A bunch of wines with Friends at NVW&C

Earlier this week I was out in Napa to bottle. Carrie and Randy were kind enough to offer up Napa Valley Wine & Cigar as a landing place to drink some wines and order in some Pizza. Unfortunately, there were a few last minute no-shows, but there were about 7 of us who drank some interesting wines. It was great to see Randy and Carrie again as well as meet Linda who I have "known" online for years, but never met and to meet Jennifer and Jon. There were also a couple of the SonkinCellars 2012's opened, so there was just barely enough wine for the seven of us.

• 2013 Checkerboard Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc 91 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Calistoga

  This was, I believe, a sample for the winery. Light golden in color. The nose here is great. Almost grassy with a slight tropical fruit. Its delicate and not blowsy. Very nice medium bodied texture. The palate is really good, but a bit of a let down from the nose. Great minerality although not showing as much fruit. Slightly bitter on the finish. Decent acidity. Not profound perhaps but quite good. I didn't even know they made an SB and know nothing about its production or pricing.

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• 2013 Campesino Alina 93 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley

  Macario hits this one out of the park. This is outstanding. The nose is really complex. Floral qualities mix with tropical fruits and then also a waxy note. On the palate, this is a big white wine and full of fruit but in no way is it overpowering. Great slippery/oily texture and acidity counterbalance the fruit. No bitterness that sometimes shows up in white Rhones. This is delicious as a cocktail but works with food too. I think it is $28 and well worth the money. No idea how well it ages, white Rhone varietals are so hard to judge and I have little experience from CA on these. This is a 50/50 blend of Marsanne and Rousanne.

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• 2013 Dropout Albariño Andrus Island Vineyard 89 Points

  USA, California

  My first time trying this wine or even hearing about it. I have had very few Albarino's from CA (Abrente and Bonny Doon come to mind) and this is about as good as any I have had from CA or Spain for that matter. I never find it amazing, but it cab be a quite refreshing and enjoyable wine. This certainly hits those notes. The nose is very clean with a mineral streak. On the palate, it has a nice salinity with a mineral streak. Also just a bit of faint pears. Clean finish. Very nice.

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• 2009 Maison Ilan Morey St. Denis 1er Cru Les Chaffots 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Morey St. Denis 1er Cru

  Yes, this can be a controversial winery so, I thought it would be an interesting test. Randy indicated that he had tried it once and the bottle was quite flawed. I had purchased this on release. The cork was soaked to the top and broke in half when removing. A prior bottle opened for Randy had a similar cork and was DOA, so we were worried. On opening, it was allowed to breath for 10 minutes and then checked in on. At first there is a nice funk/merde on the nose which I liked a lot. It does smell much older than it is. The body is thin though although there is some cherry fruit. Overall, I thought it good, not great. With air the stink blows off which is good for some but I like that. The body continues to put on weight eventually settling in at a medium bodied wine. It also gets young or perhaps fresher is a better way to say it with air. For me, this seems correct and typical 1er Cru Burgundy. There is nice cherry fruit and layers of fruit and earth. Perhaps slightly advanced for 6 years from vintage but I think a few hours of slow-ox would have been a better way to open. It's easy to say now, but it seems like it would be identifiable as Burgundy in a blind tasting. I have no complaints with the wine, it is really good, and will hold my remaining bottle for a while.

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• 2012 Kanzler Vineyards Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 91 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  This is huge, big, bold, California Pinot Noir. Purple/ruby in color. The nose has black cherries, black raspberries, some cigar tobacco and plenty of baking spice. Full bodied. Juicy texture. On the palate, lots of dark cherry fruit, some boysenberry. Seems well made and I bet others liked this even more than I. Not really my favorite style, so that my notes with a grain of salt.

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• 1999 Herb Lamb Cabernet Sauvignon Almost Howell Mountain 93 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  This is a private bottling that Jennifer Lamb was kind enough to bring and share with us. As I understand it, the grapes are from a part of the vineyard at the base of Howell Mountain and that did not go into their regular bottlings. It was bottled separately and never intended for commercial sales. At 16 years from a good if not great vintage, she seemed nervous/curious how it would show. No worries, it was beautiful. Popped and poured without decanting, this was outstanding. The nose is really nice with lots of cassis fruit left, some cherries, a hint of soy sauce and baking spices. complex and pretty. There is plenty of fruit left on the palate although it is balance with acidity. With air firm tannins come out. Layers of complexity balancing earth with fruit. At the end of the evening, I did have one final sip and the wine was starting to fade, so perhaps this bottle was just about at peak now. Quite a testament to their farming and winemaking.

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• 2008 Herb Lamb Cabernet Sauvignon HL 92 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  This is still quite a young Cabernet. It probably would benefit from decanting/slow ox if drinking now. The last taste was the best for me. Purple in color. The nose has cassis, dark cherries, spice, and slight coffee ground notes. Very firm tannins. Lots of cassis fruit. It seems deep, but hard to taste to the bottom at this time. I think there is room for improvement with cellaring. The pieces parts are here, ripe but not overtly, nothing green, enough fruit to integrate the oak. I would like to revisit in five to ten years.

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• 2009 Cayuse God Only Knows 94 Points

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley

  This was different. I disliked my first sip and from there it just kept getting better and better. Kind of like watching fireworks that start slow and boring, but the finale is amazing. Darker in color than I would have expected for Grenache. That and the meatiness of the nose made me think this was Syrah until someone mentioned that it was Grenache. There is also some black pepper and lots of back raspberries. On the palate, it turns more to a Grenache profile but I would be surprised to hear that its 100% and without Sryah. Raspberries both black and red. Also and underlying charred wood quality. And also the peppery quality comes though. Still showing young with medium tannins. This is not a CdP look alike but a truly unique wine. Given its showing, I guess I would hold these for a bit longer.

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• 2012 Herb Lamb Cabernet Sauvignon Two Old Dogs 90 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  I did not get to hear the story about this wine so I am not sure if it is a second wine or a different vineyard. The bottle is screw capped. Purple in color. The nose has a nice cherry and dark cherry quality. There is also some bell pepper and a slight bit of dark chocolate. Considering its 2012, I suppose this might be from a cooler area of the vineyard or perhaps grapes picked earlier than the HL. Medium bodied. The palate has nice cherries, a slight green streak that is not overpowering or distracting. It is a lean, sinewy style of Cab. Like most 2012's I have had, this is already accessible but that doesn't mean it won't age well (I wouldn't put forth a guess knowing little about the wine). It certainly held up and didn't really change in the bottle. I quite enjoyed this one as well.

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Thanks again!