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5-02-2002
WHITES
1999 Albert Mann,
Alsace, France, Pinot Blanc
Light
golden yellow straw, slightly closed aromas show green apple, pear
and some tropical fruits with a slight leesy, nutty character along
with a dose of minerals, palate shows tart apple, peach, citrusy
lemon/orange peel, pear, pineapple, some herbal character and a
hint of nuttiness, medium body, very dry with crisp acidity, slightly
under ripe, nice balance with some complexity. Nice sipping wine.
Good agreement across the panel on this one. $14
 +
Good Value
1999 Navarro, Estate
Dry, Anderson Valley, California, Gewurtztraminer
Light yellow straw, fairly intense nose has ripe aromas of rich
tropical fruits, apricots, peach, lemon, green apple, leesy nuts
and brown spice, palate shows ripe tropical fruits, pears, lychee,
pithy citrus skins, brown spice and nuts, medium full body, medium
acidity with nice balance and decent complexity. Very Alsatian in
style. One of the better CA Gewurtztraminers I have tasted. Some
strong differences of opinion on this one. $15
+
Good Value
REDS
2000 Copain, Hein
Vineyard, Anderson Valley, California, Pinot Noir
Dark brickish garnet red, good intensity on the nose showing black
cherry/raspberry, cola, shoe polish, forest floor, mushroom and
spicy oak, flavors showed black cherry/raspberry, strawberry, plum,
kirsch, cola, tar, spice, coffee and toasty oak, full body, slightly
crisp acidity and moderately full tannins, nicely balanced, fairly
extracted moderately ripe flavors with a fairly long pleasant finish,
seemed a bit candied on day one but improved a great deal by day
two, also seemed to gain some complexity. About $45.
Average Value
2000
Ken Wright, Shea Vineyard, Willamette Valley, Oregon, Pinot Noir
Medium garnet red, Nose started out a bit closed on day one,
showing cherry, strawberry, cocoa, forest floor and mushroom, moderate
intensity on the palate revealing flavors of cherry, strawberry,
raspberry, spice and some mild toasty oak. This wine suffered a
bit in comparison to the Copain because it is a bit lighter in body
and was a little closed down. Seemed simple in comparison. The balance
was very nice however and it continued to improve for a couple more
days. Very silky texture, no signs of oak after day one, creamy
berry spice, smooth and round with slightly crisp acidity and moderate
tannins. A bit pricey but very nice. For me the score increased
dramatically the next day.
Average Value
2000 Uccellero, Rosso
del Montalcino, Italy, Sangiovese Grosso
Smoky garnet red,
rich cedary aromas of spicy cherry, espresso, soy, smoke and pencil
lead, palate flavors of bright black cherry, cocoa, black tea, anise,
coffee, tar, leather and oak, medium body, crisp acidity, moderate
strength tannins, good length, slightly astringent, seemed a bit
simple upon opening but this wine smoothed out and gained complexity
over the next couple days, drinking very nicely up to three days
after opening, great balance and nicely layered. It's my personal
belief that we missed the call on this wine significantly. One man's
opinion! $20.
+
Good Value
1999
Altesimo, Vendemonia, Rosso del Montalcino, Italy, Sangiovese
Grosso
Tough bottle to
rate, seemed flawed, very bretty, dark brick red, very stinky and
musty with black cherry, mocha and vanilla, still fairly smooth
and rich, flavors are also dirty and musty with of black cherry,
plum, tea leaf, leather, cocoa and spice, weak in fruit, a bit too
lean, tinny and metallic, medium full body, crisp acidity and medium
strong tannins, ultimately a huge disappointment considering the
producer but all felt it was an off bottle. It was just so strange
that no one even guessed what that it was a Rosso del Montalcino.
$16 No value judgment.
1997 Stefano Farina,
Barbaresco, Italy, Nebbiolo
Medium bricked
red, nice aromas of dried red and black cherry, cardamom and anise
spice, herbs and rich cedary oak, a little musty, flavors show dried
cherry, coffee, tar, anise rich herbs, earth, cedary oak, showing
some bottle bouquet, medium body, crisp acidity and medium to low
tannins, drinking nicely, not real intense but does have some decent
complexity, drank nice the next day, priced well at $27.
Good Value
2000
Jaffurs, Melville Vineyard, Santa Maria, California, Syrah
Dark purple, nose shows strong aromas of meaty blackberry, espresso,
vanilla oak and bacon, intense palate shows moderately ripe blackberry,
blueberry, kirsch, coffee, brown spice, cedary oak and chalky earth,
full body, slightly crisp acidity and medium full tannins, nice
long finish, very new world in style and intent, smooth texture.
Great value at around $28.
-
Good Value
2000 Jaffurs, Bien
Nacido Vineyard, Santa Barbara, California, Syrah
Dark inky purple, musky reduced aromas with blackberry, gamey
meat, gunpowder, earth, mineral, vanilla oak and tar, intense ripe
palate flavors of blackberry, deep blueberry, chocolate, coffee,
black walnuts, dried figs, herbs and vanilla oak, full body, crisp
acidity, medium strong tannins, good length, nicely balanced, complex.
Very nice wine at a good price of around $28.
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Good Value
2000 Novy, Santa Lucia
Highlands, California, Syrah
Dark purple, ripe aromas of gamey jammy black raspberry, espresso
mocha and vanilla oak, flavors are extremely forward with ripe black
raspberry, tar, chocolate and toasty oak, jammy and over the top,
huge pungent fruit forward wine, medium full body, low to medium
acidity and medium strength tannins, nice enough wine but extremely
fruit driven and very extracted. Still if you like fruit, this is
a good value at around $20. Early drinker I suspect.
+
Good Value
2000 Novy, Garys'
Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands, California, Syrah
Dark inky purple, strongly aromatic nose of ripe blackberry, espresso,
menthol, earth and anise, palate shows jammy juicy forward blackberry,
blueberry pie, black currant and cassis, cocoa, coffee, tar and
chalky minerals, juicy and sweet, full body, slightly crisp acidity
with full moderately coarse tannins, seems dense and extracted,
it is so forward that there was some disagreement on the balance
of this wine. Extremely new world in style. You'll either love it
or hate it. Our group was a bit split. $30.
Average Value
2000
Garretson Wine Company, Luascain
Rozet Vineyard, Paso Robles, California, Syrah
Dark purple, nose is a bit closed down revealing gamey blackberry,
espresso, shoe polish, chocolate, and oak, some floral character
as well, palate shows flavors of blackberry, cocoa, espresso, herbs,
vanilla and some slightly spicy charred oak, strong juicy finish,
medium full body, low to moderate acidity, medium tannins, smooth
and polished with nice balance, compelling complexity, the oak integrated
over a couple of days and the herbal qualities seemed to increase
the complexity. A bit pricey but this is a very nice wine which
according to a couple of the tasters would have had a higher score
if the oak was more integrated. Well it did integrate over the next
couple of days. This wine lasted the longest of this bunch of wines,
still drinking well after 3 days. $45.
+
Average Value
2000 Melville, High
Density, Santa Ynez, California, Syrah
Dark purple, aromas of black cherry/berry, cassis, shoe polish,
leather, herbs de Provence and a bit of raw oak, palate has flavors
of candied black cherry, pomegranate, gamey, meaty, sweaty, minty
eucalyptus and minerals, pepper spice, hint of acetone, perhaps
a little bit more residual sugar than normal, perhaps a bit bretty
as well, medium full body, slightly crisp acidity with low to moderate
tannins, good length and decent balance. A couple of us mentioned
that this was potentially a slightly off bottle due to the bretty
character, one mentioned that it almost seemed like just a hint
at the onslaught of a corky wine. Hard to say. Priced at $30.
-
Average Value
1998 Clos Mimi, Shell
Creek Vineyard, Paso Robles, California, Syrah
Dark garnet red,
aromas of red cherry, plum, nail polish, soy, meaty, coffee bean,
vanilla oak and a bit of green dill, perhaps a hint of volatile
acidity, palate flavors of dried red cherry, plum, cocoa, tar, nutty,
herbs, brown spice, and vanilla oak, perhaps a little oxidized,
full body, slightly crisp acidity with medium to slightly full tannins,
some disagreement among the panel members on the balance, some thought
it was nice others felt it was out of balance. We all felt that
it was a bit idiosyncratic. Highly priced at $50.
Poor Value
1998
Guigal, Brune et Blonde, Cote Rotie, Syrah with Viognier
Dark red, gamey reduced aromas of blackberry, blueberry, raspberry,
herbs, eucalyptus, and loam, pretty stinky, flavors reveal jammy
ripe forward plums, black cherry, herbs, cocoa, oak and earth, a
bit grapey, moderately full body, moderate acidity and medium tannins,
decent balance which improved by day two, became a little more lively
on the palate by day two as well. Nice enough but overall came off
as a bit over ripe. Very new world in style, if not for the gamey
character, I think most of us would have guessed it was from CA.
Very good value none the less at $32.
-
Good Value
1999 Los Gravas, Jumilla,
Spain, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon Blend
Very dark purple,
aromas of black raspberry, blueberry, cocoa, coffee, shoe polish,
spice and oak, flavors of ripe blackberry, blueberry, cherry, strawberry,
earth, cola, chocolate, brown spice and toast, medium full body,
moderate acidity and medium strong tannins, nice balance, good length,
some complexity but still youthful and a bit rough right now, very
promising especially for a grenache based wine. Very dark grenache
fruit character. Great value at around $16.
Good Value
1999
le Clos du Caillou, Bouquet des Garrigues, Cotes du Rhone, France
Grenache Dominated Red Rhone Blend
Dark red garnet,
somewhat subdued aromas of gamey black cherry/berry, cocoa, cola,
and brown spice, palate flavors of cherry, currant, cocoa, tar,
herbs, tar, leather and cedary oak, soft mid-palate with a strong
finish, medium full body, crisp acidity with medium strength tannins,
drinking nicely though perhaps just a little tangy on the finish
the first day, this seemed to have smoothed out over night, drinking
nicely the next day. Great price of $13.
-
Good Value
1999
Etim, Tarrazono-Falset, Spain, Old Vine Grenache
Dark inky purple,
aromas of black cherry, black currant, plum, mixed herbs, spice
and fairly pronounced oak, palate shows flavors of bright black
raspberry, plum, cassis, coffee, herbs, spice and charred oak, a
bit simple and soda pop like but wonderful fruit character, medium
full body, crisp acidity and medium full tannins, possibly acidified
as it seemed a bit juicy and tart. Nice drinking for now and at
a heck of a good price of around $10.
-
Good Value
Tasting held at:
Wine Street, a local wine shop
in Carlsbad, California
Eric Anderson was unable to attend. Guest Panelist: Andy Abramson
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