Born in the USA
The Great Hall, One Great George Street, Westminster
Tasted October 23, 2017 by chatters with 237 views
Introduction
My first British Wine Society tasting. I've written these notes up as per the order of the tables though I actually did the whites then the reds…
Flight 1 - Washington State (4 notes)
White
2014 The House of Independent Producers Chardonnay Dionysus Vineyard
Butter tending to butterscotch, muted stone fruit, similar on the palate with a little bitterness. Meh
Red
2013 Grace Lane Cabernet Sauvignon
Red berry, a little funky and farty, herbaceous touches. It's s a bit spicy and quite warm on the palate and the tannins are drying and gritty. Nah.
Red
2013 Lauren Ashton Cellars Cuvée Arlette
Sour blackcurrant over red plum. Touches of Ribena and red currant a little cedar. Ooh, bitter tannins on the palate, married to oddly sweet fruit. Nah.
Red
2012 Goedhart Family Syrah Bel’ Villa Vineyard
Dense blackberry polished oak and sweet spice Joined by dense chocolate and fine, by slightly drying tannins. Hmm.
Flight 2 - Oregon (4 notes)
Usually a favourite region of mine but these didn't really shine for me...
White
2013 Bergström Chardonnay Old Stones
stone fruit, lemon, butter, caramel, slightly woody notes. In the mouth it's juicy, citrus focussed over stone fruit. Fruit forward, nice.
Red
2014 Lemelson Vineyards Pinot Noir Six Vineyards
cherry and chocolate, cream and vanilla and slight spice. Wet & spicy. Fruit is a little muted. Hmm.
Red
2014 Lemelson Vineyards Pinot Noir Thea's Selection
Ooh, a little more serious than the six vineyards. Though still fruit forward it's quite savoury. Dark hued fruit, plain chocolate, perhaps slightly stalky? Toasted oak. Hmm, much of a muchness on the palate. Perhaps a little to rich as it seems to lack a touch of acidity. Hmm
Red
2008 Lemelson Vineyards Pinot Noir Meyer Vineyard
funky, almost bretty, earthy over cherry fruit, spice and toasted oak. Better on the palate - fruit is more to the fore but doesn't really do it for me.
Flight 3 - Sonoma (7 notes)
White
2016 Pedroncelli Chardonnay Signature Selection
Melon, pear, apple…lovely fruit. Less pleasant on the palate though, a little flabby and buttery. Fruit is a little cloying.
Red
2016 Fess Parker Pinot Noir Parker Station
Red currant, sweet spice, very clean and pure. Though it's juicy the fruit is perhaps a little sweet. Hmm
Red
2014 Pedroncelli Cabernet Sauvignon
Cedary with pyrazine notes over blackcurrant and brambles backed by red currant and plum. Chocolate and tight tannins. Fruit is a little muted. Meh
Red
2015 Broc Cellars Zinfandel Vine Starr Red
Slightly sour plum and cherry, slight vanilla. Hmm, again it's sour on the palate but the fruit is slightly raisined as well. Tannins are silky but drying. Nah.
Red
2014 Broc Cellars Cuvée 11.9
Slightly sour black berry, joined by black pepper. Touches of cream and struck match. Quite meaty. More sourness on the palate. Perhaps a little to much. Nah.
Red
2011 Ridge Geyserville
Slightly herbaceous, plums and cherry, vanilla, sweet spice. Juicy, soft, plummy with cherry elements, spicy and those herbaceous notes. Fine tannins. Yum
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Red
2011 Ridge Lytton Springs
Cherry, plums, vanilla and chocolate over slight herbaceous notes. Very juicy with more cherry and plum backed by firm tannins and a touch of alcohol warmth. Nice but, for me, a little out of whack.
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Flight 4 - Napa Valley (6 notes)
White
2015 Frog's Leap Chardonnay
Funky wild ferment, lemon, mandarin peel and sweet spice. In the mouth it's juicy and funky with savoury lemons that travel quite long and some leesy notes. This is pretty handy.
Red
2014 Frog's Leap Merlot
Ripe plummy fruit, cream, vanilla. Slightly spicy but, overall, this is a very soft nose. Juicy plummy fruit with a soft mid palate and soft fine tannins…Actually this is all soft and velvety easiness. Hmm.
Red
2014 Frog's Leap Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Grown Rutherford
Biscuit, toast, slight cassis over polished oak and more of the same on the palate The tannins are finely textured but drying. I want to like this more than I am - there is a slight confected note in here that I find is dragging me away from happiness...
Red
2014 The Wine Society Exhibition Cabernet Sauvignon Frogs leap
Spicy pyrazine notes over muted blackcurrant and quite earthy elements. On the palate the fruit is a little muted and the tannins are drying though the muted fruit persists…Hmm. I wonder if time will help?
Red
2015 First Press Cabernet Sauvignon
Slightly saline on the nose initially then cassis vanilla, muted chocolate and ripe black cherry…In the mouth? Ooh! Hello jammy ripe fruit, boisterous tannins and general Yankee boo hah! This is, for my nose and mouth, hilarious after a fortnight in Bordeaux. Not out of balance but there is an awful lot everything here.
Red
2013 Rutherford Hill Barrel Select
Pretty perfumed fruit on the nose; more red than black spectrum for me but ripe none the less. A little cedar here as well. It's a touch darker than I expected on the palate, a bit more bully box with bold ripe tannins that are integrated. Hmm. Today I don't like this but I could see times when I would.
Flight 5 - Amador Country (2 notes)
Red
2014 Sobon Estate Zinfandel Rocky Top
Slightly reductive notes. With agitation cherry, spice and plain chocolate with an underpinning of dusty earth. Quite concentrated and confected fruit on the palate backed by a touch of tobacco leaf. Meh.
Red
2015 Shenandoah Vineyards Zinfandel
Medium minus intensity aromas of plums chocolate and a little sweet and sour cherry. Off dry in the mouth but with gritty tannins that are quite drying. Nah.
Flight 6 - Central Valley (5 notes)
White
2015 McManis Family Vineyards Viognier
Sweet apricot fruit, very clean, with slight ginger. More of the same on the palate. Perhaps a tiny little bit cloying but not a bad fruit forward effort…
Red
2015 McManis Family Vineyards Petite Sirah
Chocolate, vanilla, sweet and savoury spice all underpin ripe plums. In the mouth the wine is plummy with an almost tart note lending acidic freshness. Chocolate and vanilla are behind this and the tannins are silky.
Red
2015 Peltier Pinot Noir Limited Release
Funky, wild ferment, cranberry, spicy. Wild ferment translates to the palate as well Hmm. Not for me or give it a bit of time to calm down?
Red
2015 The Wine Society Zinfandel The Society's Old Vine
Ooh, quite brambly with cherry fruit in the backdrop, oak is controlled and there are slight mocha notes here as well. More Zinfandel on the palate with cherry plums, cream and a touch of fruit sweetness. Mmm. Someone throw another snag on the barbie
Red
2014 Brazin Zinfandel Old Vine Lodi
Yeah, everything I'd expect on the nose - plummy, spicy, vanilla and touches of blackcurrant And so it proves on the palate. Rather pleasant and a good go to Zin.
Flight 7 - Central coast (5 notes)
White
2016 Fess Parker Chardonnay
Soft, jubey, honeydew melon over oaky lemon and sweet spice. Quite toasty oak on the palate and the wine is almost off dry. Nah.
White
2014 Au Bon Climat Chardonnay Los Alamos Vineyard
Buttery, honey, butterscotch, sweet spice especially cinnamon sit with lovely peachy fruit, Spicy rich, juicy with peaches and touches of pineapple. Okay it's a bit American but then why shouldn't it be and, to be honest, it's bloody nice.
Red
2013 Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir Bien Nacido Vineyard
Cherry and red currant aromas over slight chocolate, spice and a very slight ashy component. In the mouth it's all juicy, fleshy cherry fruit backed by a tiny touch of coconut. Exceedingly quaffable. Yum.
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Red
2014 Lompoc Wine Co. Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills
wild ferment and rich cherry backed by sweet spice and slight bonfire/struck match as well. Equally well done on the palate, quite harmonious and well done.
Red
2014 Qupé A Modern Red
Red and blackberry fruit especially cherry, lightly spiced with some pepper. In the mouth it's spicy with cherry and berry, fine, slightly gritty tannins. Pretty. Hmm. Nice in fact.
Closing
What a thoroughly lovely tasting at the institute of engineers. Very posh. I think Central Coast was my winning region of the night, looking back on my notes.