Some brief notes from the last several days. An outstanding wine week, overall!
Ficklin Madera Port. Made with Touriga Nacional, a reminder that while I really don't care for very many of the varied varietal "ports" out there (Zinfandel, Petit Sirah, someone even had a nasty Merlot "port"!) I do like the lovely tawny styled "original" grapes, even when they come from the San Joaquin Valley and not Porto! Good/Very Good.
2004 Chateau Pontet-Canet. The 2000 I tried earlier must have been either flawed or shut down, because this wine, while 4 years younger, was a classic Bordeaux of tobacco, black fruit,, etc. Everything I like in a Bordeaux. Not cheap, but delicious. Very Good+
2003 Prevail "The West Face" Bordeaux Blend Sonoma (Alexander Valley). A "second label" for Ferrari-Carrano, the family hired a French Winemaker to vint Bordeaux blands from some of their mountainside Sonoma County (Alexander Valley) sites. This wine frankly remains impressive-based on two tastings now. While still smooth and rich like a California wine, there were loads of cedar, tobacco, leather to complement the blacberry and black currant fruit. All of us at Wine Styles who were lucky enough to try it agreed: Why pay three times as much for the name of Opus One (the one super-"prestige" wine they carry right now)? Lovely lovely wine. Very good/excellent.
2004 Cain Concept Napa/Sonoma Wine Styles was considering carrying this wine, so we all informally tasted it. Rich, opulent mouthfeel without a blast of vanilla flavor from the oak. I loved the mouthfeel! Unexpectedly, a hint of green pepper from this hot year! Decent soft tannins. Some of us wondered if this wine has the acid to really age? Given the soft tannins, I'm thinking this is a young drinker. Very good, nonetheless.
2004 Roy Family Cabernet Sauvignon From a small estate south of Stag's Leap District and near Pritchard Hill, this was a beautiful Napa Cab. Phillipe Melka is the winemaker for the Roy family. Unlike his rich and fruity CJ bottling, this is a "serious" wine. Can I admit that I liked this better than the more famous Cain Concept? There is definitely the lovely blackberry and black currant fruit, but there is already other things, good things going on. A nice twinge of herbal flavorings complements the powerful acidity. Oak and alcohol remain fully under control, framing the savory notes and tobacco/leather character. Still, there is the big Napa fruit, juicy and enjoyable when in balanace like here. Wait ten years! Bravo! Excellent!
2004 Domaine de Peyra "SG" Vin de Table de France Gamay Noir. Auvergne NW of Beaujolais in south-central France (East of Clermont-Ferrand) THIS was a strange one! It was being drunk up by several French people sitting at the bar at Terroir Wine Bar. The color is indescribable-a cloudy pinkish-ruby color! I've never seen anything like it! Someone commented that she was enjoying the wine because she had just come from drinking cider. And that's exactly what this wine was like-Vinous Cider! Flavors were very light and tart, with a cranberry element. Still, this was very savory and earthy as well. Excellent acidity! Strange but excellent-I bet this would go good with cheese! http://www.lesvinsnaturels.org/article.php3?id_article=85