SCM Trade Tasting - SF 2/7/12

Yesterday Dave and I drove up to San Francisco to sample some new and upcoming releases from several of the Santa Cruz Mountains producers. I followed a strategy to go from white to light to darker reds, with an emphasis on Pinot Noirs, so I bounced around quite a bit. (Notes are posted in order of tasting for your inconvenience.) As always, there wasn't time to get to everything. I skipped Ridge because those are wines I'll be trying Friday when visiting with an out of town friend. Unfortunately, Kathryn Kennedy had packed up by the time I was ready to try them. (The crowd had died down quite a bit near the end, so perhaps they just decided to finish pouring what was open and then take off.) Anyway, tasted a lot of excellent wines...

River Run '10 Viognier (Santa Cruz County)
Nose - clean, hay, sweet pea, touch of lemon, pith.
Pert lemon, sweet pea, hay, pith. Nice early drinker. 88 pts

Quinta Cruz '10 Verdelho Silvaspoons Vyd. (Alta Mesa)
Nose - rich, custardy, nutty.
Lovely, rich, nutty, lemon custard. Trails off. Young? 87 pts

Mount Eden '09 Chardonnay Estate (SCM)
Nose - full, elegantly rich, hazelnut, lemon custard, complex spice.
Gorgeous, packed, good acid,lemon, sour grass, nutmeg. Just so complex! Very young. Drink '22-'36. 96 pts

Fogarty '08 Chardonnay (SCM)
Nose - smooth, creamy, notes of anise, lime and lemon.
Smooth but flat, awkward blend of grass, lemon, spice. 86+ pts

Fogarty '09 Pinot Noir (SCM)
Nose - good intensity,lovely savory herbs.
Peppery, rhubarb, white pepper, pith, button mushroom. 89 pts

Bargetto '09 Pinot Noir Reserve (SCM)
Nose - shy, dusty/smooth, refined spice, dark fruit.
Smooth tannin, dark fruit, refined complexity, touch of graphite, black cherry, dried leaf, chamomile. Touch of bitter herb on the finish. Drink '14-'20. 92 pts

Sonnet '09 Pinot Noir Muns Vyd. (SCM)
Nose - reserved, rich, custardy, peppercorn.
Custard, white pepper, cherry, nutmeg, cinnamon. Lingers well. Drink '12-'18+. 92 pts

Mount Eden "09 Pinot Noir Estate (SCM)
Nose - gorgeous heady cherry and spices.
Lovely cherry, dark mineral, savory, gorgeous complexity, violets. Drink '12-'27. 95 pts

Domaine Eden '10 Pinot Noir (SCM)
Nose - heady cherry and strawberry, elegant, hint of star anise, white pepper.
Lighter body but intense. Cherry, strawberry, good mineral, violet, white pepper. Drink '12-'16. 92+ pts

Sonnet '09 Pinot Noir Tondre Grapefield (Santa Lucia Highlands)
Nose - nice full SLH expression, with red clay, cinnamon, redwood.
Dark plummy, lots of nutmeg, dusty tannin, clay. 90 pts

Storrs '08 Pinot Noir (SCM)
Nose - creamy, bright, strawberry, vanillin oak spice, dark plum.
Vanillin oak spices, confectionary plummy fruit. 91 pts

Clos LaChance '08 Pinot Noir (SCM)
Nose - smooth plum, raspberry, flan.
Smooth rhubarb, smoke, creamy oak spice, brambly, good mineral. 90 pts

Odonata '11 Petite Sirah Rose
100% pressed juice, barrel fermented. This will be an April club release.
Nose - gorgeous intense strawberry, cherry, plum wine, touches of cinnamon and anise.
Clean gorgeous Strawberry, cherry, plum and lemon. Touch of papaya on the finish. 91 pts

Odonata '09 Pinot Noir Domani Vyd. (SCM)
Nose - heady savory deep fruit, hint of cinnamon.
Lovely spices and savory dragon fruit, hints of cherry, rhubarb, lemon, strawberry. Drink '12-'18. 91 pts

Odonata '09 Malbec Silvaspoons Vyd. (Alta Mesa)
Nose - deep jujube, plum, anise, custard.
Full dusty plum, dragon fruit, hints of cinnamon and cardamon. 91 pts

Odonata '09 Syrah Zayante Vyd. (SCM)
Nose - intense meaty minerally plum, hints of galangal and patchouli.
Lovely savory plum, dark mineral, smoked meat, violet, white pepper. 93 pts

Odonata '09 Petite Sirah Machado Creek (Santa Clara County)
Nose - intense porty blackberry, cinnamon, marachino liquour.
Ripe blackberry, porty cherry, hint of heat, cinnamon, good acid. 90 pts

Damselfly Cellars '09 Sangiovese Machado Creek (Santa Clara County)
(This is Odonata's second label.)
Nose - escorial, delicate slightly meaty red fruit.
Bright cherry and strawberry, dusty tannin, delicate spice, slight meat. 90 pts

Damselfly Cellars '09 Petite Sirah (Monterrey County)
Nose - boysenberry with orange and strawberry.
Tart fruit follows through, ash, fine/dusty tannin. 88 pts

Mount Eden '08 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate (SCM)
Nose - dark smooth black currant, blackberry, savory spice, lint of licorice.
Lovely brambly blackbeery and black currant, elegant spice, flan, savory, hint of orange zest. Drink '12-'22. 92+ pts

Domaine Eden '08 Cabernet Sauvignon (SCM)
Nose - smooth intense plum and black currant, hints of cedar and redwood, very classic expression, hint of white pepper.
Classic cedary black currant, smoky plum, good mineral, hints of licorice and violet. Drink '12-'16. 91 pts

Quinta Cruz '09 Tempranillo Pierce Ranch (San Antonio Valley)
Nose - lighter red fruits.
Strawberry, dragon fruit and mango, smooth soft tannin. 89 pts

Quinta Cruz '08 Tempranillo Reserve Pierce Ranch (San Antonio Valley)
(Includes some Touriga and Graciano)
Nose - savory, smoked alder, blackberry, cinnamon, kirsh.
Round soft kirsh, blackberry, cinnamon, red plum. 89 pts

Quinta Cruz '09 Touriga Pierce Ranch (San Antonio Valley)
Nose - lovely cooked orange, plum, kirsh, allspice.
Lovely pert plum, lemon, orange, ginger, cinnamon, Cotlets. 93 pts


Quinta Cruz '09 Graciano Bokisch Vyd. (Clements Hills)
Nose - soft cherry and tellicherry, smoky tea.
Plum, soft peppercorn, raspberry, cinnamon, toasted rice. 90 pts

La Rustican d'Orsa '07 Cinque (SCM)
(These are blends of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec, made by Jeffrey Patterson.)
Nose - deep fruit, redwood, jalapeno.
Soft full plum and black currant, green peppercorn, redwood, some frosting on the finish. Drink '12-'14. 90 pts


La Rustican d'Orsa '08 Cinque (SCM)
Nose - smoky rubber/tar, deep fruit, hint of red plum, sweaty.
Smoky savory soft plum and black currant, touches of boysenberry, lavender and rosemary. Drink '12-'14. 91 pts


La Rustican d'Orsa '09 Cinque (SCM)
Nose - deep savory soft fruit.
Soft plummy black currant, hint of tellicherry. Drink '12-'15. 90 pts

Nauman '07 Merlot (SCM)
Nose - roasty, meaty, savory, saline plum.
Smoked grain, savory plum, dusty/gritty tannin, roasted pork. Drink '12-'18. 90 pts

Nauman '09 Tre Rosso (SCM)
(60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc)
Nose - tellicherry, soft plum, lavender.
Soft savory plum, hint of jujube, lavender, roasty. 90 pts

Fogarty '06 Merlot (SCM)
Nose - smooth smoky cherry.
Smoky peppery cherry, alderwood, hint of bitter herb. 87 pts