Winter Taste-Off

New World Riesling (with one ringer)
The Artists Alley
San Francisco
February 22, 2009


As we noted in our last Taste-Off notes, our objective is to identify those wines that have the broadest appeal to core wine drinkers, i.e., they are rated highly by a range of members, each of whom has a slightly different palate. These are the wines that you, dear reader, should seek out without concern that you may not enjoy them.

In this tasting, Eroica clearly stood out as the preferred wine, followed by Spy Valley, Weingut St. Urbans and Hagafen. Note that more than half of those turning in ballots scored the wine Remarkable or above. From the website: Eroica is the result of a special partnership of German and American winemakers to craft an extraordinary Riesling from Washington state grapes. This is more than a blend of two estates, Dr. Loosen from the Mosel and Chateau Ste. Michelle from the Columbia Valley: It’s an intermingling of Old World and New World philosophy and technique. Eroica reflects not only its variety and site, but also its heritage: bold and forward from its Washington roots, elegant and refined from German inspiration. Named for Beethoven’s Third Symphony, Eroica is truly a concert of Old World and New World Riesling.

Tasting Notes “This Eroica shows the crisp acidity of the 2007 vintage, which was the best acidity holding year I have seen in my five years being involved in Eroica. The wine delivers mandarin orange and sweet lime aromas and flavors with subtle mineral notes. The cooler September, along with selecting fruit from higher elevation and cooler sites, contributed to the mouth-watering acidity balanced by beautiful Washington Riesling fruit. I have found this wine to be an amazing pairing with sweet, flavorful Dungeness crab.”-Bob Bertheau, Winemaker

RESULTS

Composite Scores ~Very Good or above ~ Excellent or above ~ Remarkable or above ~ 1st, 2nd 3rd
Clairborne & Churchill 2006 Monterey $18 --0.5% RS (Alsatian style)
3.2 ....G ....87 .................9/18 ......................4/18................................2/18 .................2/1/1

Handley Cellars 2006 Cole Valley (Mendocino) $19 --5.3g/l. RS
3 ....G ....85 ...................8/18.........................4/18...............................2/18 ..................1/0/1

Tierce 2006 Finger Lakes $30 --0.6% RS
2.4 ....S ....83 .................3/18 ........................................................................................0/1/0

Tapestry 2005 McClaren Vale (AUS) $15 --3.3 g/l RS
2.3 ....F/S....82 ..............2/18 ..........................................................................................N/A

Pacific Rim 2007 Columbia Valley Wallula Vineyard Biodynamic $32 --0.76% RS
3.2 ....G/VG ....85 .........10/18 ....................6/18...........................1/18 .......................0/2/1

Paraiso 2006 Riesling Santa Lucia Highlands $14 --0.89% 5.70 g/l RS
3.2 ...G/VG ...87 ..............7/18 ...................6/18............................1/18 .......................0/0/1

Chateau St. Michelle 2007 Dry Riesling Columbia Valley (WA) $12 --7.8g/l
3.3 ....G/VG ....87 .............9/18 ...................6/18...........................1/18 ......................1/1/0

Lucas Vineyards Dry Riesling Finger Lakes (NY) $13 --1% RS
2.9 ....G....85 .....................5/18 .....................4/18.........................1/18 .......................N/A

Jana 2007 Old Vine Napa Valley $26 --1.1% RS
3.2 ....G/VG ....87 ..............7/18 .....................5/18........................1/18 .......................0/1/2

Northfield 2007 Waipara Valley NZ $18 --14 g/l RS
3.4 ....VG....87 ..................10/18 .....................7/18.......................2/18 ........................0/1/2

Pacific Rim 2007 Yakima Valley Solstice Vineyard $32 --1.14% RS
3.3 ....G/VG ....87 ..............8/18 ......................................................................................0/2/1

Sheldrake Point Finger Lakes $15 --1.8% RS
2.9 ....G ....85 .....................3/18 ........................................................................................N/A
Spy Valley 2006 Marlborough NZ $19 --15g/l
4 .....E.....90 .......................14/18 ...................13/18......................6/18 .........................2/3/1

Eroica 2007 Columbia Valley $25 --21.5 grams/l
4.2 ....E/R....92 ................16/18 .....................12/18......................11/18 .......................6/3/2

Weingut St. Urbans-Hof Ockfener Bockstein Riesling2007 Kabinett $19 --39 g/l
4 ....E....90 ........................14/18 .....................13/18......................10/18 ......................2/3/3

Hagafen 2008 Estate Bottled White Riesling Mayeri Vineyard $24 --5% RS
3.7 ....VG/E....88..............13/18 .....................11/18.......................4/18 .........................3/2/1

Recent Tasting ~ January 25th

We hosted member wineries of the San Francisco Wine Association.

The participating wineries (linked) and the current releases being poured are:

Damian Rae Winery
2006 Syrah (White Hawk Vineyard, Santa Barbara)

2006 Cabernet Sauvignon (ToKalon Vineyard, Oakville)

Seawind Wines

2006 Chardonnay (Sleepy Hollow Vineyard - Santa Lucia Highlands)

2007 Chardonnay (Sleepy Hollow Vineyard - Santa Lucia Highlands)

2006 Pinot Noir (Sleepy Hollow Vineyard - Santa Lucia Highlands)

2007 Pinot Noir (Split Rock Vineyard - Sonoma Coast)

Flying Wine Cellars

2005 Cabernet Sauvignon (Oakville Reserve)

2005 Syrah (White Hawk Vineyard, Santa Barbara)

Ricardus Corculum

2005 Four A's Cabernet Sauvignon (ToKalon Vineyard, Oakville)

2006 ClandestZin (Tom Feeney Ranch, Russian River)

Aver Family Vineyards
2006 Heritage (Cabernet Sauvignon)

2006 Homage (A Syrah-Petite Syrah blend)

Jazz Cellars

2007 Viognier (Catie's Corner Vineyard, Russian River Valley)

2006 Syrah (Las Madres Vineyard, Carneros)

2006 Petite Sirah, Eaglepoint Ranch Vineyard, Mendocino

December Walk Around Taste Off

Unique Red Blends

ArtPeople Gallery
December 18, 2008

Our periodic Taste-offs are based on two main premises:

(1) Those who consume a product are the best judges since they put their money where their palates are. These are people who enjoy wine with dinner ,but are not professionally involved in the wine industry. While the experts may be looking for such qualities as a "sense of place" or "complexity" in a wine, the typical wine lover is seeking drinkability above all else--how delicious a wine is.

(2) One wine can fit most, which is to say that certain wines can please an array of tasters, from novices to grape nuts, and whether one is a " tolerant taster" or "hyper-sensitive taster".

Following the perspective of the "wisdom of crowds", we seek to create a microcosm of wine drinkers, a palate populi, not to conduct an objective test of quality, but to find agreement among a variety of personal preferences. Sensory evaluation, while it may change with more experience, does not require specialized training or technical expertise. Wine Spectator columnist Matt Kramer has written that agreement/consensus on the appeal of different wines results in the least offensive wines emerging with the highest group scores. He considers this unfortunate. But the so called "safe" are more attractive and will achieve higher scores among a cross section of amateurs. Easy-to-drink wines with distinctive fruit and soft tannins represent the "sweet spot" for wine making.

This means that certain wines that appeal to more refined tastes will not always, indeed may seldom, appeal to those with less refined taste buds. If, for example, a Grand Cru Chablis were inserted into a citizen's choice judging of California Chardonnays, no doubt it would get a lower score. Perhaps a few tasters might spot its special qualities, but most others would find the stony, acidic, austere character of the Chablis to be off-putting.

It follows from this that we are not interested in knowing and reporting whether, for example, a Chardonnay has more of a citrusy or a more peachy mango character. We want to know simply how many of our representative group of tasters like a wine and how much they like it, i.e. did it achieve an aggregate score of Very Good or above. In our view, such an approach is the most reliable way of guiding other consumers.

We do acknowledge one obvious caveat, however. We would be the last to deny tastings like ours cannot really assess a key variable in the likeability of a wine: context. The where and when factors do count. Consumers, particularly, do not only consider what's in a glass when assessing merit. Yet... if we separate out the milieu, the desireability of the wine itself does go to the forefront, and a seriously good wine will make those seriously good times together that much better.

This time, 22 out of 45 members and guests submitted ballots, most of which were only partially filled out. Some of the wines received as few as 9 ratings, some as many as 15. Six participants, our "Core Group", rated all 12 wines.. Tasters were also asked to rank their 1st, 2nd and 3rd favorite which we factored into our algorithm. Three out of our 12 wines scored Very Good or above. We provided an array of nibbles so participants were able to taste the wines with food.

Here are the results.

Acorn Winery 2006 Medley Alegria Vineyards Russian River Valley $30 29% Zinfandel, 24% Syrah, 9% Cinsault, 9% Sangiovese, 9 % Cabernet Franc, 8% Muscat Ottonel. For this 7th edition of Medley, Winemaker Bill Nachbauer co-fermented 18 different field blended varieties in two lots with different yeasts. After fermentation the lots were pressed into 50% new oak barrels for aging. The lots were then blended after three months and aged for another 15.
RATING: Excellent (8 out of 11 ballots VG or above-Highly Recommended)/Core Group: 1st place Best of Tasting by a wide margin. We also tasted the 2005 which was richer and rounder, and also garnered high marks.

Bella Vineyards 2005 Hillside Cuvee Estate Alexander Valley $28 (sold out) 54% Cabernet sauvignon, 25% zinfandel ,11% petite sirah, 10% petite verdot
RATING: Very Good (6 0ut 0f 10 ballots VG or above-Highly Recommended) 2nd place / Core Group: 4th place

Trinitas Vineyards 2005 Old Vine Cuvee $13 at the winery - 29% Zinfandel, 26% Mataro (Mouvedre), 22%, Carignane, 16% Petite Sirah, 4% Alicante Bouschet, 3% Black Malvoisia
RATING: Very Good (9 out 15 VG or above) 3rd place/wines costing $22 or less : 1st place/Core Group: 3rd place. Best Value by far.

Skylark Wine Company 2006 Red Belly North Coast $20. Composed of 47% Carignane, 47% Syrah, 6 % Grenache. This Southern Rhone style blend is produced by Boulevard restaurant Wine Director John Lancaster and Sommelier Rob Perkins. Acorn 2005 Medley Alegria Vineyards Russian River Valley $30 29% Zinfandel, 24% Syrah, 9% Cinsault, 9% Sangiovese , 9 % Cabernet Franc, 8% Muscat Ottonel
RATING: Good-Very Good (6 out of 11 ballots VG or above) 4th place/ $22 and under: 3rd place/Core Group: Very Good 2nd place

Terre Rouge 2005 Tete-a-Tete Sierra Foothills $15-An assemblage of Mediterranean varietals 56% Syrah, 28% Mourvèdre, 16% Grenache
RATING: Good-Very Good (7 out of 13 VG or above) tied for 6th place/Core Group: tied for 7th place

Green and Red Vineyards 2005 Sobrante Estate Napa Valley $22 70% Zinfandel, 30% Syrah
RATING: Good-Very Good (7 out of 13 VG or above) tied for 6th place overall/Wines $22 and under: 3rd place/Core Group: tied for 7th place

Turnbull Vineyards 2005 Old Bull Napa Valley $20- 18% Tempranillo, 16% Sangiovese, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, 6 % Barbera 2% Syrah, plus smaller amounts of seven other grapes
RATING: Good-Very Good (4 out of 13 VG or above) 5th place/Wines $22 and under: 4th place/Core Group: tied for 4th place

Muir-Hanna Vineyards 2005 Bully Red Estate Napa Valley $22 50% cabernet sauvignon, 33% merlot, 7% primitivo, 6% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petite Verdot.
RATING: Good (4 out of 13 VG or above) 8th place/ Core Group: 5th place

Costa del Sol 2005 Napa Valley [Second label of Benessere Vineyards]$18 -61% Sangiovese, 29% Merlot, 10% Zinfandel
RATING: Good (5 out of 13 VG or above) 9th place

Periscope Cellars Deep 6 California $22 - 46% Syrah, 13% Tannat, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Petite Verdot, 8% Petite Sirah, 8% Zinfandel
RATING: Satisfactory 10th place/Core Group: 10th [may have been a flawed bottle; to be retasted again]

Vina Robles 2006 Red4 Paso Robles $14 - 53% Petite Syrah 38% Syrah, 7% Tannat, 2% Touriga
RATING: Satisfactory, 11th place/Core Group: N/A

Ed's Red Napa Valley $17 - 84% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Syrah
DQ'd-Merlot--not an unusual blend

Fall sit down blind tasting

Zin Taste-Off II
Chutney Restaurant
San Francisco
October 16, 2008

Wines are listed in order tasted in four flights of three. Fifteen members registered their impressions. The tasters ran the gamut from neophytes to afficionados. The first price listed is the winery MSRP; second price. best retail. Wines were tasted with Naan flat bread and tandori chicken. Ranking is based on totalling individual rating scores. It's worth noting that our first place wine from Opolo in Paso Robles, while it failed to garner four stars unlike our best of tasting in our earlier Zin tasting, is a large production wine: 6500 cases produced. The Paso Robles wines scored well in general. But then they came at the end of the tasting. Next time we'll have participants taste the wines more randomly.

You'll note the occasional inconsistency-- "a bit bland" vs. "very fruit forward"--which is to be expected from such a large panel of consumers. We are looking for that special wine that appeals to a wide spectrum of palates: not an easy task when science seems to show that people's taste buds differ in sensitivity.

By sheer coincidence, a smaller tasting panel of true wine enthusiasts met recently in the offices of Snooth in New York City to taste and rank Zins in four flights of three wines. Only one overlap, the Quivera which was evaluated in our first taste-off (see below) and had much the same reception. Worth surfing over to this ranking exercise (no rating) which offer a fuller accounting. http://blog.snooth.com/2008/11/18/snooth-panel-tasting-program-explores-zinfandel/

A. Ballentine Vineyards Block 2003 Reserve Napa Valley $29/24 3 stars ~ Good robust, slightly spicey, ripe, dried plum, deep dark color (warm climate)opaque. smooth, tannic, full fruit, jammy, smooth, subdued nose, deep garnet, medium intensity, sweet finsh, blueberry, blackberry, plum, light bouquet, musty, earthy, little acidity, petrol, dusty, cocoa, bordering on rough.

B. Stuhlmuller Vineyards 2003 Estate Alexander Valley $24/21 3 - 3 1/2 stars ~ Good/Very Good berries, very smooth, excellent nose, dark cherry, floral, violet, jammy berry, blackberry, deep ruby, cherry pie, honey, higher acidity, some lingering on the finish, long finish, fruit bouquet, more complexity, nice minerally scent, brown sugar and molasses, tannic at end, slightly sour note.

C. Alex Sotelo Cellars 2004 Dalraddy Vineyard Napa Valley $30/26 2 1/2 - 3 stars ~ Satisfactory/Good petrol nose, spice and herbs, sandlewood, spice, flat, light garnet, licorice fennel, light nose acidic respberry, smooth, lighter style, light yet complex, a bit bland, little aroma, light fruit, cranberry spice, very fruit forward, lost some spice.

D. Harvest Moon Winery 2005 Russian River Valley $26/24 3 Stars ~ Good sharp initial taste, young, tannic, bright purple tinged garnet, medium intensity, red raspberry, hot.

E. Marcucci Farms 2005 Russian River Valley $36/32 2 1/2 stars ~ Satisfactory slightly bitter, grapefruit/citrus, pepper, peppery, drier, lower sugar, ordinary, rich baking spices, clove aroma, dried fruit, spicy palate, white pepper, very light and fruit.

F. Hawley Winery & Vineyard 2005 Ponzo Vineyard Sonoma County $25/23 3 1/2 stars ~ Very Good ~ 3rd Place robust and earthy, cocoa, young, really jammy, a little bitter, some oak, a bit explosive, nice velvetty, fruitier, dark earthy spice, deep loganberry, Petite Syrah blend? [5%-ed.], raisin, spice but subtle, sweet lingering finish.

G. Hendry Ranch 2005 Block 28 Napa Valley $30 /27 3 stars ~ Good cherries and spice, floral chocolate. good balance, nice food wine, bold, sweet candy apple, high alcohol [15.2%-ed.]

H. Falcor Wines 2005 Dry Creek Valley $36/32 3 - 3 1/2 stars ~ Good/Very Good ~ 6th Place rhubarb and cream, perfumy chocolate covered cherry. long finish, smokey, a bit of a kick, pepper undertones, earth, must, all spice, nutmeg, bright raspberry, funky after taste, smokey.

I. Jeff Runquist 2006 “Z” Massoni Ranch Amador County $24/20 3 1/2 stars ~ Very Good ~ 2nd Place ~ Best Value kumquats, cigar box , good finish, vanilla/oak, nice balance, marshmellow finish, jasmine scent, very pleasant .slight taste of burnt sugar, cherries, almost port like on first taste--lighter body after 2nd sip. bright fruit.

J. Opolo Vineyards 2006 Mountain Paso Robles $28/22 3 1/2 stars ~ Very Good ~ 1st Place slightly smokey, hint of cinammon, spice, licorice, higher alcohol, big, sweet, more crisp than juicy, classic zin, chocolate, huge fruit power on nose, bug punch, rich zingy flavors of blackberry pie, spice, clove, cinnamon.

K. Ridge Vineyards 2006 Paso Robles $30/28 3 - 3 1/2 stars ~ Good/Very Good ~ 5th Place Green peppers, dried fruit, earthy full bodied, light cordial taste, earthy spice, tingly cloves, subdued.

L. Four Vines Winery 2006 “Biker” Paso Robles $25/21 3 1/2 stars ~ Very Good ~ 4th Place chestnut and figs, subtle berries, red berry fruit, nose improved with exposure to air, too sharp, not as good with food, mild tannins, smooth, plums, prunes, higher sugar content. raisin, rich spices, clove, stays on the lips. spicy lingering finish.

Wine Blogging Wednesday #47

We decided that this month we'd participate in this world wide event by assembling a tasting panel of members at one of the few San Francisco restaurants that doesn't charge corkage, Indigo. Participants were asked to follow these guidelines put together by our cyber hosts, Erin & Michelle of the Canadian blog Grape-Juice:

So, on the eve of the 4th birthday of WBW, we’d like to regress a little bit into our childhood, when things were simple, creativity was encouraged and the whole world seemed like a new and exciting place just waiting to be explored. Now as adults and wine lovers, with stress and the occasional sense of imposed snobbery, we sometimes lose that pure, indescribable ability to have a little fun. The wine world still is a new and exciting place; no matter how long you’ve been in the business of wine writing, the dizzying array of varieties, people and places that are represented in every bottle ensure that there’s always something more to learn, and to love. We’re asking you to be a kid again, think outside the box, and pick a wine embodies the following theme:

TODAY’S WINE BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE LETTER “S” Sound vague? Intentional. We want to see what you come up with when you’re given near limitless options. The word beginning with “S” must be directly related to your bottle of wine (think region, appellation, producer, varietal, style, winemaker, etc) but that’s the only rule.

We narrowed these instructions down to Sauvignon Blanc, Sangiovese and Syrah from Sonoma County, though other "S" associations were allowed as you'll see below.

The following wines were tasted with dinner, in the order listed, by 15 members (we arrived at the 100 pt. mark by summing the star evaluations and dividing by the number of evaluators):

Everett Ridge 2006 Sauvignon Blanc $18 Good/a Collective-86 pts.~ Organically grown grapes, grapefruit, lemon and white peach flavors; nicely balanced acidity.

Carica 2006 Sauvignon Blanc Kick Ranch (Sonoma County) $19 Excellent/Remarkable-92 pts.; 3rd place in tasting ~ Tropical flavors and crisp acidity; opens with floral notes and aromas of pineapple, grapefruit and gooseberry with a hint of toasty oak. Tasting of guava, fig and passion fruit, the wine has a prolonged lime accented finish.

Toad Hollow Askew 2006 Sauvignon Blanc Paso Robles $14 Satisfactory-81 pts ~ Crisp and clean. Citrus notes. Kiwi style Sauvignon Blanc with no oak.

Sebastiani 2007 Sylvia Sebastiani's Symphony Sacramento County $13 Good/Very Good-86 pts.; Award for most 'S' words, six, when the winery location is included: Town of Sonoma. Distinctive Muscat aromas and flavors. Tropical fruit and floral notes of guava, honeysuckle, ruby red grapefruit and lychee, it finishes with a hint of spritz. A cross between Alexandria Muscat and Grenache the wine was developed with the goal of achieving a higher quality, fruity-style Muscat wine that could be grown in the warmer microclimates of California. It received its name at a Wine Institute tasting when a winemaker exclaimed that the complexity of flavors and aromas was like the orchestration of a symphony.

Fisheye Chillin Red (white) Syrah California $5 Satisfactory/Good-84 pts Bright, lithe and juicy with fresh strawberry aromas and flavors. A balanced rosé wine with acidity and a complex mouth feel. Finished as a semi-dry. Easy drinking “fun” wine.

Bonny Doon 2005 Ca' del Solo Sangiovese $15 Satisfactory/Good-84 pts Cherried pipe tobacco smoke, beneath chocolate tones. From the periphery, liquored cassis and black cherry fruit are beginning to expand to the center. The tannins are quite prominent at the moment, but they are moving in the right direction toward resolution.

Mitchell Katz 2005 Sangiovese Crackerbox Vineyard (Livermore) $22 Very Good-88 pts Aromas of cherries, basil and earthy clay. A big wine with chewy plums and sweet cherries; followed by bright acid, roasted sweet sun dried tomatoes, cedar, basil and oregano. The finish is thyme, pepper, and sweet roasted onion. Soft tannins abound.

Ridge 2001 Syrah Lytton Estate Dry Creek Valley $35 Remarkable-93 pts; 2nd place in tasting The dominant fruit is syrah, which also provides structure. Grenache brings an exotic dimension to the fruit, and old-vine carignane adds bright acidity and a touch of elegance. A total of twenty-two months in air dried american oak has brought the tannins and full body into balance, and five years of bottle age seems to have brought further complexity to this fine wine.

Hanna 2000 Syrah Bismark Mountain $48 Good/Very Good - 87 pts. Nose of black cherries, lavender and pepper, concentrated flavors and spice with substantial tannins.

Columbia Crest 2003 Shiraz Grand Estates Columbia Valley $11 Very Good - 88 pts. A fruity red with a pleasant aroma, and notes of raspberry, blackberry and plum. The finish has a hint of orange peel. Easy drinking with little complexity.

DuMol 2001 "eddies patch" Syrah Russian River Valley (Magnum) $65/750 ml Remarkable/Extraordinary-94 pts.; Best of Tasting. A huge wine reminiscent of Northern Rhone wines, but more virile and outgoing. The 2001 is dense with aromas of pepper, lavender, dried mushrooms, toasted oaky vanilla, and there are some big blackberries and beefy scents as well. The palate comes at you with jammy black berry fruit, cassis, and chocolate followed by touches of leather and licorice.

Carica 2006 Syrah Kick Ranch Vineyard, Sonoma County $36 Very Good/Excellent-90 pts. Rich and intense. this wine exhibits flavors of blackberry and black cherry fruits, followed by notes of roasted meat and bacon fat characteristic of the Northern Rhone’s wines. Has a deep persistent finish with accents of pepper and dark chocolate and smoke. Abundant soft tannins make this wine approachable early

Jus Soli 2005 Syrah Sonoma Valley $24 Very Good/Excellent- 90 pts. Complex, sexy nose of violets, sweet tobacco, black cherry, plum and bacon fat. Dense in the mouth showing plum, chocolate, spice, and vanilla flavors. Plush with ripe tannins framing the sweet fruit. Long finish with flavors of blueberry, cocoa and vanilla notes.

Clos Pegase 2005 Syrah Napa Valley $25 Excellent - 91 pts. Very rich, with jammy cherry and raspberry layered on top of the vanilla and spice box of new oak. Tasted more like a softer cab than a syrah. Long finish.

Vinos Pinol 2005 Sacra Natura Proprietary blend, Terra Alta, Spain $18 Very Good/ Excellent - 88 pts. Organic. Blend of five varieties. Started out bitter chocolate that softened in the class. Lots of red fruit but dry. Rustic. New world style. Excellent value.

June Tasting: Zins

We gathered this month to rate and rank recent releases of Zinfandels, with an emphasis on Dry Creek Valley. Several other appellations were included for contrast. We’ve included some copy from the wineries about their release. The wines are listed in the order they were tasted in two flights of six.

We returned to Schlesinger Associates for our taste-off. Many thanks to Pam for her graciousness in hosting us.

WINES

Forchini Vineyards & Winery Dry Creek Valley Proprietor's Reserve Estate Grown & Bottled $26.00 3 1/2 stars: Very Good ~ Tied for 3rd place
Winery comment: Our Zinfandels are classic Dry Creek and produced from 90+ year old head pruned vines from our historic pre-prohibition vineyard located on the elevated east benchland of Dry Creek Valley. These magnificent non-irrigated vines are a living testament to the unique combination of this old clone with the deep rooted St. George rootstock. Low yields enable maximum ripeness in the fruit which produce a full bodied dry wine with intense mixed briary berry flavors, deep ruby red color, fragrant spice and bold alcohol.

Accorn 2005 Heritage Vines™ Alegria Vineyards Russian River Valley $34 3 stars: Good

As was standard practice in the 19th century, our Zinfandel vineyards contain a unique blend of inter-planted varieties that have evolved over the past 117 years. All the varieties in each vineyard block are harvested together and cofermented. They interact and blend together from the day they are picked. This practice produces an intriguing and unusually complex wine.

This dark beauty opens with seductive aromas of ripe blackberry, vanilla, and toasty oak. Smooth luscious layers of plum, black raspberry, cocoa, and spicy black pepper mingle with the essence of strawberry from the Carignane and Cinsaut. The Petite Sirah and Alicante provide subtle tannins and structure and add to the lingering flavors of dark-skinned fruit.

Chameleon 2005 Napa Valley $24 3 stars: Good
This Zinfandel from the Morgan Ranch in Gordon Valley features a wealth of rich black and red fruit aromas in the nose and on the palate. The flavors of blackberry and raspberry are draped in velvety tannins, while excellent acidity supports the voluptuous mouthfeel. The fully-ripened but not overripe expression of the fruit means that matching this delicious wine with a wide variety of food possibilities is a fairly simple exercise, not an exercise in futility as it might be with a more over-the-top rendition.

Mill Creek Vineyards & Winery 2005 Dry Creek Valley $30 3 stars: Good
Deep purple in color. Tobacco and raspberry leap out the glass of this rich, complex wine. Flavors of berry tart, vanilla, and black pepper combine with a round, concentrated mouth feel giving way to a long, smooth finish.

Claudia Springs 2005 Valenti Ranch, Mendocino Ridges $28 3 1/2 stars: Very Good ~ Tied for 3rd Place
The Mendocino Ridge Appellation is one of the nation's newest, and certainly the most unique. It consists only of the ridge tops within the coastal range, and is often referred to as "islands in the sky". The Zinfandels here develop rich, broad, jammy flavors that are highly sought after. In addition, the altitude and cold nights results in higher natural acids which keep the fruit flavors fresh and crisp.

The Zinfandel clone selected for this vineyard was the Deaver clone, propagated from a famous vineyard in the Sierra Foothills. Grown in this appellation, the resulting wine shows some of the foothills black pepper character, but with higher acid to provide better balance. The pepper is overshadowed by red fruit flavors of raspberry and completed with hints of cherry, dark chocolate and a touch of oak.

Windsor Oaks 2005 Reserve Estate Russian River Valley $29 3 stars: Good
We're proud to share this luscious Zinfandel. It's bursting with bright cherry and juicy black fruit from our heritage and mountain vineyard blocks, with smooth layers of black pepper, spices and the silky finish of French Oak barrel aging. It reflects the world class terroir of our vineyard, combined with our passion for grape growing and authentic hand-crafted winemaking.

Pezzi King 2005 Estate Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley $40 Four stars: Excellent ~ Best of Tasting

Voluptuous texture, superb concentration, blackberry and raspberry intermixed with toasty oak seduce the palate.

Vino Noceto 2005 OGP~Original Grand Pere Vineyard $28 3 1/2-4 stars: Very Good/Excellent ~ 2nd Place
The epitome of Sierra Foothill old-vine Zinfandel—dust and spice with complex, intense fruit. Enjoyed by Californians since the 1860's, the Original Grandpere Vineyard is reputedly one of the world's oldest, documented, producing Zinfandel vineyard.

Girard 2006 Old Vine Zinfandel, Napa Valley $24 2 1/2-3 stars: Satisfactory/Good
The vineyard sources for our 2006 Old Vine Zinfandel ensure rich flavor extraction, a fruit-forward palate and wonderful layers of complexity from multiple soil types. The 2006 vintage is full-bodied yet silky smooth wine, and presents a dark cherry-red color. The aroma and palate profile includes dark cherries, lush blueberries and ripe plums. Spices, cedar and anise round out the aroma profile. Thanks to extended, cold maceration, the tannins are quite soft and well integrated.

John Tyler Wines 2004 Bacigalupi Vineyards Russian River Valley $36 3 stars: Good
Our 2004 Zinfandel exemplifies the finest quality fruit this valley has to offer. Providing the fruit with ample of hang time on the vine ensures even ripening. Our program also includes extended bottling aging for up to 2 years. This wine features concentrated flavors of cherry and raspberry mingled with soft hints of barrel spice and black pepper. With extraordinary richness this wine unfolds on your palate with a wonderful balance of acidity and tannin.

Unti Vineyards 2005 Estate Dry Creek Valley $25 2 1/2-3 stars: Satisfactory/Good
Big, dark, juicy, fruity and spicy. The ideal growing conditions in 2005 allowed us to make a full-bodied Zinfandel that is balanced with a long finish. Like any great Zinfandel vintage this 2005 will show very well within 2 to 4 years from the vintage. Sure wish it was this easy to make this kind of Zinfandel every year.

Quivira 2005 Wine Creek Ranch $30 3 stars: Good

This gorgeous hillside, a quintessentially Dry Creek Valley ranch, is one of the older head‐pruned vineyards in the valley. Planted in 1961, its east facing site has a shallow, red clay soil which helps to keep the yields down. Protected from the afternoon sun, these old vines ripen late, concentrating the jammy character and juicy berry flavors. Adding to the impressive pedigree of this vineyard, it was certified organic and Biodynamic® after harvest in November 2005.
This is a deeply centered and dark, elegant wine with profound aromas of black cherry preserves, cracked peppercorns and dark cocoa. The rich, concentrated flavors of blackberryand quince paste are layered with Belgian chocolate and cinnamon toast.

Pinot Tasting

This time we chose a dozen of the gold medal winners from the Pinot Noir Summit Sponsored by Affairs of the Vine, creating our own mini "People's Choice Shootout." The six highest scorers are indicated. The second six are listed randomly.

The Taste-off was held at Fuzio in Embarcadero Center. The staff was very accommodating and we enjoyed having the remainder of the vino with food.




Burrell School Vineyards 2005 Veranda Vineyard Santa Cruz Mountains $38 525 CASES FIRST PLACE~ Remarkable

Male: Aromatics of cherry and pomegranate and floral nuances. Good ripeness with very nice balance and finesse.

Female: Licorice on the nose. A complex palate of red fruit and savory herbs. Nice depth. Let this one sit in your glass. It reveals itself as it opens.

Davis Family Vineyard 2005 Russian River Valley $40 900 CASES SECOND PLACE~Excellent

Male: Strawberry, plum and toasty oak aromas that replicate on the palate, delivering more fruit on the finish than expected. A wine with a great future.

Female: Fresh strawberry, light fresh foresty notes and a touch of spice of the nose. The palate is fresh cranberry with well integrated oak accents.

David Bruce Winery 2005 Bien Nacido Vineyard, Santa Maria Valley $45 1484 CASES THIRD PLACE~Excellent

Male: Smoothly balanced classic Pinot Noir. Honeysuckle aromas are very inviting with backnotes of eucalyptus and mint. Flavors of cherry, raspberry and strawberry with brown spice accents

Female: Medium red bordering on purple in the glass. The spicy, weighty palate is long and pleasurable with blueberry flavors appearing towards the end.

Phillips Hill Estates 2006 Oppenlander Vineyard Anderson Valley $42 550 CASES TIED FOR FOURTH PLACE~Excellent

Male: Well balanced. Cherry, raspberry, plum, and oak throughout. Long finish with racy acidity. Great food wine!

Female: Nice firmness of acidity. Good fruit concentration of cherry, red cherry and a touch of sour cherry on the finish. Lightly grained tannins with quite a bit of creamy mocha to complete this wine.

Willowbrook Cellars 2005 Kastania Vineyard Sonoma Coast $48 300 CASES TIED FOR FOURTH PLACE~Excellent

Male: Medium ruby in color. Ripe cherry aroma with oak and vanilla notes. Soft attack with good acidity and ripe fruit flavors. There is a spicy edge to the finish and a touch of heat.

Female: Meaty, cherry nose with some savory notes. Powerful palate with excellent fruit concentration. Well integrated savory wood on the very long finish. The tannins are a bit drying and the alcohol is a tad high but the power of the fruit balances the wine.

T R Elliott 2005 Three Plumes Russian River Valley $37 215 CASES SIXTH PLACE~Excellent

Male: Bright and clean on the nose. Cherry, pomegranate and raspberry aromas. Fresh cherry flavors with notes of mushrooms, cigar box. Balanced with a long, smooth black cherry finish.

Female: Complex nose with earthy notes, brown spice, sandalwood, cherry, and floral notes. Blackberry and cherry fruit. Juicy with firm cleansing acid.

Handley Cellars~Very Good: 20005 RSM Reserve, Anderson Valley $52 119 CASES

Longboard Vineyards~Very Good: 2006 Russian River Valley $28 1053 CASES

Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard~Very Good: 2004 Bailey’s, Santa Cruz Mountains $32 165 CASES

Amphora Winery~Very Good: 2006 Windsor Oaks Russian River Valley, $45 175 CASES

Giant Steps Very Good: 2005 Sexton Vineyard Yarra Valley Australia $32 200 CASES

Mahoney Vineyards Very Good: 2005 Mahoney Ranch Carneros $36 325 CASES