These scores are based on 1-2 ounce tastes, not full glasses or enjoyment over time with food.
2003 Estate Chardonnay. A lovely wine. Maybe I do like Chardonnay after all? Straw gold in color-quite pretty in the glass. Lots of nice tropical fruits on the nose. Not a lot of buttery oak here-but not all steel, either. On the palette, definitely a melange of tropical fruits, citrus, maybe some coconut? Not heavy or buttery, but definitely rich and creamy without being overbearing in any way. Quite lovely. ****
2003 Estate Pinot. Definitely a nice ruby color, and there is definitely, to borrow Otto's term, Pinosity here (it doesn';t taste anything like Syrah). There is some good cherry fruit here, and plenty of acidity, too. But, I also found it a little "jagged" and cutting. Maybe it needed to breathe a little longer in the glass (the wines were poured from just opened bottles, so maybe the tasting's a little "unfair") No obvious faults (except for the "jaggedness????") I'm just not sure I like this style of Pinot very much? *1/2 or **
2003 Pinot Noir "Symposium" The owners were South African, so this bottling adds 4% Pinotage to the blend. I actually liked this one a little better-there was some earthy edge to the wine lacking in the regular bottling. **
2003 Pinotage. Not familiar with this variety, as this is my second or third version I've tried. I liked it. Darker purple in color. Earth and raspberry and bramble on the nose. It was brambly, rustic, fuzzy tannins, and earthy on the palette. Pricey (all their wines are in the 30s) but a solid ***.
Next were some new releases not yet in the market.
2004 Estate Chardonnay. Oh oh. what happened here???? The bottle says "14.0% abv", but there is a lot of heat on the nose-and no real fruit. I tasted a lot of oak and heat on the palette, as well. Not good. Odd, discombobulated notes. Perhaps not ready for sale, yet? I acitvely disliked this vintage 1/2*
2004 Estate Reserve Chardonnay. dittos. unbalanced, no fruit, oaky, hot. Bleh 1/2* Try again in a year and see what happens?
2004 Estate Pinot Noir Wierd. Opposite reaction here. I liked this. According to another taster, "classic Burgundian nose" Darker in color. Earthier elements here-darker fruit, it probably does not need the Pinotage in this vintage. I'm not sure I would buy this at the expected price (high 30s), but I did enjoy this wine quite a bit ***
My comments were strangely parallel with everyone sitting around me as well-younger couples and an older gentlemen who "seemed" to know wine. I know you're not supposed to talk abnout the tastings, but I like to
