WTN: New Calif Pinots...(long/boring)

As I headed out for HdR last month; we stupidly tasted (4/25/07) some New PinotNoirs:
1. Radio-Coteau Savoy/AndersonVlly PinotNoir (480 cs; U/U; 14.8%) 2005: Med.dark color;
very bright cherry/black cherry slight earthy light pencilly/oak lovely nose; tart/lean
bright cherry/spicy/PN/Nehi soda pop bit tannic flavor; very long tight/tart bright
cherry/spicy/cherry pie slight earthy finish w/ some tannins; needs several yrs; classic
AndersonVlly PN w/ lots of bright cherry character. $50.00
________________________
2. Radio-Coteau Alberigi/RussianRvrVlly PinotNoir (390 cs; U/U; 14.4%; http://www.RadioCoteau.com)
2005: Med.color bigger/lusher earthy/mushroomy strong black cherry/cola/RRV PN spicy
slight toasty/oak nose; tart richer/lusher earthy/mushroomy strong black cherry/cola/PN
flavor; long/lush black cherry/cola light earthy/mushroomy/Burgundian light toasty/oak
finish w/ some tannins; needs several yrs yet; classic RRRV PN w/ ripe black cherry
character. $45.00
________________________
3. Derbes LesPinots RussianRvrVlly (50% PinotNoir/Pinot Meunier; 13.5%; U/U;
http://www.DerbesWines.com) 2004: Med.color; rather earthy/dusty/mushroomy slight toasty/Fr.oak/
charred low fruit bit spicy nose; soft very light cherry/earthy/RRV PN some toasty/oak
rather simple flavor; short some toasty/oak very light fruit finish w/ little tannins;
pretty underwhelming and way overpriced at $45.00
________________________
4. Failla PinotNoir KeeferRanch/RussianRvrVlly (14.2%; 510 cs) 2005: Med.color; some charred/
toasty/oak earthy/black cherry/peppery/PN bit low-key/closed nose; tart bit lean/tight
earthy/black cherry/PN some spicy some toasty/oak flavor; med.long tart bit lean/hard
black cherry/spicy/earthy finish w/ some tannins; seems a bit hard & closed right now;
needs several yrs of age. $51.00
________________________
5. Failla PinotNoir RanchoSantaRosa/Sta.RitaHills (13.7%; 150 cs) 2005: Med.dark color;
rather strong black cherry/spicy/PN slight herbal rather toasty/charred/oak nose; tart
quite spicy rich/black cherry/PN some toasty/oak flavor; tart rich/ripe black cherry/cola/
PN bit herbal finish; needs several yrs; tasty SRH Pinot. $46.00
________________________
6. Failla PinotNoir SonomaCoast (13.9%; 250 cs) 2005: Med.color; med.strong very spicy/
perfumed/peppery/black cherry/PN slight smokey/pungent complex nose; tart very spicy
light peppery very spicy/black cherry/PN very interesting flavor; very long tart bit
toasty/smokey/pungent/oak quite spicy/black cherry/cola slight tomatoey finish w/ some
tannins; needs 2-5 yrs; easily the most interesting of the Faillas. $40.00
________________________
7. HugCllrs RanchoOntiveros/SantaMariaVlly PinotNoir (13.5%; http://www.HugCellars.com) 2005: Dark
color; very strong blackberry/boysenberry/PN slight earthy some toasty/oak very attractive
nose; soft/rich/lush black cherry/blackberry/ripe/PN slight earthy some toasty/pungent/
oak flavor; med.long rich/lush black cherry/blackberry/cola finish w/ light tannins;
seems much like some of the ABC Pinots; very nice Pinot for the price. $35.50
________________________
8. VinoV PinotNoir ClosPepeVnyd/Sta.RitaHills (14.5%; http://www.VinoV.com) 2004: Very dark color;
rather aromatic/perfumed slight VA(?) very bright cherry/cherry cola/cough syrup slight
toasty/pencilly/oak very aromatic/perfumed nose; tart strong black cherry/cherry/PN/
cherry cough syrup some spicy/peppery light toasty/pencilly/oak balanced flavor; very
long spich/black cherry/cola light pencilly finish w/ modest tannins; needs a yr or two;
loads of spicy black cherry character. $45.00
________________________
9. Radio-Coteau LaNeblina SonomaCoast PinotNoir (1740 cs; U/U; 14.4%) 2005: Med.dark color;
beautiful very strong black cherry/PN bright/perfumed/fragrant/alpine strawberries
vibrant/spicy nose; tart very perfumed/fragrant bright/black cherry/cherry/strawberry/
PN light pencilly/oakcedary flavor; very long tart bright cherry/strawberry/PN light
pencilly/oak finish w/ light tannins; very lovely drinking now but could use a yr
or two; lovely aromatic Pinot at a good price. $42.00
________________________
10. Radio-Coteau Terra Neuma/SonomaCoast PinotNoir (59 cs; U/U; 14.6%) 2005: Med.dark color;
deeper/richer black cherry/cherry/strawberry/PN slight earthy bit more toasty/charred/oak
quite fragrant/perfumed nose; tart quite rich/lush bright/black cherry/strawberry/PN
some toasty/oak flavor; very long/lingering rich/lush tart black cherry/cherry/PN light
toasty/oak finish w/ some tannins; a big/rich but bright PN w/ great structure; will be
a keeper for several yrs at least; my favorite of the R-C's. $50.00
________________________
11. Rhys PinotNoir FamilyFarmVnyd/SanFranciscoBay (13.8%; http://www.RhysVineyards.com) KevinHarvey/
WineMaker/Woodside 2004: Very dark color; slight bretty/horsecollar/Burgundian nose that
clears to earthy/dusty/SCM some black cherry/PN/licorice some toasty/oak complex nose;
tart rich/dusty/earthy some black cherry/brambly/PN some toasty/oak slight funky/
Burgundian flavor; long earthy/dusty/mushroomy licorice/black cherry/PN some toasty/
pungent/oak finish w/ fair tannins; rather classic mountain/SCM PN that doesn't have
that bright cherry character of NorthCoast; some like the MtEden or Burnap Pinots of
old w/o the oak; bit Burgundian in character; very interesting Pinot. $49.00
________________________
12. Drew PinotNoir Threesome/SantaRitaHills (13.8%; 150 cs; 60% Fiddlestix, 35% RioVista,
5% Cargasacchi-Jalama vnyds) 2005: Med.dark color; bright/pretty cherry/black cherry/PN
light toasty/oak attractive nose; tart bright cherry/black cherry slight dusty/peppery
some toasty/smokey/oak flavor; med.long cherry/black cherry/bright/PN some toasty/oak/
pungent finish w/ some tannins; needs several yrs; doesn't have the bass notes some SRH
Pinots seem to show. $40.00
________________________
13. Alesia PinotNoir ChilenoVlly/SonomaCoast (14.0%) 2004: Very dark color; strong very
spicy/black cherry/PN slight leathery/horsecollar light oak/toasty very interesting
nose; very tart rich black cherry/PN/spicy some dusty bit toasty/smokey/oak slight
funky/Burgundian/merde flavor; long tart/rich black cherry dusty/pungent bit toasty/oak
finish w/ some acids; plenty of acid & structure for aging. $39.00
________________________
14. Alesia PinotNoir SonateraVnyd/SonomaCoast (14.2%) 2004: Very dark color; slight bretty/
horsecollar nose clears to richer/riper strong black cherry/PN/spicy bit peppery slight
earthy complex nose; tart rich/ripe strong/black cherry/PN bit earthy/dusty some toasty/
charred/smokey/oak very/very spicy sort of peppery flavor; very long toasty/charred/oak
strong black cherry/PN very spicy bit peppery slight Burgundian finish w/ fair tannins;
needs several yrs; a rather exotic Pinot w/ some Burgundian character to it; my easy
favorite of the Rhys/Alesia set. $39.00
________________________________________________________________________
And from today's BloodyPulpit:
1. Failla: I'm always bemused when I taste thru some Failla wines. Ehren has sort of a
reputation for making big/bombastic/alcoholic wines because of his winemaking at
Turley. But the wines he makes under his label, which I presume are the wines he prefers
to drink, are anything but that. They're reigned in, subtle, balanced and always very/
very interesting. I would love to see what he would make w/ vonWeidlich, Lafond,
LyttonSprings, or EaglePoint Zinfandel grapes. I expect it would be an eyeopener.
Ehren is probably more of a lawn bowler type.
________________________
2. Hug: Guess you could say I've followed AugieHug from the very start. I was making a visit
to JohnAlban's and Augie showed up, as he was making his wines there at John's, to taste
with us. My first time to meet Augie; a likeable/affable character. When we finished
w/ John's wines, Augie wanted to try us on his wines there as well. I liked what I tasted.
They were pretty big in the Alban style. But sometimes those early Grenache & Syrahs could
be a little funky, reduced, and some occasional bacterial problems. But they were always
flavorful and interesting.
Over the yrs, as he's moved his winemaking from place to place, now located next to
Garretson in Paso; he's considerably upgraded his winemaking skills, as well as branched
out into other varietals. He's now making, I think, the best wines he's ever made. His
Bassetti Vnyd is one of the best Syrahs made in Calif.
And now for the rest of the story... For being such a good winemaker, it is so sad
that his bowling skills are soooo marginal. Put a bowling ball in his hands out on
WilsonLanes and it's one of the most pathetic athletic sights you'll ever see. Can you
say "gutter ball"?? As a well driller, Augie travels the world and he may very well be
a bowling gawd on WillsonevLanes in Kyrgyzstan, but in Paso he can only stand in awe of
the real bowling athletes from NewMexico.
________________________
3. VinoV: This is a new label of Michael Meagher. Michael used to be winemaker under Adam
at Ojai and has ventured out on his own, making his wines at OldCreekRanch in OakView.
I was impressed with this first release. A wnry to keep your eye on. And probably has
passable bowling skills.
________________________
4. Radio-Coteau: It's no secret that EricSussman is making some of Calif's most spectacular
Pinots. This pasel of '05's were very impressive. As winemaker at Dehlinger for some
yrs, the wines strike me as somewhat in that style, but w/ toned down oak. Less of a
R-C house style and greater expression of the vnyd source I would say. Drinking the
two SonomaCoast Pinots was an experience akin to rolling nude down an embankment
of alpine strawberries up in the mountains of Switzerland.
And his vonWeidlich Zin is one of the best made in Calif. And I love his Syrahs as
a more elegant expression of that variety in Calif. Total mystery as to his bowling
skills. I'll find out.
________________________
5. Rhys/Alesia: These are wine made by Kevin Harvey. I first tasted the Alesia Syrahs at
HdR last year and was quite impressed. I had the '03 SonomaCoast Syrah in Dec and was
blown away by it.
This was my first Rhys Pinot. I think it is a very good expression of that terrior
character that dominates wines from the SCMs. It reminded me some of the MtEden and the
Burnap Pinots but w/ reigned in oak. The wines all had a bit of funkiness (brett?)
character to them that gave them a bit of Burgundian character. All three Pinots I
liked quite a bit.
TomHill

As a well driller, Augie travels the world and he may very well be a bowling gawd on WillsonevLanes in Kyrgyzstan, but in Paso he can only stand in awe of the real bowling athletes from NewMexico.

2. Hug: HisBassetti Vnyd is one of the best Syrahs made in Calif.

Tom, I have a few bottles of the 2005 Bassetti from ESJ, and wondered if, 1: you had tasted the ESJ, and 2: if so how it compared to the Hug. If you would rather not make the comparison here in the open, would you PM me? Thanks.

Bob,
I've not yet cracked either of my '05 Bassettis, so can't speak from experience which I like better. Of previous vintages, though, I guess I'd go w/ the EdStJ for the long haul, just based on Steve's track record.
Tom

Tom, I had occasion to email Steve and asked him his opinion on the '05 Bassetti. He said that he thought it needed 8-10 years and would go 20 or more. I am not sure I have 20 more to wait. Hell I am even older than Old Tom Hill.

Bob,
You just gotta think more positive than that!!
Tom

1. Failla: I'm always bemused when I taste thru some Failla wines. Ehren has sort of a reputation for making big/bombastic/alcoholic wines because of his winemaking at Turley. But the wines he makes under his label, which I presume are the wines he prefers to drink, are anything but that. They're reigned in, subtle, balanced and always very/ very interesting.

Tom,

I heard that the Failla Syrahs are also good, and more Rhone than New world in style. I am looking for some to taste, but not easy to find here. Have you tried them?

Thanks for the interesting notes. I have been reading lots of positive things about those Rhys wines.

Marc

Marc,
Have I tried the Failla Syrahs?? Does a bear....??
I've followed the Failla (and Failla-Jordan) wines from the very start. Pretty much have tried them all, w/ the Syrahs my clear favorites. His first Syrahs were made from AlRago's QueSyrah vnyd over on the SonomaCoast. They were, and still are, dynamite. But Aron dropped that vnyd several yrs ago. He also makes a PhoenixRanch/NapaVlly Syrah that's good...but just that. I'm not a bif fan of a lot of NapaVlly Syrahs.
But easily his best wine is his Estate/SonomaCoast Syrah. Very spicy/peppery and very Rhonish in character. Worth tracking down a btl or two.
Tom

I'm waiting for Augie to defend his bowling skills.. No one can be as bad as TH paints him to be!!

I'm waiting for Augie to defend his bowling skills.. No one can be as bad as TH paints him to be!!

The fear is that Augie will go next door to Mat Garretson's, get the scoring sheets for that first Rhone 'n Bowl and post them on the Net in front of God & Man for all to see!!!
Tom