Friday Walk Around Tasting at Sam's Fine Wine & Spirits, Lexington, SC 12/12/2014

We braved the seasonal extreme traffic, and got there just in time to power taste the four wines in about 10 minutes. 3 of these wines were from Pierano Estates, a very respectable producer of extremely well priced, always concentrated and expressive red and white wines from Lodi. One of the wines was an estate grown 100% Malbec which is quite rare in California. The non Pierano wine was a Fruilano from Mendocino that could easily pass for Italian. There was interesting change of tasting order where the Petit Sirah was poured before the Syrah blend and the estate Malbec.

• 2013 Folk Machine Tocai Friulano 87 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino

  Unique and inspired, it would take little imagination to perceive this as made in Italy. There is an early picked, fresh acid crispness that is typically not evident in California. There is deep rooted minerality more European than typical Mendocino. Very low in alcohol, and quite lean for a California offering, this one is really something special. A bit of lime rind with grapefruit and green apple. Completely refreshing.

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

• 2012 Peirano Estate Vineyards Petite Sirah The Heritage Collection 90 Points

  USA, California, Central Valley, Lodi

  I'm becoming a big fan of this producer. All of their wines are rich and lush, varietally correct, and (don't tell them) under priced. This is an excellent Petit Sirah. I never thought we would ever get the chance to use the words, "lean and elegant" with Petit Sirah, but this is the first. This is still a very big wine, it just doesn't act like one. Rich dark purple color. Fruity blueberry and mulberry nose. Medium plus bodied. Definitely a fruit first red wine, but there is a commendable restraint that brings a very soft elegance. Plenty of dark fruit, blueberry first, followed by mulberry plum and blackberry. As you get to the finish, some youngish tannins and superbly controlled acid bring a balancing dryness that just works super. Clean fruity finish.

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

• 2011 Peirano Estate Vineyards The Other 87 Points

  USA, California, Central Valley, Lodi

  Last time we tried this wine was with a rather spicy rendition of spaghetti. This time we tried it along side it's Petit Sirah and Malbec stable mates. In this context, it tastes much more like a Bordeaux blend. Previously, the spicy sauce masked most of the flavor. This time, in a tasting situation, there is more influence of toasty oak, and a lot better chance to taste the tannins. Already has a few years in the bottle, and the chance for some more integration. The fruit has subsided a bit, but still shows some Lodi ripeness to the cherry, raspberry, currant and blackberry flavors. Some secondary stuff like leather and charcoal. Almost full bodied. Clean finish with some vanilla and dark fruit.

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

• 2012 Peirano Estate Vineyards Malbec The Heritage Collection 88 Points

  USA, California, Central Valley, Lodi

  We don't get that much of a chance to taste 100% Malbec from California and this one is real treat. It is very fruit forward but not over the top. They use rotary fermenters which helps explain the soft fruity approach. The color is dark red. The nose has fresh red raspberry with vanilla and some floral aromas. The whole aroma and flavor profile leans more toward red fruit than you would expect. The roof of the mouth is just coated with raspberry preserves. Has a rounded smoothness from some new oak and a bit of lees treatment. Still young, and probably in need of a decant. The finish is a very youngish, lingering red berry flavor.

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