Week 6 Virtual Tasting Series for Charity - Big Red Wines for Kids' Kloset program of (914) Cares JAN 3-10

WINE TALK
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2 from the weekend

2103 Carlisle Syrah James Berry Vineyard Wow, this was delicious, big but not OTT, lots of blackberry, mocha, smoke and spice great balance. Glad i have one left.

2012 Saxum James Berry Vineyard Beats the Carlisle by a hair. Slightly larger and more complex with all the balance of the Carlisle. Leans slightly redder in the fruit, with more smoke and spice on the finish.

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2014 Turley Zinfandel Bedrock Vineyard
Loads of red fruit and spice with only a tiny touch of heat on the finish. It’s still very primary.
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That’s my forehead above the strip label. :wink:

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2007 Turley Zinfandel Dogtown Vineyard, Lodi

Purple to inky, slow legs. Aromas of distinct black fruit, medium toast, cinnamon and nutmeg; hints of oak and raisin. Flavors reveal more pronounced spice, soy, and wood tannins. Medium to full body, smooth, deep texture. Medium finish, low acidity. An impressive and appropriate holiday season wine. QPR, however, substantially below average. So it’s a splurge; fortunately, received as a gift. Drink now.

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I don’t drink a lot of Napa Cab, but a friend gave this as a gift a couple years back. I figured this would be as good a week as any to open it up.

  • 2015 Regusci Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District - USA, California, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District (1/6/2020)
    Big, sweet red fruit on the nose. Sweet red fruit, coconut and vanilla dominate the palate. Not enough acid to counteract the density. A bit of a coco-strawberry milkshake going on. Sweet, very ripe and unthreatening tannins. “Only” 14.7% but noticeable RS is giving it a sticky, coat your mouth kind of feel. The profile seems more Aussie GSM-ish than Napa Cab. Cream soda and hot on the finish. YMMV. (82 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

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Originally I had chosen this bottle when this tasting was announced. Now I see it was questionable and is now allowed in. Which is good because I don’t have much to fit the bill these days. Actually, Rivers Marie Pinots are ALL I have that would qualify.

Cheers Jay.

  • 2017 Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Occidental Ridge Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (1/3/2020)
    Lots of green piney stemmy notes in here. Nose and palate. But the palate shows some restraint on the fruit that was lacking some years ago in this bottling. This also seems to have much better structure than I remember. The acidic core steps up and makes this feel complete. But I think this vintage may lack some fruit character or it’s been beat down a bit by the stem inclusion. Even though this wine didn’t impress me with it’s wide open fruit expression the way I remembered it did impress me in build. It might be worth waiting to see if the stems relax a bit but in my experience that is not likely. That will make this appeal to different palates than RM often does.

Posted from CellarTracker

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I am betting that there is Zero RS in this wine. I will ask the winery. I have only had the 1996 version of this wine, which I drank in 2012, and it was outstanding.

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  • 2016 Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Occidental Ridge Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (1/7/2020)
    A high-toned pinot that needs more time, I am immediately greeted with what I perceive as a huge cranberry note that I find (and welcome) in most RM pinots. There is a touch of orange rind and the perception of muted cinnamon bark that hits the back of the palate. Rich in fruit but balanced by a good dose of acidity, this is a welcome drink after a long workday. I would give this a few more years before trying another bottle. (92 pts.)

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Posted from CellarTracker

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It’s possible, Jay. It’s also possible that their winemaking has shifted substantially over 20 years. There are no other CT notes on the 2015 but looking at notes on prior years, others have mentioned this bottling being hot, oaky and coming across as candied fruit. Regardless, I didn’t find it having much cab character… maybe that would all be different in another 10 years, but I doubt it.

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Outpost Zinfandel 2004 -
I just got this at an online auction and have a few more bottles. I was surprised how at the open it was still so full of life. Tasted and smelled more like a Howell Mountain Cab, but it mellowed out on day two. I should have decanted this bottle as it had a massive amount of sediment. I have a few more that I am excited to drink soon. (92)

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First, welcome. The Outpost zins come from Howell Mountain vineyards and I have found a marked similarity between them and Howell Mountain cabs in that they both seem to have a smooth white pepper backbone that more than balances the fruit. I would say that this is a spice and terroir driven wine more than a fruit driven wine, and by now the 2004s should have shaken off any excess new French oak characteristics.

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Time to to call it like it is. With only two days left, the Loires wimpy wines aficionados and the tasteless burg lovers are no where to be found. When it came to a Loire challenge, I threw down an autographed Pierre Breton Cab Franc, but so far the gauntlet remains in the dust outside that Loire outhouse while the rest of us enjoy Outpost. [stirthepothal.gif]

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Jay, would Gaja count? I have so few of these crappy neener wines left. I want so bad to participate…
I see a Voerzio that I could pop. That’s a huge wine in every sense of the word.

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I will say that on day 3, this wine has gotten a fair bit more charming, so you might be right after all. While it still tastes more like grenache like cab and runs a bit hot, it has shed a lot of the oak and lactic creaminess, showing a nice core of strawberry and dried herbs.

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Jay - would d’arenberg dead arm Shiraz count in your definition?

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I think Voerzio is fine. All the Barolo lovers I know hate him, so he must be OK. Actually, I met him a few years ago and he seems to be a very nice guy, and his wines definitely have flavor.

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Yes. I love the 1998. I also had an 02 Mag in 2018 that was delicious. All I have left are the 03 and 05. Another wine that the AFWE types incorrectly believe will fall apart as it ages.

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I’ve got one to contribute:

2014 Riverain Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville (1/8/2020)
Rich and fruity with a nice bit of spice, mostly dark fruit but with enough red fruit to keep it interesting, the oak seems to express itself mostly in the spice rather than in sweet vanilla, which allows the fruit to express itself nicely. The tannins are soft and largely in the background and acidity brings a little freshness to the finish. Big Napa cabs aren’t normally my style, but Riverain consistently works for me. (92 pts.)

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I love the hostility. Goat roping AFWE (that’s me).

My ante:

2013 SQN Syrah “Male”

Jekyll comes out. Dark purple…not quite inky, but heading there. Decanted and consumed over 3 hours with a vegetarian (!) meal. This is an interesting wine. Expecting gigantic punch-you-in-the-face fruit, instead I get high polish. Aromatically, this is blueberries, vanilla, and plum with some spice. On the palate, this is very pure blackberry wrapped around black olive with a blueberry finish. The heat is there from time to time, but overall this delivers what I identify as the SQN experience - an impossibly balanced hand grenade of a wine.

Before the madness ensued…
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Cheers,
fred

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So far, we have only $110 worth of TNs and photos with the last day having come, but not yet passed, to paraphrase The Bard. And yes, Realm’s The Bard will qualify. I’m hoping for a big last minute rush from the Flavor Haters, Alfert/Kane Union, Local 1, or FHAKU #1, to force me to donate more money and not spend it on rocket fuel. The Saxum Magnums go on sale in four days.

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Maybe, just maybe, another Shiraz will qualify. Gotta try.

Jip Jip Rocks, Limestone Coast, 2005, Shiraz

Garnet to deep purple, legs medium. Aromas of blackberry, raspberry, blueberry, medium toast. Flavors added cinnamon and vanilla. Body is medium/full, polished texture. Long finish, low acidity. We were surprised that this wine seemed to be at or near its prime, given the age. Impressive enough that I will seek out future vintages. Bottled under screwcap. Drink now.