We had these wines w/ Grayson & Jennifer this weekend:
1. SheltonVnyds Two-Five-Nine Tannat YadkinVlly/SurryCnty (EB; 12.0%) SheltonVnyds/Dobson/NorthCarolina 2018: Very dark color; rather earthy/dusty/loamy bit plastic/hybridy slight blackberry/plummy/ripe quite rustic nose; rather tart quite earthy/rustic/loamy very slight blackberry/plummy rather rough/coarse little Tannat flavor w/ ample rough/chewey tannins; med.long very earthy/loamy/dusty coarse/rough/rustic little fruit finish w/ ample coarse tannins; more like a coarse/rough Languedoc Carignane more than anything w/ little Tannat character...but they got the tannins right. $25.00
_____________________
2. AmbythEstate Zin PorQueVnyd/RRV (13.4%; U/U; near PorterCreekVnyd) 2014: Very dark color w/ much browning; bit tired/oldZin/cedary very slight blackberry/Zin fruit nose; soft rather old/tired/cedary/oldZin slight raspberry somewhat oxidized/tired/drying out flavor w/ light astringent/bitter tannins; a Zin that's pretty much dead & gone.
_____________________
3. Ronco del Gnemia Friulano SanZuan Dd'OC: Friuli Colli Orientali (14%; EB; GiulianiImprts/Boulder) Ronco del Gnemiz/SanGiovanni al Natisone 2019: Med.light gold color; beautiful floral/TF/gardenias/carnations light mineral/perfumed talc slightly saline/sea breeze very aromatic/perfumed bit complex nose; quite tart/tangy/slight metallic very strong floral/TF/gardenias quite mineral/perfumed talc fairly rich very savory/saline/sea breezes/steely some complex flavor; very long/lingering quite tart/tangy/minerally/bit metallic very strong TF/gardenias/floral quite saline/sea breezes/savory rich but structured some complex beautiful finish; will probably put on more weight & really develop beautifully over the next 4-8 yrs; almost Miani in character; a stunning expression of Friulano. $46.00 (AV)
________________
4. B.Leighton Gratitude OlsenBros.Vnyds/YakimaVlly (14.5%; 70% Mourv/25% Grenache/5% Syrah) B.Happy Wine Co/Seattle/WA 2015: Dark color; strong plummy/licorice/Mourv slight high-toned/Grenache/black cherry slight earthy/loamy bit toasty/oak slight pungent/smokey bit Rhonish/SouthernRhone slight whole-cluster/peppery some complex very attractive nose; light tangy/tart quite rich/lush strong plummy/licorice/Mourv slight earthy/loamy light toasty/oak slight w-c/peppery/SRhonish fairly structured quite interesting flavor w/ light tangy tannins; very long/lingering strong Mourv/plummy/licorice slight earthy/dusty light toasty/oak structured finish w/ light chewey tannins; needs another 2-5 yrs; quite an interesting Mourv w/ more structure & not as fleshy as most Calif Mourv; reminds more of a Priorat or Languedoc Mourv but not as rustic. $42.50 (KK)
_________________
5. Forlorn-Hope Amerikanischen Kobold Riesling KickOnRanch/LosAlamos (10.21; 167 cs) MatthewRorickWines/Fairfield 2013: Med.gold color; strong very floral/R/mango/pineapple bit Mosel-like/slatey fairly strong Mosel valve oil/GoutDePetrol some complex nose; quite tart/tangy/steely/bracing some floral/R/mango rather chalky/stony light Mosel valve oil/petrol quite steely/austere/metallic slightly complex flavor; very long quite tart/tangy/metallic/steely/chalky fairly lean/austere/almost eviscerated light Mosel valve oil/petrol light floral/mango/R finish; a bit on the lean/austere side but should put on weight & develope some interesting things w/ 3-8 yrs more age.
_________________________________________
A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. Shelton: My very first foray into NorthCarolina wines. Not exactly a thrill a minute. Shows very little in the way of Tannat character. The 2-5-9 stands for two families/five children/nine grandchildren.
_____________________
2. Ronco del Gnemiz: One of my favorite producers in Friuli. The wines tend to be a bit expensive, but not really overpriced, or Miani-pricing. This Friulano comes from three TF parcels ranging from 20-80 yr old vines. I thought this was of the level of the Miani TF in quality.
Tom