Wine Unfiltered

Okay, Dumb name, good idea.

So, the Independence Day All-American Wine Tasting Jubilee went well.  Twelve friends, twelve wines. There were some clear favorites and a few clunkers no matter how much decanting went on. But the five spice baby back ribs, Italian chicken pepper sausage, burgers, cheese and salumi platter as well as rosemary olive oil bread and roasted garlic baguettes helped.

The winner of the night? The 2006 Cambria Julia’s Vineyard Pinot Noir. Decanted 30 minutes.

THE LINEUP and  PICKS:

2007 Zolo Torrontes: Asti-like in is sweetness. Delicate aroma and tropical. Still had a fresh edge. Juicy medium finish. Satisfying/bordering on too sweet for me. Can find under $10.

2008 Crios de Susana Balbo Torrontes South America: All floral and apricots. Crisp but slight hint of sweetness. Can find under $10.

2008 Montes Limited Selection Sauvignon Blanc: Tons and tons of chive and lemon, crisp and fresh. Born for fish. Interesting if not an acquired taste on this one. I personally like it. Can find under $10.

Rating: d10

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2007 Chateau St. Jean Chardonnay: Vanilla, oak butter, fruit. Classic in every way. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or bad thing here. Pretty decent. Pretty forgettable.

Melipal Malbec Rose 2008 Argentina: Very dark salmon. Acidic. Tannic. Tasted under-ripe. Tight aromas, thin consistency. A shame.

2007 Cameron Hughes LOT 110 Pinot Noir Los Carneros: Another winner after decanting. Pretty nice and of course, especially for the price. Strawberry, earth, and bright red fruits. Ample acidity with chocolate spice and a subtle tannin.

Rating: d8

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2007 MacMurray Ranch Pinot Noir Central Coast: Initially had an odd young sparkling element to it and dissipated after decanting. Cherry, blueberries barest hint of earth. Some allspice and touch of oak. I got this at a ridiculous deal of $9.99 so for the price, it was very decent.

Rating: d10

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2006 Cambria Julia’s Vineyard Pinot Noir Santa Maria Valley: A winner. But only after decanting. Complex with black cherries, raspberry, definite cinnamon allspice and vanilla oak. Hint of licorice and earthy finish. You have only one day, maybe two to enjoy.

Rating: d12

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2007 Cameron Hughes LOT 103 Napa Valley Meritage: Dark purple tannic and over structured. Blackberry aroma,bell pepper. Decanting a must. Put it down, it would be better.

2006 Demetria Pantheon Blend Santa Ynez Valley: An odd one. Clearly a blend from the leftovers. Sharp tannins, bitter edge. White cherries, dried strawberries, menthol. I love Demetria, but I don’t know what happened here.

2005 Genesis Merlot: Nice. Rich, smooth, oak and vanilla, smoke and earth. Yum.

2005 Zaca Mesa Syrah Santa Ynez Valley: Showed its age in a good way. Blackberry, leather, cured meats, mocha and herbs. Solid tannins and smoky spice,  oak and cedar. The people liked!

Rating: d8

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Out of the reds, most seemed to love the 2006 Cambria Pinot Noir. Another fave was the Zaca Mesa Syrah, and a surprising find was the Cameron Hughes Lot 110 Pinot Noir. After decanting it really held up. It’s been hit and miss with CH, and this one is a hit. The stern Cameron Hughes Meritage needs more time. All I could do was decant, and it did help. But put it down a year and I bet it would be significatly superior. I think most agreed the 2006 Demetria Pantheon was their least favorite. I myself am a huge Demetria fan and was surprised how harsh this was. Decanting didn’t do much. Snuck a taste the next night and was a hint better.

Out of the whites, there were definite differences of opinion on that front. Some loved the 2007 Crios Torrontes, others thought it was weird. The Sauvignon Blanc fans liked the 2008 Montes, while others found it hard to drink with it’s extreme herbaceousness.

The 2008 Melipal Malbec Rose was the all around unfortunate loser. We ended up putting that one back in the fridge because it was pointless to drink with its sharp bitterness and unready state. I love a good Rose’ and had hopes. Oh well.

Thanks to everyone for coming, giving some great comments and indulging my nerdy wino needs!