Pompous Twits: "Mostly Syrah" April 15, 2000, Posted 4/26.
Hosts: Bryan and Lisa Gros
Attendees: Bryan and Lisa Gros, Dave Hulet, Paul Marshall, Harry Kojimaom, Jinny Horner, Tom Tilley (first timer!), Roger St. Denis, Tom Regner, Julie Mrasek

The Setup
Ten Pompous Twits convened for the April tasting at Rue de Main for "Mostly Syrah" hosted by Bryan and Lisa Gros.  In true Twits fashion, there was too much wine for the turnout!   We tasted 15 wines in all: four whites (all  California viogniers) and 11 reds.  Four of the reds were French, the remainder were California.  Bryan and Lisa chose the "Mostly Syrah" theme because the reds were either 100% syrah or had a significant percentage of that grape.  Each wine was opened before the tasting to let them breathe (exact amount of time unknown).  All wines were tasted blind.

I am NOT a copious note taker when compared to many in the group, but I can give my impressions and opinions nonetheless!   Conflicting opinions welcome (always!).

FIRST FLIGHT: Viognier

Saddleback Cellars '98 "California" Viogner $18.95 USD
Color: very pale amber  Nose: closed, but oak and citrus were predominant  Flavors: big oak, tart and acidic.  I voted it worst of flight and dumped it, but it got five votes for best of flight!  I think Saddleback should stick with reds!

Ojai '97 "California" Roll Ranch Vineyard (Central Coast?) Viognier $12 USD
Color: light golden color Nose:  quite open and full, apricot in abundance with some pineapple and mango Flavors: citrus, tropical fruit and pear.  I voted this best of flight, along with one other Twit.

Rabbit Ridge '98 "California" Viognier  $?? (Around $15?)
Color: slightly darker hue than the Ojai  Nose: opened slowly, apricot, kiwi fruit  Flavors: weak, watery, no complexity, vague.  Two votes for best of flight.

DeNatale '98 "Dry Creek" (Sonoma Co.) Viogner $19.99
Color: identical to the Rabbit Ridge  Nose: pear, hint of banana, plus odd chemical odor that reminded me of latex paint  Flavors: too acidic, bitterness bites at back of tongue, complex but not terribly interesting.  Got one vote for best of flight.

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SECOND FLIGHT: French "Mostly" Syrah

Domaine Borie de Maurel '97 "Minervois" $8.79
Color: deep ruby red  Nose: closed, but generic berry nose masked with leather Flavors: a bit acidic, blackberry, some complexity -- a nice quaffing red with simpler chicken dishes or grilled vegetables.  One vote for best of flight.

St. Joseph "Offerus" '97 (100% syrah) St. Joseph $??
Color: deep ruby red  Nose: closed, but distinct odor of grilled beef  Flavors: good varietal character, a single-note, uncomplex, yet delicious wine.  Three votes for best of flight (mine among them).

Mas Champart '97 St. Chinian  $15.95
Color: ruby red with lighter edges than others in flight  Nose: closed, almost non-existent, light whiff of cinnamon and currents   Flavors:  oaky -- oak, oak and more oak, huge amounts of tannin, little fruit.  I voted this one worst of flight, but it did get one vote for best.

Chateau la Rouge '97 "Pic San Loup" (Languedoc)  $13.95
Color: deep ruby red  Nose: great whiffs of dark chocolate and cherry, unusual for type  Flavors: tastes bear out nose, chocolate and cherry, high acidity in conflict, but was my second best in flight and got two votes for first of
flight.

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Note: The California syrahs were unanimously voted as far superior to the French offerings at this tasting, recognizing that the French wines were "low end" products.

By this time, my nose, palate and ability to take cohesive notes were beginning to deteriorate,  but I will provide their rankings and other comments as I can...

Christopher Creek '97 Russian River  $18
Color: syrah colored -- okay, kidding -- less ruby than the French wines, but still dark with a browner hue  Nose: alcohol, black cherry under tobacco, earth, leather and earth   Flavors: a very nice CA syrah, only slightly out of balance towards the acidic, warm without being hot, currants, bit of bramble. Got two votes for best of flight (my second best).

Rowland, '97 Napa Valley $20
Color: deep, dark, brooding red Nose: alcohol, over deep generic berry and tobacco  Flavors: hot, but with good complexity and a respectable amount of fruit.  One vote for best of flight.

Qupe '97 Syrah Santa Maria "Bien Naciedo Hillside Estate"  $36.95
Color: deep ruby with brownish edges  Nose: delicious "drink me now!" fruit (nuance? Fuggitaboudit!  Fruit and more fruit!) Flavors: huge fruit in excellent balance of alcohol, acidity and chewy mouthfeel.  Seven votes for best of flight -- clearly the favorite (mine too)!

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FOURTH FLIGHT: Rhone Style Blends

Note: Bryan & Lisa asked us to try to identify which of the following wines was "most expensive" in addition to ranking them.  A fun exercise, I have to say!

Fenestra "True Red, Lot 12" (no vintage provided, but current release) Livermore (mostly)  $8-$10?
Color: very, very red... Nose: sorry, no notes, but I remember I enjoyed it Flavors: complex fruit, warm but not hot, rich dark flavors, firm tannins with a long finish.  Unanimous for best of flight!  (Winemaker Lanny Replogle uses small lots of "leftovers" [like Robert Pecota's "Melange"] that may be Bordeaux varietals or, in this case, Rhones -- his best since Lot 5, IMHO.)

Preston '97 "Faux" Dry Creek (Sonoma Co.) $9.95
Color: no notes  Nose: tobacco, unidentifiable sweet smell   Flavors:  complex, slightly acidic but well-balanced otherwise, currant, guava, medium finish.  My second best of flight.

Coulson '97 "Vintners Blend" El Dorado Co.  $14?
Note: Edgar Coulson, the winemaker, is relatively new to professional winemaking, but got into it after being a consistent winner of "best amateur" competitions throughout the state. His reds are all unfiltered and unfined.  This one has more grenache than syrah.

Color: clear (not at all cloudy for unfined wine), red, lighter than others Nose: slight sulphur component that dissipated quickly, opening to show earthy, leathery, tobacco and earthy notes  Flavors: cherry, currant, spice, complex yet a bit too high in acid (needs time).  My vote for "worst of flight" ;  still a very enjoyable wine that I'd buy again.

Tablas Creek '97 Paso Robles $31.99
Note: While I voted this second worst of flight, I also nailed it as being the "most expensive" because of its marked similarity to good French Rhones.

Color: deep ruby with hint of purple Nose: tight, closed, but earthy and slightly chemical, hint of cellar mold  Flavors: huge backbone of firm acid, out of balance to my palate, tart, a little bitter and yet still quite drinkable.

-- Tom R. 
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