VINO FINO TASTERS
1999 PINOT NOIR TASTING
May 16, 2001
The 1999 vintage in California was one which tried the patience of many
wine growers. The summer was cool and by September, the fruit was still
low in sugar and high in acidity. Some warm spells pushed sugar levels a
bit, though acidity remained fairly high. This is where the skills of the
grower and winemaker come into play. It's important to taste the fruit to
assess its maturity or development. Gauging the ripeness solely by sugar
and acid might mean you've picked fruit which hasn't developed enough character
to make a profound wine.
We included the winner of the most recent Weimax Pinot tasting,
Seghesio's "Keyhole Ranch" bottling, along with a few other wines from
producers who, for the most part, have prices in the realm of reality. The
tasting proved to be quite good, as there were no "stinkers" in the
group (I'm referring to the wines, not the participants).
| The
Wines |
Gerald's
Rank |
GROUP
RANK |
Total
Points |
1sts/2nds/
Lasts |
CARNEROS
CREEK
1999 Los Carneros
"Las Brissas Vineyard"
$34.99 |
1 |
2 |
29 |
2/5/0 |
CUVAISON
1999 Carneros
Napa Valley
$24.99 |
6 |
5 |
51 |
1/1/0 |
PEDRONCELLI
1999 Dry Creek Valley
"F. Johnson Vineyard"
$14.99 |
4 |
6 |
51 |
0/0/0 |
SEGHESIO
1999 Russian River Valley
"Keyhole Ranch"
$23.99 |
7 |
3 |
41 |
1/1/0 |
SHOOTING
STAR
1999 Mendocino
$14.99 |
8 |
7 |
62 |
0/1/4 |
STEELE
1999 Carneros
$19.99 |
3 |
4 |
43 |
0/0/1 |
WILD
HOG VINEYARD
1999 Ryer Island
"Stewart Vineyard"
$23.99 |
2 |
1 |
18 |
6/1/0 |
ZENITH
VINEYARDS
1999 Canterbury
New Zealand
"Reserve"
$19.99 |
5 |
8 |
65 |
0/1/5 |
Tasting Host: Doug Moke
8th Place: ZENITH VINEYARDS 1999 "Reserve"
PINOT NOIR
One taster wondered why a television manufacturer was now making
wine. Perhaps this explains the poor reception this wine received from the
tasters. The "odd duck" of the group, this wine had lighter
color and higher acidity than the rest of the group. The fragrance was
reminiscent of sweet oranges and spices, with a hint of pepper. The
citrusy flavors are, actually, rather pleasant. This would be a good wine
to pair with Mediterranean/African cuisines which incorporate sweet spices and
raisins.
One-half star (three star scale).
7th Place: SHOOTING STAR 1999 Mendocino PINOT NOIR
There's no real flaw to this wine, save for its intensity, or lack
thereof. I detected a hint of mint and some woodsy fragrances. On
the palate it displays a faintly cherryish note. Standard quality and no
better.
6th Place: PEDRONCELLI 1999 Dry Creek Valley "F. Johnson
Vineyard"
Pedroncelli's single-vineyard bottling has lots of strawberry and cherry
fruit, not unlike some robust Beaujolais wines. Good flavors confirm those
elements found on the nose...this would be a nice warm-weather red.
One star.
5th Place: CUVAISON 1999 Carneros/Napa Valley PINOT NOIR
Berryish fruit with a smoky, woodsy note to the fragrance of this
medium-bodied Pinot. Sweetly-oaked, this is in the above-average
range. One-and-a-half stars.
4th Place: STEELE 1999 Carneros PINOT NOIR
Sweet cherry fruit and some vanillin notes were pleasant, though some
described this as "candied" and "soda pop-like."
Nicely cherryish Pinot. Drink now. One star.
3rd Place: SEGHESIO 1999 Russian River Valley "Keyhole Ranch"
PINOT NOIR
Mildly cherryish with some sweet oak and a hint of a fragrance which
reminded me of band-aids. Still, I thought it was okay. The tannin
was more evident in this wine in this particular line-up than in our tasting a
few weeks previous. One star.
2nd Place: CARNEROS CREEK 1999 Los Carneros "Las Brissas
Vineyard"
Though they've been Pinot Noir specialists since the inception of this
winery in the early-to-mid 1970s, I can't say I've viewed Carneros Creek as a
source of much interesting wine. Though the most costly wine of the
tasting, I felt this was very nice, showing toasty oak and an attractive woodsy
quality. The oak comes through on the palate, showing some style and
depth. Dark red fruit character completes the package. Four to eight
years of cellaring potential. Two stars.
1st Place: WILD HOG 1999 Ryer Island "Stewart Vineyard" PINOT
NOIR
Lots of cherry and dark red fruit fragrances and plenty of sweet, toasty
oak make for a very attractive perfume. The cherry and vanillin elements
weigh in on the palate in this very showy Pinot Noir. The wine ran away
from the rest of the pack in this line-up, hogging first place honors.
Drinkable now and over the next year or two. Two stars.
VINO FINO TASTING ARCHIVE
2007 RUSSIAN RIVER PINOT NOIRS February 2010
A
RANGE OF FRENCH CHABLIS WINES January 2010
HOLIDAY DINNER
& WINE MARATHON December 2009
ROSÉ
SPARKLING WINES November 2009
ARGENTINEAN
MALBECS October 2009
WEST
COAST CHARDONNAYS September 2009
GREEK
RED WINES August 2009
2005
BUDGET BORDEAUX July 2009
CAMPANIAN
WHITE WINES June 2009
MIXED
BAG OF CALIFORNIA PINOT NOIRS April 2009
RIOJA
WINES, MOSTLY FROM THE 2004 VINTAGE March 2009
NORTH
COAST PETITE SIRAHS February 2009
SYRAH
& PETITE SIRAH COMPARISON January 2009
A
VINO FINO CHRISTMAS December 2008
MOSTLY
2005s: NAPA CABERNETS November 2008
SONOMA
COUNTY PINOT NOIRS October 2008
SANTA
RITA HILLS -2006 VINTAGE- PINOT NOIRS SEPTEMBER 2008
NEWLY
RELEASED ZINFANDELS August 2008
WHITE
RHÔNE VALLEY WINES JULY 2008
LOIRE
VALLEY SAUVIGNONS JUNE 2008
FRENCH
CHABLIS 2005-2006 MAY 2008
NORTHERN
RHÔNE SYRAHS APRIL 2008
SANTA
CRUZ MOUNTAINS PINOT NOIRS January 2008
ANNUAL
HOLIDAY CHRISTMAS DINNER December 2007
WEST
COAST CHARDONNAYS November 2007
AUSTRALIAN
SHIRAZ October 2007
SPANISH
TEMPRANILLO WINES September 2007
SONOMA'S
2005 VINTAGE ZINFANDELS August 2007
CURRENT
RELEASE (2004-2005) ZINFANDELS July 2007
ROS
WINES FROM ALL OVER June 2007
ITALIAN
LAGREIN WINES May 2007
ARGENTINEAN
MALBECS April 2007
SOUTHERN
HEMISPHERE PINOT NOIRS March 2007
MOSTLY
2004 CABERNETS February 2007
CRU
BEAUJOLAIS January 2007
A VINO
FINO CHRISTMAS December 2006
CALIFORNIA
ZINFANDELS November 2006
PINOT
NOIRS of VALUE-PRICING October 2006
WORLD
OF SYRAHS TASTING September 2006
AUSSIE
CABERNET-SHIRAZ BLENDS August 2006
ALEXANDER
VALLEY (California) and MARGARET RIVER (Australia) CABERNETS July
2006
CALIFORNIA
PETITE SIRAHS June 2006
2004
NORTH COAST PINOTS and a FRENCH INTRUDER May 2006
AGLIANICO
: BASILICATA & CAMPANIA'S MAJOR RED WINE April 2006
NERO
D'AVOLA - A TASTE OF SICILIA March 2006
UNDER THE
VINO FINO RADAR ZINFANDELS January 2006
HOLIDAY WINE
TASTING & DINNER December 2005
BUBBLIES FROM AROUND
THE WORLD November 2005
NORTH
COAST PINOT NOIRS October 2005
STATE
OF CONFUSION CABERNETS September 2005
TIM
ZAINER'S SIDEWAYS LOOK AT MERLOTS August 2005
LOIRE VALLEY CABERNET
FRANCS June 2005
CALIFORNIA
SYRAHS March 2005
2002
CALIFORNIA CABERNETS February 2005
VINO
FINO HOLIDAY WINE MARATHON December 2004
CHARDONNAYS
OF MODEST PRICE November 2004
SPANISH
TEMPRANILLO October 2004
2002
CENTRAL COAST PINOT NOIRS September 2004
AUSSIE
SHIRAZ-CABERNET BLENDS August 2004
GEWRZTRAMINERS
FROM ALSACE July 2004
2001
SOUTHERN RHNES (7 Chteauneufs & a Vacqueyras) June 2004
AGLIANICO
WINES FROM CAMPANIA & BASILICATA May 2004
MONTEPULCIANO
WINES FROM THE ABRUZZO & MARCHE REGIONS April 2004
SONOMA
ZINFANDELS February 2004
1997
BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO January 2004
VINO
FINO HOLIDAY BACCHANALIA 2003
2001
CTES du RHNES September 17, 2003
2000
OREGON PINOT NOIRS August 20, 2003
WEST
COAST SYRAHS July 16, 2003
2000
Bordeaux June 18, 2003
2000
CALIFORNIA CABERNETS May 21, 2003
OFF
THE BEATEN PATH SYRAHS APRIL 16, 2003
2002 NEW ZEALAND
SAUVIGNON BLANCS March 19, 2003
1999
California CABERNETS February 19, 2003
VINO
FINO HOLIDAY BACCHANALIA December 4, 2002
AUSTRALIAN
SHIRAZ August 21, 2002
CHAMPAGNES
& SPARKLERS July 17, 2002
Interesting
Paired CHARDONNAYS
May 15, 2002
2001
Southern Hemisphere SAUVIGNON BLANCS Feb. 20, 2002
1999 ZINFANDELS January 16, 2002
HOLIDAY
SEASON BACCHANALIA
December 5, 2001
1999-2000
New PINOT NOIRS November 14, 2001
1999
CALIFORNIA ZINFANDELS October 17, 2001
1998
CALIFORNIA CABERNETS September 19, 2001
1999
LANGUEDOC REDS August 15, 2001
1997
SAUTERNES July 18, 2001
Mostly
1998 NEBBIOLO June 20, 2001
1999 PINOT NOIRS May
16, 2001
1996
SAINT-MILION Tasting April 18, 2001
CARNEROS
CHARDONNAYS March 21, 2001
1984-1985
NAPA CABERNETS/John Vignau Memorial Tasting October 20, 2000
1997
CALIFORNIA CABERNETS September 20, 2000
1998 CALIFORNIA
CHARDONNAYS August 16, 2000
WINES
FROM THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE: CLARETS June 21, 2000
WINES
FROM UNDER THE TUSCAN (and Umbrian) SUN Aprile 19, 2000
1997 BORDEAUX: MEDOC May 17,
2000
