WB Dinner in Santa Cruz

WineBerserkers meetup in Santa Cruz

Open with some champs, lead into elegant pinots

• 2012 Bruno Paillard Champagne Assemblage Brut 91 Points

  France, Champagne

  Funky but lovely, some ox but excellent lemon curd and almond character

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

• 2013 Launois Pere et Fils Champagne Grand Cru Special Club Blanc de Blancs 92 Points

  France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

  So good. Concentration and bead are lovely. Creamy, mineral, great finesse on the palette. Long finish.

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

• 2009 Morning Dew Ranch Winery Pinot Noir Jan's Cuvee 95 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley

  What a lovely bottle wow. Well concentrated, lovely acidity, such a perfumed nose, first of red fruit, earth, and dying roses. Surprisingly sweet, slightly fading...
  
  BUT the great surprise to us all was that the wine seemed to come to life about an hour in, with a renewed sense of freshness. Dying roses turned to fresh strawberry, and the light fruit came through on the palette without losing any of the palette complexity. What a gift.

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

• 2013 Marchand & Tawse / Pascal Marchand Chambertin-Clos de Bèze 94 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Grand Cru

  Fantastic rendering on this. Earth and red clay dominate, with a luxurious and compact palette.

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

Some lovely Syrah as a jumping point as we get into further and further power

• 2008 Rhys Syrah Skyline Vineyard 93 Points

  USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

  integration on this was fantastic, it really is the whole package. Elegant fruit is balanced by some lovely tertiary action, particularly leaning into the umami, tannins come to play and acidity is perfect. Long finish.

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

• 2014 Weingut Beurer Stettener Mönchberg Spätburgunder Großes Gewächs 90 Points

  Germany, Württemberg

  This was interesting.... there is some definite funk on the nose, almost leaning into the fault territory, but the palette on this is super elegant and smooth. Dark fruits.

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

• 2007 Salvatore Molettieri Taurasi Riserva Cinque Querce 92 Points

  Italy, Campania, Taurasi DOCG

  Really lovely palette feel, powerful, and an elegant nose as well;
  leather, caramel, bramble, baking spice

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

• 2010 Château Branaire-Ducru 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  What a velvety, rich, and seductive palette. Concentrated but tempered by eucalyptus.

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

• 2021 Halcon Estate Syrah

  USA, California, North Coast, Yorkville Highlands

  TANNIC experiment!!! Hold off

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

Wines of the night? Launois 2013, Morning Dew 2009, Rhys 2008. The Clos would qualify but the QPR is too off for me.