Boys nite with New World wines, uncommon varietals
Reno, NV
Tasted Sunday, November 8, 2009 by markjanes with 722 views
Introduction
Got together with some friends to eat some great food, have a great time, and try some different wines than we would normally drink.
Flight 1 (16 Notes)
Closing
Overall a very disappointing tasting with many of the wines undrinkable IMO... so much cheap vanilla, so ripe on the fruit, so poorly and obviously acidified, such poor textures from obscenely high alcohols, and such purely rotten value. The Dobra was frankly putrid, the Neyers was one of the worst palate shapes I have encountered in a wine in some time, the Miro was so dowsed in cheap vanilla it was crazy, the Alban and Barrel 27 were so off the charts hot with alcohol that I actually felt our safety was in question, the Seghesio was so candied as to taste like a lollipop more than wine... I don't know if these wines are made like this intentionally or if in trying to make a big and fruity new world style of wine things just get out of hand... I do know that within the ripe fruit, internationally styled category there are hundreds of wines for half the price that have half the flaws of these 5 or 6 wines.
On the positive side the reasonably well made wines such as the Barbieri, Pride, and the Stags Leap did stand out in this crowd and provided reference points by which to better understand the laundry list of problems in the other wines... the food was great and the company outstanding which is all that really mattes in the long run.
NV Jean Milan Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
Compared to the Peters NV, this wine was tighter, firmer, with minerals, green apple. Light in weight, low in toast and lees character and lacking a bit in depth... "good."
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NV Pierre Péters Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Cuvée de Réserve
France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru
Compared to the Milan this was less firm and more autolytic and toasty... less minerality and non-malo green apple than the Milan... this must have been disgorged earlier than the previous bottle I commented on...only "good" tonight.
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2000 Jaffurs Roussanne
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County
Dark yellow, very exotically fruited and no hints oxidation yet... extremely viscous palate and very high in alcohol... too bad this is so ripe as I think it would otherwise be quite good. "Good" wine with points for distinctiveness and negative points for alcohol.
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2006 McPrice Myers Grenache Rock And A Hard Place
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County
Light color, very aromatic with spicy and smoky red fruits... floral, plenty of vanilla. On the palate the wine is acidulated with a tight midpalate and an alcohol level that makes it nearly undrinkable. Reasonable aromatics save this wine from being an "avoid" leaving it "below average."
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2004 Massena Durif Howling Dog
Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
Extremely dark color, eukalyptol, very dark and deep fruits that are sweet on the very firmly tannic palate. "Good" wine that needs food or a few years to integrate structurally.
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1999 Ridge Zinfandel Pagani Ranch Flawed
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley
Badly corked.
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2006 Neyers Mourvèdre Pato Vineyard
USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Contra Costa County
Extremely dark color with a pretty nose of dark fruits and earth... slightly reduced. On the palate the wine is way off with some of the worst integrated acidity I have tasted in a wine in years... very firm and tight midpalate and finish. Interesting wine aromatically that has one of the worst palate shapes I have had in a couple of years... not a flawed bottle that I could tell. Definitely "avoid."
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2007 Seghesio Family Vineyards Sangiovese
USA, California, Sonoma County, Alexander Valley
Very light in color, hard to get past the loads of simple, candied red fruits. Firmly acidic on the palate with a tight midpalate and low tannin finish. Just too candied and simple on the nose to be anything more than "average."
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2007 Bethel Heights Pinot Noir Eola Amity Hills Cuvee
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Very light in color, very aromatic with pretty red and dark fruits, very floral, slightly vegetal. On the palate a balanced wine with firm acidity, moderately plush midpalate, and barely ripe tannins of moderate amount on the end. With this group of bruisers the low alcohol was a welcome relief thought the wine itself is "good" at best.
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2006 Miro Cellars Cuvée Sasha Monte Lago Vineyard
USA, California, North Coast, High Valley
An obnoxious amount of cheap vanilla on the nose obliterates what might have been pretty red and black fruits on the nose... on the palate poorly acidified with acidity high and poking out... firm and awkward finish. One of the weaker wines of the night and one to certainly "avoid."
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2005 Linne Calodo Cherry Red Flawed
USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
Lightly corked.
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2006 Alban Vineyards Grenache Alban Estate Vineyard
USA, California, Central Coast, Edna Valley
Very light in color and very aromatic on the nose with pretty spiced red fruits though you can actually smell and almost see the alcohol evaporate from the glass. On the palate moderately firm acid, tightish midpalate, low to moderate tannins and an extremely high, burning alcohol on the finish. Very interesting wine for me as I think it is well made and has some redeeming aromatic qualities, however, structurally the wine is so alcoholic, so sweet, and so burning that I can't say it is anything more than "average."
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2007 Dobra Zemlja Zinfandel
USA, California, Sierra Foothills, Amador County
The nose is bizarre with ridiculously high VA and oxidized notes dominating red and dark fruits... almost like a tawny port. On the palate the wine is extremely manipulated and sweet with a ridiculous amount of alcohol. Frankly the wine was putrid and you should "avoid" it at all costs.
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2005 Barbieri Syrah
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County
One of the better wines of the night... ripe fruit but not so ripe as to lose varietal character of savory spices and meat... pleasant mix of red and dark fruits... texturally pleasant wine with a nice upslope of moderate acidity, decent flesh on the midpalate, a well integrated moderately tannic finish. "Good" to "very good" for its style.
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2006 Stags' Leap Winery Petite Sirah
USA, California, Napa Valley
Extremely dark with loads of vanilla dominating what would otherwise be pretty and very dark fruits, some spice. On the palate very firmly acidic with a nice braod midpalate and a chalky, highly ripe and prominent tannin finish of moderate length. One of the better wines of the night though disappointing as the vanilla is so dominant. Overall "good" wine.
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2002 Pride Mountain Vineyards Petite Sirah
USA, California, Napa Valley
Extremely dark in color, a lot of vanilla and lots of slightly pruned/plummed dark fruits. On the palate very high acidity, fleshy midpalate, very, very firm, but crazy ripe tannin finish of moderate length. A "good" wine for its style and one of the better wines of the night.
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