Opened the following over the past week:
2012 Portteus Cabernet Sauvignon Old Vine Rattlesnake Hills
Absolutely beautiful stuff. Spot-on Cabernet Sauvignon with the richness of one of Washington's oldest Cabernet vineyards. Vivid black and red fruit with graphite, balanced acidity and silky tannins sturdier than most 2012's.
2011 Horsepower Vineyards Syrah The Tribe Vineyard Walla Walla Valley
From Christophe Baron (Cayuse), a vineyard that sees no mechanical equipment. All the labor is by Mr. Ed and friends. Magical nose of black raspberry, strawberries & biscuits, and green martini olives. Weightless and intense, as someone else noted, with a sweet-sour kind of ying-yang on the palate with cactus pear, pomegranate and black pepper. On the subject of Drink or Hold, considering that this is only two-year fruit I would hedge my bets on drinking sooner than later. Another argument: so perfect now, why wait?
2010 Pend d'Oreille Winery Idaho Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Royal Slope Columbia Valley
Probably near the end of it's peak window but nonetheless showing very well. Deep red fruit, tobacco, and some nice leathery maturity.
2014 Rhys Chardonnay Anderson Valley
Had to remind myself that this was cool-climate Anderson Valley fruit. Bright yellow color hints at above-average extraction and ripeness, and it tastes a bit alcoholic at first. Very unlike the Alpine Vineyard chardonnays I've had from Rhys, and therefore a disappointment.
2010 Pierre Gonon St. Joseph Syrah
Raspberry, pomegranate and cranberry fruit riddled with white pepper and green olives. No sediment, but needed about two hours' decanting to bring out the glory. Fantastic stuff.
2009 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Vista Verde Vineyard San Benito County
Super ripe and sweet with a hint of iodine up front; disappointing. Probably won't be buying anymore W-S.
2005 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville
Immediately ready upon opening. Ripe, kirsch-y notes of dark cherry with a touch of pencil shavings and coffee.
2007 Karl Lawrence Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Herb Lamb Napa Valley
Opened and decanted to remove sediment. Initially unpleasantly jammy and alcoholic. But two hours later those were replaced by solid California cab-ness: black cherry, tobacco, all that. Not yet fully mature.
2013 Hamilton Russell Vineyards Pinot Noir Hemel-en-Aarde Valley
Decanted one hour in advance. Initially pretty, en pointe pinot noir flavors, but develops a very unusual and prominent spearmint thing toward the end of the first glass, and becomes more herbal in general. Fruit fade or going into hibernation? Not sure, but it's disappointing.