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More sermonizing from the bloody pulpit:
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Sparkling Shiraz: A genre that seems unique to OzLand. Widely dismissed
by "real" wine lovers, they're a wine that I really like drinking.
I once had a 30 yr old sparkling Burgundy (Shiraz) from Seppelt at Darrell
Cortis that was absolutely amazing; only slightly gassy, but a complexity
that not unlike old RedBurgundy. It's a wine I'd like to see attempted
in Calif.
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Marzemino: This is an apparently indiginous variety to the Trentino of
Italy and regarded as similar to Gamay in character. I could see
that in this wine; it had that earthy grapiness I find in Beaujolais. A
fun little wine. It's apparently also made in a dry red version and also
as a passito wine; both of which I'd love to try.
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Qupe Grenache: This is BobLindquist's first btlg of a Grenache. I was expecting
a bit more serious of a wine. That's not this wine. It's a bright/fun little
wine. The color part of the label describes the wine quite well; a shocking
DayGlo pink.
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EdmundsStJohn R&G'00: I had this wine at BayWolf in March and really
liked it quite a lot. This version seemed rather bretty (Mourvedre?)
and a bit on the one-dimensional side. Maybe it'll put on weight w/ age.
Will try another btl with food soon.
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AndrewMurray wines: I've followed young Andrew's wines from the very start,
when he debuted them (it) at the WineCask futures tasting. That wine showed
loads of tannin and extract and lots of new oak. The passion with which
he talked made me believe that Andrew was a guy to watch in the future.
It's been an.....interesting......ride. His first whites were pretty woody,
hard and austere. He's really improved his whites greatly. The reds,
over the last few yrs, have been a bit of a mixed bag. Some of them
(Hillside Reserve) have been terrific and show me what his vnyds are capable
of, some of the most hilly/rugged vnyds in all Calif. And them some reds,
like this Les Coteaux, have shown a nasty fumey/hot/volatile/EA streak
to them. I've not had any opportunities to visit with Andrew over the last
few yrs, but shure would like to know what's going on there. When he's
on with a wine, they're as good as it gets in Calif; and then others I
just don't quite understand. But I'm on this train for the long haul and
ain't jumping ship yet.
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Qupe Syrahs: I've followed BobLindquist's Syrahs from the very start, the
'82 Central Coast. They're some of my favorite Syrahs from anywhere. A
great guy, a great winemaker, and he's got his baseball loyalities where
they belong. The WhiteHawk (a vnyd on AlisosCnynRd near Thompson) and the
ColsonCanyon (a bit further North as I recall) are two new "Single Vineyard
Selection" additions to Bob's Syrah portfolio. They both struck me as stylistically
different from his other Syrahs. They seemed bigger/rounder/softer, more
fruit-forward, less mocha/oaked than his Bien Nacido Reserve or the Hillside
Reserve. They seem to lie between the BNReserve and the Hillside in style
I would say. Excellent Syrah and a great addition to Bob's carte.
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Melville Syrah: I finally had their Chard when I was at PeterWork's in
May and liked it quite a lot; but it was the Syrah I was hot to try. I
did last night; and was mightly impressed. It has that cracked black pepper
that I've found in cool-climate Syrah vnyds like Basetti and AlRago's QueSyrah.
But what most impressed me was the perfume this wine showed; a perfume
I more often find in Pinots. No surprise there, since Greg Brewer is their
winemaker. This Syrah is not about power and extract, but about perfume
and elegance; the kind you more often find in CoteRotie. A very impressive
debut Syrah. The Melville Vineyard (80 acres) is located way out
west in the SantaYnez Valley, out towards Lompoc. Chard and Pinot
country. Probably the most westerly Syrah plantings in Santa Barbara. I've
been mightly impressed also with the Syrahs from this vnyd I've tasted
at Adam Tolmach's and Craig Jaffurs. The Melville folks are also
planting a new (100 acres) vnyd up on CatCanyonRd north of LosAlamos (not
the REAL LosAlamos), devoted to Viognier and Syrah, a much warmer area.
Definitly a vnyd(s) and winery to keep your eyes upon.
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EdmundsStJohn Calif Syrah: This is Steve's entry-level Syrah; I've followed
it from the very start. It has always been a wine I buy every year because
it's such a great value. But make no mistake, it is very serious Syrah.
This '00 version (much like the Ojai Santa Barbara '00 Syrah) struck me
as on the hard and closed side and badly in need of another yr's of btl
age to really start to show its stuff. Jump on this wine when you see it,
if you've never had an EdStJ Syrah.
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EdmundsStJohn Wylie-Fenaughty Syrah: These two vnyds, farmed by Ron Mansfield,
are at a high elevation up in ElDorado County. They are easily the best
Syrahs coming from an area that should be known and producing more great
Syrahs. Steve thought the '99 was his best W-F yet and I agree. It it starting
to show some development but still has a long life ahead of it. As Steve
describes it, it has a lot of "fine-grained" tannins that make it
attractive young, but will carry it a long way. The '00 W-F seemed more
about primary fruit and doesn't show the structure that the '99 has. OTOH,
it's still pretty terrific Syrah; nothing to snivell at.
TomHill
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