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Tasting notes from a Rhone (Ranger) varietals tasting - Saturday, July 3, 2004, at the Wine Exchange in Orange, CA. Twenty wines were poured for a tasting fee of $19. The wines were double-decanted prior to the tasting.

Overall impressions: another interesting look at some of the current crop of Rhone varietals from California and the Northwest. Most of the wines poured were Syrah, but a Marsanne made it into my top picks of the tasting. Marilyn Remark winemaker Joel Burnstein is making some 'remark-able' wines from Monterey County. In addition to this beautiful Marsanne, he also makes an excellent Syrah and Grenache. The Ojai Bien Nacido was very nice, but thee was very little difference other than style that separated the top four Syrahs. The '02 Qupe from Arroyo Grande was beautiful, and the '01 Ethan Syrah from the same vineyard was nearly as nice.

Disappointments included the Villa Creek, which was just too overripe and extracted for my taste. But that said, it was far better than the Pagor Syrah which was a stewed mess. Finally, the JRE was something of an anomoly - this was obviously made from late-picked fruit, didn't appear to be labeled as such, and just didn't play well with the other kids in the flight.

Tasting Notes

2002 Marilyn Remark Marsanne - Monterey County. $24.99. Medium gold color. Lovely nose of citron and toasted nuts. Full on the palate, very nicely balanced, with slightly crisp off-sweet finish. Very nice job here!
Aroma score: A- Taste score: A- Overall score: A-

2002 Garretson Celeidh Rose - Paso Robles. $14.99. Beautiful crimson color. Light buttery note to the floral and fleshy nose. Meaty texture on the palate, with very nice balance and finish.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+

2001 Stolpman Rhone Ridge Cuvee - Santa Ynez Valley. $12.99. Dark garnet color. Nose of red and black fruits, with hints of rose petal, shoe wax and maybe a bit of milled hardwoods. Somewhat soft and sweet in mouthfeel, with a long smooth tasty finish. Syrah-based blend, with Grenache and Mourvedre.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+

2001 Edmunds St. John Rocks and Gravel - California. $15.99. Dark garnet color. Nose seems a bit reserved right now, with lighter notes of blackberry and blueberry. Meaty on the palate, lots of chewy fruit, beautiful balance, long flavorful slightly tannic finish. Blend of Grenache, Mourvedre, and Syrah.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: A- Overall score: B+

2002 Villa Creek Willow Creek Cuvee - Paso Robles. $19.99. Very dark garnet color. Quite extracted. Lots of very ripe dark fruit, with a light pungency to the nose. Big and very ripe in mouthfeel - pushes the envelope on ripeness. Sweet, somewhat gripping toward the slightly hot finish.
Aroma score: B Taste score: B Overall score: B

2000 Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastel - Paso Robles. $22.99. Dark garnet color. Lots of dark fruit in the nose, along with a roasted meat quality, and some toasted scents. Full on the palate, very nice dark cherry and black berry fruit, with excellent balance, and very long smooth and tasty finish.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: A- Overall score: B+

2002 Porter Creek Carignane - Angeli Vnyd, Alexander Valley. $15.99. Dark garnet color. Nice red fruits, with a buttery light floral quality in the nose. Thick in the glass, sweet cherry and berry flavors that seem punched up a bit by some cranberry. Good balance, smooth long finish.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+

2001 Quivira Grenache - Dry Creek Valley. $14.99. Medium-dark garnet color. Nose is very reminiscent of old vine Zin - briary, with slightly muted raspberry and boysenberry, and a light floral touch. Taste seems to follow nose here, with a wine that tastes very much like an old vine Zin. Could've used more raspberry.
Aroma score: B Taste score: B Overall score: B

2002 Garretson Mouvedre The Graosta - Hastings Ranch, Paso Robles. $19.99. Very dark ruby garnet color. Sweet ripe nose, with a touch of grilled meat. Rich and chewy on the palate, sweet mouthfeel, very nice balance, with a touch of toast on the long smooth finish.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+

2002 Hahn Syrah - Central Coast. $7.99. Very dark garnet ruby color. Lots of coffee and chocolate in the nose (...if Starbuck's made a Syrah) seem to cloak the dark cherry and berry fruit. Moderate mouthfeel, good balance and fruit, though the coffee mocha seems to take over a bit on the finish as well. But heck, for Eight Bucks....
Aroma score: B Taste score: B Overall score: B

2000 Pagor Syrah - California. $10.99. Dark ruby-garnet color. Somewhat stewed quality in the nose, with the fruit taking back stage to celery and tomato. Dry on the palate, the veggie flavors come on about mid-palate and carry through the aftertaste. (...if V-8 made a Syrah.)
Aroma score: C Taste score: C Overall score: C

2002 Qupe Syrah - Central Coast . $13.99. Very dark garnet ruby color. Nose of sweet slightly buttery blackberry, with touches of blueberry, pomegranate and even a bit of meat. Rich and slightly sweet on the palate, very nice balance, long smooth finish, with just a trace of oak.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+

My Favorites - In Order of Preference

2001 Ojai Syrah - Bien Nacido Vnyd. $33.99.
2001 August Briggs Syrah - Napa Valley . $24.99.
2000 Rockblock Syrah - Del Rio Vnyds, Rogue Valley, OR. $31.99.
2002 Marilyn Remark Marsanne - Monterey County. $24.99.
2002 Qupe Syrah - Rancho Arroyo Grande Vnyd, Arroyo Grande. $24.99.
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2001 Edmunds St. John Rocks and Gravel - California. $15.99.
2000 Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastel - Paso Robles. $22.99.
2002 K Syrah The Beautiful - Walla Walla Valley, WA. $31.99.
2002 Failla Syrah - Phoenix Ranch, Napa Valley. $32.99.
2001 Ethan Syrah - Rancho Arroyo Grande Vnyd, Arroyo Grande. $19.99.
2001 Stolpman Rhone Ridge Cuvee - Santa Ynez Valley. $12.99.
2002 Garretson Celeidh Rose - Paso Robles. $14.99.
2002 Porter Creek Carignane - Angeli Vnyd, Alexander Valley. $15.99.
2002 Qupe Syrah - Central Coast . $13.99.
2002 Garretson Mouvedre The Graosta - Hastings Ranch, Paso Robles. $19.99.
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2001 Quivira Grenache - Dry Creek Valley. $14.99.
2002 Hahn Syrah - Central Coast. $7.99.
2002 Villa Creek Willow Creek Cuvee - Paso Robles. $19.99.
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2001 JRE Syrah - Sherwin Vnyd, Mendocino Co. $19.99.
2000 Pagor Syrah - California. $10.99.


2001 Ethan Syrah - Rancho Arroyo Grande Vnyd, Arroyo Grande. $19.99. Dark garnet color. Nose of blackberry, spices, pepper, and toast. Big and brawny in mouthfeel, with lots of dark fruit, very nice balance, and long slightly gripping finish. Nice job here.
Aroma score: B+ Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+

2002 Qupe Syrah - Rancho Arroyo Grande Vnyd, Arroyo Grande. $24.99. Dark garnet color. Slightly bright nose of dark fruit, with smooth, sweet spicy aromas. Excellent balance, sweet and juicy on the palate, beautiful long smooth finish.
Aroma score: A- Taste score: A- Overall score: A-

2001 Ojai Syrah - Bien Nacido Vnyd. $33.99. Very dark ruby-garnet color. Quite jammy in the nose, smelling of freshly-macerated dark fruit, along with a bit of spice and toast. The big fruit on the palate nearly masks the light coffee flavor. Rich, smooth and spicy - just delicious.
Aroma score: A- Taste score: A- Overall score: A-

2001 August Briggs Syrah - Napa Valley . $24.99. Dark ruby garnet color. Lovely nose of black fruit, cinnamon, nutmeg, and toast. Smooth chewy mouthfeel, excellent balance, and long tasty finish. Want some immediate gratification in a Syrah?
Aroma score: A- Taste score: A- Overall score: A-

2002 Failla Syrah - Phoenix Ranch, Napa Valley. $32.99. Very dark ruby garnet in color. Nose of spiced dark fruit, floral aromas, and grilled meat. Moderately full on the palate, very nice balance and finish, but seems a little underfilled.
Aroma score: A- Taste score: B+ Overall score: B+

2001 JRE Syrah - Sherwin Vnyd, Mendocino Co. $19.99. Very dark ruby garnet color. Quite pungent (VA?), with dark berry and more than a little wood. Very sweet and thick on the palate - nearly late harvest-like, and way over the top. This should have been labeled either as "late picked," or "sweet syrah."
Aroma score: B- Taste score: C+ Overall score: B-

2000 Rockblock Syrah - Del Rio Vnyds, Rogue Valley, OR. $31.99. Very dark ruby garnet color. Lots of gorgeous dark fruit in the nose, with floral and spicy accents, and a nice toasted scent. Tons of fruit on the palate, chewy consistency, very nice balance, and long spicy finish.
Aroma score: A-Taste score: A- Overall score: A-

2002 K Syrah The Beautiful - Walla Walla Valley, WA. $31.99. Dark ruby in color. Nose of blackberry and raspberry. Also quite floral in the nose - like dried flowers. Flavors of black cherry and cranberry, off-sweet mouthfeel, nice balance and long finish.
Aroma score: A- Taste score: B+ Overall score: A-

 

     

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