Abstract 2010

Abstract 2010
Rhone Blend $29.99 (Grenache, Petite Sirah, Syrah)
Napa, CA
15.7% Alcohol
Lauren - 4.5 stars
Judy - 3.5 stars
John - 3.5 stars
Charles - 4.0 stars

Dark, Purple-Red.  Stained legs.  Med/Low contrast.

Sweet and fruity on the nose.  Slight alcohol presence.

Concentrated fruit.  Fruit Forward.

Held up in a taste taste with the Darioush.

Sketchbook 2008

Sketchbook 2008
Cabernet Sauvignon $19.00
Mendocino, CA
13.5% Alcohol
John - 2.5 stars
Lauren - 2.0 stars
Charles 2.5 stars
Judy - 2.0 stars

smelled of campfire is the only note I have written down :(

Judging by our scores, this isn't a wine we were that pleased with.  However it should be noted that we were drinking really nice wines that night, and this one couldn't really compete.  Had we been drinking this next to a $10-$12 wine, the scores may have been much different!

Probably should re-taste.

Heitz Grignolino 2009

Heitz 2009

Grignolino $19.83

Napa, CA

13.8% alcohol 

Charles - 2.0 stars

Melissa - 1.5 stars

Visual: Pretty, dark ruby in color, low contrast, slight robing. No staining, quick forming legs.

Aromatics: Blackberries, Strawberries, Pear. Earthiness, sweet. Light molasses scent. 

Taste: Tastes as it smells, has an illusive element that remains unidentifiable though you recognize that you have been exposed to it before. Sweet initially on palate followed by tartness that continues throughout with a slight bitterness on the endnote, almost as though the wine is young.  Good dryness, tannic.  Short finish, almost abrupt in nature. Crisp flavoring with little complexity and one dimensional.  The adolescent of wine. 

Pairings: 3 Cheeses : Etorki - Sheeps milk basque from France; Young Tomme- Sharp cheddar with slight bluing through out; Garrotxa - Goat cheese from Spain.  Wine has very little flavor play with pairing. 

Notes:  Known in its native Piedmont, Italy for its acidity, and traditionally used as a table wine.  Recommeded for a hot day as a suitable replacement for a Rose.  The tartness keeps it light on the palate without any warmth provided from spice or multi-dimensional flavor profiles. Upon decanting, the wine becomes increasingly aromatic but is accompanied with a slight bitterness that is now present from start to finish. 

Mac Murray 2009

Mac Murray 2009
Pinot Noir $20.99
Sonoma, CA
13.5% Alcohol
Lauren - 3.5 stars
Judy - 3.5 stars
Charles - 3.0 stars
John Dillon - 4.0 stars
Lynn T. - 4.0 stars

Light Red, low contrast

Strawberries, very floral, soft fruits

Slightly dry taste with cherry.

Darioush 2008

Darioush 2008
Cabernet Sauvignon $85.99
14.8% Alcohol
Napa, CA
Lauren 3.5 stars
Judy - 3.5 stars
Charles - 3.5 stars
John Dillon - 4 stars

Moderate contrast, dark color (orangish red), lightly stained legs. Thick high alcohol.  Good clarity

Not very fruity. Dry fruits, leather, earth, rainy day, dirt

Tastes like it smells, low complixity.  Slightly dry.  Very long finish.

Wine opened up a lot after 1 hr.  Should have completed the full tasting again after it opened up.  Completely different wine, and for the better.  Would drink again, but would allow it to breathe before tasting.

Fleur 2011

Fleur 2011
Pinot Noir $14.99
Carneros, CA
 2.0  Stars (Melissa)
2.5 Stars (Charles)

Low contrast, good clarity.  Light color, slightly orange.

Does not stain the glass.  Legs form slow and are not prominent.

Not very hot, low alcohol content. Ripened fruits, cherries and plum.  Pretty fruit forward wine.  Maybe a bit of earthiness or moss as an overtone.

Cherries do not come through on the taste, its more dominated by black berry or plum.  Pepper on the back end, with a dry finish. Earthy tones also not present when tasting. Tannins are notable.

For this price range, there are other Pinots that I would spend my money.  Its also not really representative of what I would expect out of a Pinot.  Not necessarily terrible, but worth mentioning. Also I don't taste the Pinot grape.  That disappoints me.

Orin Swift F1 "Locations" N.V.

Orin Swift F1 “Locations” NV

I wanted to like this wine.   Actually I still want to.

I have heard a ton of good talk about F1, and I have been a cheerleader for Orin Swift forever. I think we’ve got a couple of Papillons in the cabinet, and I know there is a Mercury Head in there.

The label suggests a mysterious ambiguity, in alignment with the tradition of Orin Swift, but at the same time reminds me of those cult bumper stickers, OBX, LAX . . . you know the ones.

Aside from the shape of the bottle, and the obvious French flag, there is no indication of exactly where and when.  With these things in mind, I uncorked the bottle and took my first obligatory inhale before pouring: red fruit, cinnamon, done. Burgundy.   I announced this proudly to my wife, check marked a victory in record time, and poured two glasses.

Fail.

This wine is big, but subdued.  It is from anywhere in France than Burgundy.  Rhone is obvious and confirmed from reviews, Grenache, Carignan, and Bordeaux grapes that no one seems to commit to.  I chose not to decant the wine because I thought it was a Burgundy, maybe a misstep there.

Too subdued.  I never really got it, I never understood F1 Locations.   The dark fruit, the leather, the spice, all those things characteristic of great French wine, were still too quiet.

I’m not approaching this wine with criticism, I am admitting I didn’t understand it.  For my first entry into this blog I realize this is a rather weak debut, but I chose to blog the wine before I drank it.

A few possible conclusions: 

F1 reminded me most of what it feels like when you are having a conversation with someone who you believe has something to tell you, but is not saying it. Allusions and expressions can suggest to you that the real conversation is going on, but it’s not on the surface.

Also, maybe F1 really is a bumper sticker.  Maybe like those that show that OBX on the back of their car. They want me to recognize a place that they feel is worth recognizing, but they don’t want me to understand it, else it wouldn't be theirs to show.

Either way, I think that F1 and I need to continue our conversation.