2009 Clos Pegase PINOT NOIR "Mitsuka's Vineyard" (Carneros, Napa, Cal.)

A fragrant, balanced, fairly complex and ready-to-drink PN.  Very good value at the $15.99 I paid.

Medium ruby/garnet with a little tawny at the edge.  Lots going on in the nose:  sappy ripe cherry, a little tartish cranberry/rhubarb note, sweet, earthy baking spices, and some underlying minerality.  Lots of flavor in a smooth, fairly full-bodied (for a PN) frame.  Tart cherry and loads of dark, stony minerality.  The finish, which is very long, molts into a clingy, iodiney, sappy cherry melange.  It's bone dry.  I really like this.  A-/B+.  Got it from WTSO.com.

2011 Chad PINOT NOIR (Anderson Valley, Cal.)

A fragrant, light, zesty Pinot Noir.  Varietally true, and fun to gulp, this wine is the antithesis of a "serious" Pinot.  But it's good anyway.

Light ruby color with a garnet tinge.  Lots going on in the nose: tart but sappy cherry, sandstone, a raw beef component, and a whiff of pine needles resting in moist soil.  Slams the palate with very pure-tasting cherry fruit and lots of stony minerals.  B one-dry and loaded with zesty acids too.  But the flavors fade pretty quickly, and there's not much concentration.  Compare this to a good quality Bourgogne Rouge.  B.  I think I got this for around $20 a bottle from Wineaccess.com.

2008 Dierberg PINOT NOIR Estate (Santa Maria Valley, Cal.)

A fleshy, soft, aromatic P.N.  Drinking really well now, and should hold and improve for another 2-3 years.

Dark ruby color still with youthful violet highlights.  Rich nose of ripe sappy cherries and plums, augmented with warm fruitcake and moist gravelly scents.  Mouthfilling, clingy flavors of rich cherry, brown baking spices, and a gravelly/minerally note.  Full-bodied, yet not heavy, with an elegant texture and good acidity.  Very long finish.  Really fine.  A-.  Was $29.99 from WineAccess.com.

2008 William Knuttel PINOT NOIR (Sonoma Coast, Cal.)

This is one of the best moderately-priced Pinot Noirs I've encountered.  Flavorful, fragrant, complex, and soft.

Medium ruby with a slight ambering at the rim.  Engaging nose with lots of stuff going on:  Soft, sappy cherries, peat moss, maple syrup, root beer, and crushed stone.  Instantly mouth-filling, with ripe, dried sweet cherry syrup, smoked meat, lots of stony minerals, and a smoky not-quite-as-sharp-as-graphite-but-still-darkish component that clings to the sides of the mouth.  Lengthy finish that you wish would be even longer.  Fairly full body.  A teensy bit of tannin. My only quibble is that the acidity is lower than I'd ideally like.  A-.  So much more enjoyable than 50% of the Burgundy Premier Crus out there at double the price.  Was $22.99 from WineAccess.com.

2009 Weber PINOT NOIR "Mishelle" (Santa Rita Hills, Cal.)

I got this for a song ($10) as a close-out, and it's really good!  Loads of pure Pinot fruit in a crisp, almost tart style, but with excellent varietal character, very good concentration, and great balance.

Medium dark ruby with a magenta tinge.  Nose of pure cherry with pomegranate, along with a whisper of root beer and sandstone.  Lively, crisp, penetrating fruit on entry, first filling the mouth and then turning into mineral-laced cherry extract as the finish wore on.  Just a bit of tannin providing physical structure. I would put this up against all but the top Beaune Premier Crus any day.  I'm not sure if they have any left, but you should check out the Winex (a very good Orange County, Cal., retailer) website and find out.  B+.  This could age nicely for a couple of years.

4th of July wines

Bare-bones impressions from memory:

2008 Donnhoff KREUZNACHER KROTENPFUHL RIESLING KABINETT (Nahe, Germany) -- This was a killer wine:  Unbelievable fragrance of ripe, lively fruit, flowers, and stony minerals.  Great verve in the mouth.  Ripeness, lightness, great buoyant acids.  Fantastic.  A.

2007 Saintsbury "Toyon Ranch" PINOT NOIR (Carneros, California) -- A soft, full, earthy and savory Pinot Noir.  Very much a Nuits-St. George style, but a bit riper and more approachable.  B+.

2007 Saintsbury "Cerise Vineyard" PINOT NOIR (Anderson Valley, Mendocino County, Cal.)

This Pinot Noir actually has a lot in common with some of the old school (70s era) Nebbiolo wines I've drunk from Barbaresco -- particularly in respect to its intense, piercing chokecherry fruit. If I were served this blind, I would have vacillated between the two varietals. It's very good.

Dark ruby color. The nose required a lot of air time to develop (that's even WITH pouring it through a Vinturi). It was only on the second night that it really showed, although even then it wasn't the most exuberant. Concentrated, almost resiny chokecherry extract, along with some maple syrup scents and warm gravelly notes. Intense, but almost restrained flavors -- you could almost taste the potential energy of this wine. Ripe chokecherry extract fruit, a toasty earthiness, and lots of minerality. Very long, powerful finish. This will improve in a cool cellar for a few years. A-. I bought this as part of a horizontal Saintsbury single vineyard set from Wineaccess.com awhile back for about $27/bottle.

Wines at my brother's house

2008 Domaine Henri Darnat MEURSAULT "Clos du Domaine" -- Very tight but nicely concentrated. Nose was earthy, smoky, apply. Leaner style, but showed very good presence in back half of the palate, as well as good length and acidity. Very elegant. Will keep and improve for a few years. Got this from WinesTilSoldOut.com awhile back.

2008 Vallana SPANNA COLLINE NOVARESE -- My first wine of the new era of Vallana's presence in the U.S. after a long absence. This wasn't bad, but not up to the Spannas this producer cranked out in the 1960s and 70s. Earthy Nebbiolo fruit on the nose, but with a slight shoe polish, funky prune note detracting a bit. Medium concentration, but with some nice earthy cherry fruit. Decent finish.

2009 CHAD Carneros PINOT NOIR -- From WineAccess.com, this was an excellent value. Classic Cal. Pinot Noir with rich but focused sappy, earthy cherry fruit. Good concentration, with good acids too. Loads of cherry fruit with earthy minerals and some toasty oak. Yummy. Not sure who makes this, but it's good!

2008 Bishop's Peak PINOT NOIR (Central Coast, Cal.)

A second label of Talley Vineyard (an excellent Pinot producer), this wine was a decent value as Pinot Noirs go, showing off mostly the earthy side of the grape.

Medium light ruby garnet. Rich nose of wet, earthy cherry syrup and cola, along with some sweet high-toned smoke. Soft, medium-bodied, and ripe, this wine had ripe, earthy, cherry flavors and a long, sandstone-infused finish. Low acidity makes for a broad mouthfeel, and there's a bit of heat on the finish. A pretty good example of the traditional, earthy, ripe California style of old. Was $19 at Spec's on Smith. 87.

Great tasting of Silver Oak and Twomey wines

I was invited to a special private tasting last week with Daniel Baron, the winemaker at Silver Oak -- one of the most prestigious names in all of California winedom. For me, it was a real treat, because I have not attended many formal tastings since leaving the wine biz in the mid-1980s, and I actually have never had the pleasure of drinking a Silver Oak wine.

It occurred during my regular work hours, so I unfortunately had to religiously spit, but I enjoyed it immensely anyway. Not only were the wines very special (notes to follow), but Daniel Baron has been making wine in the highest eschelons for decades. As we were tasting, he regaled us not only with a wealth of winemaking information, but also some great anecdotes from his interesting career.

The wines comprised not only the two Silver Oak Cabernets (the Alexander Valley and the Napa Valley), but also from Twomey Vineyards, with is associated with Silver Oak, though it focuses on varietals other than Cabernet (a Sauvignon Blanc, several Pinot Noirs, and a Merlot). All the wines were either currently on the market or about to be released.

2008 Twomey Napa Valley SAUVIGNON BLANC -- from old vines formerly owned by the now defunct Stonegate Winery, this was a very tight, crisp, French-styled Sauvignon Blanc. Restrained nose with light earthy, toasty notes and citrusy fruit. Crisp as all heck in the mouth, with a pervasive minerality and a refreshing style. Long, lean finish. Would be a dynamite accompaniment to sweet shellfish such as shrimp or scallops.

The following Pinot Noirs are denominated by regional appellation only, as they are blended from multiple vineyards within the designated region.

2008 Twomey Santa Barbara PINOT NOIR -- Tart and very tight. Gorgeous light pomegranate ruby color. Bright, nervous nose of sappy yet crisp cherries. High acidity, razor-like focus, but good ripeness. Long cherry-skin finish. (Daniel said this P.N. was from the coolest climate of the four, and will open up with time.)

2008 Twomey Anderson Valley PINOT NOIR -- Slightly darker color. Deeper, sappier nose, with spice and earth notes. Lower-toned flavors, with more earthy, humus (not hummus) notes. Longer finish too. Drinking well already.

2008 Twomey Sonoma Coast PINOT NOIR -- Darker still, with purply-ruby hues. Sweeter, riper nose, with lots of fruit and cinnamon. Broader, expansive mouthfeel, with lots of secondary flavors already showing up in addition to great, sappy Pinot fruit. Tightens up in the long finish. Needs a little time to get itself fully together, but already very tasty.

2008 Twomey Russian River PINOT NOIR -- Wow! Of all these appellations, Russian River is usually my least favorite, but this was fantastic. Great fruit on the nose. Gobs of focused, ripe cherry and a few other berries in the background. Round, silky, and concentrated in the mouth, but with a light feel. Lovely, pure fruity, soft and extra-long finish. Great balance.

2006 Twomey Napa Valley MERLOT -- I'm not usually a huge Merlot guy, but this ROCKED! From a single vineyard in SE Napa near Stag's Leap (Daniel said the soil is very poor, volcanic pumice), made only with French clones of Merlot, and aged in French oak. An elegant, blackish ruby color. Intense, focused blackberry fruit on the nose. Tight in the mouth, with ripe fruit but avoiding any jamminess or perceptible residual sugar. Lots of gravelly, stony notes, and gobs of very fine-grained tannins. Full-bodied, with fantastic length. I thought this was very much like a top growth St. Emilion or Pomerol. I probably would not have picked this out as a California wine if I didn't know what it was.

All the Twomey reds will retail at $50. (I can't remember what he said the Sauvignon Blanc sells for.)

2005 Silver Oak Alexander Valley CABERNET SAUVIGNON -- As all Silver Oak Cabs, this was 100% Cabernet and aged in 100% American Oak (50% was new for this wine). Dark black ruby color. Rich, earthy, cigar box, and humus notes along with ripe, dark fruit. Ripe and rich in the mouth, but with a nice, tight, concentrated core of fruit. Nice structure and balance. A very complete wine.

2004 Silver Oak Napa Valley CABERNET SAUVIGNON -- Very sedate color. Fantastic and unique nose, with sweet, perfumey cassis and cigar leaf, and a deep-toned inky component. Lots of minerally gravel notes in the mouth, with great focus and concentration. Impeccable balance. Still a fair amount of tannin, but a soft texture nonetheless. Very long finish.

Finally, Daniel explained a unique cork quality program that Silver Oak has instituted. I was amazed at how much thought and empirical data went into it, and the result, he said, was that, for their 750 ml bottles, the incidence of corked wine has been reduced from 2% (which seemed already pretty low to me), to an unheard of 0.67%. He also mentioned that for each and every bottle of 3L or larger, the corks are individually inspected! Amazing attention to quality.

***************************

All in all, a great experience!

2007 Sebastiani PINOT NOIR "Sonoma Coast" (Cal.)

A very good value at the ridiculously low price I paid ($9.99, on sale) at Houston Wine Merchant (South Shepherd).

Bright, medium dark ruby. Lots of sweet, sappy cherry and plum fruit on the nose along with a hint of smoky gravel. Rich, ripe flavors attack the palate (in a soft-textured frame) with juicy mulled cherries and root beer/cola components, tapering off with baking spice-laced earth notes. Very nice. I'll take this over 90% of the $30 burgundies out there any day. 88.

(Certain "terroirist" bloggers would, I'm sure, poo-poo my obviously pedestrian tastes claiming that "this biodynamic french microproducer and that organic microproducer make much more genuine a product" -- and their wines probably are really good, but where the heck does anyone not living in New York City find such wines without taking off two weeks from work to "seek the Grail"? So I'll happily find and drink this much more easily found "people's burg.")

2006 MacMurray Ranch PINOT NOIR (Central Coast, Calif.)

This was leftover from a holiday party Liz attended. I've seen it at virtually every supermarket in town, and it's a correct, cheap Pinot.

Bright ruby with magenta highlights. Lively but very simple nose of cherries, cola spices, and nutmeg. Direct cherry/earth flavors on entry, leading to a flat, somewhat metallic, cherry-ish finish. Not bad. 83. Widely available for around $10 to $14.

2004 Martinelli "Zio Tony Ranch" PINOT NOIR (Russian River Valley, Cal.)

This was a tremendous, full-throttle Pinot Noir. We were lucky to be able to share this one with the Hughens while they were visiting us over New Years.



Sultry, medium dark ruby. Intensely fruity nose: sweet, oozing cherries and berries, with tart pectin-like notes and a sweetly musky component. Deep, concentrated, and full bodied, with an almost port-like texture and weightiness. Overripe cherry and plum extract in the mouth, with lots of peppery, steely minerals in the long, but warm (15.6% alc.) finish. Not the most subtle or complex wine, but a big, voluptuous, Raquel Welch of a Pinot Noir. 90. I got this from Flickinger Wines in Chicago several months ago -- I don't remember how much it was (I think around $45).

Foley 2005 Rancho Santa Rosa PINOT NOIR (Santa Rita Hills, Santa Barbara County)

I had this at America's restaurant, so these notes are from memory.

And my memory is that this was very, very good.

It had very focused, precise, and persistent cherry/pomegranate fruit, with very nice balancing acidity and a long, pure finish. Reminded me of an elegant Volnay or Pommard.

As to the food, my seared "Chilean Sea Bass" was immersed in too much of the clarified butter (or other fat) that the fish was sauteed in, but otherwise it was fresh and flavorful. Either as a result of my getting more sensitive to this as I get older, or because this is a trick that cooks use to get more flavor our of a dish, I notice more and more that fancy restaurants seem to leave way too much of the cooking fat in their finished dishes. Enough already!

2004 Hartford Sonoma Coast PINOT NOIR (California)

A very together Pinot Noir.

Bright ruby color. Gorgeous nose of cola, melted brown sugar, oozingly ripe cherries, minerals, and gravel. Intense and earthy flavors, with black cherry and cola flavors at the core, and lots of warm stones in the long finish. Reminded me of a very good Nuits St. George. 88. I got this at Spec's on Smith awhile back, and I think it was around $24.

2004 Martinelli "Seven Mules Vineyard" PINOT NOIR (Russian River Valley, California)

This was only the second Pinot Noir I've ever had from this vaunted producer, and it was excellent.

Light ruby color with hints of both amber AND lavender at the rim. Phenomenal nose that seems to change with each sniff -- sappy cherries, musky fur, gingerbread, balsa wood, black peppercorns, caramel. Rich, deep, soft and full-bodied, though not as dense and concentrated as the last Martinelli Pinot I had. Lots of ripe berries, with musky minerals in the long finish. A little bit of alcoholic heat showing through at the end. Very powerful, yet seductive. 91. Was $48 at Flickinger Wines in the Chicago area.

2005 Saintsbury Carneros "VIN GRIS DE PINOT NOIR" (California)

A well-built rose that's holding up nicely.


Light, bright pink color. Lively, yet subdued nose of strawberries, flowers, and tomato skins. Fairly rich and minerally in the mouth, with deep flavors, and bass notes of strawberry and watermelon. Long, pure finish. 87. Was $13 and change at Spec's on Smith.



In the summer, I usually like roses from the previous year's vintage, but this one is still drinking very well despite its additional year of age.

2005 Gallo Family PINOT NOIR "Sonoma Reserve" (Sonoma County, California)

This was kind of thin and undernourished. Bright crystalline ruby. Light intensity nose of minerals, vaguely gingerbready spice, and tart cherries. Pleasant, but rather thin flavors of cherries and bitterish minerals. Finish fades quickly, with too much acid showing through. 78. About $13 at Spec's.

Steaks and wine in Chicago

Went to the annual INTA (International Trademark Association) conference earlier this week. This year was in Chicago. My buddy Frank Duffin and I, as per tradition, hit the steak houses for a couple of nice dinners. First was Gene and Georgetti's. Not the most refined setting, and the wine list wasn't so hot, but the prime, dry-aged T-bone was tremendous. Had a 2004 St. Hallet Shiraz from Australia with it. The wine was not as jammy as many Aussie Shirazes, with somewhat higher acidity and tighter than I expected. Not bad, but not great.


The next night Frank and I, along with our friend Alex from Madrid, hit the Chicago Chop House, one of my favorite steak houses in the country. Their daily "off the menu" special, which I've had several times, is the Chop House Prime Rib. It's a prime, dry-aged ribeye cooked a special way: first it's roasted on the entire rib rack until just bloody, bloody rare, then sliced into individual ribeye steaks and seared to order. Even though I usually order a Strip, T-bone, or Porterhouse everywhere else, here, this cut is amazing. The wine was a 2004 J. Rochioli Russian River Valley Estate Pinot Noir -- a perfumed, concentrated, extraordinary PN whose ethereally light mouthfeel was hard to believe given its concentration of sappy, fragrant Pinot fruit and its length.








For dessert, we walked over to oENOlogy, a nearby wine, cheese, and chocolate joint in the Intercontinental Hotel. Amazingly, they had three different half bottles of Alois Kracher Austrian dessert wines on their list. We ordered a 1999 Alois Kracher #6 - Grande Cuvee Nouvelle Vague Trockenbeerenauslese. This wine was tremendously honeyed and rich, with lots of apricot and date fruit, and high enough acidity to buoy it all up. A great way to end the evening.

2005 Sebastiani Sonoma Coast PINOT NOIR (California)

This was a pretty good value for a Pinot Noir.

Bright, sparkling ruby with purplish glints. Sweet nose of cherry cola, pomegranate, and fragrant foresty scents. Rich, ripe fruit (dry blackberry and plum essences) with lots of stony mineral flavors. Very expressive. Not complex or Burgundian, but lots of character. 87. Very good value (for a Pinot Noir) at $14.50 at Spec's on Richmond.

Caveat: I had a couple of glasses of this two nights in a row, and each night, it clobbered me. I felt completely bombed. Every once in a while, a wine will do this to me. It usually doesn't have any correlation to the stated alcohol level. I have no idea what causes this, although the last time it happened it was also a pretty good-tasting California wine (reviewed here.)