Monte Bello Half Bottle Showcase 2/5/10

This was a First Friday event up at the winery, for ATP members. The public version is next weekend, 2/13-14.

We started off with another bottle of...

'92 Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains
Nose - brighter, more youthful. Lemon, lemon verbena, good minerality, vibrant, hazelnut and other mature notes.
Creamy, nutty, sweetish Varner-like fruit character, nice spicy oak, nutmeg, nice round citrus, hint of mandarin rind on the finish. 92 pts

The headliners...

'87 Monte Bello (SCM)
(Includes 5% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc. 11.7% alc.)
Nose - warm spicy cigar box and rich dark fruit, lovely peppery tobacco.
Lighter body with intense tobacco and black currant, smoky, good minerality, dusty tannin, blackberry. 92 pts

'88 Monte Bello (SCM)
(Includes 3% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot. 12.9% alc.)
Nose - smooth full purple fruit, kind of rustic, creamy, cardamon, smoke, dried herbs.
Sweetish tart boysenberry, smoke, blackberry, blue elderberry, plum, black currant, dusty/woody tannin. Comes together a bit odd in a way - tart, round youthful fruit, light body - that more time may help. 88+ pts

'93 Monte Bello (SCM)
(Includes 7% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot. 12.5% alc.)
Nose - minty lamb, smooth, intense, shy and youthful blackberry and black currant, eucalyptus, pineapple sage.
Lanolin, blackberry and black currant, smoky and tart, dusty and slightly grippy tannin, blue elderberry, dried sage. Very youthful. Funky jujube note and a touch of cedar. Should peak in about 15 years. 92 pts

Then we tried the latest ATP release...

'04 Syrah Lytton Estate (Dry Creek Valley)
(Includes 10% Viognier, % Grenache. 14.4% alc.)
Nose - Wow! Heady, intense, youthful, smoky Syrah fruit. Dusty sandalwood, black pepper, various floral notes, very dense with savory oak that reminds me of Harrington Wines.
Dense blackberry, savory Harrington-like oak, dark, rich, jujube, floral and peach notes, leathery/chalky tannin. Drink '15-'25. 91+ pts

Funny when an aspect of a wine reminds me so specifically of a particular producer. Of course part of what I get in Varner Chards is a regional character - and Ridge has been around longer - but I've had plenty of Ridge Chards and never gotten that match before. The Syrah is 100% American oak, 25% new and the rest 2-7 years. Harrington is French oak. Maybe the answer is in specific yeasts, and how the characters they imparted interacted with other notes in the wines..?

'84 Cabernet Blind Tasting 2/4/10

This was a RossBott tasting. 16 people, 8 wines. We tasted blind and individually ranked them. The rankings are compiled and tallied, yielding a group score, ranking and a spread. The score is 1 point for each 1st place vote, 2 for 2nd and so on down to 8 for 8th, so the lower the score the better. The spread shows the number of votes for the following rankings: 1st/2nd/3rd/last.

A) Nose - white floral note with a smooth moderate tobacco and black currant character. Hint of cherry and oak spice. With time some limoncello and kirsh.
lemon/black plum/black currant, watery-refreshing, cedar. Soft mid-palate, peppery on the fringe. A bit of bitter black olive on the finish. 87 pts
My #7, group #4 1/4/2/3 (74)
'84 Ridge York Creek (Spring Mountain District)

B) Nose - a bit of volatile resin character, dusty wood, cherry, sweetish.
Pert cedar/tobacco, smooth plum with some black currant. A touch of lime zest on the finish. 87 pts
My #8, group #5 2/3/0/6 (75)
'84 Rodney Strong Alexander Crown Vineyard (Alexander Valley)
It's interesting that all six of us at our table voted it #8, and that we got the first pours.

C) Nose - sweetish, brett - horse stable, tobacco, black plum, lead pencil, green olive.
Smooth peppery black currant, a touch of barnyard, watery, lemon, black olive, lime zest, touch of barrel char. 88 pts
My #6, group #8 0/1/2/0 (79)
'84 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande (Pauillac)

D) Nose - sweet redwood and cedar, cinnamon, red plum, vanilla oak.
Cedary Black currant, good acid and mineral, nicely integrated, redwood, plummy spice. 92 pts
My #4, group #3 4/0/2/1 (66)
'84 Swan Estate (Northern Sonoma)

E) Nose - cassis liqueur, smooth, shy, hint of white pepper.
Smooth intense mature plum, with tobacco, redwood, zest, cedar, black currant. 93 pts
My #2, group #2 3/2/3/1 (59)
'84 Girard Reserve (Napa Valley)

F) Nose - farty tobacco and pencil lead, intense minerality.
Prominent outhouse, lighter body with black plum and black currant, dried herbs. 92 pts
My #3, group #7 0/3/3/3 (78)
'84 Ridge Santa Cruz Mountains

G) Nose - sweet, peppery, dark, soft black plum, touch of white resin, black olive, barrel char.
Smooth/cedar/tobacco/black currant, charcoal, green peppercorn. 91 pts
My #5, group #6 2/0/3/2 (78)
'84 Mount Eden Estate (SCM)

H) Nose - bright, tobacco, dark minerality, graphite, sweet French oak, dried basil.
Tobacco, black currant, cedar. Classic. Touch of green peppercorn, good minerality, intense. Seems a decade younger. 94 pts
My #1, group #1 4/3/1/0 (58)
'84 Ridge Monte Bello (SCM)

A very enjoyable tasting and I'd be happy drinking any of the wines again.

Richard's notes: http://www.cellartracker.com/event.asp?iEvent=9852

SCMWA San Francisco Trade Tasting 1/26/10

Dave Tong and I went up together. With just 3 hours for 27 wineries and over 100 wines, it's just not possible to try them all. Luckily, several were wineries I'd just tasted at at the last Passport weekend. Others were easy to skip as I'll be visiting soon or they'll be at Pinot Paradise. Still, there were several on my short list I couldn't get to in time. Good thing Dave tasted a bunch I missed and vise versa. Check out his notes: http://scmwine.blogspot.com/2010/01/scmwa-trade-tasting.html


Martin Ranch JD Hurley '08 Chardonnay (SCV)
Nose - warm, round, kumquat and spice, really nice.
Citrusy with excellent spice, kumquat, papaya, lime, lemon. 91 pts

Martin Ranch JD Hurley '06 Merlot (SCV)
Nose - warm, smooth, cedary plum.
Cedary plum, exotic spice notes, a bit roasty/smoky, hints of tobacco, white pepper and green peppercorn. Ready. 89 pts

Martin Ranch JD Hurley '05 Cabernet Sauvignon (SCM)
Nose - soft, creamy berry and plum, cedar, hint of mint.
Tobacco/cedar/pepper, dusty tannin, plum with a hint of raspberry. Smooth, with a bit of pith on the finish. 89 pts

Martin Ranch Therese Vineyard '06 Syrah (SCV)
Nose - savory, lovely stemmy spice, soft plum and berry.
Savory, thin plum, clove, bramble, roasty zest. Drink '11-'14. 90 pts

Martin Ranch Therese Vineyard '05 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate (SCM)
Nose - smooth, minty cedar, plum and chocolate.
Blackberry, cedar, touch of black currant, plum, drying dusty tannin. Drink '12-'17. 90 pts

Martin Ranch Therese Vineyard '06 Sangiovese (SCV)
Nose - sultry/soft/savory/smoky, shy red fruit, nutmeg, citron.
Soft rustic plum, roasty, sweetish, tea, fresh herbs, hint of raspberry, gritty dusty tannins. 89 pts

Martin Ranch Therese Vineyard '07 Zinfandel (Amador County)
Nose - black cherry, marachino, nutmeg, zesty, sweetish.
Sweetish, nutmeg, black cherry, raspberry, smooth roasted plum, smoky. 89 pts

La Honda '06 Cabernet Sauvignon 57%/Sangiovese 43% (SCM)
Nose - smooth, light, warm spice, shy red fruit, hints of black currant, mint, roasted plum.
Thin red plum, then a wave of black currant and cedar, balsa and lime. 86 pts

La Honda '06 Cabernet Sauvignon (Chalk Hill)
Nose - smooth, shy black fruit, nice oak spice with a touch of cedar, mint, blue elderberry.
Dusty, roasty, citron, plum, black raspberry, cedar, lime zest. 88 pts

La Honda '06 Meritage (Chalk Hill)
(Cabernet Sauvignon 76%, Malbec 14 %, Cabernet Franc 10%)
Nose - smooth plum with touches of cedar, black currant and mint.
Roasty plum and black currant, cedar, lime and mandarin, some char and zest. Smooth cedary finish. Should age well. Drink '10-'20. 90 pts

La Honda '06 Cabernet Sauvignon Lonehawk Vineyard (SCM)
Nose - sandalwood, black currant, orange zest, cedar, allspice, black cherry.
Cedary smooth dusty black currant, nutmeg and white pepper, black plum, lime zest, firm structure. Drink '12-'22. 92 pts

La Honda '07 Pinot Noir (SCM)
Nose - savory, dusty, black cherry, mushroom, bay, roasted plum, meyer lemon zest.
Rustic/roasty/zesty/savory/dusty, a bit tight, black cherry, bay, mushroom, lime zest, dusty wood, cedar. Needs time. Drink '12-'20. 91+ pts

Mount Eden '07 Pinot Noir Estate (SCM)
Nose - smooth red and black plum, medley of dried herbs, round, savory, black cherry, sandalwood. Sultry and gorgeous!
Amazing, just so much going on. Savory roasty, bay, red cherry, black plum, lovely smoke, citrus medley. Very enjoyable now, but will improve a lot. Drink '16-'33 96 pts

Mount Eden '06 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate (SCM)
Nose - black currant, mint, thick savory fruit.
Minty cedar, black currant, really nice SCM character, touch of black pepper and campfire. Drink '15-30. 94 pts

Kathryn Kennedy '01 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate (SCM)
Nose - silky smooth, red plum and cedar, black currant, hint of tobacco. Classic expression.
Round, peppery feel. Plum and white pepper, black currant, roasted plum, tangello, cigar, black raspberry. Drink '10-'20. 90 pts

Kathryn Kennedy '05 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate (SCM)
Nose - white flowers, red plum, smooth, slightest hints of cedar and black currant.
Smooth plum withcedar and mint, black currant. Peppery finish. Drink '12-'22. 90 pts

Kathryn Kennedy '06 Cabernet Sauvignon Small Lot (SCM)
Nose - smooth peppery plum, chamomile, mint.
Gorgeous pert/smoky/cedary plum, black currant, lime zest, mint, tarragon, nutmeg. Drink '11-'26. 92 pts

Fleming Jenkins '06 Syrah Black Ridge Vineyard (SCM)
Nose - velvety black plum, with mere hints of smoke, mint, rosemary, zest and vanilla.
Velvety pert red plum, green basil, tarragon, lime zest, smoky black plum. 89+ pts

Fleming Jenkins '06 Syrah Madden Ranch (Livermore Valley)
Nose - savory, stemmy spice, nutmeg/plum/boysenberry, soft mint.
Soft mint/plum/lime zest, hints of white and black pepper. 88 pts

Fleming Jenkins '06 Choreography (Napa Valley)
Nose - pomegranate/black plum, smooth mint, nutmeg.
Raspberry and black plum, nutmeg, orange and lemon zest, sandalwood and orange. 88 pts

Bargetto '07 Chardonnay (SCM) $20!
(100% Regan Vineyard, primarily Mount Eden clone)
Nose - rich spicy pear, nutmeg, quince, cinnamon, hints of stone fruit. Good minerality. Really nice.
Nice spice medley and pure pear, poached pear with cinnamon and a touch of lime. 93 pts

Bargetto '07 Pinot Noir Regan Vineyard Reserve (SCM)
Nose - gorgeous sultry stemmy resin spice well integrated into the red fruit, with just the slightest hint of bay.
Nose translates well to the palate. Silky smooth. Cranberry/red plum, bay, lime. Very complex. 93 pts

Bargetto '06 Merlot (SCM)
(100% Regan Vyd.)
Nose - lovely green peppercorn, classic Merlot fruit.
Green peppercorn, cherry/Merlot, chlorophyll, grippy dusty tannin, hints of lime zest and char. Drink '13-'16. 88 pts

Bargetto '04 La Vita (SCM)
(100% Regan Vyd. 59% Dolcetto, 24% Refosco, 17% Nebbiolo)
Nose - smooth pert fruit, cinnamon, cherry soup, mint, oak vanillin.
Dry dusty prune, ashy, astringent, lime zest, plum. 85 pts

Storrs '08 Chardonnay (SCM)
Nose - smooth nutmeg spice and intense pear, with quince and tangello.
Spicy cinnamon pear, smooth, round, with a slight peppery feel, pure ripe pear. 91 pts

Storrs '06 Pinot Noir (SCM)
Nose - soft raspberry/plum, with good stemmy spice.
Slightly glyceriny red fruit, with peppery/stemmy spice. 89+ pts

Storrs '06 Two Creek (SCV)
(Syrah 60%, Grenache 22%, Grand Noir 18%)
Nose - smooth mint.
Minty fennel, rosemary, red fruit, cinnamon. 87 pts

Storrs '05 Petite Sirah (SCM)
Nose - funky, brambly, smoky, with a good mineral sense.
Balsa/sandalwood, dense black fruit, charcoal, lime zest. 84 pts

Ridge Vineyards Club Preview Event 1/23/10

Amit and I went up, and were soon joined by Dave Tong (see his blog entry on this event). This event was to show off examples of their 3 clubs, ATP, Z-list and Monte Bello Collector. ATP (Advanced Tasting Program) is limited production wines that are difficult to get your paws on if you aren't a member (about 9 wines a year). Z-list is two annual shipments of their larger production Zinfandels (ie. Geyserville, Lytton Springs, Pagani, etc.). The Monte Bello club gets you an invitation to the futures tastings and enables you to then buy at the futures price.

We opened with a couple Chards.

'07 Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains
Nose - warm oak spice and lemon verbena, good citrus undertone and minerality, smooth, elegant, complex.
Sweet oak, smooth lemon, basil, zingy, zesty, an enveloped note of pith, oak spice and fresh herbs. Needs time for the oak to integrate. Drink '15-'20. 92 pts

'92 Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains
Nose - very mature, smooth, hazelnut, cardamon, subtle lemon curd, tarragon.
Hazelnut, savory lemon, smooth zest, cardamon and nutmeg, tarragon. Excellent mature Chard. Drink now. 92 pts

Then a couple from the Z-list

'07 Zinfandel East Bench (Dry Creek Valley)
(8% Petite Sirah)
Nose - youthful dark, brambly fruit, heavy almost tar-like sense. Opens up with nutmeg and smooth purple fruit.
Dark, very plummy, spicy/peppery, slight touch of heat, dusty gritty tannin, some primary Cab-like notes. Drink '13-'18. 91 pts

'07 Zinfandel Pagani (Sonoma Valley)
(5% Alicante Bouschet, 3% Petite Sirah)
Nose - shy purple fruit, campfire smoke, dusty.
Pert, brambly purple fruit, smooth boysenberry, mandarin, blackberry and jujube, dusty tannin. Drink '12-'16. 90 pts

Some ATP wines

'07 Carignane Buchignani Ranch (Sonoma County)
Nose - smooth dusty fruit, a bit shy, blackberry.
Smoky, pert, sultry, blackberry, raspberry, tarragon, dusty tannin, hops. Zesty finish with blackberry and lemon cream chocolate truffle. Drink '10-'16. 91 pts

'04 Grenache Lytton Estate (Dry Creek Valley)
(16% Petite Sirah, 9% Zinfandel)
Nose - deep smoky mineral, smooth American oak, black fruit.
Rustic, roasty/smoky plum, gritty tannin, orange zest, bramble, a bit astringent. Drink '14-'18. 88 pts

Then, drum roll please...

'06 Monte Bello (Santa Cruz Mountains)
(68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc)
Nose - sweet heady spiced blackberry, touches of cinnamon and raspberry jam, sandalwood.
Bursting zesty/smoky/savory/minerally blackberry, dusty tannin, good acid, some cedar and black currant, touch of lemon zest. Drink '20-'30+ 94 pts

After tasting, we sampled the impressive goods from Fatted Calf Charcuterie, and tested how well they interplayed with some of the wines. Impressive stuff! They are based in Napa and can also be sampled at the Saturday farmers market at the Ferry Building in SF.

Winter Passport Day 1/16/10

Richard, Ginny, Sandy and I went over to the Surf City Vintners neighborhood to do some tasting. It's nice to have so many wineries grouped together. There are some other businesses in there, including Bonny Doon's excellent restaurant, where we lunched, and a bakery, where we took a coffee break.

Odonta '08 Chardonnay Peter Martin Ray Vineyard (SCM)
Nose - deep, rich, complex, integrated, spiced persimmon.
Zingy, zesty, persimmon, lemon, nutmeg. Tight. So complex and lovely. Moderate oak. Needs time. Drink '12-'15 91 pts

Odonta '08 Grenache (Alta Mesa)
Nose - lovely, white spiciness, persimmon bread, candied lemon zest.
Lovely spice, strawberry freezer jam, lime zest, smoky, savory. 93 pts

Ondonta '07 Malbec St. Olof Vyd. (North Coast)
Nose - really nice high toned spices, dark plum, raspberry.
Pert, rhubarb pie, raspberry, lime, full spice, thinner fruit, plum. 88 pts

Odonta '07 Durif (McDowell Valley)
Nose - dark plum, spicy oak, nice.
Tobacco, ashy, Lemon zest, black currant. 90 pts

SCMV '06 Pinot Noir Branciforte Creek (SCM)
Nose - warm, slightly rustic, plum, cranberry.
Tart, bay, dusty/peppery tannin, savory, mature seeming fruit. 91 pts

Quinta Cruz '07 Tempanillo Pierce Ranch (Monterey County)
Nose - boysenberry, lemon curd, sandalwood.
Tart, excellent French oak spice, touch of tobacco, plum, blackberry. 91+ pts

SCMV '07 Grenache (McDowell Valley)
Nose - smooth, spiced plum, mango curd, white pepper, French oak spice.
Lovely tobacco, pepper, plum, French oak spice, mango curd, fig. 92 pts

SCMV '06 Cabernet Sauvignon Luchessi Vyd. (SCM)
Nose - moderate barnyard and tobacco, black currant.
Funky black currant, dusty wood, some zing. Tobacco on the finish. 88 pts

SCMV '06 Syrah Fairview Ranch (Santa Lucia Highlands)
Nose - lovely, smooth, creamy, white pepper, boysenberry.
White pepper, red peppercorn, plum, mandarin zest, smoky, savoy, bay. 90 pts

Quinta Cruz '07 Graciano Bokisch Vyd. (Lodi)
Nose - nice raisin, plum, touch of vanillin, very full.
Spiced plum with a touch of raisin and dried plum, pepper. 89 pts

Quinta Cruz '05 Rabelo Pierce Ranch (Monterey County)
Nose - sultry spiced plum/raisin/dried cranberry/marachino.
Sweet clove and nutmeg, marachino, black plum, raisin, cinnamon, peppery spice. 92 pts

Sones '08 Cancion del Mar (California)
Blend of Viognier, Torrontes, Pinot gris, Sauvignon Blanc
Nose - lovely lemon, white peach.
Underripe peach, some pith, hint of mandarin. 87 pts

Sones '08 Zinfandel Wiedeman Vyd. (SCV) barrel sample
Nose - raspberry/jujube/raisin
Sweetish, some heat, marachino, plum, zest, dark tannin. 84 pts

Vino Tabi '06 Chardonnay Silver Mountain Vyd. (SCM)
Nose - shy lemon, black sevillano olive, dried mango, touch of that SCM signature.
Pithy, underripe peach, touch of resin/solvent, musty oak, green mango. 83 pts

Vino Tabi '07 Syrah (Central Coast)
Nose - warm, smooth, sandalwood, spicy dense dark fruit, vanillin.
Spicy tobacco, dark fruit, charcoal filtered black plum. 86 pts

Bonny Doon '07 Cinsault DEWN (San Joaquin County)
The Cinsault is from a 125 year old Vineyard in San Joaquin. There's also 15% Pinot Noir from Monterey County
Nose - smooth, shy, hint of tobacco, blackberry, pithy tangerine.
Tobacco, red currant, black plum, blackberry, touch of rhubarb. No structure. 86 pts

Silver Mountain '06 Pinot Noir Miller Hill (SCM)
Nose - shy peppery tobacco, vanilla custard, intense mineral, sweetish oak, hint of berry.
Intense, tart, smoky, berry, dried herb, bitter stemminess. 87 pts

Silver Mountain '06 Pinot Noir Muns Vyd. (SCM)
Nose - sweet flat oak spice, shy berry.
Simple berry, bitter tobacco, peppery feel, dried herb, touch of green, lemon and lime zest. 85 pts

Silver Mountain '06 Pinot Noir Estate (SCM)
Nose - ripe, sweet, boysenberry, marachino.
Sweet, touch of heat, disjointed berry fruit, orange fruit and zest, bitter finish. 80 pts

Silver Mountain '05 Syrah Weideman Vyd. (Central Coast)
Nose - sweet tobacco, savory, some dried herbs, spicy plum.
Sweetish, disjointed, some prune and herb, bitter char, berry. 81 pts

Silver Mountain '05 Cabernet Sauvignon Weideman Vyd. (SCV)
Nose - plummy/pruney, sweet.
Sweet red currant, tobacco, touch of black currant, lemon zest, dusty tannin, a bit savory. 87 pts

Hillcrest Terrace '07 Sauvignon Blanc Cedar Lane Vyd. (Arroyo Seco)
Nose - lemon, zest, grass, sweet pea.
Sharp acidity, bright lemon zest, pea, grapefruit, some minerality. 87 pts
Too acidic for some - needs food.

Hillcrest Terrace '08 Chardonnay (SCM) - Corralitos fruit
Nose - nice warm oak spice, savory, smoky, citron.
Oaky, flat, savory, citron. 86 pts

Hillcrest Terrace '08 Chardonnay Regan Vyd. (SCM)
Mount Eden Clone. Recently bottled.
Nose - smoky, pear, vanilla cream.
Spicy oak, lemon custard, savory, bay, meyer lemon. 89 pts

Hillcrest Terrace '08 Pinot Noir Regan Vyd. (SCM)
Nose - clean, fresh, pure berry fruit, excellent spice, savory smoke, dried herbs.
Zesty primary fruit, some char and green peppercorn, peppery mouthfeel, savory, pithy. Definitely needs time. 86++ pts
Has potential to dramatically improve.

Hillcrest Terrace '07 Pinot Noir (Santa Lucia Highlands)
Nose - savory, leathery, dark smoky berry, tobacco, very nice.
Leathery feel, horsey leather, tobacco, dark berries, dried herbs, sage, hint of zest and roasted plum. 89 pts (if you don't mind brett)

Hillcrest Terrace '07 Cabernet Sauvignon (Carmel Valley)
Nose - pure blackberry and black currant, touch of tobacco.
Firm black currant, lime, peppery tobacco, dusty tannin. Needs 2 years. 89-91 pts

Equinox NV "Harmony Cuvee" (SCM)
71% Chardonnay, 29% Pinot Noir
Nose - savory, dark toast, brett?
Fine bead, dark toast, brett, touch of lemon. 86 pts

Trout Gulch '07 Chardonnay "Le Pecherie" (SCM)
Nose - citron marmalade, smoke, dried mango.
Smooth citron, zest, meaty, touch of apricot. 88 pts

Trout Gulch '07 Pinot Noir "La Source" (SCM)
Served too cold!
Nose - savory, dried basil, rhubarb and blackberry.
Blackberry, dried basil, fennel, cranberry and rhubarb, tangerine zest, peppery tannin. 88 pts

Trout Gulch '07 "Les Trianon" (SCM) Bdx blend
Nose - intense black currant, tobacco, hint of cedar, SCM signature note.
Tobacco, barrel char, black currant, dusty tannin, lighter body. 87+ pts

Bartolo '07 "Minerva" (SCV)
47% Grenache, 33% Syrah, 20% Mourvedre. Mann Vyd.
Nose - full, light oak resin, raspberry, blackberry.
green pean and blackberry, spicy oak, touch of jujube. 86 pts

Bartolo "Cioppino Rosso" (Central Coast)
61% Syrah, 20% Chardonnay, 19% Mourvedre. Mann Vyd.
Nose - pure boysenberry, with raspberry and a touch of zest and smoke.
Raspberry, lemon zest, jujube, touch of tobacco. 87 pts

Bartolo '06 Syrah (Central Coast) Mann Vyd.
Nose - black currant, plum, cedar.
Cedary boysenberry, blackberry, black currant, dusty tannin, vanilla, orange zest. 89 pts

Bartolo '06 Merlot (SCV) Mann Vyd.
Nose - Cedar, black plum, touch of black currant and tobacco.
Tobacco, black plum, peppery, cedar and black currant, lime zest, mandarin, dusty tannin with smooth fruit. Nice. 90 pts

Copious Winery '07 Mourvedre (Sierra Foothills)
Nose - warm, meaty, dried sage, summer savory.
Meaty, dark Mourvedre fruit, sweet jujube, raspberry, char, somewhat rustic. 87 pts

Copious Winery '07 Cabernet Sauvignon (Sierra Foothills)
Nose - creamy smooth fruit, raspberry, candied zest, black plum, black currant.
Clean raspberry and black currant, limeade, dusty tannin. 89 pts

Copious Winery '07 Petite Sirah (Sierra Foothills)
Nose - dark, restrained purple fruit.
Primary dark purple fruit, char, smoke, mandarin zest, firm tannin - very grippy. Needs a few years. 87+ pts

Mount Eden article by Matt Kramer

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704586504574654552094029972.html?mod=wsj_share_facebook

Arcadian Tasting With Joe Davis 12/19/09

Thanks to Paul Galli for organizing this and inviting me, Barry Sunderland for hosting, and Joe Davis for so generously sharing his wines and knowledge.


Arcadian '98 Pinot Noir Sleepy Hollow Vineyard (Santa Lucia Highlands)
Nose - Wow! Lovely fruit, smoky with dried herbs, cherry, spicy stemminess, bay. With time some smoked meat - beef jerky.
Savory/meaty, biting tannin, zesty, smoky, cherry and rhubarb. A step down from the nose. 89 pts

Arcadian '01 Pinot Noir Sleepy Hollow Vineyard (Santa Lucia Highlands)
Nose - more creamy, white floral notes, foresty, good stemmy spice, black plum.
Smooth, smoky plum, zesty rhubarb, dried herbs, good savoriness, lemon verbena. Zingy citrus oil and plum finish. Still young. 92 pts

Arcadian '02 Pinot Noir Sleepy Hollow Vineyard (Santa Lucia Highlands)
Nose - wood spice, black plum, hint of citrus, smooth.
Dried herbs, black plum, lemon zest, cardamon, pith, tingly, touch of bitter spicy stem. Still a bit tight. 91 pts

Arcadian '05 Pinot Noir Sleepy Hollow Vineyard (Santa Lucia Highlands)
Nose - sweetish red fruit, black plum, creamy, nutmeg, sandalwood, smoky.
Somewhat primary, round, rich, dusty tannin, smoky roasted rhubarb and plum. 92 pts
Joe suggested a 12 hour decant.

Note: There's something I find a bit off-putting about Garys', and I've had many. This vineyard has big fans, so take my personal tastes with a grain of salt. These wines were well made. I just can't bring myself to overrule my palate.

Arcadian '00 Pinot Noir Garys' Vineyard (Santa Lucia Highlands)
Nose - warm dark spiciness, Gary's signature, light oak spice, smoky roasty plum and jujube, lighter tone.
Very dark, almost charry, grippy, spicy stemminess with a hint of green, tart cherry, smoke. The best Garys' Pinot I've had. 89 pts

Arcadian '01 Pinot Noir Garys' Vineyard (Santa Lucia Highlands)
Nose - high-toned spice, candied lemon zest, woody spice, rhubarb and strawberry.
Very smoky, a touch of bitterness, tart cherry, dusty, rustic, glyceriny plum. 86 pts

Arcadian '01 Pinot Noir Pisoni Vineyard (Santa Lucia Highlands)
Nose - dark, rustic, tight, purple fruit, fennel, cardamon, nutmeg.
Farty, smoky, rustic purple fruit, some char and lime zest. 87 pts

Arcadian '05 Pinot Noir Fiddlestix Vineyard (Santa Rita Hills)
Nose - very shy purple fruit, warm, touch of licorice.
Pert, smoky, intense complex fruit, plus char and lime, very floral, chervil. Very young! 92 pts

Arcadian '05 Pinot Noir Pisoni Vineyard (Santa Lucia Highlands)
Nose - funky, bright, smoky purple fruit, dense.
Smoky, rustic, dark, jujube, lime zest. 91 pts

Arcadian '05 Pinot Noir Clos Pepe (Santa Rita Hills)
Nose - sweetish clove, black cherry, touch of marachino, sandalwood.
Intense tart charry lime zest, cherry, black plum, lovely floral note on the finish. 92 pts

Arcadian '05 Pinot Noir "Francesca's Cuvee" (Central Coast)
Nose - Rich, clean, spicy stemminess, smooth, black plum and black pepper.
Smoky jujube, smooth, dense, subtle complexity. Drinking well now, but should age deceptively well. 91 pts

Arcadian '05 Pinot Noir Dierberg Vineyard (Santa Maria Valley)
Nose - perfume, bell pepper, violet, dry dusty purple fruit.
Lovely florality, deep dark fruit. Really nice. 93 pts

Then, Ray Walker threw this in:

Truchot '00 Morey St. Denis 1st Cru Clos Sorbes
Nose - lovely, subtle, integrated nutmeg and red fruit.
Bacon, strawberry, smoke, some cherry. Just really nice and drinking perfectly. 93 pts


Arcadian '99 Chardonnay Sleepy Hollow Vineyard (Santa Lucia Highlands)
Nose - Wow! Cinnamon, brown sugar, almond, nutmeg, maple, lemon balm, sandalwood. Just so complex!
Pert lush lemon, almond, tarragon, basil, lemon grass. At its peak. 93 pts


Arcadian '01 Chardonnay Sleepy Hollow Vineyard (Santa Lucia Highlands)
Nose - kiwi, exotic spice, lemon verbena, sandalwood, luscious expression.
Sweet vanilla oak, fresh herbs, lemon, French oak spice, firm. 92 pts


Arcadian '05 Chardonnay Sleepy Hollow Vineyard (Santa Lucia Highlands)
Nose - warm, nutmeg, lemon meringue, lemon verbena.
Intense, complex, lush, pert, lemon verbena, touch of caramel. 93 pts
The two previous bottles I had of this showed much more and were really impressive. As in 97 pts and the best CA Chard I've had. Some air would probably have brought out more, and that may be true for some of the other wines, too.


Arcadian '06 Chardonnay Sleepy Hollow Vineyard (Santa Lucia Highlands)
Nose - sharper lemon, excellent fresh herbs, brown spice, warm.
Smooth, lush, brown woody oak, lemon, fresh herbs. Well structured. Hope this integrates. Drink '13-'18 Can't score

Joe is truly a master with Chardonnay. It occurred to me that Corralitos Pinot Noir would be perfectly suited to his style.

One interesting point is that Joe personally manages his blocks of all the vineyards he sources from.