Over-Under Spring 2016

Tasted Thursday, June 9, 2016 by pgb67 with 362 views

Introduction

Over the course of several get-togethers this Spring, we've had some wines that overachieved and were spectacular and then we've also had quite a few duds that underachieved.

Flight 1 - Overachievers (5 Notes)

Saxum, Carlisle and R-M are well represented in my cellar, and I've been buying them for years, so I'm pleased that they still work for my palate. Most of the hits seem to be on the young side (hmm?).

  • 2013 Saxum Heart Stone Vineyard 95 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

    I usually don't drink Saxum young because I figure for $100 I want to let it age and gain complexity, but I tried this one as an experiment ... and wow was it great. More supple and energetic than any other wine I've had from this winery with a delicious blue and black fruit profile and hints of meat and spice. Well balanced and quite gulpable.

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  • 2012 Calabretta Pinot Nero Etna 92 Points

    Italy, Sicily, Etna DOC

    This is as tasty a pinot noir as you can find in the $30 range. Combines Burgundy brightness, Italian rusticity, California fruitiness, with a dash of Etna ash. Ready to go now but Calabretta wines also age well. Crushed raspberry, fig, loamy earth.

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  • 2010 Carlisle Zinfandel Rossi Ranch 93 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley

    Powerful, delicious, layered with flavors of strawberry-raspberry jam, dark red cherries, and plum, with accents of sage and pepper. Floral aromas. Maybe a tad one-dimensional (drank it with a well-aged, high-end Bordeaux that showed more evolution in glass but high-end Bordeaux will usually outshine most competition; it's kind of a uncomfortable truth).

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  • 2011 Caves Saint-Pierre Châteauneuf-du-Pape Le Fiacre du Pape 91 Points

    France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

    2011 seems like a good early-drinking vintage for CdP. Black cherry, bitter plum, hints of bay leaf and black olive. This was a gift but I think it's a Trader Joe's product and a good deal.

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  • 2014 Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 94 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

    Opened as an experiment to check on the 2014 R-Ms and wow was this good, especially considering price point. Pure, supple & fleshy with telltale R-M notes of orange rind and pomegranate.

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Flight 2 - Underachievers (5 Notes)

The wineries are big names, but maybe the vintages weren't the best or the wines are over the hill/closed

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