Light golden in color. I've had the Cadman Chardonnay many times before (including the 2009), but this was its best showing yet. The bouquet shows honey, pear, honeydew, and a little wax. There are similar flavors on the palate, which has a wonderful roundness and creaminess to it, despite this having seen no wood. Bill Cadman said he thought this came from the stirring of the lees, done more in 2009 than in prior vintages. Great fruit, great balance, great wine. RECOMMENDED.
I've tasted many vintages of this great wine—including 1976, the second vintage—so I'd like to think I know it well. The 2011 is a fantastic effort and a return to form for this artisan Pinot. The alcohol level is down to 13.1% (from the high 14s and even 15s), but it retains the zippiness and structure needed to age well. A beautiful herbaceous, violet, and red currant-driven bouquet leads to a light, ethereal palate with refined fruit and great balance. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
This is a big, bold Zinfandel, Tulocay's first since 2003. It's enjoyable right out of the gate, but with deceptively high 15.8% alcohol it benefits from some aeration. Inky purple in the glass, the nose shows black raspberries, black cherries, a hint of oak (the wine saw 20% new oak), and a medicinal note. In the mouth I was reminded of Dr. Brown's Black Cherry Soda, in terms of both flavor and texture. Delicious. Some time later I got whiffs of candy necklace. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Enjoying older Tulocay is always a treat, and at 18 years of age this reminded me of why I cellar the Haynes Vineyard every year. Lighter in color than the 2011 (but not so much lighter that you'd immediately notice), this is well into the secondary aromas of smoke, iron, spices, and a little animal fat. There's still fruit present, but it's mature as opposed to bright. Not over the hill by any stretch, and an absolute pleasure to drink. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Dark purple, almost black in the glass. Sour raspberry was what hit me on the nose, and I got a little prune on the palate. Not a burnt taste, just a little brooding. I enjoy Tulocay's Syrah but find it less consistent than the Pinot. This needs time to open up. Something strange happened with this vintage that saw the inside of the bottles stained red. Bill and I speculated that the pigment was so intense and fine that it penetrated micropores in the glass. NOT RATED.
The first multi-varietal blend that Tulocay has produced, this is 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Syrah, 15% Merlot, and 7% Petit Verdot. It saw three years in new oak and is just being released after nine (nine!) years of bottle aging. Still, it drinks like a young wine. Very dark in the glass, there's an alluring nose of licorice and spices, as well as oaky vanilla, but more time is needed to see what will become of this wine. NOT RATED.
Dark garnet with hints of purple. Popped and poured and immediately showed dark red fruits in the bouquet, as well as spices, licorice, and a slight mustiness. This wine is still pretty tight, with intense acid and tannins, but shows a lot of promise. Unfortunately I wasn't able to revisit it after letting it air for a bit. Nine years is already a long time to wait for a California Cab, but I think it will benefit from at least three more years of cellaring. RECOMMENDED.
2009 Tulocay Chardonnay Cadman Haynes Vineyard
USA, California, Napa Valley
Light golden in color. I've had the Cadman Chardonnay many times before (including the 2009), but this was its best showing yet. The bouquet shows honey, pear, honeydew, and a little wax. There are similar flavors on the palate, which has a wonderful roundness and creaminess to it, despite this having seen no wood. Bill Cadman said he thought this came from the stirring of the lees, done more in 2009 than in prior vintages. Great fruit, great balance, great wine. RECOMMENDED.
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2011 Tulocay Pinot Noir Haynes Vineyard
USA, California, Napa Valley
I've tasted many vintages of this great wine—including 1976, the second vintage—so I'd like to think I know it well. The 2011 is a fantastic effort and a return to form for this artisan Pinot. The alcohol level is down to 13.1% (from the high 14s and even 15s), but it retains the zippiness and structure needed to age well. A beautiful herbaceous, violet, and red currant-driven bouquet leads to a light, ethereal palate with refined fruit and great balance. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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2010 Tulocay Zinfandel Napa Valley
USA, California, Napa Valley
This is a big, bold Zinfandel, Tulocay's first since 2003. It's enjoyable right out of the gate, but with deceptively high 15.8% alcohol it benefits from some aeration. Inky purple in the glass, the nose shows black raspberries, black cherries, a hint of oak (the wine saw 20% new oak), and a medicinal note. In the mouth I was reminded of Dr. Brown's Black Cherry Soda, in terms of both flavor and texture. Delicious. Some time later I got whiffs of candy necklace. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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1995 Tulocay Pinot Noir Haynes Vineyard
USA, California, Napa Valley
Enjoying older Tulocay is always a treat, and at 18 years of age this reminded me of why I cellar the Haynes Vineyard every year. Lighter in color than the 2011 (but not so much lighter that you'd immediately notice), this is well into the secondary aromas of smoke, iron, spices, and a little animal fat. There's still fruit present, but it's mature as opposed to bright. Not over the hill by any stretch, and an absolute pleasure to drink. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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2007 Tulocay Syrah Haynes Vineyard
USA, California, Napa Valley
Dark purple, almost black in the glass. Sour raspberry was what hit me on the nose, and I got a little prune on the palate. Not a burnt taste, just a little brooding. I enjoy Tulocay's Syrah but find it less consistent than the Pinot. This needs time to open up. Something strange happened with this vintage that saw the inside of the bottles stained red. Bill and I speculated that the pigment was so intense and fine that it penetrated micropores in the glass. NOT RATED.
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2001 Tulocay Empennage
USA, California, Napa Valley
The first multi-varietal blend that Tulocay has produced, this is 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Syrah, 15% Merlot, and 7% Petit Verdot. It saw three years in new oak and is just being released after nine (nine!) years of bottle aging. Still, it drinks like a young wine. Very dark in the glass, there's an alluring nose of licorice and spices, as well as oaky vanilla, but more time is needed to see what will become of this wine. NOT RATED.
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2004 Tulocay Cabernet Sauvignon
USA, California, Napa Valley
Dark garnet with hints of purple. Popped and poured and immediately showed dark red fruits in the bouquet, as well as spices, licorice, and a slight mustiness. This wine is still pretty tight, with intense acid and tannins, but shows a lot of promise. Unfortunately I wasn't able to revisit it after letting it air for a bit. Nine years is already a long time to wait for a California Cab, but I think it will benefit from at least three more years of cellaring. RECOMMENDED.
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