Odds-and-Ends on Friday the 13th

2005, Erath Pinot Noir (Oregon)
Willamette 91%, Rogue 3%, Umpqua 6%
Dark garnet color – vibrant and bright
Grapey and fruity aromas almost like Gamay (a little carbonic, perhaps??)
On the palate: fruity, peppery with more grapey flavors reminiscent of grape jam
Clean finish with a touch of grip
(1)

2004, Kettmeir Pinot Grigio (Vigneto delle Dolomite)
Pale gold color
Creamy nose with some minerality
Soft approach with lemony flavors; weight
Good style, kind of dry on the finish, very pleasant
(2)

2004, Baglia di Pianetto “Ficiligna” (Sicilia)
Blend of Insolia and Viognier
Golden in color, but not dark as in an off wine
Intensity on the nose of fresh aromas like flowers, white pit fruit and basil
Dry, crisp with a pleasant feel
Good (summer) quaffer – lemon rind notes on the finish; dry
(1+)

2002, Baglia di Pianetto “Ramione” (Sicilia)
Merlot 50%, Nero d’Avola 50%
Dark garnet red
Smoky nose – earthy, meaty, tar and berries
A touch dry, but good on the palate
Kind of rustic in its overall, with a bit of grip
Would work well with meat dish
Like it
(1+)

NV, Ca’del Bosco Brut Franciacorta
Aged 21 months
Bright color
Bananas and clove – sea salt and bread aromas
Clean flavors
Good mousse, good acidity
Like it

2002, Maurizio Zanella Bianco
Chardonnay 80%, Pinot Bianco 20%
Slightly darker gold color
Bisquits, oxidized

2001, Maurizio Zanella Curtafrancia Rosso
· Blend of Cab, Cab Franc, Merlot, Nebbiolo, Barbera
· Pale garnet color
· Soft and juicy
· Pleasant but uninteresting

2002, Gagliola Rosso di Toscana
Sangiovese 90%, Cabernet Sauvignon 10%
Deep, garnet color
Spicy nose
Earth and mushrooms on the nose
Very smooth with subdued sweet aroma approaching some composted qualities
Almost dry finish, but not unpleasant
Lacks a bit of concentration

Columbia Crest Reserves

I have had a lot of experience with Columbia Crest over the years. In fact, I was first introduced to Columbia Crest in 1994, when I was working as a dining room manager and was in charge of the wine list. We poured Columbia Crest Chardonnay by the glass with a lot of success. This was before the boom in wine sales of the mid- to late-90s, and people were really unaware of Washington State wines. The style of the wine at the time was, as it remains today, a partially barrel aged wine that has a lot of the fresh qualities Chard flavors preserved. This wine has always had great balance and fairly bold flavors.

Over the years, Columbia Crest has expanded and improved their quality to the point where I believe they are one of the finest all-around wineries in the United States. Making wines at all price levels and maintaining the highest standards at all of those levels is not easily accomplished. The folks at Columbia Crest have managed to due just that, though.

The proof is their yearly reviews in all of the major wine press. Columbia Crest consistently out scores their competition, even at the lower price ranges. They also present remarkable wines at the higher end of their scale. Are they at the point of being able to compete with the best from Napa? Perhaps not, but taking price into consideration - they certainly hold their own. I would suggest anyone looking for a world-class wine open a bottle of the 2003, Walter Clore Private Reserve Red, or better yet, open abottle of the 2004, Syrah Reserve. Impressive winemaking from the hills of Washington State.

tasted 9-22-06

In Washington State "Reserve" means less than 10% of varietal output from a winery.

2004, Syrah Reserve Columbia Valley (Horse Heaven Hills)

• touch of viognier (0.25% according to company website)
• purply / black
• big, smoky, dark blackberry nose with vanilla spices
• really fleshy and smooth on the nose
• finishes with minty and smoky spices mixed in good length
• (2++)

2002, Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Columbia Valley (Wahluke Slope, Cold Creek, Horse Heaven Hills)

• dark color
• soft and well integrated
• nice drinking wine
• minty and fleshy
• some dry tannins
• (1+)

2003, Merlot Reserve Columbia Valley (Wahluke Slope, Cold Creek, Horse Heaven Hills)

• dark garnet red/black
• charred and smoky aromas on the nose
• fleshy but tannic
• charred flavors overwhelm the fruit
• (1)

2003, Walter Clore Private Reserve Red (Wahluke Slope, Cold Creek, Horse Heaven Hills)

• blend: 56.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36.2% Merlot, 7.3% Cabernet Franc
• dark color
• aromas of Twizzlers, vanilla, but with some alcohol
• really smooth
• fat style with some tannins
• Big - needs some time
• (2+)

Nickel & Nickel with Tom Gilhooly

Recently I have had the pleasure (twice) of tasting wine with Tom Gilhooly from Nickel & Nickel. We were concentrating on the newly released 2003 Cabernet Sauvignons from N&N. 2003 has been reported as a somewhat difficult vintage for many producers in Napa, but I do not think that these wines really reflected any vintage “issues”. In fact, I believe they are some of the finest produced by the winery, to date (at least of what I have tasted, which is most of the selections since the winery’s inception).

Nickel & Nickel specializes in single varietal / single vineyard productions. Each of the wines we reviewed were from one specific vineyard in Napa. The motivation for this style of production is to show the differences in the terroir of the Napa Valley. With one of the most complex geological and climatic combinations of any wine region in the world, Napa can produce wines of almost limitless variation, even within a single varietal.

Depending on your business (on- or off-premise), having multiple selections of N&N wines can be a tremendous asset and selling opportunity. Because these wines are each distinct – they can be sold against each other (on-premise) or as a group (off-premise), allowing customers to discover how soil and climate can dramatically change the style of a grape even when produced nearly identical to another wine.

If you are a consumer, tasting these wines and comparing them against each other can be quite an exercise in terroir analysis. Quite a pleasurable one, I might add!

from 9-22-06

2003, Cabernet Sauvignon Sullenger Vineyard (Oakville)

• 40-45% New French Oak, 14-18 month
• very dark, more black than purple
• licorice and cherry-cola aromatics
• very rich on the palate - big style
• loads of spice and deep fruit flavors
• great length with dry, ripe tannins
• (2++)

2003, Cabernet Sauvignon Rock Cairn Vineyard (Oakville)

• red/black color
• big raspberry, cherry aromatics with some spice undertones - some cedar and vanilla
• smooth with dusty feel on the palate - big, juicy flavors
• dryer than Sullenger - very big style
• (2+)

2003, Cabernet Sauvignon Vogt Vineyard (Howell Mountain)

• really black with red rim
• super-huge nose - blackberry, plum and cassis
• really smooth and mouthfilling, huge elegant really, really good Cab taste
• finish goes on forever with some smooth juicy tannins
• this one will last for a number of years
• (3)

from 9-6-06

2003, Cabernet Sauvignon Carpenter Vineyard (Napa)

• coolest climate vineyard
• a bit tight
• (1+)

2003, Cabernet Sauvignon Dragon Fly Vineyard (St. Helena)

• warmest vineyard
• smooth and juicy wine
• very pronounced
• (2)

2003, Cabernet Sauvignon Tench Vineyard (Oakville)

• very big and expressive
• rich on the palate
• (2+)

2003, Cabernet Sauvignon Branding Iron (Oakville)

• perhaps the finest of the group
• extremely smooth, ripe flavors
• great length
• (2++)

2003, Cabernet Sauvignon Sullenger Vineyard (Oakville)

• Valley floor
• smooth
• dusty tannins
• (2)

2003, Cabernet Sauvignon Stelling Vineyard (Oakville)

• big an dround, but with structure
• very good
• (2++)

2003, Cabernet Sauvignon Rock Cairn Vineyard (Oakville)

• Big and juicy
• smoother than most of the others
• inkier flavors and color
• (2+)

2003, Cabernet Sauvignon Vogt Vineyard (Howell Mtn)

• deepest color
• very inky flavors
• chewy tannins
• long life - most agable of the bunch
• (2++)

Far Niente with Tom Gilhooly

2005, Chardonnay
Very pale; smoky nose with cream, cinnamon, caramel-apples; dry and clean on the palate, not coating but full-flavored; very elegant on the finish with lingereing flavors. (2+)

2003, Cabernet Sauvignon
Very dark in color - intense purple with a deep, opaque core; big fruit on the nose with spicy licorice, cherry and blackberry sode, really juicy fruit; mouthfilling, really smooth - spice tones - elegant style - not a deep blow-you-away style; good finish, not overly tannic, but definitely some rolling tannins, very nice. Elegance driven rather than power. Very nice, but not one of their best. (2-2+)

Random Notes

Here is a list of wine that I have tasted recently (no particular order):

August 25th

Charles Melton Wines, Barossa Valley, Australia -http://www.charlesmeltonwines.com.au/
With Charles Melton

Charles Melton "Father In Law", 2003
Juicy and loaded with fruit - quite easy style and an amusing label, to boot. (2)

Charles Melton Shiraz, 2002
Very big and intense with pronounced eucalyptus flavors. Quite good. (2+)

Charles Melton Nine Popes, 2002
Really big and smooth, but falls a bit short on the finish. Good though. (2)


Two Hands Winery Barossa Valley, Australia- www.twohandswines.com
With Mike Bruno of Paterno Imports

Two Hands Shiraz Mclaren Vale Angel's Share, 2005
Very dark, big nose, very deep and rich with lovely fruit - almost thick with full easy tannins. (2++)

Two Hands Grenache Barossa Valley Yesterday's Hero, 2005
Juicy and full of smooth raspberry fruit; tangy; very lovely. (2+)

Two Hands Shiraz Grenache Barossa Valley Brave Faces, 2005
Loaded with fruit, very juicy and filling on the palette. (2)

Two Hands Shiraz Cabernet Barossa Valley The Bull & The Bear, 2004
Smoky and juicy, rich in the mouth with smooth tannins.


October 6th
over dinner

Craggy Range Sauvignon Blanc, Te Muna Road Vineyard, Martinborough, 2005
Very well balanced; without a load of pungent aromas and over-the-top citrusy flavors - good minerality and fresh acidity; actually quite drinkable and works well with oysters and other shellfish. (2+)

Chateau de la Ragotiere Muscadet de Sevre et Maine Sur Lie, 2005
Precise acidity wrapped around a smooth, rich body of pure fruit; quite good for a wine that only costs about $7 in a retail store. (2+)