|
6-27-2002
WHITES
2000 Melville, Estate,
Lompoc, California, Chardonnay
Light
yellow, aromas of ripe pear, apple, peach, nuts and toasted vanilla
oak, palate shows flavors of green apple, pear, honey, hints of
citrus and pineapple, mild nuttiness, slightly sweet mouth-feel,
medium body with slightly crisp acidity lends a crisp lively character
to this wine, nicely balanced but not terribly complex, as I understand
it this wine saw minimal oak yet it still comes off as a fairly
typical CA Chardonnay, in that it still seems to have some buttery
vanilla oak nuances on the nose along with standard CA fruit elements.
Drank nicely for a couple of days. Good price at around $20.
 +
Good Value
2000 Landmark, Overlook,
Sonoma/Monterey, California, Chardonnay
Medium
light golden yellow, nose shows aromas of sweet apple, pineapple,
caramel, cashews, butter and vanilla oak with a hint of popcorn
and lemon, palate flavors of ripe creamy pear, apple, lemon, nuts
and woody oak, thick mid-palate, medium to full body with slightly
low acidity, not very balanced. Fair value at around $22. One comment
that all of us made was that this was a very typical CA oak laden
Chardonnay and the Landmark never used to be like that. Over the
past few years it has become more and more typical and less of what
made it a special wine in it's class. I like Landmark wines but
I wish they would go back to their old recipe for this wine.
-
Average Value
2000 Rombauer, Carneros,
California, Chardonnay
Rich
golden yellow, lots of controversy on this wine, nose started out
fairly aromatic with huge tropical tones, pineapple, banana and
vanilla oak, some said nice sweet clean fruit while others thought
is was musty, toasted and heavily oaked, the palate showed more
tropical fruit with ripe pineapple, pear, apple, brown spice and
sweet buttery vanilla oak, fat mouth-feel, medium full body, moderate
acidity. Completely lost the tropical tones by day two, becoming
very difficult to distinguish from the Landmark. Cost around $28
a bottle.
Average Value
1999 Chateau Moncontour,
Demi-Sec, Vouvray, France, Chenin Blanc
Defective
chemically aroma and flavors, bacterial ????, strange chlorine rich
cleanser smell.
2000 Domaine Sorrin,
Cuvee Tradition, Cotes de Provence, France
Rose of Mourvedre, Grenache and Syrah
Light
burnt orange salmon, pretty color, nose shows a little reduced sulfur
along with floral, game, smoke, herbs de Provence, yeast, cherries
and apple, some compelling complexity here, flavors of rose petals,
smoky meat, cherry, oak, hazel nuts and peaches. A tad under ripe,
light to medium body, slightly crisp acidity, nicely balanced with
some complexity. Nicest wine of the whites and roses. Great price
at around $10.
-
Good Value
2001 Turkey Flat,
Barossa Valley, Australia
Rose of Shiraz, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon and Dolcetto
Beaujolais
like color, very dark for a rose, bright crimson red, almost like
a light Pinot Noir, OK I have to say it, this wine was pretty offensive
to all of us, Kool Aid fruit drink in a bottle, extremely sweet
and candied with cherry vanilla aromas and flavors, grapey, extremely
simple with a light body and moderate acidity. Sorry Turkey Flat
because I respect your other wines but this stuff is plonk. Cost
is stupid as well at $13. Yuck!
Poor Value
REDS
1997 Val di Suga,
Teniments Angelini, Brunello di Montalcino
Italy, Sangiovese Grosso
Dark brownish garnet red, aromas show a floral character along with
ripe black cherry, tobacco, toasted oak and burnt rubber, slightly
lean palate revealed flavors of cherry, currant, tobacco, herbs,
earth, spice and cocoa, slightly lean fruit, more earth driven,
showed much better on day two and still drinking very nicely on
day three. Medium full body, moderately crisp acidity and strong
mouth coating tannins. Needs age, should improve. Great price at
$27. This wine lasted the longest before falling apart.
Good Value
1997
Coldisole, Brunello di Montalcino, Italy, Sangiovese Grosso
Dark brick red, old aromas of plump black cherry, plums, and prunes
along with caramel, coffee and cocoa, seemed to have an oxidized
secondary character to the nose, might be worrisome for long term
cellaring but it lent a very nice, complex character to the nose,
flavors showed ripe black cherry, currants, cassis, toast, tobacco,
tar, chocolate, caramel, earth, herbs, smooth and rich, silky, medium
to full body, slightly crisp acidity and smooth medium strength
tannins. This is a really nice drinking wine that is ready to go
right now. Good value at $32.
Good Value
1999
Karl Lawrence, Napa Valley, California, Cabernet Sauvignon
This wine was also fairly controversial with our panel. A couple
of us felt it was nicely balanced with a fair amount of complexity
while the other two felt it was somewhat out of balance, simple
and jammy. Dark bright crimson red, strong concentrated aromas of
roasted creamy ripe, black cherry, currants, coffee, cocoa, caramel
and oak, flavors of black and red cherry, cassis, plum, currant,
coffee, vanilla oak and cocoa, full body, moderate acidity, strong
tannins, good length, fairly tightly wound at first. Became very
nicely integrated by day two, coming off as more of an elegant cab
than a powerful one. Two of us liked it a fair amount and two of
us did not. Considering that, it's a fair value at $40.
Average Value
1999 Galleron, Napa
Valley, Taplin Vineyard, California, Cabernet Sauvignon
Very dark garnet red, aromas of black cherry, coffee, cocoa,
caramel, dill and mint, palate flavors of very ripe creamy black
cherry, tobacco, espresso, chocolate and oak, round and a somewhat
soft texture on the mid-palate, yet full of intense flavors, full
body, low to moderate acidity, medium strong tannins, fair length.
Nice enough wine but the soft mid-palate seemed a bit out of place
for a wine of this price. $60.
-
Average Value
2000
Penner-Ash, Del Rio Vineyard, Oregon, Syrah
Dark purple, nose is earthy with sweet blackberry, cocoa, anise,
pepper, bacon, minerals and toasted charry oak, palate shows blackberry,
tar, anise, pepper, chalky stoney minerals, full body, medium to
slightly low acidity and fairly strong tannins, good length and
nicely balanced with some complexity, became very charry later that
evening though that seemed to ease off a bit by the end of day two.
Overall this is a pretty nice Syrah for a good price at $27.
+
Good Value
1999 Guigal, Brune
et Blonde, Cote Rotie, France, Syrah with Viognier
Dark purple red, nose seemed a bit green and stewy with blueberry,
menthol, celery, stems and pepper, flavors show blueberry, plum,
espresso, anise, menthol and chalky minerals, fairly high toned,
slight astringency on the finish, moderately full body, slightly
crisp acidity, medium to strong tannins, decent balance. Nice enough
wine. I liked it better than the 98 vintage version but it still
seems fairly unremarkable to me, new world in style. Good price
however at $32.
-
Good Value
2000 Ojai, Santa Barbara
County, California, Syrah
Dark inky purple, aromas initially showed some reduced sulfury character
along with blackberry, blueberry, espresso, game and a hint of herbs,
very juicy palate shows blackberry, blueberry, espresso, cocoa,
meat, anise and minerals, full body, crisp acidity, moderate strength
tannins, very nice balance with good length, somewhat primary upon
opening but this one needs some time, as nice as it was on opening;
it was even better on day two, This is Ojai's entry level Syrah
and I have to say that they really out did themselves this year.
One of their best low end Syrahs ever in my opinion. Great value
at $20.
-
Good Value
2000 Winchester, Paso
Robles, California, Syrah
Dark reddish purple, very closed down on the nose with mild earth
driven aromas of dark fruit, earth and mushrooms, there was some
talk that this wine may have been mildly corked, hard to say, no
one could say it was definite, the wine was not a typical CA fruit
driven style, leaned more to the earth side of things with flavors
of black cherry, plum, licorice, coffee and cocoa, there was a metallic
hint/edge to it as well, one person thought slightly medicinal,
medium to full body, slightly crisp acidity and moderately strong
tannins, nicely balanced, a bit short in length, bottle was a bit
off but this wine continued to improve and change for a couple of
days after where it picked up a darker edge and became very roasted
in character. Great price at $27, which was a sale price at the
tasting room.
-
Good Value
2000
Ojai, Thompson Vineyard, Santa Barbara, California, Syrah
Dark inky purple, a black hole in deepest space, the nose on this
wine was absolutely stunning with a strong aroma of roasted blackberry,
plum, bacon, grilled meats, panne, espresso and earth, intense yet
balanced palate with flavors of blackberry, grilled meats, cocoa,
anise, pepper and earthy mineral, oak is likely generous but is
integrated very nicely with the fruit, full body, slightly crisp
acidity and strong smooth fine grained tannins, this was hands down
the wine of this tasting. Long finish, power and grace. Price about
$50.
+
Good Value
1999 Domaine Clape,
Vielles Vignes, Cornas, France, Syrah
Dark inky purple, fairly intense aromas of roasted blackberry,
pomegranate, pepper, mint and earth, good intense flavors show ripe
blackberry, anise, tar, earth mineral, ash and charry oak, even
though there was intensity on the palate the fruit was somewhat
muted by the earth and oak elements, there was a sense of richness
to the palate, it was very smooth, full body, slightly crisp acidity
and medium strong tannins, excellent balance, good length. Improved
slightly on day two and three but overall this wine kept giving
the impression that it needs a lot of time to really show it's stuff.
Seems like a good value at $42.
+
Good Value
2000
Pride, Sonoma, California, Syrah
Dark inky purple, very intense nose with ripe aromas of creme
de cassis, blackberry, blueberry, espresso, tar, licorice and slightly
medicinal greenish celery seed edge, the palate is creamy, juicy
and bright with very ripe concentrated flavors of blackberry, citrus,
cocoa, coffee, vanilla, brown spice, anise and oak, full body, slightly
crisp acidity with moderate to slightly strong tannins, good balance.
Very nice wine that is a bit odd on the nose but not to the point
of detriment. I think the price was around $45.
-
Good Value
2001 Shadow Canyon
Cellars, Paso Robles, California, Syrah
Dark purple, first
of all; this was a barrel sample for the 2001 vintage show it is
not showing all it's stuff, the nose was somewhat closed down showing
blackberry, blueberry, plum, cassis, coffee and mineral, palate
flavors of blackberry, cherry, cocoa, pepper, mineral, tar and earth,
a bit primary right now but you would expect that from such a youngster,
medium full body, slightly crisp acidity and moderate tannins, it
has very nice balance and a long pleasant finish, we were all impressed
and were more than curious in how good their finished product will
be, this wine shows lots of potential. I want to point out that
we put this bottle in the toughest flight against the Ojai Thompson,
Pride and Clape. It held it's own.
+
Value Unknown
Tasting
held at:
Wine Street, a local wine shop
in Carlsbad, California
|
