Wines from the Week of Thanksgiving

2004 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley (11/25/2010)
First words out of our mouths were Smoooooooooooth. This iwne is accessible, easy to drink and an expected fruit bomb. Blueberry and cherry pop around your mouth in a purple haze. Lots of vanilla and cinnamon follow the fruit. This is clearly a baby. Hedonistic, over the top and a blast to drink. We drank without food but i think it would show even better with a chunk of beef. (96 points)

2001 Wolf Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena (11/25/2010)
This was a total surprise. I had tucked this away in a bin and it was all but forgotten. The wine delivered plenty of mature fruit - mostly plum and black cherry. I would call the fruit adolescent, not infant and not over-the hill. The oak was well integrated and the tannins were firm, but sweet, luch and velvetty. (93 points)
1995 Château Léoville Barton - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien (11/25/2010)
Great ingredients but just way too young. Tobacco, plum, black cherry. Forest moss. Still very tannic. Try in 5 years. (91 points)

2003 Fisher Vineyards Cameron - USA, California, Napa Valley (11/25/2010)
Decent but not memorable. Somewhat flat mouthfeel and finish. (89 points)

2007 Stolpman Roussanne L'Avion - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley (11/25/2010)
Nice Rousanne tropical fruit, nice mouth feel. Subtle lemon, pinapple and a nice nuttinesss (87 points)

2005 Sea Smoke Pinot Noir Ten - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Rita Hills - Sta. Rita Hills (11/24/2010)
Five years in and this wine is starting to show its beautiful colors. Cherry, rasberry and some cranberry round out an elegant mouthfeel. This is a special wine and my favorite pinot in 2010. I will let the last bottle sit another few years. It was special. (94 points)

2004 Rhys Pinot Noir Family Farm Vineyard - USA, California, San Francisco Bay, San Mateo County (11/24/2010)
We popped and poured this. Initially, there was a bit of a sulfury funk. We aggressively decanted and swirlled and after ten minutes the funk blew off into a wonderful mix of minerality, terroir and bright fruit. Cranberry and rasberry dominate. The subdued alcohol allowed a lighter mouth feel than the Sea SmokeTen that was before it. This wine had a sense of place to it. Excellent acidity brought the whole package together. (93 points)

2005 Russian Hill Estate Winery Pinot Noir Leras - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (11/22/2010)
Great purity of fruit in this medium bodied pinot. Rasberry, cranberry and pomegranate meld into a great mix of red fruit with ample earthiness. Awesome body to this wine. Ample acidiity ends with a decent but not great finish. (93 points)

2006 Papapietro Perry Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (11/21/2010)
Somewhat monolithic, simple and not that interesting. Red fruit, mostly cherry and rasberry. Vey little mouthfeel. A bit of a woodsy note (oak and pine). Tart finsih. Color looked older than the age of the wine. (86 points)