- 2006 Core Rosé Alta Mesa - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County (7/12/2007)
Big fruit with some glycerin mixed in. Very refreshing acidity carries this big load quite well. Very tasty. - 2005 Core White Blend 613 Alta Mesa - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County (7/12/2007)
This wine sees full malolactic fermentation so the tropical notes are there, but there is also this verve to the fruit. Something very intriguing and enjoyable. It's almost a flintiness from the Roussanne. Wonderful food wine when matched appropriately. - 2005 Core b. core Alta Mesa - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County (7/17/2007)
As one would expect from the blend, you get the best of both worlds. Gun flint, chalk and hightoned citrus from the Roussanne. Lanolin, bees wax and pineapple from the Marsanne. At this point the wine needs sometime to open up. There is plenty of structure for this wine to age. It should be interesting to follow the evolution and see if the wine closes down ala Hermitage Blanc. - 2005 Core Red Blend - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County (7/17/2007)
Showing a darker fruit profile than the '04 163 Red Blend, with less sweetness as well. As others have noted a good acidty presence which is a trademark of the Corey wine philosophy. Drunk from .375ml. - 2005 Core Hard Core - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County (7/12/2007)
Tasted from 375ml. Showing somewhat tight on the nose with the Cab. Sauv. coming through load and clear on the palate. Much more polished than the '04 with an elegance to the fruit. This should be a winner on release in Oct. '07. - 1999 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (7/12/2007)Very pure nose of bright raspberries, cherries, some earthy peppery notes. Very clean on the palate with more of the raspberries/cherries and a touch of garrigue. Wonderful concentration and palate presence. Very clean wine for the brett phobic crowd. Excellent acid presence providing even more lift to the already explosive fruit. The wine retains a rather elegant feel and quality as it finishes long and strong. Very nice indeed.
- 2000 Les Cailloux (André Brunel) Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (7/12/2007)Lots of dried herbs, a dollup of barnyard and fresh cherries on the nose. The palate has great texture, soft and velvety. Cherries, crushed flowers and glycerine on the palate. Nice extended finish. Drinking extremely well right now.
- 2005 Core Elevation Sensation Alta Mesa - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County (7/12/2007)Tasted from a 750ml. bottled the previous week. WOW!!! An awesome wine. Great depth of fruit with a menage of red and dark fruits coming through. Super structure as well, with some fine drying tannin and acidity. The fruit is so concentrated that it overrode the tannin on the long and pleasurable finish. This is simply going to be a great wine.
- 1995 Pahlmeyer Proprietary Red - USA, California, Napa Valley (7/12/2007)
Nose of herbs, cocoa, currant and kirsch. Strong palate presence with some fine tannin left, something I don't mind. Showing some maturity on the palate with complex fruit aromas, herbs and tobacco. Still has the structure to age though this wine is in a good place right now.
There was also a Berhens & Hitchcock wine that I cannot remember and did not really make a great impression. These are wines I just do not understand.
This was a great night of fun and Dave was in his normal form of spitting and hitting everything but the dump bucket.