Visit to Big Basin Vineyards

Big Basin Estate, Boulder Creek, CA
Tasted Thursday, April 16, 2015 by Wine Canuck with 404 views

Introduction

Full Blog Post: http://thewinenerds.ca/syrah-needs-great-view-visit-big-basin-vineyards/

Flight 1 (8 Notes)

2012 Big Basin Vineyards Roussanne Homestead Block 91 Points

USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

This pours a moderate straw yellow. This is from one acre of estate vines grown at approximately 1250-1300 feet of elevation. The nose is quite rich of hazelnut butter, evergreen, pine needles, dusty soil, white florals, underripe pineapple, banana, wood smoke, ripe peach and hints of butterscotch. While on the rich side of things there is a nice inner freshness. The palate is fairly fat with loads of sweet yellow tropical fruit. Medium plus acid and a medium plus finish of tropical fruit, green leaves and woodsmoke. The 25% new oak shows but adds complexity and doesn't feel overdone. The remaining 75% sees some used and neutral oak. Excellent example of Roussanne, and the only one being produced in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

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2013 Big Basin Vineyards Chardonnay Coastview Vineyard 92 Points

USA, California, Central Coast, Monterey County

This pours very light in colour and that is mimicked on the nose of mineral, fresh cut lemon, pear, cold cream, white flowers, lees, herbs and a light restrained caramel covered hazelnut overlay. The palate has massive acid and a medium plus finish built on cold cream and light hints of caramel. I really loved this excellent, restrained wine and found it quite Meursault like. The only drawback was a slight alcohol kick on the finish. This is grown in a very remote location, perched on a peak at 2,500 Ft elevation on the Gabilan Mountains that run down the East side of the Salinas Valley in the central coast.

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2013 Big Basin Vineyards Pinot Noir Lester Family Vineyard 90 Points

USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

This pours a fully translucent ruby with a watery meniscus. Lovely whole cluster elements dance across the aromatic profile with mild carbonic maceration notes as well. On the nose: strawberry, raspberry, wet soil, clay, hints of purple bubblegum and purple flowers. The palate has medium firm tannin and medium acid. I love the red fruited nature of this wine and the stems add some backbone and aroma, but I'm not always a fan of carbonic maceration (bubblegum) and that holds this back a bit for me. In many cases on my trip I found the 2013's to be in awkward spot and ths was no exception. The subsequent '14 gave me hope that this '13, while very good, was going through a phase.

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2014 Big Basin Vineyards Pinot Noir Coast Grade Vineyard 94 Points

USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains, Ben Lomond Mountain

(Barrel Sample) This wine was flat out stunning. 100% whole cluster. The knockout aromatics are of smoke, incense, crushed rocks, blood orange, grapefruit zest, cranberry, terragon/anise/fennel and pomegranate. The palate has medium plus tannin and medium plus acid. Very savoury wine. Just fantastic. If the finished/blended wine turns out as good as this single barrel, buyers are in for a treat. From a steep site on the coast at high elevation (1,238 to 1,350 feet) southwest facing, about 3 miles from the coast, Santa Cruz Mountains AVA.

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2011 Big Basin Vineyards Grizzly 87 Points

USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

In this vintage, Grizzly is a GSM. The nose blends sweet ripe mixed berry fruit with some inorganic earth notes. The nose is of blueberry compote, ripe strawberry, floral perfume, walnut skin and strawberry hard candy. Palate is lush and ripe with medium tannin and medium acid. The finish is carried on strawberry hard candy. Decent, though not really my favourite style.

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2013 Big Basin Vineyards Grizzly Grenache 88 Points

USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

In this vintage Grizzly is 100% Grenache. The nose is of red jujubes, strawberry, kirsch, red bubblegum, red licorice and alcohol. The palate is lush and juicy with big, powerful red fruit. The acid, tannins and alcohol are all elevated on the palate. Again, not my favourite expression of grenache. Not overripe, but the fruit is too much in the forefront for me. I would appreciate a little more secondary complexity.

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2011 Big Basin Vineyards Syrah Old Corral 93 Points

USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

This Estate Syrah is beautiful and especially in this vintage expresses the lovely cooler climate aromatics that make Syrah so appealing to me. In this vintage Matt indicated that all the fruit was destemmed, but this doesn't seem to have had a negative effect on the aromatics. From the pop and pour the nose is captivating. Total Northern Rhone look alike. Nose of fresh green olive, dill pickle chips, brine, creosote, crushed gravel, bacon fat, blueberry, mulberry, dark cherry, cedar, new leather and hints of black pepper. The Palate features a thoroughly enjoyable mouthfeel. It is lush with deep rich dark cherry notes and the green olive and herbal character in support. 40% of the blend sees new oak, but this wine handles it well. Gorgeous!

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2012 Big Basin Vineyards Syrah Coastview Vineyard 89 Points

USA, California, Central Coast, Monterey County

This wine felt to me to be centered on the blue pungent fruit. The nose is of blueberry, mulberry, plum jam, loads of violets and a hint of granite. The palate is again pungent with elevated alcohol and loads of mixed dark berry fruit and violets. While very pure I would like to see some secondary notes even at this young age in order for it to score higher.

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