The OC Bagged Crew--October 2009

Sun Dried Tomato Cafe, San Juan Capistrano, CA
Tasted Saturday, October 3, 2009 by Frank Murray III with 879 views

Introduction

All wines tasted blind, revealed after the group had sufficient time to guess varietal, place, etc. Each course flight was paired with a course prepared by Sundried Tomato Cafe.

Flight 1 - Cris Whetstone's White Selections (4 Notes)

Pan Seared Jumbo Scallops with a orange saffron sauce
Blackened chicken spring rolls with a honey cilantro sauce

Flight 2 - Sean Kennedy's Red Selections (5 Notes)

Rosemary smoked salmon
with a tarragon aioli served with toast points

  • 2003 Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Summa Vineyard

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast

    Drank from mag (thank you, Sean). Pine needle/resin, sour cherry, strawberry with some truffle and supporting tannin on the finish. I thought Garys' vineyard at first but tasting blind, of course, was proven wrong.

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  • 2007 Melville Pinot Noir Estate

    USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

    After some discussion around the table, and some focusing in from Wetrock in his belief that the wine was Santa Rita Hills based, that seem to fit. Then in dealing with the flavors and aromatics--some menthol, rose water, blue fruits, mushroom and earth. It all said Melville Estate, which in past vintages, fit these notes......indeed, the only one I could guess right.

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  • 1976 Rodney Strong Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

    Yes, some old bones flavor in the spice box and cedar notes. But, in reality, the wine is still alive and the fruit is there, and moreso, the color which is still quite vivid and alive. Suprising and enjoyable for a pinot of this age, of the early era.

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  • 2007 August West Pinot Noir Graham Family Vineyard Flawed

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

    What a drag--corked. Would have been a nice player in the blind flight.

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  • 2006 Copain Pinot Noir "En Haut" Kiser

    USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley

    The last wine of the flight and deserved of decant time, given the wine was fairly closed up when tasted. Clay like tannin, cool climate red and blue fruited, hint of whole cluster aromatic.

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Flight 3 - Chris Silkowski's Red Selections (4 Notes)

Portobello mushroom rissotto
served with a braised beef w/ portobello mushroom and goat cheese crostini

  • 2006 Trinity Vineyards Pinot Noir

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

    Of the 4 pinot noirs in the flight, this one was glass #1 and the best of them all IMO. Herb, vanilla, ripe fruit, raspberry jam and core. Lightest color of the 4 too and looked like pinot.

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  • 2006 Privé Vineyard Pinot Noir Le Sud

    USA, Oregon, Yamhill County

    Cologne-like nose from what I would assume was high level of oak. Very ripe to me, brown spice-ish. A big wine.

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  • 2006 Sineann Pinot Noir Resonance Vineyard

    USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley

    Coffe and pepper on nose. Very dark color, smoke and game, roasted blueberry. All of these things looked and tasted like a syrah but it was pinot. I guessed the former and was stumped that this was not syrah, which equated for some disappointment, as the wine as tasted did not speak pinot or for me what pinot shows.

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  • 2008 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir Rancho la Viña Vineyard

    USA, California, Central Coast, Sta. Rita Hills

    This was a barrel sample that had been bottled and tape labeled. That said, I would like to know where this wine will head as it works its way to being fomally bottled. As for how it tasted last night, it was the least 'pinot like' of the flight. Extremely dark, heavy and ripe. Floral, juicy, cobbler, with lots of oak. Did not work for me.

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Flight 4 - Leslie Goldsmith's Red Selections (4 Notes)

Lamb chops encrusted with dijon mustard and bread crumbs
drizzled with a port wine reduction
grilled vegetable wrap
gorgonzola augratin potatoes

  • 2006 Stonecroft Zinfandel

    New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay

    This one stumped the table, as guesses ranged from grenache to god knows what else. But Zin? No one got that. Xmas tree sap, like that one would smell from the wood being sawed. The lightest color of the wines in the flight, a lighter colored Zin for sure. Red fruits with some astringence and acidity on the finish.

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  • 2006 Carlisle Zinfandel Bacchi Ranch

    USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

    Dense, with bittersweet chocolate and new wood, black and blue fruits, espresso and plum sauce. Needs time for the primary elements to recede and let the wine speak. I'd want some more acidity and precision to emerge in the wine to push up against the richness.

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  • 2005 Switchback Ridge Merlot Peterson Family Vineyard

    USA, California, Napa Valley

    In looking back at my previous 2 TNs on this wine, the bottle tasted last night is very much like I remember in April 2008. And to Steve Nordhoff's comment during last night's meal and the 'greeness', this is also similar to my April note. I, though, don't think of it as greeness but much more Bdx-like, a tobacco note. Ripe and pure and aromatically distinctive.

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  • 2001 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon

    USA, Washington

    Graphite, dark fruit, chocolate, mocha, plum, currant and herb. Tight and young, I kept thinking Switchback Ridge cab but was very surprised to see the bottle revealed with a 2001 vintage. This wine still seems young, somewhat primary and loaded. There is a life ahead for this wine to live, to allow the youth to settle in.

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Flight 5 - Ramon Del Rosario's Sticky (1 Note)

crème brulee trio
vanilla bean, chocolate and berry

  • 2001 Château Suduiraut

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

    Tasted at the end of a long meal, with a trio of creme brulees. It paired well with the desserts. Seemed honeyed. I log this TN only to memorialize the wine but my notes are inadequate here.

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