2011 Arista Winery Zinfandel Smokey Ridge Vineyard
The dark red colour of this wine is about all that gave it away as a Zinfandel! Some blackberry and blueberry on the nose backed up with pepper but not as fruit forward as we had expected. Secondary notes of earth along with some nice acidity. A very enjoyable and balanced wine that just lacked a little complexity.
Very Good
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2003 Woodward Canyon Estate Red Wine
Spectacular aromas of candied cherries, plums and baking spices hit your nose when it is well above the glass. After a bit of swirling, hints of vanilla come forward. Flavours of blackberries and plums get support and added complexity from the herbal notes which stay appropriately in the background. The mouth feel on this wine is positively decadent: rich, plush and deliciously smooth. The body is medium plus and the tannins are barely perceptible. Fully mature it is drinking brilliantly right now. 44% Cab Franc, 41% Merlot, 14% Cab Sauvignon, 1% Petit Verdot.
Extraordinary – Current release available at Marquis for $100 (taxes in)
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2012 Audrey et Christian Binner Riesling Vignoble D’Ammerschwihr
Deep gold in colour, the nose immediately reveals notes of apple and petrol with a hint of lime and honey. Full bodied for a Riesling, it has a nice round mouth feel balanced with enough acidity so as not to taste flabby. Not a particularly long finish but a very enjoyable wine.
Very Good +
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2005 Leonetti Merlot
Consistently one of our favourite Merlots and the 2005 lived up to our expectations and beyond. At 11 years old, it’s still dark red in colour showing only a slight fade at the rim. Tons of complexity with notes of black cherry, stewed plum, spice, and earth. This is a full bodied Merlot that is big and bold yet incredibly balanced and smooth with a very long finish. The classic description of an “iron fist in a velvet glove” pretty much sums it up.
Extraordinary
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2006 Mark Ryan Long Haul
Black cherries and baking spices infuse the aroma of this wine and fill it with power. With some time in the glass these are joined by subtle notes of herbs together with floral notes. This is a very structured wine: a full body is matched by tannins that continue to assert themselves a decade after the vintage. Intense flavours of blackberry, black cherry and plum get support from notes of mocha, allspice and a hint of leafiness. Everything here is dialed up but in proportion allowing the wine to carry its heft with good balance. Delicious now but years of life left. 48% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot, all sourced from the Ciel du Cheval Vineyard, among the very top sites in Washington State.
Excellent+
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2006 Molly Dooker Blue-Eyed Boy Shiraz
It is difficult to do a proper tasting note on a wine like this. TNs need to be objective evaluations of a wine’s quality, not just a recounting of the tasters personal preferences. This behemoth of a wine had tons of super-ripe flavor (blackberries and blueberries) and a nose to match. Definitely striving for a push the envelope style, it came across as out of balance to us. The fruit screamed so loudly you could not pick up any subtle nuances or complexity. The body was so full that it resembled a blueberry milkshake. And there was a quite notable heat from the alcohol. Simply too much for us, but we can see other palates taking a different view, if they like that style.
Good+
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