TNs: Screagle, Grange, Carlisle, Caymus, etc.

We got together to watch the Pens game Friday night and a wine massacre ensued.

Peter Lehman Stonewell Shiraz, 2002
Smells of licorice from fram away. On further inspection licorice anise, and roasted fruits that were just not appetizing. I put this glass aside and a while later ran into it again…smelled and tasted of spaghettios…down the drain.

Mollydooker Boxer, 2005
Yeah yeah, MD sucks, Rubitussin yadda yadda. For the price, I love this bottle. Dark as motor oil. Nose of caramel and dark fruits. Huge palate of oak, figs, and bright berries that bring nice acidity in the back of the palate. Long, thick, lingering fruit finish. You know, this wine has softened some, the heat has mellowed and Ive liked it every time Ive had it lately. It was cellar temperature and I think that helped.

Mollydooker Carnival of Love, 2005
I think someone was talking about how you have to be a drunk to like this wine well… [drinkers.gif] Nose of black and blue berries, a bit of sweat, and some alcohol evident. More so than the Boxer, interestingly enough. The palate is sweet and ripe with roasted plums, blackberries, and black pepper. Nice acid. Some alcohol evident. There are some drying tannins. Today I liked the Boxer better.

Caymus cabernet, 2006
Popped another one for Liotta [foilhat.gif]
Great currant notes, vanilla and cinnamon on the nose. Great full palate of plums, dark berries and some oak. Great length. Silly good for the price still.

Carlisle Gold Mine Ranch Zinfandel, 2005
White flowers, spicy pepper, currants and cinnamon on the nose. Very perfumed wine. Medium to full bodied with more currant and a bit of chocolate on the palate. Great dose of acid and some tannins in the long finish. Not a blockbuster but very very good.

Penfold’s Grange, 1998
This was dissapointing to me. Bit of BBQ in the muted nose. The palate had some berries but also seemed muted. I let it air out in a Reidel Burgundy Sommelier glass but it still showed nothing other than some added smoke and grilled flavors. This was either closed or a bad bottle in some way. Not corked thought.

AND THE PENS WIN! So our awesome host cracks open:
Screaming Eagle, 2002
Such a pleasant nose. Cranberries and cinnamon but in such great balance. A tiny bit of sweat which usually I find intrussive in Cali Cabs, but it worked in this for me. Medium to full bodied palate with berries, chocolate and cassis. Again it were the balance and structure that shone for me. Sweet and soft finish that lingers. This is clearly a great cab. I was still wanting more for the reputation, and Id rather have a recent Schrader or a recent SQN Syrah for a wow experience (never mind the price) but its still a great bottle of wine.

Yesterday and today I couldnt find the wine balls to drink something full, which I obviously generally prefer, so I finally found a use for:
Williams Selyem Sonoma Pinot, 2005
These have an oily smell and texture that Im not crazy about but for a mild drink I like em fine. The nose has some bright cranberries, cherries and baking spices. The palate is medium to light and bright. Mostly cherries. My overtaxed GI system is thankful. Just a hint of heat. A nice medium lenght finish.

Berto,
Again your evenings of tastings are almost too much for me to read about. Thanks for the notes, almost makes me want to search out some MollyD to give em a whirl.

If you ever find reason to stop by Western PA, Im sorry for you :wink: but stop by and join us. This was no tasting though…this was a hockey night with wine, and we drank every drop of every bottle. There were 8 of us…well 8 started…4 drank the Screagle [blush2.gif]
Edit: thats a lie, we couldnt finish the Stonewell, it sucked. As for the MD, be sure you like jammy wines before you buy some.

I can generally handle my own in even a stiff drinking set. I’ll see what I can do to make it to PA, maybe you guys will prove me wrong! I was trying to use tasting in it’s loosest possible connotation. Sounds like hockey and booze would be more accurate.

I’m not in general a fan of the jammy wines, but I do like to have a reference point on wines people are talking about. Some reference points are out of my price range (see DRC and screagle) but MD I can handle. It does seem like a shame though to drop even that somewhat modest coin on a wine I’m decently certain I won’t love, but the things we do in the name of science!

Oh I didnt mean sorry because you cant keep up with us, I meant sorry you have to come to north western PA [help.gif]
Though we do have the NHL and NFL champions this year and I guess that counts for something. We do taste for tasting’s sake about twice a month, but we just drink with some excuse about as often. Usually the same three guys. And FWIW I wont drop coin for Screagle either…my buddy however…
Stop by anytime!

Ooops, misread that. I’ll see what I can do to make it out that way, though thinking about it is there anything reasonable that brings people to western Pa?

Hmmmm, I might have to check wiki on that one :wink:

The short answer is there is no such thing :wink:

Good job Berto! How did you feel on Saturday?

I wonder what his Blood Alcohol Level was after drinking all those cocktails?

I had a driver…nough said! Felt like shit Max and I had to golf…so um well…took care of the headache by drinking some more at the wine on the back nine…nothing worth writing a TN about but got the level back up [berserker.gif]

Sounds like a great night, and I imagine you might remember the Penguins victory more than the fabulous lineup! Caymus and Grange are among my favorites. I have not yet enjoyed some of the others, but thanks for the nice tasting notes.
The Grange surprises me a bit… the '99 I have had the last 2 Septembers were phenomenal.
(I drink one every year before football season starts) [dance2.gif]

Im a football fan, not so much hockey. Just watch because my buddies do and I want to drink wine with them [highfive.gif] Im also a transplant, and while its hard to not get caught up in Steeler mania, the Pens winning only meant I got to drink Screaming Eagle [drinks.gif]
Im sure there was something wrong with the Grange bottle. I had a 96 recently that was much much better.

I’ve had this twice before and, though nice enough I suppose, I never quite got why people pay so much for it (no offense, I also don’t get Le Pin or Pingus either). My last notes on it was were from a dinner on the 25th November 2007:

2002 Screaming Eagle > - this was the second time I tried this wine this year, the previous time also courtesy of the night’s generous host. The wine was as I remembered, exceedingly dense and heavy, just short of syrupy, lots of caramel, vanilla cream (lots of new oak likely) and toffee on the nose; and, frankly, a bit blocky, lacking in finesse and complexity. The last time we had this, it was also with wagyu steak and I found the Eagle, at the time, the best match. This time, with the Masseto’s presence, the Eagle took a back seat.

I liked the '98 Screaming Eagle more than the '02, but maybe it was because the former was more mature than when I tried both '02s:

1998 Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon > - The definitive Napa cult cab by reputation. Well, the priciest anyway, as far as I know. I’ve had the 2002 version twice before (both times courtesy of the evening’s host) and found this older version more to my liking. The '98 is not nearly as monolithic as the '02 and notably more refined than the same. That certainly doesn’t mean it isn’t a big wine in its own right though.

Very extracted, ripe, rich, blackberry, blueberry, cassis, oak, violets, slight asphalt with a curiously thought-provoking underlying stoniness to the fruit. I know '98 isn’t supposed to be an exceptionally rated vintage for Napa, but I’ve found the comparatively “leaner” reds from then/there more to my own particular taste. This sparked a short discussion with the Stockbroker vis-a-vis the '98 vintage of California and the '98 Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve I’ve tried and liked.

Don’t get me wrong, though, this was still the biggest wine of the evening, if not a particularly favored one by me considering the more refined ones served. Still and all, how often does one get to try a Screaming Eagle? The mere opportunity to taste it is always greatly appreciated.