WTN: I do not want a pony

[David M. Bueker]

Kevin hosted an eclectic blind tasting last night with some hits and some misses.

Flight 1 - bubbles

2006 Piper-Heidsieck Brut
Very perfumed, but had a bitter edge on the palate. The bitterness did go away as it warmed up (started way too cold), and more fruit came out. It stayed on the light, crisp, citrusy side of things. This kept getting better and more complex as it got more air.

2007 Schramsberg Reserve
This was darker in color than the Piper, and darker in flavor profile. Red fruit and apple skin dominated. I very much liked the richness of this wine. Impressive.

Flight 2 – Pinot Noir

2012 Davies Pinot Noir Londer Vineyard (Anderson Valley)
First time ever trying this wine from the offshoot of Schramsberg, and it is a lovely drink. Red cherry, rosemary and light spice aromas and flavors are complemented by subtle tannins. It’s elegant (especially compared to the beast that came next) and very satisfying. It did get a bit sweet on the palate later on as it warmed up more, but still retained its elegance.

2012 Belle Glos Pinot Noir Dairyman (Sonoma)
Black cherry milkshake with an infusion of vodka made for a crime against Pinot Noir. This was as clumsy as the Davies was elegant .

Flight 3 – Cabernet Blends

1993 Phelps Insignia (Napa)
I am going to make a guess that this was compromised by a bad cork or had some other issue. It was loaded with volatile acidity. What was underneath was very nice, but the VA was too much for me to get any enjoyment out of the wine.

1993 Chateau Cos d’Estournel (St. Estephe)
Dead and/or corked

Flight 4 – Syrah

2007 Clarendon Hills Syrah Brookman (Australia, Clarendon)
Boy was I surprised when the bag came off of this one. There was a slight touch of VA here, but only enough that it provided lift to the rest of the wine. Black fruit was accented with spice and herb/mint elements, and it drank very well. Lovely stuff.

2011 Ridge Syrah Lytton Estate (Sonoma)
I am generally not a fan of Ridge Syrah (as opposed to their Zins and Cabs which I love!), so I was not stunned when this one was revealed. It was actually quite flat. The oak was totally dominant, and so there was not all that much to like about the wine.

Flight 5 – Petite Sirah

2013 Mazzocco Petite Sirah Pony (Sonoma)
I can safely say that I do not want a pony. This was totally dominated by its alcohol and tannins, despite the massive cassis fruit. I am not sure the wine has the requisite balance to age past its tannins.

2011 Ridge Lytton Estate Petite Sirah (Sonoma)
I found this to be quite simple and fruity. Turns out when I first tried it in 2013 I found it simple and fruity. Not a huge fan.

Ack. Sorry about that Cabernet flight, and about the Ridges too. I've liked the Dynamite Hill Petite Sirah in the past, but never had one from Lytton Estate...

[David M. Bueker]

I am a big fan of the York Creek and Dynamite Hill bottlings.

Another fan of York Creek.

I actually have a bottle of Zin from a small separately bottled section of that vineyard. Can't recall what they labeled it, but quite good.

I think Dynamite Hill is a smaller block within York Creek, but I've only ever seen Petite Sirahs labeled Dynamite Hill, not Zins. But I've only been paying attention since about 2002, so who knows what's out there! I do know the last York Creek Zin I had from Ridge was one of my favorite ATP Zin bottlings in a long time.