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Great video about chablis and a note about minerality!

2/23/2015

I highly recommend the following video to anyone who has an interest in Chablis (and understands French). It is a great look into Chablis:

http://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/bourgogne/emissions/millesime

At the 10-minute mark, the video notes that more people in the wine world are using the term “minerality” to describe wines than ever before. For those of you who follow my notes, you may have noticed that it is a term that I use a lot. I personally do not buy the argument (which seems to be implicit in this video) that people are talking about minerality because it is “fashionable” or “trendy.” I use the term to express a characteristic in the wine.

My goal when writing tasting notes is not to be trendy or hit certain keywords. Tasting, to me, will always be a personal, subjective experience. I avoid the use of varietal tables while I am tasting because I don’t want information about what a wine “should” taste like to bias my conclusions. I try, to the best of my ability, to describe wines based on what I am truly tasting. I have never actually gotten down on the ground to lick a rock. But I do know what I smell and taste when I walk on the beach where there are seashells all around me. When I describe a wine as being “mineral,” that is the type of impression or image I am trying to convey. This is akin to saying that a wine tastes like forest floor. I have never actually gotten down on my knees to taste forest floor. Yet, when I smell a wine that is “earthy,” it reminds me of the distinctive smells of the forest.

My two cents: who cares what words we use to describe wines? There has been an increase in the use of the term “minerality.” Instead of suggesting that this is a fad, why not understand it as an evolution in the language being used to describe what we taste? In my opinion, the more descriptors of wine, the better!

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2012 Liquid farm golden slope

2/22/2015

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I have been meaning to open one of the bottles from Liquid Farm (other than the Pink Crack) for some time but never got around to it. So I figured that this weekend was as good a time as any to give the Golden Slope a try. Prior to joining their wine club, I had heard a lot of great things about this winery. I can honestly say that I was not disappointed. It was a great wine! Notice that the picture that I took was the next morning when I realized I had forgotten to take a picture the night before. It was that good! I have yet to work my way through their entire lineup but I am confident that the rest will be just as lovely. The White Hill, a wine that is more in a Chablis style, is the one that I am most looking forward to since these are the types of wines that I generally prefer.

In the glass, the color is medium yellow with the slightest greenish hue. On the nose, this wine is just beautiful and only gets better with air. Initial impressions are of buttered popcorn although this gives way to a mixture of fruits (I got mostly peach, pear, apricots, with maybe a touch of pineapple). There was also some melon and possibly a hint of savory herbs (thinking tarragon here). On the palate, this is a rich wine. I get a good amount of buttery popcorn. I get more butteriness than what I would have expected from a wine aged in only 15% new oak (note, their website states 25% but their emails state 15%...since they say they use 85% neutral barrel, I am assuming that 15% new is correct). However, this “butteriness” is not overbearing like many other California Chardonnays that I have had. I suspect that this is richer than the White Hill, which is more of a lean wine in the Chablis style as I stated above. This wine has similarities to what I would expect from a wine from Meursault. On the palate, there was also a good amount of nuttiness, some minerality (slate), lemon curd, and similar fruits as the nose. There is a long finish that stays focused.

I recommend not serving this wine at fridge temperatures. Instead, I would probably recommend placing it in the fridge for a bit then opening it and letting it sit there for a while. That way, the temperature comes down a bit and you are also giving the wine some time to breathe.

If I had to score this wine, I would give it a 92-94. I am giving it a wide range because I believe that this wine needs a bit more time in the cellar and I am sure that it will be stellar.

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2011 Chateau des Deduits Fleurie

2/20/2015

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This was a continuation of my journey through some of Beaujolais’ regions. It was also my first time trying a wine from the Fleurie region. I have heard great things about the floral characteristics that this cru has to offer. Although the wine did offer some of what seems to be typical for Fleurie, I believe that this particular producer (from Duboeuf) is probably not the best. I opted for this bottle because it was the only bottle of Fleurie available within a short distance of my home. Nevertheless, given the price of this bottle ($15), it was a perfectly enjoyable bottle of wine. One important thing to note first is that, in my opinion, this bottle should be drunk on the cooler side of the serving temperature spectrum. If served at room temperature, it is not as enjoyable since the acidity seems to take over and the enjoyable characteristics of this wine get lost.

In the glass this wine had a light to medium red color. The nose and the palate were very similar. There was a mixture of red fruits (in particular, strawberries and raspberries), some herbal notes (I mostly got mint but there was definitely something else there that I just could not put my finger on), and a floral component as well (violet and maybe some pink rose?). This wine was definitely on the dry but flavorful side with low soft tannins and a good amount of acidity. It had a light body (maybe light to medium) and had good balance with a medium finish. If I had to score this wine, I would give it a score of 86-87.

I think that this bottle can spend a little more time in the cellar. If you are holding onto some of these bottles, I would suggest waiting another year or two before opening.

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Mark Ryan Lonely Heart release party

2/18/2015

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Image source: http://www.markryanwinery.com/

In the interest of full disclosure, I am a member of one of the clubs at Mark Ryan Winery. So I am already quite familiar with the wines and purchase quite a bit from them.

This was the release party for the Lonely Heart but there were three wines being released: 2013 Board Track Racer (BTR) No Love, 2012 Mark Ryan Old Vines, and 2012 Mark Ryan Lonely Heart. As we have come to expect, there was some great food to go with these wines.

2013 BTR No Love – Visually, this wine was very pale. Much paler than the Black Love Pinot Noir that Mark Ryan normally releases. It has a see-through pale red color. On the nose, this wine has a lot of strawberry, a bit of raspberry, and a tiny bit of minerality. You can also smell a bit of bitterness and alcohol, which I did not like. On the palate, there was a lot of strawberry and some raspberry (light red fruit), you could taste the alcohol (which I disliked), there was a lack of acidity, and there was a good amount of tannin. Overall, I felt that this wine was definitely lacking. It was similar to some of the Lachini wines that I tasted a few months ago. This wine was definitely not my favorite and I understand why the winery decided not to give it the “Black Love” label.

2012 Old Vines – To be honest, I did not get the opportunity to fully explore this wine in the way I wanted. Normally, when I have a couple of similar wines in a tasting, I like to revisit the wines after having gone through them a first time. This allows me to get a better sense of the wines. During this event, however, I was not allowed to do this. For some reason, when I asked to revisit the Old Vines wine, I was told that I had already tasted that wine and that I had to move on (this was odd to me). That being said, I did write some tasting notes. The color was deep and red/purple (lighting was bad where I was sitting) but it was not as deep as what I typically expect from a Washington Cabernet Sauvignon. On the nose, I got a lot of cassis, a bit of vanilla (I noted probably around 50% new oak), no greenness, some minerality (graphite), and dark fruits. I would argue that on the nose, this wine is still a typical Mark Ryan wine. On the palate, the wine has soft tannins (which surprised me), cassis, and dark fruits. It was very opulent, there was a good minerality, and I got earth as well as some forest floor. Overall, this wine had very good balance. It was also my favorite wine of the tasting (although with time, it is quite possible that the Lonely Heart would be better than the Old Vines).

2012 Lonely Heart – This is a big and very bold Washington State wine. In the glass, the wine is very deep to dark, clear, and has purple hues to it. On the nose, I got some cassis and dark fruits, I got a bit of a smell of alcohol, a bit of vanilla and possibly some tobacco. I thought that the nose on this wine was a bit closed. Perhaps it needed a bit more air since this is definitely a wine that should be cellared. On the palate, the experience was much richer/more opulent. There were some dark fruits, blueberries, some spice (black pepper maybe?), pencil shavings, some flowers (violets?), and dried earth. There were a lot of tannins and good acidity. The finish was quite long. Overall, this was a great wine. In the past, I have purchased the Lonely Heart for my cellar and to give as a present as I believed it was a good representation of what Washington wine had to offer. Sadly, the increase in price means that I will be looking elsewhere to introduce Washington State wines to friends. For 100$, this wine is no longer a good value to me. Instead, among Mark Ryan wines, I would recommend the Dead Horse for almost half the price.

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2007 Tenuta San Guido Guidalberto

2/17/2015

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I drank this wine over a period of about 5 hours. During the first hour, the wine was slightly closed. That being said, it was still exceptional. As time went by, it became extraordinary. I would say that it needs about an hour or so in the decanter to fully develop. During that first hour, every pour kept getting better and better. Five hours in, the wine was reaching its end.

Upon release, the color was more violet. When I opened it, it had evolved into a light/watery rim, which changes to a lighter purple/dark red towards the middle of the glass. There is also a slight sign of aging towards the rim although this was barely noticeable. I would say that the wine is just not as deep purple as it was upon release.

The nose is beautiful! I get some lush blueberry or blackberry dessert (I am having a hard time distinguishing between the two so maybe call it just dark fruits) – maybe like blueberry pie. There is some dark cherry. There were also some forest floor/wet earth aromas. There was also a bit of tobacco, vanilla, and dark chocolate.

On the palate, the wine was very similar to the nose. The major difference came from the fact that on the palate the ripe berries were much more noticeable which made the tobacco/vanilla/chocolate harder to discern. There was definitely a bit of minerality as well. The wine was quite luscious and opulent. It was smooth and had a medium-long finish.

Tannins are in balance with the acidity, which I like. I am still kind of surprised at the fact that the tannins are still quite present. I did not peg this wine as a long-term ager but I am starting to think that it could have lasted at least until 2020. I believe, however, that it is currently in its optimal drinking window. Perhaps I could have waited another year or so but not much more than that.

Overall, this wine was beautiful! I would not hesitate to open a bottle now if you have some but I think it will still get better over the upcoming year.

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Adams Bench Lineup

2/12/2015

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Photo Source: http://www.adamsbench.com/

Let my start off by saying how beautiful this place is! The tasting room and its surroundings alone are worth the visit. All wines tasted during this tasting were decanted for at least an hour before being poured. They poured four wines: Artz & Shaw, Reckoning, “V”, and Red Willow Cabernet Sauvignon. The tasting fee for the flight was 15$ which included one of their wine glasses.

2010 Artz & Shaw – I believe that this wine is 100% Merlot from Red Mountain (or it has a very high proportion of Merlot) since that is all that I wrote in my notes. However, the bottle states that it is Red Mountain Red Wine, which leads me to believe that either there is more than just Merlot or the blend changes every year. Both on the nose and on the palate, this is a very powerful wine. I got some dark fruits (predominantly black cherry and maybe some blackberry), a slight pepper note, and some minerality (graphite). It seemed kind of closed. Perhaps one hour of decanting was not enough (maybe the bottles should be opened the night before). The tannins were quite high and the wine seemed to have a high level of alcohol, which was noticeable (I did not confirm this from the bottle). There was also a lack of acidity. Overall, this wine needs a lot of time to develop and might be in a “closed” period.

2010 Reckoning – The blend for this wine was 48% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2% Cabernet Franc from the Columbia Valley. This wine had much better balance than Artz & Shaw. There were some elements of dark fruit (particularly black cherry and blackcurrant). There is also some evidence of new French oak (vanilla). There was some slight greenness (maybe olives). It had medium to high tannins and a moderate flavor intensity (both on the palate and on the nose). Overall, this was a well-balanced decent wine. It was one of my favorite wines from the tasting.

2011 “V” – Again, I am not sure of the blend for this wine. I noted that it was 78% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Columbia Valley. The rest of the blend is likely a mixture of Bordeaux varietals. This is a classic Washington Cabernet Sauvignon. On the nose there were notes of flowers (violets), some dark fruits (mostly blackberries and cassis), some candy (like licorice), and some coffee. The palate was very similar to the nose. The tannins seemed to be missing in this wine though. They were soft and round. I also got some minerality. The acidity level was a bit low for me although it did balance with the rather soft tannins. Overall, this wine had a decent balance. This wine was probably the most elegant of the lineup and the one that I liked the most along with the Reckoning.

2011 Red Willow Cabernet Sauvignon – I had high hopes for this wine but unfortunately, it did not deliver. It was one of the reasons why I decided to visit the winery. Normally, I love Red Willow Vineyard’s Cabernet Sauvignon. In retrospect, though, I am not saying that the wine was bad. It just did not stand out to me in the way that I was hoping it would. It was a decent wine when, especially given the price and grapes, I would have expected it to be a great wine. Both on the nose and on the palate, I got the typical Cabernet Sauvignon experience: dark fruits (especially cassis, some blackberry, and some black cherry), a tad of minerality, as well as a slight herb component. The finish was medium in length with fairly low acidity and medium tannins.

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Refuge & Prospect Lineup

2/10/2015

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Two weeks ago, I went to Woodinville to taste some wines from wineries I had never tried. One of these wineries was Refuge & Prospect. I immediately fell in love with their wines. I liked them so much that I was there again this week to ensure that my impressions were not a fluke. Upon tasting them a second time, I was not disappointed. These wines were simply fantastic and I cannot recommend them enough. In each visit, I tasted their seven wines. My favorites were their only white wine, As Above, and their Cabernet Franc, Hallowed Ground. Below are some tasting notes and impressions for each wine:

2008 As Above – This wine is 80% Chardonnay, 16% Sauvignon Blanc, and 4% Viognier from the Yakima Valley. According to the winemaker, Jason Baldwin, the wine was originally too acidic. The acidity has subsided to give way to what is, in my opinion, one of the best white wines that I have had from Washington State. I have tasted this wine four times over the last two weeks and every time I am amazed. On the nose, this wine is quite aromatic. Initially, I get a lot of freshness, maybe some steely components, some grassiness, some green apples or maybe slightly sweet citrus, and some peach. The palate is quite similar to the nose. In particular, I got crispiness, peaches, apples, and some tropical fruits after some exposure to air. I also noted some slight floral components and maybe some apricots (Viognier). The acidity is also still quite noticeable and the wine will likely age for another few years beautifully. Sadly, I believe that there is very little of this wine left (if any). If you can find some, do not hesitate to buy it. (Price paid: 16$ or 10$ by the case)

2008 Seeing Red – I did not write any notes for this wine. The impression that I remember having is that this was a good introductory red wine that should go quite well with food. (Price: 14$ or 10$ by the case)

2010 Into the Void – This is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc from Weinbau and Dineen Vineyards. Again, I unfortunately did not write any notes for this wine. I believe that the price for this was 25$. Although I did not write notes, this was a very beautiful wine especially when you consider the price.

2012 Ver Sacrum – This wine is a rosé of Cabernet Franc from Two Blondes Vineyard. My initial reaction to this wine was one of surprise. The nose is very peculiar. It was not something that I was used to. Perhaps I need to try more Cabernet Franc rosé. The nose was dominated by what I could only describe as dry hay. Perhaps if I left this wine open for a while it would give way to more fruit but in the tasting room, dry hay is mostly all I got. I could also smell (albeit very faintly) some red fruits (strawberry?), some dried herbs (cannot put my finger on what herb exactly though), and some slight floral notes. The palate was very similar to the nose in that it was dominated by some dry straw or hay. Overall, this was the wine that I least enjoyed during the whole tasting experience. (Price 16$)

2012 Hallowed Ground – This wine is a blend of 75% Cabernet Franc, 12% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Malbec from the Two Blondes Vineyard and was aged for 17 months in 25% new French oak. Much like As Above, this wine was a beauty! On the nose I immediately got some fruit. First impressions were blackcurrant, although I think that after a while in the glass, these evolve into cherries. The wine has a tad of greenness (as we would expect from Cab Franc) with some minerality (maybe pencil shavings). There was also a very slight hint of vanilla. The tannins were soft and there was a good amount of acidity. Similar to the nose, on the palate I got a good amount of dark fruit (not excessively so though). There is also a slight minerality that comes through. Overall, this was a great wine that I would not hesitate to buy. This was my favorite red wine of the tasting. (Price 36$)

2012 Mortal Remains - This wine is a blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 3% Malbec, and 5% Cabernet Franc from the Two Blondes Vineyard and was aged for 17 months in 80% new French oak. On the nose you can immediately tell that this wine has had more new oak than the others because you are hit with more vanilla than the other wines (though it is not overbearing). I also got some cassis and it was more prominent than in the Hallowed Ground. It also had a bit of a cigar box/tobacco/cedar component to it. On the palate, the kind of smokiness that I describe in the nose comes through. You also get some crème de cassis. The tannins are very present and so the wine could benefit from a few years in the cellar. The finish was a little shorter than I would have hoped (medium). This wine is not as intense on the palate as it is on the nose. Overall this was a very good wine. (Price 38$)

2012 Dark Arts - This wine is a blend of 54% Merlot, 19% Malbec, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 9% Cabernet Franc from the Two Blondes and Connor Lee Vineyards and was aged for 17 months in 40% new French oak. The nose for this wine was not as intoxicating as for some of the others. Perhaps it needed more air to fully develop. On the nose I could detect some nuts, some plums, and a slight floral element (violets?). The palate was similar to the nose and I could not detect much more. The tannins were present but not overly so. The length was medium. Overall, I think that this wine is not ready and will greatly benefit from additional time in the bottle before trying again. (Price 42$)

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Great video about chablis and a note about minerality!

2012 Liquid farm golden slope

2011 Chateau des Deduits Fleurie

Mark Ryan Lonely Heart release party

2007 Tenuta San Guido Guidalberto

Adams Bench Lineup

Refuge & Prospect Lineup

Anthony Sanford

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