We tried at Al & Gennie Rago's home last week:
1. Boheme Chard TaylorRidgeVnyd/SonomaCoast (12.3%) 2005: Med.gold color; strong celery seed/spicy/melony/Chard slight chalky/mineral light pencilly/oak restrained/elegant complex really lovely nose; rather tart/lean/restrained celery seed/melony/spicy/Chard light pencilly/oak/nutmeg some mineral/chalky complex flavor; very long/lingering chalky/mineral tart/lean/racy melony/celery seed/cold-climate Chard light pencilly/oak finish; an absolutely lovely mature Chard that should go another 5 yrs or more; this is the kind of Chard that I've been tasting that keeps drawing me back to that somewhat passe/unfashionable grape.
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2. Foradori FontanaSanta Nosiola IGT: Vigneti delle Dolomiti (12.55) 2010: Light yellow color; very chalky/mineral/steely/granitic some floral/R-like quite attractive nose; fairly rich tart/acidic quite chalky/mineral/metallic light floral/pear/R-like perfumed flavor; very long/lingering chalky/mineral/metallic/steely/granitic light floral/R-like/perfumed finish; a very interesting and quite lovely white; best Nosiola I've ever tried; all about stones & minerals w/ a haunting underlying perfume like Riesling. Fairly priced at $40 (SWC)
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3. PaulJaboulet Hermitage LaChapelle 1983: Med.color w/ some bricking; lovely smokey/roasted vegetables/coffee light blackberry/Syrah/earthy very perfumed complex NRhone nose; fairly tart elegant/polished roasted/coffee/smokey/charred/pungent bit tannic/hard/dried out flavor; fairly long/lingering roasted/coffee/smokey/charred slight blackberry/spicy/Syrah bit tannic/astringent/dried out complex finish; starting to crack up around the edges a bit and showing its age, but a lovely example of fully-mature (and then some) Hermitage. $14.00
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4. Lagier-Meredith Syrah (14.8%) 2004: Very dark color w/ no obvious bricking; very strong blackberry/blueberry/Syrah rather spicy/peppery some smokey/toasted/oak beautiful nose; fairly tart some hard/tannic very strong blackberry/blueberry/Syrah quite spicy/peppery some toasty/charred/oak flavor; very long/lingering very strong blackberry/blueberry/Syrah/peppery/spicy some toasty/smokey/oak finish; lots of spicy/peppery character and the tannins starting to smooth out a bit, but still quite primary; should go another 10 yrs or more; a really beautiful Calif Syrah.
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. I have, of course, followed AlRago from the very start. He wrote a highly regarded code, MC**2, to calculate self-shielded multigroup cross sections in fuel pin calculations. I worked one summer (1967) at Argonne in the same ReactorPhysics group that Al worked. We often had lunch together in the ANL cafeteria. This was, of course, well before a single drop of wine had ever crossed my virgin lips.
Fast forward some 30 yrs. By then, many a wine had crossed those lips. I was attending one of the early HdR events in which EhrenJordan was showing his Failla-Jordan Syrah from the QueSyrah vnyd, planted some yrs before way out on the extreme SonomaCoast within spitting distance of the Pacific. Also in attendance was the QueSyrah vnyd owner, one AlRago. As we chatted a bit, it suddenly dawned on me..."I know this guy". Yup....shure enuf...the same AlRago I'd worked with at Argonne many a yr ago.
Since that fateful day in Paso, I've made an effort to keep in contact w/ Al and, of course, tried and purchased every Syrah to come out of the QueSyrah vnyd...truly one of Calif's great cold-climate Syrah vnyds. In some yrs, it truly is a struggle to ripen those Syrah grapes.
The wine was first made by EhrenJordan under his Failla-Jordan label. Since they parted company in the early '00's; QueSyrah Syrah has been made by KurtBeitler, first under the LaBoheme label, and more recently under the RanchoBodega label; with his younger brother, Derek. They are both related to CharlieWagner/Caymus.
So, on this trip, Susan & I got together at the Rago's home for dinner. Joining us was Kurt and Al&Virginia's son, VincentRago, plus his wife, Jana. They own the TaylorRidgeVnyd (Pinot & Chard) just up TaylorRidgeRd from Al's. The food was simple but well-prepared and the conversation spirited and lively....exactly what you want over some truly great wines.
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2. Nosiola: This grape was once the most widely planted grape in the Trentino/AltoAdige. Now it has nearly vanished in favor PinotGrigio/Kerner/PinotBianco and only about 250 acres remain under cultivation. This Foradori, one of the best producers of that region (especially her Teroldego), is, by far the best of some 8-10 Nosiolas I've tried. It was all about stones & mineral and had a power to it that belied its high acidity.
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3. Syrahs: I was a bit disappointed by the LaChapelle and was expecting a bit more power from it. It has turned into a lovely quiet/gentle old lady and will probably only dry out more and the tannins show more. I actually liked the L-M somewhat more as it was a lovely example of a young rambunctuous Calif Syrah that's starting to show some grace & finesse.
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4. QueSyrahVnyd: This is one of Calif's great Syrah vnyds, and one of the 2-3 coldest Syrah vnyds in Calif. It is situated out on the end of TaylorRidge, overlooking a lovely valley to the NW w/ a bucholic cattle/dairy ranch. On a clear day, you can see the Pacific some 3-5 miles away. It's above the fog most of the time, otherwise the grapes'd never ripen. Some yrs they don't. Their home is an architectural gem of a very modern design, patterned from a famous court house/gummint bldg in Italy. There is a small guest house of much the same design nearby. It has appeared in ArchitecturalDigest. Both are buried in these heavy forests. The vnyd is farmed by KurtBeitler, who lives in nearby Occidental.
The property is now on the market for sale, as the Ragos are hoping to move to Healdsburg to be a bit closer to civilization and Gennie's work. I'm hoping the property will sell to someone who has the same passion for Syrah as Al. It would be a crying shame for that great Syrah to be pulled for Pinot. It is truly an exceptional property.
Tom