2011 Las Madres Barrel Sample Luncheon

Vineyard Owner John Painter and his wife Jean were gracious enough to open their home up to host a barrel sample tasting of the 8 different wines coming from their vineyard. Clone 300 Hulda block and clone 174 Esther block. We started the day off with a lovely Rosé of Carignane from Envy which just adds to the bevy of mouthwatering California Rosé wines I have had the pleasure to taste from the 2011 vintage.
Followed by an unbelievable home cooked lunch prepared by John and Jean and a library tasting of past Las Madres Vintages.

the barrel samples were all young and showing many of the same Las Madres traits of pure fruit, meat and smoky goodness with winemaker nuances making each one distinct. Not enough distinction between them all to have separate notes but I'll list all the wines and touch on the ones that really stood out for this taster. all were Las Madres SVD blending wine from both blocks except for the Mike Smith wines. The Myriad uses Esther Block and Quivet uses Hulda Block.
Aspara - Robin Akhurst, winemaker
Eric Kent - Kent Humphrey
Myriad - Mike Smith
Vanité - Brenda Martin
Orin Swift - Dave Phinney
Lois Rae - Mark Finver
VIE - Bryan Kane
Quivet - Mike Smith

The Myriad showed off its' plush mouth feel and richness.
Eric Kent was 60% whole cluster and it showed with a lovely green olive/bell pepper nose and palate. 2011 was a lean year with only 21-22 brix and Kent liked the low alcohol results and seems to be shifting to the camp of less ripe lower alcohol syrah. With this effort I don't blame him.
Lois Rae was another one that stood out for me as Mark was able to capture the olive tapenade while still retaining the Las Madres signature Hermitage fruit profile.
Quivet, being from the clone 300 Hulda block, showed tons of structure and proves to be a wine worth may years of cellaring.

To be fair they were all good in their own right. This year as a whole provided a creamy smooth texture that was appealing across all samples. A few co-fermented with 3% Voignier but I failed to note which ones other than VIE and I believe Vanité.

We tasted through these before we sat down for lunch and my palate began to fatigue by the end of the flight. Not on the list as the winery and wines are not yet in the database were 2010s of Vanité and Aspara.

• 2004 Nicholson Ranch Syrah Consentido Las Madres Vineyard

  USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros

  04 was a brutally hot year in Carneros and probably this was the ripest wine tasted today. TRB was the winemaker. Nose of ripe boysenberry, blackberry and vanilla. Very ripe, fruity Syrah still with a nice amount of structure but the fruit was a bit over the top. Thought it would pair well with Vanilla Ice Cream.

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• 2004 Nicholson Ranch Syrah Las Madres Vineyard

  USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros

  This one was not as over the top as the Cosentido but still showing the ripe year. Better balance of fruit, acidity and tannin. Showing a touch of Brett but really a tasty wine.

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• 2005 Nicholson Ranch Syrah Las Madres Vineyard

  USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros

  Mike Smith had his hands all over this. 60% whole cluster, grower said they hung too much fruit and the olive tapenade was still there 8 years later. Another big structured wine that is coming into its' own. Wish I could have spent more time with this one as I found it very enjoyable.

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• 2006 Eno Wines Syrah "In Your Own Time" Las Madres Vineyard

  USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros

  Deep dark purple to black in the glass. Stewed plums, cured meat, bacon grease and blackberry juice on the nose. Big mouthful of fruit with accompanying spice and smoky goodness. Resolved tannins on the finish. All that fruit but not a jammy texture. Nice job.

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• 2002 Homemade Syrah Las Madres Vineyard

  USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros

  Still hangng tough after 10 years. Vinified by the vineyard owner and his vineyard manager. 50% Esther block and 50% Hulda block. Nose of violet and meat. Moderate black and blue fruit, balanced acid and fully resolved tannins.

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• 2006 Myriad Cellars Syrah Las Madres Vineyard

  USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros

  Nose of voilets, green olive, blackberry and blueberry. Palate is semi-rich and leans towards a meaty quality and the blue and black fruit profile. Finishes with ample tannins showing it has years left in the bottle.

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• 2010 Lois Rae Syrah Las Madres

  USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros

  This wine really stood out among the lineup of Las Madres wines and was the youngest one we tried form bottle. 100% whole cluster fermented and the green olive is huge on the nose and palate. Nice smoky black and blue fruit with loads of tannins to match. Great aging potential and a label to look forward to.

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Great examples of cool climate Syrah from one of the standout properties in Sonoma County.