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Napa Offline and a whole bunch of wine, mostly Syrah

Napa Valley Wine & Cigar

Tasted March 6, 2011 by Loren Sonkin with 968 views

Introduction

One of the best things I like about the Internet Wine BB's is that when I am out of town, i can almost always find some people to share a glass with. Last Friday I was in Napa to bottle our 2009 Syrah. I contacted Carrie & Randy and we put together an offline. The loose them was Syrah, but there were lots of other wines brought. The cast included: myself, Kathy Futey,Tom and Jenna Warren, Henry Wilmore, Jonathan Goldman, Carrie and Randy Bowman, Gene M., Roy Piper, William Segui, Allan Bree, George and Sherry Chyla, Macario Montoya, Steve Lagier and Carol Meredith, Craig Haserot, Randy Bennett, and Eric Keating. Hopefully I did not forget anyone.

The wines were enjoyed in a casual walk around style over the course of about 4 hours. Various Pizzas were served. Many thanks to Carrie and Randy for hosting and for everyone to step up and bring some really cool wines.

The wines are listed in the order I tasted them. I don't think I missed any (I certainly paid the price the next day even though I tried to spit). I loved the fact that there was no unanimity. With this many styles, what one person loved, others, not so much. I would love to hear comments from those there on all the wines. Many thanks to the kind words on our wine and and for the encouragement as well.

Flight 1 (2 notes)

A few sparklers to start:

Rosé - Sparkling
N.V. Vilmart & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Cuvée Rubis France, Champagne, Champagne Premier Cru
91 points
A very nice way to start the evening. I love Rose Champagne. The nose is strawberries and mostly about the fruit. Nice tight mousse. On the palate, this is tart with good strawberry/cherries on a nice backbone of acidity. This would be a great food wine. Long finish. I could have spent a lot more time with this wine.
Rosé - Sparkling
N.V. Bruno Gobillard Champagne Brut Rosé Mlle Sophie Cuvée France, Champagne
89 points
Pink orange in color. The nose has some strawberries but is much more mineral driven. The palate is tart with much less fruit, more minerals. The is deep and more complex but lacked the enjoyment of the Vilmart. It was very good but in a more austere way. I suspect it shows much better on its own than in a tasting such as this. Not sure about its age.

Flight 2 (3 notes)

A few more whites:

White
2007 Sine Qua Non Body & Soul USA, California
91 points
Golden color. The waxy nose suggest Marsanne or Rousanne but I really don't know its composition. Also some lemon peel. On the palate, this has a bitter mineral quality to it. Some heat on the finish (not sure of the alcohol). Where it shines is in mouthfeel, quite rich and finish, which goes on forever. It grows on you as you sip it, each one sip being better than the last.
White
2009 Chester's Anvil Gretna Green Stagecoach Vineyard USA, California, Napa Valley
91 points
I was excited to try this as I haven't had any from this project yet. Golden/green in color. The nose is very clean with a floral note to it. I thought Carole said it was Marsanne/Rousanne but Henry and I both thought there was a Viognier note as well. Very smooth and round yet with a lively crispness. Almost a Kiwi/tropical fruit note as well. It really had a nice cut. Also delicious. To whomever suggested I arranged this offline to sell wine, this is one more example of how I will end up buying more wines that I tasted than I would have sold that night. ;-)
White
2008 Grey Stack Cellars Sauvignon Blanc Rosemary's Block Dry Stack Vineyard USA, California, Sonoma County, Bennett Valley
93 points
I love this wine. It is ageing just beautifully. With all of the wines I had never tasted I almost skipped this. I am glad I didn't. It is sorry to think this is no longer going to be made. This is just so special and I have posted many notes on it. Green/gold in color. The nose is pure, no grassiness, just lovely limes and a hint of papaya. Rich and juicy. Great balance. starting to unwind and show real complexity. Still the best non-French Sauvignon Blanc I have ever had.

Flight 3 (30 notes)

The Reds:

Red
1996 Arrowood Syrah Saralee's Vineyard USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
88 points
What a real treat to taste this wine. Fifteen years old, from Napa, and still drinking quite well. Ruby in color. The nose is beautiful. Meaty, raspberries, and bit of leather. This is mature and probably a bit past prime. It was a bit monolithic and I had hoped for some more complexity. Probably didn't help being tasted in this setting. Very solid.
Red
1996 M. Chapoutier Ermitage l'Ermite France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
95 points
This was a bit odd. The nose is gorgeous with gamey meats and blood and black raspberries. Complex and deep. The palate starts off rich and complex. Just delicious. At the risk of using the word, it then turns sweet. I can't imagine the fruit is still this ripe, so I am guessing some RS is still in the wine, but perhaps not. No denying its sweetness. Yet, it is delicious. And I don't want to overstate the sweetness as it is certainly in the table wine genre. At another time, this would be a huge hit. I still found it really good. Still young and will age more. Love to hear what others thought of this one.
Red
2000 E. Guigal Crozes-Hermitage France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Crozes-Hermitage
92 points
This was fully mature. The oak seems mostly resolved and what is there isn't going anywhere. Ruby in color, perhaps a bit dull. The nose is raspberries, black raspberries, slight floral note and spice. Layered, soft and complex on the palate. Dark cherries and smoke. Not a fruit bomb in any way. I really enjoyed it for its maturity.
Red
1999 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
96 points
One of the reasons I suggested Syrah as a theme was to get a chance to try all sorts of different styles. This is probably my favorite style of Syrah. Of course, this can't be made probably anywhere but Hermitage and from any other producer but Chave. I have had this half a dozen times now and this wine is still so young and in need of cellar time. The nose is grilled meats and black raspberries. On the palate, its switches from grilled steak to black raspberries and back. Complex and layered, but still quite tight. Long finish. Great acidity. Going back at the end of the evening, this was just starting to unwind. Ten more years and this will be even more amazing.
Red
2009 Keating Zinfandel Buchignani Vineyard USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley
89 points
This was quite a change of pace after the Chave. Eric Keating said it was probably the least expensive wine in the room, I don't know the pricing. It can stand proudly. Ruby in color. The nose has a bit of VA which for me, was not distracting and served to lift the aromatics. I suspect it either blows off or integrates as it is just an 09. A zin in more of a Bordeaux style (think Swan and not Turley). Has some cherries and raspberries. Nice finish. As it got air, tannins came out.
Red
2006 Radio-Coteau Syrah Timbervine USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
91 points
This seemed to be in a good place right now. These wines don't seem to get the buzz they used to. Purple/ruby in color. The nose has black raspberries and black pepper. Very smooth and drinkable. Quite tasty. More tart black raspberry pie filling. Not the most complex but very easy to drink and enjoy.
Red
1998 Lagier Meredith Syrah USA, California, Napa Valley, Mt. Veeder
92 points
Steve and Carole brought this and I was excited to try a mature wine from them. The joke was on me. Despite its age, this is still quite youthful. I talked to Carole about the vintage. 1998 was their third vintage but first commercial one. Despite its rep as a poor vintage, that is based mostly on how Cabs fared. She liked it for the way cool vintages affect Syrah. Ruby/purple in color. The nose is young with black raspberries. On the palate, there is some spreading of the layers but not much. Black raspberries and a bit leather. Nice finish. I asked Carole where she thought this would go from here and she really seemed surprised at how slowly this was ageing. Very cool experience.
Red
1998 Carlisle Two Acres USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
92 points
Ruby/brown in color. This is probably the oldest Carlisle I have tasted. The nose is meaty with raspberries and some VA or perhaps it is just the age. On the palate, this is complex and layered. While not holding up like the Lagier-Meredith, it is delicious and mature right now. At 13 years from vintage, there is nothing wrong with that. Very good. Later in the evening, someone handed me their glass which had obvious TCA. They said it was this wine, which I found odd. I am usually sensitive, but got nothing from my glass. Alan Bree thought there was no TCA in his glass. Not sure what the issue was and forgot to go back and check. I enjoyed the glass I had.
Red
2002 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Mouline France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
93 points
Sure, this is not as strong a vintage as some. It is also not the vintage that it was in the southern Rhone. This wine is more on the fast track, but for those who like a "lighter" more elegant Mouline, this is outstanding. Much better than say, 92/93 vintages. Ruby in color. The nose is complex with raspberries, black raspberries and pepper. Shows little oak. On the palate, while more oak is evident, its mostly about raspberries and black raspberries with bits of smoke. Nice acidity. Kinds of dances on your tongue. Certainly would be great with dinner. It may not make the old bones of the bigger vintages, but I suspect it retains that Syrahness that an older LaLa can lose over time (JM2C).
Red
2008 Townley Wines Syrah White Hawk Vineyard USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County
91 points
I spent the morning bottling our 09 and tasting our 10 much of which comes from Whitehawk vineyard. As soon as I tasted this wine, the comparisons were obvious. I LOVE Whitehawk fruit. After James Berry, it may be my second favorite vineyard in the state (and that include Napa and Sonoma). It just hits the spot for me. The nose has black raspberries, roasted meats and spice. Starting to get an earthy component. On the palate, it is juicy and delicious. Tons of black raspberries and an intriguing anise note on the finish. It does lack for some complexity but this wine is still young of course and a couple more years in a cellar will do it well. I suspect in five years this wine is singing. The owner/winemaker is Randy Bennett who works at Sojourn. It was great to meet him and taste this wine. Thanks.
Red
2005 Pax Syrah Obsidian Vineyard USA, California, Sonoma County, Knights Valley
93 points
Someone, I think it was Craig pronounced this over the hill and others agreed. While I respect their palates, I would respectfully disagree. I base this on my own experience with these wines. This was classic cool climate Syrah made to last IMO. Ruby/purple in color and shimmering bright. The nose was complex with black raspberries, wet leather and black pepper. On the palate, this is layered with nice black raspberry fruit. The midpalate is a bit thinner but I think it is just starting to open. Plenty of tannins. Nice acidity. I wonder how this tasted the next day. I only wish I still had some. I drink mine young as I had no racking to accommodate the stupid bottle size which is no longer being used.
Red
2004 Alban Vineyards Syrah Seymour's Vineyard USA, California, Central Coast, Edna Valley
95 points
Another wine the seemingly was controversial. Purple and inky in color. Still quite young. The nose is spice, black raspberries and a bit of gaminess. Smooth and complex if tightly layered. Some charred oak shows thru on the palate, along with copious amounts of black raspberries, fresh and pie filling. Long finish. Great body, lush and juicy. I would hold still, but a lovely wine.
Red
2008 Keating Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford
92 points
This was a beautiful wine. I listened to Gene M. talking about this vineyard and I have to say, I have not had a lot of it. The two examples here tonight were outstanding though. Ruby in color with some purple hues The nose has nice cassis with some oak. Slight funk on it which was delightful. On the palate, this is very young and needs some cellar time. Lots of cassis. Nothing else much showing yet, but the texture is great and you would think that it will indeed unwind. Right now, it is just a juicy delicious wine, which is good too!
Red
2005 Saxum James Berry Vineyard USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
96 points
I meant to bring two bottles of this but ended with with one 05 and one 06. I think we opened the 05 and left the 06 for another day (Carrie?). As most people know I love Saxum wine. To me, they have this wonderful lightness of being that plays against the huge fruit and lush texture. This wine is no different. Purple/ruby in color. The nose is black raspberries, grilled meats, and white pepper. On the palate, this is tannic and in need of decanting or cellar time. Still, it has such huge fruit and great balance, that it cuts across all that. Long finish. Just a great wine.
Red
2007 Carlisle Syrah James Berry Vineyard USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
flawed
I am thinking that this was the corked wine as I never saw it on the table. I didn't know there were two Carlisles, so that may be my confusion. It was only when reviewing my notes that I remembered William talking about this wine. Anyone remember?
Red
2005 Sine Qua Non Syrah Atlantis Fe2O3~1a, b & c USA, California, Central Coast
97 points
Another great example of this wine. If you don't like this wine, it has to be about style, which I understand. It is so well made and seamless. Purple/ruby in color. The nose has great fruit, black raspberries but also blueberries and a graphite quality. Also some anise. I suspect that the anise comes from the Whitehawk vineyard as that seems to be consistent (IIRC, there is about 25% Whitehawk in this wine). On the palate, this is so smooth. Where it does not have the lightness of Saxum, it does have a juicy/velvety texture that coats the mouth and the acidity that makes you want to swallow and takes another taste. Long finish. Probably my WOTN, but it did have the advantage of being almost all gone when I tasted it, so it got a nice "decanting" in the bottle. First bottle to be drained, but that was probably based on the label as much as anything.
Red
2009 SonkinCellars Persona USA, California
We had just bottled this wine today. Before bottling, one Magnum was filled and brought to a party. Yes, we knew a) it would be suffering from just being bottled, and 2) it would be tasted against some of the greatest wines in the world. So why did we do it? Leaving aside questions of sanity, it was because, it was fun and we wanted to share our fun. I hope no one took any offense and read anything more into our motives than that. We don't make enough wine that I have lost my consumer hat (at least yet, so I approach every wine, including this one, from that view). You can, of course, read everything with a grain of salt, but I honestly think this is how I would review the wine even if it I had no involvement. Probably the only difference was I went back a couple of times during the evening to check on its development. I only did that with a few of the wines there due to time and liver constraints.

The wine is ruby purple in color. The nose has fresh vibrant raspberries, black raspberries and some anise (again, is that a Whitehawk signature?). As the evening wore on, the black raspberries seemed to come out. On the palate, this was very soft, but with air became quite tannic. The palate was delicious if a bit simple at this stage. As it added weight, there seemed to be some underlying complexity although I would prefer a bit more structure. I will be curious as to how this wine develops, long term of course, but over the next month or two until release. I have no real experience with bottle shock but from the limited sampling, the Whitehawk fruit seemed more immune than the Alder Springs fruit. It were to score based on this one sampling, i suppose a (90-92), but I want o give it a fair chance.
Red
2008 Campesino Syrah Sangiacomo Old Lakeville Vineyard USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
93 points
I had never heard of this, but wow. Macario Montoya brought this and I beleive is the owner/winemaker. This is really good. Ruby/purple in color. The nose is earthy with black raspberries. Very soft texture but there is tight layering that suggests future development. Raspberries and more red fruits on the palate. Light tannins. I don't know this winery/vineyard, but I suspect more cool climate. Yet, there is plenty of fruit. Almost like a Hermitage if it were made in Sonoma.
Red
2006 Rudius Syrah USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
93 points
Another Syrah I have never tasted, but really loved. Ruby/purple in color. The nose had a great earthiness about it. Also raspberries. Medium tannins and delicious. This is in the same style and the Campesino but a bit more heavy and full bodied. Just as good though. More about red fruits. This has slight tannins. A couple of years have fleshed out the complexity and made this fuller bodied, yet still cool climate in style. Really good. Another wine to seek out for my cellar.
Red
2006 Lillian Winery Syrah Blue Label USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County
94 points
I had not had this wine since release. At that time it was tight as a drum. Despite being a Magnum, this bottle was really quite open. Ruby/purple in color. The nose has raspberries, black raspberries, and anise (is there Whitehawk fruit in this?). Also some spice. On the palate, this is also soft and easy to drink. I did get to it later in the night after it had some air, so perhaps that helped. There is an nice layering of fruit, leather and charcoal that makes this really interesting. I guess it is five years from vintage, but I was surprised that ti seemed to be ageing fast than I thought it would. Not worry, this still is not yet at peak and has at least a decade or more to go. Great wine.
Red
2008 Keplinger Lithic USA, California, Sierra Foothills, Amador County
92 points
Roy brought this. Made by the new winemaker at Bryant, I was excited to try this. I was not let down. Ruby with purple hues. Mostly clear and bright. There is a nice earthy stink about this (Mourvedre?) along with great black raspberries and boysenberries. Nice juicy texture. On the palate, black raspberries and leather and some earth, well layered. Nice complexity. Long finish. Tastes more mature than i might expect for an 08, but over the next decade, this is certainly a wine to watch. Delicious.
Red
2008 Aril Syrah Atlas Peak USA, California, Napa Valley, Atlas Peak
88 points
This was a fun wine, but seemed a bit lighter than most of the other wines. I did not get to talk to anyone about it. The nose is raspberry and confectioners sugar. On the palate, more of the same. I know a lot of people who would like this wine. I am sure it got hurt in this setting and by this time of the night, my palate was tired and needed more oomph. Still, this has nice red fruit, good balance and drink easily. I would like to revisit this wine at some point.
Red
2007 Ramey Syrah Rodgers Creek Vineyard USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
93 points
I have only had Chards and Cabs from this producer. I liked the Cabs, not so much the Chards, but either way, find the use of oak a bit much for my tastes. Not so with this wine. Ruby in color with purple swirls. The nose is black raspberries, grilled meats and some pepper. On the palate, this is complex with an explosive finish. Mostly black raspberries, but it is young and tight and I would think a few more years unwinds some more complexity to match the nose. Again, another one to look for.
Red
2003 Copain Syrah Cailloux & Coccinelle USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
90 points
I will be honest that I am not as big a fan of Washington Syrahs. They are very good, just that I prefer others more. This was certainly a very good wine and based on style others may like it better. Purple in color. The nose has black raspberries and an herbal note. On the palate, more black raspberries but not as exuberant. Certainly had some nice complexity. I think this is mature but should last hear for a while. Love to hear other's comments.
Red
2007 Congruence Cabernet Sauvignon USA, California, Napa Valley
88 points
My first time trying this wine. We got into a discussion on labels. I love the fact the as diverse as everyone's palates were, their opinions on labels were even more divided. Anyway, Steve E. makes this wine and Carrie brought it out to show us the label, which not surprisingly, the crowd was divided on. Well, you know how that goes, and soon the cork was popped. At that time of night, and with no decanting, this was at a bit of a disadvantage. Still, it showed well. Purple in color. Slightly thin compared to the Syrahs, but still had a lovely texture. Lots of nice cassis fruit. Firm tannins. A fair amount of oak, this needs a few years in the cellar for my tastes and should improve. Very nice wine.
Red
2008 Sojourn Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford
93 points
Purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose is cassis, spice and camphor with plenty of oak. Very interesting. Despite its youth it is already complex and delicious. A few years for the oak to integrate and I think it is even better. Lots of kirsch and spice. Long finish. Interesting to compare this is to the Keating. Both were excellent although this was more exuberant.
Red
2009 Sojourn Pinot Noir Gap's Crown Vineyard Sonoma Coast USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
91 points
I think this wine had shut down a lot and will really improve with time. It has this sense of underlying stuff that I could not seem to coax out. That said, what was showing was very good. Purple/ruby in color. The nose is about dark cherries. Softer texture and dark cherries on the palate. This is a big dark Pinot. It is California Pinot showing ripe dark fruit. Nice finish.
Red
2009 Sojourn Pinot Noir Sangiacomo Vineyard USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
90 points
In contrast to the Ga's Crown, this is much lighter and more accessible. Ruby in color. The nose is more about cherries. The palate is sweet cherries and more Fago Red Pop (for those who know that). It will drink much earlier and while very tasty right now, i don't know that it ever sees the heights that the Gap's Crown will in time. I would be curious as to Craig's thoughts (or anyone else's). My first time trying these wines and it was a very positive experience.
Red
2000 Domaine Gallet (Henri et Philippe) Côte-Rôtie France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Côte-Rôtie
88 points
I am not sure this is the right wine. Allan brought this so please correct me, as my notes by now are more difficult to read. This was ruby in color. The wine looks flat and perhaps past prime. It has a nice complexity but lacks the stuffing at this point in the evening. A lot of acidity which probably, at this point in its life, is starting to overtake the fruit. Obviously, this was a poor time to be trying this, but I did not notice it earlier. Probably much better at the dinner table. Still, there is plenty to like about this bottle.
Red
2006 Four Vines Syrah USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
87 points
Another wine I didn't get a good look at. I was about taking notes and saw this on the table. Anyone know if there was a better designation? Ruby/purple in color. This was a thinner Syrah, easy to drink. Nice raspberry fruit. No tannins. More of a fun wine I think that one to lay down. But then, my palate was shot by now.

Closing

Th, th, that's all folks!

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