I went to another weekend "Rednecks and Red Rhones" event in Greensboro on April 2nd and 3rd. Jim Cowan was there and I especially enjoyed his 2010 Syrah (Cowan Cellars.) The theme Saturday was Syrah from around the world and the theme Sunday was northern Rhones. We also enjoyed some white wines and other outliers both days. On the first day I took a 2013 Failla Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast and a Ceritas Chardonnay Charles Heintz Vineyard, Sonoma Coast (forgot to write down the vintage and I'm not sure if it was 2010 or 2013.) Jim mentioned that the Charles Heintz Vineyard has beautiful fruit and I have had chards from this vineyard from Lioco and, I believe, Williams Selyem and this year will be getting one made by Katy Wilson of LaRue Wines. The alcohol by volume percentage on the Ceritas was only 12.4% and it was a nice pure expression of the grape. One of the attendees particularly liked the Failla Pinot Noir which I described as cherries, Christmas spices and a slight smokiness--he is nuts for the spices in some Pinots. I took four Syrahs and let the attendees decide which ones to open--they went with a 2005 Jaffurs Syrah Ampelos Vineyard, Santa Rita Hills, Santa Barbara County, CA and a 2013 Wind Gap Syrah (I knew it was young but couldn't locate the 2011.) I really enjoyed the Jaffurs. Far from being over-the-hill as I feared it might be, it tasted young and vibrant and may have several years of life ahead for it. Someone else commended that it was not a style he liked. The Wind Gap tasted refined but young. Jim Cowan mentioned that it is made with whole clusters which lends to its aging ability. We didn't open my Henry's Drive Parson's Flat Shiraz from Padthaway, Australia or my Power Syrah from Cougar Vineyard in Washington State. I have both of these in my lineup for the next month or two.
I recall a St. Joseph wine in the offerings brought by others and the Cowan Cellars Syrah which I poured to have with the beef brisket prepared by the hosts.
For the second day I brought a 2010 Christian Moreau Chablis Grand Cru "Vaumur" and a 1996 Chapoutier Ermitage Le Pavillon. I enjoyed the Chablis but I think it showed best at my first tasting which was at the Nantucket Wine Festival a couple years ago. I didn't record the name of a really nice Cote Rotie which was my first red of the afternoon. Then I had the 2001 Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage and the 1996 Chapoutier that I brought and a 1996 Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage that I believe was the host's wine. I really enjoyed all three of the Hermitage wines with the 2001 presenting as more fruity and the 1996 wines showing more secondary or tertiary characteristics. (Now I'm regretting not taking notes--I think the younger one was 2001 or was it 2006?) There was at least one more Cote Rotie and a few others I sampled but don't really recall. We had grilled lamb with the northern Rhones and a bunch of side dishes and several dessert options. The hostess made an almond tart with strawberries and a guest brought a lemon and pistachio tart for Saturday and we had cherry cobbler for Sunday. A bigger crowd than the last weekend I believe, including guests from Tennessee, Virginia and New Jersey and good weather for the most part (some high wind) so we could spend part of the time outside.