Napa Valley, California
Tasted Thursday, October 6, 2011 - Sunday, October 9, 2011 by lumpyelbow with 1,121 views
We head to Napa Valley with Brenda and Simon for a wine-centric holiday
Arrival Day. After a work to rule display by security at the airport in Toronto delaying our flight, circling SFO for 30 minutes waiting to land, and the car rental girl driving us crazy but having us in stitches the same time we made our Rooted in Oakville appointment at Groth only 30 minutes late. This was a highlight of the trip.
We drove to Stag's Leap Wine Cellars and biked the rest. There wasn't a lot of spitting this day so towards the end the bicycles were getting a little wobbly.
(10/7/2011)
No malolactic fermentation. Really light, neutral oak. Clean and brisk with a tight finish. Corn and Bugles.
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(10/7/2011)
Not showing or giving much. With vigorous swirling you can coax some perfume and vanilla from the glass. Not a lot of body, tannic finish.
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(10/7/2011)
More juice and dark berry than FAY. Still restrained. A little medicine. Good purity with a little exoticness. Young and hugh potential.
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(10/7/2011)
This is a blend of FAY and SLV. Fur, underbrush. Good berry. The only of the three showing some obvious cassis. Marshmallow, vanilla and Mango! Infanticide.
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(10/7/2011)
Sharp, high acid. Not well balanced, high acid. Pass.
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(10/7/2011)
Fruit forward with better balance and texture.
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(10/7/2011)
Pass.
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(10/7/2011)
Just plain bad.
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(10/7/2011)
No notes.
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(10/7/2011)
No notes.
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(10/7/2011)
No notes. But recollect enjoying this.
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(10/7/2011)
Finally some old world flavours.
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(10/7/2011)
No notes.
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(10/7/2011)
No notes.
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(10/7/2011)
No notes.
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(10/7/2011)
We were all struck by the beautiful lifted nose this had. Bought a bottle and had a picnic lunch at the winery. Excellent.
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(10/7/2011)
Out of all the wines we tried this was the most "Californian". Excellent wine that we had multiple times and was one of the trip favourites. A laser beam of vanilla fruit on the palate gave this a very distinctive signature.
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(10/7/2011)
No notes.
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(10/7/2011)
No notes.
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(10/7/2011)
Great lift. The oak is swaddled to increase complexity. Dark and warm with some exotic notes. Firm tannin, dry but not drying. Smoked meat. A favourite of mine.
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(10/7/2011)
Brutally tannic. Wild and ripe. Chocolate. 100% American oak.
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(10/7/2011)
The last wine after a bicycle tour of 4 wineries - no notes. Shame.
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Cakebread as a whole was very impressive, as was Phelps - the terrace view while sipping was fantastic. Duckhorn redeemed themselves with the visit - highlights were Three Palms Merlot. Opus was, Opus. I think the 2006 edged out the 2008. Mondavi tour was good - the wines were whatever.
(10/8/2011)
For me, the first white of the trip that stood out and offered a higher level experience. No malolactic fermentation which is surprising because this wine is so round and soft with the acidity in check. Ginger, apple, citrus. Loved it.
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(10/8/2011)
Strap leather. Fruit covered perfume, powdery florals. Tannins just starting to retreat. Good lift and poise. Powder and cherry, toothpaste, vanilla. The bottle age has been very kind. Fantastic.
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(10/8/2011)
No Notes.
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(10/8/2011)
Too young to truly evaluate. Great potential. Huge tannins and notes of rubber.
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(10/8/2011)
Higher acid than Vine Hill. Some florals. Again, great potential but too young.
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(10/8/2011)
Bracing acid but surprisingly balanced by just a touch of sweetness on the finish. An interesting juxtaposition. Lot's of apples. VG.
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(10/8/2011)
Peach. Bright and lively on the tongue. Very pleasant.
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(10/8/2011)
Excellent. Ethereal nose and delicate compared to Caymus. My Pinot of the trip, the others preferred the Belle Glos Clarke and Tele.
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(10/8/2011)
50% new French and American oak. The American oak throws a lot of activity into the mix. The group thought this was a bit busy. "Dirty, Dirty Wine". I liked it.
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(10/8/2011)
No Notes.
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(10/8/2011)
This trumped the 2008. More depth and complexity.
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(10/8/2011)
Some meat and tobacco notes. Astounding.... 93% CS. 100% new French oak.
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(10/8/2011)
No notes.
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(10/8/2011)
No notes.
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(10/8/2011)
No notes.
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(10/8/2011)
No notes.
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(10/8/2011)
No notes.
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(10/8/2011)
Really pure and discreet. A welcomed change to the intensity of the day before.
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(10/8/2011)
Really pure and discreet. A welcomed change to the intensity of the day before.
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(10/8/2011)
No notes.
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(10/8/2011)
No notes.
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(10/8/2011)
No notes.
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On the way to Calistoga we stopped in Duckhorn and bought a bottle of Three Palms. After visiting Chateau Montelena we drank it in Bothe State Park while eating Buster's BBQ Pulled Pork sandwiches. The most quaffable wine I have ever encountered. Too bad it's $90 a bottle.
(10/9/2011)
A bit disjointed and it couldn't convince me to embrace it like the other Pinots tasted did so naturally on their own.
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(10/9/2011)
Soft supple perfume. Shows some good purity. Good balance but needs time.
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(10/9/2011)
Putty on the nose with fruit and oak. Gumdrop on finish. Some right bank characteristics. Preferred this to the 2006 but the bouquet is looser than the reserve.
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(10/9/2011)
80% CS 15% Petit Verdot remainder Merlot. This was a chameleon, caramel came and quickly went. Fruit core but really not giving up much for me. Great but a bit puzzling.
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(10/9/2011)
Bell pepper on the nose. Subtle pepper. Lot's of vegetables... Celery? Tannin is very friendly. Peppers give way to eucalyptus.
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(10/9/2011)
Off dry Riesling. Really easy going. Would purchase.
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(10/9/2011)
No malolactic fermentation, neutral French oak. Wet stone, tropical citrus. Great focus, clean. Reserved, focused finish.
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(10/9/2011)
Not jammy or flashy. Untypical Cali Zin. Loved it. A little Pinot like with some spice. For $30 - astounding QPR.
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(10/9/2011)
12% Merlot 2% CF. Great cab for early drinking. More pleasing than Estate Cab at the moment.
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(10/9/2011)
I was a little worried about the weight of this wine. There is definite quality here and the tasting consultant said it will need time to come into itself. Purchased as our 7th Anniversary wine.
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2010 Groth Sauvignon Blanc
USA, California, Napa Valley
(10/6/2011)
5 months in French oak. No malolactic fermentation. 3% Semillon. Citrus, melon and stone. S.B. subtleties. Clean, crisp finish.
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2009 Groth Chardonnay
USA, California, Napa Valley
(10/6/2011)
8 months in French oak, 25% new, No malolactic. Aged on lees. Round and fully integrated with the oak. Subtle wood. Some buttery round melt in the mouth backed by nice acid.
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2008 Groth Cabernet Sauvignon
USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
(10/6/2011)
22 months in 100% new French oak. 12% Merlot. Light vibrant colour. Nice nose of toast. Round and easy drinking, put together well. Soft like Merlot. Fresh and quaffable.
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2008 Groth Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
(10/6/2011)
22 months 100% new French oak. 9% Merlot. The 4th vintage after replanting. Deeper in colour. Reticent nose but very round. More intensity but also showing more elegance.
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2004 Groth Cabernet Sauvignon
USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
(10/6/2011)
20 months in 50% new French oak. 13% Merlot. Showing some maturity in the glass. More perfume on the nose but also a little funk for interest. Balanced well.
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2010 Groth Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
(10/6/2011)
Barrel Sample! Some cloud, tons of fruit. Judy says the tannin is there, just masked by the fruit. Very heady with oak in the background. My first barrel sample so a great experience and a real treat.
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