Several years ago, we got together with some friends to do a wine tasting tour of Amador County, which is in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada southeast of Sacramento. The area primarily is known for its zinfandel grapes, and many wineries there produce bold, delicious zinfandels. Unlike Napa Valley, most wineries are spread out in the region, making for more driving and less tasting, leading my husband to comment on the way to the first winery, "Uh, is there going to be WINE on this wine tasting trip??" Yes, there was, after a few wrong turns and nearly two hours of driving. What I liked about the Amador County wineries was their general friendliness and unpretentiousness (unlike some in Napa!) One of our favorite wineries of the day was Noceto. I remembered all of this when I found a bottle of Noceto hiding in our wine fridge the other day, and again this afternoon as I poured the wine to drink on the patio, on a rather gloomy Friday. Still, a gloomy day in California is better than a gloomy day just about anywhere else in the U.S., with the exceptions of Hawaii and some parts of Florida. Everyone else, yeah, I know YOU love where you live, and
you definitely should stay there.
What we drank:
Noceto 2004 Riserva Sangiovese
The deep, rich nose was of plum and blackberry with a hint of vanilla oak. The front of the wine was deep jammy and sweet plum and blackberry with lots of vanilla, then rounded tannins developing mid-palate with black pepper and oak. The finish was smooth and rounded, with lingering vanilla and pepper. The balance was good, although I would have liked a little more complexity for the age of the wine. Very enjoyable, and perfect with the grilled pizza for dinner. 8 out of 10 points, and I think it's time for a return trip to Amador...now that we have a navigation system in the wine mobile (Murano).
If the weather doesn't move into the dry season soon, there might be mutiny in California! You can't deny these people their daily sunshine for very long or things get UGLY.
April 22, 2011
April 16, 2011
Barrel Room Dinner at Bogle Vineyards
We belong to several wine clubs and never seem to take advantage of all they offer. One of our 2011 resolutions was to go to more of the wine club events and have more fun with our wines. So, our first Big Event was the Bogle Bandwagon (their wine club) Barrel Room Dinner on 4/15/11. Bogle Winery is in the Sacramento Delta, just off Route 160 on a scary, narrow, winding levee road that you do not want to drive while drunk. Kinda ironic, huh? The winery and tasting room are unpretentious, and the staff are fun and interesting, so we thought this sounded like a blast - and it was! The food was prepared by Hawks restaurant in Granite Bay, near our home in Roseville. We've heard wonderful reviews of this restaurant and have yet to go, but after last night's dinner, we will be rectifying that soon!
So, following are the wine and food pairing, first the wine, then the food.
2010 Dry Chenin Blanc, Clarksburg - Tank Sample paired with Shaved Spring Vegetable Salad with Goat Cheese Mousse and Pistachio Vinaigrette
A good Chenin Blanc is one of my favorite sipping whites, and I love them when they remind me of fresh cotton or linen that has been line-dried. Weird, I know, but that really does it for me, and this one really did it for me. The nose was of crisp apple and lemongrass, fairly light and bright. The front of the wine had a beautiful crisp balance of apple and lemongrass with the mid-palate bringing in a tart note of clementine. The finish was just what I wanted, a dry, fresh cottony note that lingered briefly on the palate like a summer breeze. YUM. 10 out of 10 for that perfect fleeting moment. It paired perfectly with the fresh, bright salad and goat cheese mousse (have to try that at home!)
2009 Pinot Noir, California, paired with Sweet Pea Agnolotti with Braised Rabbit, Carrot Pearls and Pea Shoots
The pinot had a smoky nose with hints of plum and rose. The front of the wine had big bright flavors of cherry and rose, and mid-palate brought in oaky tannins with pepper and cinnamon. The finish was medium with cinnamon and cherry lingering on the palate. It was good, and paired very nicely with the rabbit. 7 out of 10 points. I thought the mid-palate was a little flat. The rabbit was sweet, tender and delicious, but the agnolotti (I have a family recipe for this, so I know what I like) needed to be cooked a few minutes longer. The sweet pea filling was delicious, though, and I am going to try making it myself.
2006 Reserve Petite Sirah, Clarksburg & 2007 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Old River Vineyard, Barrel Sample, paired with Slow-Roasted Dixon Lamb Shoulder with Pommes Purees and Red-wine Braised Onions
First, I preferred the Cabernet Sauvignon with the lamb, as the dish had very strong flavors that overwhelmed the Petite Sirah. If this were the first time I tried the Petite Sirah, I would not have rated it well, as I could not get much from the wine when paired with the lamb. However, I have had the 2006 Reserve Petite Sirah before and it is one of my favorite Bogle wines. (See my blog post about Red Wine Reductions.) So, I will focus on the Cab here, which was a barrel sample that impressed. The nose was a nice balance of leather, oak, pine, and coffee. The front of the wine brought flavors of dark cherry, leather, and rounded tannins, and the mid-palate delighted with flavors of plum, rosemary, and chocolate. The finish was rather tannic with lingering notes of cherry and leather. I think this wine will develop very nicely, and if it is priced similar to other Bogle cabernets, it will be an exceptional value. 8 out of 10! I am not a huge fan of lamb, it has an aftertaste that to me tastes like (this is gross) the smell of old men's unwashed clothes. Uck, and I can only eat so much of it before I can't take it any more. However, the lamb was perfectly prepared and if you are a fan of it, you would have loved it. I loved the red-wine braised pearl onions (see my red wine reduction posts.)
2007 Petite Sirah Port Clarksburg paired with Valrhona Dark Chocolate Cremeux with Dark Caramel and Cocoa Nib Gelato
Oh, heaven. Port and Chocolate, my heart's desire. Okay, Bogle's Port is not going to win against any Portugese ports, and I really prefer Graham's Tawny (especially the 10- or 20-year versions) but for the price, it is a damn fine port. It has notes of cedar, dark plum and cherry, and a little bit of a cough syrup flavor at the end, which is why I can only give it 6 out of 10 points, but since I have three bottles of various years of this port, I have to say it's a fun and friendly version. It overwhelmed the chocolate Cremeux, however, and went much better with the Dark Caramel Gelato. Still...chocolate and wine! I am not complaining!
We had a blast at this event, and met some very nice fellow Bandwagon members, including one who pours at Winterhawk Winery in Fairfield on Saturday afternoons. See you soon, Ron!
So, following are the wine and food pairing, first the wine, then the food.
2010 Dry Chenin Blanc, Clarksburg - Tank Sample paired with Shaved Spring Vegetable Salad with Goat Cheese Mousse and Pistachio Vinaigrette
A good Chenin Blanc is one of my favorite sipping whites, and I love them when they remind me of fresh cotton or linen that has been line-dried. Weird, I know, but that really does it for me, and this one really did it for me. The nose was of crisp apple and lemongrass, fairly light and bright. The front of the wine had a beautiful crisp balance of apple and lemongrass with the mid-palate bringing in a tart note of clementine. The finish was just what I wanted, a dry, fresh cottony note that lingered briefly on the palate like a summer breeze. YUM. 10 out of 10 for that perfect fleeting moment. It paired perfectly with the fresh, bright salad and goat cheese mousse (have to try that at home!)
2009 Pinot Noir, California, paired with Sweet Pea Agnolotti with Braised Rabbit, Carrot Pearls and Pea Shoots
The pinot had a smoky nose with hints of plum and rose. The front of the wine had big bright flavors of cherry and rose, and mid-palate brought in oaky tannins with pepper and cinnamon. The finish was medium with cinnamon and cherry lingering on the palate. It was good, and paired very nicely with the rabbit. 7 out of 10 points. I thought the mid-palate was a little flat. The rabbit was sweet, tender and delicious, but the agnolotti (I have a family recipe for this, so I know what I like) needed to be cooked a few minutes longer. The sweet pea filling was delicious, though, and I am going to try making it myself.
2006 Reserve Petite Sirah, Clarksburg & 2007 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Old River Vineyard, Barrel Sample, paired with Slow-Roasted Dixon Lamb Shoulder with Pommes Purees and Red-wine Braised Onions
First, I preferred the Cabernet Sauvignon with the lamb, as the dish had very strong flavors that overwhelmed the Petite Sirah. If this were the first time I tried the Petite Sirah, I would not have rated it well, as I could not get much from the wine when paired with the lamb. However, I have had the 2006 Reserve Petite Sirah before and it is one of my favorite Bogle wines. (See my blog post about Red Wine Reductions.) So, I will focus on the Cab here, which was a barrel sample that impressed. The nose was a nice balance of leather, oak, pine, and coffee. The front of the wine brought flavors of dark cherry, leather, and rounded tannins, and the mid-palate delighted with flavors of plum, rosemary, and chocolate. The finish was rather tannic with lingering notes of cherry and leather. I think this wine will develop very nicely, and if it is priced similar to other Bogle cabernets, it will be an exceptional value. 8 out of 10! I am not a huge fan of lamb, it has an aftertaste that to me tastes like (this is gross) the smell of old men's unwashed clothes. Uck, and I can only eat so much of it before I can't take it any more. However, the lamb was perfectly prepared and if you are a fan of it, you would have loved it. I loved the red-wine braised pearl onions (see my red wine reduction posts.)
2007 Petite Sirah Port Clarksburg paired with Valrhona Dark Chocolate Cremeux with Dark Caramel and Cocoa Nib Gelato
Oh, heaven. Port and Chocolate, my heart's desire. Okay, Bogle's Port is not going to win against any Portugese ports, and I really prefer Graham's Tawny (especially the 10- or 20-year versions) but for the price, it is a damn fine port. It has notes of cedar, dark plum and cherry, and a little bit of a cough syrup flavor at the end, which is why I can only give it 6 out of 10 points, but since I have three bottles of various years of this port, I have to say it's a fun and friendly version. It overwhelmed the chocolate Cremeux, however, and went much better with the Dark Caramel Gelato. Still...chocolate and wine! I am not complaining!
We had a blast at this event, and met some very nice fellow Bandwagon members, including one who pours at Winterhawk Winery in Fairfield on Saturday afternoons. See you soon, Ron!
Fine Dining in Napa - A Visit to Bottega
When it comes to fine dining in Napa, there are so many wonderful choices I feel overwhelmed when trying to choose. This was my dilemma when my manager came to visit from Texas - we wanted to choose a restaurant that was different from anything she had in Texas and that was representative of Napa without being astonishingly difficult to get into (French Laundry) or prohibitively expensive (French Laundry - two strikes - ohhhhh!) Etoile was on the list, but we landed on Bottega because it has that fabulous outdoor living room area that no one else in Napa can replicate. Both the wine and the beer list are stellar, and you can find my five-star review of the restaurant on Open Table (http://www.opentable.com/) which I use to book just about all my reservations now.
What I drank:
Braida Barbera di Asti 2008 Monte Brune Piemonte
No secret that one of my favorite wine regions in Italy is Piemonte, where my relatives live in a tiny town in the French-Italian Alps. And I love Barbera, which is not so pricey as Barolo and a little more of a "table wine". This wine had a lovely oaky nose with hints of cedar and dark plum. The front of the wine was smooth and well-balanced, with flavors of bright cherry, cinnamon and oak that deepened mid-palate. The finish brought in round tannins and a lingering cherry cinnamon flavor that I loved. 8 out of 10 points. It went exceptionally well with my incredibly delish Confit of Duck...but you'll have to read about THAT on Open Table.
It was a perfect Napa spring day and we dined just as the sun was setting. I highly recommend Bottega. Michael Chiarelli is often on the premises (as he was this day) and seems to have a tight rein on quality and menu alike. Enjoy!
What I drank:
Braida Barbera di Asti 2008 Monte Brune Piemonte
No secret that one of my favorite wine regions in Italy is Piemonte, where my relatives live in a tiny town in the French-Italian Alps. And I love Barbera, which is not so pricey as Barolo and a little more of a "table wine". This wine had a lovely oaky nose with hints of cedar and dark plum. The front of the wine was smooth and well-balanced, with flavors of bright cherry, cinnamon and oak that deepened mid-palate. The finish brought in round tannins and a lingering cherry cinnamon flavor that I loved. 8 out of 10 points. It went exceptionally well with my incredibly delish Confit of Duck...but you'll have to read about THAT on Open Table.
It was a perfect Napa spring day and we dined just as the sun was setting. I highly recommend Bottega. Michael Chiarelli is often on the premises (as he was this day) and seems to have a tight rein on quality and menu alike. Enjoy!
April 14, 2011
Four Prophet, or A Funny Wine Story
So, my regular readers know I am on the road for work so frequently, sometimes at home I wake up in the middle of the night and try to figure out what hotel it is. There is an upside to travel, and that is working with great people like the folks in the Fresno office. There are two wine lovers there as well, and they related this story (which ends in a wine "tasting") today:
A manager in that office, whom we will call Blork for reasons that will become apparent, claims to have family in the wine business in Napa. That he can't recall the name of the winery makes me suspicious...really? If I had relatives in the wine business, they would be my very best friends! In any event, Blork had a birthday recently, and for his birthday, his mysterious family members brought him a barrel of red wine from aforementioned "unknown" winery. They placed it in his garage (or some other part of the house, I wasn't too clear on this) and then all had fun bottling the wine together. Blork claims that the wine has a value of $150 per bottle, and that for his birthday, he was allowed to purchase a case for $200.
Now comes Blork to the Fresno office, relating this story and leaving out what he paid for the wine. He offers to sell said wine to my colleagues for $20 a bottle, which is a fabulous deal if (and only if) the wine is worth $150 a bottle. My colleagues are similar in temprament to me and not opposed to buying a $20 bottle of wine that has a cute story to go along, so they both purchase a bottle. It is instantly noted that the wine has no label on it at all. Again, weird, and how do you know what it is, its age, and so forth? Friend A tucks his away. Friend S decides to sample the wine. Friend A gets an immediate call from Friend S, who laughingly or sobbingly depending on your point of view describes the wine as "cough syrup, really bad cough syrup". Then both friends find out that Blork only paid $16 a bottle and made a profit off the bottles he sold to his coworkers...and thus the wine became known as "Four Prophet" wine.
Today on the way to lunch with Blork and said Friends, the story is related by the Friends with constant interruptions from Blork. Blork vigorously defends his wine's reputation, saying it came from a well-known (but unknown) winery, and that it is worth $150 a bottle. Well of course I have to try it! It so happens that Friend S has tucked his unfortunate bottle into his cabinet at work. He protests that I should not try it, and Friend A insists I must try it just for the experience. A tiny amount is poured into a paper cup - normally I would worry about contaminating the taste of the wine by using a paper cup, but it turns out to be a non-issue.
Four Prophet Wine from Unknown Winery
Blork later told me the wine was a Syrah blend. Ohhhkayyy. The nose was indeed heavy with the scent of cough syrup, an artificial cherry cough syrup at that. And it was indeed laughably bad, a horrific example of Syrah, a ham-fisted, amateurish attempt to coax something fruity from the wine that ended in a romp through Sour Patch Kids land. It was ugly. I've had $2 wines that were far better. The finish was tragically long, with a bitter, sour, and overpoweringly alcoholic burn that lasted until I finally got a glass of water to rinse both palate and throat. It actually tasted like cherry syrup with grain alcohol added, except for that nasty sourness at the end.
To make matters worse, as I was leaving the office today, Blork (not having a clue I'd already tried the wine) caught up with me and again defended the wine, saying he'd given it to other friends and his wife had given it to lawyer friends of hers (as if career makes for a good palate) and they all loved it. Uh huh. Blork ended by saying that when I return, he's going to give me a whole bottle to try for myself.
Oh, goody. Well, at least I will have a bottle of wine with a great story to tell!
A manager in that office, whom we will call Blork for reasons that will become apparent, claims to have family in the wine business in Napa. That he can't recall the name of the winery makes me suspicious...really? If I had relatives in the wine business, they would be my very best friends! In any event, Blork had a birthday recently, and for his birthday, his mysterious family members brought him a barrel of red wine from aforementioned "unknown" winery. They placed it in his garage (or some other part of the house, I wasn't too clear on this) and then all had fun bottling the wine together. Blork claims that the wine has a value of $150 per bottle, and that for his birthday, he was allowed to purchase a case for $200.
Now comes Blork to the Fresno office, relating this story and leaving out what he paid for the wine. He offers to sell said wine to my colleagues for $20 a bottle, which is a fabulous deal if (and only if) the wine is worth $150 a bottle. My colleagues are similar in temprament to me and not opposed to buying a $20 bottle of wine that has a cute story to go along, so they both purchase a bottle. It is instantly noted that the wine has no label on it at all. Again, weird, and how do you know what it is, its age, and so forth? Friend A tucks his away. Friend S decides to sample the wine. Friend A gets an immediate call from Friend S, who laughingly or sobbingly depending on your point of view describes the wine as "cough syrup, really bad cough syrup". Then both friends find out that Blork only paid $16 a bottle and made a profit off the bottles he sold to his coworkers...and thus the wine became known as "Four Prophet" wine.
Today on the way to lunch with Blork and said Friends, the story is related by the Friends with constant interruptions from Blork. Blork vigorously defends his wine's reputation, saying it came from a well-known (but unknown) winery, and that it is worth $150 a bottle. Well of course I have to try it! It so happens that Friend S has tucked his unfortunate bottle into his cabinet at work. He protests that I should not try it, and Friend A insists I must try it just for the experience. A tiny amount is poured into a paper cup - normally I would worry about contaminating the taste of the wine by using a paper cup, but it turns out to be a non-issue.
Four Prophet Wine from Unknown Winery
Blork later told me the wine was a Syrah blend. Ohhhkayyy. The nose was indeed heavy with the scent of cough syrup, an artificial cherry cough syrup at that. And it was indeed laughably bad, a horrific example of Syrah, a ham-fisted, amateurish attempt to coax something fruity from the wine that ended in a romp through Sour Patch Kids land. It was ugly. I've had $2 wines that were far better. The finish was tragically long, with a bitter, sour, and overpoweringly alcoholic burn that lasted until I finally got a glass of water to rinse both palate and throat. It actually tasted like cherry syrup with grain alcohol added, except for that nasty sourness at the end.
To make matters worse, as I was leaving the office today, Blork (not having a clue I'd already tried the wine) caught up with me and again defended the wine, saying he'd given it to other friends and his wife had given it to lawyer friends of hers (as if career makes for a good palate) and they all loved it. Uh huh. Blork ended by saying that when I return, he's going to give me a whole bottle to try for myself.
Oh, goody. Well, at least I will have a bottle of wine with a great story to tell!
April 8, 2011
Cakebread Cellars
This past weekend, my manager, Karen, was in town. She lives in Texas and manages a staff covering the West. Ostensibly, she was there to observe and assist me in training Kaizen Facilitators (hey, if you don't know, you just aren't cool.) However, she flew in early so we could spend some quality time reviewing wines AND my performance. Works for me! Cakebread happens to be one of my favorite places to take guests, as they have a really snappy tasting program. They split visitors into small groups of 4-6 tasters and take them either to a private tasting area or (as we did on this visit) on a tour of the property with stops at various locations for tastings.
It turns out that Karen and her S.O. once were wine club members at Cakebread, and Karen was not only interested in visiting, she was thinking of joining the wine club again. As it turns out, we both ended up joining the wine club.
What we tasted:
2009 Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley
This was my least favorite wine of the day. Starting with a softer nose of lemon and apple, the front of the wine had that almost tinny flavor that I really despise. It was served slightly too warm, which was odd, because it was quite cool in the room where it was poured. The warmth of the wine, in my opinion, made it nearly impossible to taste. In any event, the wine did progress to soft flavors of guava, grapefruit, and lemon mid-palate, and had a smooth, delicate finish with hints of melon and kiwi. I gave it 6 out of 10 points, and would be willing to try it if served colder, but did not want to buy it based on what I tasted.
2009 Chardonnay, Napa Valley
This was an interesting, atypical Chardonnay for Napa. The wine started with a lovely medium-bodied nose of apple, white peach and spicy oak. The front of the wine was smooth and full-bodied, bursting with flavors of peach, apple, with hints of mineral. The mid-palate brought in that wonderful spicy oak from the nose, and the finish was smooth and well-balanced, with lingering notes of spicy oak and peach. I loved this wine and gave it 9 out of 10 points.
2009 Chardonnay Reserve, Carneros, Napa Valley
This wine was very different in style to the one we tasted prior to this. It was much more in the style of a Napa Chardonnay. The nose was full-bodied and rich with scents of melon, apple, peach, and toasted oak. The front of the wine was creamy and smooth, with flavors of apple, melon, peach and mineral notes. The mid-palate brought in a punch of that creamy toasty oak, and the finish was smooth and creamy with lingering notes of oak, yeast, and gingery spice. I loved this as much as the earlier wine, for very different reasons, and gave this 9 out of 10 points as well.
2007 Merlot, Napa Valley
This was a very nice example of classic Napa Merlot (I really hate the movie Sideways for killing interest in merlot.) The nose was a bit soft for my taste, with notes of dark plum and cherry. The front of the wine was quite fruity, picking up flavors of dark plum and cherry, with herbaceous and oaky notes. The mid-palate brought stronger oaky and briar flavors, with hints of minerals. The finish was smooth and rather mild, with some lingering notes of minerals and oak. I gave this a 7 out of 10 points, as I would have liked more of the herbaceous notes up front and more of a lingering finish. Very smooth, though.
2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
The wine started with a medium-bodied nose of smoky oak, cassis, and blackberry. The front of the wine had lush, layered flavors of blackberry, oak, leather, and black tea. The mid-palate was nicely complex, with more of the oak and black tea flavors, and changed substantially over the tasting. The finish was long and had very nicely rounded tannins, and lingering oak and spice flavors. I thought this would age quite well for another five years. I gave it 8 out of 10 points, and was astonished at how much better this Cab was than the last one I tasted at Cakebread.
2007 Syrah, Carneros, Napa Valley
If you've read my other posts, you know Syrah is not one of my favorite varietals. I typically find the sour notes in the wine overwhelm the finer points, and I can always tell when Syrah has been used in blended wines. This wine, however, was a revelation of what Syrah can be in the hands of an accomplished vintner. The nose was heavenly, with deep rich notes of cassis and blackberry, mocha, violets, and anise. The front of the wine had lusciously layered flavors of blackberry, cassis, and anise that changed over the tasting, indicating a lovely refinement. The mid-palate had lovely notes of roasted coffee, toasted oak and briar, and these were carried into the smooth finish. These flavors lingered long on the palate and changed and developed over time. There was only a hint of sourness that nicely balanced all the other flavors. By far, my favorite Syrah ever - 10 out of 10 points! Hurrah for Syrah!
It turns out that Karen and her S.O. once were wine club members at Cakebread, and Karen was not only interested in visiting, she was thinking of joining the wine club again. As it turns out, we both ended up joining the wine club.
What we tasted:
2009 Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley
This was my least favorite wine of the day. Starting with a softer nose of lemon and apple, the front of the wine had that almost tinny flavor that I really despise. It was served slightly too warm, which was odd, because it was quite cool in the room where it was poured. The warmth of the wine, in my opinion, made it nearly impossible to taste. In any event, the wine did progress to soft flavors of guava, grapefruit, and lemon mid-palate, and had a smooth, delicate finish with hints of melon and kiwi. I gave it 6 out of 10 points, and would be willing to try it if served colder, but did not want to buy it based on what I tasted.
2009 Chardonnay, Napa Valley
This was an interesting, atypical Chardonnay for Napa. The wine started with a lovely medium-bodied nose of apple, white peach and spicy oak. The front of the wine was smooth and full-bodied, bursting with flavors of peach, apple, with hints of mineral. The mid-palate brought in that wonderful spicy oak from the nose, and the finish was smooth and well-balanced, with lingering notes of spicy oak and peach. I loved this wine and gave it 9 out of 10 points.
2009 Chardonnay Reserve, Carneros, Napa Valley
This wine was very different in style to the one we tasted prior to this. It was much more in the style of a Napa Chardonnay. The nose was full-bodied and rich with scents of melon, apple, peach, and toasted oak. The front of the wine was creamy and smooth, with flavors of apple, melon, peach and mineral notes. The mid-palate brought in a punch of that creamy toasty oak, and the finish was smooth and creamy with lingering notes of oak, yeast, and gingery spice. I loved this as much as the earlier wine, for very different reasons, and gave this 9 out of 10 points as well.
2007 Merlot, Napa Valley
This was a very nice example of classic Napa Merlot (I really hate the movie Sideways for killing interest in merlot.) The nose was a bit soft for my taste, with notes of dark plum and cherry. The front of the wine was quite fruity, picking up flavors of dark plum and cherry, with herbaceous and oaky notes. The mid-palate brought stronger oaky and briar flavors, with hints of minerals. The finish was smooth and rather mild, with some lingering notes of minerals and oak. I gave this a 7 out of 10 points, as I would have liked more of the herbaceous notes up front and more of a lingering finish. Very smooth, though.
2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
The wine started with a medium-bodied nose of smoky oak, cassis, and blackberry. The front of the wine had lush, layered flavors of blackberry, oak, leather, and black tea. The mid-palate was nicely complex, with more of the oak and black tea flavors, and changed substantially over the tasting. The finish was long and had very nicely rounded tannins, and lingering oak and spice flavors. I thought this would age quite well for another five years. I gave it 8 out of 10 points, and was astonished at how much better this Cab was than the last one I tasted at Cakebread.
2007 Syrah, Carneros, Napa Valley
If you've read my other posts, you know Syrah is not one of my favorite varietals. I typically find the sour notes in the wine overwhelm the finer points, and I can always tell when Syrah has been used in blended wines. This wine, however, was a revelation of what Syrah can be in the hands of an accomplished vintner. The nose was heavenly, with deep rich notes of cassis and blackberry, mocha, violets, and anise. The front of the wine had lusciously layered flavors of blackberry, cassis, and anise that changed over the tasting, indicating a lovely refinement. The mid-palate had lovely notes of roasted coffee, toasted oak and briar, and these were carried into the smooth finish. These flavors lingered long on the palate and changed and developed over time. There was only a hint of sourness that nicely balanced all the other flavors. By far, my favorite Syrah ever - 10 out of 10 points! Hurrah for Syrah!
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