aka Wine Consultant

Stood in for the Coturri Winery folks at the recent Lauber tasting - listed as Wine Consultant - I finally have an alias -

First time on the other side of the table - what a hoot -

133 tables - some with one or two wines - some boasting a dozen - single vineyards - verticals - great labels - over 1,500 guests from wine/restaurant trade -

For Coturri - 1999 Cab and 1999 Merlot from Danny Glover's Vineyard - library offerings -

Cab needed time to mature - the Merlot was just plain different - interesting - rich - alive - different !!! -

I have been told - decanting the Merlot would have been a home run move - but at a mass tasting.... - next time -

99 Merlot as described by the vineyard -

Owned by the actor Danny Glover this vineyard is located at 1,000 ft. elevation on the Mayacamas Mountains in an area known as the Aqua Caliente watershed - a cooler micro-climate that provides relief from the hot Sonoma summers and allows the merlot fruit to fully ripen.  This mid to full bodied wine has a dried cherry nose and a dry finish.  Complex flavors of cassis, black fruit and a mineral quality from the volcanic soils of the vineyard.  Only 98 cases produced.

Cotturi's listed wine - 2002 Zinfandel P. Coturri Family Vineyards - Sonoma Valley ($45 bottle retail) -

Be prepared for a huge, rich, full-bodied wine loaded with jammy, briery, raspberry fruit. Hedonistic, with gorgeous texture, layers of flavor, and beautifully integrated tannins and acidity .  Only 175 cases produced.

This was "hands down" the WOW wine of the tasting - 16% alc - sweet - most read it as a Late Harvest Zin - or a Fortified Wine - or "something" - eyes popped - jaws dropped - when told that its "natural" - "absolutely nothing added" -

Tasters would come by the table - taste once - taste twice - disappear - then reappear with a bevy of friends or associates - "you've got to try this" -

Definitely not for the Dover Sole set -

Being on the other side of the table - restricted me from doing my own exploratory tastings - but I did manage to sneak out for a few sips - only the winners !!!

• Ridge - Monte Bello - 1990 - awesome - rich character - just wonderful - one of the greatest American wines - when I go into wine stores - asking staff what they would buy - for dinner - tonight - no holds barred - Monte Bello invariably makes it onto the list -
  
• Raymond - Napa Valley - Cabernet Sauvignon - 1982 - smooth - velvet - no edge - almost a French construction - a treat
• Patz & Hall - Carneros - Pinot Noir - Hyde Vineyard - 2003 - just great - but I was looking for Pisoni - not to be found - bummer - as a consolation - Donald Patz did push me towards - Patz & Hall - Burnside - I will have to seek it out -
  
• Miner - Cabernet Sauvignon - 2002 - one of my favorites - could drink it every day - when anyone asks - "what can I bring" - Miner Cab is at the top of the list -
• Marchesi Di Gresy - Barbaresco - Montinenga - 2000 - a blind tasting - loved it - on the sweet die - lice alc - low acid - hint of cherry - have to get more -

Packed it in at about 6:30 - can't want to do it again -

HBH

 

 

Comments

[Winegal]

Amazing wines at the LAUBER tasting... But I thought the Patz and Hall Hyde was not as good as vintages past, a little thin... The Flowers had some nice Pinot as did EL MOLINO... Coturri Zin was interesting, and I did bring people back to show them too. My #1 favie of the show was the Marcel Deiss Bergheim Riesling... WOW, What an amazing bottle of juice. Least impressive-> Chalk Hill Cabernet, it's no wonder they are practically giving it away.