WTN: Melville, 03 Freeman Pinot, 05 Leigh Cellars Syrah

MAKE SHIFT WORK CHRISTMAS PARTY - (12/28/2007)

Tis the season to get colds and flu. So we had to cancel our small work party, which was planned for Marche Moderne ... a star of a restaurant in the OC. To make it work we just gathered at one of my employees house and cooked up a nice meal...and drank some great wine... post Christmas.

• 2006 Melville Viognier Estate Verna's - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County
  Second time I have had this. No notes so to speak ... I'll just say it is a great wine. Loved it. Easy to drink on its own but also works with food. Nice amount of acidity running through it. (91 pts.)

• 2003 Freeman Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
  I have loved this wine 3 times before … and I can't believe it has been over 2 years since I tried it. It is progressing nicely. I will hold my very last bottle for awhile although I think it is really in a great place now. Maybe even peaking. On the nose, there is wonderful fruit. A small amount funky earth. Like fresh strawberries mixed with day old strawberries. Nicely complex. No present tannins and the acid is on the lighter side so I am not sure what the wine will be like in 5 years. But I will find out with my last bottle I really think this wine has rounded out, showing great red fruits. Lots of sweet strawberries and cherries ... but it is not cloying. The oak is nicely present. It all seems to be working well together. (93 pts.)
  
• 2005 Leigh Cellars Syrah Sleepy Hollow Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Monterey County
  Showing some reduction but mainly cool climate syrah funk on the nose. This wine wears it well. I drank this many times and it seems to always show me something different. On this night, we had a crazy dinner with wild kids running around and I focused on the Freeman ... but just sat back and enjoyed this one. Showing more finesse. So often in Pinot, SLH gives a flavor profile that not what I am looking for. (I am sure in 10 years it will be my favorite … as things change) but with Syrah I really seem to enjoy SLH. This wine was not decanted but had been open for about 4 hours. Drinking so friendly. Easy to like. It was enjoyable to watch people around the table keep going back to it. My wife would take a sip and then give it her seal of approval. Just a gentle tap on the rim of the glass with her index finger. And a little nod. A syrah that shows nice fruit and acid. I crazy steal of a deal! (91 pts.)

Cheers and Happy New Year!

Jason

Melville's Verna's Viognier is always one of my favs of the year...better than their estate bottling....I still have one bottle left of the '06 and sounds like it is near perfect. [I may have even bought this bottle for you!!]

The Leigh Cellars Syrah and Pinot are both very very good....the Pinot has really come around, and I'm glad to have a couple of bottles left...only one of the Syrah remaining. I really hope Gerry is able to get back on his feet and continue this venture, as the wines he produced first time out of the gate are pretty dang nice.

Happy new year, amigo....thanx for the offer to share some Aubert Chard one day, which I gladly accept, though I have had it a number of times, probably too young, and can honestly say I was non-plussed.....now if you want to open a nice red Burg, I'm even more interested.....