A Tasting of 1997 IGT / Super Tuscan

95/95 Tasting for May. All wines served blind. Phenomenal texture and youth in all of these bottles. Everyone who tasted was incredibly impressed by the quality of the wines.

Villa Cafaggio Cortaccio

Overview: 100% Cabernet and at least 6 months in 100% new French oak barriques. Cabernet viens grafted onto Canaiolo rootstock.

Notes: On the nose, dark and brooding. Slight medicinal/herbal note. On the palate, still tight, thick and slightly chalky. Dusty cherries, violets, and raspberries. Lengthy finish. Aged but so youthful.


Montiano Falesco

Overview: 100% Merlot from Lazio. 12 months in Nevers and Tronçais barriques

Notes: Smells like a tack room, barnyard funk and leathery notes. On the palate, more Bordeaux-like in style, leathery tobacco. Hot, shorter finish. Thick.


Frescobaldi Lamaione

Overview: 100% Merlot from the 12 acre Lamione vineyard at Tenuta di Castel Giocondo in Montalcino. 18 months in oak.

Notes: Menthol, burnt rubber, cherry Band-Aid on the nose. On the palate, leaner and cleaner. Elegant finish. Nice acid and bright cherries.


Isole e Olena Cepparello

Overview: 100% Sangiovese, 14 months in 1/3 new French oak.

Notes: Cherries dusted in coco powder on the nose. Deep. Bright raspberries and cherries on the palate. Nice Acid.

A Tasting of 2000 Bordeaux

Another 95/95 tasting, all wines served blind with corks pulled several hours before serving.


La Petit Cheval

Overview: St. Emillion, 50% Cabernet Franc, 50% Merlot.

Notes: Reticent nose with underlying dark fruits and lots of tobacco and earth. On the palate delicate structure, well integrated tannins, and dark fruit. My favorite of the tasting.


Branon

Overview: Pessac Leognan, 50% Cabernet, 50% Merlot.

Notes: Nose of skunky marijuana and no fruit. On the palate barnyard flavors covering hints of bright fruit.


Pichon Lalande

Overview: Pauillac, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, 8% Petit Verdot

Notes: Loads of oak, vanilla, pepper, and spice on the nose. Palate similar to the nose, hidden fruit, slightly vegetal, barnyard


Troplong Mondot

Overview: St. Emillion, 90% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc

Notes: Nice fruit, stony, deep minerality, plush with strong tannins.


Gruaud-Larose

Overview: St. Juilen, 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Malbec

Notes: Earthy tobacco nose. Well structured with eucalyptus and menthol notes


Leoville Barton

Overview: St. Juilen, 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc

Notes: Gamey nose, wild brambly fruits. More new world than most. Non-fruits on mid palate, flat on the finish.


Pichon Baron

Overview: Pauillac, 70% Cabernet, 25% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc

Notes: Damp moldy cellar nose, bright fruit on the palate which turns to non-fruit funkiness. Evolving tannins. Consensus winner of the tasting.


Certan de May

Overview: Pomerol, 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot

Notes: Ripe fruits, menthol, lacking...


Monbousquet

Overview: St. Emillion, 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon

Notes: Chocolaty notes on the nose, extracted woody tannins.


Figeac

Overview: St. Emillion, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Cabernet Franc, 30% Merlot

Notes: Nose pops with vegetables (Franc). Ripe fruits, nice plushness, hidden tight tannins. Slightly thin on the mid-palate. Green beans.


Pavie Macquin

Overview: St. Emillion, 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot

Notes: Dark berries on the nose, bright on the palate, cleaner than most but not distinctive.


Bonus!

1976 Margeaux

Slightly bricked, no real fruit on the nose, toffee, better on the palate, rotten-style cherries (but in a good way)


2001 Rieussec

Thick with honeyed melons and tropical fruit, unctuous but not cloyingly sweet. Delicious!

A tasting with Karen Culler at Wolf Family Vineyards

Spent a wonderful morning at Wolf Family Vineyards with winemaker Karen Culler and hospitality manager Melinda Kearney (also of Intersection Wine Company). Probably one of the nicest tasting/touring experiences I've ever had; it was like sitting down with old friends.

The property is situated on the far west side of St.Helena is in total about 30 acres with around 7 in vines. Cabernet Sauvignon makes up over half with the front vineyard planted in 1996 to clones 7 and 337. They are in the process of converting to organic farming practices, although Karen said they probably wouldn't seek full certification.

Interesting quote of the day by Karen: 'Rootstock is the biggest reason we have to pick later'.



On to the wines...


2008 Wolf Family Sauvignon Blanc

Overview: The site sits on less than an acre directly behind the Wolf Family house and is planted on gravelly soils. The blend was 75% Sauvignon Blanc, 25% Sauvignon Musque, alcohol 13.5%, picked around 22 Brix. 176 cases.

Notes: Ripe fruit on the nose, honeysuckle, fig, tropical fruits. Same fruit profile on the palate, grassy, bright, slightly creamy with a whisper of oak.


2007 Culler Syrah

Overview: Napa. I believe a blend of two sites around the Coombsville area.

Notes: Explosive blueberry nose, on the palate is meaty/fatty with lavender and a bit of menthol.


2006 Wolf Family Cabernet Franc

Overview: From vines on the far west of the property, planted in the 70's on rocky soils. Blend of 95% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Alcohol 14.9%, 122 cases produced.

Notes: Peppery nose, rich and layered on the palate with blueberries and other dark fruits, tobacco leaf, pleasantly herbal.


2006 Wolf Creek Cabernet Sauvignon

Overview: From 4.5 acres on the valley floor. 100% Cabernet, 14.5 % Alcohol, picked at 27.5 Brix, 4 day cold soak, 20 months with 74% new French. 480 cases

Notes: The first thought when I smelled this wine was gummy bears, which evolved into other juicy fruits and a bit of black tea. On the palate the wine was plush and rich with non-jammy dark fruits, chalky.


2006 Culler Howell Mountain Cabernet

Overview: From Ladera grapes, 100% Cabernet, 14.8% Alcohol.

Notes: Elegant and deep nose filled with dark fruits. Same on the palate with soft, tight tannins. The wine had a pleasant chewy quality.


2006 Culler 'La Palette'

Overview: 95% Cabernet, 5% Petit Verdot. 14.4% Alcohol, valley floor fruit.

Notes: Bright with rough but well integrated tanning and hidden ripeness.


2007 Wolf Family 'Phaedrus'

Overview: Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec from the western most, and youngest vineyards.

Notes: Typical Napa style Caberenet based wine, chalky tannins, nice structure.


2008 Lorenza Rose

Overview: Melinda Kearney's first release. Lodi fruit, 62% Mourvedre, 62% Carignane, 4% Cinsault, 2% Syrah. Picked at 21 Brix, whole cluster pressed and soaked on the skins for a couple hours.

Notes: Quite beautiful, Provencal style. Nicely structured, floral, delicious.

Cobb Tasting at Jardiniere (01/31/10)

Wonderful tasting at Jardiniere with Ross and David Cobb. Would have liked to taste the other 2007 SKUs that were released previously.

2007 'Jack Hill'

Overview: 2 acres overlooking Freestone Valley near Occidental. Soils are sandy loam, clones are a mix of Dijon 667, 115, 828, west facing slope.

Notes: Beautiful black cherry and white pepper, great acid, purity, supple tannins with hints of licorice. Coming back after tasting the other wines Jack Hill showed a little darker and earthier with a little more cola, perhaps a hint of heat on the palate. Alcohol 13.8, 240 cs.

2007 'Emmaline'

Overview: Emmaline vineyard is near Sebastopol with heavy ocean influences. Two Dijon varieties planted in Goldridge loam. Yield approx 2 tons/acre.

Notes: Meatier (tuna tartare), slightly darker than Jack Hill. Rounder fruits, not as expressive. Damp earth, plums, peppery cherry cola and rose petals. Started out closed, but evolved nicely in the glass, noticeable oak notes. Alcohol 13.0, 310 cs.


2007 Coastlands Vineyard 'Diane'

Overview: Originally planted in 1989 with 20 relatively unknown clones and doubled in 1996 with a single variety. 1.5 acres

Notes: Quite reserved on the nose with notes of cedar and black cherry. Slightly smokey and meaty (pork fat). Light fruits, ripping acidity, lean tight tannins, licorice and citrus (blood orange), rose perfume, creamy finish. Impossible beautiful and supple. The pinnacle of American Pinot production. Alcohol 13.4, 90cs.