TNs: Going away party

Buddy of mine is headed off for a year away … so we sent him off in some kind of style. Unexpected surprise of the night? Clyde Drexler coming into our favorite BYOB, Lucio’s, at the end of the night for a late dinner. Nice.

  • 2004 Arcadian Syrah Westerly Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley (8/25/2009)
    15.2% alcohol. Decanted two hours before serving. A touch of brett on the nose that never quite fully blows off. There is a ripe, blue-fruited personality to this wine, with a meaty and earthy note lurking behind. In the mouth, plush but retains a sense of balance and freshness. There is no flabbiness at all. Good natural acidity. Strong finish that shows a touch of oak and some tannin. B+
  • 2004 Ridge Geyserville - USA, California, Sonoma County (8/25/2009)
    14.9% alcohol. From magnum. Drinking beautifully. Very youthful but open for business. Fragrant nose of black fruit, spice, earth, and a briary edge. In the mouth, refined and balanced. The purity and delineation in this wine is tremendous. Great mouth feel, excellent fruit, complexity that is just beginning to emerge from the primary stage of the wine. Good acidity and strong structure on the back end. Lovely mix of power and elegance. A-
  • 2005 Chase Zinfandel Hayne Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena (8/25/2009)
    Still quite young and showing a bit grapey. The nose was a bit tight, with plenty of ripe black fruit but with the spice component submerged. In the mouth, reemphasizing the youthfulness with a rather rustic structure. Plenty of fruit but the complexity and spice is taking a back seat. Needs to settle down a bit. B+
  • 2006 Ponzi Vineyards Pinot Noir Tavola - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley (8/25/2009)
    This was a nice surprise. Aromatic nose of black cherry, baking spice, and a touch of minerals. In the mouth, light and enjoyable. Not concentrated deeply or overly complex, but just a beautiful burst of black and red cherry fruit, good acidity, and a solid finish. Terrific everyday Pinot. B+/A-
  • 2007 Carlisle Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley - USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley (8/25/2009)
    15.1% alcohol. Decanted two hours before serving. Big, briary, jammy nose of pure Carlisle Zinfandel. This has such compelling fruit and spice aromatics. But it’s even more decadent in the mouth, with gobs of fruit, excellent purity, nice balancing acidity, and a gorgeously long finish. Drinking well and not as wound up as I thought it would be. A-
  • 2007 Martinelli Zinfandel Vigneto di Evo - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (8/25/2009)
    17.2% alcohol. Pretty nice on the nose, with superripe, jammy black fruit and a touch of spice. In the mouth, though, it just turns flabby and falls apart. It’s got nice fruit and quite a bit of spice, but the heat starts where you’d expect to find acidity. Hot finish, obviously. B-
  • 2008 Copain Tous Ensemble - USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley (8/25/2009)
    13.4% alcohol. A couple people sensed some smokey notes on the nose and finish of this, but that just doesn’t compute with anything I’ve ever tasted in this wine. Delicious and crisp, showing bright strawberry and watermelon fruit. Lovely and refreshing. A-
  • 2008 Inman Family Pinot Noir Rosé “Endless Crush” Olivet Grange Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (8/25/2009)
    14.5% alcohol. Quite pronounced strawberry in this bottle. Delicious, fresh, and crisp. A-

Posted from CellarTracker

Tom… you continue to drink very well… but you need to get more CA wines into your cellar…what is that stray for OR doing there??

Nice to see some love for Chase Zin…an under the radar good perfromer.

I know, right, Jim? Someone else brought it :smiley:

Bill – the Hayne was drinking a bit young, too. I was surprised. It was nice but not as open as I recall the 2003 and 2004 … although, that makes sense given vintage conditions.