Saturday night Football and Wine

a couple of us gathered at Phillip's place to watch the arizona/carolina game while having some pizza and of course, vino.

• 2007 Etude Pinot Noir Rosé 89 Points

  USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros

  nose: really good depth on the nose with lots of melons, strawberries, roses, and some ligher tree fruit tones find their way lurking underneath. Very fragrant and pretty that has more depth then what I'm used to from a rose
  
  taste: very good depth with a really attractive light feel with rounded tones of roses, tree fruits, watermelons, and a good helping of strawberries. Good crisp acidity that makes this extra attractive and lends to the wine
  
  overall: an excellent rose that has just the right amount of acidity, aromas, and depth on the palate. Great classic feel that makes this a great summer sipper and good for food too

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• 1999 Château d'Orschwihr Gewurztraminer Bollenberg 85 Points

  France, Alsace

  nose: a slight bit of VA on the nose detracts a bit, but nice mature tones of honey, melons, pears, and bits of apricots. While mature, there isn't the depth that one would want from a mature gewurz
  
  taste: lighter feel with good tones of honey and pears along with slight bits of nectarines. A bit thin and hollow on the mid-palate with almost no real discernable acidity
  
  overall: its a nice wine and an interesting experience, but its lacking in a few areas that would make it much better. Its really the nose that makes this wine as the palate is a slight bit of a letdown, and the nose isn't exactly screaming. The acidity is lacking, but what is there is nice, though it does lack depth

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• 2002 Match Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Butterdragon Hill Flawed

  USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena

  nose: rather tepid on the nose with tones of root vegetables, dark cherries, milk chocolate, and mixed berries. Not much depth, and no real purity of flavors. This seems to be lacking a lot of the verve that I had expected from it
  
  taste: medium bodied and lacking tannins and acidity. Tones of tobacco, root vegetables, dark cherries, bits of cranberries, and some tones of mixed berries. There isn't a melding of flavors, and while its not disjointed its not working in full balance either. A serious lack of depth too
  
  overall: this is most likely a flawed bottle as what this bottle was giving us just isn't anywhere close to everything else I had heard and read here. Not even close to exciting and this was very disapointing. There wasn't any percievable flaw per se, but this just wasn't close to my friend's very recent experience with this wine and not really close to the other notes. Hard to give this a rating, but it wasn't corked, cooked, or any real glaring flaw, just a off bottle

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• 2005 Culler Syrah Griffin 89 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

  nose: very meaty and dark nose that is filled with tobacco, charcol, lots of black fruits, and smoke. Very old world in style and while it has good complexity and funky tones, there is a depth that is really lacking from this that existed in the 04. It doesn't captivate you like the 04 did
  
  taste: very firm and hard tannins with a medium/full feel providing tones of roasted meats, black fruits, tobacco, and bits of charcol. Really good balance, but there is a wall of tannins that will need some time to correct itself, though again it is lacking the depth that the 04 provided
  
  overall: A very old world driven california syrah. Very earth driven and dark fruited with good balance, but very drying tannins shield this and there is a lack of depth that is also hampering this right now. This will certainly need some years to come around and this is not for fruit forward fans in the slightest

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• 2006 Shane Syrah Valenti Ranch 92 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley

  nose: very quixotic nose that is rooted in both california fruit and old world style at the same time. Very well balanced with a smokey backdrop providing tones of rich red cherries, black cherries, tones of black pepper and some chalk tones behind it. This was drawing me in as I smelled it and was a very enjoyable nose as it was intriguing to smell the two styles working well together
  
  taste: Well balanced with medium body and nice medium tannins. Rich on the palate without being overwhelming that gives off tones of smoke, black pepper, red and black cherries, with some bits of black licorice
  
  overall: This is ready to drink right now, but can also age. So much for what was supposed to be a bad syrah vintage in california. This is a very intriguing syrah that works very well for both the new world and old world camp. Very well balanced with great texture and length on the palate and a good medium black cherry finish

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• 1997 Calera Pinot Noir Mills Vineyard 90 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Mount Harlan

  nose: when first popped, this had a wonderful dark cherry and mineral infused nose. This was recorked and served later on in the evening a couple of hours later, it had then become more rustic and harkened a volnay-like base of dried mushrooms, minerals, herbs, dried cherries, and bits of dark florals. Where it had gained some comlexity, it had lost some of the depth
  
  taste: very beautiful feel that flows well in a lighter style, again evoking a volnay with dried porcini mushrooms, various dark florals, red cherries, bits of raspberries, and tones of earth. Very smooth with still present acidity and even a bit of tannins
  
  overall: a very intriguing wine. I had provided this next to an 01 Groffier Les Haut Doix to give a differing context blind to my friends. This doesn't really scream california on the nose, but it doesn't really scream burgundy either. Instead its turned into a very interesting pinot with age on it that can easily go further. My main mistake was serving it when I did as I it was a better wine from the get go. I'll try to get my hands on another bottle and see how it is over the course of its tale

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• 2001 Domaine Robert Groffier Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Hauts-Doix 92 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru

  nose: beautifully balanced and fragrant nose of plush red cherries, sous bois, slight earthen tones, and lots of red and purple florals. Great depth with a bright base on the tones right now showing its youth. Its starting to shed its baby fat and the chambolle characteristics are starting to come out
  
  taste: nice and silky feel with a bit of elegance that the vintage brings as does chambolle. Soft and feminine tones of raspberries, red and purple florals, red cherries, and sous bois flow well across the palate. Nice fine grained tannins with medium+ acidity to remind you that this is a young wine just starting its window
  
  overall: a very fun and lovely chambolle. Elegant and feminine, but not neccessarily delicate. Great depth on both the nose and palate, this has an alluring nature that is starting to show and will show with a bit more time. While this is ready to drink now, it will be fully at its peak in 4-6 years so that the full sense of terroir really comes out

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The game quickly became second place due, but the wine and conversation took over, which certainly made up for the poor showing by carolina. It all continued late into the night and as always, a good time was had