By: AJ McClellan
We had a great tasting with Krisi Raymond, owner and winemaker for Five Vintners. While Krisi keeps a very modest price point on her wines they easily drink with wines twice their worth. It was a lot of fun to sit with Krisi and talk to her about the different methods of winemaking she employs, and how she has a very similar winemaking style to her father Walter Raymond of Raymond Vineyards.
2009 Five Vintners Sauvignon Blanc – A wonderful Sauvignon Blanc that showed classic tropical fruits with a mineral backing holding the wine in excellent balance.
2007 Five Vintners Zinfandel – I was very impressed with this Zinfandel. Bright red fruits with plenty of pepper and spice.
2003 Five Vintners Syrah – Jammy fruit burst out of the glass on this wine along with white pepper and cooking spices.
2007 Five Vintners Cabernet Sauvignon – A 40 dollar cab that drinks like an 80 dollar cab. Plums, black chery, and red currants with a selection from the spice cabinet that makes a great balance coupled with hints of pepper, vanilla bean, and chocolate.
After the tasting it was time to pop some great bottles around the table.
2008 Realm Farella Vineyard – One of my favorite bottles from the Realm line there was a great fruit structure with subtle hints of cooking spice and a soft background of tannins.
2007 Revana Cabernet Sauvignon – Revana typically has a light hand with his wines making a more approachable style with refined tannins and smooth fruit. The 07 is no exception and was drinking beautifully yesterday.
2001 Palmaz Cabernet Sauvignon – This is a personal favorite of mine. The Palmaz vineyard makes great wines but this 01 bottling of their Cabernet is simply stunning. Ripe red and black fruits with tannins that melt in your mouth.
2008 Corra Cabernet Sauvignon – In time this wine will grow up to be a great bottle. Right now it is a little rough around the edges (compared to the 01 Palmaz) but for how youthful the wine is it is simply fantastic.
2005 Laetitia Pinot Noir – This bottle was disappointing. Thin and with a super hot alcohol burn that made it a quick contribution to the dump bucket…
2005 Le Gay – A great bottle but we drank it about 15 years to early. Tight tannins made this wine difficult to drink out o the shoot. After a few hours the wine mellowed out and stated to show some pleasant fruit and wood spice but it really needs some bottle age to come to fruition.
2006 Egelhoff Cabernet Sauvignon – Corked.
2005 Hill Family Double Barrel Cabernet Sauvignon – This bottle is drinking like a champ right now. Succulent fruit with smooth tannins and great balance.
1999 Rockford Shiraz Basket Press – I was very impressed with this wine. Our good buddy Bill brought it over from Australia for us and boy was it amazing. Drinking like only an Australian Shiraz can this bottle made me think of Grange with spearmint, menthol, jammy purple fruits, and a elegant black earth note on the finish.