Was fortunate enough to thank some friends y/day for their support this year and in doing so, enjoyed some nice wines, too. I could not keep track of all the bottles but these three wines I enjoyed a lot. The Copain was TN’d early on y/day, with the Erna Schein and Switchback being tasted and finished today. These three wines all offer something worth noting, as they each fullfill a cool spot on my palate. The Copain for its expression of CA syrah, the Erna Schein for something I did not expect and the Switchback, well of course, for its pure pleasure as Switchback always does for me.
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2002 Switchback Ridge Petite Sirah Peterson Family Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley (11/23/2009)
We opened this, included a short breather in the decanter and then enjoyed about 90 mins later. I then returned the last couple ounces to bottle and used it for this TN. Dark, very dark, almost black. My impression last night was some heat but tasting the wine now, giving it a real strong swirl, there may be a hint there but not much (listed on bottle @ 14.8%) . A molten quality to the nose, iron. The palate, oh boy, dense, plush and ripe. Probably akin to what might be called syrupy but it comes off as more sexy and smooth. The molten quality carries through on the palate. If one could liquify rocks, infuse it with black fruit and then bottle it, here it is. As for ‘age v. drink’, I think it is fine now. Some acidity here but it’s baked into the texture so let 'er rip. Got one left, will drink over the next 1-2 years. PS–I can see how this wine will turn off the old world styled drinker, those who prefer more elegance and subtlety. That is not this wine. -
2007 Erna Schein Sainte Fumèe - USA, California (11/23/2009)
This bottle will be a pain in the ass to store–squat and short, like the SQN grenache bottle as a reference. The label on the front is wild, as is the back label. The front has a colorful oil painting look of a woman holding a big slab of steak in a huge steak fork. I don’t think her look is asking for steak, however, if you get my drift! Bitchen label for sure. So, past the marketing pieces just mentioned, what’s the wine like? Excellent. I had no expectations for this wine, just a clean slate, maybe even a bit turned off by the bottle shape but this wine is dope. Dark purple color, not nearly opaque bit surely dark in tone. Aromatically, some lavender, flowers, sage and some new oak, kind of cologne-like. Palate wise, a mix of blue fruit, medium weight, with a beef jerky/cooked meat note. The deceptive piece on this wine is despite the color, which might portend some big weight, the wine has a good dose of carrying acidity that livens the palate, carrying the blue notes like a raft. Adding to the palate, some stone fruit too, like a peach skin and pit, something I sometimes get in syrah from Susan’s Hill up in the SLH. Label says 70% Syrah, with equal remaining parts of Mourvedre, Petite and P Verdot. I often attract to syrah with blue notes, like this one. Very good. -
2006 Copain Syrah Hawks Butte Vineyard - USA, California, North Coast, Yorkville Highlands (11/22/2009)
My first of three, surprised I waited this long. Quite dark, more akin to a Thompson in color. Quite a bit of tension in the wine, even with an overnight decant. Licorice, dark berry but earthy-toned, soil-like with a crushed fruit feel. Amidst the texture, which does have some plushness, is a large amount of rocky minerality, like a fine chalk and slate, along with some olive. This vineyard always seems to talk to me, with the edges and expression of place. I would say decant this wine a lot or let it sit until 2011. It’s got a life ahead of it. Very nice.
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