Opened a Beserker Day EMH Little Black recently and it was superb. Rich but subtle, lovely wine. A real gem - and amazing value for such good wine.
2013 Briceland Zinfandel Ishi Pishi Ranch. Had this in December. Spicy, brambly, fresh red fruit. I find this low Alcohol, low oak interpretation of Zinfandel to be an interesting one, and one that adds to range of the variety in a positive way.
'13 Campesino Syrah tonight (other half tomorrow night).
Flat out delicious. Full-bodied, dark fruits, meaty, very good structure, lots of CA love. This wouldn’t be confused for a St. Jos. but it screams Syrah.
The Campesino rosé (no idea what vintage or variety) I had at a tasting 6 months or so ago was also absolutely delicious. I very rarely drink rosé, but it was probably the best one I’ve had.
Three more from Saturday night, though cursory as I was more involved in conversation so didn’t take contemporaneous notes:
2015 Cowan Cellars Ribolla Gialla: Very elegant and subtle, peach and flowers with a little saline, just delicious.
2014 Sojourn Chardonnay Sangiacomo Vineyard: Nice acidity balances out the ripe fruit and fairly tame oak.
2011 Ladd Cellars Pinot Noir Russian River Valley: Sweet cherry fruit with tomato skin and spice, well supported by slightly grainy tannin and bright acidity.
Thanks so much for the support. Glad you are enjoying the wines. The Rosé we make is a 100% Grenache.
Cheers
I recall someone posting that if tastes like Zinfandel that was grown in the Loire. I thought that was a bang-on descriptor.
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2011 Cabot Vineyards Pinot Noir Anderson Valley from 2016 BerserkerDay. I have had over two dozen Cabots in the past but this was my first Pinot from Cabot. Very nice mix of fruit and spice and nice acidity. Will make me look at all of John’s offers if they are participating again this year.
Gonna throw this in here. I’m working while I’m having a glass of wine so I don’t feel like writing a new note but my perceptions are largely unchanged. I can see this being a polarizing wine, especially if you like fruity Syrah that will rip off your face. This is a far more elegant side of Syrah and it hits me right in the feels.
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2007 Biggio Hamina Cellars Syrah Deux Vert - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton (10/28/2016)
Extremely pale. Aromatics of rock, white pepper and licorice with a gentle floral note. On the palate there’s mild raspberry, white pepper, rocks, earth and subtle green notes. Light-bodied for a Syrah, this is the antithesis of a central coast monster and is an excellent food wine. Tastes like a cool climate Syrah, but drinks like a Pinot. At 12% abv, this wine is the vinous equivalent of a session beer. As the kids might say, the QPR is off the hook. (90 pts.)
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We will be participating this year Steve. We are digging deep in the library once again for berserker day.
Glad you enjoyed the 11. The 11 Nash Mill has been showing well lately too. Both will be offered for the last time this year.
We’ll be opening another Briceland tonight. We’ve enjoyed everything we bought from our mixed case thus far. Both the whites and the reds are great representations of the grape varietals and are done in a more hands off style. The recurring theme in my tasting notes is the acid. There’s always great acid in the wines, the syrahs, zins and pinots have plenty of acid which has made them even more food friendly.
For those of you who have not tried Andrew’s wines, I highly recommend them.
Very impressed with Briceland Vineyards PNs. This will be my third buy from Andrew. I’ve introduced his wines to a number of friends and they’ve also become fans. This year I’m going heavy on the Alderpoint Vineyard.
Opened a bottle of last years Franny Beck Willamette pinot offering. Started off deep, dark and somewhat brooding for a pinot but opened up nicely with air after about an hour. The wife gave it a “yum”, which equates to a 94+. It’s just a baby and excellent QPR.
Had a bottle of Tercero Rose from last year that I drank the night of Berserker Day this year. It was refreshing, unique – had a full-flavored texture, melon flavors with hints of red fruits. Very tasty. Got an experimental pack that I’m looking forward to trying, and will also look for more bottles of this year’s Rose to try as well.
Got two shipments today, and tried to taste (?Pobega) a couple bottles right off the bat:
Biggio Hamina, 2008 XIV Deux Vert Vineyard red table wine. syrah (83%), viognier (14%), pinot noir (3%). Definitely looked more aged in terms of coloring. Very expressive nose, the Syrah was very powerful with a floral element from the viognier. Still fresh and fruity, smooth, fun to drink. Will look forward to seeing how this does on a second day.
Patricia Green Berserkers’ Cuvee 2014. Reading about the story of the genesis of the wine was awesome, and after tasting it, I definitely want to explore more of PG wines. Could taste some stems and tannins but overall it was just really well-balanced, nice acidity, delicate pinot flavors. I can see what Todd is saying about how this could age – have a few more bottles, but I’m thinking about getting some more if available just to be able to bring to any potential Berserker gatherings haha, as well as enjoy at home. A lot of fun to drink.
Drank a 2010 Veleta Nolados last night. What a bargain!
Offers are still up!!! 
opened a bottle of the 2012 Jean Edwards Stagecoach cab last night. after some air it was really aromatic, cassis/dark fruits, well-balanced – not oaky at all, some moderate tannins, rich/full-bodied. really enjoyable. Saved half the bottle for tonight, looking forward to seeing how it evolves with air. Could definitely see it aging, glad I have another bottle of this from the red pack to save and try later.
Been working through the Navarro box. Solid, as expected. Chardonnay way outperformed expectations.
picked up my Tercero BD experimental pack at the Los Olivos tasting room yesterday. The tasting was a lot of fun, apparently there was another Berserker there? I was a little out of it after a long day of tasting, but we liked the wines a lot, and ended up getting another bottle of the 2015 Cinsault, that we then immediately opened with dinner at Industrial Eats in Buellton (really great food, I recommend this restaurant, too). It was striking, lighter-bodied and velvety in texture, very fruity on the palate – more red fruits. Really enjoyable with food; apparently I was going on and on about Tercero wine to the others at our communal table at Industrial Eats…
Popped a bottle of The Princess and The Peasant 2015 “Poor Ranch” Mendocino Carignan. Note to follow, although preliminary impression is of a very drinkable, bright cherry-infused delight! 