The California Trip, Part 3

Slowly but surely, I'm making my way through the trip recap. Wednesday was our departure from Sonoma and across to Napa Valley. Coming across into Calistoga, we began the day in the north end of the valley at Chateau Montelena. This was a different stop than most of those on the trip, but we all had seen the movie "Bottle Shock" and wanted to at least see the famous winery.

We began with a pair of whites, the 2009 Riesling and the 2008 Estate Chardonnay. We then followed with the 2008 Estate Zinfandel before a pair of Cabs, the 2006 Cabernet and the 2007 Estate Cabernet. Not surprisingly, the 2007 Estate Cab was the best among the reds. We then finished with a bit of a treat, thanks to the popularity of "Bottle Shock" - one day a week they open an older vintage Chardonnay in the tasting room, and we were there on the appointed day to taste the 1986 Alexander Valley Chardonnay, which was still quite nice.

From Montelena we then went just back up the road toward the Sonoma County line to visit Storybook Mountain Vineyards. Loudoun and Ashley had visited before and promised an interesting visit, and they were right. A smaller family-run operation, Storybook is known for its Zinfandels, but they are now producing a limited amount of other wines. The vineyards are quite picturesque along steep hillsides, and their caves are over a century old, dug straight into the mountainside. We had a great tour, and the tasted four wines in the caves. First up was the 2008 Mayacamas Range Zinfandel, followed by the 2007 Antaeus blend. We then had two Seps Estate label wines, which are the non-Zinfandel wines. First was the 2007 Seps Estate Cabernet, and it was followed by the 2009 Viognier. The wines were solid, but the overall visit was definitely one of my favorites of the week.

After a great lunch stop at the famed Gott's Roadside (formerly Taylor's Refresher), our afternoon appointment was at Failla, the home winery of Turley winemaker Ehren Jordan. My friend Larry had set up this visit for us, and promised that their wines would impress. I was not disappointed, as these were definitely some great wines, very different from the Turleys, but great in their own way. Though located in Napa, Failla's wines are all from Sonoma, so it was back cooler climate wines like many from the previous days. After starting with the 2010 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay, we moved on to the Pinots, Failla's specialty. We had the 2009 Whistler Pinot Noir, the 2009 Hirsch Pinot Noir, the 2008 Occidental Ridge Pinot Noir, and the 2009 Occidental Ridge Pinot Noir. All were excellent in their own way, but to me the 2008 Occidental Ridge stood out. Finally, we finished with the 2009 Syrah before taking a quick tour of the facilities, including their cave. It was another enjoyable visit, and great exposure to a winery I was not familiar with prior to this trip.

As we headed south toward the city of Napa and our hotel, we decided to make one final stop for the day at the sparkling wine house of Mumm. Here we each got to choose a 3 wine flight, and I had the 2006 Blanc des blancs, the 2006 Brut Reserve, and the NV Santana Brut. We sat in the tasting lounge overlooking the vineyards, and enjoyed some cheeses as we concluded our third day of tasting.

From there it was off to the hotel to regroup and prepare for dinner at Mustard's Grill in Yountville. Mustard's lived up to all the recommendations I had received, as my dinner of roast duck was amazing (and huge). Also great was the wine, a 2009 Outpost Grenache. Of course, Outpost was to be our first destination Thursday, so it was a great preview of what was to come next.

The California Trip, Part 2

Our second day in Wine Country brought us trips to three wineries south of Healdsburg, and one final trip up into the Dry Creek Valley.

We began the day at Hartford, which had been highly recommended by a friend here in Atlanta. We were not disappointed at all, as we had a fantastic tasting. We did not have an appointment, but by going early in the morning were able to get plenty of attention in the tasting room, which made the visit even better. Our tasting began with a pair of whites, the 2009 Four Hearts Chardonnay and the 2009 Fog Dance Chardonnay. Both were good, with the Fog Dance being one of the more impressive California Chardonnays I have tasted. We then moved on to the reds, with a trio of Pinot. First up was the 2009 Lands Edge Pinot Noir, followed by the 2009 Velvet Sisters Pinot Noir Mendocino, and finally the 2008 Arendell Pinot Noir. Moving up in intensity, we tasted the 2009 Russian River Zinfandel and the 2009 Highwire Zinfandel, followed by the 2007 Outer Limits Syrah, before completing the tasting with the 2009 Port. Overall, it was tough to find a disappointing wine in the entire lineup. Every wine was impressive in some way, and I don't think any other visit surpassed this one in quality throughout the entire lineup. It's definitely a visit I will recommend to others, and I will also be a buyer of their wines.

Our next visit was at Copain, where we were supposed to have a picnic lunch tasting. However, there had been a mixup and we were not able to have the picnic lunch, though still a very good tasting. Once again, we started with a white, the 2009 James Berry Roussanne. We followed with three Pinots again, the 2009 Les Voisins Anderson Valley, the 2009 Wentzel Pinot Noir, and the 2009 Monument Pinot Noir. We followed with a pair of Syrahs, the 2009 Les Voisins Yorkville Syrah and the 2007 Eaglepoint Ranch Syrah, before then having a Rhone blend, the 2007 Les Copains James Berry. We then finished off the tasting with another white, the 2009 Tous Ensemble Viogner. Overall, it was a pretty good tasting, but not quite as impressive as I had hoped from Copain. Certainly the mixup played a part, but the wines, while solid, didn't wow me quite like many others we had on the trip.

After a nice casual lunch at Willow Wood Cafe in Graton (recommended by the folks at Copain) we continued on to Martinelli. We were lucky enough again to have a fairly empty tasting room (we hadn't made an appointment here either) and a diverse lineup of wines. Once again, we led off with some whites, the 2007 Charles Ranch Chardonnay and the 2008 Zio Tony Ranch Chardonnay. Once again, a trio of Pinots followed, with the 2009 Bella Vigna Pinot Noir, the 2008 Moonshine Ranch Pinot Noir, and the 2008 Lolita Ranch Pinot Noir. We then moved on to the 2007 Red Barn Red, a Rhone-style blend, and the 2006 Zio Tony Ranch Syrah before going on to the Zins. We tasted a pair, the 2008 Vigneto di Evo Zinfandel and the 2009 Vellutini Ranch Zinfandel, before finishing with a dessert wine, the 2009 Jackass Hill Muscat. Overall, the Martinelli wines were much as expected, bigger in style than most others we'd have, but still showing that they are well made with good fruit. I think my palate is moving in a different direction, but I still enjoyed the visit and the wines.

We had finished our planned stops for the day at this point, but it was just mid-afternoon so we decided to find another stop. Heading back north, we decided to venture out Dry Creek Rd again, all the way to the end of the valley by the Lake Sonoma Dam, where Sbragia Winery is located. Sbragia offers some of the best views in Sonoma, and also some really good wine. We were able to pick and choose our selections for tasting, so I was able to have two Zinfandels and two Cabs. First I tried the 2008 Gino's Vineyard Zinfandel and the 2008 La Promessa Zinfandel. Both were good, but we preferred the Gino's and actually bought a bottle to enjoy out on the terrace after finishing the tasting. For the Cabs, I decided to try Sbragia's two 2007 efforts from Howell Mountain, the 2007 Rancho del Oso Cabernet and the 2007 Cimarossa Cabernet. Both were excellent examples of the good work being done on Howell Mountain (which we would visit Thursday), but I had a slight preference for the Rancho del Oso when tasting side by side. Overall, this was another impressive tasting from a producer I had read about but not tried before. I will definitely be on the lookout for the Sbragia wines in the future.

Tuesday night in Healdsburg we went for a much more casual dinner at Willy's Seafood and Raw Bar, with a great lineup of tapas. After dinner, we ventured to Spoonbar at the H2 Hotel for cocktails. The bartender there Scott Beattie is well-known for his mixes, and though he wasn't behind the bar the evening, I still enjoyed a very interesting take on a Negroni, using a Gran Classico bitter and Orange Zest instead of Campari. It was a nice conclusion to our two days in Healdsburg before heading to Napa on Wednesday.

The last summer Friday at Bin 75

The weekend before I went to California was my last Friday night tasting at Bin 75 for the summer (when I have a chance to get home for a while before heading out to taste). It was another solid night, with a highlight for me coming late in the tasting. Our first wine of the night was a solid start, the 2004 Gouges Nuits St Georges Clos des Porrets. The table was actually divided as to whether it was a Burgundy or a Chateauneuf du Pape, and I sided with the CdP group. Overall, it was a very good wine form a producer I've come to admire, though not quite the level of the best I've had from him.

Our next wine was very much the opposite of the spectrum, the 2004 Altamura Cabernet. Most of us were actually stumped, thinking this California Can was actually and Australian Shiraz. It was still oaky with jammy fruit that was almost too much, especially coming after an elegant Burgundy.

The next spot was actually not a bad time for my wine to come up, as it was the 2001 Brigaldara Amarone. The wine was quite nice, very much what I expected, and typical of a good aged Amarone. Not surprisingly, most everyone was able to figure out what it was. That was followed by the 2006 Il Poggione Brunello, which is very young but already showing typical Brunello character and some real elegance for its youthful age. Most everyone was able to identify it as Brunello, as did I, though I thought it was a 2004.

Next up was the 2004 Sabon Prestige Chateauneuf du Pape, which seemed to just be emerging from the dormancy most CdP's go through after a few years. I actually guessed it to be a 2006. Our next wine was a CdP as well, but fooled everyone into thinking it was a Burgundy (especially after the Gouges earlier). Instead, it was the 1996 Beaucastel, which was drinking incredibly well. I've had several bottles of the 1996 Pignan, which has also been very Burgundian in character, and this wine reminded me a lot of that one.

Our CdP run continued with the 2005 Raymond Usseglio Chateauneuf du Pape. I eventually identified it as a CdP, and in fact this was the bottling I thought the Sabon was. It is still a young wine, with a lot of acidity that makes me believe in another few years it will really be better.

After several French wines, it was only natural that we went back to Italy, starting with the 1998 Antinori Guado al Tasso. I actually thought this might be a Barolo as I got some sandalwood, though most everyone else thought it was a Supertuscan (though no one was close on the age). The next wine was a Barolo, the 2003 Schiavenza Perno. I actually thought it was a 98 Barolo, so for a 2003, it wasn't bad.

Our next wine was quite controversial, the 2006 Ricasoli Casalferro, a Supertuscan Sangiovese-Merlot blend. I thought there was something wrong with the wine, but others disagreed. I stood by my opinion and feel it's unfair to give a real report on it. Thankfully, we followed that with another Nebbiolo, this time the 2006 Batasiolo Barolo. Most everyone was able to figure out it was a young Barolo, though in truth it was really too young to be drinking.

With the regular lineup complete, a couple of the group went next door to grab a few more wines to finish. We stayed in Italy, and the next one was a wine I knew soon after tasting. It was the 2000 Quintarelli Valpolicella, and I made that exact call. Having had the wine several times during this year's Vinitaly trip, I easily identified the style and elegance of the wine. We followed that with the 2004 San Felice Poggio Rosso Chianti Classico. I actually thought this was another 06 Brunello, as this wine was pretty big and young, though obviously Sangiovese.

Overall it was a good night, and would hold me over for several weeks before I could make my return to the Friday night group.

The California Trip, Part 1

A couple of weeks ago, I made my first-ever trip to California, spending a week in San Francisco, Sonoma, and Napa with my friends Loudoun and Ashley. Over the course of two days in Sonoma and three in Napa, we tasted over 100 wines, met some great people, and had several fabulous meals.

Our wine country experience began Monday morning with the drive up to Healdsburg from San Francisco. We had a 10:30 appointment at Seghesio for a tasting at their Chef's Table. We actually began with a couple of wines in the tasting room and more on a tour of the winery before the main event, which paired several small plates with some of Seghesio's best wines. Our tasting room wines began with the 2010 Pinot Grigio, followed by the 2009 Pinot Noir. We then had the 2009 Grenache before getting to the winery's specialty, Zinfandel. The two new releases we had were the 2008 Cortina and the 2008 Rockpile, before our final wine on the tour portion, the 2008 Omaggio, which is a blend of Cabernet and Sangiovese.

We then moved on to the food and wine pairings, which were excellent. The first dish was a Shrimp and Corn Ravioli, which was paired with a 2004 Home Ranch Zinfandel. That was followed by Chicken Pietro with the 2006 Old Vine Zinfandel, and Meatballs with the 2004 San Lorenzo Zin. We then had Flank Steak paired with the 2006 Home Ranch Petite Sirah before finishing with Rogue Creamery Blue Cheese paired with the 2005 Dionigia dessert wine. We then moved out to the terrace where the sun was shining after a foggy morning and finished with the 2008 Chianti Station Sangiovese. Overall, it was a great tasting and a wonderful way to kick off the week.

From Seghesio, we headed out Dry Creek Rd and made our way to the Family Wineries of Dry Creek tasting room, with the goal of tasting the latest wines from Dashe Cellars. The setup of the tasting afforded us a chance to sample some other wineries products as well, so we ended up tasting wines from four producers. The others we had were the 2009 Philip Staley Russian River Grenache, the 2007 Mietz Pinot Noir, and the 2006 Collier Falls Petite Sirah. None of the wines were particularly outstanding, but the Dashe wines were impressive. From Dashe we were able to taste the 2009 Dry Creek Zinfandel, the 2008 Todd Bros Ranch Zin, and the 2008 Late Harvest Zin, a sweet dessert wine.

Our third and final stop of the day was Ridge, where we were given a tour of the Lytton Springs vineyard and production facility before a private tasting. It was great to be able to step into the vineyards, and the wines were all pretty outstanding, especially the finish. We began with the 2009 Mikaluko Chardonnay before diving into the reds with the 2007 Mazzoni Home Ranch Zinfandel. That was followed by the 2009 Lytton Springs, the 2009 Pagani Zin, and the 2005 Lytton Estate Grenache. Finally, we were able to taste the 2007 Monte Bello, which was my first experience with the famous California Cabernet blend. I must say I was quite impressed, as it was very elegant with a lot of the earthiness I expect from wines of Bordeaux. It was a great way to finish off our first day of tasting before heading to Healdsburg for one last memorable experience that evening.

For dinner Monday night, we were able to get a reservation at Cyrus, the Michelin two-star restaurant in Healdsburg. We all opted for the eight-course tasting menu with wine pairings, and the 3+ hour dinner was quite a dining experience. Along with the eight courses listed on the menu, there were many other treats thrown in, impeccable service from start to finish, and some amazing food that stretched our boundaries and let us experience flavors and combinations I'm don't think any of us had tried before. All in all, it was an incredible first day, and an amazing way to kick off the trip.

Re-starting the Friday night series

I'm finally getting back to what I intend to be one of the regular features of this blog - my reports on Friday night blind tastings at Bin 75. Over the past two years, I have had the opportunity to try a lot of great wine, and have learned so much by being able to taste blind. My last post on 1993 Bordeaux was all garnered from several Friday tastings, but now I plan to try to recap most of the tastings overall. Having been each of the past two Fridays, I'm hoping to write about both of those this week, and thus begin with the notes from Friday, August 5.

Our first wine of the night had me fooled a bit. It definitely had an Italian profile, and a softness that led me to guess it was a Supertuscan. Instead, it was the 2006 Vietti Barbera d'Alba Scarrone. I've had the 2007 in the past several months, and while it was still too young, this 2006 is really coming into its own. This is a serious, top-quality Barbera.

Up next was my wine, the 2001 Angelini Val di Suga Brunello. I was actually thrown off that this was mine initially because of the color - a lighter profile that suggested something older. However, on the palate the wine still had plenty of fruit and even a a bit of tannin that showed it wasn't as old as the color suggested. Overall, it was a very good wine, and a re-taste later in the evening confirmed that.

The next wine was also from Montalcino, but slightly older, the 1999 Pietranera Brunello. I thought this wine was definitely from a riper vintage, and it was definitely older and fully mature (I figured 1997). It also had a little funk on the nose, but was still a nice wine.

After three Italians, we made a definite switch with the 2004 St. Andrews Clare Valley Cabernet. This was not an over the top Aussie Cab, but actually quite restrained. It had good fruit, but was balanced, and only missing some earthiness that could have made me think it was Bordeaux. I actually thought it might be South African.

We moved on the France with our next wine, the 2003 Clos St. Jean Combes des Fous Chateauneuf du Pape. I thought this wine was really coming together nicely, and much better than I would have expected for this wine in such a hot vintage. As I will note in the notes from the most recent Friday, several 2003 CdP's are actually nicely balanced now and drinking well.

We then moved back to Italy for our next two wines, starting with the 2004 Camerano Barolo. This was definitely a younger, understated Barolo. I initially thought it may be from Burgundy before moving to Barolo. I also was thinking it was a 2005 as it seemed young, but not quite as young as a 2006 and not quite as filled out as I thought a 2004 should be.

Following that, we were back in Tuscany for the 2003 Petrolo Galatrona. This wine is still very, very young, and definitely made in a more modern style. I actually thought it might be a 2007 California Cab. I'd definitely wait longer on drinking these wines.

Suddenly, we had a quick interlude of white wine, a 2004 Weinbach Schlossberg Riesling. I've actually had a couple of Schlossbergs, and they are very nice wines that I am definitely impressed with.

Getting back to the reds, we were in France again. This time, it was the 2007 Domaine Tempier Bandol. Keith actually nailed the wine, while I venured a guess a little further west in Languedoc. The wine was still very young, definitely from a hot climate, but also quite interesting. I'd love to taste it in 5-6 years.

Staying in Southern France, we had the 2007 Bois de Boursan Chateauneuf du Pape. I actually thought this might be a little older, guessing it was a 2005 CdP. It definitely had some characteristics of a hotter vintage, but seemed to be coming into balance. I'm definitely happy to see some of these 2007's begin to settle.

After all of these very good wines, we were bound for disappointment, and it came from the 2007 Orin Swift Papillon. This wine was way over the top, a fruit bomb that none of us really cared for. I was actually surprised that the blend was mainly Cab, figuring it for something like Aussie Shiraz or a modern Spanish Garnacha.

We weren't going to end like that though, so the final wine gave us something to go home happy about. The 1994 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande was quite nice, showing many traits of well-aged Bordeaux. I actually thought it was a slightly younger, guessing a 96 St. Julien. It was definitely a good way to finish off a very nice night.

Overall, it was a very good night, one of several we've had lately. As for my wine of the night, it was a tough call. The Pichon was a great way to finish, but the two Chateauneufs were enjoyable, as was my wine, the 01 Val di Suga. As I said tough, outside of the Orin Swift, there really wasn't a poor showing in the lineup.

A pair of 2005 Turleys

As the new shipment of Turleys have arrived, and the spring BBQ season is upon us, I've opened up two bottles from my stash recently. Up first was the 2005 Duarte Zinfandel. This was a nice wine from the difficult 2005 vintage, but not a Turley that really blew me away. I certainly enjoyed it, but it didn't make my list of top Turley experiences.

The other 2005 I had was the 2005 Cedarman Zinfandel. This bottle was quite enjoyable, especially in how it surprised me from the start. I truly think this wine could've passed for a modern-styled Chateauneuf du Pape. It wasn't too heavy, but had plenty of fruit and even some of the garrigue elements I associate with a Southern Rhone Grenache. This was really an enjoyable bottle, and definitely the type of experience that reminds me why I buy these wonderful California wines each year.

Ridge - a favorite from California

While I certainly love Turley, my favorite California winery may actually be Ridge, which continues to make great wines at fair prices, and using a variety of grapes. I've recently opened two of the wines I got while Loudoun and I were on their direct shipping list. Up first was the 2005 Dusi Ranch Zinfandel. This is a full, rounded Zinfandel, but it isn't overpowering. Instead, it's got a bit more finesse and subtlety, but without sacrificing any of the great fruit. It's definitely a high-quality Zinfandel.

Up next was the 2002 Lytton Estate Syrah, the first predominately Syrah I've had from Ridge. It was an excellent wine, really showing off how California can do a great job with this grape, but not overdo it. This wine isn't an overly New World-styled wine, but more refined like a Rhone Valley wine. It probably helped that it had some age on it, but this wine was really in a great spot. I definitely enjoyed both of these selections, and they reminded me that I might want to start getting more wines from Ridge again soon.

Closing out 2009 with an old Bin 75 recap

I've really fallen behind on recapping all of the Friday night tastings I've attended at Bin 75, so I'll finish off the year with one of the best nights we had this fall. This night featured quite an array of great wines, and even included some special treats from Chris at the end of the evening.

The night began with a 2005 Chante Cigale Chateaunef du Pape. Most everyone there knew it was a CdP, but figured a little older (I went 2001). It was good, but not spectacular. We followed with another wine from the same area and vintage, the 2005 La Roquete Chateauneuf du Pape. Again, most of us were on CdP, but this time the wine was quite closed, and I guessed it to be a 2006.

Next we moved up the Rhone Valley for the 2000 Guigal Chateau d'Ampuis Cote Rotie. It had a great nose but then on the palate threw everyone for a loop. I really had no idea, and no one else did either. We then followed this with another Syrah, but this time it was the 2005 Vina Montes Folly, a Syrah from Chile. I was leaning toward Aussie Shiraz, but in one of the great pickups, Keith nailed it as Chilean Syrah.

Our next two wines were both from Piemonte, starting with the 2003 Albino Rocca Vigneto Brich Ronchi Barbaresco. I was on Nebbiolo, but guessed 2001 Barolo. Our next wine was mine, the 1996 Bovio Arborina Barolo. A few folks were on it as an aged Barolo, but not everyone. Regardless, it was a fantastic wine, truly hitting its stride.

We next had the 2001 Castelgiocondo Brunello, which I nailed as a Brunello from that vintage. It was a very good wine, though I think it possibly included something other than just Sangiovese.

We followed that with the 1988 Cos d'Estournel, which had a lot of bell pepper on the nose, but was really ageing well most of us guessed it to be a mid-90's Bordeaux. We then had a 2003 Lagier Meredith Mt Veeder Syrah that had the unfortunate luck to follow the Bordeaux and thus stick out as a little too modern. After that, we returned to Bordeaux for the 2003 Lynch Bages. This wine showed the characteristics of the hot vintage, as it was a little sweet and acidic for me.

We finally concluded the regular portion of the tasting with the 2001 Feudi di San Gregorio Taurasi Riserva Piano di Monte Vergine. I initially leaned toward Southern Italy before changing my mind, but the huge tannins should have been a dead giveaway. Even with a lengthy decanting, this wine was still not quite ready to drink. It will be a great wine with several more years of age.

Finally, Chris had been in the bar with some friends and donated his remaining wine to the group, which was quite a treat. First up was the 1994 Vega Sicilia Unico, a fantastic wine though no one could ID it. I guessed it could be a top vintage northern Rhone, perhaps 1999 Cornas. Regardless, it was really quite nice if still a bit young. We followed that with the 1990 Leoville Las Cases, which was truly what a nice aged Bordeaux should be like. It was really hitting its stride with everything in great balance.

Overall, this was quite a night, and one of the best I've had at Bin 75. I look forward to many more of these in 2010, and will also recap a couple of other late 2009 tastings in the coming weeks.

Two from California

I recently again had the need for a Zinfandel so it was off to the cellar, where this time I plucked out the 2005 Turley Dusi Zinfandel. While I've had Dusi Zins from Ridge before, I've never had one from Turley. This wine was good, though I wouldn't put it among the top efforts from Turley. It was relatively simple and straightforward for a Turley, though still enjoyable.

Right before heading home for Christmas, I opened a half bottle of the 2005 Biale Zappa Red. A blend of Zinfandel, Syrah, and Petite Sirah, this is a very enjoyable bottle, though similarly lacks a bit of complexity like the Turley. This is a feature of a less-than-stellar 2005 Zinfandel vintage, but the wine was still overall enjoyable and probably a little better than the Turley (perhaps the added Syrah/Petite Sirah components gave it a little extra dimension).

Overall, I enjoyed these two bottles, though not to the extent of the top wines from these producers. However, these wines show that even in a lesser vintage, the Turley and Biale can produce very good wines, just not the exceptional ones they will make in a better year.

2005 Turley Dragon Zinfandel

Ok, so I've been slacking again on blog updates, but I've also had less wine to drink lately with trips out of town, football games, a cold, and more. Among the few recent bottles was one of my older Zinfandels, the 2005 Turley Dragon Vineyard. This wasn't one of the best Turleys I've ever had, somewhat simple and short on the palate. It did have some nice dark fruit and a bit of spice, but overall wasn't quite up to the usual Turley standard. 2005 wasn't a great vintage for Zinfandel. I think that's what ultimately doomed this wine, because it had some nice characteristics and wasn't a bad wine at all, just not the top quality I expect from one of the iconic Zinfandel producers.

2005 Turley Mead Ranch Atlas Peak Zinfandel (and a bonus)

Right before my trip, I figured it was a good time to have some barbecued chicken and thus open a Turley, as these wouldn't be tastes I would get while in Greece. When I went to the cellar, I decided to go for one I hadn't had before, and also one with a bit of age. The choice was the 2005 Mead Ranch Atlas Peak Zinfandel, and it was quite tasty. The wine reminded me a bit of a ripe Chateauneuf du Pape, with plenty of dark fruit and a bit of spice. With a bit of age, the wine also wasn't overpowering, but wasn't really light either. The 2005s didn't get the best reviews, but I found this to be a pleasing wine from Turley.

As an additional note, when I went home to Pensacola after returning from Greece, we opened a bottle of the 2003 Turley Ueberroth Zin, which was also quite tasty. Parker's review had indicated the wine was quite austere in its youth and may not develop, but it seems the age has helped the wine. I thought the wine was big and robust, drinking quite well.

Dad joins the Bin 75 group

My parents were in town last weekend, which meant that my Dad got to go to the Friday night tasting at Bin 75 with me and experience the fun I've been having. We were back to a more manageable group compared with the prior week, and ended up with a really great group of wines.

My contribution was our first wine of the night, the 1999 Domaine du Pegau Chateauneuf du Pape. The wine was great to start, but later we noticed something off on the nose, suggesting it may be corked. It wasn't, but there remained some funk on the nose that never went away.

Our second wine was definitely a Cab, but it seemed so young and a bit too forward to be Bordeaux to me. I was wrong though, and shocked when it was revealed as a 2000 Chateau Malmaison. Dad had nailed it was Bordeaux, but the fact that it was a 2000 and still so young was really amazing.

Dad's wine was up next, and it was a blockbuster - the 1997 Dal Forno Valpolicella. Keith had mentioned the prior week that he would love if Dad could bring a Dal Forno, and he was happy to oblige. Everyone agreed this was a truly special wine.

The next wine seemed to be a basic California Cab, and nothing really special, but turned out to be a Cab Franc, not Sauvingnon - the 2003 Keenan Cab Franc.

The next wine began a run of Italians and was obviously a Nebbiolo. There was a split between Barolo and Barbaresco, with my guess going for a 96 Barolo. The wine ended up being the 1998 Azelia Barolo Bricco Fiasco.

Up next was a wine that most of us identified as being Sangiovese, but varied on whether it was a Chianti, Supertuscan, or Brunello. Regardless, it was very good and ended up being the 1999 Felsina Fontalloro, a Supertuscan.

We remained in Tuscany for the next wine as well, this time for the 2003 Mazzei Siepi Supertuscan. Again, we zeroed in on Tuscany, but no one was quite right on it, and we were impressed by how well a wine from the 2003 vintage was showing.

Our next wine took us back to France, and after a bit of time I was actually able to nail the exact wine for the first time. I was lucky in that we had tasted it several weeks ago, but the combination of Syrah characteristic plus a strong sense of minerality led me to the 2005 St. Cosme Cote Rotie. I was again very impressed by this wine.

Finally, we wrapped up the night with a 2001 Chateau Lascombes Margaux. Everyone was on Bordeaux, and so we tried to get closer on the identification. Many were guessing the wine was from St. Estephe, and an older vintage of mid-late 90s. I didn't get the appellation, but did end up getting the vintage correct. Overall, it was a nice wine, especially for the vintage.

Overall, this was a great lineup of wines, maybe the best top to bottom of any night I've been at Bin 75. Dad had a great time, and most everyone enjoyed having him there. He definitely sees why I've been enjoying these tastings so much, and looks forward to joining me again.

"Mondo" tasting at Bin 75

Last week's tasting a Bin 75 was kicked up a notch as Trevor, one of the employees there, was leaving. In his honor, the usual $40 minimum bottle price was upped to $60. I was excited for what promised to be a great night, and spent much of the week deciding what to take.

The tasting began with a Bordeaux, which I and everyone else guessed. A few were able to narrow down the vintage and appellation very close, which I could not. The wine was the 2000 Chateau Dauzac Margaux. The next wine was a Bordeaux also, but this time stumped most everyone, with most of guessing Italian (though I did not). It was actually the 1998 Chateau Latour, and was a disappointing showing for a first-growth, even from a vintage that's not the strongest.

Our third wine was from Burgundy, and the color and taste easily identified it as such. Keith even had the vintage, but missed on the appellation. The wine was the 2002 Louis Latour Gevrey-Chambertin Lavaut St-Jacques. Our next wine switched dramatically, and no one could really nail it down. Most everyone agreed it was very New World-styled, but guesses were mainly on South America or California (I guessed Spain). It ended up being the 2004 Penley Estate Cabernet Sauvignon from Coonawarra.

We then made a quick detour into whites, with a 2005 Smarago Gruner Veltliner and a 2006 Staglin Chardonnay. I wasn't sure what either wine was, but the Gruner was more my style of white.

Back to the reds, we ended up in Australia again with the 2005 D'Arenberg Galvo Garage, a blend with mainly Cab. I originally thought it was an Aussie, but switched my guess to California Cab blend.

Finally, we came to my wine. The wine itself was awesome, just so different than anything else we had and so unique. A couple of folks did end up figuring out that it may be a Veneto wine, but everyone was surprised by the age. The wine was a 1996 Quintarelli Valpolicella, and it was as fresh as the 1999 we had in April in Italy. Our next wine was an Italian as well - I guessed Supertuscan, but it was actually the 1997 Banfi Poggio alla Mura Brunello. It was a nice wine, but I'd be shocked if it was actually 100% Sangiovese.

After the short Italian interlude, it was back to Cabs with the 2005 Barnett Vineyards Cabernet Sauvingon. I was on California, but not sure it was a straight Cab (though Keith was). From there, it was back to Bordeaux with the 2001 Langoa Barton St. Julien. Again, I could ID that it was a Bordeaux, but not the appellation. Keith was once again able to get that extra detail, nailing that it was a St. Julien. We then went back to California Cab again with the 2003 Duckhorn Napa Cab. This time most everyone was on California Cab from the start.

We next came to Keith's wine, so he wasn't in the guessing game. Initially the wine was quite sweet and had me baffled. But as it settled a bit and I examined the color closely, I realized it had to be a Nebbiolo. It had a slight bit of age, so I guessed that it was a 99 Barolo - close, but it was the 2001 Elio Altare Brunate Barolo.

The next two wines stumped most everyone again. First was the 2001 Le Croix St. Georges Pomerol, which no one identified even as Bordeaux, and I had no idea. Following that was the 2001 Argiano Brunello - several folks guessed it was a Nebbiolo, and though I disagreed I could not guess what it might be. I did like the wine, but again was disappointed that it did not seem to be a typical Sangiovese Grosso. We then finished our reds with one more Tuscan, the 1999 Guado al Tasso Bolgheri. I thought it may be a Bordeaux from 1999 or so, but it did stump most people as it had a lot of age. The tasting then concluded with a couple of Sherries.

Overall, I was a bit disappointed in what I thought would be an outstanding tasting, mainly due to the selections. This night confirmed my palate's preferences, as most of the California Cabs weren't to my liking, and even the Bordeaux wines were just ok. The Quintarelli really did stand out to me, and was just so much more pure and elegant in my opinion. I enjoyed the Brunellos, but again they lacked the true typicity that I want in those wines. Overall, it was still a fun evening, and another great chance to taste a variety of wines and talk about them with fellow wine lovers.

Closing out July at Bin 75

Catching up on entries, next up is a recap of another Friday night at Bin 75 in Alpharetta, this one from July 31. We were back with a group of 8-10 and tasting all the wines blind.

The first wine of the night was mine - a 1997 Luigi Einaudi Barolo. The wine was a bit advanced in age, but still with nice flavors. I did come back to it at the very end of the night though and it was fading fast, so it was good to drink it when we did. The next wine had me pretty stumped other than ID'ing some Cab in the blend, and it turned out to be the 2001 Clos les Lunelles Cotes de Castillon. The third wine also had me stumped (along with most everyone else) and turned out to be the 2005 Pibarnon Bandol.

Our fourth wine was decent, but again had me stumped on what it was, and it turned out to be the 2005 St. Cosme Chateauneuf du Pape. I didn't taste any grenache on it at all. The tough night continued next with the 2005 Mendel Mendoza Malbec, another one that most everyone failed to identify.

Next up was a wine I did not like at all (nor did I ID it correctly, though Keith nailed it) which turned out to be the 2006 Clos St. Jean Vieilles Vignes Chateauneuf du Pape. I found it too sweet and not too enjoyable at all. We followed with what might have been my wine of the night, the 2005 Chateau d'Aiguilhe Cotes de Castillon. I thought it may be a Supertuscan, and was surprised how much I liked it.

We then had a 2003 St. Clement Howell Mountain Cab, which was a rare occasion on the night most everyone could at least ID the region and grape. The next wine was also showing some rare typicity for the night, and was our lone Chateauneuf to really scream that - the 2006 Domaine la Barroche Chateauneuf du Pape.

Interestingly, we then had another Chateau d'Aiguilhe, this time the 1999. It was also very good, with more age softening it up. We concluded the main portion of the tasting with a South African wine - the 2001 Morgenstern Lourens River Valley. Being a true novice with South African wines, I had no idea what it was, though Keith knew it was from South Africa.

There were a few more wines after that, but also a taste of Creme de Cassis that killed off what remained of my palate at that point, so I won't go into those wines as I really couldn't taste much of anything else at that point. Overall, it was another fun evening, though I struggled much more than previously in my attempts to ID wines. The next week ended up being a great one as well, and I'll have that report coming soon.

My first blind tasting

Of all the tastings I've done, until last week I had never participated in a full-on double-blind tasting (where nothing is known about the wines). I finally managed to go to a Friday evening tasting at Bin 75 Wine Bar adjacent to Hinton's Wine Store in the north Atlanta suburbs. At the tasting, everyone brings a bottle (minimum purchase price of $40) and then the group tastes together. I had no idea what to expect, and was truthfully a bit concerned about how I would do in identifying wines.

The were about a dozen folks in attendance and I arrived just as the first wine was being poured. I won't go into details about each due to the number of wines tasted, but I was quite happy with my tasting performance - I never identified a specific wine, but I was able to ID the grape and country most of the time, and several times got the region as well. I never nailed a vintage, though I was close on a couple.

The tasting featured a great range of wines, and also offered some great contrasts withing certain regions and even among different vintages of the same wine. We began with the 2000 Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cepages, followed by the 2004 Descendientes de Jose Palacios Villa de Corullon Bierzo, a wine I liked but could not identify,

We then hit a stretch of Barolos - the 2004 Francesco Rinaldi Cannubio led off, but had some sort of acidity issue. Up next was the 2000 Pira-Chiara Boschis Via Nuova, which was really fantastic. I was able to have a little more later in the evening and it was even better - a Barolo that could make anyone a fan of Nebbiolo. We followed that with the 2000 Pio Cesare Ornato, and it was amazing to taste the difference between these two from the same vintage. This wine tasted older and had no real typical Nebbiolo characteristics.

Our next two wines were well out of my normal range - a 2004 Carlton Hills Pinot Noir from Oregon and the 1993 Heitz Cabernet Sauvignon, a wine that stumped everyone, especially with its freshness for a 16-year-old wine.

We then had two wines that stumped most everyone - the 1998 Castello di Rampolla Sammarco and the 2005 St. Jean Cinq Cepages. I was amazed at the difference between this Cinq Cepages and the 2000, as this wine did not have as much of a Cab profile and actually had me leaning toward an Aussie blend.

Our next wine was my contribution for the night, the 1996 Henri Bonneau Chateauneuf du Pape. Everyone knew it was a Chateauneuf, as it had the typical profile, but it was also in a great sweet spot that showed all the greatness of an aged Chateauneuf. Several folks thought this was the wine of the night, and I would struggle to disagree (though the Boschis Barolo gave it a great run).

The final wine of the original lineup was the 2003 Remirez de Ganuza Rioja, which was way too oaky for me, especially for a wine with a few years of age on it. After that, more wines popped up as folks wanted to keep going. The first was the 2004 Domaine de Courbissac La Liviniere Minervois, which tasted like a Southern Rhone Grenache. We then had the 2005 Duhart-Milion, a great young Bordeaux that is probably just starting to shut down now.

The tasting continued with three final wines from Tuscany (though again we did not know this). First was the 2001 Il Poggione Brunello, which was quite nice. There were many jokes throughout the evening about "when in doubt guess Brunello," but here I was certain the wine actually was Brunello. Next we had a 2003 Giovanna Ciacci Brunello, which was unfortunately corked. To give us a better finish, we then had the 2006 Querciabella Chianti, which was quite nice even though I could not identify it as a Chianti.

Overall this was a fantastic evening. I loved being able to taste such a wide variety of great wines, and was happy to see that my palate has developed enough to at least recognize many grapes and some regions. I certainly plan to attend more of these tastings in the future and will try to make sure to write up recaps of them. I'm certainly grateful to Keith Lofton at the Wine Store for inviting me to this group, as it was a wonderful evening and a lot of fun for me.

Weekend wines with Loudoun

The past two weekends I have hosted friends from out of town, which has given me the opportunity to break out several wines from the cellar. Last weekend, Loudoun was visiting from Charlotte, and we had two nights to choose some various wines.

Friday night we had steaks, so for our first wine I opted for the 2000 Tardieu-Laurent Cornas. The wine had an hour or so to open up, and was a very interesting selection, It continued to evolve as we drank it, and I'm not sure it ever showed everything it had. Tardieu-Laurent is known to have modern-styled wines, and Cornas is a very traditional appellation, so in the end I'm not sure it's the best interpretation. I didn't think the wine was bad at all, just not all I had hoped for.

Up next, I let Loudoun make a selection, and he went with the 1999 Gaja Sito Moresco Langhe. This wine is a blend of Nebbiolo, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon, quite different from most of Gaja's wines (and also a lot less expensive). The wine was nice, and definitely international-styled, with no real defining characteristics. It was well-made and didn't really have any flows, but overall nothing that really stood out either.

Saturday night, we had ribs, so as per my usual matching, we went with a Zinfandel. The choice was the 2005 Turley Moore Earthquake Zinfandel, a selection that we only received one bottle of, so Loudoun had not had it. This wine received among the highest marks of the vintage from Parker, but Loudoun was quite underwhelmed by it. I thought it was decent, more similar to a Grenache in profile. To me it could've passed for a Southern Rhone from a hot vintage, but it was certainly a different taste than most Turleys we have had over the past couple of years.

Finally, we went with a 2000 Igino Accordini Amarone Riserva Gino Corolin. This was a very nice Amarone, and with more time to open up would've really been singing I think. As it was, it still offered a full body with plenty of rich fruit. I think we both agreed it was our favorite wine of the weekend, and a good way to finish up.

2005 Storybook Mountain Napa Estate Mayacamas Ridge Zinfandel

Last week I opened up my final remaining bottle of a group of wines I had gotten while Loudoun and I were on the mailing list for Storybook. Loudoun had several issues with the quality of his bottles, but this bottle was just fine. The 2005 Storybook Napa Estate was a bit restrained on the open, but still nice. Once I had my barbecued pork chops for dinner though, the wine really started to sing. The spice of the sauce seemed to really hit off something in the wine, and it really came into focus.

The following night, I had a similar experience, though the wine was going right from the start. Overall, it was quite a nice bottle and a fine example of Zinfandel from this producer. I'd definitely consider getting back on their list someday (or just purchasing on occasion when I find some well-priced bottles in stores), though for now our Turley allotment is keeping enough Zinfandel in my cellar.

A pair of 2004 Zinfandels

Breaking from Italy quickly, I want to cover two Zinfandels I've had recently, one right before the trip, one right after. A few days before departing I decided to have something I wouldn't get on the trip, so I barbecued some pork chops and popped open a 2004 Turley Ueberroth Zinfandel. This was my first taste of a Uebberoth and at least for this vintage I would put it in the category of more refined, less overpowering Turleys. Not to say I did not like it - the wine was quite enjoyable, just not quite the full-throttle experience many of their wines deliver.

A few days after getting back I ended up having barbecued chicken (partly because I forgot the grocery store would be closed on Easter Sunday and I didn't have anything else on hand at home). Instead of another Turley, I opted for the 2004 Ridge Caboose Zinfandel. This was one of the wines we got while on the Ridge mailing list, and all I can say is "Wow!" What struck me about this wine is that when I closed my eyes and tasted this, I thought I was back in the Veneto drinking an Amarone. This wine had the raisiny characteristics, the dark cherry flavors, and just a hint of the sweetness that reminded me of the bigger Amarones we had (I'd compare it most to those from Tommaso Bussola). The wine was actually even better on the second night - where the first night it was certainly showing off a bit, on the second night this wine was deep and full-bodied. I loved it, and really wish I had more. What a great wine from Ridge.

2005 Robert Biale Zappa Proprietary Red

It's rare these days for me to drink a Zinfandel other than those in my cellar (mainly Turley), and though this wine is technically labeled as a "Proprietary Red," Zinfandel is the largest component (the wine also has Petite Sirah and Syrah as well). I found this wine in Charlotte recently, where a store had splits for just $13 each, so I picked up a couple. I've had a couple of Zins from this producer and found them to be pretty good, so I was anxious to see how this wine was.

The 2005 Robert Biale Zappa is good enough to stack up with any of the great Zinfandels produced these days. Full-bodied with lots of dark fruits and spice, it also has just a bit of elegance that keeps it from totally knocking you back. I definitely recommend Biale to folks who are looking for some of the best Zinfandels and blends on the market today.

2004 Turley Old Vines Zinfandel

This was my last remaining bottle of Turley from the ones I got from my Dad before Loudoun and I started receiving an allocation. Zinfandels aren't known for ageing, and the Old Vines isn't one of Turley's top cuvees, so I was interested to see how this bottle had fared.

I am pleased to say the 2004 Turley Old Vines Zinfandel still had plenty to offer. It wasn't an over-the-top Zin that smacked you right in the face, and had instead mellowed quite a bit. On the second night, the wine hadn't lost anything and still offered immense pleasure with plenty of fruit. While I wouldn't say the wine had added too much during its ageing, I won't be afraid to let my Zins rest for a few years before drinking either, based on this bottle.