2003 Deerfield Ranch Pinot Noir Jemrose Vineyard

Type Red
Producer Deerfield Ranch
Variety Pinot Noir
Vineyard Jemrose Vineyard
Country USA
Region California
SubRegion Sonoma County
Appellation Bennett Valley
Price $34.99 at WineQ



It's THIIIIISSSSSS big!

Night One

The nose is rich and sweet, with sweet cherry, vanilla, toasted coconut and meringue.

The palate is equally big and sweet, with sweet cherries, blueberries, and loads of vanilla. There is chocolate on the mid-palate. This is very sweet, very woody.

The label says "Pinot Noir" and nothing else, but if I were tasting it blind, I would bet there was some Petite Syrah in the mix, thought that would be a rather unique blend.

Night Two

The nose showed more depth on Night Two, adding some balsa and sage to sweet cherries and vanilla, along with some meatiness, like the crisp outside of a sage-rolled pork roast.

The palate, too, shows more depth, as well as deeper, dark fruit. It opens, not with sweet cherries and blueberries, but dark cherries and prunes, plus smoked meat and sage. Dried cranberries and marjoram appear on the mid-palate, followed by vanilla and toasted almonds. The finish is sweet, but falls off quickly.

Acids are low, tannins mild, but the two are just a bit out of balance. The lack of acid does not bode well for a long cellar life.





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2005 BearBoat Pinot Noir

Type Red
Producer BearBoat
Variety Pinot Noir
Country USA
Region California
SubRegion Sonoma County
Appellation Russian River Valley
Price $24 in Indianapolis, IN




The Little Wooden Guy present a pretty good Russian River Pinot for less than $30.

Night One

The nose opened, right after the cork was pulled, with some funk. A few minutes later,after it blew off, red fruit predominated, with several secondary aromas. Cranberries, cherry pits, and some barely ripe wild strawberries took the lead. Pine needles, sage, and a touch of cocoa hovered in the background.

The palate opens with a tsunami of unsweetened, and unsweet, red fruit. Have you ever had unsweetened cranberries? How about tiny wild strawberries, or those little clear native cherries? It's all in there, along with some marjoram and sage. A bit of cocoa and black tea make an appearance on the mid-palate. Tannins and acids are both strong, the acids sharp, the tannins like new leather. They do seem to compete with each other and with the fruit, but might settle down on Night Two.

Stick around for Night Two, because this is a darned good Russian River Pinot, something you just don't find under $30 these days.

Night Two

The nose on Night Two is far more muted than on Night One. On Night One, it reached out of the glass to climb up your nose. On Night Two, though, you have to reach your nose into the glass to find everything it had to offer. It has plenty of red fruit, cherries, less cranberry, some sweet pomegranate, but it also has other aromas, including pencil lead, red licorice and cardamom.

The palate is also far more sedate than on Night One. On Night One, I called it "a tsunami" of red fruit. On Night Two, it is more like a slowly rising tide, loads of fruit, but softer, more full, and sneaking up on you. The fruit is more ripe, Bing cherries instead of native cherries, ripe strawberries instead of wild ones. Pomegranate is added to the mix, and cranberries add some tartness and acid to balance out the riper fruits. The cranberries become a little more dominant on the mid-palate, where they are joined by some graphite, marjoram, and cardamom. Tannins are still firm, but better integrated, offering a memory of leather, rather than a mouthful of it. The finish is quite long.

Conclusion

This is a $20 Pinot? No, you won't mistake it for a great Burgundy, but I dare you to pick it out from a table full of $50 California and Oregon selections.






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2005 Rued Cabernet Sauvignon Dry Creek Valley

Type Red
Producer Rued
Variety Cabernet Sauvignon
Country USA
Region California
SubRegion Sonoma County
Appellation Dry Creek Valley
Suggested Retail $45
Disclosure This was received as an unsolicited free sample.



The Big Wooden Guy likes wine made with a delicate hand and an eye toward a long rest in the cellar.

Night One

The nose is interesting, more muted than the typical California Cab, but still fruity. The fruits up front are raisins and dried cherries, but there is also eucalyptus and menthol.

Fruit on the initial attack is more tart than the nose, starting with sour wild cherries and wild strawberries. There is some blackcurrant hiding under the red fruit. Eucalyptus and menthol are on the mid-palate. Acid and tannins are strong, even aggressive, though not harsh. This is truly a candidate for softening between Night One and Night Two.

Night Two

The nose changed a lot from Night One to Night Two, as I expected. The fruit is darker, but still rich, with raisins, prunes, and some blackcurrant. There is also a distinct aroma of caramel, but in the background, along with tobacco. Is this 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, or is there some Cabernet Franc in the mix? It also has a bit of black pepper.

The palate, too, has changed since Night One. The mouth-feel is more full, the attack richer and darker. There is still a little red fruit, but it is all Bing and black berry. The rest is black fruit, raisins and blackcurrant, moving to blackberry and black pepper on the mid-palate. The mid-palate also has cedar and tobacco, true "cigar box" flavors. Acids are a bit less aggressive, but tannins remain fresh-leather-firm.

Night Three

Once in a while, a wine calls for a third-night tasting,as it unwinds a little from Night One to Night Two, but seems to have more to offer. This was one of them, and a third night paid off.

Blackberries and raisins opened the nose, followed by brambles, a touch of tobacco and eucalyptus.

The initial attack was made up of blackberries, dried blueberries, and lots of black pepper. Cedar and light touches of vanilla appears on the mid-palate. Tannins were smooth, a bit more integrated than Nights One and Two. The finish was long.

This is good wine, far more reminiscent of a balanced Bordeaux, or a good 70's California Cab, than so much of what is coming out of the Golden State today. It is also very young. The improvement from Night One through Night Three is a great hint (but no guarantee) that it will get better with several years sleeping in the cellar.






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2006 Bradford Mountain Syrah Grist Vineyard

Type Red
Producer Bradford Mountain
Variety Syrah
Vineyard Grist Vineyard
Cases produced 525
French oak, 50% new
Country USA
Region California
SubRegion Sonoma County
Appellation Dry Creek Valley
Disclosure This was received as an unsolicited free sample.





The Wooden Guys "high-five" a really good bottle of wine. This was the sixth out of six of two verticals, and there is no question Bradford Mountain is stepping up its game.

Night One

On Night One this was tasted as part of a multi-bottle vertical tasting.

This wine, just like the '06 Grist Valley Zinfandel, comes in a much heavier bottle than the '04 and '05, an obvious play toward "premiere" recognition.

"A fruit explosion!" Those were the first words out of the mouth of one guest as she got her first whiff of this Syrah. And she was right. It was all blueberry and black cherry.

The palate had blueberry, black cherry, and some dry cranberry in the background. Mace showed up on the mid-palate. Half-way through the mid-palate, quite suddenly there and almost as suddenly gone, but for a lingering echo of the taste, was what can only be described as a "butter hammer." Pure sweet fresh butter, too, not any imitation spread.

Night Two

It remains a big sweet "fruit explosion," blueberries and black cherries, plus some brown sugar.

There is very little left from Night One - it was pretty popular among people who "needed another taste" to get their brains wrapped around the wine. That, or they just wanted some more. The tiny taste that was left, though, promises a darned good wine. The fruit is still there, but it is joined by a double blast of coffee and dark chocolate.

Of the six wines tasted in one night, '04, '05, and '06 Grist Valley Zinfandel, and the '04, '05, and '06 Syrah, this is by far the most complex and interesting. It was also the most popular amongst the group. This is good wine. I wish I had more to give a solid Night Two review, for the few drops that were left showed much more than any of the other wines on any Night.





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2005 Bradford Mountain Syrah Grist Vineyard

Type Red
Producer Bradford Mountain
Variety Syrah
Vineyard Grist Vineyard
Cases produced 500
American, French and European oak, 50% new
Country USA
Region California
SubRegion Sonoma County
Appellation Dry Creek Valley
Disclosure This was received as an unsolicited free sample.



Night One

On Night One this was tasted as part of a multi-bottle vertical tasting.

Funk. This opened with Rhone Syrah funk. Beneath that funk was red fruit, cranberries mostly.

The palate began with creme de cassis and fennel. The fruit stayed strong throughout. Spice was clear on the mid-palate, allspice and cinnamon.

Night Two

The funk is mostly gone from Night One, though it remains hovering in the background. Blackcurrant and redcurrant, along with a bit of vanilla, make up the nose.

Blackcurrant and black cherry poured over vanilla ice cream make the initial attack. The mid-palate has some spice, and some dryer red fruit like cranberry, but it is all overshadowed by the vanilla. The vanilla takes over the mid-palate and lingers on the finish.

This opened with more promise, some real earthy funk offering something other than a fruit bomb. Hoever, too much oak robs the fruit of its fine flavors.





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2004 Bradford Mountain Syrah Grist Vineyard

Type Red
Producer Bradford Mountain
Variety Syrah
Vineyard Grist Vineyard
Cases produced 700
French and American oak, 30% new
Country USA
Region California
SubRegion Sonoma County
Appellation Dry Creek Valley
Disclosure This was received as an unsolicited free sample.



The Big Wooden Guy is impressed - Bradford Mountain clearly has a nice hand with Syrah.

Night One

On Night One this was tasted as part of a multi-bottle vertical tasting.

Blackberry and sage made up the nose of this wine.

On the palate, fresh blackcurrant and creme de cassis, together make up the fruit. The sage from the nose is there, too. Redder fruit, including strawberry, showed up on the mid-palate. The mouth-feel was velvety, the tannins extremely smooth. The finish was mid-length. The first impression everybody had was that this first of three Syrahs was superior to the Grist Valley Zinfandels.

Night Two

The Night Two nose is really interesting. There are several different aromas, but the unique one is the sweet woody smokey smell, not of a fire, but of the smoldering of a woodburning iron. It also has blackberry and creme de cassis.

The palate has blackcurrant, fresh and liquor, some sage, and, as it shifts to the mid-palate, applewood-smoked bacon. Throughout the entire palate, way off in the background, is a undercurrent of toasted wood. Tannins are fine, smooth, and mouth-coating.

This is good, but I suspect it will continue to improve with several more years in the cellar. Right now, the fruit is still jammy and dominating, but there are enough interesting possibilities beneath it that some years allowing it to calm down, might pay off brilliantly.





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2006 Bradford Mountain Zinfandel Grist Vineyard

Type Red
Producer Bradford Mountain
Variety Zinfandel
Vineyard Grist Vineyard
Cases produced 500
French Oak, 40% New
Country USA
Region California
SubRegion Sonoma County
Appellation Dry Creek Valley
Disclosure This was received as an unsolicited free sample.



The Big Wooden Guy is rather fond of this, a significant improvement over the '04 and the '05. At the end, though, the wood still overpowered the fruit.

Night One

On Night One this was tasted as part of a multi-bottle vertical tasting.

The most obvious change from the 2004 and 2005 is the bottle weight- it must weigh 50% more than the earlier bottles.

The nose was classic Zinfandel, blackberries and black pepper.

Blackberries and black pepper were part of the inital attack, but were joined by some red fruit, raspberry. The mid-palate had fennel. This had far less vanilla and cedar than the 2004 or 2005, and that was welcome. The finish was smooth and long.

Night Two

The nose on Night Two was far different than the nose on Night One. Fruit was more red, cranberries and raspberries, rather than blackberries. It still had black pepper.

Raspberry and cranberry opened the attack. There is vanilla on the mid-palate, with a touch of cinnamon. The finish is long and smooth. Tannins are smooth, but not quite silky.

The efforts to make this an upscale wine are obvious beyond the bottle weight- this is more complex, with more layers and depth than the earlier years. I sill find the vanilla too strong, the oak over-powering the fruit.





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2004 Bradford Mountain Zinfandel Grist Vineyard

Type Red
Producer Bradford Mountain
Variety Zinfandel
Vineyard Grist Vineyard
Country USA
Region California
SubRegion Sonoma County
Appellation Dry Creek Valley
Disclosure This was received as an unsolicited free sample.



The Little Wooden Guy is torn, because the fruit is very good, but it is ultimately overwhelmed by oak, and he is not a fan of the gratuitous use of wood.

Night One

On Night One this was tasted as part of a multi-bottle vertical tasting.

The nose was full and sweet, with a kick of black pepper. Fruit on the nose was blackberry and black cherry.

The opening attack on the palate was true to the nose, with blackberries, black cherry and black pepper. Licorice appeared on the mid-palate, but was soon overwhelmed by vanilla and cedar. Tannins were mild and smooth. Based upon the vanilla, it seemed like more than 40% new oak.

Night Two

The cherry was more dominating on the nose, and a bit tarter than on Night One. Black pepper was there, too.

Vanilla and cherry were more apparent on the palate, the wood continuing to take a major role in the wine.

This was good, but not great, wine. I was a bit put off by the oak, because the vanilla overwhelmed what seemed like terrific fruit.





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2006 Sonoma Coast Vineyards Pinot Noir Petersen

Type Red
Producer Sonoma Coast Vineyards
Variety Pinot Noir
Vineyard Petersen
Country USA
Region California
SubRegion Sonoma County
Appellation Sonoma Coast
Price $60.40
From Bin Ends Wine, and tasted as part of Twitter Taste Live.



The Wooden Guys high-five each other over a very good bottle of wine with great potential.

Night One

This wine open with a rich and complex nose, one that is sure to take a few minutes to pick out the different aromas. This is the sort of nose that can be enjoyed so long you forget to take a sip. It starts with rich black dirt and the charred end of prime rib, then adds unsweetened chocolate, all over a strong base of deep red fruit.

The palate is at least as complex as the nose, serving up red fruit, smoked meat, chocolate and spices. Asian spices pop out on the mid-palate, followed by a delightful long finish with an intriguing after-taste of dried tangerine peel.

Night Two

The nose is not as rich as on Night One, but it is still delightful. It still has red fruit and dark chocolate, along with a teaspoon full of black dirt, but the smokey meat aroma is not there any more.

Loads of red fruit, tart cherries and ripe sweet cherries, raspberries, and some pomegranate. The mid-palate brings out smokey meat and a little cocoa, and more tartness to the red fruit, adding cranberry to the mix. This wine has some real Burgundian minerality, as well. The finish is long, tannins are very smooth, acidity offers years in the cellar.

This is very good wine. It might turn out to be great wine in eight years. if I had half a dozen, I would not open the next one for at least six years.





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2001 Deerfield Ranch Syrah Ladi's Vineyard

Type: Red
Producer: Deerfield Ranch
Variety: Syrah
Vineyard: Ladi's Vineyard
Country: USA
Region: California
SubRegion: Sonoma County
Appellation: Sonoma County
Price: $39.99 from WineQ (full disclosure- this was a free sample from WineQ)



The Little Wooden Guy does a happy dance. This is good stuff.

Night One

Terrific funk. The nose opens with terrific funk, rich, dirty, earthy, barnyard funk. The deeper you dive into the glass, the more it rewards with layers of aromas. Black fruit and black pepper lie just under the funk, but that is not all. Deeper, below the fruit, are coffee, very dark chocolate, and tobacco. This is one of those wines you can sit and smell so long you forget to drink it. I won't let that happen. So go on to the next paragraph and drink along with me. Hang on a second, one more whiff.

Blackcurrant and blackberry, sprinkled with black pepper, open the palate. Smoky meat, a tiny drop of real licorice, and a wafting tendril of hickory smoke join the fruit on the mid-palate. Tannins are absolutely silky, mouth-feel is smooth and soft. The finish is long, not just lingering, but adding spice and fruit a full twenty to thirty seconds after the wine is gone.

Wow! Three hours later, and the nose is EXACTLY like oak burned by a very high rpm table saw.

Come back tomorrow for Night Two and the reaction from The Wooden Guys.

Night Two

On Night Two, the nose is far more mild. The funk is gone. The black fruits are far more sedate, spiced with an equally reduced pinch of black pepper.

Blackberry is more dominant that blackcurrant on Night Two, on the palate. Acids are bright and it sparkles with prickly pepper. the mid-palate is far smokier on Night Two, the licorice just barely an echo. The finish is even longer, and once again seems to grow and glow after the sip is gone.

2005 Dutton-Goldfield Syrah Dutton Ranch Cherry Ridge

Type: Red
Producer: Dutton-Goldfield
Variety: Syrah
Designation: Dutton Ranch
Vineyard: Cherry Ridge
Country: USA
Region: California
SubRegion: Sonoma County
Appellation: Russian River Valley
Price: $35.99



The Big Wooden Guy loved this stuff. You might too.

Night One

The nose has ground espresso and cocoa powder, blackberries, and some leather.

The palate comes at you with waves of flavors. Blackberries and coffee, plums, all make up the attack. Fruits sweeten on the mid-palate, adding some blueberry to the blackberry. The espresso changes to unsweetened cocoa. There is interesting minerality the expands from the attack through the finish. Leather shows up at the end of the mid-palate and lingers with black fruit on the finish.

Night Two

The elements of the nose have not changed much from Night One, but the order definitely has. Now blackberries are most prominent, with an added darker current of, well, blackcurrant. Espresso and unsweetened cocoa powder remain, but now they are both behind the blackberries, and the cocoa is more prominent. A little leather remains at the end of the sniff.

One the palate, curiously, the reverse happened. Now, coffee and unsweetened chocolate lead on the attack, while fruit follows. The fruit is deeper, just like on the nose. Now, though, some blackcurrant and sour cherries join the blackberries. This wine also has plenty of minerality, as if you had a few clean river rocks down at the bottom of your glass. Tannins are smooth and add a taste of leather at the end. The finish is long.

This is really good wine. It is not Aussie Shiraz, all jammy fruit. It is also not Northern Rhone Syrah, all earth and olives. This has good fruit, earthy coffee and chocolate, and great terroir minerality.

2003 St. Francis Cabernet Sauvignon

Type: Red
Producer: St. Francis
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Country: USA
Region: California
SubRegion: Sonoma County
Appellation: Sonoma County
Price: $18.98 in Indianapolis



The Little Wooden Guy is not impressed.

Night One

The nose is very jammy with mulberry and black cherry, plus vanilla and cedar from the obvious use of new oak.

The palate is sharper than the nose, more acidic, leading with blackberries, tart plum skins, and nettles. The tartness disappears quickly, turning to dark fruit, mulberry and black cherry. Chocolate makes surprise appearance on the mid-palate. Cigar box, vanilla and plum skins make the finish. It is thick with glycerin, tannins are very fine and soft, adding a feeling of suede drying the cheeks.

A few hours later and this has changed completely. The attack is milder and has far more minerality. The finish is completely different, leaving the exact same lingering taste as fresh coconut milk. You know the kind, where the guy with the machete chops off the top and hands you a straw? Yeah, that.

Night Two

The nose is far more classically Cabernet Sauvignon on Night Two. Blackcurrant is the lead aroma, with a background of some crushed-stone minerality. it is far more subdued than on Night One.

On the palate, oily glycerin makes for a very soft mouth feel. The fruit is also very soft, and very black- blackcurrant, mulberry, and then some more mulberry. The mid-palate gets sweet, devolving into the brown sugar and maple so typical of Cali Cabs of late. If you don't know the taste, or want to explore it, go buy yourself a box of Life Cereal, Brown Sugar and Maple Flavor, and you will have it, on the nose.

Conclusion

An under-$20 Cali Cab is a real crap-shoot. This one was good enough on Night One to be a "buy" for the dollar, but drink it all up on Night One, and don't buy cases of it to cellar. This is a drink now, or at least a drink soon, wine.

2007 Siduri Pinot Noir Hirsch Vineyard

Type: Red
Producer: Siduri
Variety: Pinot Noir
Vineyard: Hirsch Vineyard
Country: USA
Region: California
SubRegion: Sonoma County
Appellation: Sonoma Coast



The Little Wooden Guy liked it thiiiiiiss much.

This smells terrific. The nose starts a little bit earthy, but then adds black cherries, raspberries, and some spices, dill and sage.

This is a nice mouthfull. The mouth-feel is silky smooth. Fruit is big and full, but not fruit-bombish or overpowering. Rich black cherry is balanced by some tart wild strawberries. Sage and a bit of dill fill out the attack. A bit of pepper joins on the mid-palate, and the finish lingers. This is good. This is really good. It is not a modern over-oaked vanilla caramel California disaster, nor is it a thin cherry cola and black tea Oregon why bother. It lacks the florals of a delicate Burgundy, but it is very well balanced, earthy, with fruit and spice.

I can't guarantee this one will make it to Night Two, but I'll try. For you, I'll try.

Nope. Didn't make it. Sorry.

Sonoma Vineyards Syrah 2007

Type- Red
Producer- Sonoma Vineyards
Variety- Syrah
Country- USA
Region- California
SubRegion- Sonoma County
Appellation- Sonoma County
Alcohol- 13.8%
Price- approx. $20.00



"Ta-Dah!" The Little Wooden Guy thinks he's found a good wine at a great price.

I received this as a free sample from Sonoma Vineyards. This is their first release of Syrah and it will have a suggested retail price of $15. According to the information sent with the wine, the fruit comes from the Russian River Valley and Alexander Valley.

Night One

Color was deep inky purple, going to bright shiny ruby at the edges.

The nose is a pleasure, a meat and jam-filled treat. Bunches of black fruit are softened with some bloody meat, along with cinnamon and black pepper. It is the kind of wine you can just smell for the longest time, forgetting for a while you are supposed to drink the stuff.

Blackberries, barely sweet real ones, not jam, and black pepper are clearly delineated flavors on the initial attack. Sometimes you struggle to discern one taste from the next, or to distinguish different kinds of black fruit. This is not one of those times. No, this is like blackberries dusted with black pepper just popping in your mouth. The mid-palate turned slightly toward red fruit, tart unsweetened cranberries. An hour later some chocolate joined the red fruit. The finish was mid-length. Fine smooth tannins are a little mouth-drying, but not puckering like a young cabernet, offering plenty of structure.

Night Two

After a night under the screw-cap top alcohol seems to have concentrated. The nose was hot for about an hour after re-opening. Once that blew off black fruit led the nose, along with some chocolate.

Plums and some blueberries, plus loads of milk chocolate, open the attack. This seems to have sweetened considerably over night. Some vanilla appeared on the mid-palate, an obvious result of eight months in French and American oak, but it was balanced, not over-powering. The finish fell off rather quickly.

This is a very good QPR (quality to price ratio) wine. It gives some classic Syrah tastes, particularly the black pepper and smooth tannins. For a mere $15 this is a nice bottle.

2004 Rodney Strong Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve

Type- Red
Producer- Rodney Strong
Variety- Cabernet Sauvignon
Designation- Reserve
Country- USA
Region- California
SubRegion- Sonoma County
Appellation- Sonoma County
Alcohol- 14.3%



The Wooden Guys tried this Rodney Strong Reserve the night after they had Rodney Strong's new Rockaway single vineyard release. The comparison was interesting. I suspect the Reserve from '04 grew up to be Rockaway the next year, at twice the price.

Night One

The first obvious thing to note about the bottle is its size and weight. It is unusually heavy and has very thick neck. The bottle, empty, weighed in at 871 grams, about halfway between a normal bottle and the Rockaway mega-bottle. The cork is natural, and of normal size and length, shorter than the one in the Rockaway.

The nose is a little hot (not a surprise at 14.3% REPORTED alcohol, which allows up to 15.3% alcohol) and a little closed. There is some blackcurrant and vanilla. It should open a lot more overnight.

The palate offers very sweet dark fruit and sweet smooth tannins. The fruit is blackcurrant, very ripe blackberry and just a hint of black cherry. Cedar and vanilla show up on the mid-palate. The finish is sweet and long, tannins smooth but leathery.

The tannins provide a good backbone and the nose was closed. I would not be surprised to see big changes on Night Two.

Night Two

The nose and palate are similar to the Rockaway, though not quite so complex. The nose had plenty of dark fruit, blackcurant and plums. there was also some spicy cedar and vanilla.

On the palate, just like the Rockaway, it opened with black fruit, moved toward very sweet brown sugar and vanilla on the mid-palate, ending with clying borwn sugar sweetness. Tannins were smooth and sweet.

Like the Rockaway before it, I expect this will improve as the fruit and wood settle down a bit. Still, it is very sweet and oaky, lacking in terroir and complexity. this is a very personal point of view from somebody who prefers more classic Bordeaux to modern heavily worked Cali Cabs.

Rockaway

Vintage- 2005
Type- Red
Producer- Rodney Strong
Variety- 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Malbec, 4% Petite Verdot
Vineyard- Rockaway
Country- USA
Region- California
SubRegion- Sonoma County
Appellation- Alexander Valley
Alcohol 15.4%



The Big Wooden Guy's first impression of this wine has to do with the weight of the bottle. It weighs a ton. Well, actually, it weighs 2 pounds, 3.8 ounces (1.015 kilograms), EMPTY! For comparison, the bottle for 1998 Sociando Mallet weighs 1 pound 4.7 ounces (0.58 kilograms). Add that it was sent to me (for free, a sample, full disclosure here) in Styrofoam packing, and this thing is a carbon footprint nightmare. There is a paper label on the back containing all the legally required information. The front, though, lacks a label. Instead it is simply embossed "ROCKAWAY," with an embossed vineyard running all the way around the bottle. Everything about the bottle says "TAKE ME SERIOUSLY!"

Night One

The color is very deep dark garnet almost all the way to the edge, where it finally gives way to about an 1/8" of bright ruby.

The nose is rich and jammy, filled with dark fruit. It is mostly blackcurrant and plum, with some blackberries and eucalyptus at the back end of a big sniff. After an hour of so open a fleeting glimpse of espresso played hide-and-seek amid the fruit.

This was just as dark on the palate, very jammy and sweet. Blackcurrants and mulberry, along with some meaty smokiness opened the attack. Cedar and vanilla made their first appearance on the mid-palate, which quickly evolved to vanilla and brown sugar on toast. The sugar is cloying, the finish long but too sweet, all brown sugar and maple syrup.

Five hours it changed some. Tannins started to appear as the jammy fruit settled down a bit. There was more blackberry, less mulberry and blackcurrant, with a strong smooth leathery tannin backbone. There was a quick vegetal hint in the mid-palate. The finish, though, is still dominated by vanilla, brown sugar and maple.

Night Two

The nose seems to have settled down quite a lot. There is still plenty of fruit but it is balanced by some earth. There is also some licorice and a bit of mixed eucalyptus and menthol.

The wine settled down a great deal on the palate, too. There are still plenty of big flavors, blackberries and plums, but Night Two brings more nuance and more layers. The attack has blackberries and plums, plus licorice and a little spice. The mid-palate is greatly expanded, bringing unsweetened chocolate, cherries, and toasted almond skins. Tannins are smooth and fine, but pronounced. There is plenty of backbone to this, enough to give a few years, at the least, in the cellar.

This is a great big modern wine, very ripe and fruity, very powerful. It is not really my personal style. I prefer a bit more subtlety. That said, this has the potential to be good after several years in the cellar to settle down and integrate. $80 is a good chunk of change to spend on potential. Unfortunately, that is actually below the going rate for similar California Cabs.

2003 Simi Cabernet Sauvignon Landslide

Type: Red
Producer: Simi
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vineyard: Landslide
Country: USA
Region: California
SubRegion: Sonoma County
Appellation: Alexander Valley
14.1% alcohol
$26.99 Costco in Indianapolis, Indiana



The Little Wooden Guy is mixed on this one. On one hand, it's pretty much exactly what you would expect from a California Cab, even slightly interesting. On the other hand, at $26 a bottle, why bother?

Night One

Color was surprisingly light for Cabernet, bright ruby but slightly translucent.

The nose was a little hot (no surprise, with more than 14% alcohol. It was also bright and fruity, a mix of black and red fruits, cherries and plums, plus a little vanilla. It differed from most $30 California Cabernets by not having just loads and loads of prototypical blackcurrant.

The palate opens with cherries and blackberries. There is really no mid-palate. Acidity is bright and tannins are soft and leathery, like fine-cut suede. Finish is long.

Night Two

Now, after a night of rest, the nose disappoints, with bloated fruit and extravagant wood. The smell is all cherry pie filling, vanilla and cedar. The palate, too, is big and bloated, with pie filling, pie crust, brown sugar and cedar. There is no mid-palate at all.

This is a very commercial Cabernet, big fruit, big wood, big disappointment. It is a style that appeals to a lot of people (and grocery store buyers). I am just not the target audience.

Deerfield Merlot Cuvee 2004

The Wooden Guys take the gratuitous over-use of wood personally.

Deerfield Ranch Winery
2004 Merlot Cuvee
North Coast
75% Merlot
10% Cabernet Sauvignon
7% Sangiovese
5% Malbec
3% Cabernet Franc
Alcohol 14.2%

From the bottlenotes:

Winemaking is a combination of art and science, cooking and chemistry. Like a memorable meal, it's first about the quality of the ingredients and then about interplay of flavors, textures and techniques. Our merlot cuvee is all this in the glass. Six of our favorite vineyards supplied the grapes. Our winemaking focused the individuality of each varietal. Long barrel aging gave them texture. The blend, done by taste, married them into a harmonious, fruit flavored sensation, each element playing on the other, nothing out of place, every sip memorable. We produced 2,000 cases.

Sante'

Night One

Black fruit, red fruit, fruit fruit fruit. Lots of fruit up in your snoot. Not just fruit, there's lots of wood. Do you like wood? Some wood is good. Too much wood, though can be bad. Too much wood, it makes me sad. Fruit and wood and something more. What's that more down in the core? Tobacco from the cabernet franc, cabernet franc added to the tank. It's time to drink, to drink and think. Will it be great or will it stink?

I sipped and tripped on all the oak, so much oak it's like a joke. Sure theres's fruit, it's plenty sweet, so very sweet I beat retreat. Vanilla, brown sugar, cherries and wood, too much too much is just not good.

Am I being fair or just trying to rhyme? I can rhyme at any time. Just watch me go- "blow, Joe, though, fro." It's really the wine. I thought you should know.

Will this be better on Night Two? Stick with me, my faithful crew.

Night Two

Wood defeats fruit.

Sticky vanilla oak juice.

Too much is too little.

Pedroncelli Petite Sirah 2004

Sonomoa County
Dry Creek Vineyards
14.8% alcohol

The Bottlenotes:

Only hand picked grape from the Dry Creek Vineyards are used for this wine. Our Petite Sirah offers aromas and flavors of spicy black pepper, ripe blackberry and black cherry. This is a full-bodied wine with firm tannins. Our family has lived and tended vins in Dry Creek Valley, northern Sonoma County, since 1927. We're proud of our heritage and proudly offer this Petite Sirah as a complement to your favorite meal.

The Pedroncelli Family

Deep inky black color with purple edges.

Vanilla, black pepper and toasted coconut open the aroma, soon followed by cinammon and tobacco. Blackberry and vanilla, pepper, and bitter hash tannins. The midpalate is bitter, cocoa made an appearance for a moment, but was overpowered by the bitterness, which extended through the finish.

SECOND NIGHT

What a difference a day makes. This is why I started "2 Days per Bottle." I promise, this is the same wine I tried last night.

The nose now shows fruit first, blackberries and black cherries, plus a bit of brown sugar. The first sip is a mouthfull of blackberries, then ripe cherries, some plums, brown sugar and a touch of pepper. It ends with vanilla topping on a blackberry pie. Tannins are far finer and softer than the night before. the finish is still dry, but the bitterness is all gone. This softened into a very nice wine.