Informal Tasting of Cline Cellars Wine

Instead of the usual Tuesday evening private room tasting with a meal, this night we all sat wherever we we wanted in the main room of the restaurant, while Matt from Republic National Distributing individually poured us our tastes as we were ready. I have long been a fan Cline wines, it was one of the first I ever visited (Martinelli was, same day). I have visited the tasting room about 30 times, and escorted friends there during wine country visits. This was basically a sad day. The quality, or maybe the style has changed so much as to be unrecognizable to the wines of the past. Once vibrant and fruity, now all these wines taste acidic and tired, lacking fruit and almost offensive to the palate.

• 2010 Cline Cellars Viognier 80 Points

  USA, California, North Coast

  A major disappointment. This once proud winery has definitely lost it's touch. This wine was barely recognizable as Viognier. The only thing that gave it away was the floral nose. The acidity overwhelmed everything. They were unable to bring any of the fruit forward. It was thin and weak. What a waste of what must have been some decent grapes.

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• 2008 Cline Cellars Pinot Noir 80 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  Another major disappointment from this once "go to" winery. We could tell this is Pinot, but just barely. The rim is awfully clear. There is a nice spice on the nose, but when it hits the palate all you get is acid. They totally missed bringing out the fruit. You almost have to imagine the cherry and strawberry components. There is some vanilla from new oak. Totally outrageous unbalanced acidity. Don't bother.

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• 2009 Cline Cellars Mourvèdre Ancient Vines 83 Points

  USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Contra Costa County

  Once one of my, and several friends favorite wines for it's sharp red fuit and rich complexity, this one does not cut it. It comes across as thin, crisp and way to much acid. There is some merit to the mulberry, blackberry, and black cherry fruit. We miss the creamy richness of previous vintages, that with this one we can only imagine. Maybe a hint of vanilla. Not much tannin. A little bitter on the finish. I don't think these grapes have changed, just the wine making.

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• 2009 Cline Cellars Cashmere 82 Points

  USA, California

  Among a tasting of 5 wines by Cline, this is the one we chose to buy a bottle, and do further research. It was not terrible, but was a big disappointment for someone who visits the tasting room at least once a year since 1993, and readily recommends the tasting room and the wines, wherever they are sold. This is not your mother's Cline Cashmere. Once a lush, rich blend, this and their other red offerings, are a shadow of their former selves. There is that Grenache style gamey flavor we have become to expect and like. There is some medium bodied dark fruit. But the whole thing is basically spoiled by the unwelcome, and unnecessary, overwhelming sour milk acidity. Why?

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• 2008 Cline Cellars Zinfandel Sonoma County 86 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County

  In a relatively disappointing tasting through some of their current releases, this one one appears to be the head and shoulders winner. Not quite up to their standards during the 90's and early 2000's this one does show us some true Zin character. This one is big alcohol, big enough to turn off about half of the tasters. There is some spicy, peppery, bramble style fruit. Lots of blackberry, some cherry and strawberry. Rustic and earthy on the nose. Pretty mild acid. Not quite balanced, there is not enough tannin, acid, and mouth feel to counter all that alcohol. A touch of vanilla on the finish.

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Dick Bannon purchased a bottle of the Cashmere to share after the tasting. Everyone in our group found it it varying degrees of disappointing. I have since tasted a few of these wine in other circumstances, and have to agree they showed slightly better. I want to think that possibly this set of wines we tasted had been improperly shipped, or handled. But, further discussions with other old time Cline fans reveals that they are also disappointed with most of the wines from the past few vintages.