Kosta Browne is one of the elite producers of Pinot Noir. They make three Pinots from Sonoma Coast, Russian River and the Santa Lucia Highlands. Tonight I opened the 1 of 2 bottles of 2011 Kosta Browne Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir that I was allocated as a first time wine list member (wait time - almost 4 years). The Sonoma Coast Pinot is sourced from three vineyards; Walala, Gap's Crown and Terra de Promissio.
The initial front palate is full of ripe Oregon fruit (blueberry, blackberry, raspberry). While fruit forward the front palate is balanced and complex. The fruit is carried to the mid palate with firm but soft tannin. The mid palate explodes with flavors of black cherry with the smallest hint of vanilla. The tannin carry the extremely long and complex finish. All the fruit notes become much more subtle as the long finish engages all the taste buds.
Burgundy snobs may stick up their nose at the "lack of finesse" but this wine expresses its terroir which includes abundant sun. A well balanced wine that carries fruit notes, well integrated tannin' complexity and a long finish.
Recommendation- A must have for any fan of California Pinot Noir. The price point is excellent for the quality. The only drawback is the wait time on the wait list
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Sunday, July 28, 2013
From My Cellar 07/28/2013
Hall Wines is one of the premier producers of Cabernet in the Napa Valley. Their offerings include many single vineyard sources from Stags Leap, St. Helena, Diamond Mountain, Mt. Veeder and famous blends such as Kathryn Hall and Jack's Masterpiece.
The 2009 HALL Bergfeld St. Helena Cabernet Sauvignon is 100% sourced from the Bergfeld vineyard which was originally planted in 1859 and now the home to one of Hall's tasting rooms.
The first trait of the wine is revealed when it is poured into the decanter. As with most other Hall Cabernet's the wine is a deep purple. The front palate has notes of red fruit and a subtle notes of Maui sugar cane. The red berry and slights hints of oak are joined by velvet tannin's at the mid palate. The soft and velvet tannin's carry the finish to an extended length that coats the entire mouth giving added layers of complexity.
The 2009 HALL Bergfeld St. Helena Cabernet Sauvignon retails for $100 and can be enjoyed now but has the structure to lay in the cellar for another decade. I recommend to buy two, one to drink and one to hold.
The 2009 HALL Bergfeld St. Helena Cabernet Sauvignon is 100% sourced from the Bergfeld vineyard which was originally planted in 1859 and now the home to one of Hall's tasting rooms.
The first trait of the wine is revealed when it is poured into the decanter. As with most other Hall Cabernet's the wine is a deep purple. The front palate has notes of red fruit and a subtle notes of Maui sugar cane. The red berry and slights hints of oak are joined by velvet tannin's at the mid palate. The soft and velvet tannin's carry the finish to an extended length that coats the entire mouth giving added layers of complexity.
The 2009 HALL Bergfeld St. Helena Cabernet Sauvignon retails for $100 and can be enjoyed now but has the structure to lay in the cellar for another decade. I recommend to buy two, one to drink and one to hold.
Thursday, July 18, 2013
What I Drank 07/16/2013
RN74 is a Wine Spectator Grand Award Winner with a wine list as thick as an Atlas. RN74 is self described as "...San Francisco urban wine bar and restaurant by Michael Mina, Rajat Parr and Adam Sobel featuring modern interpretations of refined American and regional French cuisine with an extensive wine list highlighting the Burgundy region of France."
The wine list has the usual list of heavy hitters from Napa, Bordeaux and Burgundy. The group decided on a Pinot Noir and I was delegated the task of picking the bottle.
I settled on 2011 CERITAS "COSTALINA" SONOMA COAST PINOT NOIR. Costalina is sourced from two vineyards near Occidental which is western Sonoma Coast.
Sonoma Pinot Noir tends to fall into one of two categories, either fruit forward or 'nuanced'. The 2011 CERITAS "COSTALINA" has the best features of both categories. The wine is elegant, complex and long on the palate. The initial palate has subtle notes of Christmas spices and light raspberry flavors. What differentiates this wine from many others is the elegance and balance in which the spice notes and fruit hit the palate. With fears of being redundant this wine is the epitome of balanced. The mid palate has firm structure that holds the spice notes without over-powering the palate. The finish is long, complex and coats all parts of the tongue.
Recommendation- The 2011 CERITAS "COSTALINA" SONOMA COAST PINOT NOIR is truly perfectly made with fruit notes, earth notes, acidity and tannin all in perfect balance. The wine is truly unique is the fact that it straddles the fruit forward and balanced category without falling into either one. A must try!
$42 from the website, $102 at RN74.
The wine list has the usual list of heavy hitters from Napa, Bordeaux and Burgundy. The group decided on a Pinot Noir and I was delegated the task of picking the bottle.
I settled on 2011 CERITAS "COSTALINA" SONOMA COAST PINOT NOIR. Costalina is sourced from two vineyards near Occidental which is western Sonoma Coast.
Sonoma Pinot Noir tends to fall into one of two categories, either fruit forward or 'nuanced'. The 2011 CERITAS "COSTALINA" has the best features of both categories. The wine is elegant, complex and long on the palate. The initial palate has subtle notes of Christmas spices and light raspberry flavors. What differentiates this wine from many others is the elegance and balance in which the spice notes and fruit hit the palate. With fears of being redundant this wine is the epitome of balanced. The mid palate has firm structure that holds the spice notes without over-powering the palate. The finish is long, complex and coats all parts of the tongue.
Recommendation- The 2011 CERITAS "COSTALINA" SONOMA COAST PINOT NOIR is truly perfectly made with fruit notes, earth notes, acidity and tannin all in perfect balance. The wine is truly unique is the fact that it straddles the fruit forward and balanced category without falling into either one. A must try!
$42 from the website, $102 at RN74.
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Airport Part 2
After my uneventful tasting flight I decided to upgrade to a full glass rather than attempt another tasting.
I settled on the 2009 Long Shadows Feather which is a Washington Cabernet made by Napa Valley veteran Randy Dunn.
The front palate explodes with earth, currant and tabacco flavors. Well integrated tannin pull the earth notes and raspberry flavors to the mid palate. Th mid palate has a complex dryness which is unique.
The finish is long, complex and strong. The dark fruits and tannin coat the entire mouth adding to the 'bigness' of the wine.
This is a great representation of Washington Cabernet and the top shelf wines that can created from top vineyards.
I settled on the 2009 Long Shadows Feather which is a Washington Cabernet made by Napa Valley veteran Randy Dunn.
The front palate explodes with earth, currant and tabacco flavors. Well integrated tannin pull the earth notes and raspberry flavors to the mid palate. Th mid palate has a complex dryness which is unique.
The finish is long, complex and strong. The dark fruits and tannin coat the entire mouth adding to the 'bigness' of the wine.
This is a great representation of Washington Cabernet and the top shelf wines that can created from top vineyards.
Airport Flight
Early for my flight in Seattle I had time to stop into Vino Volo to sample a flight called 'beyond Bordeaux'. These types of flights are always interesting as it typically removes me from my comfort zone.
The first wine was Hence Cellars 2009 Petit Verdot. The wine was deep purple. The front palate gives notes of blackberry but does not much else in the way mid palate or finish. The wine was uninspiring in many aspects that offered so sense of place or purpose.
The second wine was the 2010 Bodega Amalaya Gran Cortex Malbec. The wine had notes of blueberry on the nose prior to the first sip which was rewarding. The issue front palate is a mixture of blueberry and blackberry with a touch of sweetness.
The mid palate gives way to slight vanilla with a touch of structure. The finish is mid length, more vanilla spice but with limited complexity.
The final wine of the flight was the 2011 Tamarack Celllars Cabernet Franc. The front palate has boisenberry and blueberry notes typical of Washington wines I have had from the Columbia Valley. The mid palate has firm tannin and slight apricot notes balances by light oak. The finish is mid length that coats the tongue and offers subtle complexity. Softer tannin would of helped showcase the fruit notes of the wine
The flight was diverse but I found all the wines uninspiring.
The first wine was Hence Cellars 2009 Petit Verdot. The wine was deep purple. The front palate gives notes of blackberry but does not much else in the way mid palate or finish. The wine was uninspiring in many aspects that offered so sense of place or purpose.
The second wine was the 2010 Bodega Amalaya Gran Cortex Malbec. The wine had notes of blueberry on the nose prior to the first sip which was rewarding. The issue front palate is a mixture of blueberry and blackberry with a touch of sweetness.
The mid palate gives way to slight vanilla with a touch of structure. The finish is mid length, more vanilla spice but with limited complexity.
The final wine of the flight was the 2011 Tamarack Celllars Cabernet Franc. The front palate has boisenberry and blueberry notes typical of Washington wines I have had from the Columbia Valley. The mid palate has firm tannin and slight apricot notes balances by light oak. The finish is mid length that coats the tongue and offers subtle complexity. Softer tannin would of helped showcase the fruit notes of the wine
The flight was diverse but I found all the wines uninspiring.
Friday, June 14, 2013
Scarecrow's little brother
Powerful, elegant, structure, depth and complexity are all words to describe the 2009 M. Etain.
The M. Etain is the second label from Scarecrow which has become a cult phenomenon only behind Screaming Eagle and Harlan.
The 2009 M. Etain scored 93 points from Wine Spectator.
The wine was decanted 3 hours before the first glass was poured. The color is a deep opaque purple.
The front palate has firm structure with dark fruit notes. The mid palate gives way to well pronounced tannin, slight chocolate and hints of raspberry. The finish is extremely long and seems to hit every layer of the tongue. There is also a slight hint of vanilla with the finish.
This may be the top wine consumed of 2013 for this reviewer.
Recommendation- M. Etain is only available via the wine list and currently via the secondary market. The initial list price is $125 and it is worth the price for that special occasion. A remarkable wine from an amazing producer.
The M. Etain is the second label from Scarecrow which has become a cult phenomenon only behind Screaming Eagle and Harlan.
The 2009 M. Etain scored 93 points from Wine Spectator.
The wine was decanted 3 hours before the first glass was poured. The color is a deep opaque purple.
The front palate has firm structure with dark fruit notes. The mid palate gives way to well pronounced tannin, slight chocolate and hints of raspberry. The finish is extremely long and seems to hit every layer of the tongue. There is also a slight hint of vanilla with the finish.
This may be the top wine consumed of 2013 for this reviewer.
Recommendation- M. Etain is only available via the wine list and currently via the secondary market. The initial list price is $125 and it is worth the price for that special occasion. A remarkable wine from an amazing producer.
Thursday, June 6, 2013
National Chardonnay Day - May 23rd 2013
May 23rd is national Chardonnay Day. Chardonnay, for all the naysayers, is still the number one wine varietal in the US in terms of acres planted and market share. Due to the large amount of Chardonnay produced there is bound to be poorly made wines. Over-ripe, over-oaked and buttery Chardonnay's are common to every wine region in the country I have visited. But there are many wineries that still select from ideal vineyards to produce a complex wine worthy of the your cellar.
One of my favorite produces of Chardonnay is Fantesca Estate located on Spring Mountain. They source their Chardonnay from the Russian River Valley and is made by Heidi Barrett. As far as I am aware this is the only Chardonnay that Heidi makes in the Valley.
The 2011 Fantesca Chardonnay is a signature Chardonnay. It is medium bodied, not over powering but extremely complex and shows remarkable depth. Apple and melon notes greet the front palate. The mid palate shows a slight hint of oak but is well balanced with the acid and fruit. The mid palate into finish shows light to medium minerality which keep the wine from being over powering.
A perfect wine to pair with seafood and lighter meat proteins.
Recommendation - 2011 Fantesca Chardonnay is a true expression of remarkable Chardonnay that can be made from the Russian River Valley but the price is a bit high ($75). Well worth a few bottles to keep for special warm weather celebrations.
One of my favorite produces of Chardonnay is Fantesca Estate located on Spring Mountain. They source their Chardonnay from the Russian River Valley and is made by Heidi Barrett. As far as I am aware this is the only Chardonnay that Heidi makes in the Valley.
The 2011 Fantesca Chardonnay is a signature Chardonnay. It is medium bodied, not over powering but extremely complex and shows remarkable depth. Apple and melon notes greet the front palate. The mid palate shows a slight hint of oak but is well balanced with the acid and fruit. The mid palate into finish shows light to medium minerality which keep the wine from being over powering.
A perfect wine to pair with seafood and lighter meat proteins.
Recommendation - 2011 Fantesca Chardonnay is a true expression of remarkable Chardonnay that can be made from the Russian River Valley but the price is a bit high ($75). Well worth a few bottles to keep for special warm weather celebrations.
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