Falltacular 2011

I swung by at 10am to drop off a table for the auction items and to help FMIII with any heavy lifting. After unboxing the wines for the auction with a couple of people from Laura's House I helped sort the bottles into their correct lot. Then I was drafted for "cork removal duty" which normally is a quick and easy task as any other party but the scale of Falltacular requires a systemtic approach when there are 270 bottles in total. You have teams of foil cutters, cork removers and disposal crews. You quickly develop an appreciation for the screw top. Setup was completed way ahead of schedule and it was time to head back home to pick up Chris.

By the time we returned the event was near full bloom with about 3/4 of the people already there. Soon after FMIII collected everyone in the backyard and he formally kicked off the event before turning it over to Mrs. Dr. FMIII and the gang from Laura's House for a little enlightenment surrounding the cause and the ultimate goal of completing the new facility. I know Chris and I are very fortunate and we're always thankful but it's never a bad thing to be reminded that everyone isn't in the same situation and we can help those that are looking to improve theirs.

Amazing Wine Guide for the tour de grapes


The badge of honor


Socal in January, 75 degrees and sunny


Just some of the food


White Wine, where's the respect!


Sonoma Station


Where to you start?


Yoni guarding the central coast station


Napa, RRV, and North Coast stations.


Corks, corks, and more corks...


Necessity is the mother of invention

• 2009 August West Pinot Noir Rosella's Vineyard

  USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands

  Pretty perfume nose with cherry and strawberry. Palate of bright fruit, predominately the dark ones. Medium/- finish.

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• 2009 Cargasacchi Pinot Noir Cargasacchi-Jalama Vineyard

  USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County

  Sweet and tart candied dark fruit combined on the palate, very good wine.

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• 2008 Hug Cellars El Jefe

  USA, California, Central Coast

  Nice middle of the road GSM, well made and right in my wheelhouse.

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• 2007 Keefer Ranch Pinot Noir Keefer Ranch Vineyard

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Excellent wine. Nose, fruit, finish all there.

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• 2007 Ladd Cellars Pinot Noir Cuvée Abigail

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  Great wine. And the fact that I was standing next to the winemaker at a party (not knowing who is was) and said "This is a really good pinot I'm drinking, "Ladd Abigail something or another..." Eric replied "Thanks I made it". Whew disaster averted. Bright strawberry and very well balanced.

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• 2008 Loring Wine Company Divergence

  USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

  Slight prune and raisin nose with a whiff of clove. Raisin and chocolate palate, if you like raisinettes candy then you'll like this wine. Medium finish and overall a highly complex wine, there are lots of moving parts.

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• 2009 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir Russell Family Vineyard

  USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

  Not suprising, but a big dark pinot. looks like a syrah in the glass. Palate is very fruit forward consisting of mostly dark fruit. Finish is medium.

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• 2009 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir Shea Vineyard

  USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

  I really like this wine. A lighter color PN from LWC but I guess that's the grapes business. There's even a little burnt edges in the glass. Nose of light strawberry. Tons of berry and toast palate rounded out with a medium finish. Excellent.

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• 2005 Point Concepción Pinot Noir Cargasacchi Vineyard

  USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

  I guess SRH on this bad boy. There's a little SRH funk on the nose which I like. Palate of tart strawberry and raspberry.

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• 2008 Rhys Syrah Skyline Vineyard

  USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

  Great violet color. Lots of tannins and acidity. Mouth drying in fact. needs to rest. It has the structure for the long haul, no question.

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• 2009 Sandler Wine Company Zinfandel Buck Hill Vineyard 92 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County

  Damn good zin. Great nose and palate of cranberry. Very well made.

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• 2009 Siduri Pinot Noir Garys' Vineyard

  USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands

  Big giant fruity powerhouse. Fruit is very bright. Excellent if you like this style. I did.

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• 2009 Sojourn Pinot Noir Gap's Crown Vineyard Sonoma Coast

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  Strawberry everywhere. On the nose, palate, and right through the finish which is very long. this wine has more elegance than your typical fruit bomb. Excellent wine.

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• 2009 Sojourn Pinot Noir Sangiacomo Vineyard

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  This was excellent, didn't take detailed notes though. Was very popular with the wine geeks.

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• 2009 Sojourn Pinot Noir Rodgers Creek Vineyard Sonoma Coast 92 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  Great wine. Held up like a champ over 6 days and was still humming along. Great color and a candied cherry palate with nice spice. Good/+ finish.

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• 2009 Sojourn Pinot Noir Ridgetop Vineyard

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  Cherry and perfume nose. Nice. Cherry palate with a little white pepper spice. Very good finish. Excellent wine.

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• 2007 Virage Vineyards 93 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Wow, is this an awesome wine. I had a taste 15 seconds after the bottle was opened (with the owner, thank you) and the wine was excellent, a couple hours and you're telling me it'll be better? Yikes, good juice. Very interesting complexity with pencil shaving weaving in and out through the palate and finish. Great mouthfeel.

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• 2009 Wind Gap Wines Syrah Griffin's Lair

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  wow... tannic bomb. too young.

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• 2007 Wind Gap Wines Syrah Griffin's Lair

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  Super dark, like motor oil. Nose is fairly muted. That's not the case with the palate, big, powerful flavours. Blackberry, black olive, pepper dominate with oak showing in the form of charcoal. There is a chewy meatiness. Tannins still quite present, lots of structure, a little drying on a long finish.
  
  More cellaring will be rewarded.

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