A Matter of Taste: New York

This was our first time at this event but I suspect prob not our last. Pretty intense day though - we started with the Christophe event at 9 am and went almost straight through till around 11:30 pm at the BYO dinner.

What a great story and presenter! Really enjoyable session. We actually ran 30 minutes over and it was totally worth it to hear some more about how Christophe views being a vigneron (not a winemaker), the story behind the different projects and different labels, his path to Washington State. Even the reason he stayed (because there were 'Gallet-like rocks in the soil' and yet he went mostly with Northern Rhone varietals. All fun and interesting. Also - this wines are helped quite a bit by age. Really appreciated seeing the difference a few years made with the Horsepower and Bionic Frog.

• 2014 Cayuse God Only Knows

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley

  This was quite nice and fresh. Nose is of sweet candied red fruit. In addition to the more metallic and bandaid notes that are often there, I get these really beautiful red fruits. There's a bit of an elegance to this. Less intense than other versions of this wine that I've had. Whole cluster fermentation and no new oak. This wine is actually only 90% Grenache. The other 10% is 'god only knows'.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2014 Cayuse Syrah Cailloux Vineyard

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley

  First Cayuse vineyard that was planted and one of the only ones that is on its own root stock. Blend of 94% Syrah and 6% Viognier. Again there's some of that Cayuse funk and more brine and meat and olives. Maybe background red fruits. Lots of tartness here. Touch of the barnyard. And lots of black pepper.

  Read 3 Comments / Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2014 Cayuse Syrah Armada Vineyard

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley

  This is a bit more intense than the Cailloux we had right before. It's again a lot of that brine and meat and metallic/bloody flavors. One of those polarizing wines that you love or hate. I'm in the love category.

  Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2014 Cayuse Syrah Bionic Frog

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley

  This wine is always just straight up excellent. One of the vineyards that ripens earlier rather than later. There's a great balance here between the fruit and the meat. Lots of sour red fruits. Lots of savory. And all just very balanced and well done. I didn't realize this was whole cluster fermentation, but it really works for it. More muted and too young, but good potential.

  Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2008 Cayuse Syrah Bionic Frog

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley

  This was really wonderful. Amazing what some age does to these wines (had next to the 2014 and it was good, but this was better). Some bloody, some red fruits. Lots of bacon fat, tobacco, a bit medicinal. This is a potpourri of flavors and all well integrated. I think it's still on the young side - will continue to let ours age - but man was it good. Really a great wine.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2014 Horsepower Vineyards Grenache Sur Echalas Vineyard

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley

  Had next to the 2014 GOK. Much less fruit here, much more savory. Lots of minerals. Christophe would say there's a verticality here because of how the vines are planted (very close together, taller). 100% Grenache which was procured from Beaux Freres in the Willamette Valley. For me this was a bit less tasty than the GOK although still quite fun wine.

  Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2014 Horsepower Vineyards Syrah The Tribe Vineyard

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley

  Had next to the 2011 and it was interesting to see how much even a few years of bottle age helps. This is still pretty young and tight, but there's a certain cleanness to the style. A bit more intensity in the mid-palate. Pretty minerals. Lots of savory. Again tasty.

  Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2011 Horsepower Vineyards Syrah The Tribe Vineyard

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley

  Really appreciated this one and what a few years can do for these. There's some more floral and fragrant notes to this than the '14. Still savory. Almost velvet in the glass. Again 100% whole cluster and only old oak barrels.

  Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

Didn't get to everything we wanted but lots of amazing wines here that were quite nice. It's also fun since there's a lot of spots we've either visited or will be visiting and so good to connect with the people behind the wines as well.

• 2014 Force Majeure Syrah Force Majeure Vineyard Red Mountain

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain

  Wow is this hardcore. Tons of fruit. Very intense. Coming on the heels of the Cayuse this just felt a bit much and a bit overdone to me.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2014 Force Majeure Cabernet Sauvignon

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain

  Similar to the Syrah. Very intense. Lots of bright fruits. It does feel a touch much to me.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2015 Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Lots of black cherries in a glass. Its also a fruity style, but more balanced than the FM we had right before. There's a certain restraint (I suppose some extra acidity). Still a bit quite - nice to compare next to the 2005.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2005 Araujo Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Still drinking quite young but really a beautiful wine. Fun to comparison to the 2015 which was served alongside. This was more interesting. Lots of intense black fruits. Also a bit of lavender. Well structured.

  Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2015 Joseph Phelps Insignia

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Fun to try this next to the 2002 and see where it might go. Right now it is high octane and a bit over the top. Heavier on the fruit side. Needs some time to tamp things down.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2002 Joseph Phelps Insignia

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  A favorite at the tasting. This was just delicious. More restrained than the '15. Some woodsy, red fruits, really nicely done. Will keep an eye out for this.

  Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2014 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Red Rock Terrace

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Diamond Mountain

  This was quite enjoyable. A more muted style which I liked. Lots of spices across the spectrum - a full cabinet of them. Very young but with some great potential. Interesting to see the difference in style to Volcanic Hill (which was not quite my vibe).

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2014 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Volcanic Hill

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Diamond Mountain

  This wine is just too much right now and coming on the heels of the Red Rock which was nice and restrained it was a bit of a surprise. Alcoholic. Darker fruits. Intense.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2015 DeLille Cellars Harrison Hill

  USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley

  I've liked these a lot in the past, but it wasn't quite doing it for me today. Just a high octane wine. More intense than anything. Would give it time to settle down. Fruit dominant.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2007 Dana Estates Cabernet Sauvignon Helms Vineyard

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford

  This wine was just lovely. So very well done. Like velvet in the bottle. Well balanced. Lots of black fruits. Great structure and acidity (impressive in that year in Napa). Still on the younger side, but a beautiful wine nonetheless.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2007 Dana Estates Cabernet Sauvignon Lotus Vineyard

  USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena

  On the heels of the Helm I was pretty excited to try this one. Didn't really live up to it for me. This was intense. Over the top. Lower acidity and less structure. More jammy. For folks who like that style this would be 'yummy', but not really my wine.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2015 Hickinbotham The Peake

  Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale

  Really nicely done wine. This is much more in the restrained style. Still lovely black fruits. Lots of floral. Mostly lavender. It's got a prettiness to it which I suspect is slightly higher acid. Well done and interesting.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2015 Brewer-Clifton Pinot Noir Hapgood

  USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

  Really well done wine. Lots of red fruits. More laidback in style. This is well balanced and tasty. Very enjoyable.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2011 BOND St. Eden

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Man I'm digging on the '11 Calis done by good producers. This wine was awesome. So awesome it seems I didn't take very detailed notes on it. Nice and restrained and a bit of the red fruit and that almost cinnamon character. One of the tops of the tasting.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2014 Arkenstone Sauvignon Blanc

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain

  Always a favorite for me. This was again really pretty. Lots of floral. None of the green or grassy notes. Some honey. A slightly heavier style of wine (almost reminds me a bit of white rhone in palate heft). Beautiful.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2015 Arkenstone Estate

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain

  Old world technique and new world fruit and the combination is just awesome. Lots of blackberry and blueberry and more spicy notes and a great structure and balance to tit. Young wine that needs a lot more time, but I'm glad we've got bottles. This always drinks really well.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2016 Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier

  Australia, New South Wales, Southern New South Wales, Canberra District

  Interesting to try this back to back with the 2015. This wine is a bit more restrained and elegant. Some less ripe fruit. A really nice style and I wine that I quite enjoyed.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2015 Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier

  Australia, New South Wales, Southern New South Wales, Canberra District

  Interesting to try next to the 2016 which was balanced and lovely. This was much more in your face and intense. Lots of blackberry. Lots of pepper. Felt a bit more overdone.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2010 Chris Ringland Shiraz Randall's Hill

  Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Range

  This is an intense wine as well, but there's also a balance to it which makes it a bit more interesting. Fruit a touch less ripe, almost a hint sour. There's good acidity to it. Tasty.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2012 Chris Ringland Shiraz Dimchurch

  Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley

  More of the intense style again. Very bright. Riper fruit. Didn't stand ot as much as some of the others in the Chris Ringland line-up.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2009 Chris Ringland Shiraz Dry Grown Barossa Ranges

  Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Range

  This is again a really intense wine that is done in a really good way. More fruit. Some tannins. Even with the almost 9 years this is a really young wine (also most recent release). With some swirling in the glass seems to get into a better spot and mellow some. I liked it. Tasty.

  Read 1 Comment / Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2007 Chris Ringland Shiraz Hoffmann

  Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley

  Maybe one of my favorites of the Chris Ringland line-up. There's lots of red jammy fruit and yet somehow this is a bit more elegant than I would have thought. Nice acidity that seems to stay in the background. Enjoyable.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2012 Henschke Shiraz Hill of Grace

  Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Eden Valley

  This is another favorite of mine from the tasting. It's just wonderful and balanced and elegant and interesting. Lots of fruit and spice and herbs and earth and its great. I look forward to seeing where this goes in many years.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2015 Kay Brothers Shiraz Block 6 Amery Vineyards

  Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale

  Had this on the heels of the Hill of Grace and I'd say this was good and interesting but perhaps got a bit overshadowed by that wine. This is a more muted style which I tend to like.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• NV Chambers Rosewood Rare Muscat

  Australia, Victoria, North East, Rutherglen

  This is very sweet and more intense and a bit nutty and some raisins and all of that. It's got a yummy style to it.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2015 PerSe Iubileus

  Argentina, Mendoza, Valle de Uco, Gualtallary

  Wow is this good. Another favorite of the tasting. These wines are so well balanced and well structured. Again a bit more of the old world influence but with new world fruit which creates such a great wine. Very pretty.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2015 PerSe La Craie

  Argentina, Mendoza, Valle de Uco, Gualtallary

  Again just a spectacular wine. This I might prefer a bit to the Jubileus which is saying something since that is an awesome wine. It's got a bit more of the darker fruit and the slightly more earthy tone coming from the CF. Beautifully done.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2013 Promontory

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Again really enjoyable. I didn't write very detailed notes on this, but it was a wine that I revisited again at dinner. More old world in style. Really balanced. Great fruit, but also more woodsy notes. It's great.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2009 Vietti Barolo Lazzarito

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Very pretty wine. It's got some nice red fruits and a more woodsy character as well. Very well balanced. Looking forward to our tasting here in a few weeks.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2015 Fattoria Petrolo Galatrona

  Italy, Tuscany, Val d'Arno di Sopra

  I always like the way the Italians do their Merlot. This was definitely too young to be drinking, but some good stuffing. Lots of red fruits. More refined style.

  Read 1 Comment / Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2010 Le Macchiole Paleo Rosso

  Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

  Very fruity and a bit more intense than the Galatrona we had alongside it. This was interesting and well done.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2007 Antinori Solaia

  Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

  Still a super young wine but drinking pretty well. Nice fruits and a bit more earthy. Very pretty.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2010 Elio Grasso Barolo Riserva Rüncot

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo

  Very pretty and very young. There's quite a bit of oak. Very crisp style though in the fruit. And generally well done.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2014 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Blanc De L'Orée

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  This is a very nicely done wine. Lots of honeysuckle. A nice richness. So balanced. And very pretty.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2014 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Le Pavillon

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage

  Brighter red fruits. More of a vibrant style of wine which is nice. Very young as you might expect, but well done.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2010 Château Pavie

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  This wine continues to be really great, but it's also just much too young. And tight. There's a heavier tannin. Lots of fruit. Hint more oak. Check it out again in 10 years.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2010 Château La Conseillante

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  Wow do I love this wine. Its young and not really ready yet but there's so much good here. Truffle and lavender and black fruits. I wrote awesome a few times in my book. Great wine.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2015 Château La Conseillante

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  This again is much much too young and it's a bit tight. There's lots of potential though. More pretty. More floral. Lots of fruit and maybe some chocolate and again some truffle. It's going to be really good.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2015 Château Figeac

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Again very pretty wine. Lots of herbal and fruits and some more floral style. It's of course much too young to drink now, but will be great.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2010 Château Figeac

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Towards the end of the tasting and so the notes are a bit less detailed at this point. There was something a bit different about wine. Not quite what I expected. Still enjoyable though and a bit pretty.

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2009 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  Also really nice and a bit more earthy and some good fruit and generally well structured and well done. Very good.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2009 Château La Fleur-Pétrus

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  Really interesting and beautiful. Lots of black fruits. Slightly more intense. Too young and needs a lot more time. But it's a great wine.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2005 Château Mouton Rothschild

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Last bottle at the tasting so glad that we got there when we did. This is very floral. Very pretty. Nicely structured.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2005 Château Trotanoy

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  This wine surprised me a bit. I expected to like it more than I did. It was a bit intense and perhaps a touch closed down and on the heels of a bunch of really great Bordeaux I would say it was nice, but not quite at that level today.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2008 Château Pape Clément

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  Last wine of the walkaround tasting for us so we were definitely pretty happy at this point. Again a bit more fruit and floral style. Some earthy. Very very young. Good wine.

  Read 2 Comments / Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

This was a pretty crazy tasting when you look at the line-up. And I didn't even get all the way through it (friend's birthday that day so we had to step out a bit early). The whole reason we signed up was the Unico which didn't let me down at all. But on top of that a lot of other interesting wines. Spain is doing good things. Also appreciated getting to drink some wine with some age.

Ok - by this point in the day note writing was pretty tough. And I know there are other wines we drank (our table picture shows some Brewer-Clifton, Knupp Brothers, Lail Vineyards, Opus One) but I don't have strong enough recollections of those for it to be worth writing the notes. The '82 Palmer however does stick out. That was awesome.

What a day! So many great wines it's hard to name them all. We'll definitely be back.