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Dale Williams
 
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Default TN: Gruaud's 2nd, Geezer, DeLoach, and a Lalande.

I've told lots of people I thought the 2000 Haut-Chaigneau, Lalande de Pomerol
was a good buy. I haven't had in a couple of months, so I pop one a couple of
nights ago, with a beef stew Betsy had left in the crock pot. What was I
thinking? Somewhat simple plum fruit, a little sweet oak, a hint of herbs. This
is nothing special- like a $12 Cal Merlot. The next night with an assortment of
leftovers (Betsy had killer schedule this week) I have the last 2 glasses (it
was just corked and put in fridge- no transfer to smaller bottle or anything).
What a difference! Big dark berry fruit along with the ripe plum, some cedary
notes, a little oregano and leather. I've been pushing this as a drink-now, but
I think it's a bit closed now and needs either time or decanting. B+ (I'd have
given a B- on first night)

Another QPR ($9) wine I've enjoyed has been the 2001 St. Urbans-Hof Riesling
Qba (Mosel-Saar-Ruwer). A bottle this week was no exception- great wet stones
and flowers on the nose, a honeyed sweetness balanced by lemony fruit, really
zesty acidity. B

Betsy was working and David with friends Saturday, so I grilled a tuna steak
for myself. It WAS Saturday after all, so I opened 2 bottles. First the 2000
Sarget de Gruaud Larose (St. Julien). Very ripe, upfront dark fruit with some
cedar , some drying tannins. I'm a little surprised as I don't think of Gruaud
as new-wave Bordeaux , this second label is in a different style than I'm used
to. Though most of the Gruaud I've had were from the Cordier era, maybe the
first label has changed too? This is reasonably tasty, judgement deferred (see
below)

I also open a 375 of the 2001 Ridge Geyserville. (74% Zin, 18% Carignane, 8 %
Petite Sirah). Big nose of red berries and vanilla oak, jammy Zin fruit with a
moderate dose of tannins. Jammy fruit, lots of new oak, just the kind of wine I
sometimes dismiss. But I don't dismiss this because (a) despite the big ripe
jammy fruit there's acidity as well as tannins to give structure, (b)
Geyserville has a great track record , and (c) it tastes good. Maybe a tad
simple/monolithic right now, but I think a few years will let some complexities
blossom. B+ for now, with potential for A-

The next night a friend is visiting, I grill some strip steaks as well as some
asparagus and some parsnips, plus a salad and some sugar peas with sesame. We
each taste the Geyserville, which is showing well on day two. The Sarget de
Gruaud Larose seems much more Bordeaux-like now, with graphite and cedar mixing
with the rich cassis fruit. Still a fairly lush-modern style of Bordeaux, but
very tasty. A good deal at $16.99, I go today and buy the last 2 they have in
the store. B+

The main bottle with the meal was one given to me by my friend Dolores a few
weeks back, she had bought on a visit to the DeLoach winery (pre-bankruptcy).
It's the 1997 DeLoach "OFS" Cabernet Sauvignon (Russian River Valley). Big nose
of red berries and vanilla, thick on the palate. Definitely on the lush side,
sweet dark berry fruit and some chocolatey oak flavors. Certainly gets one's
attention. Some more acidity would definitely help this one out as a food wine,
but very rare steak isn't a bad combo. This is not my favorite style of wine,
but this is a competent example. B

Grade disclaimer: I'm a pretty easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B
a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party
where it was only choice.

Dale

Dale Williams
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Ed Rasimus
 
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Default TN: Gruaud's 2nd, Geezer, DeLoach, and a Lalande.

On 13 Oct 2003 19:50:19 GMT, amnspam (Dale Williams)
wrote:

>I also open a 375 of the 2001 Ridge Geyserville. (74% Zin, 18% Carignane, 8 %
>Petite Sirah). Big nose of red berries and vanilla oak, jammy Zin fruit with a
>moderate dose of tannins. Jammy fruit, lots of new oak, just the kind of wine I
>sometimes dismiss. But I don't dismiss this because (a) despite the big ripe
>jammy fruit there's acidity as well as tannins to give structure, (b)
>Geyserville has a great track record , and (c) it tastes good. Maybe a tad
>simple/monolithic right now, but I think a few years will let some complexities
>blossom. B+ for now, with potential for A-


Coincidentally I also pulled the cork on a full sized bottle of 2001
Ridge Geyserville on Saturday. I mentioned previously that the fall
shipment for Ridge's "Zin List" was the Geyserville, Pagani Ranch and
York Creek Late Picked. I had tasted the Pagani and York last week and
thought the Pagani Ranch was the best Ridge Zin I had tasted in the
last ten years. I was surprised when I took a second look at the
bottle and visited the Ridge Web site to order a case. The two bottles
in my shipment were 2000 although the Web site indicates the recent
release is 2001. I got the wrong year shipped, but certainly
appreciate it. Now I'll have a case of the 2000 and am getting a
couple of bottles of 2001 to compare against it.

But, I digress. The Geyserville. Always my favorite of Ridge
bottlings, I wondered how it would compare to the PR. My experience
was a bit different than yours. (I've got another bottle to verify my
impressions, but may let it rest for a couple of months before
revisiting.)

While it was big, ripe and jammy, it wasn't the powerhouse that the PR
was. I got the expected load of fruit, along with a nice bit of
background leather and spice, but found the finish watery. The acidity
was there, but there wasn't much in tannins and once the blast to the
taste buds was swallowed, there wasn't any lingering of the sensation.
The wine was there and gone in an instant. That being said, it's still
a fine wine and very representative of Ridge Geyserville.

It should be noted that the wine was not served with dinner, but was
enjoyed quietly afterward, sipped slowly and contemplatively before
the telly watching the Cubs put away Florida. Cubs get an A+, Ridge
gets a B-.


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Dale Williams
 
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Default TN: Gruaud's 2nd, Geezer, DeLoach, and a Lalande.

In article >, Ed Rasimus
> writes:

>The Geyserville. Always my favorite of Ridge
>bottlings, I wondered how it would compare to the PR. My experience
>was a bit different than yours. (I've got another bottle to verify my
>impressions, but may let it rest for a couple of months before
>revisiting.)
>
>While it was big, ripe and jammy, it wasn't the powerhouse that the PR
>was. I got the expected load of fruit, along with a nice bit of
>background leather and spice, but found the finish watery. The acidity
>was there, but there wasn't much in tannins and once the blast to the
>taste buds was swallowed, there wasn't any lingering of the sensation.
>The wine was there and gone in an instant. That being said, it's still
>a fine wine and very representative of Ridge Geyserville.
>

Ed,
It's always good to have comparative notes. It seems mostly agree- we differ in
our assessments of the tannins, and you noticed a short finish that I didn't.
Actually, your notes reminded me of the 2000 Geyserville! Anyway, I thought the
2001 had plenty of tannins to hold it for several years (I think the sweet spot
for Geezers is usually 8-10 years from vintage). Let us know what you think
when you open other one- I think I'll save my 2 remaining 750s for a few
years. Thanks!

Mark S,
While I take extensive notes , including at big store tastings or trade
tastings (I sometimes wiggle my way in), I really only think my notes are
reliable when I've had 3 bottles of something (on different occasions), with a
taste the next night on at least two of those! At big tastings you're judging a
wine based on a single pour from a single bottle (which you usually don't know
if it was decanted, how long it was open, etc). I've even been offered bottles
that I (a TCA-non-sensitive, comparatively), can note as corked. So I view
others' notes with as much scepticism as I do my own.
As noted here before, tasting a wine over a day or two can give a partial hint
as to how it might age. But you're right, part of the excitement of wine is
never knowing exactly what you're going to get out of any bottle. BTW, did you
ever get on Roch's email list? The Sarget is gone, but I also got 2000 Les
Fiefs de Lagrange for $15.99. While I am not the biggest fan of second wines in
general, I've always found that a dependable one. I'll report when I taste, but
that's a fine price for that wine- I paid that much for the '95 I think!
Dale

Dale Williams
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  #4 (permalink)   Report Post  
 
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Default TN: Gruaud's 2nd, Geezer, DeLoach, and a Lalande.

Dale Williams > wrote:
: I've told lots of people I thought the 2000 Haut-Chaigneau, Lalande de Pomerol
: was a good buy. I haven't had in a couple of months, so I pop one a couple of
: nights ago, with a beef stew Betsy had left in the crock pot. What was I
: thinking? Somewhat simple plum fruit, a little sweet oak, a hint of herbs. This
: is nothing special- like a $12 Cal Merlot. The next night with an assortment of
: leftovers (Betsy had killer schedule this week) I have the last 2 glasses (it
: was just corked and put in fridge- no transfer to smaller bottle or anything).
: What a difference! Big dark berry fruit along with the ripe plum, some cedary
: notes, a little oregano and leather. I've been pushing this as a drink-now, but
: I think it's a bit closed now and needs either time or decanting. B+ (I'd have
: given a B- on first night)

Dale, reading your notes on changing wines and having retasted my Lucien
Boillot "les Evocelles" last night (which was still rough, but better than
the first night's showing) makes me realize that wines change all the
time, in both the bottle and in the glass (and yes, in the fridge as
well). Also, i nthe time between 'tasting snippets' whether they be from
barrel or in-store or from a previously opened bottle, wine will change
and it's this grasping at the nature of what is inside that keeps us
intrigued and motivated enough to try many wines and cellar ones we think
will do something special in time.

Mark S
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