2008 Delectus Cuvee Julia

Had my first opportunity to try the 2008 Delectus Cuvee Julia last night. While still a bit young this is a huge wine that will continue to get better with a little patience. Opened and decanted for about an hour.  Big currant and ripe blackberry with a hint of earthiness. Still a little tannic on the long finish so it needs a bit more time.  While it’s drinking well now, another year and it will be good to go. This is the first vintage that includes fruit from the Delectus Estate in Knights Valley. It is made with 50% Napa Valley fruit and 50% Knights Valley fruit. This wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petite Sirah and Merlot.

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2007 Novelty Hill Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley)

Dark hue of purple all the way to the rim. The nose has hints of currant and plums but lots of cedar and blackberry. Across the plate more blackberry, licorice tar and oaky tannins. Intensely concentrated but not overly extracted. The fruit for this blend comes from a who’s-who of premium Columbia Valley vineyards such as Stillwater Creek, Alder Ridge in the Horse Heaven Hills and Klipsun Vineyard on Red Mountain. Very good but needs a little more bottle time. 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc; 1% Petit Verdot

2004 Château Mont-Redon Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Popped and poured so nose was a little closed but it did show vanilla hints. . The color was very garnet. Across the palate there were notes of plum, cherry and cake spice all wrapped with a slight mineral edge. The tannins were smooth and well-integrated. Paired well with my Veal Oscar. The grapes for this blend come from the left bank of the Rhone River between the towns f Orange and Avignon. this blend consists of 65% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 10% Cinsault, 5% Mourvede and 5% Counoise- Muscardin- Vaccarèse. An excellent introduction to Chateauneuf-du-Pape.

2007 DuMOL Syrah Eddie’s Patch (Russian River Valley)

The nose is slightly closed still but shows blackberry, black pepper and damp earth. In the mouth it’s a nice balance of fruit and acidity meaning it’s not over the top with fruit. Blackberry, coconut and sassafras flavors lead the way with a peppery finish thats lingering. “Eddies Patch” is part of the Hoppe-Kelly Vineyard located in the cool northern end of the Russian River Valley. A great example of new world Syrah from California. Another outstanding effort from this very consistent producer.

2008 Buehler Vineyards Zinfandel (Napa Valley)

Lighter garnet color. The nose shows plum stew, anise and a hint of honeysuckle. On the palate this wine shows a great balance of fruit and acidity. The fruit is classic Napa Zin with plum leading the way but also some raspberry pepper and vanilla. The finish is medium to long and shows a nice mineral edge to add to the complexity. This wine is both fruit forward and elegant. If you are looking for an over the top extracted style this isn’t it. However this Zinfandel is great for its restraint and softness while still showing pure fruit flavors. A good value and a very well made wine.

2008 Cartlidge & Browne Pinot Noir (California)

The nose shows a little raspberry and cherry with a touch of barnyard funk. The color is light brick-red. In the mouth this lighter style California Pinot Nior has red cherry, black licorice and oaky notes. It’s fairly one-dimensional but for the price it’s pretty good. This Pinot Noir carries the California appellation on the label so the fruit is sourced from many different areas and vineyards but again for $13 it’s pretty good.

2005 Ballast Stone Petit Verdot (Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, Currency Creek / McLaren Vale)

It’s not often that one gets the opportunity to taste a single varietal Petit Verdot so I took one and tried this wine. As one would expect the color is deep purple. The nose shows violets, spice box and a mineral hint. In the mouth this wine is thick and chewy with black cherry and anise spice. A little goes a long way. It’s clear why winemakers use this wine in dribs and drabs to blend with the Bordeaux varietals because it’s powerful stuff.  This wine comes from South Australia as well so it’s very fruit forward. Interesting for a one off try but not all that exciting.

2007 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Franc (Sonoma)

Almost dark ruby color. Very aromatic nose after about an hour in the decanter showing black fruit and a hint of coconut. Medium body in the mouth with very structured notes of the black currant,black raspberry bell pepper, and a hit of spice at the finish. Elegant and easy to drink. Excellent effort. The fruit for this wine comes from the Sonoma county side of this vineyard which straddles the lines between Sonoma and Napa county. It’s still a bit young but drinking very well now. Put a bottle or two down for a couple of years.

2006 Audelssa Estate Winery Summit (Sonoma County)

Cherry and vanilla on the nose with a hint of spice. The wine still seems a bit young. The fruit shows red cherry, wild red berry and tobacco with a hit of black pepper on the finish. It’s fairly tannic from mid palate on. A blend of the Bordeaux varietals from Sonoma County, this red wine is a good buy. It needs a little more time in the bottle or extended time in the decanter to be fully enjoyed.

2006 Tiza Malbec (Argentina, Mendoza)

Inky black color. The nose had a harmony of scents such as anise seed, plumb stew and almost candy apple. There is a nice balance of fruit and acidity with blackberry and plumb leading the way. The tannins were fine- grained and last all the way through the medium length finish. The Mendoza region of Argentina is generally regarded as one of the very best places in the world to grow Malbec as the climate allows for the required long hang time to make great balanced wines. This wine is very good for the money ($20.00). Tiza uses 100% Malbec fruit for this wine.