2014 Barrage Cellars Columbia Valley Rosé Blend
From 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Dark rose color. The watermelon and strawberry notes of January have integrated into a seamless new, savory whole that drinks more like a light red wine than a rose. Enticing; and probably better at room temp than chilled.
2010 Sokol Blosser Pinot Noir Peach Tree Block Dundee Hills
Restrained, Burgundian style; showing well now but rewards a one hour decant.
2010 Sokol Blosser Pinot Noir Dundee Hills
Has relaxed since January and now shows some aged nuances. It's reaching a good plateau.
2012 Reynvaan Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon The Classic Walla Walla Valley
My first Reynvaan cab and very disappointing. Over-extracted skin flavors rimmed the entry and finish, revealing a mid-palate somewhat hollow and devoid of fruit. Extraction might also provide the only structure--tannins are undetectable. Drinks more like $20 than $75. Hopefully just a slump (she said being charitable).
2013 Teutonic Wine Company Pinot Noir Alsea Vineyard Willamette Valley
Light in color, more mauve than red. Deceptively delicate appearance, as there are intricate fruit flavors on the palate laced well with herbs and minerality.
2005 Domaine Chandon de Briailles Volnay 1er Cru Caillerets Pinot Noir
Decanted for three hours. Medium color, aromatic cherry pie filling with a little forest, good concentration and acidity. Very balanced, with lengthy finish. I want every 11 year old Burgundy I open to drink just like this.
2005 Celler Vall Llach Priorat IDUS Grenache Blend, Grenache
Beautiful nose of ripe dark red fruits and pumpkin pie spice is complimented by a tiny bit of leather; aging well but not yet fully mature.
2001 Bodegas Alejandro Fernández Ribera del Duero Tinto Pesquera Tempranillo
Funky mature nose. Fruit is plum, Craisins and dried fig, with tobacco and spice bread. Very enjoyable, but just past peak and waning.
2010 Cowan Cellars Syrah Moaveni Vineyard Bennett Valley, CA
We opened this bottle three days ago and found it too imbalanced to drink. High acids overpowering the fruit. Day Two barely better, Day Three somewhat better, but it's still not compelling. The acidity doesn't soften and the underlying fruit is kind of monotone, lacking any of the traditional meaty, tarry notes I value in syrah.
2011 Benvenuto de la Serna MalbecValle de Uco
An orphan someone brought to dinner and left. One I figured I'd regift to someone who is less fussy about wine than I. Glad we opened it at home instead as it's one of those humbling reminders that maybe you should take something more seriously because this wine, which CT reports having a community price tag of just $13.58, drinks well above its price. Complex and dry, with notes of black raspberry, prickly pear, earth and dust, this resembles a Cahors more than what I'm used to, or think I am, from Argentina. Youthful--took three hours to open up--with the tannins for further aging.
2011 Evening Land Vineyards Pinot Noir Eola - Amity Hills
Grateful to report that another year of bottle age has put some weight on what was a screechy, disagreeable little wine at time of purchase (from Last Bottle). Due to acidity still more of a food wine than not, but the aromatics are good and the polished, high-toned cherry fruit is now pleasing.
2001 Guy Bernard Côte-Rôtie Syrah
Another fruitless, slightly necrotic bottle.
2004 Long Shadows Wineries Syrah Sequel Columbia Valley
Opened Saturday night. Unbalanced emphasis on acidity; so we Vac-u-Vinned for Sunday. Opened and poured immediately: necrotic nose, stewed fruit. Fed it to the camellias.
2005 Long Shadows Wineries Syrah Sequel Columbia Valley
Two bottles, same results: Good color but astringent and lacking fruit. What fruit there is has faint but offputting oxidative notes. Identical to bottle opened in July and a second bottle opened today. (These are the last of a case purchased on release.)
2013 Adelsheim Pinot Noir Willamette Valley
Red fruit and herbs; pleasant but basic.
2005 Mitolo Shiraz G.A.M. McLaren Vale
Generously full-bodied with black currant and dark cherry accompanying some mint and leathery secondary nuances. Pleasantly middle-aged, and thankfully lacks that malty, sour-milk finish that bothers me about so many McClaren Vale syrahs. Should drink fine thru 2020. Great with smoked brisket.
2011 Elyse Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Much better than previous bottle a year ago. Blackberry, tobacco and dust on nose and palate. Restrained but not green, reflects the cool vintage. Very good.