We had a few friends over today and, so, I decided to open an eclectic mix of wines to go with some tasty hors d’oeuvres. All bottles were double decanted about two hours before initial service and were consumed over 2-3 hours. As often happens on these occasions, we all paid more attention to the conversations than the wines. Nevertheless, I did make some brief mental notes and took a quick poll at the end re: the ranking of the wines. We tried:
2011 Outpost Grenache (Howell Mountain, Napa)
This was very light in color and a little funky, initially. That largely blew off, but the wine never impressed in the way a previous bottle did. The fruit seemed lean, with a prominent herbaceous note. Eveyone’s #6 of 6.
2012 Ridge Buchignani Ranch Carignane (Sonoma County)
One of the lighter bodied wines on the table. Blue and black fruits with minimal tannin, but some nice acidic lift on the back end that had me thinking of a garden fresh tomato. I know that sounds weird, as the wine didn’t taste anything like a tomato. So be it. The group’s #4 of 6; my #5.
NV EMH Vineyards Little Black Cabernet Sauvignon (Calistoga, Napa)
This one kept improving with air, until it was gone. Medium-bodied, with a balance of sweet and savory notes on the palate. The nose becomes more distinguished and “perfumed” the longer this is open. Might give the next bottle another year if I can. The group was split on #2 vs. #3 of 6; my #2.
2006 Cantine del Notaio Il Sigillo Aglianico del Vulture (Basilicata, Italy)
A really intriguing wine. There’s an initial sweetness to the fruit that screams fresh cherries, but then there’s more structure on the back end than the sweetness would lead one to expect. With air, the wine takes on additional depth and the tannins become more pronounced. This hits all kinds of pleasure points. Everyone’s #1.
2012 Chakana Estate Selection Red Blend (Mendoza, Argentina)
The nose on this was a bit off-putting on opening, with a rubber note that reminded me of a big Languedoc syrah. With air, that blew off and notes of spring flowers emerged. The palate was blueberry, blackberry, and grape jelly. This seems really young and, yet, I’m not sure it has the structure or acidity to age. The group was all over the place on this one; my #4.
2009 Bedrock Lorenzo’s Heirloom (Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma)
Definitely the tightest wine on opening, showing very little on the nose. Towards the end of the afternoon, the nose was more pronounced but seemed a bit muddled, with flowers, tar, and game all in the mix. The palate is full of dark fruit, licorice, and a roasted meat. There’s a lot going on with this wine and I think it still needs another year or so to sort itself out. But, it seems to have promise. Again, the group was all over the place; my #3.
All in all, a fun afternoon with some good friends and some interesting wines. Just what we were hoping for.
I liked it, and increasingly so as it had a chance to breathe and stretch out. I’ll hold my last bottle for a while longer but expect it to be the best of the three-pack.