The place for all things wine, focused on serious wine discussions.

WTN: Two Calif Dessert Semillons...(short/boring)

Moderators: Jenise, Robin Garr, David M. Bueker

no avatar
User

TomHill

Rank

Here From the Very Start

Posts

8373

Joined

Wed Mar 29, 2006 12:01 pm

WTN: Two Calif Dessert Semillons...(short/boring)

by TomHill » Thu Sep 08, 2011 5:51 pm

For a BD celebration last night, we tried:
1. Stony Hill Semillon de Soleil/NapaVlly (13%; Dried in sun for 10 days) 2007: Light gold color; some new-mown hay/earthy/herbal rather raisened slight figgy some toasty/oak bit simple nose; rather sweet soft herbal/straw/hay rather raisened earthy light toasty/pencilly/oak flavor; med.long soft quite sweet raisened/herbal/hay some toasty/oak finish; a bit on the raisened/simple side. $25.00 (GGWC)
____________________
2. Bedrock Semillon MonteRossoVnyd/Lachryma Montis Botrytized/OldVine/SonomaVlly (Planted in 1896; SaH:
40.2 Brix; 12.0%; 13.0%; RS: 20.6 Brix; RS: 200 gms) 2009
: Med.dark gold color; beautiful botrytis/peachy/apricotty bright/figgy/Semillon/orangey rather pencilly/toasty/oak very complex nose; quite sweet tart intense apricotty/peachy/fruit cocktail/botrytis some pencilly/toasty/oak bright/figgy/orangey/Semillon very complex flavor; very long/lingering intense botrytis/peachy/apricotty/botrytis some pencilly/toasty/oak zippe/figgy/Semillon/waxy/orangey complex finish; stunning example of a young Calif Sauternes. $25.00/hlf
______________________________________
And a wee BloodyPulpit:
1. The StonyHill was a bit on the strange side from previous ones I've had...which had a lot of lush/grapey/figgy character to them. My experience is that this wine can age extremely well, often for 10-20 yrs. I have no idea where this '07 version will eventually wind up.
The Bedrock Semillon is, I believe, Morgan Twain-Peterson's first stab at a dessert wine. I was pretty much blown away by this wine. Wines w/ this level of botrytis (40.2 Brix) are usually dominated by the botrytis, can be a bit heavy-handed, and have any varietal character destroyed by the botrytis. Though the botrytis is definitely there, this is one of those rare birds where the grape variety punches thru the botrytis. It has great acidity w/o that sweet/sour character some such wines show. One of the best young Calif Sauternes I've had. I have little doubt that the wine won't go out 20 yrs or so. Amazing stuff.
Tom
no avatar
User

Jenise

Rank

FLDG Dishwasher

Posts

45478

Joined

Tue Mar 21, 2006 2:45 pm

Location

The Pacific Northest Westest

Re: WTN: Two Calif Dessert Semillons...(short/boring)

by Jenise » Sat Sep 10, 2011 8:54 am

Your note makes me aware of how little of this style of wine I've seen from California. Not much semillon at all. I can think of but one I've had, from the old Carmenet, which was really quite splendid and had the makings of a long-lived wine. But so good were they we couldn't leave them alone, and did well to stretch our small supply out about ten years.
My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Alibaba2, Amazonbot, ClaudeBot, FB-extagent, Google AgentMatch, LACNIC160, Ripe Bot, SemrushBot and 2 guests

Powered by phpBB ® | phpBB3 Style by KomiDesign