by Jenise » Tue Jun 12, 2018 5:34 pm
2016 Spy Valley Pinot Noir Rosé Marlborough
Agree with Xavier's observations but with almost another year of bottle age the depth and complexity he notes have magnified in all the best ways. Yet another example of good things coming from letting roses sit out a year.
2015 Mission Hill Pinot Noir Terroir Collection No.43 Reflection Point Okanagan Valley, B.C.
Interesting wine: very peppery and tasty but more gamayish to me than pinot noir. Liked it no less for that, just sayin'. Would drink sooner than later, don't think it has the stuffing for age.
2015 Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc Wild Marlborough
Drank a '17 regular then this '15 Wild. Obvious results ensued: fruity youngster vs. bottle age and ramped-up herbaceousness and votes for 'best' divided along party lines. Put me down for Wild.
2011 Force Majeure Collaboration Series I Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Red Mountain Red Bordeaux Blend
Tight. Tannins seem to be in charge at the moment. There's some heat too--14.8% in a cool and difficult vintage like 2011? How the heck did that happen? Let other bottles rest or give a long decant.
2006 Long Shadows Wineries Merlot Pedestal Columbia Valley
From magnum. Not at all a fruit bomb--this was a classic style WA vintage and it shows in this wine. Balanced boysenberry fruit with some interesting secondary nuances from bottle age. NICE.
2009 Dakota Creek Cabernet Franc Rattlesnake Hills
Drinking superbly right now. Sweet fruit as befits the vintage but peppery, minty and minus the heat that made so many other 09's avoidable.
2012 Betz Family Cabernet Sauvignon Père de Famille Columbia Valley
Drinking well. However, softer than I expected from a Betz Famille: whether that's the 2012 vintage or a change of direction in Betz wines, not sure.
2013 Doubleback Syrah Stolen Horse Columbia Valley
'Doubleback' is the winery owned by football player Drew Bledsoe. Excellent syrah, superb balance and elegant which seem to be typical of his brand, subtly achieved without oak planks or velvet robes. An anti-funk style (I love funk and that's coming through in a lot of WA syrahs--but many don't).
My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov