We tried tonight (4/21/10) Failla & Peay Burgs from the Extreme Sonoma Coast:
1. Peay Estate Chard SonomaCoast (13.9%; www.PeayVineyards.com) 2007: Light gold rather cloudy color;
strong appley/light melony/Chard light pencilly/nutmeg/oak slight minerally/earthy nose; tart rather
appley/Chard/light melony/honeydew light pencilly/oak bit minerally flavor; fairly long appley/spicy/
nutmeg/Chard/melony finish; very good acid & balance & structure; needs a yr or so and should go out
6-8 yrs. $54.00
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2. Failla Chard EstateVnyd/SonomaCoast (14.1%; 50 cs) 2008: Med.gold color; rather ripe/melony/Chard fairly
pencilly/toasty/oak aromatic nose; rather soft ripe/melony/Chard some toasty/oak/pencilly flavor; short
soft/fat light melony/Chard some toasty/pencilly/oak finish; rather attractive nose but very soft/fat/
flat on the palate and not much flavor; seems lacking in acidity and lots of very ripe character. $47.00
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2. Failla Chard KeeferRanch/RRV (14.1%; 325 cs) 2008: Med.light gold color; somewhat low-key earthy/lean
light melony/Chard very light toasty/oak slight yeasty/minerally interesting nose; somewhat soft earthy/
spicy light melony/Chard bit toasty/charred/oak/light butterscotchy flavor; med.long bit earthy light
melony/Chard some butterscotch/oak finish; rather interesting Chard in the nose but not quite delivers
on the palate; bit on the pricey side; should develop some. $43.00
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3. Peay Estate PinotNoir SonomaCoast (14.2%; 300cs) 2008: Med.light color; strong ripe cherry/black cherry/bit
appley/Pinot light/delicate pencilly/Fr.oak slight earthy/chalky nose; tart lean bright cherry/PN light
earthy/appley some pencilly/Fr.oak light tannic delicate/bright flavor; long bit tannic bright/cherry/PN
light pencilly/Fr.oak finish; a bright/pretty/delicate Pinot for drinking over the next few yrs. $45.00
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4. Peay Pomarian Estate PinotNoir SonomaCoast (www.PeayVineyards.com; 14.2%; 585 cs) 2008: Med.color; bit
riper/richer more intense black cherry/PN some pungent/toasty/oak/smokey slight earthy bit Burgundian
nose; less tart richer/deeper/black cherry/PN some toasty/oak some tannic flavor; long bit hard/tannic
richer/black cherry/PN some toasty/oak/smokey slight Burgundian/earthy finish; a bit bigger/richer more
intense Pinot; needs 2-6 yrs yet. $55.00
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5. Failla PinotNoir PeayVnyd/SonomaCoast (275 cs; 13.8%; 30% WholeCluster) 2006: Med.dark color; very
attractive Burgundian/smokey/toasty/oak some black cherry/PN slight earthy/dusty some complex nose;
tart rather Burgundian/smokey light black cherry/PN slight tannic/bitter/hard some complex/earthy flavor;
long bit tannic/hard light black cherry/PN/subtle some smokey/toasty/oak finish; needs several yrs yet;
a rather interesting somewhat Burgundian-style Pinot. $54.00
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6. Failla PinotNoir SonomaCoast (13.8%; 500 cs) 2008: Med.color; very fragrant/perfumed/black cherry/PN
light toasty/pencilly/oak slight herbal very aromatic nosetart very bright/cherry/PN light toasty/smokey/
oak bright/zippy/sweet fruit flavor; long bright/cherry/PN some toasty/pencily/oak finish w/ light
tannins; a very pretty/attractive Pinot. $39.00
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7. Drew PinotNoir McDougallRanchVnyd/SonomaCoast (14.7%; 270 cs; Planted: 1998) 2008: Med.dark color; slight
alcoholic ripe/black cherry/PN some smokey/pungent/oak/charred pretty big nose; soft rich/ripe/black
cherry/PN some charred/oak almost sweet/lush flavor; med.long soft ripe/black cherry/PN some charred/
toasty/oak finish w/ light tannins; nose suggests a bit of smoke taint but not in flavor; lots of
rich/textured fruit and more SBC in style than SC. $37.50
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8. Failla PinotNoir PearlessenceVnyd/SonomaCoast (13.2%; 90 cs; Drk: 2017-2019) 2008: Med.dark color; lovely/
perfumed strong black cherry/PN very perfumed/aromatic/spicy light toasty/oak nose; tart rich/very spicy/
black cherry/PN/RCCola light toasty/oak slight tannic flavor; very long perfumed/aromatic black cherry/PN/
very spicy light toasty/oak finish w/ modest tannins; a lovely/perfumed/spicy Pinot that's near ready to
drink or a yr out. $45.00
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9. Failla PinotNoir HirschVnyd/SonomaCoast (13.9%; 475 cs) 2007: Med.light color; strong pungent/smokey/
ozone/toasty/oak very spicy/licorice/black cherry/PN very perfumed/complex nose; tart/lean bit hard/tannic
rather earthy/pungent/light licorice/black cherry/PN some toasty/oak flavor; long bit hard/tannic strong/
black cherry/licorice/PN some toasty/pungent/oak finish; a lovely/complex nose but a bit hard on the palate
and needs several yrs. $65.00
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10. Failla PinotNoir OccidentalRidgeVnyd/SonomaCoast (13.8%; 475 cs) 2006: Med.dark color; light earthy/black
cherry/PN bit closed/shy light toasty/oak slight confected/earthy unusual nose; softer pencilly/toasty/oak
fairly lush/ripe/black cherry/PN somewhat simpleer/restrained/low-key flavor; med.long soft/lush/black
cherry/PN light pencilly/oak w/ light tannins; not the brightness of the others and seems a warmer-climate
Pinot; seems a bit on the simple side, almost Siduri in style; may develop some. $60.00
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11. Failla PinotNoir EstateVnyd/SonomaCoast (13.8%; 125 cs) 2007: Med.light color; attractive smokey/pungent/
charred/oak strong black cherry/PN/RCCola lovely/perfumed nose; tart/lean/tight some tannic/hard bright/
spicy/black cherry/PN/RCCola some pencilly/toasty/oak flavor; long somewhat tannic/hard/lean spicy/PN/
black cherry some toasty/pencilly finish; lovely perfumed nose but a bit hard/tight on the palate; needs
some 2-5 yrs of age; should develop into a lovely Pinot. $65.00
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12. Failla PinotNoir Vivien SonomaCoast (Estate/Hirsch/OccidentalRidge/Keefer vnyds; 14.1%;
www.FaillaWines.com; 100 cs) 2006: Med.color; slight funky/earthy strong black cherry/PN/ripe light toasty/
oak/charred fairly complex/perfumed nose; softer/richer/lusher ripe/black cherry/PN rather toasty/charred/
oak strong black cherry/PN/licorice/RCCola flavor w/ light tannins; very long tart/rich/lush very strong
black cherry/PN some toasty/charred/oak slight earthy/Burgundian finish w/ smooth tannins; bit more
balanced/complex/drinkable than the others; really lovely Pinot.
$70.00
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And the usual stuff from TheBloodyPulpit:
1. Failla: I thing EhrenJordan is making some of the most interesting wines in Calif these days; though
he doesn't get all that much recognition. His reputation is from his work at Turley, which I think is
a bit skewed still from what HelenTurley did to those wines early on. The present Turleys are, I think,
much more reflective of his style.
His whites can sometimes be a bit it or miss. The '08 Estate Chard was rather disappointing; seemingly
on the soft/fat/overripe side. Hard to understand. But his Pinots and his Syrahs are spot on. Not
particularly big wines; but more about balance & restraint. I think they'll make some very interesting
old bones.
The wines tend to be a bit on the pricey side, but some are actually worth it.
Tom