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6-27-2001
WHITES:
QPR
1999 Kendal Jackson,
California, Vintners Reserve, Chardonnay
Light golden yellow, aromas show moderate to strong intensity with
pear, custard, pineapple, tart apple and a bit of lemony lime, flavors
follow with pear, apple, lemon, tropical hints, toasty, fairly sweet
but not in your face, simple but clean, low to moderate low oak,
correct, fairly smooth and nicely balanced, medium bodied, moderate
acidity. This is an nice summer quaffer. $10
GV
1999 Kendal Jackson,
Santa Maria Valley, Camelot Vineyard, Chardonnay
Light golden yellow, aromas show moderate to strong intensity with
pear, custard, pineapple, toast, vanilla, oak, perhaps a bit more
oak and vanilla than the Vintners Reserve, flavors show pear, apple,
tropical, toasted oak, a bit leaner, a bit more acidity and not
as sweet as the Vintners Reserve, medium bodied, moderate to moderately
low oak, correct. $11
+
GV
1999 La Crema, Sonoma
Coast, Chardonnay
Light yellow straw, aromas of citrus, tropical fruit, pear, vanilla,
varnish?, fairly light intensity of flavors, lean, light lemon,
apple, some earth with oak and minerals, moderately low acidity,
light to medium bodied, moderate length, fairly simple. Not showing
nearly as well as they have in past vintages. May
need more time. $12
+
PV
1994 Cottonwood Canyon,
Santa Barbara County, Barrel Select, Chardonnay
Flawed - Heavily Oxidized.
REDS:
QPR
1998 le Clos du Caillou,
Cotes du Rhone, Vielles Vignes, Red Rhone Blend
Flawed - Corked
1999 Kendal Jackson,
California, Collage, Cabernet Sauvignon - Shiraz
Moderately bright purple red, aromas are simple with bright candied
cherry and plum, vanilla and perhaps a bit of stemminess, flavors
follow with simply plummy cherry fruit and a bit of mocha, very
fruit forward, moderate acidity, moderately weak tannins, medium
body, a hint of bitterness on the finish, also a hint of heat. Simple,
clean and decently balanced. $9
EV
1999 Falesco, Vitiano,
Umbria Italy, Merlot - Cabernet Sauvignon - Sangiovese
Medium dark red, some strange aromas with floral cherry, herbs,
dill perhaps, canned fruit?, ink, newsprint, tinny, earthy clay,
flavors of black cherry, tar, and earth. Simple to moderate complexity,
light to medium body, moderate acidity and tannins, fleshy, decent
balance. $9
+
GV
1999 Kendal Jackson,
California, Collage, Zinfandel - Shiraz
Moderately bright purple red, aromas are simple with mixed berry,
(raspberry, strawberry, and cherry), chocolate and a hint of cinnamon,
flavors follow with mixed berry and vanilla, very fruit forward,
perhaps a bit stemmy, moderate acidity, moderately weak tannins,
low to medium body, not much to distinguish it from the Cab-Shiraz
blend they make.
Seems simple, clean and decently balanced. $9
EV
1997 Camelot, California,
Cabernet Sauvignon
Heavily bricked light red, looks highly oxidized, aromas show very
little other than some mild cherry and sweat socks, flavors show
heavy oxidation, red cherry, veggies, flabby, weak tannins, light
body, not a good wine. If this wine was a little older, then perhaps
I would have simply written this up as heavily flawed and moved
on. The problem was that the cork did not show any signs of leakage
and it's only a 97 vintage. Might be a bad bottle, could have been
subjected to lots of heat??? Hard to say without a retaste. $7
PV
1999 Calina, Itata,
Rapel and Maule Valley's, Chile, Cabernet Sauvignon
Dark red, seems a bit
high toned on the nose with aromas of ripe black cherry, licorice,
cocoa and a hint of volatile acidity, flavors are better with black
cherry, tobacco, herbal, with a hint of green leaf, fleshy, moderate
oak, medium bodied, moderate acidity with moderately full tannins,
decent to well balanced. Nice length, still young, should age nicely
for a few years. $8
+
GV
1999 Tapiz, Mendoza,
Argentina, Cabernet Sauvignon
Medium dark red, simple nose of cherry and oak a hint of shoe polish
and vanilla, flavors show fairly ripe sweet berry, cherry fruit
along with a bit of oak, light to medium bodied, low to moderate
acidity, low to medium tannins, a bit short on the finish.
$8
EV
REDS:
PREMIUM
1999 Ojai Vineyard,
Ojai Valley, Roll Ranch, Syrah
Very dark inky purple, huge blackberry, tar, licorice, oak and brown
spice, hints of shoe polish, flavors follow with, blackberry, chocolate,
tar, meaty, gamey, peppery, oaky, vanilla, very intense on both
the nose and palate, very full to huge body, moderately low acidity
and moderately full tannins, good balance and length. A little heat.
Very nice wine but needs time badly. Took this bottle home and then
tasted it again on the fourth day with three of the judges. All
agreed it had improved, the oak was initially pretty strong, it
integrated and mellowed with time. Still very nice. $34
EV
1999 Cedarville Vineyard,
El Dorado County, Sierra Foothills, Syrah
Bright dark purple, moderately intense aromas of sweet blackberry,
plum, red cherry, toast, brown spice, pepper, vanilla and licorice,
flavors followed with blackberry, plum, meaty, chocolate, anise
that faded to hints of celery seed, mild vanilla oak, the oak is
moderate and integrated,
full bodied with moderate acidity and medium full tannins, good
to excellent balance, smooth with good length. $22
GV
1999 Cedarville Vineyard,
El Dorado County, Sierra Foothills, Grenache
Medium reddish purple, sweet forward aromas of bright strawberry,
cherry cola, vanilla and earth, flavors were very forward and very
ripe with strawberry, raspberry, vanilla, spice, and a little meat,
moderately full bodied, medium to medium low acidity, moderate to
moderately full tannins, decent balance though perhaps just a bit
hot, moderate to slightly heavy oak, moderate length, as one person
said a nice middle of the road wine for a good price. $18
GV
1999 Cedarville Vineyard,
El Dorado County, Sierra Foothills, Zinfandel
Dark purple red, moderately intense aromatics with zinberry, black
cherry, cocoa, some brown spice and vanilla, flavors of ripe bright
black raspberry, cherry, and vanilla with a hint of herbs and mint,
spicey, medium to full bodied, moderately tart acidity, medium full
tannins, fairly good length, decently balanced with just a touch
of heat. $20
GV
1999 La Crema, Sonoma
Coast, Pinot Noir
Medium dark red, moderate
intensity of aromas with cherry cola, strawberry, light oak, earth
and mild mushrooms, flavors follow with cherry cola, cocoa, earth,
mushrooms, tobacco, spice, stemmy, nice forward attack, nice level
of ripeness though slightly candied, a little bitter on the finish,
medium light to medium bodied, moderate acidity and moderate tannins,
decent length and balance. $12
+
GV
1999 Loring Wine Company,
Santa Maria Valley, Sharon's Vineyard, Pinot Noir
Medium light red, bright yet ripe aromas of simple Pinot cherry
fruit and spice, a bit candied with some stemminess, flavors show
ripe bright cherry, strawberry, cola, a bit of earth, light to medium
bodied, moderate acidity and fairly light tannins, a bit primary,
balance was OK, nothing particularly wrong with this wine but sure
didn't crank anyone's engine this time around. $20
+
EV
1998 Rutherford Grove,
Napa Valley, Spring Creek, Petite Sirah
Dark inky black, aromas of dark fruit, sweet blackberry, tar, licorice
and oak, flavors followed with blackberry, anise, brown spice, tar,
flavors seemed tight, compact, a bit monolithic, the nose is very
full with good intensity yet the palate seems a little more closed
than the nose would suggest, medium to full body, moderate acidity
and tannins, medium length. Nice wine all the way around. $22
EV
Tasting held at:
Vintage Wines, a local
wine shop in San Diego, California
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