Blinds at Nopa - Take 6 (with AL)

I did both of these wines orally, recording voice notes. It was a different experience just going through the wines without writing - I think in some ways I did sensory better, with less cross-thought. I had good sensory on the Albarino, but on the Cab, I definitely let myself be pulled by the aromatics to the Loire, until I realized nothing about the structure was consistent - alcohol, oak treatment, tannins, acid, and the finish.

• 2014 Neighborhood Vineyards Albariño Silt & Strata 85 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast

  Short note:
  
  Rich with sticky-ripe white peach and slight grapefruit character. Despite just-moderate acid, carries itself rather lightly. Well put together, regardless of typicity. Balanced with good fruit character. ~8.5.
  
  Blind Notes:
  Pale straw, hint of green. Moderate tears.
  This is semi-aromatic. Elevated intensity nose, with a hint of terpenes. As it warmed up, it developed some thiol (grapefruit) character and a dominant aroma of ripe peach, ripe apricot, canned peach, verging on canned fruit-cocktail. There are some typical white flower esters (generic white-wine) that aren’t super helpful one way or another (many young white wines have this). There’s a faint squirt of ripe lemon / citric character.
  Youthful. Straightforward (not complex). Primarily fruity (not savory).
  
  Dry. No signs of oak influence. Elevated alcohol—13%? [close - 13.5%]. Acidity is just moderate. Slight bitterness on the mid-palate, which I thought initially was phenolic bitterness, but it finishes clean — so I think there is no phenolic bitterness. Medium plus body. Moderate acid.
  This is balanced in a ripe but light way. Not complex.
  Primarily fruit-driven.
  
  Stylistically, this is a semi-aromatic white, cleanly made in a New-World, neutral-to-reductive style, and fruit-driven from a moderate to warm climate.
  
  Laterals:
  Austrian Gruner Veltliner: the acid isn’t high enough.
  Spanish Albarino: too much body, and too little acid.
  Alsace Pinot Gris: seems like an ok fit given the semi-aromatic character and just-moderate acid, but the fruit quality is super New World, there’s very little savoriness or earthiness, and it doesn’t show any signs of typical PG viticulture (slight botrytis) or vinification (phenolic bitterness).
  Alsace Muscat - not nearly floral or terpenic enough. I’d expect orange oil, lychee, rose, etc. Also too full-bodied.
  Pinot Grigio - Too much alcohol for Pinot Grigio.
  Rhone Viognier? Not nearly floral enough. Could be a New World Viognier.
  Oregon Pinot Gris? It’s way riper than the OR-PG’s I’ve had, but maybe.
  South American Torrontes? Seems too high in body, alcohol is too high. Aromatics would be more floral, less peach.
  Semillon from Australia? Acidity would be higher. Aromatics would be completely different (I haven’t tried Hunter Semillon yet - difficulties sourcing some locally. I’m going on theory here).
  
  Conclusions: Oregon, Pinot Gris, 2013.
  
  Actual:
  2014 Neighborhood Vineyards "Silt and Strata” Albarino, CA > Central Coast
  
  Discussion:
  This was tough. It didn’t fit in any clean boxes, and also was served cold so the sensory eval was tough initially. Knowing that CA aromatic varietals is a possibility at this restaurant, I might have preferenced CA over OR, especially given the warm climate fruit character and weight to the wine.

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• 2010 Di Costanzo Cabernet Sauvignon Farella Vineyard 92 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Coombsville

  Short Note:
  
  It’s what I like best about Bourgueil, with Bordeaux richness and some New World flare and intensity of fruit. The oak is worn very modestly, to my taste. Lovely balance within the context of New World structure.
  
  Sweet ripe green peppers with dark fruit and modest, well-melded oak accent. Phenomenally elegant balance with just a hint of opulence, and supple tannins. Persistent.
  Score: Between 9 and 9.5
  
  -------------------
  Blind Notes:
  Bright. Opaque ruby, no rim variation. Moderate tears.
  Nose: Dark fruit, pyrazines (stewed bell peppers). Some nice black cherry. On the nose, it screams ripe bourgueil, chinon. Clean style - New World. No obvious oak on the nose. Youthful.
  
  Palate: Fairly strong ripe green pepper pyrazines, and also ripe dark cherry fruit. Elevated alcohol: 13.5%? (14.3%). Ripe, with slight new oak - 20-30% new. I’m not good at calling Fr/Amer, but I’m guessing french based on more modest cinnamon/nutmeg spice character. Acidity is elevated. Tannins are slightly diminished. Youthful, with complexity. This is quality juice.
  
  Laterals:
  
  South American Carmenere - New oak isn’t common.
  Modern style of Bourgueil / Chinon - New oak isn’t common. Too high in alcohol. Doesn’t finish tart and dry - finishes ripe.
  CA Cab: Quite green for Cab. And oak is modest, and the tannins are quite soft for CA Cab of this quality.
  Left Bank Bordeaux: But it’s very clean, very modern. No Brett, no earth. Also a vintage this ripe would be 2009, and it doesn’t show signs of age (no bricking at the rim, no tertiary aromas). I think it’s young - 2-4 years. Also tannins are quite soft for a bordeaux of this quality. Plush, and diminished tannins.
  
  I’ve had this type of super-ripe structure from a modern (Rolland-influenced) Cotes de Castillon, so maybe this is a right bank wine, but there’s no merlot character (plummy fruit) and this is just so extremely green - I know that’s not a smoking gun, but certainly this wouldn’t be a good example of a merlot-dominated wine. And again, the tannins are too soft for a proper Bordeaux.
  
  Modern style Chilean Cab (cool climate, some oak, someone like Rolland consulting, perhaps, leading to a plush texture?).
  
  Final Call: AL went Left Bank Bordeaux, I went Modern Chilean Cab. There’s no classic call here - I don’t think this is a classic style anywhere.
  
  2010 Di Constanzo Cabernet — Napa, Coombsville, Farella Vineyard.
  Made by former Screaming Eagle winemaker, Massimo Di Costanzo.
  $85 on release, unavailable now.
  
  Discussion:
  Coombsville (the coolest area in Napa).
  2010 - older than I thought. A more structured vintage.
  20% new French Oak (looks like I was close on the % new oak- maybe a lucky guess, or maybe my read on the level of integration was quantitatively pretty good. As for FR vs. USA, it’s still a crapshoot for me, so I can’t pat myself on the back for getting it right this time.)
  
  I’m not sure what I could have paid closer attention to in order to get this. Massimo cites Cathy Corison as inspiration, but this wine is more supple in tannins, higher-alcohol, and cleaner than Corison’s wines, which always have a calculated touch of Brett. This is really good stuff, but I don’t think it’s typical for California Cab.

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