2005 Charles Smith Wines “Skull Syrah” -Royal Slope Columbia Valley

Dark as night, this wine must be tasted to be believed. Its thick and dense, but yet polished and structured. An incredible mouth feel with gobs of black fruits, a hint of licorice, with both black and white peppercorns. A wall of pure Syrah that explodes, but should never be considered a fruit bomb, ever. Complex tannins that have shed nothing, and 3-4 years are warranted.

This is amazing and rare. Only 190 cases were made and none will be made in ’06, so look for the ‘07s when they hit.
95/100

2006 Long Shadows Sequel Syrah

A John Duval wine. Super concentrated and brooding color, this is one serious Syrah, probably the most serious I have had in a few months. A bright but elegant fruit profile with blackberry and blueberry pie. This has the mouhfeel of a new world and the class of an old world Cote Rotie. This will appeal to fans of both styles. White pepper and anise with some smokey bacon. The structure is mind boggling. Long and elegant, but smooth and well balanced. A velvety texture of tannins and a lithe acid level makes this a winner. I truly love this one. Can you tell?
94/100

2005 Long Shadows Pedestal

80% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cab Franc. Aged for 22 months in 85%new French oak.

The nose on this is huge. Red flowers with red cherries and red plums. This is somewhat austere on the palate with a somewhat high acid level and drying tannins. I found a very admirable mouth feel with clove and chocolate, and some cedar and spiciness. Great 'bones'. This should be wonderful in about 3 years. Right now its in a tough place, but the pedigree shows. A Michel Rolland wine.

2005 Long Shadows Pirouette- WOW

Dark and mysterious purplish hue. The nose is sweet black fruits intertwined with flowers petals and earth.The palate reveals a super plush and elegant mouth feel with seamless intertwined and ultra classy tannin level. There is wonderful of black currants, black cherries, soy, earth, and a creamy pure tight wire of joy. Philippe Melka is involved with this one and it shows the talent this man brings to the table. He is a a French man with new world sensibilities. This is very much like many of his other wonderful wines offered from California that I have sampled, Lail Cuvee Daniel particularly comes to mind. The finish is very long and smooth. A must buy in the $55 range. 93/100 and nothing but upside.

57% Cabernet Sauvignon
20% Merlot
14% Syrah
5% Malbec
4% Cab Franc
22 months in 75% new French oak

2005 Frostwatch Cabernet Sauvignon

Opened at 5pm Wednesday. My advice? Don't drink on Wednesday.

This is full, unresolved in the least and reticent beyond reason.Open it and wait 24 hours, Thursday. BAMM. Bobs your uncle and Fannys your aunt.

Its rich and full. Deep dark black color. The nose is all blackberries and cassis. Wow. Its pure and clean. Great mouthfeel and structure with some nice soy notes, tar and leather. This is softly sweet and generous with nice balance. Great acid carried this one forward effortlessly. A nice super long and pure cab finish. If I had more I would not touch until the Republicans are back in control. I really like this wine. Can you tell?

92/100

A Ray Ormand find.

http://www.frostwatch.com/

2005 Shafer Vineyards One Point Five Cabernet Sauvignon

This was a shock. After a dismal '04 I was half expecting the same wall of oak. Not today.
Ultra dark with crimson edges. The nose was all black currant and cherry cola. The palate exposed some amazing deep plush dark fruits of blackberry, currant, ans black cherry. There was a tiny sign of oak, but the whole package carried it well. Evident was some smokey vanilla beans. Some light cocoa and coffee beans. This was long and full and never let up. Finesseful and elegant with strength and body. Wow. The finish went on beyond 60. A very pleasing cabernet indeed, with a long life ahead. Need to decant a minimum of an hour, vigorous if able. 94/100

1991 Guenoc Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Beckstoffer IV (USA, California, Napa Valley)

The nose has sweet cherries and red cassis. The color is still lively. The palate had an elegant sweet red profile. There are the red Bing cherries, the red currant, some not so ripe red raspberries, low sodium soy and worn leather. Very nice. This is still alive and vibrant with nary a sign of age. Harkens back to another time in Cali winemaking. The only signs of age are the very subdued fruits and the totally resolved tannins. There is still quite a decent acid level that keeps this moving forward. A decent finish makes this a real winner. (91/100)

2005 Sbragia Family Cabernet Sauvignon Andolsen Vineyard (USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley)

Super dark color, almost black. The nose was pure blueberry and black cassis. This is huge. Very rare that I open a young'en up and say "This is too young!" This is that time. There is much happening in this black hole of a wine. Graphite, leather, tannins, blueberry, cassis, chocolate, tannins and the blackest-berry I ever encountered. There's also some sour cherry In the mix. All very primary and fresh. There is a touch of menthol here too. The balance is awkward and clumsy. 2-3 years will bring this one together nicely. For $27 this is a great deal. Drinks at least as well as many $60 bottles I have had. (This happens to remind me just a bit of the 2005 Rivers-Marie). The blackest Andolsen I have had from Sbragia. 90/100

After a 2-3 hour decant this was much more cohesive and complete. Duh!!

Tanzer says its the best Sbragia Andolsen he has sampled, I may have to agree.

2001 Dehlinger Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

Medium dark color. The nose has some red currant and black cherry cola. Palate is very 'European' if you know what I mean... Some dirt and leather mixed in with some red and blacks fruits of black cherry and currants. Decent balance and mouth feel. A nice finish. This evolved nicely as the afternoon progressed. Just having the Ruston La Maestra the other day I can't say I enjoyed this as much. Sure, there's not much to fault with it but it comes down to a preference thing. Not mine in this case. (89 pts.)

2006 John Duval Wines Shiraz Entity - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley

2 hour decant. Beautiful deep dark blackish hue. The nose is a very pretty subdued elegant soft cassis and warm blueberry pie. Very nice. The palate brings those qualities forward and adds to it with its silky mouth feel, very low-key slight sweet fruits with the red cassis, blueberries, boysenberry, and pomegranate. Nice notes of soy, slight black pepper, exotic Asian spices, and cedar. The tannins were in check, but surely present and this will be amazing in 2-3 years with no danger of decline anytime before my retirement date. A wonderful long and pleasing aftertaste that went beyond the 60 second mark, this has so much going for it. It has the Aussie profile but brought down 2 notches. I really enjoyed the glossiness and elegant structure. A great deal at $32 to boot. (93 pts.)

2001 Ruston Family Cabernet Sauvignon La Maestra - USA, California, Napa Valley

Bright ruby red. The nose is very Bordeaux like. Lots of lead pencil shavings, red-cherry, red currants and tar. The red fruit profile feels a bit restrained, reminiscent of Bordeaux, but there's much going on here to really like. Good medium weight mouth-feel, lot of what seems like secondaries of tar and cedar with some petroleum. (I think of the Petrol refinery across from Latour when-ever I get this). Could that be healthy? Anywho, this has a strong tannin base, and I believe this will be wonderful for the next 10 years. A slightly elevated acid level makes eating with this one imperative. The petit and cab franc really make themselves heard in this one. All in all a nicely structured and well balanced Cali blend. (91 pts.)

Some excerpts from the Ghost Ghorse dinner.

All wines were double decanted at for about 4 hours.

2005 Ghost Horse - This was hitting all cylinders and was greatly appreciated by this point of the nigh. It had deep dark color with great black fruits of cassis, blackberries and plum. Nice. Great elegance and structure showed breed and style. This was great. Very lush and smooth A long finish brought it home. I wish it has been maybe 5-8 degrees cooler in temperature though. Still all in all a great wine. WOTF, My #1. I had this pegged for the SHS or Harlan. 94/100

2002 Araujo Eisele - Back on track: Great black cherries and kirsch. Some cola and cocoa. Very nice. I wish this had more Oomph though. It was a bit feminine, but graceful and elegant. Not in the fat bruiser style at all, this is Araujo..... A good long finish. Very nice indeed. 93/100

2005 Merus - This was very different in style than anything on the table yet. Big brooding and well structured with very masculine lines. Nice dark black hole fruits of currant and boysenberry with some pomegranate. There was some soy and tarry leather. Consistent notes from previous visits with this wine. What a great wine with certain QPR for its price rage and certainly here tonight. 93/100

2003 Harlan Estate - Another medium colored wine with some Framboise, currant, and black cherries. It had a clean and nicely balanced mouth feel, and although a step up, still uninspired. Got better as time went on: took on some elegance and structure, but Harlan? I enjoyed this and am sure I would have even more if it were alone on the table and given some additional time to evolve. Easy WOTF. My #4 92/100

Shiraz/Syrahs Focus Group Tasting

2005 Innocent Bystander Shiraz-Viognier.
This seemed liked it was a bit over the hill. The color was a deep garnet with slightly browned edges. The palate had a nice balance and texture/mouth feel. It had a long finish. There was some white pepper and blueberries. The alcohol was a tad high. Seemed a bit oxidized but still nice. Just surprising it was a 2005. 88/100

2007 Sonoma Vineyards Syrah.
Young and vibrant. Darker and more purple tinged in color. A great nose of black pepper and blackberries. The palate had a wonderful mouth feel of lush red & black fruits. I really enjoyed this one. The finish was a bit short, but that was the only negative I can come up with. 90/100

2007 Zontes Footsteps Shiraz-Viognier.
Funky nose that dissipated after a few minutes. Very intense red fruit profile. This reminded me of a Barossa Shiraz. Very dark and brooding and a bit of saltiness present. This was a bit unyielding but interesting 87/100

2006 Hyland Penley Estate Coonawarra Shiraz.
Bright red fruit. Nice balance. Some tar and petroleum along with a bit of dirt. There are some nice reddish fruits of cherries and pomegranate. The mouth feel is a bit tart and sweet to my liking. 85/100

2004 Kunde Estate Sonoma Valley Syrah
We have arrived firmly in California. Great color. The nose had some wonderful blueberries and soy. This is a very big and at the same time elegant wine. The palate showed off some great black pepper, dark blueberry pie, and soy sauce. A little more bottle age and this will surely rock. Puts me in mind if the PAX Sonoma Coast wines.
92/100

2006 d’Arenberg The Stump Jump GSM.
Floral and fragrant with lots of perfume, this had a good red color. This was very different in its attack: some very soft red fruits were way up front. Cherries and pomegranate mixed with asphalt and flowers. Soft is the word here. Good balance, but not my cup ‘o tea. 86/100

2005 d’Arenberg d’Arrys Original Shiraz Grenache
Very strange nose of chemical and plastic. Unbalanced and awkward, this had a tart mouth feel and was sweet and salty. Not good. N/A

2006 Kilikanoon Killermans Run Shiraz Grenache
Dark red and black fruit profile of blackberries and Chinese apples. Nice mouth feel and texture. Some soy and dirt mixed in with some floral notes. This had so much going on at so many levels. Would be great with food. Long finish. 92/100

2006 d’Arenberg The Footbolt Shiraz McLaren Vale
Dark and exotic, this brought to mind a cabernet touch. Wonderful dark cassis and kirsch, black cherries and scorched earth made this a real winner of the night. Lots of structure and pizzazz with the long smooth finish you would hope for. What a surprise when unveiled. It reminded me of Brokenwood’s graveyard Vineyard Shiraz at 5x the price. Well done! QPR Indeed. 94/100

2006 Kilikanoon Killermans Run Shiraz South Australia
Dark and brooding I the glass, this had a pure black style fruit profile of blackberries and currant with some more kirsch. It was like the Footbolts younger brother. It had the elegance and structure. Nice. 90/100

2006 Four Vines Killer Canyon Paso Robles Syrah
Here’s where things go pear shaped in this 4th and final flight. Totally different than the last two, this had some nice balance and structure with some tart cherry, burnt cedar, pomegranate and blackberries. I had this pinned for an Aussie Cadenzia, but was wrong at the unveiling. A wow wine in its own right, but very different from the other two it had been grouped with. 92/100

2006 Columbia Crest Cabernet Sauvignon H3 Washington, Columbia Valley, Horse Heaven Hills

Admirable color, this has a nice nose of blackish currants, black cherry and kirsch. The palate shows nice fruit, albeit a bit 1 dimensional. Some good cab qualities of currant and blackberries. This wine is actually a bit better than CT scores will let on. There are some good clean tannins and a typical Washington State profile that many won't/don't like. (not in your face, but subdued and more 'cool climate' in style, without being green). I am sure this will be better in about a year since its shows a bit primary right now. A good finish and all in all .....not bad....not bad at all.....

2005 Sorrel Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon (USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino County)

Last year about this time I found the 2003 Sorrel Canyon Cabernet and recommended it to everyone I knew who liked Cabernet. Many many cases were sold and I even got 2 or 3 for myself. By New Years I was unable to find any more. I am happy to announce it's back and better than ever.

Ultra dark. A color not ever encountered in such an inexpensive wine. The nose has some sweet red currant and a certain flowery headiness that tells me there maybe a touch of Cab Franc in the mix. There are wonderful Bing cherries there as well. The palate has a wonderful mouth feel that is fruit forward and deftly balanced. The texture defies the price. There's allot going on here: cola nuts, vanilla, Chinese apple, tar, and black cherry. The tannins are very agreeable and soft and the acid is a touch high on the end, but this wine carries it nicely. I like this better than last years '03 (and that's a feat in itself). It has more elegance, structure and class. Not the longest finish ever, but you know what? We can forgive something....no?
You will be hard pressed to find a better deal for $12. Hard pressed. Super QPR two years running. 92/100

1997 Staglin Family Cabernet Sauvignon (USA, California, Napa Valley, Rutherford)

Deep ultra dark and brooding. This has some mature edges, but still vibrant. The nose has some dark complex cassis with some lead pencil shavings and tar. A little petroleum evident that adds complexity and interest.As this comes down to room temperature there is a hint of reductiveness, just a hint. Not distracting, but there. There is black currant, crème de cassis, some cedar box, a touch of tar and some black olive. This is very 'Left bank'. The tannins have resolved and the acid level is slightly, ever so raised. A very nice bottle indeed. I say drink 'em if you got them but should be good for some time yet. There was more than its share of sediment here too.(from a 375).

1992 Penfolds Grange - Australia, South Australia (11/22/2008)

Such a pretty nose of black fruits, violets and other exotic wild flowers. The color is dark and dense. The palate has some great sweet black fruits (cassis, black cherry, and blackberries), tar, cedar-box and a deep ultra pure mouth feel. Some earthiness adds nicely to the mix. A reminiscent fully resolved tannin base that speaks mature, but in no danger of falling off for the next few years. An early drinker for sure. The midpalate is clean and elegant. There is some dryness on the finish (oak), but all in all this is a classy 'drop'. (92 pts.)

1995 Robert Mondavi Winery Fume Blanc To-Kalon I Block

Deep dark honey color. Out of the gate this had wonderful intense lemon peel and honeydew melons. There was an interesting flintiness and a touch of caramel. A nice lilt acid level and a clean pure mouth feel. After 15 minutes it had gone downhill quickly. The fruit dried up and all that was left was the acid: more pronounced and less 'lilty'. Not as good as the '96 we had at the CLONYC ToKalon dinner last winter, but nice if your not going to dwell on a bottle all night. A good deal for the $20 I paid non-the-less. (87 pts.)

So today we make....wine!

So today, I get my best sweat pants and worst shirt on because its winemaking time. My neighbor Mikey 'eyes' and I have decided to make 16 gallons of something, but we would not what until we source the grapes and taste the options. He thinks Merlot, while I am dreaming Cabernet. We taste the Merlot grapes. Seem a bit flat and bland leaves me not-so-excited. Next taste the Cabernet: hmmmmm, good fruit and all around taste. Ok, 1 down. Next it’s the Zinfandel: Nahh, just not hitting my right where it should. Grenache? Sure, ok, but nah, not a Grenache? Alicante? No friggin way. Grandpa may be disappointed though, if he were alive. Sitting on the other side of the loading dock, all alone is a stack of Petite Sirah. Yes! Petite Sirah sounds about right. I imagine our creation of a dark a brooding chewy red to drink with my charcoal steaks. Nope, Pat, the lady running the joint tells us there’s white mold. White mold? Isn’t that....sugar? What does that tell us? Probably nothing so I ask Pat: “Hey Pat, this means what?” Pat Confirms my ‘nothing’. She offers a discount of $10 per case? Ok, sure. Hey Mikey eyes, let’s make Cab and PS!

4 36 pound cases of each and $220 later, we have his Cadillac trunk and backseat filled with grapes crates. ($23 per for the PS and $33 per for the Cab). We bring it all to his buddy Carlos's home crush and barrel facility: A big double room in his backyard he custom built. Out comes the old crank crush and away we go into 50 gallon tub for each. First the PS, then the Cab. This contraption does not de-stem, so into the mix goes our hands pulling most of the stems out. Easier said than done especially with the Petite Sirah. After about 2 hours of de-stemming and alternating breaks to taste Carlos's lineup from last year we cover the tubs with a sheet and we will revisit in 6 days. Carlos will push the ‘cap’ down daily for us.

Carlos poured us his 2007 Zinfandel which made me almost regret our choice of not making Zinfandel. Great fruit, a good tannic backbone with some black pepper and blackberries. Very nice and Carlos was very eager to hear our honest opinions. He then siphoned off some of his Pinot Grigio that seemed to have a bit of he sulphur still in it masking any fruit. Next was a creamy Chardonnay that had a wonderful mouth feel. The Sauvignon Blanc was very respectable as well with some lemon notes and slightly elevated acid level which would make it a wonderful match for a piece of nicely cooked Lemon Sole. Last was the Cabernet which I found super primary.

Carlos is an all around humble & nice guy with a real passion for home winemaking. To be honest, I never had one, but tasting some of his I surely can see the light. His Zinfandel was the single best homemade wine I have ever had. I had offered to make him custom labels for his wines, an offer he thanked me for, but mentioned that he really wanted to be proud of a single barrel before he would even consider doing such. I told him the Zinfandel is such a wine. Hopefully he takes me up on my offer.

Next week we barrel our wines. (I will take photos and post here for anyone interested). I had a great time and hope it's the start of something we can look forward to on a yearly basis.

2003 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve

Dark & brooding. The nose opened with some damp forest floor of pine needles and moss. Intense dark fruits of super black cherry, black currant and blackberry, with a deft touch of pomegranate. The palate revealed an amazing intertwined medley of those black fruits with some black & white malted in the mix, leaning heavier toward the chocolate. Wow. The tannins seemed to be resolving nicely although I sensed some chewiness still present. There is too much happening in this wine to put in words. Its somewhat typical Foley and yet I can see the appeal to a wider audience including Foley dissers. The mouth feel was very silky and smooth, but you can't ignore the power hiding under the surface of this iceberg. As others have stated: this is an exotic cabernet with TONS of structure and finesse. A super long minute plus finish and Bobs your uncle.... really