CES Lab Wine Tasting #4

A smattering of California

• NV Korbel Brut Rosé 82 Points

  USA, California

  Lovely off-pink color. Very little complexity in this wine in terms of smell and taste. Crisp acidity, short finish, no nuance. But enjoyable enough for what it is.

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

• 2005 Talbott Chardonnay Sleepy Hollow Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands 92 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands

  Smells were wonderful and reminded me of cool, damp coastline. Crisp, with a touch of aged oak, but with not too much butter or caramel--nicely integrated oak. It just tasted fresh while at the same time mellow with nice minerality. Length of 25+ seconds with subtle nuances. Should continue to improve for another couple of years. It was served with shrimp baked in lemon and garlic butter, and the pairing couldn't have been better. One of the wines of the night. Of the 16 of us doing this tasting, most agreed that this wine was surprisingly good. Great QPR too.

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

• 2005 Beringer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Knights Valley 86 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County, Knights Valley

  Decanted for 30 minutes before drinking. Fairly non-descript nose and taste. Decent acidity and mild oakiness without much concentration, length, or complexity.

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

• 2008 Seghesio Family Vineyards Zinfandel Sonoma County 89 Points

  USA, California, Sonoma County

  Decanted for about 45 minutes before consuming. Lots of blackberries on the nose and concentrated fruit taste. Not quite as balanced as the 2007 though, and without the same vanilla cream flavors. Also the tannins were not quite as well integrated; they seemed a bit more coarse. Still and enjoyable wine at a great QPR. Seemed to be a favorite of the girls in the wine tasting.

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

• 2007 Tablas Creek Côtes de Tablas 88 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

  Decanted for about 45 minutes before consuming. Tanginess on the nose that I'm beginning to associate with Syrah, but I found it a little high in alcohol. Good fruit concentration (raspberry, cherry) with a little black tea. Tannins still a little tough and could use more aeration or cellaring. To me the integration is not quite there either. More time in the bottle will definitely improve the wine. I didn't pick up much complexity/nuance, although I could see that developing over the next 3-5 years.

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

• 2005 L'Aventure Optimus 90 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

  Decanted about 2 hours prior to consuming. Very dark and highly concentrated dark berries on the nose. Touch of chocolate, coffee, and earthiness also. On the palate this is a brooding wine, with more dark berries and coffee. Fairly high tannins that could use more aeration and/or cellaring to integrate better. Definitely has aging potential and should become more integrated and complex. High in alcohol with a length of about 25 secs. I would have liked a little more acidity to balance the fruit. Preferred this over the 2006 Tablas Creek Cote de Tablas because of it's darker, warmer flavors coming most likely from the Cabernet Sauvignon. But then again, it's twice the price, although still reasonable.

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

• 2004 Lewis Cellars Merlot 93 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Decanted for about 45 minutes before drinking. This is a huge wine in both smell and taste. Very dark color, with a nose saturated by blackberries and dark chocolate. On the palate this wine oozes juiciness with a touch of bitterness on the end-palate, although it's well balanced with tannins. I think a little more acidity could help, as it becomes almost too lush over time. Length of over 30 seconds. Will continue to age for many years, and should be better balanced as the fruit integrates.

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

• 2007 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon 93 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  Decanted about an hour before consuming. Fresh, ripe fruitiness on the nose with plenty of blueberry and blackberry. Nice creaminess on the palate as well, with length of about 30 seconds. Drank after a 2004 Lewis Merlot, which was a bit heavier and lush. The Caymus was more fresh, although it had comparable levels of fruit extraction. This is really a solid wine in 2007.

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

• 2008 Beringer Vineyards Moscato California 85 Points

  USA, California

  Slightly off-dry wine. Really doesn't stand out in any way though. Somewhat sweet, but not compared to a Sauternes or Auslese Riesling. Alcohol not particularly high compared to a port. Crispness/acidity is not quite there. Almost no complexity, length or nuance, with no ability to age. None-the-less, it's an enjoyable way to end a meal for $6; we poured it over homemade vanilla ice cream with fresh raspberries. In terms of style, I'd associate it most to a Moscato d'Asti without the spritz.

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

An enjoyable tasting with lots of great food pairings. These California wines excelled in fruitiness and extraction, and lacked a bit in individuality. The standouts for the night were the 2005 Talbott Sleepy Hollow Chardonnay, 2004 Lewis Merlot, and 2007 Caymus.