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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Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

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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Michel-Schlumberger Merlot Dry Creek Valley 2004

First, absolutely HUGE credit to Schlumberger for a very simple reason- they sent me wine in recycled paper packaging, not styrofoam. Do you have any idea how completely INSANE it makes me to see wineries that claim to be "organic," or "biodynamic," or at least "concerned about the environment," only to get bottles of wine packed in something that will last a grazillion years in a landfill? They will also be moving to soy-based ink. Credit where credit is due. Thank you Schlumberger.

What can I tell you? The Wooden Guys are torn. Michel Schlumberger and Schlumberger winery were incredibly kind to send out four bottles for a Live Twitter Tasting. On the other hand, we just have to give honest reviews. The wooden guys did not love any of the Schlumberger wines. The most complete notes are on the Merlot, below. We also tried the Chardonnay (way too woody and buttery- the wooden guys were not amused), the Cabernet (EXTREMELY tannic on Night one, with a hint of a scent I never got on the nose of a wine before- Tabasco), and the Syrah (by far the best of the bunch, a good wine, not overblown or jammy, terroir forward and well balanced. It showed significant improvement from Night One to Night Two, and is recommended).

here are my notes from Twitter on the Syrah, and Cabernet:

Syrah

Nice nose- not Aussie fruit bomb, more terroir-driven.

some blackberry under the tannins, lots of leather to finish. New wine in a new leather wine skin.

the syrah is just starting to open now (after about an hour).

The syrah is coming into its own. Open nose, cherries & blueberries, vanilla, and an earthy touch of mackeral (it works). ... Mackeral? Tiny fishy smell in the background- rich, not foul. like adding anchovy paste for richness, not flavor.

Cabernet Sauvignon

2 Days per Bottle here, so I started last night. Mulberry jam & tobacco leaves, then ... wait for it .. Tobasco! Just for a second or two. On the palate, verry tannic, even bitter, with blackcurrants and violets hiding beneath.

Now, on to the Merlot:

Estate Bottled Wine
14.3% alcohol
Dry Creek Valley
California

From the bottlenotes:

Michel-Schlumberger established a name for its superbly structured Merlot in th early 19902, and this rendition caries that banner with aplomb. Blended with Malbec, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Carmanere, this long, spicy Merlot has a nicely etched profile that gives its lush fruit unusual finesse. The grapes for this wine come from several select vineyard parcels that grow in our small pocket canyon in western Dry Creek Valley.

Night One

Deep black cherries, vanilla, and a hint of toasted almonds on the nose.

There is a lot of red fruit on the palate, cherries and raspberries. It gets a bit more tart on the midpalate, then blends smoothly into mild soft tannins. The finish comes up a little short, falling off quickly, leaving some dry leather on the cheeks from tannins.

Night Two

Red cherries and some cassis, and a touch of balsam make up the nose. On the palate, tart cherries up front with some chocolate appearing on the midpalate. Tannins are smooth. Mouth feel is a little thin. The fruit, once again, dies quickly, leaving leather and not much else for the finish.