WTN: loire, morgon, chianti, bennet valley

2010 Thomas-Labaille Sancerre Chavignol Les Monts Damnés
Good vintage for this wine. Cut, drive, verve, mineral, crisp, depth. Everything is nicely proportioned.

2009 Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon Le Domaine
Love this wine. Tannins already tame, yet supportive. Crunchy fruit, pine, tart dark fruits. Same price as the '05 Grezeaux on release. $17 is a bargain.

1999 Fattoria di Fèlsina Berardenga Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia
Seems to be in it's mature window. Velvety, red currants, tobacco, long, complex. Drinking really well right now. Will drink my last bottle within 2 yrs.

2009 Domaine Savoye Morgon Côte du Py Vieilles Vignes
Opens softly to a cherry pucker. With air the cherries blossom framed in fitting acid and minerals. Lovely.

2005 Carlisle Syrah Bennett Valley
Dark stuff. Full and rich, yet carries the fruit with a threaded, core of acidity. Gets slightly sweet and hot on the finish, but I have to say, this may be the best Syrah in bottle I've had from Mr. Mike. Simply a well made wine in a bigger style. Perhaps, the most refined and composed Carlisle Syrah I've tasted to date. Just checked, it's the lowest abv, @ 15%, of any Carlsisle I've had.

PS: Somebody brought a bottle of Charles Smith Wine "Velvet Devil" to a party last week. I have no idea the vintage or if that really matters. I thought the bottle shwag from an SST x-mas bash. You don't really want to hear my note on this stuff. More for the Mai tai crowd.

We do not see Carlisle get much of a mention here so good for you Gregg. What kinda price would one expect to pay?

We do not see Carlisle get much of a mention here so good for you Gregg. What kinda price would one expect to pay?

$35ish from the mailing list. I don't have much of a craving for this style, but I have friends that like it, so I open them when they're around. I don't buy much anymore though.

[Jenise]

Bennett Valley seems to be turning out some good syrahs. Am wondering if I'm just noticing the name more, or if indeed it's actually a particularly good appellation for the grape. Any thoughts?

Re the Velvet Devil--a $10 merlot, made to compete at the crowd-pleaser level with branded, supermarket wines like Cupcake Red Velvet, especially to those who buy on label-attraction.

I drink so little domestic Syrah, especially outside of ESJ, that I would not want to comment one way or another on Bennett Valley. I think BV is considered cold climate, which I tend to favor as abv levels are kept under 15% usually. I believe I have sampled Dry Stack, Shane and Sandler. Sandler in particular bottles a BV from the Connell Vineyard. I talked to Ed Kurtzman about this wine which iirc, came in at under 12% finished abv. He harvested in Novemeber!!! It really has a savory cote rotie quality to it which I adore. Jim Cowan pulls fruit from BV, so maybe he can chime in with better info.