California Wines

For this tasting, after numerous requests I decided to do a tasting of only California wines. The selections ranged across the board, from Napa chardonnay to Sonoma sparkler to an interesting Syrah from Red Hills Lake County.

First, a widely available sparkler from Carneros.

• NV Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noirs 85 Points

  USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros

  Though easy to drink, I was disappointed by this wine. There are nice strawberry and green fruit aromas which are replicated on the palate, but the bubbles are brutish and large, impeding the way for the flavors that this wine brings to the table. The palate is also relatively simple, again with raspberry, strawberry, toasty honey, and green fruit with a bit of apple and orange zest in the background. The finish is short but ample.
  
  All in all, very servicable, but not a sparkler that stands out in my mind.

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The whites showed well, with a solid and exotic Russian River Valley Pinot Gris followed contrasting styles of unoaked versus oaked chardonnay from Napa.

• 2007 J Vineyards & Winery Pinot Gris Russian River Valley 88 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Interesting for a Pinot Gris (though I'm more experienced with the Alsatian type), with plush yet crisp peach, mango, and cereal along with a hint of citrus and even deeper sweet and spicy fruit both on the nose and palate. There is a bit of perfuminess as well, and this wine holds it all together without being fat. Still, in my mind a bit overdone, and not my bag, though I definitely understand what the winery is getting at and they do it well.

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• 2006 Reynolds Family Winery Chardonnay 88 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  An unoaked chardonnay from Napa, which is something not seen often enough these days, this wine bringes an interesting aroma of banana peel (aldehydes?) with a hint of sweeter fruit. The attack is round but remains composed, and there is, much like on the J Pinot Gris had in this same tasting, an interesting tropical aspect to the palate. The midpalate is a bit thin, surprisingly, but leads into a fairly short but nice finish which sweetens a bit while retaining tropical notes. Not the best QPR, but a good wine nonetheless.

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• 2005 Miner Family Chardonnay Napa Valley 84 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  This bottle was put in the tasting to act as a contrast to the unoaked Napa chard presented at the same event. This chardonnay is the typical older school Napa Valley chardonnay, with toasty, spicy, and vanilla laden oak notes on the nose which predicted the round, in your face, oaky palate which did carry with it a wonderful (though upstaged) bit of green apple and citrus. The finish was off balance, oaky, and a tad hot. I see why Caliphiles would love this wine, but it's just not me.

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An admittedly disappointing but decent North Coast Syrah was made up for with a fascinating and rich Bordeaux blend from the heart of Napa.

• 2004 Jade Mountain Syrah Snow's Lake Vineyard 86 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Red Hills Lake County

  I was expecting a bit more out of this wine than I got. From the initial whiff to the finish, the wine is a little thin and watered, not what I would expect from a California syrah. That said, there is a pretty cool tinge of smoke here, which frames well an oaked, black fruit driven, and softly tannic core. For under $15, this wine would be a steal by California standards, but there's just something missing that could have made this one so much better.

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• 2006 Gain Bay Cabernet Family 89 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  On the nose, deeply fruity, spicy, and complex aromas of cherry, sage, a hint of strawberry, and some earth. The attack smoothly brings on similar flavors which are full-bodied without coating the mouth. There is a bit of heat that expresses itself here which is offputting to me but may appeal to more new world type drinkers. The finish lets loose of a once again complex array of flavors which lasts 20-30 seconds.
  
  To me, easily the wine of the night. Two bottles of this wine were had - the first was a pop and pour, the second decanted for around an hour. The differences were remarkable, showing me that this wine does benefit from a good decant right now, and may merit a couple of years in bottle before it really spreads its wings. Still, I find better values in the south of France and elsewhere.

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Both myself and my guests were better educated in the ways of the quintessential style of the new world's wines, and some good juice was had in the process. 30 people left happy, and I slept like a baby afterward.