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And the usual detritis from the bloody pulpit:
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Cedarville: I've followed Jonathan & Susan's Cedarville wines from
the very start; as many of us have. They are not huge/intense/extracted
wines but show a lot of bright/vibrant fruit that you don't typically find
in ElDorado Rhones, with a slight touch of that ElDorado earthy/mushroomy
character to give them a bit of a Rhonish character. Most of the people
in the group preferred the Grenache for it fragrant/bright fruit. I preferred
the Syrah, though some thought it a bit unfocused in it's Syrah character.
Both very well-made wines and very good values.
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Ojai Vin du Soleil: I've followed Adam's VdS from the very start. It is
probably one of the most serious Chateauneuf-blends currently being made
in Calif. Probably the EdmundsStJohn LesCotesSauvage (no longer made by
Steve) is the only other that comes close. Oftentimes, the Rhone-blends
seem to be a lesser wine in a producer's lineup or, worse, a dumping ground
for leftover batches of varietal wines. This Ojai is mostly Grenache- based,
presumably Stolpman grapes, and shows a depth and intensity that you don't
often see in Grenache, other than JohnAlban's. The EdStJ LosRoblesViejos
Rouge and the Qupe LosOlivosCuvee are two other Rhone-blends I particularly
like. As the Rozet vnyd gains additional maturity, I think that will be
a wine that eventually rivals the LesCotesSauvages in character. The Qupe
LOC is a deceptive wine. It is not a big & extracted red, but it just
seems to age so well into a very lovely interesting red.
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Ojai Calif Syrah: I've followed Adam's CalifSyrah from the very start,
when that was the only Syrah he made, from EstrellaRiver grapes. The more
recent ones bear a Calif appellation because of the RollRanch/Ventura County
grapes in with the rest of the Santa Barbara grapes. This '00 version,
no RollRanch, bears a Santa Barbara appellation. It is a bit hard &
closed wine right now, but it's evolving and is going to be a killer Syrah
in a year or so. And, at that price, it's a no-brainer wheter to buy it
or not. Kudos to Adam for keeping the price reasonable & not knocking
it up when it became a Santa Barbara appellation. A great introduction
to the Ojai line. When we were there in early June, Adam did a small vertical
for us of the Calif Syrahs. Tasting notes from that trip report are copied
below.
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Ojai Single Vineyard Syrahs: I've followed all of Adam's single vnyd designate
Syrahs from the very start. In general, I usually prefer the Thompson
for it's big/huge rather pungent/ peppery slight earthy character. Sometimes
I prefer the RollRanch for its unique spiciness, but it often doesn't have
the structure of the Thompson. And the Bien Nacido, though often softer
& rounder, always shows that black cherry/plummy character that typifies
Bien Nacido Syrah. His BN Syrah, in fact, come from the same HillSide block
as does Bob Lindquist's Hillside Reserve Syrah. This '99 Thompson
was the one that got the huge 96 score from certain Monktown attourneys.
Whether it deserves that score or not is not important; they're just numbers.
I didn't think it was THAT much better than either the Bien Nacido or the
RollRanch, nor that much better than Adam's previous Thompson Syrahs. But
its review prior to Adam's release of it certainly caused a lot of problems
for Adam and made it very difficult for the rest of us to get our usual
supply. Thank gawd certain Monktown attourneys didn't realize how great
the Santa Barbara Syrah was for the $$$'s!!
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Certain Monktown Attorneys: It's not hard to see why they were very taken/excited
by the Thompson'99 Syrah. Because of its size and extraction, the presumption
is that it will age forever and turn into a marvelos/complex wine at some
point down the road. I'm not convinced that that's a given. I think
there are a lot of people who, 10-20 yrs down the road are going to be
holding onto a lot of these wines which never really evolve and develop
the complexity that their early-on huge extraction had led them to believe.
Although I liked this Thompson quite a bit because of its peppery characteristic
Thompson Vineyard character; it was almost a characterization of Syrah,
almost a bit grotesque because of intensity and extraction. Almost like
looking at some of those body builders on the cover of some of those magazines.
You're in awe of their accomplishment of what they've done to/with their
bodies; but they look a little unreal and wonder if they can talk about
anything but steriods and bench presses. Or the Thompson reminded me of
some of the exaggerated depictions you see in many of the political
cartoons of people. Nonetheless, it'll be interesting to follow this Thompson
thru the yrs and see if it has the balance to carry it yrs down the road.
I'll be there taking data on it 20 & 30 yr BD!!
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Rocher St.Joseph: Not a producer I'm familar with. Coming in the middle
of the tasting after the Thompson, it was almost a relief for its elegance
and grace; much like a sorbet clearing the palate afore charging into the
Albans. It had an attractive NorthernRhone nose but didn't deliver much
on the palate. The Chave Offerus is a much better St.Joseph.
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Alban pricing: Just leaves me totally befuddled.... and I've whined to
John about it. These three Albans were a 3-pac that are offered to his
mailing list, so that's why the odd price per btl. On most mailing
lists, you are given a price break for a pre-release offering. Since
I've seen the Lorraine priced at $55, I believe, it looks like the mailing
list customers are given a price-surcharge to buy from the list. Don't
quite understand it. For the early yrs, the Alban wines were very underpriced;
making them great bargins. In the last two yrs, the pricing has risen so
they are more in line w/ the quality of the wines. The whites (Viognier
and Roussanne) are still most reasonably priced, I think. The price on
the Reva and the Grenache are not out of line. Even with these prices for
the special wines, I don't think the prices are out of line. They're every
bit as good, IMHO, as Rayas or Henschke HOG, which makes them reasonably
priced. But it sure hurts to pay these prices and I worry that before long
only Monktown attourneys can afford these wines.
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Alban Wines: I have, of course, followed JohnAlban's wines from the very
start. I first met John at the Taste of Vail Wine Festival back in the
mid-'90's. First time I'd ever heard of the guy; totally unknown. Stuck
way back in the corner of this big ballroom. Not a sole around his table.
But he was pouring a SYRAH.....probably the only one in the room....no...
BobLindquist's a skier and he was there as well. So I walked over to try
this unknown guy's Syrah. John, of course, didn't know he was dealing with
the famous TomHill, who had followed Syrah in Calif from the very start!!
The Syrah ('93?) was a bit shy on fruit and lots of toasty/Fr.oak, not
nearly the extraction they now have, but I liked the wine quite a lot.
It was Edna Valley/cold climate Syrah and showed a lot of character and
had an acidity not usually found in Calif Syrahs. Most importantly, as
I chatted w/ John, I was immediately taken by his passion for winemaking
and the many ideas he had. I knew this was a guy I'd better keep my eye
on. Then.....THEN.... he started talking about Grenache!!!! I sorta laughed
indside and almost gave him a pat on the shoulder to tell him..."That's
nice John... but it's a total waste of time and effort in Calif... it'll
never work". But I kept myself in check. Little did I know, in a few short
yrs, that he WOULD be making world-class Grenache; probably the best Grenache
in the world IMHO. It's been a mighty exciting ride as John as careened/rocketed
to the top of his craft and is finally getting the recognition he so rightfully
deserves. I'm looking forward to a good many more yrs on the wild
ride!!! One of the things I've observed over the few yrs I've followed
Calif winemakers: When a handsome/personable/charming single winemaker
(NOT to imply that John is any of the above!), gets married; there's been
any number of times I've seen them lose interest in their winery/ winemaking
passion and it simply becomes a business/trade for them. Especially when
young kids arrive on the scene. So, I've been watching John closely since
he married Lorraine with a slight degree of aprehension. Happily,
I've seen NO signs of the happening; John seems to be as excited and passionate
about what his winemaking as when we first met. Hope Lorraine doesn't take
this personal!!
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Seymour Vineyard: This is John's (relatively) new vnyd on the mountain
(well... what passes for a mountain in the Edna Valley) out back of his
winery/home. Very rugged land to be growing grapes. And some of the most
chalky limestone soil I've ever seen in Calif. John has it planted to both
Grenache and Syrah/Serine. No doubt about, from the very start; this is
one of Calif's premium world-class vnyds.
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Franus Mourvedre: Terrific wine. Alas, this, I believe was the year PeterFranus
bought the BrandlinRanch and ripeed out thise beautiful old Mourvedre vines.
He should be shot for that!! This wine will never be replicated in my lifetime.
These are the same grapes that Steve Edmunds used to get and, I think,
showed a greater appreciation for and made better wines from.
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Braggot: This is the term used for a mead (honey wine) made w/ hops and
various assorted spices. New one for me. I was quite taken by John's effort.
Lavender is a very tough spice to get the quantity right; too much and
it gives the dish a piney/resinous almost Retsina-like character. John
got it just right in this Braggot.
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Agricolas Angialis/Passito: I really liked this wine tremendously. I've
had a number of passito wines from Sardinia/Sicily/Salina that have been
mightly impressive. This is a genre that should be being explored much/much
more than it is in Calif. Calif should be making world-class passito wines
on a routine basis.
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Whew..... an incredible evening of very intense wines. It was kind of refreshing
to go back and revisit the two Cedarvilles. And finish off w/ a cold bear.
TomHill
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