By: AJ McClellan
We had a great tasting with Abe yesterday. This was our second time to have Abe in, and he was just as much of a pleasure as the last time he was in. Abe is the owner of Scholium Project wines and an expert in Petite Sirah and Syrah. His wines are big and jammy with extraordinary depth and great ageability. After the tasting our members opened some great bottles, as usual, and the good times ensued…
2009 Naucratis – Naucratis (loosely translated as “the city that wields power over ships”) was the name of the first Greek settlement on the Nile River in Egypt. Redolent of stone fruits and melon, this wine is made in a non-malolactic style, with a sense of freshness and crisp acidity, much like a strong Grüner Veltliner.
2009 Marcher Sur La Lune (MSL) Reserve – This partially skin-fermented Verdelho from a rocky hillside is smooth and luscious.
2008 Gardens of Babylon – A rich and extracted wine, this is a blend of six different grapes from different vineyards in California. When blended together, the end result is expansive and impressive.
2005 Babylon – 98% Petite Sirah, 2% Chardonnay… Tenbrink Vineyards are just far enough from Napa to represent the mysterious, distant East (hence the name “Babylon”). Intense and textured, there are fine layers of detailed fruit and complex notes of smoke, dark spices, dried grasses and flowers. Ripe tannins provide structure to this outstanding wine.
2008 Babylon – The richest Babylon yet, this wine has Amarone-like qualities without being raisiny or overblown. Dark fruits are accompanied by star anise, Balsamic vinegar and rosemary. 49 cases produced.
2008 Androkteinos – Androkteinos is the epithet of Hector in The Iliad – it means “Slayer of Men”. These grapes come from the “Widowmaker” block of Lee Hudson’s vineyard, so called because of a strikingly shaped dead tree in the corner of the vineyard. Whole clusters of grapes were fermented in oak puncheons. The wine has aromas of Jamón Iberico, green olives, olive oil, blood and metal, with flavors of dark fruits with meaty overtones. 99 cases produced.
After the tasting the members threw down some great bottles for the table….
NV Walton Tawny Port – One of our members opened a couple bottles of this right after the tasting for the table. A great bottle of wine and one of my favorite “Ports” from California. Big praline pecan on the nose and palate with pleasant dark fruits and a long finish.
1999 Anne Gros Clos Vougeot – To be honest I was rather disappointed with this bottle. I gave it all night to open up and it never got there. Maybe the wine just needs some time in bottle to evolve but I am not impressed so far…
1994 Jaboulet Cornas – A great bottle of wine, full of pepper, bacon, spice, and black fruits. The palate was soft and very drinkable but with a potential to age for another 10 years. All in all, a great bottle of wine.
1990 Angelus – This is what Bordeaux should be like. The nose showed leather, currant, graphite, forest floor, tilled earth, and dark fruit. The palate was classic Bordeaux with soft tannins and great earth notes followed by a long finish.
1998 Domaine d’Auvenay Lalou Bize Leroy Meursault Les Narvaux – This bottle is absolutly mind blowing. The nose is full and complex showing honeysuckle, daffodils, lilies, peaches, and lemondrop candy. The palate was amazingly complex with thousands of nuances that made this wine a delight to drink.
2003 Palmer – For a younger bottle, I was quite impressed. The fruit was strong with purple and black berries followed by a hard layer of dark earth layered with leather, tobacco, and cooking spices. There is a lot to look forward to in this bottle, right now it is a little tight but in another 10 years this will be a stunning bottle.