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And the customary rant from the bloody pulpit:
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The DeLoach Zins: From the very start of their single vnyd Zinfandel program
(in '91?), I've faulted these wines for not being sufficiently distinctive
to justify vinyard designate status. That is particularly true of these
(there are 2 others we didn't taste... and probably won't bother to) from
the '97 vintage. Sometimes there are larger differences due to different
harvest dates or crop loads. But in some cases the vnyds are separated
by nothing more than a road. But I've not even come close to identifying
a Pelletti or a Gambogi character in any of the wines. When you taste all
4 of these wines side-by-side, you CAN pick up differences. But they aren't
large enough to even argue about, something my group does verrry well.
But the reason it's done is pretty obvious; each one becomes scarcer &
you can charge $3-$4 more a bottle for it. We were speculating last
night if some consumers see 4 or 6 different vnyd designate Zinfandel,
get overwhelmed by the choice & don't know which to buy, so don't buy
any. My guess is it works the reverse and they buy them all to try to see
which they like best. It all seems a bit of a scam to me on Cecil's part.
I really doubt, were he served all the Zins blind that he could pick them
out. As for the '97 vintage.... these Zins are good. But just that. They
seem to display a bit more dusty/old vine character than they have in
past yrs. They are not light wines. However, probably because the yields
were way up (a reliable source tell me they took 30 tons off the 10 acre
Pelletti vnyd in '97.... vs. only 18 tons in '98), they have a lack of
backbone & structure & extract that calls for early drinking of
them. And they don't seem to have the typical high acidity they've had
in the last 3 yrs that warrents their aging. As for the OFS '97, there's
been some comments on the boards that it is a particularly weak effort.
Yes and no. Clearly not as big & extracted & alcoholic & tannic
as it's been in the past. So "yes" on that count. But it's hardly a "weak"
wine.... just on;y slightly better than the vnyd-designates. So the large
price differential is way out of line. I'll be buying no more of the '97
DeLoachs.
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Carlisle Cellars: This is the wine from Mike Officer, an occasional poster
and inveterate lurker on many of these boards. This is ho-made wine that
he made in his garage in SantaRosa and obviously not for sale. With the
'98 vintage, Mike goes commercial w/ his passion, making his wines at Adam
Lee's Siduri Cellars in the scenic industrial part of SantaRosa. In the
'97 vintage, yields were up considerably and, like many others, Mike had
to scramble to find cooperage. New oak was all that was available, so these
wines got a bit more new oak than Mike would have chosen for them. Though
the oak was evident in all 4 of these wines, and strongest in the SonomaVlly/RossiRanch,
I didn't think it was excessive, certainly not in the sense of the St.Francis,
say. Also, since the had to vacate their house to move out onto the Pelletti
Ranch property, he bottled these in August, a few months earlier than he
would have preferred. We tasted thru the '96 versions of his wines last
Spring & they struck me as rather lean & tight & hard. I tasted
thru these '97's w/ Mike in his home in early September & they struck
me as very rich lush style of Zins; similar to the Rosenblum Maggie's/Samsel
in style. Last night they seemed to have a leanness & tightness to
them I didn't get back in September. Must be the altitude up here!
In a nutshell, I thought these Zins were all terrific. Evident oak, yes,
but not excessive. They all had a very strong spicy component that I really
liked, with lots of interesting/complex aromatics. And, unlike other winery's
efforts, they were all three very distinctive and spoke of their vnyd origins.
In particular, I was taken by the SonomaVlly/ Rossi Ranch. These grapes
go to Topolous Vnyds, where a few times they have made some terrific wines
but recent efforts have been marred by sloppy winemaking. Mike's effort
w/ these grapes had a unique spiciness to it that I just couldn't put my
finger on or describe, but unlike any other Zinfandel I can recall, Others
in my tasting group picked up the very same thing in that wine as I did.
These Zins all had a healthy alcohol level. But in none of them did I get
an overripe or raisened or hot or alcoholic character; they all carried
their alcohol levels very well. All in all, I would label these three Zins
as some of the most exciting ones I've tasted this year.... maybe not as
sensual as some, but in a sort of racey/intelluctual way is the only way
I could describe it. The Mondeuse is cut from a different cloth. Lots of
interesting things going on in that wine. Because of the tannins, not an
attractive wine to drink right now. It'll be fascinating to see just what
it evolves into. Alas, Mike doesn't have a lot of bottles to take data
with. I've been trying to figure out where Mike's winemaking style fits
into the Zinfandel spectrum & not had much success. He doesn't flagrantly
abuse the oak in his wine. They are very clean, very well made; but not
in the sterile sense of some wineries Zins; I'm sure there is probably
brett in the wines but I've never been able to pick it up. The wines seem
to have a bit lean/brisk/stiff character to them from the acidity; but,
again, it doesn't seem excessive and bodes well for their aging. I guess
I would describe their style as much like Joel Peterson does w/ the Ravenswood/Old
Hill Ranch; but w/o the strong French oak component and the occasional
volatility that shows in that wine. Perhaps a bit like the David Coffaro
style, but less oak and less of David's lush/soft/ smooth/polished style.
And a bit like Doug Nalle's style. All pretty strong praise for what I
think are among the best "ho-made" wines I've ever tasted. It'll
be interesting to watch Mike's transition to winemaking on a commercial
scale. I've little doubt that he'll be able to pull it off very well. Best
of all, we'll then be able to BUY his wine. And he has a marketing team
behind him (in wife Kendall, daughter Rachel, & son Riley) that will
dazzle those hard-as-nails, curmudgeonly, wine buyers out there and make
the Mondavi sales force look like country bumpkins!!
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The Jade Mtn Syrah's: Doug Danilek (sp??) has been making some very outstanding
Rhone-style wines under this label. This is an operation to keep you eye
on. With a reliable source of Syrah grapes now (purchased from Lou Hudson's
vnyd in Carneros & their own Paras Vnyd on Mt.Veeder), Doug will be
up there amongst the first tier of Calif Syrah producers, if he isn't already.
John Koonsgaard, Bruce Neyers, and Doug all three make Syrah from Hudson
grapes. The ones I have seem to have an earthiness in them that, to me,
speaks of Carneros grapes. Almost a Mourvedre-like component in the wines.
Or a Southern-Rhone character. It doesn't seem to have that bright blackberry
fruit of other cool-climate Syrah like, say, Durrel. Sort of that same
character that comes thru in Carneros Pinot, almost a clunky character.
But the Hudson vnyd is one to keep your eyes on; especially for other varieties
coming from it. The JadeMtn Mt.Veeder Syrah '95 was one of the best I've
had this year. Very much like the EdmundsStJohn Durrel in style.
This '96 version seems a bit less opulent & a bit more lean &
tight than the '95. But a terific Syrah it is. As we see more and more
mountain-grown Syrah come on line in Calif.... it just gets more &
more exciting; they've not yet reached their potential.
TomHill (struggling to restrain his enthusiasm... but w/ little success!)
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