WTN: WindGap/Booker Wines..(long/boring)

We tried last week (7/7/10) some Booker & WindGap Wines:
1. WindGap TrousseauGris Fanucchi-WoodRdVnyd/RRV (195 cs; #542; 13.3%;
www.WindGapWines.com) PaxMahle/Forestville 2009: Light gold rather cloudy color; somewhat floral/perfumed
slight Mosel valve oil rather stoney/minerally/chalky perfumed talc quite interesting rather AltoAdige-like
nose; tart rich/textured stoney/minerally light floral/earthy rather AltoAdige/Kerner-like flavor; med.long
light floral/perfumed talc rather stoney/minerally slight valve oil finish; much like some of the
AltoAdige whites but more richness & texture; interesting wine; best GreyRiesling ever. $25.00
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2. WindGap PinotGris WindsorOaksVnyd/ChalkHill (12.5%; 162 cs; #1267; 12.7%; 175 cs) 2008: Ligh gold/orange
very cloudy color; quite fragrant/floral/orange blossom very slight oxidative quite interesting floral/
perfumed nose; tart/austere orange blossom/floral slight appley slight oxidative/phenolic flavor; long
appley/pear some floral/orange blossom slight phenolic rather austere finish; made with some extended skin
contact; a very interesting/intriguing wine that requires thinking outside the box. $36.00
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3. WindGap Chard Yuen/JamesBerry&BrosseauVnyds/CentralCoast (12.9%; 525 cs; #557; 12.7%;
575 cs) 2008: Light gold color; lovely lemony/citrusy/melony/Chard very fragrant/perfumed almost floral/
Riesling-like complex nose; fairly tart lemony/citrusy/spicy/melony/Chard slight earthy/orangey fairly rich
flavor; very long/lingering slight earthy/chalky/minerrally strong spicy/citrusy/lemony/Chard; a very
interesting Chard that is not green or eviscerated at all. $40.00
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4. WindGap Chard SonomaCnty (266 cs; 13.8%; #886; 13.7%; 275 cs) 2008: Light gold color; bigger/richer
tropical fruit/melony/Chard/floral/spicy/mango light smoky/spicy flavor; long spicy/melony/Chard/tropical
fruit/mango bit smoky/spicy finish; more mainstream Chard w/ a bit of oak; lovely Chard. $44.00
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5. Booker White PasoRobles (65% Roussanne/35% Viognier; 14.8%; www.BookerWines.com) 2007: Med.gold color;
strong pineapply/floral/honeysuckle/perfumed bit alcoholic slight Mosel valve oil very slight hazelnutty
quite perfumed/aromatic nose; soft glycerined/ripe pineapply/floral/honeyesuckle slight earthy rather rich/
lush light smokey/pungent/oak flavor; med.long ripe/floral/honeysuckle/honeyed slight alcoholic finish;
big & ripe w/ lots of aromatics; some like a Jaffurs Roussanne. Lovely Rhone blend. $30.00
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6. WindGap Syrah SonomaCoast (#186; 12.7%; 375 cs; 2% Viog; 425 cs) 2007: Dark color; strong green olive/
tapenade slightly underripe smoky/roasted/Rhonish slight cranberry/blackberry/Syrah very Rhonish nose;
tart/lean slight underripe/green olive/tapenade strong Rhonish/smoky/roasted bit coffee complex flavor;
long green/tart/lean strong roasted/green olive/tapenade/coffee very Rhonish some tannic/lean/hard complex
finish; lots of acidity and loads of Rhonish character; outside the box for Calif Syrah; can't predict
where this will go but have to believe it will become something very interesting. $40.00
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7. Booker TheAlchemist PasoRobles (79% Syrah/19% PV/ 2% CS; 15.9%) EricJensen 2007: Very dark color; ripe
blackberry/Syrah/slight blackcurranty bit jammy/ripe rather toasty/charred/oak nose; rather tannic/hard/bitter/
astringent ripe plummy/blackberry/Syrah somewhat toasty/oak flavor; long tannic/hard/astringent ripe/jammy/
blackberry/Syrah slight blackcurranty/Cab finish; a powerfully extracted wine w/ lots of hard tannins; hard to
tell if it'll ever shed those tannins and become pleasant drinking. $40.00
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8. Booker Vertigo PasoRobles (90% Syrah/10% Grenache; 15.9%; 30 months in barrel) 2006: Med.dark color; rather spicy/
blackberry/Syrah some hot/fumey/EA/alcoholic rather Oz-like very strong nose; soft rather hot/alcoholic/fumey/EA
slight spicy/blackberry/Syrah light toasty/oak very ripe/jammy flavor; med.long ripe/jammy some blackberry/Syrah
light toasty/oak finish w/ some tannins; rather alcoholic/fumey, a bit over-the-top, and not that much fruit.
$55.00
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9. Booker Vertigo PasoRobles (75% Syrah/25% Grenache; 15.7%) 2007: Very dark color; strong blackberry/Syrah/licorice/
boysenberry/very ripe light toasty/oak nose; soft big/ripe/lush/boysenberry/Syrah light toasty/oak jammy slight
alcoholic flavor w/ fair tannins; long ripe/jammy lush/boysenberry/blackberry/Syrah light toasty/oak somewhat
Oz-like finish w/ some tannins; big/bold/ripe style that needs 3-5 yrs; good for that style. $50.00
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10. Booker Fracture PasoRobles (100% Syrah; 16.1%; 30 months in barrel) 2006: Dark color; very ripe blackberry/
boysenberry/Syrah slight alcoholic/EA rather perfumed/aromatic intense/lush/big fruit very light/toasty oak nose;
soft rather tannic/astringent some hot/alcoholic/fumey big/blackberry/Syrah/boysenberry somewhat hot/alcoholic/
fumey light oak flavor; med.long very ripe/blackberry/boysenberry/Syrah some fumey/alcoholic fairly hard/tannic
finish; a bit on the overripe/fumey side but loads of blackberry fruit. $55.00
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11. Booker Fracture PasoRobles (100% Syrah; 28 months in barrel; 16.1%) 2007: Very dark color; slight volatile/alcoholic
very ripe/blackberry/boysenberry/Syrah/chocolaty/licorice slight herbal some toasty/oak nose; big/ripe/lush
intense boysenberry/blackberry/Syrah/chocolaty/licorice some tannic light herbal some toasty/oak flavor; long very
lush/ripe intense chocolaty/boysenberry/Syrah slight alcoholic finish w/ some tannins; needs several yrs. $50.00
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And the usual trash talk from TheBloodyPulpit:
1. TrosseauGris: This variety is what used to be known in Calif as GreyRiesling. Mostly it made pretty
ordinary wines at the hands of large-production winemakers. It was interesting to taste what the
grape can give in the hands of a competent winemaker. Don't think the variety is going to set any
fires, though. I assume these are rather old vines in that vnyd.
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2. Booker: These are the wines made by EricJensen. Followed him from the very start, when MaryBaker poured his
wines at the BlackOak BarBQue one year. Deinitely made in a big/ripe Paso style. A couple of them seemed a
bit over the top & alcoholic/hot, but, in general, I thought they were good examples of that style. In
particular, the White was absolutely first rate, again in a bigger/riper style. Will buy them again.
Tom

[David M. Bueker]

You like the Wind Gap wines more than I do. None of them (Chard, Trousseau, Pinot Gris, Syrah and Rhone Blend) have really rung my chimes so far. I hae opned several for my tasting group both blind and un-blind with similarly unimpressive results.

You like the Wind Gap wines more than I do. None of them (Chard, Trousseau, Pinot Gris, Syrah and Rhone Blend) have really rung my chimes so far. I hae opned several for my tasting group both blind and un-blind with similarly unimpressive results.

I think they are rather understated wines...which is Pax's intention. They got high marks from me for their interest level
more than anything.
Tom

[David M. Bueker]

I liked their understated nature. I just didn't find that interest level. I also found a lot of obvious alcohol.

Tom,
Great notes. How did you get your hands on the Bookers?

We tried last week (7/7/10) some Booker & WindGap Wines:
1. WindGap TrousseauGris Fanucchi-WoodRdVnyd/RRV (195 cs; #542; 13.3%;
http://www.WindGapWines.com) PaxMahle/Forestville 2009: Light gold rather cloudy color; somewhat floral/perfumed
slight Mosel valve oil rather stoney/minerally/chalky perfumed talc quite interesting rather AltoAdige-like
nose; tart rich/textured stoney/minerally light floral/earthy rather AltoAdige/Kerner-like flavor; med.long
light floral/perfumed talc rather stoney/minerally slight valve oil finish; much like some of the
AltoAdige whites but more richness & texture; interesting wine; best GreyRiesling ever. $25.00

Tom,
I had this wine in Oakland earlier this year, and similarly found it very appealing. Here's what I wrote about it at the time:
I was eager to try this wine, as I'd heard a lot of good comments about this producer. Jim [Hanlon] averred that he was interested to taste a Trousseau Gris. (Jim, it wasn't until I was researching this post that I realized that this grape is also known as Grey Riesling, which I had many moons ago from Wente). What emerged was a slightly hazy but pale wine with an intese nose of minerals and peaches and a fascinating full-bodied mouthfeel accompanied by a strong herbal streak amid citrus fruit. Wacky and wonderful -- thanks for bringing it, Jim! To the extent that I can recall those Wente Grey Rieslings of my youth, I can say that this wine evoked no memory whatsoever of those Wente wines.

Mark Lipton

Tom,
Great notes. How did you get your hands on the Bookers?

I'm on the Booker mailing list. Alas, for the Fall release, I dawddled a few days & they were all sold out, so missed the 2008's.
Tom

To the extent that I can recall those Wente Grey Rieslings of my youth, I can say that this wine evoked no memory whatsoever of those Wente wines.[/i]
Mark Lipton

Yup, Mark. The Wente GrayRiesling was even more innocuous than the Wente regular Rieslings. Nothing to stir one's excitement. But they were cheap!!
Tom