7% Solution, SF 2015

General Observations:

1) There was a lot of elevated alcohol, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. There’s also a lot of structured wines with flavor concentration to balance out the heat.
2) There wasn't a lot of oak in the room. Lots of used barrels, concrete, stainless steel.
3) There was ripe fruit, but many wines were primarily savory in nature. Lots of non-fruit aromas (mostly good but occasionally bad)
4) Some very strong acidity, sometimes because of the microclimate, but often due to the varietals being used. e.g. Italian varietals that maintain acidity in warm to moderate climates.
5) I got a lot of off-aromas from Donkey and Goat. So far I’m still skeptical of the “natural wine” movement. (see note on the 2012 Les Chesnaies Chinon).
6) I asked Sam Bilbro (Idlewild) - “What’s the single most important decision as a winemaker, that you agonize over?” Paraphrasing his answer: “When to pick. If I get it right, I just get out of the way and the wine makes itself.”
7) Nathan Lee Roberts of Arnot-Roberts on vineyard selection for uncommon varietals: “In general, varietals are best grown at the Northernmost reach of where one can ripen them."

Top wines:

Good (Around 9)
2013 Jolie-Laide Rossi Red Wine - Grenache/Syrah
2013 Rein Riesling
2014 Scholium Naucratis - Verdelho
2014 Idlewild Arneis
2012 Idlewild Nebbiolo
2013 Calder Carignane

Interesting, and also good:
NV (2013/2014) Matthiasson Schioppettino!

All notes from this day, in descending score order: https://www.cellartracker.com/list.asp?O=Rating+DESC&table=Notes&TastingYear=2015&TastingDay=6&TastingQuarter=Q2&TastingMonth=5

• 2013 Nico il Greco Tanya's Vineyard 80 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  80% Greco (di tufo), 20% Fiano 2013
  L straw,
  M- intensity terpene-driven nose.
  Bone dry.
  Light in the mouth, disappears midpalate.
  Light.
  $25
  Around 8

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• 2013 Nico Wines Fiano Russian River 80 Points

  USA, California

  N: Low intensity, ripe baked apples with a hint of peach.
  P Bone Dry, Light on the palate - guessed 12.5, but it’s actually 14%.
  Decent malic acidity. A fair bit of phenolic bitterness.
  Stainless steel with a bit of argon bubbling to stir the lees without oxygen exposure.
  $25
  Around 8

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• 2014 Jolie-Laide Pinot Gris Rorick Heritage Vineyard 85 Points

  USA, California, Sierra Foothills, Calaveras County

  Color: Dull pink, near transparent. Almost salmon rose.
  N: Very little terpene character. A bit of yeast/autolysis type aromas. Hint of thiols bitter grapefruit. Tight nose. A bit of apricot character. Hint of sour apple.
  P: Overall impression is savory. Bone dry. Elevated alcohol.
  Moderate phenolic bitterness in the end.
  Malic acid - moderate to elevated acid.
  $28
  Around 8.5

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• 2014 Jolie-Laide Trousseau Gris Fanucchi Wood Road Vineyard 87 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Some color - very pale dull salmon.
  N: made me think japanese restaurant - vinegar / sweet ginger. interesting. Moderate intensity aromatics - sweet and nutty character.
  P: A bit of weight. A little elevated alcohol. Good acidity. Some impression of tannins and moderate minus phenolic bitterness. Some weight and texture. I like it!
  $28
  Between 8.5 and 9

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• 2013 Jolie-Laide Rossi Ranch 90 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County

  Grenache (Alban Clone), Syrah, co-planted (and thus co-fermented) with Muscat and Viognier.
  Moderate plus concentration dark ruby.
  Expressive nose of cherries, smoked ham (a bit of reduction). Smoked meats. Some black pepper.
  Palate: Brambly, stemmy, a very little bit of Brett on the back end. Complex. Aggressive tannins. Delicious savory fruit. There’s a lot going on in this wine - makes sense given it’s co-planted.
  Love this!
  $38
  Around 9

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• 2014 Scholium Project Blowout Rosé Sparkling Wine 85 Points

  USA, California

  N: Strong thiols on the nose almost to the point of stinky/sweaty character.
  P: Grapefruit soda! A touch of sweetness. Aranciata style grapefruit soda. I like it! Super Grapefruity. I really like this. Moderately small bubbles, fine texture, and not super carbonated.
  
  80% Verdelho, 20% Gruner from the Lost Slough.
  Carbonated after vinification in a tank!
  http://blowout-wine.com/manifesto.html
  $24
  Around 8.5

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• 2014 Scholium Project Naucratis Lost Slough Vineyards 90 Points

  USA, California, Central Valley, Clarksburg

  Pale straw, but moderate concentration.
  N: Dead-on light, airy durian. So good! I’m loving this!
  Durian: a bit of reductiveness, a bit of thiols, a bit of terpenes. Fantastic! Other fruit: Could also be custard-apple. Tropical fruit for sure.
  P: Strong custard-apple. Nearly dry. Phenomenal and heady. Thiols, creaminess, a bit of terpenic nature, and strong acidity. Slightly elevated alcohol. I like this a boatload.
  $28
  Around 9

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• 2014 Scholium Project Riquewihr Lost Slough Vineyards 70 Points

  USA, California, Central Valley, Clarksburg

  Riquewihr = village in Alsace > Haut-Rhin where the Grand Cru Sporen (Hugel’s Jubilee Riesling) is located. among others.
  pale straw bordering on green, moderate concentration.
  Bitter, stinky nose - reduction, burnt match - something burnt. (it’s a bit cold so the nose is tight).
  P: Dry. A bit of terpenes but dominated by burnt reduction. High alcohol - I’d guess 14%. , diminished acidity as one would expect from Gewurz.
  $42
  Around 7

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• 2014 Scholium Project FTP Kirschenmann Vineyard 75 Points

  USA, California, Central Valley, Lodi

  Cloudy, a touch of gold and salmon to it. Frosted slightly pinkish color. Heavy tears.
  Nose: expressive, candied jolly rancher fruit. Hint of thiols (bitter grapefruit), but more in the direction of unripe pear. Peach and florals. Overal character is mix of thiols and moderately ripe peach ripe apricot. .
  P: Bone dry, Empty on the midpalate. Diminished acidity and a bit high in alcohol. Aromatics are pretty but it seems to disappear mid-palate and it’s a bit hot.
  $54
  Around 7.5

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• 2014 Arnot-Roberts Rosé 80 Points

  USA, California

  Touriga Nacional
  Very light salmon in the glass - nearly clear.
  Nose: indistinct dark fruit, warm fruit. With a hint of sweetness - and yeasty beer-like tones. Smells unusual.
  Mouth: Indistinct dark fruits on the palate. Decent acid, slightly elevated alcohol.
  Overall impression is light and clean. Pleasant. Just a tiny bit of phenolic bitterness - not much.
  $24
  Around 8

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• 2013 Arnot-Roberts Trousseau 87 Points

  USA, California, North Coast

  Red wine. Light ruby, cloudy in the glass.
  Hint of carbonic character, bright cherry, earthiness in the black pepper direction but not rotundone. Expressive cherry. A complex nose. Youthful, like a cru beaujolais
  P: Some phenolic bitterness, satisfyingly grippy drying tannins. Light and aromatic. Like a cru beaujolais. It’s nice! Good acidity. I’m loving this!
  Whole Cluster fermentation - so there’s some carbonic maceration but they don’t force it.
  $37
  Between 8.5 and 9.

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• 2013 RPM Wines Gamay Noir 87 Points

  USA, California, Sierra Foothills, El Dorado County

  (Roberts, Parr, [Arnot] Meyers)
  A bit darker than the Trousseau: Medium-dark ruby, medium concentration.
  N: Delicious baked cherry pie. Hint of carbonic character.
  P: Fair bit of tannic grip. Full and ripe, alive with acidity. Jammy but not sweet. Well-made. Doesn’t have quite the crackle of acidity I’d want from a cru Beaujolais, but instead has a good tannic grip. Interesting!
  $30
  Between 8.5 and 9

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• 2013 Arnot-Roberts Ribolla Gialla Vare Vineyard 75 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  N: Overall impression is Lambic on the nose - Like a Sour Rodenbach. Brett? Bacterial?
  1/4 of the wine is fermented on skins in a clay amphora.
  Very strange.
  Palate: Balanced, dry, strong acidity. Tart and crisp with a bit of alcohol warmth. Tart, sour (malic).
  Don’t know what to think of this - it’s very odd.
  $40
  Around 7.5

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• 2012 Ryme Ribolla Gialla Vare Vineyard

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Skin fermented, 2 yrs in neutral barrels.
  N: Creamy, rich, pear-apple-pommaceous fruit. Complex. Secondaries (lees?). It’s good.
  P: Tannins - light impression of tannins. Rich wine. Strong clean acidity. A bit of weight and heft.
  I’m guessing 13.5-14% alcohol. (nailed it! 13.6%)
  
  De-stemmed and fermented on skins with 6 month maceration. 18 months in neutral barrels. - from producer website
  $36
  Around 8.5

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• 2012 Matthiasson Ribolla Gialla Matthiasson Vineyard 75 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Cloudy gold in the glass. Feels like a bit of oak treatment on the palate. Some lambic notes. I’m not feeling this. Weird. A little hot, thin. Dry. A bit of oak on the palate? Or just leesiness?
  
  Fermented whole cluster in a closed-top tank. 20 months in Neutral barrels. No SO2 until bottling.
  Alcohol 12.8%, pH 3.77, TA 5.5, 233 cases.
  
  $50
  Around 7.5

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I wasn't a fan of these. Several off aromas - perhaps due to low SO2 in the course of "natural" winemaking?

• 2013 Donkey and Goat Sluice Box 75 Points

  USA, California, Sierra Foothills, El Dorado

  Marsanne, Vermentino, Grenache Blanc, Picpoul.
  Blend: 31%M/48%V/13%GB/9%P)
  Tablas Creek clones.
  Cloudy gold. moderate concentration.
  A bit of a lambic nose (re-fermentation in bottle? bacterial? Brett?). Weird. Underripe pear. Metallic.
  P: Dry, maybe a slight pillow of RS. Moderate malic acid. Mostly savory, earthy flavors. Slight phenolic bitterness on the back end. Diminished acidity. Light. Earthy, not very aromatic.
  13.2% Alcohol
  50% skin fermented, 50% whole cluster. 9 months in neutral barrels. Bottled unfiltered. 311 cases.
  Harvested Aug 27- Sept 5.
  $28
  Around 7.5

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• 2014 Donkey and Goat Grenache Gris Isabel's Cuvée Gibson Ranch 80 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, McDowell Valley

  Pale Strawberry in the glass, Medium concentration for a rose.
  N: Not very aromatic. A bit of tight apple, underripe.
  P. Slight impression of RS. More structure than the Sluice box. Can’t really understand what’s driving this wine. Decent acidity. Phenolic bitterness on the back-end.
  100+ year old Grenache Gris vines.
  50% was made like a white wine - whole cluster press to neutral french oak.
  50% was de-stemmed and soaked on skins for 24 hrs, then neutral barrels. went through natural malo.
  $26
  Around 8

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• 2013 Donkey and Goat Mourvèdre The Prospector 80 Points

  USA, California, Sierra Foothills, El Dorado

  N: Smells off. Weird aromas.
  P: Very tart, structured. Some tannic grip. Dried cherry. Elevated acidity, moderate minus grippy tannins. Good structure but the aroma is off.
  $30
  Around 8

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• 2013 Rein Pinot Blanc Schrader Ranch 80 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino

  Just bright, slightly cloudy. Light straw, light+ concentration, reflections of green.
  N: Something really off. Smells off. Like paper shavings? Don’t know how to describe this.
  P: Strong acidity, lemony, a little hot? 13.5%? [13.6% Alcohol! Bingo! ] (maybe my palate is getting tired?) not super interesting.
  $22
  Around 8

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• 2013 Rein Riesling 90 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley

  James’ first vintage - knocked it out of the park!
  RS 4g/L (seems sweeter than that).
  Nose: Really nice, botrytis-driven. Vaguely lemony. Expressive. A bit of earthy tones - shaved cardboard? autolysis? not sure. But there’s some complexity to it.
  P: Reminds me of a mostly dry Austrian Riesling Smaragd. strong acid, lemony finish. 11.2% alcohol - very light. Strong botrytis finish. Very good. I really like this. A bit generous, kiss of RS. I really like this.
  Around 9

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• 2014 Rein Riesling 85 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley

  Near clear in the glass.
  N: Some fruity passionfruit. I got a faint whiff of botrytis at first, but now it’s gone. Terpene-driven.
  P: 10g RS? 13% Alcohol? [Way off! 3.8g/L RS, 11.4% 3.0 pH]Good acidity, equally tartaric and malic.
  Around 8.5

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• 2014 Rein Pinot Blanc Schrader Ranch 80 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino

  Pale straw, reflections of green in the glass.
  N: Weird off-aromas. Bitter. Stinky, acrid. Perhaps reductive.
  P: Ah it makes sense. Diacetyl. Buttered popcorn jellybeans. Has a diacetyl problem. Dry, a touch of alcohol heat. Moderate plus acid - overall impression is acidic, not because acidity is high but because the wine is overall a bit light/thin.
  $22
  Around 8

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• 2014 Ryme Vermentino Hers Las Brisas Vineyard 85 Points

  USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros

  “His” and “Hers” Vermentino are so named because the winemakers disagreed for the first time, and decided to vinify according to both of their tastes.
  
  N: Low to moderate intensity. Fresh on the nose. Vaguely pommaceous fruit. Unripe apple.
  Dry, weighty, some phenolic bitterness. Slight frizzante.
  Fresher, cleaner style.
  
  Whole-cluster pressed, settled clean, and then fermented in old barrels and stainless steel. There was a spontaneous partial malolactic fermentation.
  I like this, but I think I prefer the weightier skin-contact on the “His”.
  Around 8.5

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• 2013 Ryme Vermentino His Las Brisas Vineyard 87 Points

  USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros

  “His” and “Hers” Vermentino are so named because the winemakers disagreed for the first time, and decided to vinify according to both of their tastes.
  
  N: Low to moderate intensity. Darker color.
  N: Baby wipes (ethyl acetate? ????) Earthier, more going on in the nose than the “Hers.”
  Rests on lees for a while.
  P: Somewhat richer
  Dry, weighty, some phenolic bitterness.
  Well-balanced acidity in a heftier style.
  
  Fermented whole-cluster without de-stemming. Crushed by foot. Fermented on the skins for 2 weeks, aged 2 months in barrel.
  I like this a bit better than the Hers:
  Between 8.5 and 9

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• 2014 Idlewild Arneis Fox Hill Vineyard 90 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino County

  Nearly clear in the glass
  Nice nose of dried apricots. It evinced a scent-memory of roadside fruit stands in the California summer. A hint of robitussin - slight medicinal aspect. There's a tartness to the nose.
  Palate: Dry with maybe just a touch of RS (<3g/L). Honeyed character. Some viscosity, oiliness, weight. Tart acidity and taut balance. Super nutty and savory - slightly in the oxidative direction (this is probably the varietal - bitter almond and apricot!) Really good!

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• 2014 Idlewild The Bee 87 Points

  USA, California, North Coast

  Muscat Canelli, a bit of Friulano for structure, and a touch of Cortese.
  Nearly clear in the glass. Very light straw.
  N: Nice fruity terpenes. Fresh, almost frozen lychees. High-toned terpenes. Thiols are there but secondary.
  P: Some phenolic bitterness that the nose foreshadowed. Light, structured, good acidity, has bitterness. Alcohol is in control. I like this. This is good. Nicely-balanced light-style wine with big aromatics.
  Between 8.5 and 9

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• 2014 Idlewild The Flower 87 Points

  USA, California, North Coast

  Nebbiolo, Dolcetto, Barbera.
  Pale salmon-pink/rose petal in the glass. Light concentration.
  N: A bit of stink on the nose. A bit of earthiness. I like it! Ripe but indistinct and complex fruit. I like it - it’s nicely blurred.
  P: Dry. Savory. Earthy. Ripe pear. Not super aromatic. Light-bodied with good elevated acidity (combo of tartaric and malic) and overall light balance. Light cherries.
  Between 8.5 and 9

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• 2014 Idlewild The Bird Red 87 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino County

  Red table blend. Dolcetto, Nebbiolo, Barbera.
  Moderate minus ruby-garnet
  N: Savory, earthy, sweet, brown aromas. A bit buttery, like fresh pie dough.
  P: It’s excellent. Baked, plush, round, ripe fruit, good tannic grip. Medium body, medium alcohol, medium acid. Simple and good!
  Between 8.5 and 9

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• 2013 Idlewild Dolcetto Fox Hill Vineyard 88 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino County

  Neutral oak, full malo.
  Moderate minus ruby, Moderate minus concentration.
  N: Smelling a bit of stemminess. Ripe cherry, hints of oxidative warm round notes (not oxidized, just in that direction). Maybe this is whole-cluster character?
  P: A bit woody, maybe stems? It’s grippy, good, ripe, has a bit of a punch of elevated acidity, though the tannins have the final say. Nice!
  Between 8.5 and 9

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• 2013 Idlewild Barbera Fox Hill Vineyard 88 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino

  Moderate plus concentration bright ruby.
  Whole cluster.
  N: Savory, sweet, red fruit - ripe cherry, overripe peach.
  P: Elevated acidity, strong tannins. Very savory. Not umami tobacco, but stewed tomato. Think bright red. Really nice! A bit of spice - alcohol and stemminess gives a woody spice tone.
  Between 8.5 and 9

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• 2012 Idlewild Nebbiolo Fox Hill Vineyard 90 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino County

  Very light concentration red-ruby in color.
  N: Savory, mushroomy, tomato, rose petals - high toned. Faintly oxidative (not oxidized). Interesting and complex nose. Ripe peach aromatics. Savory baked aromas. I wish I had more time with this.
  P: Ripping tannins. Elevated acidity, elevated alcohol (14-14.5%?). I really like this. Gripping tannins with good chewy texture. Sweet flavors.
  Around 9.

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• 2014 Calder Wine Company Riesling 75 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Medium gold.
  N: Some off-aromas. Mostly thiol-driven (bitter grapefruit).
  P: Bitter, slight RS (6-8g/L?) reductive. Alcohol: 12.5%? (12.4%! bingo). RS??? They said it’s very dry - 0.05g/L
  
  After being foot-stomped and given skin contact for about 3 hours, the grapes are pressed and separated into two lots. The first lot (about 2/3 of the fruit) goes into a stainless steel tank and ferments for about 3 weeks at 55F. The second lot goes into 2 stainless steel barrels and sees no temperature control, finishing its fermentation in about 10 days. Both lots fermented in 2013 on the strength of their native yeast. After fermentation completes, the wines are combined into stainless steel, stabilized, and allowed to overwinter, completely untouched, on their fine lees. The 2013 was bottled without filtration on April 1st, 2014.
  
  Residual Sugar 0.04 g/L
  Release Date 4/15/13
  Harvest Date 9/2/13
  Alcohol 12.4%
  PH 3.26
  TA .720 g/100mLs
  Production 132 cases
  $20
  Around 7.5

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• 2012 Calder Wine Company Charbono 85 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  V: Dark ruby, near opaque.
  N: A bit of refermentation? Lambic character. Green olive character, verging on pyrazines or stem inclusion.
  P: Structured, savory, warm green olive tones with good acidity. Driven by warm, green, baked flavors. Very nice!
  
  "2.75 tons were harvested on October 5th, with another 3.7 tons arriving on October 17th. All lots were destemmed, but not crushed, and fermented in small ¾-ton T-bins with two hand punch-downs every day during fermentation, which lasted approximately 20 days. 50% of the lots fermented on the strength of their native yeasts. The 2012 matured for 16 months in oak barrels, with one new French oak puncheon representing 18% of the total, before being bottled on March 31st, 2014 with neither fining nor filtration."
  
  Harvest Date October 5th and 17th
  Alcohol 12.6%
  PH 3.68
  TA 0.638g/100mLs
  Production 276 cases
  $28
  Around 8.5

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• 2013 Calder Wine Company Carignane 90 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Redwood Valley

  V: Dark ruby, near opaque.
  N: Savory, dark, a bit of a brown sugar component.
  P: Strong acidity, savory, powerful, intense, with some tannic grip. Bright. Very nice! One of the best wines of the evening. Just barely-there Brettanomyces adding some spicy/earthy/animal character. Good stuff.
  Around 9.
  
  "3.29 tons were destemmed without crushing and fermented in small ¾-ton T-bins. The bins were allowed to use their native yeasts to carry out fermentation, which lasted for 18 days. Each bin was given two punch-downs every day in order to gently extract flavor and color, pressed off prior to complete dryness, and allowed to finish fermentation in barrel. The 2013 matured for 11 months in oak barrels, with one new American oak barrel (11% of the total) joining 8 neutral barrels. The 2013 Carignane was bottled on October 5th, 2014 and was neither fined nor filtered prior to bottling."
  
  Harvest Date 9/19/13
  Alcohol 14.1%
  PH 3.64
  TA 0.601g/100mLs
  Production 185 cases
  $28

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• NV Matthiasson Schioppettino 87 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Their first release of Schioppettino (also known as Ribolla Nero)
  Moderate ruby.
  White pepper and Black pepper. Lots of pepper. Cherry fruit. Earthy and a bit savory. Neutral oak. I initially confused the pepper for sawdust. Strong acidity. Moderate plus alcohol - slightly elevated. [strange - this is only 11.9%] Elevated to high acid. Low+ / Moderate tannins. A bit of cherry but mostly driven by secondaries. This is cool!
  
  De-stemmed, crushed, fermented in small stainless steel tanks. Punch downs and pump-overs. Neutral barrels for 20 months (4 barrels of 2013) and 8 months (2 barrels of 2014).
  pH 3.81
  TA 5.1 g/L
  alcohol 11.9%
  145 cases
  Between 8.5 and 9.

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• 2013 Stark Three Vineyards 83 Points

  USA, California

  Grenache Blanc (72%), Viognier (14%), Marsanne (7%), Rousanne (7%)
  Light straw verging on green in the glass.
  Nose: Vaguely floral, a bit of thiol character. Smells like cool water, sake - underripe pear, ice. Smells like water.
  Palate: Feels flat and weighty, but then has a fair bit of acid and moderate minus phenolic bitterness. Aromatics aren’t as terpene-driven as I’d expect, but the structure is nice.
  $22
  Between 8 and 8.5

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• 2013 Leo Steen Grenache Provisor Vineyard 85 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley

  92% Grenache, 8% Syrah
  Large neutral barrels.
  A little peppery. This is probably the most classically ripe, full, high-alcohol style wine I’ve tried.
  [14.1%] Good example of the style. Ripe but also a bit savory. Cherry, cherry, cherry.
  Score: Around 8.5

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• 2014 Bedrock Wine Co. Albariño Abrente 75 Points

  USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros

  Joint venture between Bedrock and Michael Havens.
  N: Floral, thiol-driven, grapefruit pith. Something off - reminds me of coin polish, chemically. Some terpene character.
  P: Alcohol is elevated. Strong acidity. More florals and white peach on the palate. Strong malic and tartaric acid. Clean, nice, juicy.
  Good structure though the aromatics are a bit off.
  $23
  Score: Around 7.5

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