Mondavi - 2005 Robert Mondavi Fume Blanc

Mondavi was one of the pioneers of California and a legend in the winemaking world. He was also the man who introduced the wine and term - Fume Blanc, as opposed to Sauvignon Blanc. I have had a single vineyard offering of this before, but this is the 2005 regular bottling of the Robert Mondavi Fume Blanc.

Compared to many top rated New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs, this was priced higher.

I opened this prior to dinner at my house.

2005 Mondavi Fume Blanc

Lemon, some walnut and lit match on the nose. The aroma was interesting as it changed a bit and went more citrus. The taste was a little steely and austere at first. Not a youthful spritzy sauvignon blanc as it tasted more blended. The mouthfeel was heavier than I would have expected from a young fume blanc. Almost chardonnay like when it first hit the palate. Kind of an oily, lemon taste that really dominates the palate and the finish.

Very lemony on the finish. I have to call this 2005 a pass.

84 Points

Pax Syrah - 2006 Pax Castelli-Knight Ranch, Russian River Valley

I recently received some select 2006 single vineyard Syrahs from Pax Winery. Pax is one of my favorite syrah producers in California. They produce wonderfully rich and complex syrah red wines without the high alcohol, heat or over the top sugars. The 2006 Castelli Knight Ranch Russian River Valley wine is no exception.

I am on Pax's mailing list and you get to taste many different offerings and vineyards when you order form them. Pax also has terrific customer service as I have experienced first hand.

The 2006 Castelli Ranch Syrah is a very young wine and like most Pax wines, it needs a few years in the cellar. Still, I brought home some nice prime butcher Rib Eyes for dinner and wanted something bold. Sure, bloody steaks normally crave cabernet, but I wanted to give a young studly syrah from one of my favorite producers a shot. It held up very very well. We opened the Pax Syrah for 3 hours before dinner. I did not decant as I rarely decant any wine. THAT may be a ripe topic to post and debate about on another post.

I wrote some brief review notes over dinner while enjoying this wine. It lived up to the steak match, but it is years away from peak.

2006 Pax Castelli Knight Ranch Syrah Russian River Valley

Rich blackberry, currant and smokey pepper aroma. Some meaty undertones on the nose too. A big wine for sure. The 14.8% alcohol is perfect here. Rich cab like mouthfeel that felt big and bold. Tastes of black cherry cola, blackcherry with great dark mountain fruit. Long finish, but very young. This needs 2-3 years minimum in the bottle. I will hold the rest.

Almost too young to score, but what the hell:

93-94 Points

Really really nice.

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Kistler Chardonnay - 2005 Kistler Vineyard Review

I enjoy Kistler Chardonnays. The problem with them to many people is not the quality, but the price. Are you willing to pay $60 for top quality and rich california chardonnay? If not, then Kistler is not for you. I'm not sure they are always my style either and at their price points - it can be a hard buy. Still, 2005 was a stellar year for Kistler and Chardonnays in general.

I have had 5 or 6 Kistler 2005 vineyard offerings over the past year including Dutton Ranch, Mccrea Vineyard, Kistler Vineyard included. They are rich, buttery and age worthy. A classic Chardonnay vintage and Kistler really is at the upper tier of that but again - that is up to you on whether their price point is worth it. I love high end Chardonnay but Kistler's Pinot Noirs reallt hit my fancy for sure - but I digress...

Onto the wine I had tonight...

2005 Kistler Chardonnay Kistler Vineyard

Aroma of lemon, almond and merenge. Rich nose. Taste of toasted almond, vanilla, nuts, some lime and white pepper. The finish is rich and long. A little lighter (in a good way) on the back end of the palate vs. other Kistler Chardonnays from 2005. I found this had a full palate and rich mouthfeel but had more finesse on the finish. All in all this might be more my style than the more heavy buttery offerings I have had from them in 2005.

93 Points


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1999 Araujo Eisele Cabernet Sauvignon Score - Araujo Note

I have been a big fan of Araujo wines for a few years now. I was once at a tasting given by a business associate and he had some of his favorite cult wineries, including Araujo, Switchback Ridge, Bryant Family and some other hitters. The whole night was amazing - and a partial blur. I do remember the Araujo was the last wine I had and it was the 1995. I remember giving it a score of 97 points.

It really stood out for me that night as many of the wines were very young and powerful, but the 1995 Araujo was drinking so great. I loved it.

Anyway, a few years ago someone on the wine spectator forum board (I post there pretty often) was selling 6 1999 Araujo Eisele Cabernets at a price well below market. Still steep mind you. For those who do not know Araujo is a cult producer in California that sells for over $120 and some classic vintages fetch up to $200-$250. Is any wine really worth this amount? It's not a fair question as worth is largely based on who you are and how much enjoyment you get out of something you pay for. I'll skip that question for now!

The 1999 Araujo is from a great vintage in Napa for Cabernet. 1999, 2001 and 2002 were wonderful recent vintages and any of them from a great producer like this will give you a lot of pleasure. I had this wine the other night and it was just terrific. 1 hour of opening and consumer over 3 hours. This has years left of prime drinking window, but with some airing - I thought it was drinking great!

1999 Araujo Eisele Cabernet Sauvignon

Wonderful aroma of rich blueberry, cherries and smoke on the nose. The hints of restrained power. Tastes of cherries, spice, delicious mountain blackberry fruit and currants. The finish was long and gripping - showing a great combination of power and elegance. The 1999 Araujo is drinking really well now but has 5-7 years of terrific years ahead for sure.

Score: 95 Points

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Wine Notes - 2006 Pax Syrah Walker Hill Vineyard, Tasting Review

Pax is one of the very best Syrah producers in California. Yes - I'm still on a serious California Syrah kick! The Pax wines from 2006 are expected to be wonderful as always. The Walker Hill Vineyard is one of my favorite bottles from them.

What I like about Pax is there wines have the color, body and aroma of something almost overwhelming, but then you taste a really balanced wine with perfect alcohol, acidity and fruit development. Writing a note on a Pax wine has that kind of tone. When I'm writing tasting review notes with this Syrah producer, the notes and adjectives refelct the change and development of a wine with great fruit power and balance for aging. Now don't get me wrong, some Pax wines when opened early can be a little rough and clumsy. That is just my experience from time to time. They are hard to keep your hands off of though!

2006 Pax Walker Hill Vineyard Syrah

Heavy dark color, rich to the look and the first aroma seems more Petite Sirah than Syrah. The nose was very nice, giving aromas of blackberry, cinnamon, some nutmeg, sweet spice and that dark mountain style fruit. The mouthfeel was full, but the flavors of brown sugar, blueberry and currants really came through and grew throughout the time the wine was opened. The finish was full, lush and really gave off great power.

I would hold this pax bottle for 2 years and drink it over the next 1-5 years after that. The 2006 Walker Vine Hill Vineyard seems to have the right stuff for cellaring. I had this with Pork Chops baked in a bread crumb mixture with cut potatoes and creamed spinach. It worked great with it.

91-92 Points. Enjoy!

2005 Switchback Ridge Merlot - Switchback Wine

This was a wine I have had before and I have loved it every time I have had it. Switchback makes crazy good Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petite Sirah. Just really rich and yummy stuff.

I did not take formal notes of the 2005 this time. It was opened on Halloween after a day/night of trick or treating. Dinner is rarely a big deal for us and I'm sure others on Halloween with all the walking around and candy chomming. So, if dinner wasn't getting done, I reached for the 2005 Switchback Merlot. I can't eat kit kats and almond joys all night!

The wine was terrific. At least 5 years of long life ahead of itself if aged. One of the best merlots in California. Ranked up there with Pride, Paloma and a select few other quality merlot producers.

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2005 Lucia Syrah Gary's Vineyard Wine Note, Bottle Review Tasting

I have really been into quality California Syrah's the last year. I find the best ones will give you the depp dark rich fruit of a great cabernet but have the approachability (less the tannins) of a young merlot. Lucia was a producer I have wanted to try and I have loved many 2005 vintage Syrah's, so getting to taste this wine and being able to review it was a good experience.

The depth and deepness of the fruit in some of these California Syrah wine bottles is really terrific. For someone like myself who enjoys complexity but loves when a wine can be opened and enjoyed young - California Syrah, including the Lucia Gary's really makes it happen.

I bought some nice cuts of Porterhouse steaks to grill and a Napa Cab really would have and should have been the choice. I was staring at my bottles of Pride, Araujo, Switchback and a few others but it is a Thursday and my wife was feeling a little "under the weather" so I didn't want to waste a bottle that was TOO studly.

I had a few bottles of the 2005 Lucia Gary's Syrah that I had acquired through an auction so I figured I'd see how it would stack up against my bloody steak and see if it could hold up to replacing one of my all time wine and food pairing staples: Steak and Cabernet.

Well - it did. As always, I am typing this from a piece of scribbled white paper where wine notes were taken as I drank it. Probably over 90 minutes, with 45 minutes of it basically eating dinner. Yes - I eat and drink slow when it's something good! lol

On to the review tasting note.

2005 Lucia Syrah Gary's Vineyard

Big aroma of Blueberry, blackberry, coffee grounds and dark mountain fruit. Has the nose of a short term aged high end Napa Cab. Really huge on the nose. The mouthfeel was really rich and lush. The youth of the wine can be felt as the power and freshness hits your palate like a cannon, but it's all good. The palate had tastes of black cherries and berries, vanilla, cream and pepper. The finish had great power and grace of the most complex Syrah I have tasted in a long time.

94 Points (out of 100) - Excellent!

As I wrote the review tasting note on this wine, I was really pleased with what I was tasting. Just terrific stuff and right there with the 2005 Copain Thompson, which I felt was the best 2005 Syrah I have tasted to date.