The Wine Crew

The format is blind California Pinot and Chardonnay from the 2011 vintage. Dinner is catered from Bahar, Persian food is scrumptious and plus there's enough rice leftover to feed a small village.

• 2012 Vivier Pinot Noir Rosé 91 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  Very pale peach color. There's a dusty peach aroma emanating from the glass. Good strong dose of acid, medium plus with peach and pear flavor. Nice dry mouthfeel. Medium plus finish.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2009 Copain Pinot Noir Wentzel Vineyard 91 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley

  This bottle was open of eight days, amazing. Dark ruby and crimson. Nose is dark plum. Fruit is ripe with nice acid but not overt. Plum, cherry, and strawberry flavors tied together with a nice tannic grip.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2011 Liquid Farm Chardonnay White Hill 93 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

  Blind. My contribution to the Chardonnay flight which was WOTN for the flight, go figure! Well, I knew it was a strong bottle based on everything I've heard and read about the winery. It's always nice when the cashier rings up the bottle and says "that's a great wine".
  
  Very light straw color, looks like it might be thin. Oh, don't worry. Intrigued by the slight whiff of toasted almonds. Palate is crisp lemon custard, lemon and orange rind, backed by medium plus acid but its nicely balanced. Very long finish with lemon rind just lingering on the roof of my mouth.

  Read 1 Comment / Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2011 Kosta Browne Chardonnay One Sixteen 90 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Blind. My third, the groups second place. Very beautiful color, it's a mixture of yellow and green hues darting through the glass with crystal clear clarity. Bake apples and brown sugar nose, like grandmas pie on the window sill. While there is noticeable butter flavor resulting in a slippery mouthfeel, the green apple and lemon fruit hold up. At the finish, sweet toast oak.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2011 Domaine Pattes Loup Chablis 1er Cru Butteaux 91 Points

  France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru

  Blind. FMIII slipped this into the California flight, it was my second.
  
  Light straw color. I detected a touch of bandaid the first time i stuck my nose in the glass but then not again. In later notes I just stopped commenting on the aromas because something was awry with the olfactory, maybe the Santa Ana winds had me befuddled. Medium acid, green apple and a delicious quality to the wine. Medium finish.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2011 Poe Wines Chardonnay Ferrington Vineyard 87 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley

  Blind. I didn't enjoy this wine. Color is light. Toasty nose, big flavor, sweet and buttery. Medium finish. Too heavy and not balanced.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2011 Aubert Chardonnay Napa Valley

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Blind. Good clarity, nice sparkle. Sweet red apple and a clipped finish.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2011 Lucia Pinot Noir Soberanes Vineyard 93 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands

  Blind. My WOTN for the Pinot flight. Dark ruby color, surprising as so many of the 2011 are leaning on the lighter side, not this one. Great nose, best by far, beautiful complexity of red fruit and light toasted oak. Palate shows medium acid, cranberry, cherry, and rounded tannins. Oak lingers in the background never drowning out the fruit. Medium plus finish.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2011 Anthill Farms Pinot Noir Tina Marie Vineyard 91 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Blind. Color is on the leaner side, light cranberry. Muted red fruit and roe strawberry aromas. Very soft mouthfeel, tannins completely solved. Soft, feminine finish.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2011 Kutch Pinot Noir Savoy Vineyard 90 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley

  Blind group really like this more than me. Strawberry was the theme. Light strawberry color and quite cloudy. Strawberry nose and soft ripe strawberry flavor. A little sweet on the medium finish.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2011 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 92 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  Blind. This placed third for me and was last place for FMIII. I had three wines that could have been 3rd but i had to pick one so I could have been 5th of 7 just as easy because the lineup was so strong. Dark rugy color and good clarity. One of the better noses of the evening. Dark cherry fruit, light acid, and lots of stems with some oak. Medium plus finish. It probably lacks in the area of balance but it just tasted good.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2011 Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Summa Vineyard 92 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  Interesting color, a burnt red and a touch cloudy. Light red fruit nose and and the palate has tree fruit combined with raspberry and strawberry. Medium plus finish, enjoyable.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2011 Zepaltas Pinot Noir La Cruz Vineyard 91 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  Strawberry color. Muted crushed red berry flavor. Finish is gentle and stem notes are exposed.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2011 Clos Pepe Estate Pinot Noir Vigneron Select 92 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

  Blind. Groups 3rd and my second place finisher. I always like this wine, even blind I guess. The nose is stellar and I like the stem quality. Palate is burnt sandlewood, stem, and ripe raspberry. Huge finish.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2003 Switchback Ridge Petite Sirah Peterson Family Vineyard 93 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  This is my favorite vintage of the petite from switchback that I've tasted so far. Ripe blueberry and tar pour from the glass. It's wildly dark colored, borderline black. Dark ripe blackberry and black licorice with big gripping tannins. Finish is nice but the tannins are climbing out of the glass, still a youngster. Love it.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2006 McPrice Myers Syrah Les Galets 92 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Arroyo Grande Valley

  Wow, does this come out swing. Very dark color. Nose is dark plum and just a hint of fig and prune. I thought this might be way over cooked for me but its not. There's a huge chalky presence throughout the palate with spicey peppered black fruit. It's young, big, and brawny wine but very fun.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue