I seem to be settling in to a pattern of posting tasting notes in a clump every month or two, which works pretty well with my slower pace of consumption, not that the world isn't offering me plenty of temptations to drink more heavily than my cardiologist would approve. But the other thing that's gotten in the way of wine over the last month was the raccoon living in the chimney of our long-dormant fireplace. Whose fleas apparently migrated out through the doors to the ash receptacle and infested our basement. Which is where the wine is. (The wine cellar itself was unaffacted, but when you have to check your pants legs with a flashlight, roll of scotch tape at the ready, every time you go down and up the basement stairs, H20 starts to taste like frickin' Lafite, let me tell you.)
That said:
Desire Lines 2024 Amador County Mourvèdre Rosé, Shake Ridge Vineyards. Very pale pink, but concentrated flavor, with a nice balance between savory herbaceousness and black fruit. Vivid, mouthwatering. Really nicely done, and further evidence that Mourvèdre makes (some of) the finest pink wine around.
Goodfellow Family Cellars 2023 Willamette Valley Chardonnay, "Vin Soif." Though made in an accessible and early-drinking style, there's some matchstick even on this, but it doesn't really get in the way of vibrant citrus and minerality, as well as some richer tropical aromas, all still on a light frame that keeps this feeling fresh and easy. Really, really good and incredible value at $22.
Porter Creek 2012 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, Winegrower's Reserve. From some specific blocks of the Fiona Hill Vineyard. At 12 years, this is aging gracefully: the fruit, while still quite primary (black and red cherry), also fades into earth and tea around the edges, and there’s plenty of both acidic and tannic structure, without either being overwhelming. Very good now and should continue to develop nicely for several years. First of four.
Lancaster Estate 2012 Sophia's Hillside Cuvée. If I wanted campfire-toasted marshmallows in my wine, I’d go to a goddamn national park. I told A. when we bought this that we shouldn't buy it, but she liked it, so we did. To her credit, she remembered that conversation and the wine as soon as I showed her the bottle (that's how infrequently we disagree about stuff like this), and as soon as she tasted it, she agreed that it had been a mistake. So, braving the infestation, I went back downstairs and got a Château Latour-Martillac 2012 Pessac-Léognan. Nice bottle: cassis, cedar, earth, and a wisp of smoke, holds well until the second night. No hurry.
Bedrock Wine Co. 2023 Mt. Veeder Zinfandel, Sky Vineyard. Apart from the touch of unintegrated oak on the back end, this is a gorgeous wine already, dense without seeming at all overextracted, and electrifyingly acidic. Blue and red fruit dominates -- the kind you pick yourself, after a long, hot, late-August hike up the mountain, wearing long sleeves to protect your arms from thorns when you stretch into the bush to reach the last remaining berries.
Cigliuti 2011 Barbaresco Serraboella. Stuck without a clean decanter, but opened in and served from a cradle, no problems with sediment. This was already very aromatic on opening, wax and truffles over earth and red fruit, with a grippy finish; with time in the glass (and with the rest of the bottle staying nearly horizontal), it relaxed well over the course of a couple of hours, showing a lot of depth and dynamism. Early maturity with plenty of time to go.
Failla 2014 Fort-Ross Seaview Syrah, Estate Vineyard. This is a tasty Syrah entering maturity with plenty of time remaining. Leans toward the savory, as much blood or meat as olive. Well-balanced, but for some char and vanilla from the oak treatment that, while hardly heavy at this stage, I still find obtrusively artificial in a wine that would be delicious without it.
La Clarine Farm 2015 Sierra Foothills Syrah, Sumu Kaw Vineyard. Haven’t had a bottle of this since release, but it’s shaped up very well. Medium-weight, bright acidity, red and blue fruit, with an aromatic frame of bacon-fat and flowers. Not a lot of tertiary development, more like a gradual mellowing and and softening. Delicious.
Dirty and Rowdy 2015 Redwood Valley Petite Sirah, Old Vine, Rosewood Vineyards. Pungent black currant and blackberry, juicy and a little stern on the back end, still, but open for business in every other respect. Does what D and R does beautifully: takes a grape whose excellence is also what can make it overbearing, and dials it down just a notch or two by virtue of Hardy’s light touch and restraint, without losing the intrinsic power of the wine. Drink or hold; decant recommended.
Wow, that's a very domestic month. Maybe in honor of our new trade regime we should drink only European for April. But that's a different kind of pestilence...