Snooth PTP - California Cabernet Blind Tasting

posted by Gregory in Wine

The wines as ranked by the players:

12 - 2005 Simi Alexander Valley 13.5% - $ 20
11- 2005 Dry Creek Valley Vineyard The Mariner 13.9% $40
10 - 2005 Duckhorn Cabernet – 14.5% - $75
9 - 2005 Rodney Strong Reserve Alexander Valley 14.8% $50
8 - 2006 Toasted Head North Coast Cabernet - 13.5% - $15
7 - 2004 Simi Reserve Alexander Valley – 14.5% - $50
6 - 2005 Bennett Lane Cabernet 14,7% - $60
5 - 2005 Rodney Strong Symmetry Alexander Valley 14.9% - $50
4 - 2005 Bennet Lane Maximus Feasting Wine – 14.5% - $30
3 - 2006 Pedroncelli Three Vineyards Dry Creek Valley Cabernet 13.8% - $17
2 - 2004 Dry Creek Vineyards Endeavor 13.9% $50
1 - 2005 Frank Family Vineyards Cabernet – 14.4% - $50

The Players
Cheryl – Wine Enthusiast
Philip – Wine Professional
Jim – Wine Professional – Retail
Ali – Wine Professional - Retail
Rachel – Wine Enthusiast
John – Wine Professional – Production
Rodolphe – Wine Professional – Retail

We sat down this Sunday evening for Snooth’s finale Panel Tasting Program event of the year, a blind tasting of California Cabernet Sauvignon based wines.

This was an exciting tasting. The price point for many of these wines is way above the usual price points at our tastings but that will often have to be the case with California Cabernet. One of the main knocks on the wine is not that the quality is low but rather that the prices are so high.

In an effort to ameliorate that situation, as well as with full understanding of the relative values, I chose to focus on the wines of neighboring Sonoma County for this tasting. In some respects I was vindicated in my choice but the single Napa flight had a pair of very strong showings.

Another surprise for the participants in this tasting was that the laggards over all were two very well respected producer, one each from Napa and Sonoma so there is no accounting for quality, especially if one is to judge by a brand’s popularity.

There are of course both significant as well as subtle differences between the wines of the two counties but this was too small a sample to reach many definitive conclusions. Philip was spot on when he identified the Napa Valley flight and the big, jammy fruit that those wines presented was as much of a dead give away as one could get.

In general the Sonoma bottlings were more elegant and subtle yet some of these wines are closer to the Napa paradigm than the old school, red cherry fruited, medium bodied wines that were once standard Sonoma bottlings.

Even at these prices it could be argued that we uncovered some values, in fact with our first “value flight” we certainly did. It may be tough for many to rationalize spending this kind of money of wine but if you should want to, either for yourself or a friend, we hope that our selections and opinions can help steer you towards a successful purchase! My tasting notes can be found here.

I hope to see you all next year as we at Snooth continue our blind tasting panels with events geared towards Wine Professionals, Wine Writers, Wine Enthusiasts, and plain old Wine Drinkers.

Wishing you all Happy Holidays and a safe and healthy New Year! Cin–Cin!

Flight 1 – Sonoma Entry level wines

1) 2005 Simi Alexander Valley 13.5% - $ 20 Groups 12th my 12th

There was a fair degree of consensus for this wine with Philip, Jim and Rodolph all commenting on the wine’s “green, weedy” aspect with Philip adding it was “dry and earthy” while Jim felt this “wasn’t very exciting.” Ali also “didn’t get a whole lot out of this” wine but caught some classic vanilla and cassis notes while John noticed “dark red fruits, licorice, and a candy aroma. All in all this wine lagged the group and while perfectly serviceable was a disappointment.

2) 2006 Toasted Head North Coast Cabernet - 13.5% - $15 Groups 8th my 11th

Rachel certainly didn’t like this wine which she described as “fruity pebbles on the nose. It’s sickeningly sweet indistinct fruit taste tongue numbingly of eucalyptus!” Jim liked this wines “good tannic structure” though Ali thought this to be lacking in structure though she enjoyed the cocoa and blueberry tones. This wine was a bit of a lightweight that got lost in the crowd.

3) 2006 Pedroncelli Three Vineyards Dry Creek Valley Cabernet 13.8% - $17 Groups 3rd my 5th

We had some solid consensus here with Ali getting “tar, violets and lead pencil on the nose. This has really good structure and finishes with black tea and cola notes.” While no one liked it as much as Ali at first it grew on the tasters with Rachel finding it “really short at first, it left me wanting more but developed an earthy, forest floor quality.” Philip also found this to be “very woodsy” and Rodolphe noted “ oak, red fruit, and floral notes though more oak and blackberry in the mouth.” While everyone found something to like here it neither bowled anyone over nor did it really loose anyone’s interest. A stealthy winner!

Flight 2 – Napa Valley Mid-level wine

4) 2005 Frank Family Vineyards Cabernet – 14.4% - $50 Groups 1st my 3rd

As we moved the price ladder and east into Napa Valley Cheryl found much more to like noting “ I’d be glad to have this by itself, it fantastic!” Philip found this to be “silky, soft and supple with lots of sweet fruit” which Jim characterized as cassis, blackberry and cedar in an elegant style.” Rodolphe also noted the “sweet cassis fruit with rich chocolate notes and a smooth sweet finish.” This was definitely a crowd pleaser!

5) 2005 Duckhorn Cabernet – 14.5% - $75 Groups 10th my 10th

In contrast to the last wine this caught a lot of heat for it’s “very sweet, indistinct and muddled” character as Rachel put it. Rodolphe found this to be “dark and inky and it finished really oddly with astringency and sweetness at the same time.” John found “peppermint tic-tacs” on the nose and continued “ this doesn’t have the intensity of the other wines and it’s lacking in acid.” Cheryl felt this showed “lots of wood and it’s not green but more vegetal.” This was a disappointment to many.

6) 2005 Bennett Lane Cabernet 14,7% - $60 Groups 6th my 4th

While there was dissent here there was also praise. Jim felt this “shows pretty good structure but it’s soupy and over-ripe.” John found this to be “very jammy, overpoweringly fruity in a sweet raspberry jam way. It reminds me of Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel!” Philip alos felt this was “too fruity, on balance it’s too sweet”. Cheryl enjoyed the fruit which she characterized as “café au lait and deep dark cherry” but she did add “ it’s slightly acidic.” This was verging on being a fruit bomb but if it’s your style it’s pretty impressively endowed!

Flight 3 – Meritage!

7) 2005 Bennet Lane Maximus Feasting Wine – 14.5% - $30 Groups 4th my 6th

64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 11% Syrah

Cheryl was neutral here damning with faint praise “ it’s smooth, with a long finish and some sweetness is definitely there. I can’t say that I love it.” Rachel was more to the point noting that “ while I got mint and floral at first this was very hot. I didn’t like this it also had too much oak.” Ali also found this to be “oaky and tight at first with a savory quality on the nose and even though the tannins are quite drying it turned out balanced and nice.” Philip also felt “the tannins came across well”. The mouthfeel really seemed to grab people.

8) 2005 Rodney Strong Symmetry Alexander Valley 14.9% - $50 Groups 5th my 2nd

71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 7% Malbec, 2% Petit Verdot

Cheryl was almost neutral here noting “ it’s smooth with a long finish and there is definitely a sweetness here but I can’t say I love it.” Philip also commented on the long finish and found “ walnuts, black fruit, dates, and eucalyptus “ on the complex nose. Ali noticed that this was “ oaky and tight at first with a savory quality on the nose and even though the tannins are drying it’s balanced and nice.” This was a seductive wine that sneaked up in many tasters.

9) 2005 Dry Creek Valley Vineyard The Mariner 13.9% $40 Groups 11th my 8th

46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, 5% Malbec, 3% Cabernet Franc

This elicited divergent opinions with Rodolphe finding “spice, ash, barnyard and lots of extracted tar on the nose and big spice and plum in the mouth” John, on the other hand, noted “this is musty and not in a good way, it’s very veggy.” Rachel thought it smelled of “worchestershire sauce” while Ali went with “ smoke, ketchup and paste sauce!” Cheryl noted “ sweet and goes down like water with no finish!” This evolved well later that night but sure went through a difficult period, that Jim called “ green, unripe, short and tannic,” during the tasting.

Flight 4 – Sonoma County Reserve wines

10) 2005 Rodney Strong Reserve Alexander Valley 14.8% $50 Groups 9th my 7th

John found lots of “ cigar smoke, spice and bar-b-q smoked meats” on the nose while Rachel struggled with this wine finding it “closed a bit though smoky and jammy in a non-descript way.” Jim commented on the “dusty tannins” and felt this was “ really showing very tannic at the moment.” Philip felt this offered “thick, lush black fruits” in “a real powerhouse” style. For the most par people had difficult evaluating this wine so it sort of fell by the wayside.

11) 2004 Simi Reserve Alexander Valley – 14.5% - $50 Groups 7th my 9th

Rodolphe captured the thoughts of many on this wine by saying “ they hit all their marks but in the end there is something missing here.” John phrased it by saying “ this let me down, it didn’t fulfill what the aroma was heading into.” Ali though found this to be “fresh and balanced with a long clean finish and an overall clean quality.” Philip enjoyed the “ cigar box nose” though found this to be “ pretty drying with a spicy finish.” While o one was wowed by this wine no one was really turned off by it either.

12) 2004 Dry Creek Vineyards Endeavor 13.9% $50 Groups 2nd my 1st

Philip was the lone dissenter with this wine finding it “ musty like a compost heap with candied fruit and a dry, tannic finish.” Jim on the other hand noted “ this is full of tar and dark fruits and has a silky, elegant feel.” Cheryl enjoyed the “nice, sweet raspberry fruit” while found a “little bit of peat in here, I’m liking it quite a bit.” While Rodolphe found this to be “ very tannic” he also noted that it offered “ tar, leather, and coffee notes.” This is a big, bad boy that moved from strength to strength throughout the course of the evening.

Gregory Dal Piaz is the Community Manager at Snooth, an avid Wine Geek with a passion for things Italian, and a long suffering Mets fan.

Snooth PTP - Value Nebbiolo blind tasting

posted by Gregory in Snooth, Wine

So we meet again at Snooth central to blind taste what is arguably the greatest value wine in the world. At least if i am doing the arguing!

Langhe Nebbiolo and Nebbiolo d’Alba. These entry level bottingd of the Nebbiolo grape from some of Piedmonte’s greatest producers of Barolo and Barbaresco frequently capture the beauty of the grape with a transparency that allows for the terroir and vintage character to shine right through.

A guess one complaint, for both traditional and modern producers, that we came up with this evening was that forced extraction can conceal this character and while may produce a bigger, more Barolo-like wine it’s just not what Nebbiolo should be.

This tasting was a beautiful exercise none the less as each wine spoke clearly about both the producer’s style as well as  the vintage’s character. Most of these wines tend to be made in relatively small quantities since virtually all of Barolo and Barbaresco producers are family run farming operations. They also tend to be poorly distributed in this country so some may be hard to find.

Why then are we doing this you may ask. Well the answer is simple, from this tasting I hope to offer general guidelines on the producers and the vintages to help guide you in finding Nebbiolo in your market that appeals to your palate.

Now there is one problem with that but it’s a small hurdle. All the recommended producer from this tasting make wines that should be classified as traditional. The one modern producer made a wine that horrified this group of decidedly old world palates. Even though all the wines are made in a traditional style the variety of expressions was striking. So her are the tasting notes. After the notes is a short synopsis of both producer and vintage styles that I hope will be helpful. These wines really are fantastic wine and offer a great drinking experience at a very fair price. My tasting notes for these wines can be found summarized here.

Flight 1-2004
1)    L Pira Le Ombre Langhe Nebbiolo $21.99
groups tied for 8th - my 9th
This got us off to a good start with both Dave and Mark commenting on the oak here but at the same time as Mark said “it’s not out of balance.” John thought this to be  ” a little extracted and modern, it’s got a muddiness from the extraction and the oak” a sentiment that was more or less shared around the table though Justin, like most of us, came around noting ” I didn’t like this at first but it’s a good wine in a kind of newer style.”

2)    Cavallotto Langhe Nebbiolo $21.99
groups tied for 8th - my 11th
Ok this was corked. Slightly marred by TCA at first, though it was immediately apparent on the backend and grew over time to become more dominant. None-the-less there was a lot to like here. Josh summer it up well when he commented ” this is more of a traditional style, a lot of tannins still but between the fairly prominent fruit and the tannins, I really liked the balance.” This had ton’s of fruit and a clean bottle should be splendid!

3)    Ascheri Bricco S. Giacomo Nebbiolo d’Alba $22.99
groups 5th - my 5th
This had a pretty stinky nose by the time we got around to it with an unusual array of Slavonian oak tone that Justin characterized as “sausages and salame” and an earthy fruit quality that both Mark and Josh thought recalled Russian River Pinot! There was some divergence of opinion regarding this wine with John finding it”stemmy with stemmy notes on the nose and the mouth but a fresh garden stemmy.” Dave though tthis was more “tarry, I got chocolate and coffee on the palate and even though this is way lighter than the other two wines there’s a lot going on. I like it.”

Flight 2 – 2005
4)    La Spinetta Langhe Nebbiolo $24.99
groups 10th - my 12th
With this wine the group was pretty unanimous. While this had some big fruit, that Justin characterized as “starburst candy” and Joe called “more gummy bear and sweet”. Beyond that there was not much to say. Dave thought this smelled “candied and soapy with a plastic element” while Mark summed it up by saying “this is basically undrinkable.” Nuff said.

5)    Vietti Perbacco  Langhe Nebbiolo $21.99
groups 2nd - my 3rd
This took a while to open and suffered from following the Spinetta. Justin found “good typicity with rosehip and orange peel fruit but it’s tough to evaluate now.” Joe came around with time and found the nose ” is really concentrated with classic Nebbiolo notes but your really need to stick your nose in it to get anything.”  Josh and Mark were both neutral on this wine,  with Josh saying ” not much going on on the palate” and Mark adding “it’s got a brief finish too.” John liked the wine’s “sweetness on the nose” and appreciated the wine’s “relative transparency and good focus and precision.”

6)    Ruggeri Corsini  Langhe Nebbiolo $21.99
groups tied for 6th - my 7th
Dave noted that this had “a strong barnyard nose, almost to the extent of smelling like manure but the palate turned it around for me. Ultimately I liked this.” John again found this to be ” stemmy in a weedy way with a little stem flavor, not in a bitter way, it just may be young and flesh out.” Mark felt this while this was the best wine of the flight ” I don’t like the flavor profile, it’s too leathery, barnyardy and earth driven but it doesn’t seem manipulated at least.

Flight 3 – 2006

7)    Scarzello Langhe Nebbiolo $25.99
groups 8th - my 8th
Joe quickly said ” I don’t really like this.” While John was more precise adding ” the alcohol is carrying all the aromatic here, it’s muddy with no precision and soft tannins.” Justin felt this was “very tannic” while Josh caught ” a glycerine quality, this is rounder with cherry and menthol notes that remind me of cough medicine.

8)    Brezza Santa Rosalia Nebbiolo d’Alba $28.99
groups tied for 3rd - my 1st
Joe, once again getting straight to the point, said ” There’s a sweetness here, seems the most traditional of the three, I kind of like it.” Justin had a somewhat different take thinking the wine to be ” very soft and round, jammy and a little candied, very polished but there’s not a lot of character to it.” Dave ” liked the simplicity, there are faint flowers, ripe fruit, chocolate, toast, it’s working for me.”

9)    Burlotto Langhe Nebbiolo $26.99
groups tied for 3rd - my 2nd
John thought this could have used a bit more acidity, a sentiment shared by Mark who felt this ” may have gotten a bit riper they they want it to.” Justin found this to get ” more precise and interesting in the glass with good persistence and an underlying minerality.” Josh ” liked the fruit quality but there’s a lot of tannin. It’s got the concentration and even though it’s wound up you can see where it’s going to go. It’s got really good structure.”

Flight 4 – Vintage Control
10)    2004 Produttori del Barbaresco Langhe Nebbiolo $19.99
groups 9th - my 10th
This was a relative disappointment that Justin thought was “very hollow”. Dave got “a lot of leather, barnyard, and old wood, kind of vegetal and acetic, it’s not great but it’s not bad.” Josh pretty much agreed adding ” it’s thin and tart with some tarry character, not the most pleasant wine.” Mark pretty much was in accord summing the wine up as ” more barnyard, leather earthy on the nose, and vegetal on the palate but it’s not trying to be something that it’s not.”

11)    2005 Produttori del Barbaresco Langhe Nebbiolo $19.99
groups tied for 6th - my 6th
Joe again got a “sour quality” with this wine. Josh on the other hand found this to be ” sweet, not saccharine nor candied but there’s a sweetness that goes beyond the fruit.” John found himself “liking this more and more, it’s very astringent but it’s ripe and extracted , more like a Barolo.” Mark found this to be “roasted but with a rustic, authentic quality. I’ve got no problem drinking this.”

12)    2006 Produttori del Barbaresco Langhe Nebbiolo $16.99
groups 1st - my 4th
This was a very popular wine with Dave noting ” this is full of violets, forest floor and ripe cherries. It’s simple but the simplicity holds it all together.” Justin also found this had “lots of violets with a nice mouthfeel, it’s very pretty.” Josh thought this to be “more compressed with a core of pretty ripe fruit, really good acidity, good balance and some tannin on the backend.”

Bonus Bottles

While no note were taken while we enjoyed these two bonus bottles their some consensus ideas floating around.

13)     2004 Guido Porro Barolo Lazzirasco $40
This, arguably the greatest value available on the Barolo market today had plenty of heady alcohol but was rich and packed with it’s ripeness softening the traditional, dark stern Serralunga character. I think everyone liked this and looks forward to seeing what develops in the cellar.

14)     2000 Burlotto Monvigliero $60
This is just a stunning bottle of wine. Distinctive, seductive and as character filled a bottle of Barolo as one is likely to find with it’s trademark black olive nose adding it’s distinctive imprint. Positively suave in the mouth, everyone seemed to really like this. Wine of the night!

Producer round-up
These brief style shots are for the producer in general and should not be limited to their Nebbiolo bottlings. They are consistent producers with a style that unifies their entire line-up. One caveat that I would add there is that many of these producer do have a top of the line bottling that may veer from that model somewhat.

Luigi Pira - A touch modern but moving towards a more traditional style that captures the strength of Serralunga fruit in a bold style.
Cavallotto - Enlightened traditionalism at it’s best. Packed with the rich fruit of Castiglione but built to age and improve.
Ascheri - A touch modern but also moving towards a more traditional style but the wines are rich and complex and worth discovering.
La Spinetta - Modern and not to my tastes with a forced feel, unnatural fruit and enough wood to build a boat.
Vietti - Can be bordering on the modern side but so expressive and elegant they are seductive.
Ruggeri Corsini - Traditional is a touch rustic yet fun and classic. There is an appealing authenticity to the wines.
Scarzello - Arch traditional producer making big, brash wines that may not be to everyones tastes but at their best are thrilling.
Brezza - Traditional with a purity and crude freshness to the wines that make them captivating and eminently drinkable.
Burlotto - Another arch traditionalist but making wines that are softer, suave  with an earthy sweetness and unusual complexity.
Produttori del Barbaresco - Traditional producer, actually the world’s greatest coop,  making the best value in Barbaresco.
Guido Porro - Traditional producer capturing explosive fruit in a rather refined style for Serralunga. The prices are amazing.

2004 - An elegant vintage with exceptional balance but it was a big crop and the high yeilds have left a few wines lacking in depth and complexity.
2005 - A much more challenging vintage but the best wines will offer greater depth and cellaring potential than their 2004 siblings.
2006 - A potentially exceptional vintage with challenges through out the summer but great conditions at harvest that produced rich, fruit filled complex wines.

Gregory Dal Piaz is the Community Manager at  Snooth, an avid Wine Geek with a passion for things Italian, and a long suffering Mets fan.

Snooth Bilnd tasting Panel - Shiraz

posted by Gregory in Snooth, Wine

It’s not every Tuesday afternoon that I tuck into a line-up of Australian Shiraz. Heck the truth is it’s not every year that I take a serious look at what’s happening with Australian Shiraz. The truth is the wines were never my style even though I recognize the quality that many of these wines offer in their particular niche.

That’s not to say that I don’t occasionally enjoy a bottle of Aussie Shiraz, in a peculiar way Shiraz/Syrah competes for my attention as both the greatest wine value and a great wine, period. I don’t know exactly what it is that makes even inexpensive Syrah relatively complete and complex but the adaptability of the grape and the diversity of styles of wine one finds allows for comparison to be made across virtually every parameter by which we can classify wine. New world, old world, cold climate, warm climate, unoaked, 200% new oak. Obviously it makes for some very interesting comparisons!

With Australia, and in particular this line-up of value priced offerings, we are pretty much looking exclusively at warm climate wines and while many wines shows signs of fruit bombiness the price point helps ameliorate some of the worst excesses that that genre encompasses. It’s tough, but not impossible, to get $12 wines that are oaked to depth or have fruit weights approaching that of Atlantic City salt-water taffy. There are saving graces to be constricted by price.

As a group the wines showed very well, offering lots of fruit, good balance, and well thought out styles. In these difficult financial times it’s worth revisiting Aussie Shiraz for the value they offer. While many of these wines lack some of the detail and finesse many appreciate with Syrah they offer a rather full throttled exuberance at very affordable prices, which makes them perfect for parties, family and friends.

To those who really like the style of these wines this  sampling represents a small snapshot of just how much these wines can offer at $12. Some of the standouts were really great wines and should be tracked down. The Zonte’s footsteps Shiraz-Viognier offered excellent aromatic complexity in a slight lighter, more elegant and earthy style that may not be quintessential Aussie Shiraz but was delicious. The d’Arenberg Footbolt on the other hand was excellent, and reaffirmed why it has been one of my go to bottlings with Shiraz. Rich, layered, and long it offered an array of Shiraz notes and is absolutely singing right now. It is a steal at the price!

The Players

Leo – Retail wine professional
Mike – Wine enthusiast
Michel  - Wholesale wine professional
Kyle – Wine enthusiast
Zach – Wine enthusiast
Darren – Wine enthusiast
Jeff – Restaurant professional
The wines

Flight 1

1)    2005 Innocent Bystander Shiraz-Viognier 14.5% - $14
We started the blind tasting with a wine that seemed to get a little lost in the mix. Both Michel and Kyle were a bit neutral on the wine and noted that it had a certain vegetal quality. Darren and Mike “didn’t dislike it” which while not exactly complimentary represented the neutral feelings once again though Mike added, “ it has good balance and texture.”  Leo was the wine’s biggest fan, echoing Mike’s comment on the wines feel commenting that “ while the dark spice wasn’t pronounced it was nice and the wine was round and had a fun feel. A bit disjointed. This also seemed a bit advanced; perhaps the screw top did not hold a perfect seal.

2)    2007 Sonoma Vineyards Syrah 13.8% - $14
This Sonoma bottling was our first ringer and it was universally well received though e few people commented on the wines sweetness. Michel felt it was “ relatively well integrated in a very soft way and a little obviously sweet.” Kyle also noticed the sugar adding “ it’s a touch sweet and simplistic, it’s good though I would call this an extended family party wine!” Jeff also felt this was a “quaffing wine” and noticed the “berried nose with a touch of olive” a bouquet that Darren notes as “ a distinct Syrah nose. Solid, pure juicy fun.

3)    2007 Zonte’s Footsteps Shiraz-Viognier 14.5% - $14
Mike caught “a little funk on the nose” with this wine and felt it was “intense and unyielding in a brooding style.” Zach also commented on the weight of this wine noting “ It’s very fruity and very ripe, a much bigger wine, nice finish with a touch of hoisin spice.”  Jeff found this “interesting on the nose, there’s a lot going on, it’s got really good texture and mouthfeel.”  Leo liked the ‘ succulent palate” as well and caught “ a bit of iron and earth on the finish.” Kudos to Darren for guessing that there was a bit of Viognier in this blend! A complex, elegant wine.

Flight 2

4)    2006 Hyland Penley Estate Coonawarra Shiraz15% - $20
This wine had divergent opinions about the nose and palate. Most of the tasters found the nose interesting as comments ranged from Michel’s “ leafy and weedy notes, dusty fruits and a little brett” to Zach’s mild licorice and gingerbread cookie to Leo’s feeling that this had “ a solid nose full of dried fruit notes. The palate however didn’t impress anyone. Mike called it “simple dark fruits and oak” while Darren felt it was “too sweet and loose, there’s not much to like.” Perhaps a bit blocky but this opened well.

5)    2004 Leeuwin Estate Siblings Margaret River Shiraz 14% - $20

While the Penley Estate promised more than it delivered this Leeuwin estate seemed to deliver more than it promised. Michel was “disappointed with the nose, the oak overwhelmed the fruit” while Darren though this was “sweeter on the nose and both he and Mike found a bit of tar on the nose. When comments switched to the palate however things really took off. Leo enjoyed the “ vanilla and Lipton notes on the palates big fruit. I really enjoyed that”.  Zach noted the “ big, sweet fruits, simple but enjoyable with a bit of a sour edge.” Jeff also noted that the wine “ has high acid but the fruit really backed it up. A succulent, juicy wine.

6)    2004 Kunde Estate Sonoma Valley Syrah 14.1% - $20

This was a ringer and a bit pricier than most of the wines in today’s lineup.  Mike was immediately convinced that this was from California and even called it as Sonoma! Kudos to Mike who felt this was “ medium bodied, elegant but big, really well done.” Michel found a lot of complexity on the nose with its “ Asian spice, dark fruit nutty notes and maybe a touch of brett.” Kyle also caught “a bit of funk on the nose, which I didn’t like. I thought I wasn’t going to like this but I liked the palate a lot, it was substantial and interesting and it’s the only wine I am curious about going forward. I would cellar a bottle for a year or two.”  Zach noted that this “ evolved in the glass, it’s interesting, smooth but the finish seems very short.” A powerful balanced wine with a lot to say.

Flight 3

7)    2006 d’Arenberg The Stump Jump GSM 14.5% - $9
This, our least expensive bottling today, was surprisingly well received. Mike liked the aromatics calling them “floral and fragrant” while Michel noted that the fruit was “ very high toned purple fruit with a bit of VA and tar, the alcohol seems high too.” Darren also commented on the high alcohol on the nose but still found “ good fruit with a herbaceous note.”  Michel enjoyed the palate calling it “short, fat and plummy” Mike thought it was “soft and pure red fruits with good balance. Leo enjoyed the “ silky, soft texture, delicate and really enjoyable.” It was a crowd pleaser.

8)    2005 d’Arenberg d’Arry’s Original Shiraz-Grenache 14.5% - $15
This had a nose that was off putting to most of the tasters who called it “chemical” “abrasive” “antiseptic” There was also a salty quality that Kyle referred to as “chemical salt and vinegar potato chips” while Zach captured it as “ berries dipped in the ocean”.  Darren did note that the nose was “sweet and has notes of aged balsamic” while Jeff thought the wine was “ just a big sweet adolescent” Perhaps that is the best way to describe this wine.

9)    2006 Kilikanoon Killerman’s Run Shiraz-Grenache 14.5% - $17
We returned to form with this wine. Michel commented, “ the nose changed a lot offering up BarBQ sauce, leaves, soft mushrooms.” Leo caught some “spicy oak and a leafy green thing going on but then it turned to pure strawberry with some burnt marshmallow.” Mike found this to have “ great texture, nice red fruits, really a lot going on in the mouth” and both Kyle and Jeff found the wine to improve in the glass offering “good fruit”. A solid wine with some sneaky complexity.

Flight 4

10)     2006 d’Arenberg The Footbolt Shiraz McLaren Vale 14.5% - $15
This was the wine of the day with universal praise. Darren started us off liking the nose with its “ good spectrum from heat to spice to fruit to floral” and Jeff picked that thought up adding “ it’s quintessential Shiraz, cocoa, vanilla oak, big but balanced fruit.”  Leo caught some “plum, coffee and violets” on the nose and thought the wine was “ silky, fantastic, only complaint would be a wish it had a little more tannin.” Both Mike and Michel found a bit of cassis in the mix and Zach found a little note of “ stem of a rose”. Kyle enjoyed the “dark black berry fruit,” and though this was “ a little young but it’s nice, it has everything in balance.” A great example of its type and a compelling value.

11)     2006 Kilikanoon Killerman’s Run Shiraz South Australia 14.5% - $20
After the intensity of the Footbolt this may have been lost a bit. Leo enjoyed this for it’ brawny chocolate, beef jerky and tomato sauce thing on the nose, I like the complexity here but it is a little more extreme.” Kyle also picked up a note of “stewed tomato” and liked the complexity of the wine. Mike was less impressed noting, “it’s not as structured, long or elegant as the last wine.” Another solid wine.

12)     2006 Four Vines Killer Canyon Paso Robles Syrah 14.8% - $35
This last ringer really jacked the price up and was met with a lot of interest. Mike immediately notes, “ This is something totally different.” Jeff enjoyed the “ very jammy, cocoa and coffee scents” on the nose but though the wine “lacked complexity and acidity in the mouth.”  Zach felt the nose “ was really hot” and while it was “ too sweet on the palate there are some nice jammy plums with a nice touch of salinity and a little licorice.” Darren caught some “ rubber, cinnamon, and Robitusson, in a good way” on the nose and called the wine “ savage and masculine. It’s a beast, big and bold.” And it was a big bold way to end our tasting. Intense full throttle Syrah.

Gregory Dal Piaz is the Community Manager at  Snooth, an avid Wine Geek with a passion for things Italian, and a long suffering Mets fan.

A few Cal-Itals and some Shiraz on a blind Sunday.

posted by Gregory in Snooth, Wine

Well a scheduling snafu, and the fact that both NY football teams are in the playoff hunt, reduced turnout for this weeks blind tasting.

I had to juggle the flights as well so this was a little bit of a different tasting with 2 flights of Italians varieties and 2 flights of Syrah so the break down will be a little different.

In any event the small group consisted of

Ali – Wine Professional
Dave- Wine Blogger
Scott – Wine Enthusiast
Eden – Wine Professional and of course your humble scribe.

Our first flight was a trio of California Sangiovese.

Flight 1 -Sangiovese

2005 J Pedroncelli Alto Vineyard Dry Creek Valley $11.99
Groups #2 My #1
To me this spoke of Sangiovese, medium bodied, austere and slightly astringent. That astringency turned Scott of as he called the wine “harsh” and said it reminded him of “unripe red plum” though he did mention that it smelled sweet.  Dave caught a whiff of “ripe cherry” on the nose as well as hints of violet while both Eden and Ali commented on the oakiness of the wine, feeling the oak masked the fruit.

2006 Terra d’Oro Amador County $13.99
Groups #3 My #3
To my palate this wine was more marked by oak than the previous wine and was a bit plump and simple. Ali had this is her favorite and loved the “big time violet” nose. She “really liked this, it’s brighter than the other wines”. Eden, while finding violets on the nose was put off by a note of “candied banana” she found on the nose and just felt the wine “doesn’t feel sunny like Sangiovese should. I didn’t want to drink it.” Scott had a tougher time getting a read on this and while Dave found “grapefruit rinds “ on the nose and some “chocolate and cassis” on the palate there was not a lot of enthusiasm here.

2005 Pietra Santa Cienega Valley $18.00
Groups #1 my #2
This is a big, bold intense wine that, while a good wine, lacks any Sangiovese typicity for me.  Dave sort of captured my opinion when he said, “ I love this, and the concentration really pops out. Thus reminds me of an Amarone with its cherry syrup flavors.” Eden was also impressed with this wine adding, “ it announces itself, it’s a mouthful, chewy and inviting. I would definitely drink this!” Scott noted it was his favorite with “ a super full mid-body I really enjoyed that and the little chalky not to the ripe plum fruit.” Ali was a dissenter her finding the nose “one dimensional with charred toast and smoke but it is pretty complex in the mouth with an earthy style and a bit of mint that lifted the end of it.”

Flight 2 – Other Italians

2006 Montevina Amador County Aglianico $12.00
Group #2 My #2
This was a bit simple but offered up gulpably fresh and juicy black fruits with just enough complexity to keep it interesting for a geek but it will really please a crowd.  Dave liked this commenting “it has vanilla and blue fruits on the nose but still has a freshness that I liked.” Scott “ liked the nose a lot more than the mouth”, though Eden found the nose to be “hot, buttery and candied, I didn’t find much that appealed to me, simple is a good word for this wine.” Ali also found this to be “candied and full of blueberry and vanilla and kind of overly sweet too”

2006 Bocella Rasott Campi Taurasini $TBD
Groups#3, My#1 This organic Aglianico has yet to be distributed in the USA so this was the first tasting of this wine in this country. Well this was a controversial wine to say the least. The nose was very assertive with bitter vitamin and root notes dominating the sweet fruit. In the mouth the fruit was very expressive but the nose will be off putting to many. Ali captured the essence of this wine when she said, “this is bizarre, I don’t know what to think of it but I like it!” Dave found himself on the “other end of the extreme, this is chemical cherry and plastic wrap!” Eden couldn’t get past the “offensive smell” and found the wine “undrinkable”. Scott was caught in the middle finding the nose “smoky, stewy and jammy with a sweetness of rotten fruit. I don’t know what to make of it”

2004 Pietra Santa Dolcetto Cienega Valley $15.00
Groups #1 My #3
I found this to be a good wine but a bit too monotone and blocky, neither as interesting as the Rasott nor as fun as the Aglianico.  It also suffered from some reductive funk on the nose that gave it a burning tire/ play doh nuance that was a bit off putting. Dave said that “the aromas are really great, this has an earthiness I really like.”  Scott “wasn’t in love with it but I liked the dark fruit”. Eden found it to be “ One dimensional and the palate is just not my style” Ali on the other hand felt that “ the smoke covers everything on the nose” and found the wine “one dimensional, oaky and boring”

Flight 3 – Syrah/Shiraz

2005 Shoo Fly South East Australia $12.00
Groups #2 My #2
This was a big, rich wine but lacked a bit of balance and finesse yet was full of honied, roasted sweet berry fruit. Ali enjoyed the “sweet fruit and vanilla” and felt this was “drinking really well right now but it’s still a little clunky.” Eden felt the same way offering, “ while this is really stewy with prune and apricots it’s the prettiest one to drink right now.” Dave enjoyed the wine’s ” earthiness and notes of violet and underbrush” while Scott “ wasn’t sure about this, at first the fruit was dark, then it was bright but it had an old peachy note that threw me.

2006 Kilikanoon The Lackey South Australia $15.00
Groups#1 My #1
This offered up a nice spicy profile with a nice blend of subtle wood spice notes, pepper, fruit and meat tones that delivered a pure, layered, fresh palate impression. Ali was in the minority with her comments “ this is too minty, it smells like Girl Scout cookies. Me no likey!”  Eden felt the wine “really needed coaxing to open up but with time the boysenberry is really coming through.”  Dave also found “ lots of berries on the palate, this has a smoothness I really like.” While Scott though this was “very drinkable”.
2005 Valley of the Moon Sonoma County $13.00
Group#3 My#3
This suffered from slight TCA so was not rated

Flight 4 – Syrah/Shiraz

2004 d’Arenberg The Love Grass McLaren Vale $18.00
Group#1 My#1
This was certainly on the funky side but had a ton of complexity and was balanced, fresh and very appealing. Scott felt the funk on this wine was “smoky and reminded me of meat.  The tannins made it hard to get a lot from this but I still liked it.’ Eden felt this was simple and a little leathery” while Dave noted that it was “almost a fruit bomb but the lavender and violet notes helped cut it as did the white pepper on the finish.” Ali enjoyed the funk on the nose and commented that the palate was “ much fresher, lifted and balanced with an undercurrent of smoke.”

2005 Sixth Sense Lodi County $17.00
Groups#2 My#3
This is spicy meatball! Lots of backing spices from the toasty oak and a very sweet profile made this stand out from the pack. Eden couldn’t get past the sweetness, even on the nose commenting “every time I go back to this it smells like another fruit cordial from orange to raspberry. It’s also hot like a cordial.” Scott felt it was more like “raspberry wine and cranberry reduction, rich and full of life if a bit caramelized.” Dave found this “really interesting thing going on the nose with cherry and orange liquor.” While Ali liked the wine’s ”leaner, subtle, earthier style” and found notes of “ tea, white flowers and cocoa powder.”

2005 Toasted Head Dunnigan Hills CA $13.00
Groups#3 My#2
This was fresh and easy and while it lacked a bit of focus it had solid and expressive fruit, decent complexity and integrated alcohol. Eden felt that “ from the nose I didn’t think I was going to like this but it’s easy to drink.” Ali felt much the same way noting also that it was “very soft” while Scott felt it was “ a little jammy but with hints of blood, vanilla and brown sugar it’s got some nice complexity.” Dave though this was “very pleasing, soft and balanced with perfectly ripe bing cherries in the mouth.”

More Shiraz coming tomorrow! Then look out for our California Cabernet Tasting and the line-up for January soon to be released in the events page on our revamped Snooth Forums!

Gregory Dal Piaz is the Community Manager at  Snooth, an avid Wine Geek with a passion for things Italian, and a long suffering Mets fan.

Snooth and friends taste Mondavi Cabernet Reserve 1975-1979

posted by Gregory in Snooth, Wine

It was another great evening meeting some of our Snooth friends for a friendly night of dining, conversing and wining. The good kind of wining of course!

We meet up at the always dependable Cafe Loup last night for dinner and a vertical tasting of some Mondavi Reserve Cabs. These were great looking bottles, all with high fills that has enjoyed over 2 decades of loving storage in excellent conditions. Each of the bottles was double decnated in my office about an hour before dinner. None save the 1976 had thrown much sediment but keeping them clear and giving them a bit of air to breathe is always a good idea.

Everything was great last night, we were seated at a nice comfy table with plenty of space for our bottles and glasses and the food was some of the best I have had from them in quite awhile. Of course the food was a nice diversion but we had come not for the food but for the wine…

We began with the oldest bottle, the 1975. Even 33 years after the vintage this need some time to get it’s legs under it but it offered a wonderful core of red fruit that had just a touch of zesty astringency that helped keep everything bright and lively. It was marred by a bit of brett and that did come to dominate the nose over the course of the evening but it was a wonderful bottle of wine from a frequently over looked vintage.

In comparison the 1976, from the first of two famous back to back drought years, was richly aromatic with roasted, earthy fruit and the most intriguing mineral and floral tones. In the mouth it is a big, fat, round wine, you at the table know whom I am talking about, but is lovely in it’s own seductive, lusty way.

1977 was the second year of drought yet by then both the plants and those tending the vines were better able to cope with the difficult growing conditions. Long one of my favorite vintages in California, this wine  was a typical example, still showing the remains of it’s once fierce structure yet with fruit that has no trace of the pruney fruit that mars many of the 1976’s. While this was my wine of the night, along with several other tasters, it also was voted as the least favorite by a few. Perhaps a bit  controversial but for good reason since it retains such a distinct and assertive character.

Moving on to the 1978 I was struck by the elegance of this vintage. Decidedly dark fruited yet with a touch of dilution and lurking vegetal character it was a bit of a Bordelaise effort and for me the weakest of tonight’s line-up. Not to denigrate the Bordelaise, but this is napa Cab and should taste like Napa Cab!

Our final bottle in the vertical was the 1979. Another favorite of mine, the 79 was always a bit of a lean vintage but with good focus and structure that has relied as much on acid as on tannin for it’s ageability.  This was a very fine bottle, with good complexity and nice acid driven flavors that worked splendidly with my Lamb. The nose was pretty minty, too minty for several tasters but over the course of the evening the mintiness subsided as the wine took on more typicity.

Well we were certainly having a good time and the wine was just not enough so I opened an additional bottle, the 2003 Pietra Santa Signature Selection Cabernet Sauvignon. This comes from the Cienega Valley east of Santa Cruz and straddles the rocky soils of the St. Andreas fault!  This great soil is responsible for these fine wine that exhibit great depth and concentration without the over-extraction that frequently accompainies wines of this size. It had very little in common with the Mondavis, for even in their youth the Mondavis showed more restraint and elegance and exhbited less of the candied spice of toasted oak. It will be very interesting to look back in a decade or two and see if wines like this can age as well as the wines of the 1970’s have.

Well that was our evening. It was great to get together with you all. I look forward to our next dinner, be it the Caymus Vertical, the Barolo Vertical or a mish-mash of post blind tasting bliss. It’s getting a bit slow during the holiday season but keep you eyes on the events forum at Snooth Talk for our next line-up of great events!

Gregory Dal Piaz is the Community Manager at  Snooth, an avid Wine Geek with a passion for things Italian, and a long suffering Mets fan.