Several tastings this week and I began the fun on Monday afternoon at the Martin Scott Grand Portfolio tasting. The tasting was held at the David Koch Theater at Lincoln Center, it was a huge event as Martin Scott has a large portfolio.
The lobby area of the theater is huge and very elegant. Since there was so much juice to try, I decided to focus on high-end California wines from small boutique wineries. My opinion is that in general, many of the wines were the stereotypical big, fat, juicy fruit bombs that people expect to come out of California.
Some that I enjoyed included:
Perfect Season 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon ‘Knights Valley”, Napa Valley. Very small production of 250 cases. It was dark purple with a nose of dried herbs and was dusty and velvety with a long finish.
Saint Helena Winery 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Reserve “Sympa”, Napa Valley. It was dark purple with a nose of bacon smoke and black berries and was concentrated and velvety with excellent balance. The 2009 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon was nice as well, dark purple with oak and spice on the nose and was chewy and dusty fruit on the nice balance.
Cimarossa Vineyards 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon “Riva di Ponente Vineyard”, Howell Mtn. It was black in color with black cherry notes on the nose and was concentrated and silky with mouth coating tannins.
Barbour Vineyards 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon, St. Helena. It was dark purple with black berry and cinnamon on the nose and was thick and chunky with some toasty oak on the finish.
Kamen 2009 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma Valley. It was black with a robe of dark purple with a nose of crushed strawberry and black licorice and was chewy with dusty plum on the balanced finish.
Casa Piena 2009 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Yountville. This was dark purple to black with red candy notes on the nose and was thick and silky.
Snowden 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, Napa Valley. It was dark red to black with barnyard on the nose and was tight with firm, silky tannins on the long finish.
Janzen 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley. This was black in color with dusty black fruits on the nose and was concentrated with good balance.
Getting away from all that Cab, the Breggo 2010 Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley was nice. Dried mushroom and earth on the nose with velvety fruit with earth notes on the long, balanced finish. Very tasty.
The next day I attended the Frederick Wildman portfolio tasting which was held at Gustavino’s restaurant at 409 East 59 Street under the Queensboro bridge and is always an impressive venue to hold a tasting. Wildman’s portfolio is a little weak on the Italian wines but strong on US and French wines. It was another huge tasting and unfortunately at the end of the event I grabbed the wrong tasting book (doh!) so my notes disappeared.
The wines I enjoyed, from the Old World: Domaine Christian Moreau 2012 Chablis and the 2009 Chablis Grand Cru “Vaudesir”, Chateau Fuisse 2010 Pouily-Fusse “Les Brules”, Casteninau de Suduiraut 2007 Sauternes, Paul Jaboulet Aine 2007 Hermitage “La Chapelle” and Domaine Armand-Rousseau 2007 Clos de la Roch Grand Cru.
From the New World: Hanzell Vineyards 2012 Chardonnay “Sebella”, Merry Edwards 2010 Pinot Noir “Coopersmith”, Bond Estates 2009 “Quella” Red Wine, Heitz Cellars 2004 & 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon “Martha’s Vineyard” and Chappellet 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon “Signature”.
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