First Press Juice
Date: Wed, Nov 12, 2008 Wine Tasting
Here's the juice on the First Press Grand Tasting held in Phoenix to support Arizona Public Radio. So in case you didn't get it, First Press is a pun, a jeu de mots, a play on words. Public radio is the "First Press" and the best wine comes from the first "pressing." What a great line up of wineries, most from the four hottest regions in the U.S. - Washington State, Sonoma and Paso Robles in California, and the Willamette Valley in Oregon. Once again, so many wines, so little time! I think I got to taste wine from almost half the wineries.
For a while, I poured wines from Balboa Winery in Walla Walla. These are some of the best values in Walla Walla wines. Winemaker Tom Glases purposefully set out to make reasonably priced wines from Walla Walla - a real rarity, but he cheated a little by sourcing the grapes from all over the Columbia Valley, thus avoiding the $3000 per ton, $30 a bottle equation. The wines are very user-friendly, fruit, forward, almost jammy, but not in-your-face .
I first fell in love with St. Laurent Riesling. Unfortunately, there was none to taste, so I tasted through the available wines. These wines are made from St. Laurent's 600 plus acre vineyard in the Wahluke Slope AVA. The Lucky Red and White are good values at about $15. The white is a medium-bodied fruity blend. Easy drinking, but not if you like a dry mouthfeel - kind of like a Chenin Blanc even though it is 50% Sauv Blanc and 15% Riesling among others. The reds were surprisingly good especially the Merlot.
Methvan - a new one from Oregon. The 2005 Pinot Noir Eola Hills is a great value at about $25. Mushrooms in the nose lead to classic sour cherry flavors. A nicely built, medium-bodied wine.
Note Bene - Once again Tim Narby is a consistent producer. The Abbinare and Miscela were particularly nice - beautifully balanced. It was a pleasure to renew my acquaintance with Sales and Marketing Director, Mark Rashap.
John Bell's 2003 Willis Hall Cabernet had outstanding fruit. John is one of the many great winemakers producing wine in the Puget Sound area from grapes trucked in from Eastern Washington. John's wines are difficult enough to find in the Seattle area. You might have better luck in Arizona.
Aaah - Lachini! So nice to see Ron Lachini again. Pinot Gris can be so boring, but the 2007 pinot Gris was wonderfully dry and really wowed me. The 2006 Estate Pinot Noir was outstanding as usual.
Nicholas Cole - The 2006 GraEagle Red Wing may not be Screaming Eagle, but less than $30, it is a lot more reasonably priced and it is delicious. The Camille is a good bigger sister.
The 2006 Red Mountain Saviah Syrah is an exceptionally elegant version of Syrah, more like a Syrah from the Yakima Valley.
Robert de Leuze has pretty much taken over the management of ZD Wines from his father. The wines have lightened up since his father pioneered Pinot Noir in California. I have a bottle of 1976 ZD Pinot that still appears to be intact.
Justin himself was pouring at the table right next to me. His Justification blend certainly doesn't have to justify itself to anyone. The 2006 Obtuse was way too dense for me, too sweet for my taste. The Savant really knew what it was doing and the Syrah was making me happy, too. The Chard was exquisite, beautifully balanced between hint of fresh citrus notes and stone fruit with a little oak thrown in.
The Basel Cellars wine were better than the last time I tasted them. The '06 Claret has a smoky nose lots of black fruit and is a perfectly balanced wine.
Bruce Cohn was pouring his Sonoma Valley wines. The '07 Sonoma County Chardonnay blew me away. Very French, somewhere between a Macon-Villages and a Pouilly-Fuisse, perhaps like a St. Veran. Another perfect wine. The 2006 Silver Label Cabernet Sauvignon is a great value.
Ann Anderson was pouring her Walter Dacon Syrahs. I finally found out who Walter Dacon was - Lloyd's grandfather. all of the Walter Dacon wines were wonderfully fruity and well balanced , but pleasingly more elegant than the jammier previous vintages.
Michal David, the Lodi winery, has great names for their wines such as their flagship Seven Deadly Zins and the wine isn't bad either The Petite Petit is a Petit Sirah souped up with a little Petite Verdot - a good value at around $20.
Hunt Cellars in so Robles is making good wines. I especially liked to Maestro.
I never even knew that Willamette Valley Vineyards made anything other than Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris. The 07 Pinot Gris was outstandingly fresh and lively. The Riesling was dry fresh, crisp and floral - just right.
I only regret that I wasn't able to taste B Cellars, Bonovia, CADE, Cana's Feast, Kathryn Kennedy, Loring, Northwest Cellars, or Stuhlmuller among others.
Altogether, an outstanding group of wineries supporting Arizona Public Radio.
Et Satan Conduit Le Bal, Conduit Le Bal!
Date: Tue, Nov 11, 2008 Wine Tasting
Dr. Faustus, warns that Harvard's endowment will be significantly diminished by the current financial crisis. Will Yale suffer the same problems or will they be bailed out by the sinking Goldman Sachs? Will the Skull and Bones triumph over the Crimson? Will Goldman Sacks let the Crimson go down the way they let Lehman Brothers disappear after rescuing Bear Stearns and AIG? What's this got to do with wine? Recently, wine economists have been concerned about the carbon footprint of wine. A worthy subject, but they seem to be in denial. Sources in Sonoma tell me that tasting room visits are down twenty-five percent. Shhssh, don't tell, they'd banish us, you know! How will the housing crisis and the financial crisis affect the wine world? Is there a wine bubble? Why do $30 wines cost $35 to $45? Why did 2005 Bordeaux First Growths start at $500 a bottle? Let's see, Dot.com bubble, housing bubble, wine bubble? The chief culprit? Greenspan! Allan bought peace in his time by keeping interest rates too low for too long. He averted a depression in 2000-2002, by creating the housing bubble. He talked about "irrational exuberance in, was it, 1996, when the Dow was at 6000, but did nothing about it letting the market rise to an exuberant 14,000. He got rid of Glass- Steagall, passed in the 1930s to avoid the kind of over-leveraged "Investment Bank" maneuvers of the past few years. There were to be banks and investment brokers and never were the twain to meet. He is in Shock! Shock and Awe! Disbelief! Hello? Where were you, when online mortgage broker wanted to know if I wanted to present documentation when trying to refinance? You're kidding me! What reasonable banker would give a person a loan without knowing if the borrower had any income or assets? Where were you when a mortgage broker didn't care about the fact that a friend couldn't have paid for food or anything else when he tried to spend every last penny on a down payment and would have been spending half of his monthly income on mortgage payments. Those alt A (liar's loans) and subprime mortgages sure paid the mortgage brokers well, up to $40,000 with kickbacks and other nefarious activities. The banks made out like bandits, since the brokers and bankers didn't have to live with their lousy loans. Just spread the merde all over the world in the alphabet soup form of CDOs, SIVs and other insidious tranches of poubelle. Let some poor little town in Northern Norway deal with it! Greenspan discovered a flaw! Unregulated capitalism, rapacious capitalism, counterparties would self regulate, the Invisible Hand knows best! Ask any San Francisco driver, "Who needs traffic lights?" - just drive up the wrong side of the street whenever you want.
Again, what's this got to do with wine? My sources provide contradictory evidence. One Washington State winery has supposedly increased sales 30% this year. One new wine wholesaler tells me that the wine market has frozen up this month just like the financial markets. Retailers are not buying at all, or are sticking only with their tried and true brands.
What happened to American innovation and experimentation? Have wine prices gone down in response to less demand, or is it like the old General Motors saying, "when sales go down, raise the price." I need a bailout! How about you? What did all those living and dead Vets fight for anyway? What has your experience been? What do you think? Here is an appropriate opportunity to comment anonymously.
Washington Snow Bird Alert
Date: Mon, Nov 10, 2008 Wine Tasting
Good news! If you are a Washington wine lover, your selection of Washington State wines in Arizona just about doubled. Seeking the sun, lots of Washington wine people have recently become snowbirds, including yours truly, Dick Erath and Dave Woods, former owner of Seattle Wine Cellars. David got the wanderlust and founded Wanderlust Trading Company so he could continue to drink his favorite Washington State wines in Arizona and, now, you can, too. It is impossible to name all of the wineries now available in Arizona - Fall Line, Cadence, Note Bene, Willis Hall, Walter Dacon to name just a few from the Puget Sound area. Outstanding wineries from Walla Walla include Basel Cellars, Cougar Crest, Dunham, Isenhauer, Nicolas Cole, Saviah, and Sleight of Hand. While in the past you could find wine from such wineries as Hogue, Red Diamond, Columbia Crest and Chateau Ste. Michelle, you really had to hunt and peck to turn up a bottle of Seven Hills or even the outstanding Uriah from Spring Valley. If you are so weird as to not like Washington wine, then you can choose from several Oregon selections such as Methvan , Cana's Feast, or Shadow Mountain Vineyards. Ask any Arizona retailer for them. Just tell them to call Wanderlust.
In Memorium: David Lett, Oregon Wine PIoneer
Date: Mon, Nov 10, 2008 Wine Tasting
It is with sadness that I report the passing of David Lett, founder of Eyrie Vineyards and pioneer Oregon winemaker. I believe it was around 1976 that a small intrepid group of iconoclasts and mavericks started trying to grow grapes and make wine in Oregon. An irascible independent spirit, David experimented until he got it right. Although some may have found him curmudgeonly, his fierce determination and single-mindedness of purpose led to some of the first Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc in the state. Today, there are over 350 wineries, over 700 vineyards and Oregon Pinot Noir is world famous. Eyrie is now in the hands of David's very able winemaking son, Jason, who will carry on the tradition of experimentation begun by his father. David was the living incarnation of the best of American freethinking and stubborn determination. Yes, he could. And he did! Thank you, David. You will be fondly remembered.
Four American Wine Hot Spots
Date: Fri, Nov 7, 2008 Wine Tasting
I have the good fortune to be able to travel up and down the West Coast fairly often, tasting my way through the best wine regions in the U.S. IMO, the four most exciting regions on the West Coast, that means the four most interesting in the U.S, are Washington State, Sonoma, Paso Robles and the Willamette Valley. Washington went from 6 to 600 wineries in just thirty years. Sonoma, the country within a county, is like a European country (is it France or Spain) just a hop skip and jump from San Francisco. Paso Robles has had an explosion similar to that of Walla Walla and is probably passing the 200 mark for wineries. The Willamette Valley in Oregon has become the Pinot Noir capital of the world thanks to the hard work of such pioneers as Dick Erath and the recently deceased David Lett. Now that I have all of my books in boxes, it is time to start taking them out. But you and I have been deprived of my blogging for the past several months, so I will take my time getting my books out and concentrate on blogging once again. Tomorrow I drive to Phoenix to taste at the First Press Wine Auction to support public radio in Arizona. A large percentage of those wines will be from Washington State thanks to the efforts of Dave Wood who founded Wanderlust Trading to bring great wine from Washington's best boutique wineries to Arizona. Look for reports on Washington, Sonoma, Paso Robles and Willamette wines in the coming weeks. Also, it's that time of year again - time for the Third Annual Unofficial Classification of Washington Wines, Gene's faves, Best New Wineries, Best Winemakers, Best Vineyards and, of course, some recommendations for the Holidays.
The Beginning Of The End?
Date: Thu, Nov 6, 2008 Wine Tasting
When I heard about the First Wine Bloggers Conference from Open Wine Consortium I was so excited I signed up immediately. A few days later , the second thoughts started to creep in. Was this the beginning of the end? I remember back in the '60s when the Transactional Analysis Journal was about to be published, I new it was the beginning of the end, kinda like when Steve Balmer took over Microsoft, you know, like the start-up becomes establishment, like when Robert Parker goes from Wine Maverick to Chief Wine Guru, like when Bambi becomes Godzilla. So it was with Fear & Trepidation that I drove to Santa Rosa. Would I be the oldest wine blogger there? Omigod would they all be 20-something? Uh oh, oh no, oh man! All those sponsors - Vineyard Walks, New Zealand, Sebastiani, Snooth, Twitter. Were wine bloggers selling out en masse? After all $59.63 from Adsense isn't going to support your habit, let alone your art. You have to have a day job, man. Now you can learn to drive subscribers to your blog, monetize your blog, accept advertising and free samples from wineries. It turned out to be fabulous, fun and educational. The group bonded fast! More so than, say a bunch of tax agents or psychoanalysts or even wine educators. I learned a lot, tasted a lot of wine, and made a lot of new friends - Kaz, Joel, Tom, Doug, Larry, Lori and Gabe to name just a few. The highlight for me was the real time live blogging while tasting wine.The only thing missing was Catie-the Wild Walla Walla Wine Woman. Is it the beginning of the end? I don't think so! Maybe the end of the beginning.
Wine Blogger's Weekend -WBC 08 - Live Blogging
Date: Fri, Oct 24, 2008 Wine Tasting
Boho - ho ho ho! Pleasant stuff in a box. Eco- friendly? Call Chardonnay $24 box + 4 Bottles
Central Valley A great way to use up the "Lake of Wines" Premium wine in a box? HWP, non-smoking, likes pets and volleyball/
Speed blogging like speed dating? Is it fun? Does it work? Will I marry any of these wines? A nightcap? How would it taste in the morning?
Stood up on our second date!
James David - 2007 Muscat- Citrus nose, pretty dry, more like a gewurztraminer. Sexier than the last one, HWP, too, but spicier and more interesting. This one wears glasses and reads books. A little kinky. A good date.
The Spaniard - Twisted Oak - Carmen plays Twisted Sister- Somehow this hot sexy Spaniard morphed into a young Matron. Pleasant upfront with round fruit, but a tangy twisted tail.
Dark Horse - Will this one be a winner? A long shot? Round, voluptuous, sinful Zin? Hint of unpleasant odors.
Small Vines - 2006 Pinot Noir - For $65, it better good, and it is, but I can get a cheaper date.
2006 Cupcake Vineyards Chardonnay - At $12 it it's an easy wine. A great value! I'll be back for more, but would I want to marry it?
2007 Kanzler Pinot Noir - Barrel sample, not yet bonded - 12 months in oak. For $48 it better be good. HWP, beautiful, centered, but not sexy.
2005 Bink Pinot Noir- Black Ink, At $40, this one merits a second date. I would take this baby to meet Bim. Right up there with my amateur friends . I might even take this one home to meet the folks.
2007 Roussanne Lionheart - Santa Ynez, Warm site - Tastes like an off Chard. Ready for the next date. $30.
2006 Sean Minor Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon - Finally a reasonable date, only $17 a date.
No movies out, no babystitter, no restaurant dinner, no popcorn, no BonBons, Just a bottle of wine and thou. Now, how do I like the wine and thou. A really great cheap date. HWP lots of upfront fruit, easy, luscious, almost voluptuous.
Wine in a box - 2008 Malbec from Argentina - $12 The box is not bad. A good cheap date.
Bonterra - biodynamique - 2004 The McNab Cab/merlot/Petite Syrah blend. I liked this beauty til I heard the price. $45 solemente!
2005 Clos La Chance - Good luck, buddy! Delicious, HWP, great berry fruit. For $30, a great date.
Is it fun? Yes! Does it work? great for new wineries. It was good for us. How was it for you?
Bim Bam, Thank You Mam
Date: Fri, Oct 24, 2008 Wine Tasting
Alls I can tell you is Bim is no flim flam man, he just makes great Pinot Noir in Sonoma. Just ask Patti, or King or Lady Lin. The first time I tasted Bim's Pinot at King and Lin's July 4th party last year, it was from an exceptional double magnum. This time around, the good Bim Bam Man poured a vertical tasting of six vintages. On a rare "summer" afternoon in October we toured the vineyard with some 80 odd vines in 80 degrees plus of heat, then sat down to Pinot accompanied by smoked salmon, cheese and other delights. Bim's first wine, a 1999-2000 blend tasted of forest and mushrooms - very complex. The 2001 seemed a little more acidic. The 2002 was perfectly balanced bigger and fruitier. The 2003 seemed to have quite a bit of Brett, but the underlying fruit was there. The 2004 had a small amount of Brett which did not detract from rich dark fruity wine. There was no 2005 because the good winemaker split for Crete when his vines had mildew. The 2006 has a tangy acid finish following the sour cherries. Most of Bim's wines have won silver medals. Lin and King brought along two gold medal winners. The '03 really wowed me - deep, big tobacco and cherry fruit. Finally Bim brought out two commercial wines including a Rodney Strong that was balanced, fruity and pleasant, but just not as interesting as any of the "amateur wines." These wine have character and are not made to the lowest common denominator. Bim, you're the man! Thank you, Man.
Whites To The Right Of Us, Whites To The Left Of Us
Date: Thu, Oct 23, 2008 Wine Tasting
Standing in the gardens of Grand Luce, it is easy to think of the Loire Valley white region, Jasnieres, just directly south, but the Loire Valley extends almost the length of France from the Muscadet in the west to Sancerre and Quincy in the east. These dry whites are positioned like the rooks on a chessboard guarding the sweeter Coteaux de Layon and Vouvray placed like the knights. Back to dry whites, Jasnieres and Savennieres for the Bishops guarding Chinon, the King, and Bourgeuil, the Queen. Various lesser wines like Tavel, Saumur, and Touraine take up the positions of the pawns. St. Nicholas de Bourgeuil can be thought of the Queen's pawn as it is almost always a good first move at the table, but first, perhaps, it is better to start with one of the wonderful Sparking wines of Saumur, perhaps the Kings pawn
In any event, these are the hidden gems of France. Even wines from the south of France are better known, more widely circulated, and frequently more expensive. Corbieres, Languedoc, Minervois, Bandol are all easier to find than many Loire Valley wines with the exception of Muscadet, Sancerre and Vouvray. It is worth the search for Chinon and Bourgeuil. BTW, the quality of these is quite consistent and because they are not well known they are usually among the most reasonably priced wines in restaurants. If you like semi-sweet whites then the Chenin Blanc based Vouvray is the wine for you. Coteaux de Layon is even better, but very hard to find in the states. If you ever see Jasnieres ( Gigou might be the best) or Savennieres, grab it. They are also consistently good but almost non-existent in the U.S. Although Bourgeuil and Chinon are both made from the Cabernet Franc grape, Bourgeuil is the lightweight sib. Chinon is the big brother and can sometimes have a lot of muscle, though it is usually HWP. Search for these wines, they are usually consistently good and more reasonably priced than many others on the market. Kermit Lynch in Berkeley is a good place to start.
Deepest Darkest France
Date: Mon, Sep 22, 2008 Wine Tasting
For along time, I thought that inner Laurelhurst, in Seattle, was the darkest place on earth, but nothing really interesting ever turned up there. Then, having read Konrad's Heart of Darkness, we thought the heart of the Congo was the darkest place. Then we discovered Salers, deep inside the Auvergne, in the rural, rustic heart of France. There we discovered Pouinti and the fabulous terrines and pates of France, to say nothing of the wonderful aperitif called Salers. Sunday night, with Chef Yves gone, we ventured out into the countryside in search of l'Hermitagerie in a slow moving caravan of four cars. After many false starts and turns we alighted in front of "Topgarage" to telephone ahead. South of St. Vincent, turn to the right toward Julipe, turn to the left at the sign, follow the narrow road around just as the sun is setting.There deep in a forest we see lights and, Voila!, we are there.
Inside we are presented with a bright cheery room with a tartan plaid on the ceiling. Although the staff spoke no English, they were extraordinarily amiable and competent. Despite being a group of sixteen, we were able to choose individually from an incredible menu some highlights of which include wild boar terrine, skate, Coq au Vin Sarthois with chicken, ham, mushroom and escargot. The cold smoked foie gras was mind-blowing as was the venison in juniper and black pepper sauce.
The wine list had exhaustive selections of local and regional wines and even included wine from other parts of France such as Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Rhone. There was even a bottle from Chile. As had become our custom we started with sparking wine of the region, in this case, a "Petillant Du Loir" from Diane de Behaute - an incredible dry bubbly with good body and flavors. Next we had the best Jasnieres of the trip - 2005 Jasnieres Gigou - perhaps the most balanced white I have ever had. Made from the chenin blanc grape, but dry and balanced like a chardonnay without the oak and tropical fruit. Cool, fresh and stony - truly a masterpiece that would rate at least 91 on a scale of 100. Finally, with the Venison, a 2005 Bourgueil Lame Delisle Bonchard, Domaines des Chenaies" - the biggest Bourgueil we tasted with the body of a Chinon. Big ,dark, red, lots of fruit, good backbone - truly amazing, rating at least a 92. All these wines were around the amazingly reasonable restaurant price of 20E. After dessert we wended our way down the same narrow country roads lit by a half harvest moon. What a magnificent secret tucked away in the woods. What a great recommendation form Timothy Corrigan. The best source of Bourgueil and Chinon in the states is Kermit Lynch.
My Dinner From Yves
Date: Thu, Sep 18, 2008 Wine Tasting
Last night we enjoyed langoustines with Muscadet and Jasniere, followed by veal with Cepes and potatoes. The Bourgueil worked but was a little on the light side, The Chinon was bigger , though only medium bodied - perfect withe veal and cepes. Virtually all the wines went well with the spectacular cheese course. Coteaux de Layon was heavenly with Yves Strawberry tart. Not too heavy in the way that some Sauternes can be. Yves, Melanie and Cami, pulled it if with smooth service for eighteen people. Can't wait to see what Yves will come up with tonight. I will be giving a brief class to the group on Loire Valley wines, but I am hoping to use some of the Gaillac and Madiran , I couldn't help buying, too! These southwest wine are so good and inexpensive and so hard to find in the U.S.
Le Chateau De Mon Ami
Date: Wed, Sep 17, 2008 Wine Tasting
I met Tim Corrigan when he was a mere boy of eight. I told him then that he would do great things. Now, an internationally famous designer, he invited his charming mother and sevnteen friends to spend a week at his Chateau, Le Grand Luce. And Grand it is with twenty to forty rooms. We feel like Cinderella and Cinderello for a week. The greatest thing of all - it's central location in the Loire Valley and the opportunity to taste all those wonderful Loire Valley wines.
I have mentioned in the past that I learned most of what I know about wine from my mentor, Fritzy Haskell, of Haskell's Liquors in Minneapolis. Back in those days there was very little interest in wine in the U.S. , but Fritzy had a passion for wine which she supported by selling liquor. She was so passionate about the wines of France (there was hardly any California wine at that time, especially, outside of California) that she arranged the wines of France in her shop the same layout as the geography of France. In other words, Loire Valley in the upper left, Chablis, Champagne and Burgundy in the upper right, Rhone wines in the lower right, and Bordeaux in the lower left. The Loire Valley wines stretched all the way across the shop from dry Muscadet in the"west" to dry Sancerre, Pouilly Fume and Quincy in the "east" In between were the sweeter whites of the Loire - Coteaux de Layon slightly to the "west" Vouvray slightly to the "east" and in the middle the glorious Cab Franc based reds of Chinon and Bourgueil.
Throw in some Savenniere, some Rose , Saumur, Quarts de Chaume, and a few others and you had the wines of the entire east-west length of the Loire available right there in the Midwest in the med- twentieth century along the north-south banks of the Missisippi River. I have never seen such an extensive collection of Loire Valley wines anywhere, not in any of thirty five countries, nowhere in the states, not even in the Loire Valley.
To celebrate our visit to Le Grand Luce, we toasted Tim Corrigan with some Kir Royale made with some gentle soft Vin Mousseux purchased right next door to the chateau A light supper was accompanied by some chilled red Saint Nicolas de Bourgueil. Last night our cepes omelettes, perfectly prepared by our Condon Bleu trained chef, Yves, were accompanied by some soft 2005 Jasnieres white. Tonight a more formal dinner. Stay tuned!
Rombauer Bordeaux?
Date: Sat, Sep 13, 2008 Wine Tasting
Remodeling is almost the same as moving, but more disconcerting. Our last bottle of 1995 Rombauer Merlot eased the pain. This seamlessly smooth wine tasted like the grapes had been raised right on the border between St. Julian and Margaux.- the supple elegance of Margaux combined with the velvety, soft texture of St Julian. Is this really an American wine ? Is it really 13 years old?
Syrah's Cousin
Date: Thu, Sep 4, 2008 Wine Tasting
You could think of Syrah as a big sister, but compared to Mourvedre it might be a little sister. "Mary, Mary, quite contrary, eating her curds and whey..." Mary may like her cheese, but she certainly wasn't contrary to the notion of tasting a little Mourvedre. In fact, we all enjoyed tasting five Mourvedres and the striking thing was how good they all were. The 2006 Cotes a Cotes blend from L'Aventure, a blend of 40% Mourvedre, 30% Grenache, 30% Syrah was the favored wine, perhaps because of it's smooth, delicious, fruit forward nature. Despite it's 16.5% alcohol, it was elegant, smooth and seamless. The 2005 Mourvedre from Tablas Creek was equally delish in the same fruit forward way. The other three Veds were wonderful in more complex ways. The 2002 McCrea Sirocco was much more complex and complicated than the two California babes. The 2003 Cline Ancient Vines, also from California, was a more intellectual type than her cousins from farther south. It seemed as if she had been chewing on a lead pencil for a long time. The 2003 Callaghan Mourvedre from the Buena Suerte Vineyard in Sonoita, Arizona, was clearly the cowgirl of the bunch with notes of spice, tobacco and a little sweat mixed in. Could this be the woman from Alaska visiting Senator McCain in his home state? Ya see, empirically speakin', she did finish last with almost three quarters of a bottle left at the end of the evening. Spicy and complex, perhaps her tart finish led to a pregnant moment of surprise or should we say, shock and awe?
