We tasted these last night at our weekly Pig+Fig tasting:
1. Solminer St.Laurent RicciVnyd/Carneros (11%; 146 cs; U/U) 2018: Med.dark color w/ some bricking; fairly strong grapey/licorice/St.L slight Pinotish/black cherry bit pencilly/oak slight earthy/rustic quite attractive/bit complex nose; quite tart/tangy/bit metallic some licorice/Pinotish some pungent/earthy/rustic flavor w/ light tangy tannins; med.long finish that follows flavor; a rather lean/angular red that speaks lightly of St.L but not nearly up to the Austrian versions. $34.20
_________________
2. Solminer Blaufrankisch DeLandaVnyd/LosOlivosDist (13%; 146 cs) Buellton 2022:Very dark color; some pungent/herbal/earthy almost hybridy some grapey bit metallic/tinny slight licorice/pungent somewhat strange nose; fairly tart/tangy some earthy/rustic/herbal/metallic bit toasty/pencilly/oak some grapey/herbal rather angular/rustic flavor w/ modest tangy tannins; ; med.long tangy/metallic/herbal finish that mimics flavor; doesn't show a lot of BF character & not measure up to Austrian versions. $42.00
_________________
3. Solminer Syrah DeLandaVnyd/SantaYnezVlly (13%) 2012: Dark color w/ very light bricking; fairly spicy blackberry/Syrah bit peppery/spicy fairly herbal/rustic some toasty/oak bit strange nose; quite tart/tangy light austere/Syrah/spicy/blackberry not a lot of fruit slight toasty/oak flavor w/ modest austere tannins; med.long finish that tracks flavor; a rather lean/austere narrow/hard version of Syrah; not strongly Syrah and not showing much evolution or complexity; a not very attractive mean widdle wine.
_________________
4. Solminer Vollmond DeLandaVnyd/SantaYnezVlly (13%; 320 cs; Syrah/Blaufrankisch blend) 2013: Med.dark color w/ some bricking; some blackberry/Syrah light toasty/oak slight flral/BF/licorice not very perfumed nose; fairly tart/tangy slightly richer/Syrah/spicy some grapey/BF fairly earthy/rustic not very attractive flavor w/ some hard/austere tannins; med.long rather austere/pinched/lean/rustic finish that tracks flavor; speaks only quietly of Syrah; not a particularly attractive expression of Syrah and not much complexity/evolution.
________________________________________________
More solverto from TheBloodyPulpit:
1. I like the work of Dave & Anna DeLaski at Solminer because of their focus on Austrian-style wines. They prefer to harvest on the under-ripe side to keep the alcohol levels in check. These 4 reds were on the painful side to taste and I'd like to see a bit more richness/texture/ripeness (and alcohol, actually) in their reds. I was particularly disappointed in the St.Laurent/Blaufrankisch because the Austrians routinely make these wines on the delicious side, with ease.
Tom