Big Basin In The OC--Dinner With Bradley Brown

My House
Tasted Saturday, April 13, 2013 by Frank Murray III with 393 views

Flight 1 (1 Note)

Flight 2 (2 Notes)

  • 2011 Big Basin Vineyards Roussanne Homestead Block

    USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

    I liked this better than the C-View 2011 Chard that was paired next to it in the flight. Pear, waxy, with mango/papaya and some minerality.

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  • 2011 Big Basin Vineyards Chardonnay Coastview Vineyard

    USA, California, Central Coast, Monterey County

    Golden apple, lemon curd, spearmint and medium plus texture. There is a caramel note in the wine too, and this is just a little richer in tone than the 2011 Chards I have enjoyed more recently. This is good chardonnay, but it will come down to what you want to see in it. As I told Bradley, the tones in 2011 that I have enjoyed are the pippin apple and lemon peel notes, and so in comparison here, this BB shows both core flavors, just with a tone for each that is more ramped and richer.

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Flight 3 (4 Notes)

  • 2010 Big Basin Vineyards Pinot Noir Coastview Vineyard

    USA, California, Central Coast, Monterey County

    Tasted alongside the unreleased 2011 and I prefer that wine over this 2010. While this one is zesty and has good energy, it's just bigger in tone than the 2011. Big black cherry, dark cherry and raspberry. Then, the zesty tone again in the finish with lots of dark-edged fruit, along with a loamy quality, which I enjoyed. Just a wee bit big shouldered and bold fruited for me, and probably not fair next to the more elegant and beautiful 2011.

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  • 2010 Big Basin Vineyards Pinot Noir Alfaro Family Vineyard

    USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

    The word that comes to mind is "exotic", both in the aromatic and the palate. and I mentioned this to Bradley across the table in that this same kind of quality is what I found last week in the Rhys Skyline, although that was a 2011. The aromatic is this exotic tone, floral, fragrant and just lovely. Dark raspberry, lots of acidity with refreshing dark cherry. Order in!

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  • 2010 Big Basin Vineyards Pinot Noir Woodruff Family Vineyard

    USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

    Tasted next to the 2010 Alfaro, which was really singing good, so hard to follow yet this Woodruff did just fine. Juicy and zesty, that same quality that is in the 2010 Coastview but this Woodruff shows better balance and weight. Raspberry jam, blueberry, and a ripe fruit core. A light cola note in the wine too and then a black raz finishing note. As with the Alfaro, also a wine I have now ordered for the cellar. Real good.

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  • 2011 Big Basin Vineyards Pinot Noir Coastview Vineyard

    USA, California, Central Coast, Monterey County

    Using for our dinner tonight....an impression here from having the wine sitting in the decanter about an hour. Of note, GSO dropped this off earlier this morning and this was recently bottled so call this wine a warrior. Listed alc is 13%. Aromatic smells cool, floral, like the high toned rose/carnation note I got recently on a Rhys pinot with a note of toast. Shows 2011, as the profile is juicy, raspberry, hard cherry candy and lots of river rock......now, back into bottle, will enjoy again in 6 hours. Man, this a winner! Another 2011 that jazzes me up. Awesome aromatic, accentuated by whole cluster that adds the top note, and with air, shows as a metal shaving. This same w/c note was something I also found to my liking in the Rhys and Anthill recently. And with the palate, like other well-executed 2011s, shows both minerality and raspberry fruit, with this red fruit aspect pure and balanced. Then, strawberry in finish. Another key to showing what makes this wine so terrific is that it drinks well at room temp, simply sitting in the decanter. Won't be released until Nov 2013 and will be an easy purchase of 3-4. Excellent.

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Flight 4 (3 Notes)

  • 2010 Big Basin Vineyards Syrah Coastview Vineyard

    USA, California, Central Coast, Monterey County

    Using for our dinner tonight....an impression here from the double decant I just put on the wine. Aromatic of blue fruit, floral too. Nice balance with bright, pure blueberry dominating. Juicy, bright finish. Looks like a good one, look forward to seeing what the slox ox does to this.....now, back into bottle, will enjoy again in 6 hours..............so 2 more perspectives, as I have that of dinner, and then now a day later sampling the leftover bottle. Over dinner, it showed a spicy, rocky note, dark blue fruit, pine, and chocolate. The finish showed some charcoal and dark black licrorice. And then a day later, revisiting it now, showing dark chocolate. a little streak of black olive, charcoal and a dark pitch of blackberry fruit with a touch of blue and a plush finish. There is enough complexity here to keep things lively yet it remains rich and youthful.

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  • 2009 Big Basin Vineyards Syrah Old Corral

    USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

    Using for our dinner tonight....an impression here from the double decant I just put on the wine. Shows a little heat in the aromatic, in a bigger style. I really like the palate, as it's more rugged, with blue fruit, tangy and zesty, which I really like in syrah nowadays, then a spicy finish. Be interested to see what the air does to this....now, back into bottle, will enjoy again in 6 hours......and from my impressions over dinner, the wine shows iron, crushed rock and an aromatic that is big in tone. Rich, spicy and mineral. Core of the wine is fairly dense with tar and creosote. Dark berry and iron in the finish. I also put 'gingerbread' in my note for the finish, to suggest what seemed like some new oak still in the wine. Big in scale.

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  • 2009 Big Basin Vineyards Syrah Rattlesnake Rock

    USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

    Using for our dinner tonight....an impression here from the double decant I just put on the wine. Floral lift in the bouquet, palate is leaner than the Grizzly and Paderweski. Tighter, with juicy, rocky/stony fruit and blue and red flavors. Terrific start.....now, back into bottle, will enjoy again in 6 hours......over dinner, shows ripe and big in tone to me. Lots of stuffing, tight and spicy, with rocky blue and black fruit, spicy licorice, tar and inky. I am mixed on this wine and I have liked the Rattlesnake in the past so I'll need to revisit this in the future. Others at the table found this wine to their liking so it's a matter for me of the wine's youth, my own palate preferring a leaner style, probably both.

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Flight 5 (3 Notes)

  • 2010 Big Basin Vineyards Homestead

    USA, California

    Another winner from the tasting/dinner. Of the 6 rhone reds we had through the meal, this was the only one not decanted ahead of time. So, an intentional drink and pour, to Bradley's instructions. Juicy, dark cherry, lots of iron, good length and balance and zesty blue fruit. Has elements of a forward style but there is great complexity here for a mid-30 dollar wine, terrific. This is worthy of a purchase and I will have some shortly for my cellar.

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  • 2009 Big Basin Vineyards Grizzly

    USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

    Using for our dinner tonight....an impression here from the double decant I just put on the wine. Shows garrigue and herb in the aromatic. Blueberry and roasted cherry in the core, good ripeness, some vanilla and mocha in the finish, along with some nice acidity.....now, back into bottle, will enjoy again in 6 hours.......this was tasted towards the end of tbe meal, and my palate was starting to get a bit fatigued. My notes above are pretty similar to my dinner notes, where I also found a mix of red and black fruit, dark edges and a spicy core with some good acid. My notes line up from both instances so I would say I am pretty close to what I'd find if I tasted again today.

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  • 2010 Big Basin Vineyards Grenache/Syrah/Mourvedre Paderewski Vineyard

    USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

    Using for our dinner tonight....an impression here from the double decant I just put on the wine. Shows a black raspberry, dark cherry and juicy edge. Lots of fruit here.....now, back into bottle, will enjoy again in 6 hours....the last wine tasted in the meal, probably the one that is least in my style of reds now. This will work for some, the Paso fruit lovers but this wine shows rich, big shouldered, with black fruit and iron. Nothing wrong with this wine and it will appeal to the darker fruit, bigger wine folks.

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