Tag Archives: aged wines

August 5, 2014 · 6:29 PM

1999 Duckhorn Vineyards Merlot Three Palms Vineyard

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Duckhorn Vineyards Merlot Three Palms Vineyard

California, Napa Valley

Wine Tasting Note:

After One Hour Decant

The alcohol is blowing off now. The nose is of black plum and blackberry, with strong cinnamon and clove spice character. Rather simple on the palate. The fruit is subdued, but in front still, with a mid-palate of powerful clove. The medium length finish is a mild, bitter dark chocolate. The bitterness becomes sour at the very end. The tannins are still present, but minimal and the acidity is still medium high. I was disappointed by the texture. The mouth-feel was a touch watery. This is a few years past its prime. This is not tasting oxidized yet. Still enjoyable and will definitely pair well with the beef that will be accompanying it.

After Two Hour Decant

The wine is still changing. The fruit is continuing to subside on the palate, but adding sour strawberry. The texture is continuing to evolve. The finish is lengthening and adding black pepper. The tannins are becoming a bit chewy. The acidity is becoming more prominent and the mouth-feel is building softness. Patience is paying off and the potential of this wine is starting to peak out. Amazing that a 15 year old bottle of wine can continue to evolve for two hours in the decanter!

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Filed under Merlot, Napa Valley, U.S. Wines by Region, Wine by Varietal, Wine Tasting, Wine Tasting Notes

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July 22, 2014 · 6:31 PM

2010 Sokol Blosser Rose of Pinot Noir Estate Cuvee

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Sokol Blosser Rose of Pinot Noir Estate Cuvee

Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills

Wine Tasting Note:

I was looking at some recent tasting notes on this wine and I definitely have a different view. There are those that record the gradual loss of fruit in a white/rose wine as a marker of the descent into oxidization and eventual fault. I don’t understand this thinking. Wine does not need to be a fruit bomb to be appreciated. In many quality wines, bottle age promotes balance and softens structure – qualities I enjoy very much. Apparently, this thinking does not follow the palate of many wine consumers. I prefer some bottle-age on fine whites and rose! Take a well made white/rose with solid acidity, nice texture, lower alcohol, a minimum of oak and without any one characteristic overpowering the other… put some age on it and I am sold! Doesn’t matter whether white, rose, or bubbly. The right wines almost always do improve. So, this one knocked my socks off! It is a different tasting experience than the first bottle back in 2011. Beautiful, delicate nose of strawberry, hay and herbal mint. The palate is losing the fruit, but still begins with tart strawberry and now just a hint of watermelon. A touch of butter comes through from the lees. The huge acidity has toned down a bit, but still assertive enough to surpass most of the rose I taste. This is wonderfully dry, with enough fruit to mask any bitterness. The texture on this rose is wonderful! What the winemaker did with leaving this on the lees to age for a time before bottling, is almost god-like in its brilliance. IMO, the optimal window for drinking this wine is 2014-2015. Don’t let it sit much longer, or too much of the fruit will resolve. What a great value in Rose! Oregon shines again!

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Filed under Dundee Hills, Pinot Noir, U.S. Wines by Region, Willamette Valley, Wine Tasting, Wine Tasting Notes

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July 18, 2014 · 10:25 PM

2006 Seavey Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Caravina

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Seavey Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Caravina

California, Napa Valley

Wine Tasting Note:

This is a monster cab. If you are a big Robert Parker fan, this is his kind of wine. Initially, the nose was hot and a bit funky with a very closed flavor profile. For an 8-year-old cab, this wine is STILL drinking very young. After 3 hour decant… Much of the alcohol has blown off now, but is still present. The nose has plum, blackberry, a touch of herbaceousness and menthol. It has a very complex palate of typical Cabernet Sauvignon flavors – black fruit, leather, tar, graphite, dark chocolate and oak. The wine shows a very long bitter chocolate finish. The age has resolved the tannins somewhat and they are now medium-high, but still a bit grainy. The wine is very acidic and would be best drunk accompanying a rare steak. The texture is full, fleshy and soft. This needs more time in the bottle to come together. I am looking forward to popping the next bottle after several more years. This wine has plenty of structure to hold up into the next decade. A suggested prime drinking window might be 2017-2020.

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July 10, 2014 · 4:19 PM

2008 Terra Valentine Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

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Terra Valentine Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain

A Spring Mountain AVA Story

My wife and I really appreciate the producers on Spring Mountain. If your wine nirvana is mountain grown Cabernet Sauvignon, Spring Mountain will be one of your go-to AVA’s (wine growing region). We have been meaning to try Terra Valentine for quite some time. We see their sign every time down the mountain from Pride Mountain Vineyards… On our last visit, we spoke to the family over at Schweiger and they shared the story of the Wine Growers Association’s effort to keep resort development out of the Spring Mountain area. A great story of family owned wineries who love the beauty and character of their home, trying to keep it that way. The fight prompted an agreement between the wineries to allow a last right of refusal – in case of a principal’s death, the surviving winery owners would be able to purchase the land, before a sale to an outside party. I have not been able to confirm this, but I hope it is true.

Wine Tasting Note

Fruit forward nose with black plum, blackberry, mint, cinnamon, oak and alcohol. On the palate, this has not quite come together yet. Needs another 2-3 years in the bottle to hit its stride. Good structure, high tannins and medium-high acidity… plenty of mojo for continued bottle aging. I would put the prime drinking window at 2016 – 2019. This is moving towards a silky texture and soft tannins… I will try my other bottle in a couple of years. Strong fruit forward flavors of black fruits that follow the nose. Really enjoy the mid-palate of cinammon, vanilla, leather and a touch of mint that comes through. The oak is present, but does not overpower. A bit of milk chocolate on the finish, but it is weak. Perhaps it will improve as the fruit calms down and the tannins soften. At $30/btl. this is a great wine value from Spring Mountain Estate fruit!

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June 13, 2014 · 6:13 PM

2003 Rubicon Estate Cabernet Franc, Estate Reserve

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Rubicon Estate Cabernet Franc, Estate Reserve

California, Napa Valley, Rutherford

Wine Tasting Note:

Fine example of a 100% Cab Franc produced to age. Decanted for 30 mins. – brought out more fruit. The nose is fruit forward with plum, blackberry, jammy strawberry, leather, wet earth and a bit of funk. The texture is heavier bodied, coats the tongue and is very soft. High acidity, with soft tannins that are still very present. The nose is much more complex than the palate. The palate has black currant, plum and a bit of prune (showing its age) out front. Not much of a mid-palate, although a long finish of bitter dark chocolate. I would have preferred more complexity, but the rating was influenced more by the balance, soft – but very present tannins, and a good structure that held-up over the years. I enjoyed the bright acidity, even if the fruit is losing its freshness. Probably a year, or two past its prime, but still very nice.

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Filed under Napa Valley, Rutherford, U.S. Wines by Region, Wine Tasting, Wine Tasting Notes

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May 10, 2014 · 10:42 PM

2007 Inman Family Pinot Noir Olivet Grange Vineyard

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Inman Family Pinot Noir Olivet Grange Vineyard

California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley

Wine Tasting Note:

The 2006 was a prettier vintage. It was a bit more fruit forward and a little more balanced, but this is still a wonderful effort. The nose has aromas of sour black cherries, dark chocolate, minerality and a minor floral note. The color has picked up a brownish tinge showing some age and the freshness is gone, but the palate is still showing strong acidity – making the wine still very lively in the mouth. The tannins are very subdued and the alcohol is very well integrated. The texture is gorgeous – very soft and pleasant. More old world style, focusing on balance and complexity, but not quite hitting the mark. The fruit is in front but subtle, moving to a mid-palate with vanilla, oak, leather and some mineral aspects with a medium-long finish of bitter chocolate. I enjoyed this California Pinot that didn’t follow the crowd.

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April 19, 2014 · 8:28 PM

On The New Wine Trail… Uruguay?

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2009 Pisano Tannat RPF

Uruguay, Coastal Region

Wine Tasting Note:

The fourth 100% Tannat I have tasted… been trying to find this varietal from a Uruguay producer – where its new world home is located. Tannat seems to stand up well to the new world approach and fit my palate. The French Madiran version has been a bit too stark and austere for me. This wine has a bold nose, promising a highly extracted flavor profile. The nose is complex, with currant, plum, a very distinct tar note, caramelized butter and finishing with floral and vanilla notes. The acidity is high, with the characteristic very high tannins, but not the biting kind. They coat the mouth softly with astringency. The wine is textured and fills the mouth. The oak is reasonably well integrated, but noticeable. On the palate, it is fruit forward with all the black fruits: currant, blackberry, plum – then moving to tar and vanilla. The mid-palate is full of sweet dark chocolate, finishing with a pleasant bitterness that lasts a very long time. The alcohol is very well integrated at 13.5%. This wine is a bit more manipulated than I would prefer, but I like it anyway! 3-5 years in the cellar would calm the tannins a bit, but for me… it is approachable now, especially if it were accompanying red meat. Sometimes, you just want to be hit over the head by a wine. For those times, wanting a naturally big, textured, fruit-forward tannic wine, this is your ticket. Excuse me, it’s time to begin my wine journey through Uruguay…

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March 23, 2014 · 10:57 AM

1969 Chateau Potensac

6807

Chateau Potensac

France, Bordeaux, Medoc

Wine Tasting Note:

This was just a bit of fun… bought this at auction a while back. Wasn’t expecting much, but it was an opportunity to see what 45 years would do to a decent wine. Opened this at a party last night. As expected, the cork was a challenge. The first pour had a nose of barnyard and must and the initial taste was thin, a bit oxidized and closed… but, if you can believe it, this ol’ gal still had enough structure to require time to open up. After an hour, a nose of sour red cherry began peeking out. The tannins were still very present and it had good acidity. Several of our guests tasted the wine and were not particularly impressed, but some had a background with French wine and understood it well enough to appreciate what it was. We added a cheese plate to the tasting and it handled the cheese well. So, now it’s the next day. I let the bottle sit on the kitchen counter and amazingly – it is still holding up! It is too watery, the fruit is almost gone and it is a touch oxidized, but all-in-all… a surprisingly decent wine after 45 years.

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Filed under Bordeaux, Bordeaux/Meritage Blend, French Wine, Wine by Varietal, Wine Tasting, Wine Tasting Notes

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March 22, 2014 · 4:14 PM

2008 L’Aventure Cote-a-Cote Estate

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L’Aventure Cote-a-Cote Estate

California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

Wine Tasting Note:

When you pour, the aromas waft from the decanter, providing a glimpse of the big, fruit-forward wine to come. The nose is full of spicy plum and blackberry, vanilla and oak, with a little funk. The 15.9% alcohol is so well integrated, it is barely noticeable and comes across as a light menthol character. The palate is dominated by the Syrah and Mourvedre – the Grenache is nowhere to be found. The texture is big and chewy, but is still a baby next to the Estate Cuvee. The acidity is medium-high and the tannins have moderated somewhat with bottle-age, but are a solid medium-high – although very refined. There are layers to the aromas/flavors… a hint of sweet blueberry in front, moving to plum, blackberry and spice. The mid-palate picks up the vanilla and oak and the wine has a medium-long finish of dark chocolate that is not overly bitter. This wine attempts the perfect balance of a soft feminine character, with a masculine big, bold style. This wine could age another 5-10 years, easily. L’Aventure is the master of the new world Rhone blend!

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Filed under Paso Robles, Rhone Blend, U.S. Wines by Region, Wine Tasting, Wine Tasting Notes

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February 22, 2014 · 7:53 PM

2007 Château Gigognan Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vigne du Régent

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Château Gigognan Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vigne du Régent

France, Southern Rhone, Chateauneuf-du-Pape

Wine Tasting Note:

Much improvement since the previous bottle popped last year. The additional time in the cellar has helped to bring it together. The alcohol has subsided and the overwhelming black pepper has moved to the background. In addition, the Grenache has started to peak out and add sweet strawberry flavors to the mid-palate. The nose has aromas of prunes and plums with some residual alcohol. The palate begins with plums and black currant and moves to a sweet strawberry mid-palate with a mildly bitter, long dark chocolate finish. The black pepper notes have evolved into a nondescript spiciness that is quite enjoyable. The wine has a light, softer texture, with medium tannins and high acidity. My palate would suggest a few more years would help to bring this together a bit more, but is approaching its prime drinking window now. A nice aged Southern Rhone blend at a reasonable price.

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Filed under French Wine, GSM Blend, Southern Rhone, Wine by Varietal, Wine Collecting, Wine Critics, Wine Tasting, Wine Tasting Notes

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