TN: West Coast US Wines

Notes from a tasting of West Coast American wines.

2014 Tablas Creek Esprit Blanc de Tablas – this blend of 74% Roussanne, 20% Grenache Blanc and 6% Picpoul was a mid straw colour, and had a nose of vanilla, interesting fruits and some hints of anise, along with sweet fruit elements that developed with air. Good length.

1985 Far Niente Cabernet Sauvignon Estate – my wine. Corked! Damn! This was a gift from Gil Nickel when we were both competing decades ago in vintage car racing - he showed up with cases and cases and gave a bottle to each entrant. Loved the rococo label, hated that it was corky.

1995 Beringer Pinot Noir Stanly Ranch – still has a fair depth of colour and a pleasant nose of dark fruit along with slight merde elements. Interesting wine in fine shape.

2011 Calera Pinot Noir Jensen Vineyard – lighter red colour, some pronounced tomato notes in the nose, and some mint. Tasty, and with good length.

2011 Cayuse Syrah Bionic Frog - aside from the rather odd comic book label this was a very serious wine. Lots of Rhonish hints here – rich fruit, some bacon, some slight funkiness and, with a bit of time black pepper. Excellent!

2004 Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards Right Bank – lovely nose of briary fruit, and some raspberry hints, good fruit levels on palate and a little cocoa in the finish.

2004 Turley Zinfandel Hayne Vineyard – fruit cocktail in the nose of this dark wine, along with mint and licorice. Well balanced and smooth. Really tasty!

1992 Beringer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve – my back up bottle (I always stand a back-up in the cellar in case of need). Middling dark still, herbal nose with dark cherry underneath, very good length and very tasty. Soft tannins. Probably at peak.

1978 Inglenook Vineyards Petite Sirah – faded but presentable – this had been rejected as sub-par when opened much earlier but we went back to taste again and found it wasn’t as gone as we’d thought.

2002 Ridge Lytton Springs – this one is mostly Zin. Medium colour, a well structured wine with raspberry and some nice herbal elements. Good weight and length, drinks well.

1985 Renaissance Riesling Estate Bottled Select Late Harvest – this has picked up some nutty figgy notes with age. Decent but time to drink up.

1977 Warres Port – I had opened this earlier in the week at a dinner but there was some left so I served it. Still singing 3 days later.
nov24.jpg