Siduri - Alesia Smackdown :-) Blind + a Garretson

Okay…this was not a smack down. I honestly don’t view wines as competing. I had wanted to try these together with a few folks to see what they thought of the Alesia. I already new the Siduri was a killer wine so I knew it would be a good starting place. This was my first Alesia Sonatera. These were served blind to everyone (including me…although I knew what wines were on the table). Wines were not decanted but were sitting open for about 3 hours.

“Wine On The Right” - 2004 Alesia Pinot Noir Sonatera Vineyard 14.2%
Nose is reticent at first. With time in the glass, it becomes much more expressive. Dietz kept saying “weed”. I think he literally meant weeds and not "weed" . There was a green element on the nose but to me it was very subtle. There was a touch of spice as well. I took one glass home and noticed more cinnamon spice and a touch of pine. This all lays over a nice dose of black fruit and a touch of cola. On the palate the wine showed some “spritz” at first but that faded. Nice fruit forward wine. Very minor earth elements and in the evening a small amount of chocolate. Good shot of acidity. A small amount of tannin. The finish was lacking. Seemed to show a little bitterness and some heat. Very good wine seems like it could use 12 months to round out.

“Wine On The Left” – 2004 Siduri Pinot Noir Sonatera Vineyard 15.1%
Much more expressive nose at the start. Primary aromas and some oak. Nice. On the palate, the wine was very full and round. Covers your entire mouth with fruit. I thought the fruit showed darker on this wine. Still lots of cherries. A very complete wine for early drinking. I love how this wine is big, plush with light but present acid but far from flabby. The finish is more complete but still nothing special.

The two of us present that were familiar with the wine names picked them out correctly.

As a synopsis, I really enjoyed both of these. I would classify both of them is middle heavyweights in the Cali realm. Both showed nice balance. To point out the differences I would say the Alesia is more linear while the Siduri is more round. The Siduri should be drunk now while the Alesia could probably use 6-12 months. The question mark would be will the Alesia go to the next level in 3 or 4 years. I am not sure. I will open my next bottle in 12 months and then make the call. Sadly that was my last Siduri.

With 4 tasters in the room (two would be classified as “newbies”), 2 went with the Siduri as their favorite. 1 went with the Alesia and I ended up as Switzerland. Very similar strand running through but still different wines. I love the Siduri but am bummed Alesia wont get Sonatera fruit anymore. I had the Alesia Kanzler and could care less if they get that fruit again but I really like what Siduri and Alesia did with this Vineyard. To bad Soliste came out with their ridiculous pricing. I was looking forward to that one.

So then Dietz broke out a mystery wine. My first guess was Zin…then I landed with Syrah … but I thought RRV.
“Mystery Wine” – 2003 Garretson Wine Company “The Craic” Syrah Central Coast 15.4%
Nose of prunes and grape juice. Very ripe on the palate. Tons of grapefruity acidity. Not in balance. Highly acidic. Yikes. It is a mouthful of grapey seawater mixed with prune juice. Never had this young but I would assume it was okay as a baby … but now it is wacky. Since no one would take it, I took half of it home to try it again. Hmmm…showed slightly more balance but still very grapey. Not sure where to file this one.

Best,
Jason

Thanks for the notes. I had a very similar reaction to another Garretson Syrah. Can't remember the wine's name, but it was in hommage to a relative. Bleh.

15% abv for a Pinot? Wow. No fumeyness or alcoholic burn?

A couple of us thought the Alesia was hot.. yes..

Both wines were good.. my complaint about the Alesia was the short finish...and it was very linear.. not much complexity.. except on the nose..

The Siduri took on weight during lunch...more mocha flavors appeared.. but it was a nicely balanced wine, somewhere in that space between a KB and a William-Selyem...

The Garretson was decanted, as Mat Garretson had suggested it should be... but it was pretty much as Jason described.. and it was one of the newbies, Melisa, who nailed the seawater flavor... it's too bad, cuz I used to like the GWC line-up a lot..

15% abv for a Pinot? Wow. No fumeyness or alcoholic burn?

The Siduri, with higher stated alcohol actually hid the alcohol better.

Jason

[Jenise]

... it's too bad, cuz I used to like the GWC line-up a lot..

Jim, having tasted with you over the years, it's interesting to see how much more sensitive you've become to high alcohol wines. Those porty flavors used to work much better for you.

[Jim, having tasted with you over the years, it's interesting to see how much more sensitive you've become to high alcohol wines. Those porty flavors used to work much better for you.

That's probably true.. .. I just have a real aversion now to the too-fruit-forward Syrahs or Pinots or Cabs that way too many in Cali and other places produce.

I don't think it is the high alc. though, but I could be wrong on that. I really enjoy Alban's Syrahs, and they are high alc. Saxum wines I lately have more problems with, even at same alc. levels. It is a balance issue, and I frankly don't know enough to know why some wines are balanced at high alcohol levels and others not.

Interesting, on the eBob board, the Bob himself entered into a thread explaining why he doesn't review all that many Cali Cabs after someone complained he wasn't doing his job for the reader of the WA. He said that far too many were over oaked, over gobby in fruit, high alcohol, unbalanced and waaaay over priced. He said he doesn't review them cuz they aren't worthy of people paying attention to them.. .. this from the guy that everyone bashes for pushing the New World style.

Tastes change, huh? I have learned to appreciate the subtleness of an older Bdx and prefer it (not that it is `better') to a big CA Cab (had an '89 Leoville-Las Cases and 2003 Harlan over the weekend.. . the LLC was head and shoulders above) or a nicely made Rhone (the 2001 Pegau CdP, also this past weekend was brilliant.. but it wasn't flashy)... so.. wish I had known more back when you poured all those wines I couldn't yet appreciate.. but I guess it's the learning process that brings one, or not, to a different point. ..

[Jenise]

...wish I had known more back when you poured all those wines I couldn't yet appreciate...

It's not a matter of knowledge, though. It's more a matter of conditioning, or fine tuning if you will--and toward that end all those wines I wasted on you (and I grin as I say that) served a purpose, they kept showing you "look over here, there's another way". Don't worry, I'd been there myself once upon a time. Early on, big bold flavors naturally impress and seduce. To the extent that learning is involved, then it's nuance that we learn, and the more wine becomes part of our daily life the more we tend to appreciate subtlety. Balance? That's a given, but your set point for what constitutes that constantly tunes and refines itself as well. Size isn't offputting in and of itself, it's how the wine achieves that matters.

Anyway, I'm so proud of the way your palate has progressed, and I look forward to the next time we share some bottles.

Thanx, Jenise. Coming from you, such praise means a lot. And frankly in both wine and food appreciation, you brought me to whole new levels....and you have no idea how much my life is better for it..

As Bob would say, `I love you guys!!!'

How did this thread turn into a mutual love fest

I love yous guys too.

J

[Jenise]

How did this thread turn into a mutual love fest

Story of Jim's life, I think.

I love yous guys too.

Group hug!