2010 Patz & Hall Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

Patz & Hall has a wide range of special vineyard Pinot Noir's. They started the winery for the purpose of making distinct wines from individual vineyards and emphasizing the terrior of the individual locations. They make a range of Pinot Noirs and Chardonays from Sonoma area vineyards. The Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is not vineyard specific, but year in and year out it is a very good representation of what a Pinot Noir should be. They typically make a bolder version of the wine, with more fruit and texture than the classic Burgundy style, but from time to time they have some very nice understated and I suspect enjoyably long live offerings.

 This particular wine is not single vineyard unique, but instead made from several different vineyards. The color is dark with a rose tinge. The nose is vibrant with fruit and citrus flavors. There is also a Cinnamon spice element. The wine is crisp with acid, but pleasantly balanced with a lovely burst of fruit and long smooth textured finish with just the right bite from the tannin at the end.

WS 92 RP not rated.

I have to say that I have never been disappointing with a Patz & Hall wine. The makers obviously take great pride in delivering a quality offering each with each and every wine the bottle. That attention to detail and focus is something to admire.

WR

2009 Freemark Abbey Cabernet

Freemark Abbey has been a noted producer in Napa Valley for a long time. Their wines have not achieved cult wine status, but they consistently deliver a drinkable bottle of wine. They have resisted the urge to balloon in size or with respect to multiple labels. I was dining at a restaurant tonight and after a quick look at the wine list decided that this wine was a relative bargain compared to the inflated prices for a selection of $15 wines or the alternative at $125 plus. I do not usually do reviews from when I am out, but this wine was a superb complement to the meal that I had which was a New York strip so thought I would write it up.

This is not a "special" wine. It is a solid Napa Valley Cab. It hits in the usual places strongly. It starts with fruit, it has a nice not exceptional finish, and it worked very well with the food that I had tonight. It is a dark burgundy color and has a muted nose with a pencil lead finish. The Berries lead the flavor on the fruit and finish through to the end. I would not run out tomorrow and buy a case of this, as it can be found in any number of Napa Cabernets, but I would say that is is a good food wine.

WS 87  RP not rated

WR

2008 Chateau Pontet-Canet 7th of 7

Pontet-Canet is a Bordeaux property that seems to have really upped its game over the last 15 years. It was another very dark, inky colored wine in this tasting. The nose was slow to develop, with a light spice that after a time started to favor more berries and earthiness.

This wine is a bit of mystery to me. I have not had the pleasure of tasting a large number of wines in the "then" and "now" way that professional tasters can over many years. I have had some finer wines 20 years apart, but mostly I have to accept the past reports of others when I drink a much older Bordeaux, say from 1982 to try to understand the concept of a really long lived wine. However, if I had to guess, I would say that the winemaker here was looking to bottle something here that will be at its peak in about 2045.

The wine is buried beneath a load of tannin, but it is clear that beneath that tannin is a wonderful selection of fruit. I tasted cherry, plum and blackberry/currant.

I just never know what to think about wines like this as I can't really see myself wanting to buy them simply because they will never be ready to drink.

RP 96 ("candidate" "wine of vintage") WS 92. 

2008 Chateau Leoville Barton 6th of 7

Leoville-Barton is a Chateau that I have tried often. In the early 2000's I would splurge on their wine during the week as the price was reasonable and they tended to be pretty approachable. This version was much less approachable and seems destined to be ready to drink in about 25 years. The nose was closed and uninviting, even after and extended period of time. The Wine itself was a monster of fruit, acid and tannin. The tannins were overpowering from the first and never really let up even to the end.

The fruit itself was also very rich with currant being the most predominant flavor for me. While in the past it had always been a strong wine it was not nearly as pucker inducing as this glass. I do expect this to be a good wine, as the tannins while at the forefront now, were sweet and I suspect will resolve nicely into the fruit over time.

RP 92 WS 91  Not really sure what wine the WS was tasting as I really cannot imagine anyone wanting to drink this wine now.


WR

2008 Chateau Rauzan-Segla 5th of 7

The initial nose on the dark burgundy colored wine was one of dirt and tobacco. It was very earthy and not particularly nice, but within ten minutes it had already started to transform and a lovely coffee aroma began to emerge. The coffee and tobacco flavor worked very well together.

Once you taste the wine you find a very nicely balanced wine. I would not expect this to last for as long as many Bordeaux wines last, but the wine was a pleasant blend of fruit, sweet tannin and carried a nice finish that included the coffee to the end.

RP 90+  WS 90

WR

2005 Chateau Palmer 4th of 7

Dark inky purple wine. Reminds me of Chateau La Conseillante with the color. The aroma is classic Margaux with a perfume like floral scent over the top of berry, licorice and mild oak. It is quite enjoyable and yet, it is a bit deceptive, as the wine itself hits with a punch of great fully integrated elements. The fruit is bright with berry there is a layer of spice, the licorice and other hints. Then there is a most wonderful finish with the flavors carrying through to the end. Very enjoyable wine. At its relative youth it is fully drinkable and I would expect it to be a great drinking wine for a long time.


The Palmer is a lovely wine. It is an excellent example of a very, very good wine. Fully balanced, fruit bright with flavor, lovely color and nose. It, of course, raises the classic dilemma of how much is too much to pay for a bottle of wine. It retails at $350 a bottle. The question is always going to be asked, is it worth it? The answer really is challenging. If money is no object, then by all means I suggest trying it, for sure. Someone has the kind of money for this type of wine, which in a restaurant would probably go for $750. But, if the real question is can't I have this same kind of wine experience for a lot less money, well the answer to that is most definitely. There are many wines that would rate with this Palmer at a 10th of the price. RP 96 WS 95

WR

2009 Francis Coppola Eleanor

Dark, dark Cabernet Syrah blend with both Sonoma and Napa grapes. Coppola's wife is the name sake  and inspiration for the wine which is definitely a cut above their higher volume brands. I like most of their wine. Very approachable drinkable wines, good with food and with a wide range of styles. Completely consistent with the Italian tradition.

The Eleanor as noted is as dark red. The fruit jumps out of the glass on the nose and reminds you of the big fruit bomb Australian Syrahs. While it is a bold on the nose and has very generous fruit, it is also very well balanced. I wish it had a bit more tannins as I think it would give it more weight. Nonetheless, it is a very nice wine, one that is quite enjoyable to drink right now and should drink well for several years. 

A worthy name sake.

WS 93

WR

2005 Chateau Beausejour 3rd of 7

Pretty deep ruby red wine in the glass. The nose is very closed, heavy legs which foretold heavy tannin. The wine has a tangy strong fruit that packs an initial punch. It smooths out with a longish finish. The tannins have started to resolve nicely into the wine. I could see this wine being quite good in another three to five years and lasting many years beyond that. It has a good base and I think may lose some of that initial spunk which will make it more fluid.

I would expect this to be a particularly good good option with food.

RP 91 (higher rated in earlier tasting) WS 92-94

WR

2000 Chateau L'Hermitage 2nd of 7

L'Hermitage is a Merlot Cabernet Franc blend. The nose on this wine is very nice. It comes right up with pleasing cherry/berry aromas. Quite enjoyable. The wine itself is a bit more dense and heavier, with a shift to a more raspberry flavor (perhaps that was the nose and I just missed it, but cherry was more predominant to me) solid tannin's but a somewhat short finish.

It simply dies in the mouth which given the flavors was a bit of a disappointment. Overall a sold wine. RP 91 WS 84 Not sure what wine WS was tasting from the bottle it does not seem to bear any resemblance to what I had. Their barrel note is pretty close.

WR

1995 Troplong-Mondot 1st of 7

Another Beltramo's tasting. This time it was focused on 2008 Bordeaux, but included this 1995, and two 2005 wines. Overall it was an okay tasting. I thought a couple of the wines had merit, but with Bordeaux's expanding prices over the last couple of years, it requires one to dig deep to support the habit. One that I find more challenging with so much great wine flowing from so many regions of the world. To the Troplong-Mondot.

This wine was nicely ruby in color with a closed in nose initially. It had tobacco and cedar notes. The taste was very gritty, heavy with raisin and prune. It had a heavy flavor profile and a long but sweet finish. Tannins were still not fully resolved into this wine. RP 92, WS 90. Price $175. I would not buy this wine, but would not be disappointed if someone served it at dinner one night.

WR