Winery Tastings, Napa, May 2012

Coombsville, Howell Mountain, Moss Creek, Calistoga, Spring Mountain, Rutherford, Pritchard Hill
Tasted Thursday, May 17, 2012 - Sunday, May 20, 2012 by prettydeceextrap with 1,510 views

Introduction

Letter grade only; no numerical score due to bias of tasting at winery with wine maker and due to number of wines sampled per day.

Flight 1 - Thursday, 5/17 (19 Notes)

Started in Coombsville at Black Cat, then down the road to Whetstone; All the way over the hill to Clark-Claudon Vineyard; finished valley floor at Allora.
My Top 3 wines (no order): Black Cat Coombsville Cab, Whetstone Pinot Bella Vigna, Clark-Claudon Cabernet

Flight 2 - Friday, 5/18 (24 Notes)

Started way over the ridge at Moss Creek, then back through Sage Canyon to Calistoga for Arietta and Venge. Finished with Mike Smith at the Carter/Envy facility.
My Top 3 wines (no order): Myriad Dr. Crane, Carter To-Kalon, Venge Family Reserve

  • 2010 Moss Creek Sauvignon Blanc

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    (5/18/2012)

    (B+) Cool, crisp, and refreshing. Pineapples, mango, citrus, and a bit of hay. Drinks very smooth, yet still nicely drying.

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  • 2001 Moss Creek Zinfandel

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    (5/18/2012)

    (A) Still full and ripe. Wonderful liquor element and baking spices. Incredibly smooth. Very intriguing example of mid-aged zinfandel.

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  • 2007 Moss Creek Cabernet Franc

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    (5/18/2012)

    (B) From barrel. Cool red fruits and light minerality. Steel and floral elements, along with red fruits and some oak in the background. Not the typical Napa expression profile, but a bit more true to the varietal.

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  • 2005 Moss Creek Cabernet Sauvignon

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    (5/18/2012)

    (A-) From barrel. Cocoa, powdery tannin, cinnamon, and cherry. Seductive nose. Flavors slowly warm on the palate and finish strong. Still tannic and acidic, and waiting to express itself.

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  • 2006 Moss Creek Petite Sirah

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    (5/18/2012)

    (A) From barrel. Wow. Muscular and powerful, yet long and complicated. Mixed black and blue fruit, expansive tannin, and perfect wood structure. Amazing now, very intrigued with where this will go once bottled.

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  • 2007 Moss Creek Zinfandel

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    (5/18/2012)

    (B) From barrel. Interesting comparison to his aged zins. Sharper, fruitier, without the secondary liquor. Still nice, but pales in comparison to what this will likely be in a few years.

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  • 2005 Moss Creek Merlot

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    (5/18/2012)

    (B) From barrel. Smooth red fruits. A big nose that doesn't yet follow through on the palate. Nice silky tannins, acid not there, but still nice structure.

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  • 2007 Moss Creek Syrah

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    (5/18/2012)

    (B+) From barrel. Big, yet not overextracted. Nice sweet fruits and a bit of underlying wet rocks and spice.

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  • 2009 Moss Creek Sangiovese

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    (5/18/2012)

    (A-) From barrel. Light, yet nicely fruit forward. A little bit of burnt sugar in there. Some cookie elements. Changes rapidly with air. Very enjoyable.

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  • 2001 Moss Creek Zinfandel Port

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    (5/18/2012)

    (A) From barrel. Amazing. The brandy character is incredible, and the port drinks perfectly. Sweet red fruit, a bit of caramel, nice toffee and warm spices. Awesomely complex.

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  • 2008 Arietta Quartet

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    (5/18/2012)

    (B+) Smooth and silky. A bit of tart fruit peeks through pretty big blue fruit. Nice leathery finish.

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  • 2008 Arietta Cabernet Sauvignon

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    (5/18/2012)

    (A-) A wonderful cabernet, even if rather overpriced. Nice secondary level already present. Blue and red fruits mixed together, with cocoa, cream, and a bit of allspice. Spice and leather on the back palate. Nice lush finish with silky tannins.

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  • 2008 Arietta Red Wine H Block Hudson Vineyards

    USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros

    (5/18/2012)

    (A-) Still too tannic and walled off to truly assess. Lots of structure. Cutting fruits. Tons of backbone. Looking forward to seeing where it goes.

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  • 2008 Arietta Variation One

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    (5/18/2012)

    (B) A bit ripe, but lots of complexity to tie it all together. Big fruit, big wood, big finish, but somehow not as refined as the rest of their lineup.

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  • 2011 Venge Vineyards Spettro

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    (5/18/2012)

    (A-) An interesting blend, with a good balance of the supple chard with some sharper fruits. Finishes clean. It warms to a nice brown sugar and flower water finish.

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  • 2010 Venge Vineyards Sangiovese Penny Lane Vineyard

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville

    (5/18/2012)

    (B-) Lighter than prior vintages. A bit muted, maybe needs some time.

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  • 2010 Venge Vineyards Scout's Honor

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    (5/18/2012)

    (B) Syrupy and fairly hot. Nice flavors, and will surely be a crowd pleaser.

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  • 2009 Venge Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Family Reserve

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville

    (5/18/2012)

    (A) Excellent wine. Melange of fruit with underlying cinnamon and cigar humidor elements. Creamy. The back end resolves to a peppery, leather finish. Two minute finish. Very nuanced and complex.

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  • 2009 Carter Cellars Hossfeld Coliseum

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    (5/18/2012)

    (B+) Nice red fruits, touch of arugula flower spice, and a little cooling fruit. Not quite together.

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  • 2010 Quivet Cellars Syrah Hulda Block Las Madres Vineyard

    USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros

    (5/18/2012)

    (B) I prefer the Myriad las madres syrahs, but this has nice fruit elements. I'm missing the viney complexity and the cold-rock finish.

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  • 2010 Quivet Cellars Syrah Kenefick Ranch

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    (5/18/2012)

    (A-) Now that's a syrah. Big and powerful, yet not syrupy and flabby like so many others in Napa. An interesting minerality and powdery kick in the background highlights the dark fruit.

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  • 2011 Myriad Cellars Sémillon "Extended Elevage" McGah Family Vineyard

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford

    (5/18/2012)

    (A) From barrel. Creamy and sharp at the same time. A nice caramel complexity with wet grass and dried apricot. Biscotti. Lovely wine.

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  • 2010 Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

    USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena

    (5/18/2012)

    (A+) From barrel. Wow. Incredible wine. Concentrated yet long, masculine yet feminine, expansive yet focused. Amazing root beer spice pops off the back palate and mingles with the resolving blue fruits from the front. Nice acid. Forever finish.

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  • 2010 Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon The Grand Daddy Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville

    (5/18/2012)

    (A) From barrel. Wow again. Giant nose which is followed by amazing mingled red and black fruit, vanilla, cream, leather, and cocoa powder. Tannins still need resolution.

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Flight 3 - Saturday, 5/19 (20 Notes)

Started at School House on Spring Mountain, then up to the trailers at Behrens/Erna Schein and Relic; Across the valley to Mansfield; finished at Rubicon/Inglenook.
My Top 3 wines (no order): School House Pinot, Erna Schein Crowley Cab, Rubicon

  • 2009 School House Chardonnay

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District

    (5/19/2012)

    (B+) Very clean flavor profile, with citrus and stone fruit. Touch of sugar but you don't get an ML impression. Subtle grassy background.

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  • 2008 School House Pinot Noir

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District

    (5/19/2012)

    (A) Love the earthy character on this wine. Nice spice and delicate structure. Very distinct Pinot.

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  • 2008 School House Mescolanza Zinfandel Blend

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District

    (5/19/2012)

    (A-) Perfect peppery character admixed with soft fruit and warm spices. A lovely viney quality underneath.

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  • 2008 School House Mescolanza Syrah Blend

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District

    (5/19/2012)

    (B) Ripe and bit jammy. Red fruits. Nice ash and wood element. The vines are obviously younger than for their other wines. Will be interesting to watch this blend evolve

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  • 2009 Behrens Family Winery Sainte Fumée

    USA, California

    (5/19/2012)

    (B) Very ripe and a bit hot. Nice red/black fruit mix. Burnt chocolate element in the back. Big wine.

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  • 2009 Erna Schein Cabernet Sauvignon Spare Me

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    (5/19/2012)

    (B) A little flabby. Blue fruits, just a touch of vanilla. Good structure ... maybe needs some years.

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  • 2009 Erna Schein Cabernet Sauvignon Crowley Vineyard

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District

    (5/19/2012)

    (A-) Best wine of the lineup. Wonderful red fruits, with nice acidic structure. Tight, restrained, yet expansive on the palate. Lots of chocolate and well adjusted wood. Warming spices in the background. Very Spring Mountain.

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  • 2009 Behrens Family Winery Labor of Love

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    (5/19/2012)

    (B+) Big wine. Lots of Pritchard Hill muscle, though without the femininity I get from other PH wines. Black fruits overpower the bit of red fruit in there. Vanilla. Vine spice. Nice wine.

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  • 2008 Behrens & Hitchcock "The Heavyweight"

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    (5/19/2012)

    (B+) Blue fruits, oak, and a bit of fat. Glycerine on the palate ... there is acid, but I'm not sure it's enough to hold up to age. Very middle-back palate friendly.

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  • 2009 Drinkward Peschon Cabernet Sauvignon Entre Deux Mères

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    (5/19/2012)

    (A-) Lovely wine. Smooth yet aggressive. The fruit is restrained - red plums, blackberry. Nice integration of acid backbone. Cooling spices are a welcome surprise.

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  • 2009 Zeitgeist Cabernet Sauvignon

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    (5/19/2012)

    (B+) Sharp structure and a nice tannin/acid balance. Needs some years before doing its thing I think. A little too restrained now.

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  • 2010 Relic Wines Ritual

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    (5/19/2012)

    (A-) A bit different than the last couple vintages, but still maintains the spicey intrigue. Nice "cool" Rhone style. Gets the whole palate. Begs for food.

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  • 2010 Relic Wines Pinot Noir Kashaya

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

    (5/19/2012)

    (B+) Cool-style pinot. Seeded fruit character that matches the subtle wood character. Nice spices, though not as up front as I remember in prior vintages.

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  • 2009 Relic Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Artefact

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    (5/19/2012)

    (A-) Big hillside cab. I think this saw plenty of oak - the chocolate and vanilla presents itself up front. But the underlying structure has cinammon, cardamom, and is begging to be let out. Hopefully age relaxes the fruit a bit.

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  • 2009 Relic Wines Petite Sirah Old Vines

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    (5/19/2012)

    (A-) Peppery, spicy, and expansive. Black fruits, black color. Heavy tannins at this point. Very nice viney-mustard green background spiciness. Needs time.

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  • 2005 Mansfield Merlot

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    (5/19/2012)

    (A-) Very nice mid-aged example of hillside merlot. Matted purple color with a touch of change at the rim. Nose is highly expressive, with some vine characteristics mingling with red fruits, pie crust, and leather. The palate follows suit. Extremely smooth. Multilayered.

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  • 2009 Inglenook Zinfandel Edizione Pennino

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford

    (5/19/2012)

    (B-) Syrupy, rich, highly extracted. Alcohol is a bit too much for me. The fruit is wonderful though, and this will surely be a popular BBQ wine.

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  • 2009 Rubicon Estate Syrah RC Reserve

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford

    (5/19/2012)

    (C) Ripe. Flabby. Lots of alcohol.

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  • 2009 Inglenook Cabernet Sauvignon Cask

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford

    (5/19/2012)

    (B+) Deep blue/red fruit mix. Lots of structure. Well balanced on the acids. Good toasted oak character.

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  • 2008 Rubicon Estate Rubicon

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford

    (5/19/2012)

    (A) Excellent bordeaux blend. Just enough PV to give it that dark floral component. Wonderful earth and leather. Velvety back palate. Changes with air. Complex.

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Flight 4 - Sunday, 5/20 (14 Notes)

Started at Krupp Brothers/Stagecoach, then up into the Rutherford hills for Hall, and back down to Midsummer with Rollie.
My Top 3 wines (no order): Krupp Brothers Black Bart, Midsummer Clark-Claudon, Midsummer Canon Creek

  • 2009 Krupp Brothers Estates Chardonnay

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    (5/20/2012)

    (B) Nicely styled chardonnay, but the fruit is a bit muted. Very nice structure and complexity in the background. Warm spice, caramel, and a little bit of flower petal. I think this will improve in a couple years.

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  • 2008 Krupp Brothers Estates Syrah Black Bart Stagecoach Vineyard

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    (5/20/2012)

    (A-) Lovely syrah. They obviously were striving for a french style wine and they got it. Lovely underlying spice and flowers. Light syrah where you can actually taste the acidity rather than the alcohol. Well worth the price.

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  • 2007 Veraison Synchrony Stagecoach Vineyard

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    (5/20/2012)

    (A-) Nice color. Lovely herbal elements underneath black fruits. Hints at extreme complexity. Cinnamon and some cream tucked deep in there.

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  • 2007 Krupp Brothers Estates Cabernet Sauvignon Veraison Stagecoach Vineyard

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    (5/20/2012)

    (B+) Nice wine. Black fruits. Chocolate, mocha, anise. Very smooth already. Big yet refined.

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  • 2010 Hall Sauvignon Blanc T-Bar-T Ranch

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Alexander Valley

    (5/20/2012)

    (C+) Grapefruits, musk melon, honeydew. A tad syrupy, even when cold. Prominent perfume element.

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  • 2006 Hall Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    (5/20/2012)

    (B+/A-) Drinking rather well. Blue fruits. Some leather. Tiny bit of mocha. The tannins are slightly granular and the side palate is starting to round out. Finishes strong.

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  • 2008 Hall Merlot Napa River Ranch

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    (5/20/2012)

    (A-) By far the best of Hall's lineup at this tasting. Nice granular earthy tannin supports red fruits with a subtle black fruit elements. Some olive-y and leathery elements. Wet clay. Lovely.

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  • 2009 Hall Malbec Napa River Ranch

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    (5/20/2012)

    (D) Borderline undrinkable. Sharpie, glue, and a touch bitter. Bad bottle? At a tasting? Everyone else seemed to think it was OK.

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  • 2009 Hall Cabernet Sauvignon Ellie's

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    (5/20/2012)

    (B+) Very nice. Likely will get better with a few years in the bottle. Tasted Rutherford-ish to me, with chunky tannin and classic dust. Ash, cocoa, white chocolate.

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  • 2011 Midsummer Cellars Grenache Rosé

    USA, California, Central Valley, Yolo County

    (5/20/2012)

    (A-) Excellent rose with just the right amount of fruit depth. Sweet flowers, strawberry, melon. Nice cooling menthol element. Pale tobacco leaf. Lovely.

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  • 2009 Midsummer Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Cañon Creek

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    (5/20/2012)

    (A-) A well structured cabernet. Vanilla on the nose, as well as ripe fruit and dry hay. Lovely ripe front palate with brown sugar and warm spice. The fruit is dark and coats the side and back palate. Soft tannins make the finish linger. Very nice.

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  • 2010 Midsummer Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Cañon Creek

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    (5/20/2012)

    (A-) From barrel. Much like the 09, but with a bit more black fruit. Doesn't have the ripeness, but the fruit seems "tamer" and more accessible. Lots of soft tannin, just enough acid to keep it going. Nice.

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  • 2009 Midsummer Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Tomasson Vineyard

    USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena

    (5/20/2012)

    (A-) Seeded fruit character with a lovely floral component on the nose. Like smelling berry-bushes. Tannins are a bit hard, and I look forward to them calming down. Red fruit, liquor element in the background, but still finishes very silky smooth.

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  • 2009 Midsummer Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Clark-Claudon Vineyard

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    (5/20/2012)

    (A) A wow-wine. Dark fruit with cluster-fermentation type complexity, though I'm sure it wasn't. Dry flowers up front, cola element on the back palate. Complex cola spices marry with vanilla to create a palate-coating experience. Long finish. Fantastic.

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