VCTE III & OC Poker

The third Cellar Tracker Forum, Virtual Community Tasting Event was good enough excuse for a get together of some poker and later on pool sharking. We used bottles for the pot, each person entering a bottle between $25-30. We had six people so we had the winner take home the five bottles he didn't bring with the runner up taking the winners entry. Coming close to a victory I suffered to a late comeback by Patrick who finally out kicked me to take home the pot. A late trade gave me the McHenry Pinot that Jeremy brought. We played pool some afterwards and then crashed the other party going on where there were some nice bottles open. A couple I got good tastes of are included in my notes at the end.

A terrific time and great to meet some of the CT Forum crew as well as see familiar faces. We are already planning the next go around!

• 2006 E. Guigal Condrieu

  France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Condrieu

  Big nose nose of pure clean spicey Viognier though not very complex. Big round midpalate with a soft soapy character. Some heat on the finish this seemed tight to me overall though it was open over night.

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• 2007 Fritz Haag Riesling

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Steely nose showing lime, light peach with a touch of petrol. Limey slate qualities over a chunky rough palate with some skin like bitterness. Not too much residual sugar but the structure seemed off.

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• 2007 Weingut Josef Leitz Rüdesheimer Drachenstein Riesling Dragonstone

  Germany, Rheingau

  Nose is very tight giving up nothing. Well balanced with nice acidity and plenty of fruit towards the tropical side of Riesling. Fat midpalate but more in the generosity of fruit that overly sweet. This didn't seem to have the focus of some better wines from the region but a nice bottle for the money. Somehow seems more friendly to a wider range of audiences than other German Rieslings might.

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• 2005 d'Arenberg Shiraz The Dead Arm

  Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale

  Dense nose showing oak an brown sugar over strong boysenberry. Ripe and tart with more boysenberry on the palate this seems to fall off towards the finish. Not a lot concentration though not too much fruit or overly sweet. A crowd pleaser.

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• 2006 d'Arenberg Shiraz The Dead Arm

  Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale

  A step up from the 2005 for me. Floral nose over candied berries. Tight focused blackberry palate with plenty of tannins and good balance. This needs a couple of years to unwind but a a nice wine is in here.

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• 2004 Agrícola Falset-Marça Montsant Castell de Falset

  Spain, Catalunya, Tarragona, Montsant

  Grapey nose with secondary notes of chocolate, earth and a very Mouvedre animal fur type quality. Maybe the Carignan? Juicy and ripe with slow acting big tannins. Finish seems a bit weak. Interesting wine to be sure.

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• 2006 Rhys Alesia Pinot Noir San Mateo County

  USA, California, San Francisco Bay, San Mateo County

  Very similar to my last go around. This changed and added quite a bit with air. Initially on the tight side showing some forest notes on the nose and a nice balanced cranberry palate. Later on Christmas spice and pine needles on the nose. Palate picks up some weight and sweetness adding some cola and cinnamon. This certainly doesn't seem to carry the depth and concentration of the estate bottles from 2006 but hard to better for $30 in Cali Pinot.

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• 1995 Smith Woodhouse Porto Late Bottled Vintage

  Portugal, Douro, Porto

  Very sweet and sugary, ripe and pruney. More reminiscent of a late bottled Cali Zin to me than a Port. Much preferred the 20 year Tawny from the same house.

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• NV Smith Woodhouse Porto 20 Year Old Tawny

  Portugal, Douro, Porto

  Terrific nutty caramel like expression like a good vintage Colheita. Sweet and expressive but balanced and subtle. Very nice.

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• 1998 Le Clos du Caillou Châteauneuf-du-Pape Domaine du Caillou

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  Florals over bright young red berried fruits. Concentrated and still young drinking. Plenty here for the future but fantastic now. A treat.

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• 1999 J. Rochioli Pinot Noir West Block

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

  Was lucky enough to get a glass from some revelers at the cellar. Lovely spices on the nose with some terrific pine resin qualities. Very well balanced palate with a nice linear structure giving just enough fruit to let you know its from California and enough acidity to make the wine complete. Lovely Pinot.

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