WOW, Talk about customer generousity! This was one of those nights where everyone was just sharing great bottles. I was thrilled to be on the receiving end. We had 5 bottles open for the usual tasting, and then 10 different bottles opened by customers and graciously shared. And check out the wines, some really awesome stuff.
Donated Bottles-Valley View, Tempranillo, Applegate Valley, Oregon, 2005
This was a shocking little wine. It wasn't particularly sophisticated, but it was thoroughly enjoyable.
-Martinelli, Pinot Noir, Bella Vigne, Russian River, 2006
Very delicate and pure. The wine is tightly wound, but not at all big. Just light-footed, soft and very pure flavors, very polished. Delicious.
-Scherrer, Pinot Noir, Russian River, 2006
I prefered this to the Martinelli. It more richness and detail. The aromatics continually changed from one sip to the next. Very impressive. Kudos to Fred Scherrer.
-Tre Viti, Pinot Noir, Central Coast, 2006
I thought this was a bit too big and flamboyent for my liking, but other customers seemed to love it. It was darker, but not saturated, and the flavors were intense and candied. A very nice effort from this unknown producer.
-August Briggs, Pinot Noir, 2001
Wow, this was interesting. This seemed much more evolved than 7 years would indicate. The wine had savory flavors and orange peel, without much left of the signature Pinot Noir youthfulness. Very interesting wine and a great example of age.
-Palmina, ?????, Santa Barbara, 1997
This was cooked, unfortunately.
-Kukkula, Lagniappe, Paso Robles, 2006
This is a ripe, high-alchohol, zesty, flamboyant red wine. It's good, but not my style.
-Torrin, Syrah, Paso Robles, 2006
Only 80 cases, produced. This was black in color and ultra-concentrated, but ultra pure. Really dense, but has tremendous potential for the opening and fleshing out.
-Blankiet, Cabernet Sauvignon, Paradise Hills, Napa, 2005
This is a pricy wine. I don't want to like it, but unfortunately, I do. It shows real pedigree on a level that few producers in Napa do, and dare I say it, even a sense of terroir from the Paradise Hills vineyard. It was densely tight and almost certain not to open for another 3+ years. The wine is a contender for a "First Growth" estate if Napa ever has a classification. Watch out for this producer, while they aren't new, each year they reaffirm their status as a dependable and superlative producer.
-Saxum, Broken Stones, Paso Robles, 2006
Saxum has established a firm place in my heart as perhaps my favorite producer in Paso Robles. The 2006 Broken Stones reaffirms what I already know, and that is, don't open these wines for at least 3 years from the vintage date on the label. It was good, but just wirery and out of control. While I know it's way too young, I still enjoy trying it and assessing the situation early on. One notable difference with this vintage is that the alcohol is even higher than normal, over 16%! I'll trust that Justin Smith has an objective with this higher level and look forward to seeing how this wine evolves. As for now, it's all intense and un-harmonious.
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