We did last night (5/30/18) A Tasting With Bob Sherwood:
1. SanSakanaCllrs Viognier BrokenLegVnyd/AndersonVlly (14.6%; 1 ton/acre; www.SanSakana.com)
SanFrancisco 2005
: Med.dark color; rather appley/pear/Viog light nutty/oxidative/slight cidery
interesting rather attractive nose; slightly tart strong apple/pear/Viog bit stewed fruit/overripe
some nutty/oxidative flavor w/ a slight bitterness; long bit tangy/metallic bit nutty/oxidative
rather pear/apple/stewed fruit finish; not much Viog aromatics and a bit on the overripe side but
still a pleasant/interesting wine that's holding in there.
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2. Chappellet CheninBlanc NapaVlly (new planting; 13.8%; www.Chappellet.com) MollyChappellet/StHelena
2011
: Med.dark yellow color; bit chalky/mineral fragrant CB/pear/peach slight stony/Loire-like quite
interesting nose; rather tart/tangy some stony/mineral/chalky bright CB/pear slight tangy/metallic
flavor; very long bit chalky/mineral some pear/peach/CB finish; a rather light-weight/quiet bright/CB
w/ a bit of Loire character but in quite good shape
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3. Chien GrunerVeltliner SBCnty (13.8%; 322 cs) Lompoc 2009: Med.gold rather hazy/cloudy color; strong
peach/apple/pear/floral/GV very slight white pepper some complex lovely nose; soft/rich/lush fairly
strong apple/peach/GV slight cinammon toast bit complex flavor; very long soft/rich/lush slight tangy/
metallic strong pear/peach/GV/very light white pepper some complex finish; still speaks quietly of GV,
fully mature, rather complex and in very good condition.
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4. Pierre Sparr PinotGris Reserve AC: Alsace (13%) PierreSparr/Sigolsheim 1999: Med.dark gold color;
beautiful spicy/floral/PG/perfumed talc/angel food cake quite complex nose; bit soft very spicy/floral/
PG/angel food cake slight earthy quite complex flavor; very long/lingering bit soft/fat quite spicy/
floral/PG/carnations bit GWT-like/spicy complex finish; a lovely/complex fully mature PG that's still
in great shape.
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5. StonyHill WhiteRiesling NapaVlly (12%) 1999: Deep golden bit burnished bronze color; slight nutty/
oxidative some old German R bit Mosel valve oil/pengent/petrol quite complex nose; rather soft some
pineapply/R/bit floral/herbal bit nutty/oxidative slightly off-dry some petrol/Mosel valve oit/old
German R flavor; very long/lingering slight pineapple/mango/R bit nutty/oxidative slight petrol/
valve oil finish; a bit oxidative and much like an old German Kabinett R but still an interesting/
complex example of an aged R; still offers up pleasure.
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6. Grosset Riesling Watervale ClareVlly (13.0%; www.Grosset.com) JeffreyGrosset 2004: Med.gold color;
very pungent/Mosel valve oil/gout de petrol bit reductive slight lime/R very complex nose; very tart/
tangy/metallic very strong petrol/Mosel valve oil/pungent some lemon/lime/R/floral complex flavor;
very long/lingering rather metallic/tart/tangy very strong gout de petrol/Mosel valve oil some lemon/
lime/R/floral finish; a strong petrolly classic ClareVlly mature R that will probably be even better
in 10 yrs.
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7. Lawson's DryHills GWT WitherHills/Marlborough (14%) Blenheim/NewZealand 2004: Med.dark gold color;
beautiful very spicy/GWT/cinammon/nutmeg bit pungent slight earthy rather complex oldGWT lovely nose;
fairly tart very spicy/GWT/nutmeg bit metallic rather rich/lush/mouthfilling fairly complex oldGWT flavor;
very long/lingering mature GWT/very spicy/nutmeg/cinammon slight petrol quite complex finish; some like
a 20 yr old Alsatian GWT; beautiful old GWT.
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8. StonyHill Chard NapaVlly (13%) 1997: Med.gold color; very quiet light tropical fruit/melony/apricot/
Chard bit perfumed talc very light pencilly/oak nose; lightly tart youthful quiet/delicate melony/
tropical fruit/Chard some complex light pencilly/oak flavor; very long/lingering elegant/subdued quite
fresh/youthful rather melony/tropical fruit/Chard light pencilly/oak complex finish; a rather quiet/elegant
youthful well balanced/well-constructed fairly complex Chard w/ no signs of oxidation or age; a Chard
that is quietly fading into the sunset and whose light will eventually blink out someday.
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9. Copain Roussanne JamesBerryVnyd/PasoRobles (14.2%; www.CopainWines.com) Healdsburg 2008: Med.light gold color;
lovely honeysuckle/Rouss/spicy bit perfumed talc/waxy/nutty light pencilly/oak some complex nose; rather soft
rich/lush some honeysuckle/floral/Rouss/perfumed talc some toasty/oak bit quiet/low-key flavor; long
floral/honeysuckle/Rouss/spicy soft/rich/lush slight waxy/nutty rather low-key finish; a pleasant bit
porky Rouss not showing much evolution and on the quiet/understated side.
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10. DeLoachVnyds Zin O.F.S. RRV (EB; 15.4%; Vnyds plntd 1905; SaH: 26.8% on Oct.20; U/U) SantaRosa
1990
: Light ruby color; some TCA/corked some cedary/pencilly/old Zin light blackberry/earthy bit funky/
wet dog fur rathe strange nose; bit hot/alcoholic/some dried out rather pencilly/cedary/old Zin light
raspberry/candied understated bit funky/tired flavor w/ light gritty tannins; med.long bit tired/dried out
strong cedary/pencilly/old Zin bit candied/blackberry finish; some TCA in the nose but not a lot of impact
on the flavor; somewhat tired/dried out on te palate; didn't stand the test of time.
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11. HeitzCllrs CabSauv Martha'sVnyd/NapaVlly (13%; #28222 of 52,125 btls; www.HeitzCellars.com)
St.Helena 1974
: Fairly dark color w/ light bricking; some blackcurranty/Cab bit peppery/licorice/earthy
some eucalyptus/minty rather pencilly/cedary quite complex old Cab nose; quite smooth/velvety light
blackcurranty/Cab/menthol/eucalyptus rather cedary/pencily beautifully mature Calif Cab very complex flavor
w/ light gentle/silky tannins; very long/lingering some blackcurranty/Cab/menthol/eucalyptus fairly cedary/
pencilly/oldCab silky smooth/gentle finish w/ light velvety tannins; a quiet little old lady in the nursing
home in the twilight of her yrs but w/ this twinkle in her eyes that betrays a rip-roaring life in her youth.
$1500-$2000 (WS)
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12. Opus One RW NapaVlly (12.1%) RobertMondavi/Baron Philippe de Rothschild/Oakville 1985: Med.color w/ light
bricking; some toasty/oak/smokey some slight blackcurranty/Cab rather oldBdx/smokey fairly complex nose;
lightly tart rather toasty/smokey/oak/oldBdx bit earthy/blackcurranty/Cab fairly complex flavor w/ light
gentle tannins; very long bit tired/dried out/little fruit strong smokey/oldBdx/toasty/oak/pencilly/cedary
slight black curranty/Cab some complex finish w/ light smooth/quiet/bit drying tannins; more oldBdx character
than old NapaVlly Cab; not a lot of fruit and starting to dry out a bit; singularly underwhelming and a bit
disappointing. $300 (WS)
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More lipstottle from TheBloodyPulpit:
1. These were an interesting selection that I culled from the recently gifted BobSherwood cellar in a vinous
rememberance of Bob. Many of the whites were amazingly good, given their age. Bob stored all his whites
in a refrigerator their entire life. We, of course, know that is a "bad" way to store wines because
the fridge vibrations are bad for the wine and the low humidity can cause the corks to dry out. However,
all of these corks were in solid condition. Go figure.
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2. The Heitz Martha's '74 is a legendary Cabernet. Most people in the group had never had an old/fully-mature
Calif Cab like this before. They had never tasted a $2000 Cab wine before. They were impressed but would
never think of spending that kind of $$'s for a wine.
Tom