The Winter tasting season in these parts came to a close last weekend
with the 5th Annual IndyWine Festival, a mammoth charity tasting
benefitting the Indianapolis PBS station. IMO, over the years it's
become more of an event for the retailers and distributors to clear
their inventories, but it's still for a good cause. Over 600 people
showed up to taste over 200 wines at 48 tables. What follow are my
notes of the 32 wines I tasted that evening:

2002 St. Supery Sauvignon Blanc ($15.95)
n: grassy, grapefruit
p: grass, tropical fruits, grapefruit
One of my favorite CA SBs, this year's version again hits the mark with
enough acidity and fruit to stand up against the Kiwi competition.

2001 Luna Pinot Gris ($17.95)
n: toasty, pineapple
p: clean entry, follwed by juicy pineapple and a crisp finish
Not a producer I know from Napa, but a well rendered PG. It could use a
bit more of everything, but was very attractive nonetheless.

2002 Rymill Sauvignon Blanc ($14.95)
n: herbaceous, grapefruit
m: green pepper and modest fruitiness
I'm always intrigued but rarely impressed by Aussie SBs. This one was
actually one of the better examples I've had, but still fell short in
comparison to the others I tried.

2002 Mud House Sauvignon Blanc ($14.95)
n: Passion fruit and guava
p: crisp entry, followed by citrusy flavors overlaid with some floral
notes
The only place I ever see this label is at this tasting. Not a bad
example of a Marlborough SB, but not up to the level of Grove Mill or
The Crossings.

2002 Caymus Conundrum ($26.95)
n: peaches and mineral notes
p: toasty entry, with floral and stone fruit flavors, followed by a
clean finish
It's been a few years since I last had this proprietary white blend, and
it's obviously changed character in the interim. Tasted blind, I would
have sworn that it was a viognier (and there certainly is quite a bit in
here), but there's probably also some SB and semillon. Gone is the
muscat character that I remember from the early editions, but it's still
a very attractive wine and the price is more attractive now, too! :-)

2002 Seghesio Pinot Grigio ($13.95)
n: pineapple and honey
p: medium body, pineapple and honey flavors, with a clean finish
As I've enjoyed their Zins for years, I was interested to try their
other varietals. This was a clear QPR winner, with good Pinot Gris
character and no intrusive oakiness.

2002 Louis Jadot Pouilly-Fuissé ($25.95)
n: fenugreek (!!) and toast
p: pineapple, finishing cleanly with some toastiness at the end
Not a bad example, but nothing very memorable, either.

2002 Arrowood Viognier ($31.95)
n: floral and mineral notes, white peach fruit
p: rich fruit upon entry with flavors of pineapple and peach, medium
body, finishing absolutely cleanly.
Wow! For this jaundiced taster of CA viogniers, this wine was a
surprise and a half. Great viognier character and good weight in the
mouth. Best of all, it was not overtly oaked! Even the price is not
too bad when one considers the competition (i.e., Condrieu).

Then, on to the reds...

2000 Monticello 'Corley Vyd' Pinot Noir ($26.95)
n: smoky, red fruits
p: lightly fruity, with mineral and smoke notes
The fruit for this wine was sourced from Napa Valley (not Carneros)
vineyards, but didn't taste overripe at all. Lighter in body, but with
good varietal character.

2000 LeGrys Marlborough Pinot Noir ($25.95)
n: buttery, with smoke and subdued fruit
p: medium body, with a rich, velvety mouthfeel and smoky berryish fruit.

Less green and sappy than many of the NZ Pinots I've had (and from
6-year old vines at that!), with real varietal character, but no bargain
at this price.

2002 Argyle Pinot Noir ($16.95)
n: butter, oak, soft red fruit
p: butter, slight smokiness and modestly fruity
Lighter and less acidic from most of the Willamette Valley Pinots I've
had recently, but a bit too much obscuring the fruit to make it
appealing even at this price.

2001 Keyhole Ranch [Seghesio] Russian River Pinot Noir ($26.95)
n: smoke, light berry fruit, alcohol
p: butter, round cherryish fruit and a clean finish
Not a memorable Pinot, but not bad. They tell me that next year it will
also have the Seghesio name on it.

2000 Sheep's Back Shiraz ($23.95)
n: mint and (for our US readers) Windex volatility (!!)
p: mint and cedar over moderate blackberry fruit, finishing cleanly.
All in all, a fairly nice Shiraz, apart from the strange volatility I
got in the nose. It showed a bit more complexity than the typical
Aussie Shiraz.

2000 Lincourt Syrah ($20.95)
n: mint, cedar, dark fruit, slight alcoholic heat
p: cedar and mint, red fruits and black pepper, finishing slightly
tannic with good acid.
A nice surprise here! CA Syrah is improving by leaps and bounds it
would seem. Not at all flabby or soft, this wine could pass for a
quality Aussie Shiraz and in fact outperformed the Sheep's Back at a
lower price.

2001 Ridge Lytton Springs ($25.95)
n: cedar, tar and blackberry fruit
p: rich entry, red berry fruit with balanced acidity, medium-full body,
ending in a slightly tannic finish.
One of my favorite wines, year in and year out, it didn't disappoint.
Classic Lytton Springs Zin with a good future ahead of it. Glad I've
got some squirreled away in the cellar. It still needs a year or two
before it'll be at its best, IMO.

2001 Renwood 'Old Vines' Zinfandel ($22.95)
n: minerals, cedar, red fruit
p: juicy entry, with mint and tart fruit flavors, followed by acids and
tannin in the finish.
Very nice Zin, though it was a bit overshadowed by the Lytton Springs.

2000 St. Francis 'Old Vines' Zinfandel ($22.95)
n: tart raspberry, oak and butter
p: fruity entry, followed by acids and a slightly oaky finish
I have found past years' versions of this wine overwhelmed by oak, but
this one was far more restrained in its oakiness. Not bad at all.

2002 Seghesio Sonoma Zinfandel ($14.95)
n: minerals and berry fruit
p: rich entry, followed by classic Zin berry fruit with balanced acidity
and a slightly tannic finish.
A bargain in quality Zinfandel. Not for aging, but should make for
good drinking over the next year or so. Alas, they ran out of the '01
before I got there, so I couldn't compare it.

2001 Cline California Zinfandel ($9.95)
n: minerals, cedar, tart berry fruit
p: mint, medium body, berryish fruit, slightly tannic with an acidic
finish
Another good bargain Zin! Maybe a touch more acidic than it needs to
be, but still a nice wine for drinking while your Geyserville is
developing... ;-)

2000 Duckhorn Paraduxx ($49.95)
n: tart, Zin berry fruit
p: rich entry, berry fruit and some oak, followed by a clean finish.
I've liked this Cab/Zin blend a lot in the past few vintages, and this
one isn't bad (but not up to the level of the fantastic '98 or '99). It
comes across like a medium-full bodied Zin without much Cabernet
character showing at the moment. Not worth the pricetag this year, I
think.

2000 Masi Campo Fiorin ($15.95)
n: cherryish, almos candied fruit, herbs
p: acidic on entry, with tart cherry fruit and an acidic finish
From somewhere in the Veneto, I suspect, and mostly Corvina, but not as
interesting as a good Valpolicella Classico.

2001 Banfi Centine ($10.95)
n: bright red fruit, pine sap
p: tart entry and red fruit
Not a bad wine, but a bit lean.

2000 Banfi Chianti Classico Riserva ($19.95)
n: dusty cherry and oak
m: acids and cherryish fruit with a tart finish
Not bad, but certainly not in the same league with e.g. Felsina or di
Ama.

2001 Michele Chiarlo 'Le Orme' Barbera D'Asti ($13.95)
n: spicy, cherryish fruit
p: slightly corked? rich mouthfeel with muted fruit and a clean finish
I suspect that this wine was a bit corked, but it was the last bottle so
I couldn't be sure. I had the feeling that this was a better, more
fruity wine than I was getting. Even so, pretty good.

1997 Calvano Nobile di Montepulciano ($21.95)
n: smoke, tart cherry, mineral notes
p: acidic entry, tart cherry and smoky notes, with a clean finish
Very nice Sangiovese. I wasn't sure why the label didn't have the
"vino" before "Nobile" but I'd take this wine over any number of dull
Chiantis.

2000 Serra Ponte 'Crognolo' IGT Toscano ($19.95)
n: tarry, slight barnyard notes, dried cherry fruit
p: rich entry, dusty fruit, long finish
Another nice Sangiovese-based wine. A bit odd in the nose, but good
fruit present on the palate.

2000 Seghesio Sonoma Barbera ($19.95)
n: cranberries
p: beryish fruit and acidity with a slightly tannic finish
An interesting comparison with the Piemontese Barbera, this wine was
definitely simpler but still appealing.

2000 Livingston Moffett Cabernet Sauvignon ($27.95)
n: juicy, dark fruit, cedar
p: rich entry, moderately fruity, balanced acidity and a slightly tannic
finish
My first encounter with this winery -- a bit thin but not unpleasant.

2000 Clos du Val Cabernet Sauvignon ($27.95)
n: new oak, cassis fruit
p: slightly thin, with some tannic and faint fruit
It's been years since I've had a Clos du Val CS. 2000 was probably not
the year to pick to renew my acquaintance...

1999 Flora Springs Trilogy ($59.95)
n: butter, faint fruit
p: acidic and thin, with a tart and tannic finish
I expected much better from this wine and year, but it was a dud.

1999 Rodney Strong 'Alden' Cabernet Sauvignon ($29.95)
n: cedar, slight oakiness, dark fruit
p: medium rich, with oak and acids
Another '99 that was a bit lacking in the fruit department.

1997 Cosentino 'The Poet' ($55.95)
n: herbal, blackberry
p: slightly tannic entry, thin in the midpalate and lightly fruity with
a tannic finish
I fear that the tannins will outlast the fruit in this wine.

2000 Spring Mountain Estate Cabernet Sauvignon ($90.95)
n: cedar, red berry fruit
p: coffee, modest fruit and tannins, finishing with tannins
Another anemic CalCab selling for an obscene price. Give me 4 of the
Lytton Springs, please!

Overall, the biggest positives of the tasting were the Arrowood
Viognier, the Caymus Conundrum, the Lincourt Syrah, the Chiarlo Barbera
and the Calvano VNdM. The negatives were without question the
lackluster California Cabernets, and the fact that I missed a few wines
through either their running out or lack of time (2000 Gary Farrell RRV
Pinot and some of the Cline wines, f'rinstance). Still, an enjoyable
tasting in the name of a good cause.

Mark Lipton

Hi Mark:

In article >, Mark Lipton >
writes:

>2002 St. Supery Sauvignon Blanc ($15.95)
>One of my favorite CA SBs

Mine too, because it never tries to taste like a CalChard!

>
>2002 Caymus Conundrum ($26.95) Gone is the
>muscat character that I remember from the early editions, but it's still
>a very attractive wine and the price is more attractive now, too! :-)
>
Hmm, the Muscat was most interesting part. What were you paying that $27 looks
good for Conundrum!


>2002 Louis Jadot Pouilly-Fuissé ($25.95)
Price pain, price pain!

>2002 Arrowood Viognier ($31.95)
thanks, will look for


>
>2000 Lincourt Syrah ($20.95)
>A nice surprise here! CA Syrah is improving by leaps and bounds it
>would seem.

Haven;t had this one, but agree there seem to be lots of very good Syrahs
coming from CA (mostly in a style between Rhone and Oz)

>
>2001 Ridge Lytton Springs ($25.95)
>got some squirreled away in the cellar. It still needs a year or two
>before it'll be at its best, IMO.

Maybe 3 or 4 years? Nice wine!


>2002 Seghesio Sonoma Zinfandel ($14.95)
another qpr fave

>
>2001 Cline California Zinfandel ($9.95)
>Another good bargain Zin! Maybe a touch more acidic than it needs to
>be, but still a nice wine for drinking while your Geyserville is
>developing... ;-)
>
I like the acidity. I think this is a return to form after disappointing (to
me) 2000. Not quite up to 1999, but good!


>2000 Masi Campo Fiorin ($15.95)
>From somewhere in the Veneto, I suspect, and mostly Corvina, but not as
>interesting as a good Valpolicella Classico.

This wine used to be an extraordinary value, but no more


>1997 Cosentino 'The Poet' ($55.95)
>n: herbal, blackberry
>p: slightly tannic entry, thin in the midpalate and lightly fruity with
>a tannic finish
>I fear that the tannins will outlast the fruit in this wine.
>
Sounds like the poet was more Rod McKuen than Wendell Berry

Thanks for the notes!
Dale

Dale Williams
Drop "damnspam" to reply

Mark Lipton > wrote:

>
>2002 St. Supery Sauvignon Blanc ($15.95)
>n: grassy, grapefruit
>p: grass, tropical fruits, grapefruit
>One of my favorite CA SBs, this year's version again hits the mark with
>enough acidity and fruit to stand up against the Kiwi competition.
>

I totally agree with your assessment of this wine. Even better when I
find it on sale for around $10.

>2001 Luna Pinot Gris ($17.95)
>n: toasty, pineapple
>p: clean entry, follwed by juicy pineapple and a crisp finish
>Not a producer I know from Napa, but a well rendered PG. It could use a
>bit more of everything, but was very attractive nonetheless.
>
If you ever make it to Napa, Luna is a very nice winery. They
specialize in Italian varietals, mainly Pinot Gris and Sangiovese. They
make a late harvest PG that is wonderful. It's nice to take your
generous taste of this wine and go to the top of their bell tower and
get a scenic view of the Silverado Trail side (quiet and peaceful) of
the southern Napa valley.

>
>2001 Ridge Lytton Springs ($25.95)
>n: cedar, tar and blackberry fruit
>p: rich entry, red berry fruit with balanced acidity, medium-full body,
>ending in a slightly tannic finish.
>One of my favorite wines, year in and year out, it didn't disappoint.
>Classic Lytton Springs Zin with a good future ahead of it. Glad I've
>got some squirreled away in the cellar. It still needs a year or two
>before it'll be at its best, IMO.
>
All things considered, price and quality, this is always my favorite
Ridge wine.

I'm looking forward to a tasting of Ridge wines at a local store on
March 4th. We will be tasting 10 Ridge wines and from the sound of
their announcement, Paul Draper, their winemaker, may be attending.

>2001 Renwood 'Old Vines' Zinfandel ($22.95)
>n: minerals, cedar, red fruit
>p: juicy entry, with mint and tart fruit flavors, followed by acids and
>tannin in the finish.
>Very nice Zin, though it was a bit overshadowed by the Lytton Springs.
>
Usually a nice wine, but price creep has removed most of its best
selling point. This is also a wine that very seldom seems to go on
sale.

>2001 Cline California Zinfandel ($9.95)
>n: minerals, cedar, tart berry fruit
>p: mint, medium body, berryish fruit, slightly tannic with an acidic
>finish
>Another good bargain Zin! Maybe a touch more acidic than it needs to
>be, but still a nice wine for drinking while your Geyserville is
>developing... ;-)
>
This has usually been my bargain zin around the house. This year
though, I stocked up on the 2002 Castle Rock Russian River Zin for the
same price.

>2000 Duckhorn Paraduxx ($49.95)
>n: tart, Zin berry fruit
>p: rich entry, berry fruit and some oak, followed by a clean finish.
>I've liked this Cab/Zin blend a lot in the past few vintages, and this
>one isn't bad (but not up to the level of the fantastic '98 or '99). It
>comes across like a medium-full bodied Zin without much Cabernet
>character showing at the moment. Not worth the pricetag this year, I
>think.
>
This winery usually has very good wines, but they are usually marginally
over priced in my opinion. I still enjoy tasting their wines and
occasionally pick up a bottle


Thanks for the great notes.

On Wed, 11 Feb 2004 08:54:08 -0600, Cliff Brown > said:

] Mark Lipton > wrote:
]
] >
] >2002 St. Supery Sauvignon Blanc ($15.95)
] >n: grassy, grapefruit
] >p: grass, tropical fruits, grapefruit
] >One of my favorite CA SBs, this year's version again hits the mark with
] >enough acidity and fruit to stand up against the Kiwi competition.
] >
]
] I totally agree with your assessment of this wine. Even better when I
] find it on sale for around $10.
]
[]

Just chiming in with agreement, this has always ranked among my favs
of the CA SBs too. I like it better at 10 bucks, though...

] >
] >2001 Ridge Lytton Springs ($25.95)
] >n: cedar, tar and blackberry fruit
] >p: rich entry, red berry fruit with balanced acidity, medium-full body,
] >ending in a slightly tannic finish.
] >One of my favorite wines, year in and year out, it didn't disappoint.
] >Classic Lytton Springs Zin with a good future ahead of it. Glad I've
] >got some squirreled away in the cellar. It still needs a year or two
] >before it'll be at its best, IMO.
] >
] All things considered, price and quality, this is always my favorite
] Ridge wine.
]

Yup, I always look for this one too. Isn't it odd how we sometimes tend
to run in a pack on AFW?! at US$26 it seems to me this remains a good deal.

][]
] >2001 Cline California Zinfandel ($9.95)
] >n: minerals, cedar, tart berry fruit
] >p: mint, medium body, berryish fruit, slightly tannic with an acidic
] >finish
] >Another good bargain Zin! Maybe a touch more acidic than it needs to
] >be, but still a nice wine for drinking while your Geyserville is
] >developing... ;-)
] >
] This has usually been my bargain zin around the house. This year
] though, I stocked up on the 2002 Castle Rock Russian River Zin for the
] same price.
]

When we lived in SF this was our house zin. It wasn't this expensive a
couple of years ago, alas, but that's par for the course. Worth mentioning
that there is more vintage variation from Cline than many other CA producers.

] >2000 Duckhorn Paraduxx ($49.95)
] >n: tart, Zin berry fruit
] >p: rich entry, berry fruit and some oak, followed by a clean finish.
] >I've liked this Cab/Zin blend a lot in the past few vintages, and this
] >one isn't bad (but not up to the level of the fantastic '98 or '99). It
] >comes across like a medium-full bodied Zin without much Cabernet
] >character showing at the moment. Not worth the pricetag this year, I
] >think.
] >
] This winery usually has very good wines, but they are usually marginally
] over priced in my opinion. I still enjoy tasting their wines and
] occasionally pick up a bottle
]

I've always liked Duckhorn too, but "marginally overpriced" is an understatement.
At least it's good solid winemaking, but a half a century??

]
] Thanks for the great notes.

idem!

-E
--
Emery Davis
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