Tuesday Night with Mike Hirby - Sbicca Restaurant, Del Mar, CA

WINE TALK
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A group of us got together with Mike to taste through a few of his current releases. The wines showed well, the food good, and the company spectacular!

  • 2008 Relic Wines The Sage - USA, California (12/8/2009)
    Bright floral and citrus nose. Lemon, stone fruits, nicely acidic. Long dry finish.
  • 2008 Relic Wines Pinot Noir - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (12/8/2009)
    Rhubarb, cranberry, bright fruit, light, crisp and clean. Restrained elegance.
  • 2007 Relic Wines Ritual - USA, California, Napa Valley (12/8/2009)
    The time in bottle has resulted in a more integrated wine than my last bottles. Wonderful balance, great finish. Don’t get me wrong, this has been an excellent wine from the start. The mourvedre was primary in all of the other bottles. This showing was more harmonious.
  • 2008 Relic Wines Ritual - USA, California, Napa Valley (12/8/2009)
    Grenache prominent, spicy, red fruits, floral nose, astringent finish. Very young.
  • 2007 Relic Wines Artefact - USA, California, Napa Valley (12/8/2009)
    Black fruits, smoke, black licorice/anise, chocolate, rich, intense, tannins clamp down on the finish. Nice structure that bodes well for ageing.

Posted from CellarTracker

Again, as a disclaimer, Mike and I are good friends, I’ve worked harvest for him in the past, but have no skin in the game.

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Great notes.
He was in the Big Apple last month and we had the full round-up as well. Great guy. Great wines.

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thanks, brian, for putting this together. i scribbled some notes…

2008 Relic Wines The Sage – 50% chard, 50% mars/rouss/viog. no butter, but dirt & dust (chalk?) on the nose, wildly aromatic. acidic in the mouth with lime, citrus, jalapeno and slight motor oil with a longish finish. impressive.

2008 Relic Wines Pinot Noir – fruit is from above durell vineyard. strawberries galore with some mint, light body with a clipped finish and some ash.

2007 Relic Wines Ritual – smooth & balanced with great fruit & oak integration. some herbs and no heat on the finish. great with food.

2008 Relic Wines Ritual – green olive & tapenade on the nose, which disappeared in the mouth. tannic, young and almost too bright. medium-bodied

2007 Relic Wines Artefact – a cab/bdx nose of mint and menthol. big, full body with a medicated bandage note (maybe the menthol nose but in the mouth?) underlying fruit is there but subservient to the herbs that will cancel out any light dishes. put it away until 2012 and serve with big piece of meat!

mike hirby is a great guy in the mold of new world artisanal winemakers. many thanks for pouring your wines for us!

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