Dinner at House:
2007 Philippe Melka Cabernet Sauvignon CJ - USA, California, Napa Valley (7/8/2010)
Plum, cassis and black cherries jump out of the glass. Smooth tannins and a mouthfeel that invites the next sip. We blinked and the bottle was gone. Style is made to drink now. Since it is in a good place, I plan on drinking these. Could be a risk of getting flabby with time. Nice structure now. (92 pts.)
2007 Copain Syrah Tous Ensemble - USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino County (7/6/2010)
Lighter in style then other Copain wines that I have had. Extremely food friendly with nice plum-cherry combo. A bit of a short finish but picked up some weight as the evening progressed. Short on the "it" factor that I enjoy with many of his wines. Not as cerebral but delivered on a wine list on the low end of the prices at The House in SF. (90 pts.)
Dinner at Michael Mina:
2007 Rhys Pinot Noir Family Farm Vineyard - USA, California, San Francisco Bay, San Mateo County (7/6/2010)
Rhubarb,, cherry, raspberry with forest floor and the perfect amount of acidity. Kudos! (94 pts.)
2007 Rivers-Marie Chardonnay B. Thieriot Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (7/6/2010)
Great straw color. Draws you into picking up your glass.** Great acidity but works with the lemon curd and vanilla bean.* These guys are good. The oily consistency mixes with the white toast points at the back end. (94 pts.)
Dinner at Gary Denko: Best meal in years!
2006 Lillian Winery Syrah - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County (7/7/2010)
Up for the syrah of the year for me. Palate was seamless with blue fruit and a richness that drew you to want to have more. I was speechless. Just silly. Not a lot of funkiness that I typically like but the intense flavors worked. (95 pts.)
2006 Neyers Chardonnay Thieriot Vineyard Sonoma Coast - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (7/7/2010)
This wine totally delivered. Lemon and grapefruit dominated the nose upon popping the cork. A s night progressed, picked up weight with a phenomenal mouth feel. Won out over the RM chard the night before (95 pts.)
Napa Day 1:Holly couldn't have been a more gracious host!
•2007 Vineyard 29 Cabernet Sauvignon Cru - USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena (7/8/2010)
Calssic Cali Cab. Plums, cherries and cassis. Great floral notes and rose pedals. No noticeable oak. Extremely sweet tannins. Very smooth. (91 pts.)
•2007 Vineyard 29 Zinfandel Aida Estate - USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena (7/13/2010)
Blueberry compote with lilac. 15.8% but so well integrated. Loved it. (94 pts.)
•2007 Vineyard 29 Cabernet Franc 29 Estate - USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena (7/13/2010)
This was a beast even though it was decanted for six hours. Subtle licorice on nose with blackberry. (96 pts.)
•2007 Vineyard 29 Cabernet Sauvignon Aida Estate - USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena (7/13/2010)
Great mouthfeel, cherry nose with a hint of vanilla. Finish lasted forever. (96 pts.)
Look out world, here comes Juan Mercado. What an amzing few hours. Future rock star and very humble.
•2008 Realm Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena (7/13/2010)
Deep purple, ripe cherry fruit, earthiness, chewy, feel like you are drink the wine in the vineyard, great minerality (96 pts.)
•2007 Realm Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Farella Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley (7/13/2010)
Black ink, 100% cab, this vineyard fruit went into Opus and Mondavi Reserve, volcanic soil, great floral nose and minerality, brilliant black fruit (95 pts.)
•2008 Realm Cellars The Tempest - USA, California, Napa Valley (7/13/2010)
Fruit from Napanook, a blend. Soft on entry, 78% merlot, ripe cherry fruit (94 pts.)
•2009 Realm Cellars Sauvignon Blanc - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville (7/13/2010)
Great acidity, citrus fruit, rich, medium bodied, clear yellow hue, noy overly tropical (93 pts.)
Josh at Boswell was very nice and walked us through some great wines that we had never had before:
•2008 Château Boswell Jacquelynn Cuvée Blanc - USA, California, Napa Valley (7/13/2010)
Half semillon, half sauv blac. Oily consistency, waxy, melon fruit. Euro in style like a white Bordeaux blend from Graves (88 pts.)
◦2008 Château Boswell Chardonnay True Course - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (7/13/2010)
Straw color, all Wente clone, Burgundian, purity of fruit with great finish. One of best chards I have had in a while. (95 pts.)
◦2008 Château Boswell Chardonnay Dutton Ranch/Morelli Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (7/13/2010)
Coconut oil, pineapple, a bit cloudy, rich, delicious, would have warranted a higher score but a bit short on finish (92 pts.)
◦2008 Château Boswell Cabernet Sauvignon Jacquelynn Oakville - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville (7/13/2010)
Only 5 barrels made. Just bottled. Green tinge to the cherry fruit at entry, wine is still tight, needs time. Has the right stuffing for dark cherry fruit to emerge. (91 pts.)
◦2008 Château Boswell Chardonnay Dutton Ranch/Sebastopol Vineyard - USA, California, North Coast, Napa / Sonoma (7/13/2010)
White fruit, nice acidity, oaky (87 pts.)
◦2007 Château Boswell Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville (7/13/2010)
98% cab, 2% petit verdot, very tannic, thin, uninteresting at this stage (86 pts.)
Dinner at Redd:
2009 Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (7/13/2010)
Light yellow, tropical fruit, great viscocity, lemon, cocnut oil, melon, guava with a finish of key lime pie. Great way to start a night of wine off. (92 pts.)
2007 Wolf Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Phaedrus - USA, California, Napa Valley (7/13/2010)
Somewhat disappointing. Green red fruit with short finish and no mouthfeel. (86 pts.)
Napa Day 2:
Started at Biale: Nice tasting room hospitality
•2008 Robert Biale Zinfandel Black Chicken - USA, California, Napa Valley (7/13/2010)
The best wine of their lineup on tis tasting. Bright fruit, typical pepper nose, black fruit, red/purple color (90 pts.)
•2006 Robert Biale Petite Sirah Thomann Station - USA, California, Napa Valley (7/13/2010)
Unctuous, tick, blueberry, bacon fat, needs a long time in bottle. Some olives, tight at back end. (88 pts.)
•2006 Robert Biale Syrah Hill Climber Jack & Jill - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley (7/13/2010)
Blueberry, cherry, tightly wound. A bit green, some unripe notes on finish. (86 pts.)
•2007 Robert Biale Zinfandel Party Line - USA, California, Napa Valley (7/13/2010)
Tis is their cuvee. Flat taste, no disctinctive fruit, just red, alcohol before fruit. (85 pts.)
•2009 Robert Biale Sauvignon Blanc Pollo Bianco - USA, California, Napa Valley (7/9/2010)
NIc light wine, refreshing when cold. No finish. One dimensional. It is just wine. (84 pts.)
Popped into Plumpjack
2007 Plumpjack Syrah - USA, California, Napa Valley (7/13/2010)
Smokey, chewy tannins. Deep purple fruit, would be great with BBQ. Medium bodied. (94 pts.)
2009 Cade Sauvignon Blanc - USA, California, Napa Valley (7/13/2010)
Lemon zest in a glass, crisp, green grass (86 pts.)
2006 Plumpjack Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville (7/13/2010)
Wow, this finish lasts a full minute. Black cherries, currants, still needs time but extremely well woven. (95 pts.)
2007 Plumpjack Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville (7/13/2010)
Sweet black cherries, clean mouthfeel, ample oak. Would be great but missing the X factor (92 pts.)
Last of day at Kapcsandy: see separate long note!!! Amazing tasting.
Dinner at Don Giovanni
•2003 Miner Family The Oracle - USA, California, Napa Valley (7/13/2010)
Well integrated black fruit with an amazing harmony, all comes together. Sophisticated but still a street fighter. These wines are great young but gain some weight with time. A sleeper. (94 pts.)
•2005 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Russian River Valley - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (7/13/2010)
Ripe Cherries and roasted rasberries. A touch of oak and a great mouth feel. This wine is still really young but hs the stuffing to mellow out. Give in another 5 years. (93 pts.)
•2003 Swanson Merlot - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville (7/13/2010)
I didn't get this wine at all. Disjointed, unintersting, just a bowl of semi ripe fruit. (84 pts.)
Day 3:
After Kapcsandy, we needed a rest and only got to Cliff Lede.
•2006 Cliff Lede Cabernet Sauvignon Poetry - USA, California, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District (7/13/2010)
Soft mouthfeel, elegant, dirt, earth, very complex red fruit (94 pts.)
•2007 Cliff Lede Cabernet Sauvignon Imagine Rhapsody - USA, California, Napa Valley (7/13/2010)
2 best blocks from each vintage, combo of Imagine, the highest elevated block in stag's leap and Bohemian Rhapsody. Deep rich, inky color, cherries, cocoa, lilacs. Packs a punch. Medium bodied. (94 pts.)
•2007 Cliff Lede High Fidelity - USA, California, Napa Valley (7/13/2010)
Nice spicy entry, smooth rounded tannins, deep ruby color, baking spice, cherry, cinnamon. (92 pts.)
•2007 Cliff Lede Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District - USA, California, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District (7/13/2010)
Black fruit, earthy, lilac nose but a bit green on entry, acidity hits in mid palate, sweet fruit comes at back end. Blueberry, black cherry. It feels like it's missing something. (89 pts.)
•2001 S. Anderson Diva - USA, California, Napa Valley (7/13/2010)
Clean, crisp, bright acidity, grapefruit. Good, but not up to the reputation. (87 pts.)
•2009 Cliff Lede Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley - USA, California, Napa Valley (7/13/2010)
Tropical fruit, peachy nose, soft mouthfeel with mild acidity at back end. Distinctive citrus fruit. (87 pts.)
•2007 Cliff Lede Claret - USA, California, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District (7/13/2010)
Just average, not even close to the Endre bottling across the street in the same vintage. Tight at back end, muted red fruit (85 pts.)
Dinner at Bardesono: Bumped into Paul Lato, small world...
2007 Mapson Cellars Left Lane - USA, California, Napa Valley (7/13/2010)
Wowsa. Dark brooding glass of black cherry, slides down your throat, plums, long finish. Thank you Acme! Sh, don't tell anyone. (95 pts.)
2007 Oakville Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Grown - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville (7/13/2010)
Decent fruit, muted nose, spices, average (86 pts.)
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