Important Update From the Founder
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Vintage Select Industry Tasting
Vintage Select Warehouse, Houston, TX
Tasted May 18, 2011 by GalvezGuy with 1,271 views
Introduction
Gretchen from Vintage Select was kind enough to invite me to this industry only event. I feel lucky to have been able to sample so many wonderful wines and meet the winemakers. I hope to be invitied back again.
Flight 1 - Alysian (5 notes)
Alysian is the new project from Gary Farrell. All of these wines were worth their price of admission. I felt that the Floodgate Rock Hill was the best tonight, I think the Hallberg might overtake it in the future.
White
2008 Alysian Wines Chardonnay Cresta Ridge Vineyard Taurin Block
89 points
Nice clean nose, lemon, granny smith apple, mineral, slight toast aroma. On the palate clean flavors of green apple, meyer lemon, slate. Creamy mouthfeel from being fermented on lees (not malo). Finishes with nice acidity and spicy oak. Not sure on value, but this is a very nice chard.
Red
2008 Alysian Wines Pinot Noir Russian River Selection
90 points
Lots going on with the nose, black cherry, raspberry, asian spice, clove, rhubarb. On the palate, nice flavor of pie cherry, rhubarb, cranberry, cola. Great kick on the finish with fine tannins and nice acidity.
Red
2008 Alysian Wines Pinot Noir Starr Ridge Vineyard, East Terrace
91 points
Great nose, cola, pie cherry, black cherry, spice, brown sugar. On the palate, pie cherry,cranberry, cola, brown sugar, clove. Finishes with nice tannins and very smooth acidity.
Red
2008 Alysian Wines Pinot Noir Hallberg Vineyard Crossroads
92 points
Nose of black cherry, cranberry, cola, rhubarb, spice. On the palate, cranberry, black cherry, rhubarb, cola, spice clove. Great balance, a little tannic on the finish, great potential over the longer term
Red
2008 Alysian Wines Pinot Noir Floodgate Vineyards Rock Hill
93 points
Great classic RRV nose with cola, black cherry, pie cherry, bing cherry, brown sugar, clove, anise. On the palate, pie cherry, cranberry, bing cherry, brown sugar, clove, spice. Great balance with fine tannins and nice crispness. Best of the Alysian wines tonight, I believe that in the longer term the Hallberg will surpass this wine
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Flight 2 - Barr Estate (4 notes)
The Barr Estate wines were good, but overshadowed by the some of the other wineries at the event.
White
2009 Barr Estate Winery Albariño
86 points
Crisp nose, lime, sea air, white flower, citrus. On the palate, lemon, lime, hint of spice. Finishes a little soft but overall very good.
Red
2007 Barr Estate Winery Malbec
85 points
Nose of black fruits and bourbon. On the palate black fruits hints of smoke and spice. Finishes soft with nice acidity. Good.
Red
2007 Barr Estate Winery Cabernet Sauvignon
85 points
Nice nose of black fruit, vanilla, spicy oak. On the palate, black fruit, sweet oak, finishes soft with smooth tannins, not much acidity. Good.
Red
2007 Barr Estate Winery Jubilado
84 points
Nose of violets, black fruit, oak, vanilla. On the palate, black fruit, sweet oak. Finishes with sturdy tannins, a bit awkward on the transition. Good.
Flight 3 - Bodegas Carrau (4 notes)
My first taste of Uruguay wines, the Sauv Blan and the Nebbiolo both showed great promise
White
2009 Bodegas Carrau Sauvignon Blanc Sur Lie
86 points
First Uruguay wine for me. Nice nose of citrus, herbs, grapefruit. On the palate, clean flavors of grapfruit, lychee, chives. Finishes with nice crispenss. Very good.
Red
2009 Bodegas Carrau Pinot Noir Reserva
82 points
Nose of pinot with cherry and spice. On the palate, raspberry, spice. Finishes very soft, not much there. OK.
Red
2007 Bodegas Carrau Tannat de Reserva
83 points
Nose of spice, black fruit. On the palate, black and blue fruits. Strong tannic finish. Tannat is just not my cup of tea. Still good for what it is.
Red
2000 Bodegas Carrau Nebbiolo Vilasar
87 points
Nice nose, violets, leather, red fruit, tar. On the palate, leather, strawberry, red raspberry, orange peel, tar. Nice tannic finish with lots of juicy acidity, lots of life left in this one. Very good.
Flight 4 - Brick Angel (3 notes)
Again, good wines overshadowed by the others at the event.
White
2007 Brick Angel Sauvignon Blanc Mello Vineyard
85 points
Odd nose for a SB. Nose of juniper, key lime, white flowers. On the palate, lime, kiwi, juniper. Finishes soft. Good.
White
2007 Brick Angel Mayday
84 points
Sauv Blanc/Viognier blend. Nose of peach, cut grass, white pepper, citrus. On the palate apricot, white pepper, citrus. Awkward short, flabby finish. Good overall.
Red
2007 Brick Angel "Littlefoot"
87 points
Nice nose, black fruits, tea, smoke, hint of mint. On the palate black fruit, anise, spicy oak. Finishes with nice tannins and good acidity. Very good.
Flight 5 - Coho (6 notes)
I had never heard of Coho before this event, they have a rock solid line up with the Merlot being star of a very outstanding group of wines. I felt that every one of the Coho offerings really brought the thunder.
Red
2008 Coho Pinot Noir Russian River Valley
90 points
Nice nose of raspberry, smoke, spice, and some pinot funk. On the palate, black cherry, cranberry, smoke, spice. Finishes with sharp acidity and smooth tannins. Excellent now, has some upside
Red
2008 Coho Pinot Noir Stanly Ranch Carneros
89 points
Nose of black cherry, spice, vanilla. On the palate, black cherry, pie cherry, spice, vanilla. Finishes smooth and sappy. Excellent.
Red
2008 Coho Headwaters
91 points
Nice nose of blueberry, plum, black raspberry, mocha, hints of blackberry. On the palate, blueberry, plum, mocha, spice, hints of tobacco and bell pepper. Finishes with sturdy tannins. Outstanding wine.
Red
2007 Coho Merlot Michael Black Vineyard
93 points
Bordeaux like nose. Plum, mocha, tobacco, blackberry, black raspberry, spice. On the palate, plum, red currant, black fruit, vanilla, espresso, herbs. Mouth watering finish. One of the best Cali Merlots I have had in a long time. Outstanding stuff with a great upside.
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Red
2006 Coho Cabernet Sauvignon Summit Vine Ranch
93 points
Nice restrained nose of mountain fruit, sour cherry, red currant, mint, mocha, vanilla, blackberry. On the palate, graceful and restrained, sour cherry, currant, mocha, tobacco, vanilla, black fruit, mint. Finishes with nice tannins and balanced acidity. Built for the long haul, this will be very special in 5+ years. Outstanding.
Red
2007 Coho Cabernet Sauvignon Summit Vine Ranch
92 points
Classic Napa nose of cassis, mint, blackberry, sour cherry, vanilla, mocha. On the palate, big with cassis, mint, currant, blackberry, mocha, vanilla, cherry. Finishes with massive tannins but has great balance. Outstanding wine with good long life ahead of it.
Flight 6 - Enkidu (5 notes)
After just being introduced to Enkidu wines, it was great to meet Phil and sample some of the other wines. Of course, I had to have another taste of the Sauv Blanc, I was pleasantly surprised by the Chardonnay, and the Syrah was pure silk. I still think the Sauv Blanc is the best of the lineup.
White
2009 Enkidu Sauvignon Blanc Kick Ranch
91 points
Nice nose, citrus, grapefruit, white flowers, hint of fresh cut grass. On the palate, peach, meyer lemon, grapefruit, minerals. Finishes with a creamy mouthfeel, nice acidity, long mineral streak. Outstanding, great stuff
Rosé
2010 Enkidu Syrah Rosé Shamhat
87 points
Nice nose of red raspberry and ripe strawberry with a little spice. On the palate, strawberry, spice, raspberry. Finishes clean with a hint of mineral. Very good.
White
2008 Enkidu Chardonnay Tin Cross
88 points
Nose of white peach, apple, lemon, spicy oak. On the palate, apple, guava, lychee, citrus. Finishes with a creamy moutfeel and nice zing. Very good to excellent.
Red
2009 Enkidu Pinot Noir
88 points
Definitely a Cali Pinot. Nose of black cherry, cola, clove, vanilla, cranberry. On the palate, black cherry, pie cherry, spice, cranberry. Finishes with smooth tannins and acidity. Excellent.
Red
2008 Enkidu Syrah Kick Ranch
91 points
Nose of black fruit, black cherry, raspberry, black olive, herbs, spice, vanilla. On the palate, blackberry, olive, sage, anise. Silky mouthfeel with a nice finish. Outstanding
Flight 7 - Kelleher (4 notes)
Another great group of wines. I was at Brix many years ago and it is good to know they have really respected the vines. I think that the 2006 Cab will be a very special wine with a few more years. The Sauv Blanc was also outstanding.
White
2009 Kelleher Family Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc
90 points
Great nose, grapefruit, fresh cut grass, lychee. On the palate, grapefruit, chives, lychee. Finishes crisp and clean with a mineral tone. Oustanding.
White
2010 Kelleher Family Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc
90 points
Nose of grass, lychee, grapefruit, lime. On the palate, grapefruit, lychee, chives, citrus. Crisp finish. Outstanding.
Red
2005 Kelleher Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Brix Vineyard
88 points
Nose of black fruit, sour cherry, mint, espresso. On the palate, easy drinking, blackberrry, currant, espresso, sour cherry. Finishes with big tannins and great acidity.
Red
2006 Kelleher Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Brix Vineyard
92 points
Nose of cassis, sour cherry, mint, dust, red currant, espresso. On the palate, blackberry, sour cherry, mint, currant, espresso, spicy oak. Finish with stern tannins balanced with good acidity. Outstanding has a great future.
Flight 8 - Mounts (5 notes)
I was struggling with palate fatigue when I got to the Mounts wines. The Grenache and the Cab were the most memorable wines. The entire lineup was very solid.
Red
2008 Mounts Family Winery Grenache
90 points
Classic grenache, nose of red fruit, leather, florals, hint of herbs. On the palate red raspberry, leather, herbs. Finishes clean with sturdy tannins and lively acidity. Outstanding now, could get better.
Red
2007 Mounts Family Winery Zinfandel
87 points
Very restrained for a zin. Nice nose of blackberry, blueberry, licorice, pepper. On the palate black fruits, melted licorice, pepper. Finishes with good acidity and best of all very low alcohol. Very good.
Red
2008 Mounts Family Winery Cabernet Franc Mounts Vineyard
89 points
Nose of sour cherry, bell pepper, tobacco, blackberry. On the palate, cherry, bell pepper, tobacco, vanilla, spicy oak. Finishes clean. Needs more time but excellent now.
Red
2007 Mounts Family Winery Cabernet Sauvignon
89 points
Nose of black fruits, mint, sour cherry, oak, vanilla. On the palate, blackberry, red currant, sour cherry, vanilla, oak, mint. Finishes with sturdy tannins but well balanced. Has a good life ahead. Excellent.
Red
2008 Mounts Family Winery Petite Sirah
86 points
Inky black. Nose of bramble, spicy, black fruit. On the palate, huge fruit, a litte over overpowering. Finishes with big tannins. Very good.
Flight 9 - Spanish Wines (3 notes)
The Rioja was a classic wine, full of finesse and subtle flavors. The Monastrell was a tremendous value. The Dulce was crying for a cheese plate, Great dessert wine.
Red
2001 Federico Paternina Rioja Conde de los Andes Gran Reserva
92 points
Classic nose, strawberry, leather, spice, orange peel, cherry. On the palate, red fruit, orange peel, spice. Finishes with nice tannins and balance. Needs a lot more time but has the raw material. Outstanding.
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Red
2009 Bodegas Bleda Jumilla Monastrell/Tempranillo
88 points
Nice nose of black fruit, licorice, funk, tobacco. On the palate, black fruit, anise, tobacco. Finishes with nice acidity. Great wine for the price. Excellent.
Red - Sweet/Dessert
2009 Bodegas Bleda Jumilla Amatus Dulce
91 points
Bring on the stinky cheese. This has a great nose of figs and molasses. On the palate, sweet dark berries, figs, raisin. Finishes with a nice acidic lift. Very unusual, would have never guessed Monastrell. Great dessert wine. Outstanding.
Flight 10 - Pomar Junction (6 notes)
These wines were good and probably sell very well, but they left me wanting a little more.
White
2009 Pomar Junction Vineyard Viognier
84 points
Nose of peach, honeysuckle, white pepper. On the palate white peach, white pepper. Finishes a little flabby. Good.
White
2008 Pomar Junction Vineyard Picnic Chardonnay - Canvas Series
84 points
Nose of apple, pear, butter. On the palate, apple, pear, butter. Finishes soft. Good
White
2009 Pomar Junction Vineyard Free Spirit Chardonnay - Canvas Series
84 points
Nose of white peach, apple, date. On the palate, apple, oak, lemon peel. Finishes soft. Good.
Red
2007 Pomar Junction Vineyard Brooster Red Blend
86 points
On the nose, loads of sweet oak, red fruit, vanilla. On the palate, red and black fruit, vanilla, sweet oak. Finishes soft with lots of oak. Very good. Bet they sell a boatload of this.
Red
2009 Pomar Junction Vineyard Pinot Noir
83 points
Nose of black cherry spice. On the palate lots of cherry and spice. Finishes with high alcohol. OK.
Red
2009 Pomar Junction Vineyard Syrah
85 points
Nose of pepper, blueberry, vanilla. On the palate, black fruit, vaniilla, Finishes with nice tannins. Good.
Flight 11 - Reynoso (2 notes)
These were very nice wines. I would like to see the 08 cab again sometime.
White
2009 Reynoso Sauvignon Blanc
87 points
Nice grapefruit, white flower and citrus nose. On the palate, grapefruit, lime, lychee. Finishes nice. Very good.
Red
2008 Reynoso Cabernet Sauvignon
88 points
Nose of blackberry, red currant, bell pepper, mint. On the palate, sour cherry, blackberry, bell pepper, tobacco. Finishes with sturdy tannins and good balance. Excellent.
Flight 12 - Sylk (2 notes)
Great Napa Cabs. Definitely a winery to keep an eye one.
Red
2006 Sylk Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon
90 points
Nose of cassis, sour cherry, blackberry, mint, spice, oak. On the palate red currant, plum, blackberry, mint. spicy oak. Finishes sturdy tannins and nice balance. Outstanding.
Red
2007 Sylk Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon
89 points
Nose of cherries, blackberry, oak, currants. On the palate, rich blackberry, red plum. cherry, oak. Finishes with sturdy taniins. Feels a bit overdone. Excellent.
Flight 13 - Tierra Roja (1 note)
Wow, wow, and more wow. This was a cab that could hold its own with the biggest names in Napa. Well worth the price of admission and something I would love to have a bunch of in my cellar.
Red
2007 Tierra Roja Vineyard & Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Tierra Roja
95 points
Wine of the event. Beautiful nose, cassis, mint, sour cherry, plum, blackberry, black raspberry, spice, oak. On the palate, huge huge rich cassis flavor with plum, black berry, red currant, espresso, tobacco. Finishes huge with great lift. Tons of structure. Great stuff. Worth the price. Can hold its own with anything out there. Classic Napa Cab.
Flight 14 - Waterstone (3 notes)
if there is a better value in the wine world than Waterstone, show it to me. These wines are great regardless of price.
White
2008 Waterstone Chardonnay
86 points
Nice tropical nose, pineapple, guava, golden delicious apple, meyer lemon. Palate repeats the nose. Finishes clean. Very good.
Red
2007 Waterstone Merlot
90 points
What a surprise, another Waterstone red that punches way above its weight. Nose of plum, black cherry, mocha, tobacco. On the palate, black plum, black cherry, mocha, vanilla. Great silky mouthfeel that only a good Merlot can give. Finishes with nice tannins and great acidity. Outstanding now, will be better in a few years. Outstanding.
Red
2007 Waterstone Study in Blue
88 points
Nose of red currant, blueberry, blackberry. On the palate, blackberry, blueberry, currant, Finishes with nice tannins but a little soft. This is one to drink now. Excellent.
Flight 15 - Other wines. (6 notes)
Ran out of flights in CellarTracker. The Estrada Creek wines represented the best value at the tasting. If I had a restaurant, I would be pouring it by the glass.
White
2009 Ceviche Sauvignon Blanc
84 points
Nice nose of lime and white flower. On the palate, citrus, grapefruit. Finishes soft. Good
White
2009 Estrada Creek Chardonnay
86 points
Nice clean nose, meyer lemon, apple, pear. On the palate, green apple, kiwi, lemon. Finishes clean. Very good, especially for the price.
Red
2008 Estrada Creek Merlot
86 points
Nose of black cherry, plum, mocha. Palate repeats the nose. Finishes with spicy oak and smooth tannins. Again, very good for the price.
Red
2008 Estrada Creek Syrah
88 points
Gamy nose, accented with violets, dark berries, anise. On the palate, dark berries, anise, sage, black olive. Excellent, well done for the price.
Red
2007 Perry Creek Barbera
87 points
Nice nose of red fruit, anise, twizzler. On the palate, cherry, currant, vanilla, oak. Finishes with nice acidity. Very good
Red
2007 Perry Creek Syrah Cobra
88 points
Good nose of black fruit, olive, licorice. On the palate blackberry, anise, vanilla. Finishes with nice tannins and good balance. Excellent.
Closing
Thank you for the great hospitality.