Got my latest VSP shipment and tried them this weekend:
1. DryCreekVnyd SauvBlanc DryCreekVlly Taylor'sVnyd Musque (13.5%) 2008: Light gold color; slight herbal/SB very perfumed/fragrant/flowery/spicy almost Muscat/Viog-like some mango/tropical fruit very aromatic nose; tart slight minerally very perfumed/mango/tropical fruit/floral slight herbal/SB light oak very spicy lovely flavor; very long mango/tropical fruit/spicy/floral slight herbal/SB light pencilly/oak finish; powerful aromatics more like a Viog/Muscat than SB. Good value at $25.00
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2. DryCreekVnyd Zin SommersRanch/DryCreekVlly (14.9%) 2007: Very dark color; beautiful very perfumed/fragrant very spicy/raspberry/blackberry/Zin slight licorice/chocolaty light pencilly/oak some dusty/old vine very aromatic nose; tart very spicy/raspberry/blackberry/Zin bit tannic/structured some dusty/old vine slight pencilly/oak flavor; very long very spicy/raspberry/blackberry/Zin rather tannic/structured light pencilly/oak rather dusty/old vine finish; more tannic & structured than previous Somers; serious Zin and quintessential DryCreekVlly Zin. $34.00
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. Sauv Musque: This is a particularly aromatic clone of SauvBlanc that was first uncovered in the UCDavis library by DougMeador at VentanaVnyd in Monterey. Though MerryEdwards also reportedly did some early work w/ the clone as well, but I first heard about it from DougMeador. If you you worship at the altar of varietal typicity and insist that your SauvBlanc smell of new-mown hay/aspargras/herbal/cat pee; this is probably not the wine for you. But if you like a white wine w/ lovely aromatics a bit llike Viognier w/ only a trace of herbal character; bingo...this one is it. Maybe the most perfumed/aromatic SauvMusque from DCV yet.
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2. DCV Zins: DryCreekVnyds is really doing a good job of late w/ Zin. Their HeritageClone Zin is full of bright/zesty/raspberry fruit and a great value at $19 or less. They also make a high-end OldVines Zin that I like as well. But both the SomersRanch and the BeesonRanch vnyd-designate Zins are, to my taste, some of the best DryCreekVlly Zins being made these days. This just-released '07 Somers may be their best one yet. Loaded w/ bright raspberry/Zin fruit and very low-key oak; it seems to have more tannins & structure than any they've made before. A Zin that should go out to 6-10 yrs is my guess.
They also have a '07 PetiteSirah that I've not had but just ordered some of. DCV doesn't always make PS, but the ones I've had in the past have been mighty fine; bright & lively and not clunky/ponderous like some PS's.
Tom