Sweet and Sour Spectator

• 1998 Chapel Down Pinot Noir - England, Kent
  Brown with lightening at the edges. Eucalyptus and mint, acidic and earthy. Poured blind. Guessed a Rhone. Not a good guess. (82 pts.)

California Pinot Noirs

We started with a big flight of pinot noir from SLH and north.

• 1999 Dehlinger Pinot Noir Goldridge - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
  Reserved nose / clear medium red color / light tannins and good balancing acidity / medium body and sweet finish. Very enjoyable (90 pts.)
• 2001 Martinelli Pinot Noir Reserve - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
  Medium red color, a bit of bret-like aroma on the nose. Clean wine, very ripe but not especially interesting; a bit alcoholic and hot. (88 pts.)
• 2000 Copain Pinot Noir Cerise Vineyard - USA, California, Mendocino County, Anderson Valley
  Black fruit, medium light body, good peppery spicy palate, but a bit watery and weak. Has good structure may get better with time. (87 pts.)
• 2000 Ojai Pinot Noir Pisoni Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands
  Color is deep and dark, but if you get enough light behind it,you see that it is clear like a gem. The palate is lush with a full body and layers of spice. It isn't at all overly ripe or monolithic and it has a long sweet finish and plenty of structure giving evidence for a long life to come. Excellent wine, and it was universally praised by attendees at the tasting. I am going to wait two (or more) years before trying it again. (93 pts.)
• 2002 Goldeneye Pinot Noir - USA, California, Mendocino County, Anderson Valley
  Dark red color. Good acidity and structure. Black fruit, medium body and good finish. Very good wine which will age well. (91 pts.)
• 2003 Lucia Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands
  Modest nose, dark color. Low acid, a bit overripe and not a lot of structure. Drink now. (88 pts.)
• 2004 Alcina Cellars Pinot Noir Russian River Valley - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
  Still very primary. Very ripe red/purple fruits and a medium full body. Mild tannins. Quite approachable for a young wine.

Bordeaux

Another well-aged treat from Alex and Adam.

• 1990 Château Les Grands Chênes - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc
  Cigar box and cedar nose. light body & smoky finish. Not a heavyweight. (86 pts.)

California Cabs

This was a great flight of some well-aged CA Cabernet Sauvignons.

• 1974 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley
  From a magnum. Still dark red and youthful looking. Aromas and tastes, just like a good left bank Bordeaux. Nose and palate of cigar box, excellent structure and long finish. Tremendous stuff. (94 pts.)
• 1984 Daniel Estate Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley
  Medium body though lacking in extraction and seeming a bit watery. Doesn't have the fruit to support the structure that remains. (88 pts.)
• 1985 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate - USA, California, Napa Valley
  Lighter in color than '86 tasted at the same time. Very tannic with a steel structure. Not as balanced or lush as the 1986. (92 pts.)
• 1986 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain - USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain
  Still a youthful dark red. Although tannic, it is full of fruit with a medium body and a long sweet finish. Serious stuff. (93 pts.)
• 1986 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate - USA, California, Napa Valley
  Medium red color with no bricking. Still young with good structure and very noticable tannins. Excellent fruit and balance. Really nice elegant CA cab. (94 pts.)

California Syrah

Another top notch flight - this time with California's take on Rhone varietals.

• 1997 Paloma Syrah - USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District
  Good spicy/peppery nose. Pepper and spice and great complexity on the palate showing a medium body and a long sweet finish with good tannins. Really good wine. (91 pts.)
• 2000 Dehlinger Syrah Goldridge - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
  Reticent nose, noticeable acid, medium body and medium finish. Perfectly reasonable well-made wine. (88 pts.)
• 2000 Havens Wine Cellars Syrah - USA, California, Napa Valley
  Flabby, little structure, a bit overripe, low acid. Pleasant, but not interesting. (85 pts.)
• 2000 Shafer Relentless - USA, California, Napa Valley
  Rich, fruity, big nose. Palate shows bittersweet chocolate and a medium-full body. Long tannic finish. Quite good wine, but far from ready. (92 pts.)
• 2001 Shafer Relentless - USA, California, Napa Valley
  Nose of cola and dark fruit. Monster tannins with lots of ripe fruit to balance. Very long and very tannic finish. This will be great stuff, but it is going to take years. (93 pts.)
• 2002 Alcina Cellars Syrah Gabrielli Vineyard - USA, California, Mendocino County, Redwood Valley
  Sweet ripe fruit with cola tastes but good balance. Long, sweet finish. Yummy. (91 pts.)
• 2003 Pax Cuvée Moriah - USA, California, Sonoma County
  Really ripe and full of fruit; full body good structure nice long finish. Good stuff. (Though it is a bit weird that it says "Syrah" on the label when it is a classic GSM with only 16% Syrah) (92 pts.)

This was a great dinner, lasting from about 6:30 until close to 11:00 p.m. Everyone seemed to have a great time (I know I did); and they all got home safe, too! (even though one member of the group -who shall remain nameless- stayed behind and drank Tequila with one of Zuppa's owners).