We tried last night (3/4/15) Some (mostly) New Reds:
1. Sonja'sSuds casa dumetz Sparkling Syrah Rose (MethodeChampenoise/Brut; 13.5%) Buellton 2013: Med.light red
color w/ very fine/persistent bubbles; quite yeasty/leesy/grahm crackers slight raspberry nose; quite tart
rather yeasty/leesy bright raspberry very dry bit austere flavor w/ light/bitey tannins; long very dry/
austere light/bright raspberry/spicy rather yeasty/leesy finish w/ light tannins; an interesting/bright
rose but on the dry/austere side. $35.00
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2. Solminer Nebullite Sparkling Syrah deLandaVnyd/LosOlivos/SantaYnezVlly (36 cs; 13.8%) 2013: Dark color
w/ very fine/light bubbles; very grapey/raspberry slight yeasty bit fumey/EA rather interesting nose;
light frizzante bit of VA/EA/volatile quite grapey/raspberry/strawberry bit earthy flavor w/ light/rough
tannins; long bit VA/EA/volatile bright raspberry/strawberry pretty dry/austere slight earthy finish
w/ light/rough tannins; reminds some of a dry Lambrusco or an Oz Sparkling Shiraz. $38.00
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3. Solminer Syrah Rubellite deLandaVnyd/LosOlivos/SantaYnezVlly (144 cs; 13.4%) 2012: Med.light color;
very bright raspberry/Syrah/blackberry/cherry soda/spicy light earthy bright/lively nose; rather tart
bright/raspberry/blackberry/Syrah/spicy bit earthy flavor w/ light tannins; med.long bright/raspberry/
blackberry/Syrah/spicy bit earthy/dusty finish w/ light tannins; a bright/pretty/pleasant Syrah whose
earthiness/lightness suggests an AltoAdige Schiava. $26.00
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4. Solminer Syrah FullMoon deLandaVnyd/LosOlivos/SantaYnezVlly (13%) 2012: Med.color; deeper blackberry/Syrah/
spicy slight Rhonish/roasted/smokey/green olive quite interesting nose; fairly tart some richer spicy/Syrah/
blackberry light toasty/oak slight Rhonish/smokey/green olive flavor w/ light tannins; med.long spicy/
blackberry/Syrah light oak bit smokey/Rhonish/green olive finish w/ light tannins; a straightforward/
attractive lighter Syrah w/ a slight Rhonish character. $34.00
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5. Ridge Mazzoni HomeRanch/SonomaCnty/Calif (59% Zin/39% Carignane/2% PS; 14.3%; 51 brls; Bttld: Mar 09;
Drk: 12/08-12/13: EB) 2007: Med.dark color; strong black cherry/Carignane somewhat earthy/dusty some smokey/
vanilla/Am.oak bit rustic/Languedoc quite attractive nose; bit soft earthy/dusty/OV some rustic/earthy/
Languedoc-like fairly strong black cherry/Carignane some blackberry/raspberry/Zin light smokey/Am.oak flavor
w/ light/smooth tannins; long black cherry/Carignane/blackberry/Zin/spicy bit earthy/rustic/rough some
vanilla/Am.oak w/ light/gentle tannins; quite a nice/mature Zin and probably near its peak. $26.00 (ATP)
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*6. Ridge Mazzoni HomeRanch (57% Zin/42% Carignane/1% PS; SonomaCnty; 13.8%; 43 brls; Bttld: 2/13;
19'th century parcels; Drk: 2/13-2/19-2/21: EB) 2011: Med.dark color; stronger blackberry/black cherry/
Carignane/spicy/bit licorice strong vanilla/Am.oak quite attractive nose; soft bright/strong/black cherry/
Carignane/blackberry/Zin/spicy strong Am.oak/vanilla flavor w/ some hard/bitey tannins; very long slightly
soft strong/bright/black cherry/Carignane some Zin/blackberry bit dusty/OV some vanilla/Am.oak finish
w/some hard/stern tannins; more lush fruit & more hard tannins than the '07; one of he better Mazzonis of
late. $32.00 (ATP)
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7. Ridge Syrah LyttonEstate/DCV/SonomaCnty (14.7%; 10% Viognier; 37 brls; Bttld: Dec 2011;
Drk: 8/11-8/20-8/22: EB) 2009: Very dark color; very strong blackberry/Syrah/blueberry/spicy some licorice/
peppery huge fruit bit alcoholic light Am.oak/vanilla lovely nose; fairly tart very strong blackberry/blueberry/
Syrah some licorice/peppery/pungent/very spicy light vanilla/oak flavor w/ ample/hard/ripe tannins; very long/
lingering very strong blueberry/blackberry/Syrah/very spicy bit peppery/licorice light vanilla/Am.oak finish
w/ ample/hard tannins; needs 3-8 yrs yet; one of the best young Ridge Syrahs I've had but pretty structured
w/ hard tannins. $34.00 (ATP)
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*8. Ridge Syrah LyttonEstate (91% Syrah/9% Viognier; DryCreekVlly/SonomaCnty; 14.2%; 42 brls; Bttld: June 2012;
Drk: 3/12-3/19-3/22: EB) 2010: Very dark color; very strong blackberry/Syrah/blueberry rather peppery/spicy
light vanilla/Am.oak/smokey bit floral/violets lovely huge fruit nose; fairly tart huge fruit/blackberry/Syrah/
blueberry very spicy/peppery light vanilla/Am.oak flavor w/ modest/smooth/gentle tannins; very long/lingering
very strong blackberry/blueberry/Syrah/peppery/very spicy light vanilla/oak finish modest/smooth tannins; more
intense fruit and smoother tannins than the '09; one of the best DryCreekVlly Zins I can recall; almost like
a SBC Syrah in intensity. $34.00 (ATP)
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9. Neyers Syrah SonomaCoast Cuvee d'Honneur (14.1%; 52 cs) 2012: Very dark near black color; very strong
blackberry/Syrah/cracked black pepper/boysenberry strong Rhonish/Whole-Cluster/peppery/smokey some smokey/
Fr.oak beautiful complex nose; fairly tart very intense/blackberry/Syrah/boysenberry/ripe rather cold-climate/
cracked black pepper some W-C/Rhonish/smokey lovely complex flavor w/ ample/ripe tannins; very long/
lingering intense blackberry/boysenberry/Syrah/spicy strong cold-climate/black pepper some Rhonish/W-C/
raosted/espresso finish w/ ample/ripe tannins; needs 4-8 yrs; beautiful somewhat Rhonish Syrah. $54.25
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*10. Ridge Zin Carmichael (76% Zin/24 % PS; SonomaCnty; 14.8%; 46 brls; Bttld: 11/13; Drk: 9/13-9/19-9/20: EB)
2012: Dark color; lovely fragrant/raspberry/blackberry/Zin/boysenberry/very spicy some Ridge/vanilla/Am.oak
quite attractive nose; slightly tart very spicy/blackberry/Zin/boysenberry/ripe strong vanilla/Ridge oak flavor
w/ light/gentle tannins; very long spicy/blackberry/Zin/boysenberry/ripe strong Am.oak/vanilla finish w/
light/smooth tannins; quite a pretty Ridge Zin but not as intense fruit and exceptional as the '11. $30.00 (ATP)
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11. DryCreekVnyd Zin SomersRanch/DryCreekVlly/SonomaCnty (593 cs; 14.5%) 2012: Med.dark color; very strong
very spicy/raspberry/blackberry/Zin/slight pepper light toasty/vanilla/oak rather dusty/OV quite perfumed/
fragrant lovely nose; fairly tart very spicy/raspberry/Zin/blackberry/bit peppery light toasty/Am.oak flavor
w/ light smooth/ripe/tannins; very long quite spicy/bit peppery very strong raspberry/Zin/blackberry light
toasty/Am.oak some dusty/OV finish w/ some ripe/smooth tannins; a smooth/balanced/seamless classic DryCreekVlly
Zin w/ very spicy raspberry fruit; seems not quite as intense as previous vintages; another beautiful Somers.
$32.00 (VSP)
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12. DryCreekVnyd Zin DCV7/WallaceRanch/DryCreekVlly/SonomaCnty (25 yr old vines, Heritage budwood by DuffBevil;
www.DryCreekVineyard.com; 14.5%) 2012: Med.dark color; very bright/raspberry/Zin slight earthy light vanilla/
Am.oak quite spicy/cinammon very pretty nose; bit softer rather spicy/bright/raspberry/Zin bit dusty/earthy
light Am.oak/vanilla flavor w/ light/gentle tannins; very long very spicy/cinammon/bright/raspberry/Zin
bit dusty/earthy light Am.oak finish w/ light/smooth/round tannins; quite an attractive/pretty Zin and a
step above the Heritage. $nc (BS)/$32.00
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13. Ridge 50% Syrah/Grenache LyttonEstate/DryCreekVlly/Calif (14.8%; 51 brls; Bttld: June 03;
Drk: 3/03-3/08-3/13: PD) 2001: Med.dark color w/ little bricking; slight alcoholic/hot some blackberry/Syrah
strong strawberry/Grenache/perfumey light vanilla/Am.oak complex lovely nose; bit tart/tangy bright Grenache/
strawberry light blackberry/spicy/peppery/Syrah light vanilla/oak complex flavor w/ light/smooth/gentle tannins;
very long spicy/Grenache/strawberry light blackberry/Syrah some vanilla/oak slight earthy/dusty complex finish
w/ light/smooth tannins; speaks mostly of Grenache and much less of Ridge winemaking than it did in its
youth; maybe starting to dry out a bit but a lovely/fully mature Rhone blend. Larry's mystery wine.
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14. Carlisle Syrah RRV (14.1%; 500 cs) 2007: Very dark color; very intense blackberry/boysenberry/Syrah quite
spicy/cinammon strong toasty/Fr.oak/smokey classic Carlisle Syrah nose; slightly tart very strong blackberry/
boysenberry/Syrah/spicy strong toasty/charred/oak flavor w/ some smooth/ripe tannins; very long intense
blackberry/Syrah/very spicy/boysenbery strong toasty/Fr.oak/smokey finish w/ some smooth/ripe/round tannins;
a delicious classic Carlisle Syrah that's developing at a glacial pace; no signs of alcohol/heat. Costigan
mystery wine.
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And more blatherings from TheBloodyPulpit:
1. Ridge: The *'s indicate the Ridge ATPs that just arrived in my latest shipment.
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2. Neyers Cd'H: This has always been one of my gold standards for a Rhonish Calif Syrah from the time EhrenJordan
started making it, and remarkably consistent in style. This '12 seemed a bit of a departure from previous
versions. It had much more intense/cold-climate/peppery fruit and a less-strong W-C/Rhonish character than
before. But make no miistake...it's a terrific Syrah in a long string of Cd'H Syrahs.
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3. RidgeRhones: I've followed the Ridge Rhone program from the very start, the '86 Syrah. I originally felt
the Rhones were sub-par. They didn't have the intensity of fruit I thought they should. They were usually
dominated by the Ridge winemaking, loads of Ridge Am.oak. And I made no bones about my disenchantment to
DonnReisen (Jeez...do I miss that guy). He would just sorta roll his eyes at me and scold me to give them
some time. He was, as he most always was, correct. I found that the Ridge Rhones, with age, developed into
some very interesting wines; still definitely Ridges and speaking of Rhone varietals in a uniquely Ridge
voice. This 50% Grenache/Syrah that Larry brought was just one such. It had evolved into an absolutely lovely
Rhone blend.
These two LyttonEstate Syrahs were, easily, two of the best young Ridge Syrahs I've had. Much more Syrah
fruit than before and toned down on the amount of Ridge oak. Absolutely lovely Syrahs, yet still speaking
in a quieter Ridge voice.
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4. Ridge Zins: I think there's been a real up-tick in the Ridge ATP Zins in he last two yrs..more intensity fruit and
toning down of the Ridge oak. This Mazzoni was one of the best young Mazzonis I can recall. OTOH, the '11
Carmichael was terrific Zin that I had to struggle to find more. The '12 is quite pretty but not up to the
'll in extract & structure & fruit.
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5. Solminer: Followed 'em from the very start. I was first interested in them because of their Gruner. Their
Syrahs are on the lighter side for SBC Syrahs. But they have a bright fragrant character and more of that
floral character you don't often get in Calif Syrahs. They make a nice change of pace.
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6. DryCreekVnyds: Followed 'em from the very start..the '72 GamayBeaujolais. I remember when I tried Dave's
first Zin, the '73. Came in a Burgundy btl as I recall. I was very disappointed. At that period in my
Zin education...it was always the bigger the better. His Zin was on the lighter style...so I immediately
dismissed it out of hand. Since then, I've gotten older (slightly) & wiser (greatly) and would much more
appreciate it now.
DCV has labored in the Zinfandel trenches for many yrs. Their Zins are as good as any being produced in
Calif these days, in a more elegant/balanced style. Their Heritage Zin (@ < $20) is one of the great Zin
bargains around. The OV Somers and Beeson Ranch are easily my favorites. They also do an OldVines Zin that's
good, but not up to the Somers or Beeson, a bit bigger/richer and more oak. This WallaceRanch Zin is a
new vnyd-designate Zin for DCV. I was expecting more from it and expected it to be of the level of
Beeson or Somers, but it seemed somewhat simpler than those two. It's a good Zin, but I'll take the
Beeson/Somers any day..truly classic OV Zins. The new '13 Heritage is maybe their best one yet.
And if anyone has ever noticed, the DCV also makes some terrific Cabernets.
Tom