TN: Tasting Note Impressions from a recent dinner (mostly Syrah and Chardonnay)

WINE TALK
#1

TN’s are impressions from memory:

NV Laurent-Perrier Champagne Cuvée Rosé Brut - France, Champagne (7/27/2012)
– tasted a couple pours non-blind over approx. 40 minutes –

Thought this was very good. Very expressive, spice-laden Nose. Strong and interesting-in-a-good-way flavors on the palate. Flavors were heavy. Not incredibly lively, but quite focused considering its substantial heft. Attendees more knowledgeable than I surmised that this bottle probably had at least 5 years of age on it (no disgorgement date was on the bottle anywhere). Low end of excellent.

2009 Rhys Chardonnay Alpine Vineyard - USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains (7/27/2012)
– popped and poured –
– tasted a couple pours non-blind over approx. 1 hour –

Oaky on the Nose, with bright fruit aromas. Bright fruit on the palate; surprisingly rich and creamy; some minerality lurking behind, but, imo, comparisons to Burgundy are way off base. Nice focus; alc. not noticeable. Seems like it would be a good mid-term ager. Low end of excellent. Poor QPR.

2009 Rhys Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains - USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains (7/27/2012)
– popped and poured –
– tasted a couple pours non-blind over approx. one hour –

Solid wine; not as focused as the ’09 Alpine Chard; a bit less tropical than the Alpine, too. Very good.

2008 Rivers-Marie Chardonnay B. Thieriot Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (7/27/2012)
– popped and poured –
– tasted a couple pours non-blind over approx. 30 min. –

Seemed like it would have been excellent, but for the serious secondary ferment that happened in this bottle. Flawed. NR (flawed)

2005 Ridge Syrah Lytton Estate - USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley (7/27/2012)
– popped and poured –
– tasted a couple pours non-blind over approx. 40 min. –

Purple color. Meaty with ripe purple fruits on the Nose. On the palate, briny and meaty, with purple fruit flavors. Alc. well-hidden. Very good.

2005 Copain Syrah Hawks Butte Vineyard - USA, California, North Coast, Yorkville Highlands (7/27/2012)
– decanted for approx. 60 min. before tasting –
– tasted a couple pours non-blind over approx. 40 min. –

Enjoyed this one quite a lot. Nice acidity; not gloppy.

2006 Arcadian Syrah Stolpman Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley (7/27/2012)
– decanted for approx. 60 min. before tasting –
– tasted a single pour non-blind over approx. 30 min. –

Liked this. Probably the most “California” of the three Syrahs tasted this evening. Ripe fruits on the Nose and Palate. Improved a bit with air.

2004 Antonelli San Marco Sagrantino di Montefalco Chiusa di Pannone - Italy, Umbria, Montefalco, Sagrantino di Montefalco (7/27/2012)
– decanted for approx. 1.5 hours before tasting –
– tasted a single pour non-blind over approx. 10 min. –

Enjoyed this a lot. Young — almost painfully young. The taste I had was the last from the bottle, and it was still quite tannic. Purple-fruited; hint of leather; clean; rustic; structured. Hold.

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#2

Brian, thanks for taking the time to share your notes and impressions. I’ve had experience with a few of these so to further the discussion a bit, here are mine.

The 09 Rhys Alpine I last tasted in March 2011 so not sure my impression then is all that helpful but the comment you make about oak, that comment is being raised in CT by a few others. I found some in my March note, but at 25% new, doesn’t seem like it was all that much in context. I can tell you that the 2010 Apline chard was lights out fantastic when I had it at the winery in spring. Wow good.

  • 2009 Rhys Chardonnay Alpine Vineyard - USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains (3/17/2011)
    Rhys Visit–All The 2009s From Bottle! (Rhys Estate (At The Winery)): 13.5%, 25% new oak. As opposed to the Horseshoe chard, this Alpine is more pear-like and also shows more of the oak on the aromatic, although I could argue it is a background player–I merely make the comment to contrast against the Horseshoe, since both have the same oak regime. More generous in texture than the Horseshoe, spicier too with a baked apple flavor, fennel and more limey than the Horseshoe’s lemon. The spicy character on this, the racier edge that carries through the finish is excellent. Just a long finishing wine and my favorite of the two chards.

Posted from CellarTracker

As for the Hawks Butte syrah, I have always liked the 2005, having tasted it almost a 1/2 dozen times since release. I have one bottle left, to see if it follows the same track as the 2003. The 2007, at least to this point, is the finest Wells ever made but I have yet to really dig into the 2009 and 2010 yet. I think the 2010 will beat the 2009, we’ll have to see how it stacks against the 2007.

  • 2005 Copain Syrah Hawks Butte Vineyard - USA, California, North Coast, Yorkville Highlands (5/30/2011)
    The last two times I have wrote this wine up, I just have been shorted on volume and aeration to really get a good gauge of how it is coming along. This time, I have a 1/2 bottle left over from yesterday and it’s been well aerated over night. Pronounced smoky nose, garrigue, dark coffee and light hint of stems but not the volume or treble I was expecting. Roasted sweet cherry, soy, bbq’d meat, menthol. You know, this would go great with like a sausage pesto or something in that vein, along with some parm cheese. Finishes with a nice mix of blue and red fruited acidity, some licorice and nice lift of herbs (sage/rosemary/etc). There’s enough acid in this wine to let it keep sailing right along and remembering how the 2003 Hawks Butte tasted as it aged and became a bit more refined, this 2005 seems to be following that same track, tasting quite similar so use that as a guide if you remember how the 2003 evolved. Delicious.

Posted from CellarTracker

As for the Rivers-Marie, there is also several people in CT focusing on the spritz comment. My previous bottle too had it, although it seemed to fade out. In reading your note, I intend to drink my last one in the next couple months, as I don’t see any wisdom in aging it further now.

  • 2008 Rivers-Marie Chardonnay B. Thieriot Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (1/8/2012)
    Just opened this as I wanted to check off on whether this looked and smelled like the 2007, which I had recently. That wine is aging extremely fast IMO and is already heading downhill honestly (which I believe some have already suggested, others though have not). This 2008 is nothing like the 2007 and although a year younger, the color is light yellow, no bronze or amber like the 2007, and the wine shows lemon oil, tangerine and lemon and lime custard. I set it into the freezer for about 20 mins to let it crispen up, as it’s not quite the right temp but the relief and pleasure is that it’s holding terrific and tasting like it oughta be just great. Full note to follow later…with about 2 hours of air, we had virtually polished off the bottle. I jotted some final notes, which say coconut, white peach, green apple, tangerine, lime and a bit of spritz, although not much but enough to add a pop to the reset cork when pulled. This showed and drank very well, and I can see a bit of mineral on this wine but in the end, this is about a complex array of fruits and really nice balance. I think the wine can go another 2-3 years but it’s drinking pretty well now.

Posted from CellarTracker

#3

Thanks for chiming-in and sharing your previous experiences with those wines, Frank.

So, re: the Rhys Alpine Chard: do you prefer the '09 or '10? Why?

#4

It’s hard to say which, mainly because they were tasted on separate occasions and I’m not sure the decant prep, etc. I know the 2010, from how it captured my attention and left such an impression on me, for that reason I would pick it over the 2009. I’d like to try them side by side for comparison at some point and really see.

#5

Hmmmmm, o.k…

I’d like to hear from anyone else re: 2009 vs. 2010 comparison, as I’m presently on the fence as to whether I’m going to buy any '10.

#6

Looks like my reply really pushed you over the edge, didn’t it. Well, giving it a college try, buy the 2010. You can see my note in CT and I remember tasting the 2010 very vividly at the winery, and when I wrote the notes with the wine, it was early on during the tasting so my sensory experience was fresh. Alan Rath was sitting to my right and he was taking notes, too. Buy it!

#7

Yeah … you’re such a bully! [tease.gif]

Well, giving it a college try, buy the 2010. You can see my note in CT and I remember tasting the 2010 very vividly at the winery, and when I wrote the notes with the wine, it was early on during the tasting so my sensory experience was fresh. Alan Rath was sitting to my right and he was taking notes, too. Buy it!

Yeah, although I’m on the fence, I’m still leaning more towards buy than not buy — I’m not sure I want one bottle of one vintage to define my impression of a particular bottling, especially considering how many great things are said about it by people whose palates I usually agree with.

Still interested in hearing others’ thoughts, though. [cheers.gif]