Mixed California Tasting

Jason's House
Tasted Sunday, August 14, 2016 by galewskj with 271 views

Introduction

12 of us gathered at Jason's to drink a selection of wines - the only criteria being California. I believe this tasting showed that the majority of California wines are driven by fruit. The better ones manage to be balanced at the same time.

Flight 1 (10 Notes)

  • 2006 Roederer Estate L'Ermitage Brut 91 Points

    USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley

    A small pour at a tasting. Nice brioche, spice, slightly nutty, and citrus. A crowd-pleaser.

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  • 2012 DuMOL Chardonnay Chloe 93 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

    Pop and pour, debated a short decant, which might be beneficial, but I had too many other things to do. Dark a small pour at a tasting. This has intense creamy golden fruit, some caramelization or toffee, spice and oak. Nice today, but I will open the next bottle in 1+ years, and I hope the oak is integrated further.

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  • 2009 Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Silver Eagle Vineyard 92 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

    Pop and pour, I thought this was good right out of the bottle. A small pour at a tasting. This is just a rockin' Rivers Marie pinot, and consistent with their style. Spicy fruit, orange peel, cranberry, wet stones. My last bottle, and showed better than 8 months ago.

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  • 2009 Scherrer Winery Zinfandel Old and Mature Vines Scherrer Vineyard Alexander Valley 91 Points

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Alexander Valley

    Pop and pour, drank a small glass at a tasting. While not a bruiser, this zinfandel seemed relatively more big and fruity for a Scherrer. It is gushing with red fruit, also has vanilla, some pepper, underbrush. I have one bottle left and I'd like to see where this goes in 2 years.

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  • 2008 Keating Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard 90 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford

    1 hour decant, drank a small glass at a tasting. There is no question this is Napa cabernet, but it isn't as amped up as its brethren. On the other hand, it doesn't have anything of interest to replace that crazy intense perfumed fruit that so many cabs have, so it comes off as just a muted napa cab. I'll see how this ages, hoping for more complexity in 3-5 years.

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  • 2009 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private Reserve 91 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    2 hour decant, drank a small glass and then an even smaller glass 1 hour later. This is a big wine. Mostly red fruit, cherry, raspberry, some chocolate. The tannins are still somewhat firm and there is some alcohol on the finish. Good now, but I will try not to open another until 2020+.

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  • 2009 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 91 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    Pop and pour, drank a small glass at a tasting. This wine is delicious and it has no structure. Big rich gobby red fruit, no acid, no noticeable tannin , but we'd just drank a 2009 BV Latour reserve. There is some vanilla oak. This is a Pamela Anderson wine. Tasty fluffy black cherry, cassis, black currant. This was a pop and pour because it was opened by our gracious host who'd been instructed NOT to open any more bottles, but he apparently couldn't help himself and opened this anyway. A great wine to try, I'd like to see how it develops with a couple more years or a decant.

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  • 2008 Saxum Syrah Booker Vineyard 94 Points

    USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

    5 hour decant and 3 hour slow o, drank a small glass at a tasting. This wine seemed to be in a good spot. It manages to be big and balanced at the same time, which is always an impressive feat. This is not my preferred style of wine, but it's hard not to like this. The fruit is red although it turns to darker aspects of black currant and black cherry. Good spice, minerals. To me, This seemed as good or better than the 2008 James Berry I had 2 years ago that was also the overwhelming wine of the night. I kind of wish I had more, but I don't. 94+

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  • 2005 Turley Petite Syrah Hayne Vineyard 92 Points

    USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena

    Decanted 3.5 hours, drank a small glass towards the end of tasting - which is where this wine belongs. The nose is quite special, leaher, garrigue, animal musk, damp rich black earth, some alcohol. The palate is more in-your-face bruiser Turley, Port-like in intensity, weight and flavor. I enjoyed this wine more than I thought I would, mostly for the nose.

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  • 2009 Château d'Yquem Declassified 91 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

    Consisent with previous note of 2/13/2016.

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