesterday but this wine came across as premox therefore no rating.

  • 1989 G.D. Vajra Langhe Freisa - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC
    WIML90?

Tasted July 10, 2009 at an offline.

Opened and allowed to slow-O about 6 hours before serving. Followed over 2 hours. Garnet color in the glass, slightly cloudy looking throughout. Nose of tar, camphor, thistle, florals with some red berries. Tart red berries on the palate with added notes of red cherries and some light notes of sweet tarts. Medium to high acidity, fully resolved tannins, medium body. Drink now. (90 pts.)

  • 2001 Cellers Ripoll Sans Priorat Closa Batllet - Spain, Catalunya, Priorat
    WIML92

Tasted July 10, 2009 at an offline.

Opened and served immediately. Followed over about 2 hours. Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of rose petals, florals, talc, berries and currants. Flavors of red berries, red cherries and a dask of red currants on the medium to long finish. Bright acidity, medium tannins, medium body. Drink now with a little air time or continue to hold over the next 5 years or so. (92 pts.)

  • 2005 Le Vieux Donjon Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
    WIML92-93?

tasted July 10, 2009 at an offline.

Opened and served immediately. Followed over about two hours. Dark garnet color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of black cherries, black raspberries and potpourri. Flavors of Bing cherries, red berries, raspberries and a little btters on the medium finish. Bright acidity, medium to firm tannins, medium to full bodied. Hold. Way to young and not as expressive as it’ll eventually be with more time in bottle. (92 pts.)

  • 2004 Joseph Swan Vineyards Zinfandel Trenton Station - Lion Ridge - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
    WIMLNR

Tasted July 10, 2009 at an offline.

Opened and served immediately. Followed over about two hours. Dark garnet color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of smoke, currants, dark berries and a dash of white pepper. Flavors of berries, cherries and a dash of red currants on the slightly clipped finish. Light to medium acidity, medium tannins, medium body. Drink or hold. After tasting this wine on a couple of finishes I got an impression that the wine might be very mildly corked (it did not show up on the nose) so I’m withholding a rating as a result. Didn’t stop me from finishing it though!

  • 2006 Novy Family Wines Syrah Susan’s Hill Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands
    WIML90-91

Tasted July 10, 2009 at an offline.

Opened and served immediately. Followed over about two hours. Purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Big jammy nose of currants, plums and berries with a forward note of smoke. Flavors of currants, berries and plums on the medium to long finish. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannins, medium to full bodied. Drink over the medium term and be sure to give it some air if opening now. (90 pts.)

2

Joe, thanks for taking notes during dinner.

I agree that the Beaucastel was an oxidized mess.

3

Not a single wine from Campania in your lineup. I call shenanigans on your thread title!

Realistically, your 89 Vajra Freisa sounds very interesting, where did that wine come from? Cellared all the while or sourced in Italy? I don’t see much Vajra around anyways, nor much Freisa, so add in an old vintage and it’s a bit of an obscure bottle!

4

Josh, it was an obscure, but very good bottle.

As for Campania, it is the best pizza joint in town which also offer corkage.

5

Yes, you really have to do something about that. How about “Dallas Berserkers drink good stuff AT Campania”?

6

Duuuuuudes, that Freisa should have been consumed on a picnic sometime in the first Clinton Administration. It’s a RED wine (and usually a little fizzy) so your description indicates it died a good while ago.

7

I’ve had two of my three and the last won’t see 2011 (and I doubt 2010!). I’ve enjoyed both a lot.

First the NZ Riesling, now this. You’re 0-2 Bobby! [gheyfight.gif]

8

Bill, the first post says the Freisa “came across as premox therefore no rating.” Seeing as how it was also a 20 year old bottle of RED that looked white in the bottle, how was it “obscure but good”?

9

Interesting Berto, I see what you mean. Now that you point it out, the Beaucastel Blanc sounds like it might have had a secondary ferment or gone off in bottle and the note for the Roederer is completely missing!

10

The TN is below the wine name.

11

OK…interesting formatting.

Questions: Was there any residual sugar? There normally is a little. Was their any effervescence? Also normal in this wine. Bottom line, this is like a 20 year old Neauveau Beaujolais surviving for two decades with some fruit intact.

12

The Freisa was a still made wine and it was a late release from the winery. It was bought through Crush last year.

13

Ok, so it’s like the Coppo Mondaccione?

14

I say yes.

15

I saw the vintage on the Freisa, and my first reaction was “eewww”.

Interesting for sure to see something like that still hanging in.