We had a small gathering y/day. With the good fortune of having friends with deep and diverse cellars, it’s a win when bottles like this show up at one setting, moreso that I can re-taste them all the next day with a fresh palate. The one bottle that is not listed below was the 2008 Rivers-Marie Summa Old Vines, which I also enjoyed but didn’t take a note. Safe to say I am very impressed with the Rhys Horsehoe, which I will add to my WOTY list for 2014. And again, impressed with the evolving beauty of the Copain Kiser En Haut. I have mixed feelings on the Carlisle, as that wine seems to be changing over and IMO hitting the apex, and the Pax to me not ready. I do appreciate the folks who read my notes and any conversation that they may create. Have a great weekend.
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2007 Carlisle Zinfandel Papera Ranch - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (6/8/2014)
3 years since I had one of these and a wine that I have enjoyed in the past, still own one bottle so was thrilled to have Leslie bring one by to share. Opened y/day, kept in the fridge under cork and served at the correct temp for this note. Today, this wine expresses a ‘ready to go’ aspect, even exhibiting a bit of a stewed quality so for me that suggests the ripeness level is starting to fight to the front and the stucture has fallen back. There is some juicy, jammy black raz and dark strawberry fruit in the palate mix too so my thought is to catch this now, enjoy it while some of that brightness is still sitting in the wine. I’d call this wine at peak, to grab that fresh picked berry flavor that is still showing here. I’ll plan to drink my last one for the coming Fall/Winter holidays. -
2007 Copain Pinot Noir “En Haut” Kiser - USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley (6/8/2014)
When Wells came down to the OC last year, we drank this wine from magnum and I could sense clearly at that time this wine was made for the cellar and would age well into something I believe would be grand, iconic for him. I do believe in his work to date that this may be his finest pinot he’s ever made. I revere the sibling to this wine, which is the lower plot Kiser ‘En Bas’, and that stands as one of the best wines I have enjoyed in my years drinking. So, to think that the entire vineyard top to bottom could deliver together, it’s a lovely thought. We opened this y/day (thank you Leslie) and I kept about 1/3rd of the bottle in the fridge overnight under cork# Retasting today at ideal temp with a burg stem. Even today, the structure is still apparent, the undercurrent of river rock/mineral. The fruit? A juicy black cherry, bing cherry and blueberry but that total sum is a more rustic, pure blend with a shading of earth woven through it. Starting to develop just a tuch of truffle in the finish, too. We’re getting close to 7 years from vintage and I still believe that at 10 years out, this will be starting to peak and will live another 5 more. Can we drink CA pinot at 15 years from vintage and find something of great caliber? Here, we will. -
2008 Rhys Pinot Noir Alpine Vineyard - USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains (6/8/2014)
Just a tad under 2 years since the last time I had one of these. The bottle here was opened y/day, kept cool overnight under cork. Serving today at ideal temp, burg stem. I will say y/day that the stems on this were noticeable, the wine grew on me through the meal. As for today, interesting contrast here. I can clearly sense the fruit here, fuller tones, and part of where I can validate that is the color, which is a darker, maroon red. Yet, there is a rustic, gamy side too that I suspect is added from the stems. Those gamy notes in the palate, a little rhone -ike too with a sweet leather, gamy cherry, cracked spice, some rocky tannin and the herbal shadings in the finish. I’d have a hard time with this blind if served in a burg/CA flight as the fruit level would suggest new world or say riper Burg year, yet the style it’s made and the flavors in it say to me older world Burg stylings. Given the stems and adjoining structure, this is not yet peaked and I would think this is 2, maybe even 3-4 years from that and do see this bottle aging for some time. Might be a good one to study several years from now and watch it evolve. -
2010 Rhys Chardonnay Horseshoe Vineyard - USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains (6/8/2014)
Two years in between bottles, last tasted at the winery. The bottle was opened y/day, stored in fridge under cork overnight, tasting at ideal temp. There is a top note of light coconut that seasons the aromatic, but underneath that is a big dollor of meyer lemon fruit, intense. Alongside the lemon is pineapple, lime skin, orange and terrific balance. The finish is pure citrus, liquid rock and a spicy note. I didn’t get a good sense of this wine y/day when we first had it but the nuance and intensity here now is marevlous. This hasn’t reached peak yet but I suspect in the next 2-3 years. In thinking about wines with year from state side, this is the best white I have had this year, WOTY candidate for white. Thank you Arnie for letting me revist this beauty. -
2010 Pax Syrah Griffin’s Lair - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (6/7/2014)
Eek, two notes? Let me help add to the perspective. This is my only bottle I bought and our of curiousity and to share with a couple other Wine Berserkers, I opened it today. Has about 60 mins of air. Whole cluster here in the aromatic, no doubt–herbal notes, as well as dried potpourri and cracked spices. Whole cluster signature. Was a bit savory on opening and this persists with a cooket meat and drying palate to some extent yet with air, the boysen/black berry fruit starts to fill in and add some volume to the palate, too. I suspect more air will unwrap the wine…fast forward another day, simply left on counter overnight under cork. There is a tanginess to this wine, laid against the blue and savory red fruit. I want to be careful to not call this syrupy but there is a glossy, riper sense to the texture and the fruit against the whole cluster at this point seem to clash for me. With that said, I’d wait on drinking these a few more years to see what the whole cluster does. FWIW, this wine is labeled at 13.5% and while there is no alc signtaure on this wine, the ripeness level as I perceive it seems higher than I appreciate in the other wines from Pax, the Wind Gap wines, which I regularly support and enjoy. -
2012 Copain Chardonnay Dupratt Vineyard - USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley (6/7/2014)
Just opened this and poured it right up to get a first sense. A little creamy oak, lots of yellow apple and pear flavors and a cool, breezy chard nose. The finish then closes with a slick of light river rock/slate. With more time open, the pear falls out (at least when this is served at the best temp), pineapple comes in, along with the slate in the finish picking up…serving again a day later, stored overnight in the fridge under cork. FWIW, tasting alongside the 2010 Rhys Horseshoe chard. As compared to the Rhys, this shows as leaner, which is also a feature of good chard that attracts me. Where the Rhys is more lemon and pineapple, this Copain is squarely green apple, intense pippin, like biting through a cold, crunchy piece of that fruit. As with the Rhys, I too enjoy this better a day later, as that pippin core is now the wine’s anchor. The same slate note is here. This would be a terrific food complement, and would like at the other spectrum end of cocktail/butter chard. Drink window? I like the wine now and it has the intensity to lay down too, so now through 2018.
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