By: AJ McClellan
2007 Byron Sierra Madre Pinot Noir – I was a big fan of this Pinot Noir, done in a very light crisp style with crisp acidity and mellow tannins. Very floral on the nose with pure raspberries on the palate. This was a great expression of clean soft fruit.
2007 Byron Bien Nacido Pinot Noir – This Pinot was darker with black raspberries and dark cherries, the fruit was a little more muddled with a greater amount of oak aging. Still a very nice little wine but a little on the heavy side.
2007 Byron Nielson Pinot Noir – Dark fruit with a cedar and vanilla flowing through the wine. There was a nice minerality in the background adding complexity and the fruit was very expressive for the amount of oak aging done to the wine. This was a heavier style of Pinot Noir but to the wines credit it retained a great crispness which helped the wine to stay in balance.
This is after the hustle and bussle was over and the winemakers sat down to relax after a hard days work.
1996 Freemark Abbey Bosche Cabernet Sauvignon – Big and bold with a distinctive old world style on the wine. Ted had been the winemaker in Freemark Abbey for close to 30 years and he has done a fantastic job. It is interesting to view a winemakers progression from one vintage to another but it is even more interesting to be able to watch them grow over a several decades worth of vintages.
2005 Freemakr Abbey Bosche Cabernet Sauvignon – You can tell that this is the same grapes from the same winemaker but done in a more modern style. I can see the promise in this wine and I am sure it will have the ability to age for a decade or more.
1987 Freemark Abbey Sycamore Cabernet Sauvignon – Mellow red liquorish with a distinctive old world funk on the nose, it was interesting to see people’s reaction to this wine – it was either “I love it!” or “I hate it!” I for one loved this wine and thought it was drinking superbly.
2005 Freemark Abbey Sycamore Cabernet Sauvignon – Again it is interesting to see the differences in the winemaking style from the same vineyard. This wine was drinking very nicely with big red fruit and subtle nuances of tobacco, dried earth, cedar, and allspice.
Cheers!