Florida Jim
Florida Jim
1995 Caprai, Sagrantino di Montefalco 25 Anni:
13.5% alcohol and, in its youth, perhaps the most tannic wine I have encountered; now, wonderful warm fruit, tar and earth nose (similar to Barolo but higher pitched) with hints of dark cherry compote and marjoram; still quite tannic but now, at least, the fruit shows through, bright, intense; chalky finish that dries toward the very end. For drinking with very flavorful, fatty food and a chaser of water handy. Considerable sediment required decanting.
2007 Bjrnstad, Pinot Noir Hellenthal Vnyd.:
Yum! A dose of whole cluster comes across on the nose (even though there was none) but with the non-green aspects of that element and plenty of texture (or at least, suggestions of texture); complete in the mouth with the terroir being every bit as important as the fruit, good textures and integration, lovely secondary qualities and a medium length finish. I like this wine, despite its 14.4% alcohol, which never evidences itself. Best guess; given a decade or so this wine will be as special as the Cronin (below) but more elegant.
1994 Dalla Valle, Maya:
This is incomplete it reminds me of a road that was just resurfaced and the remarking isnt finished yet one solid straight line right down the middle and nothing at all at the sides not a bad wine but falling well short of being what it could/should be. A bit drying on the finish. Eh?!
1995 Cronin, Pinot Noir:
Aged Santa Cruz Mtn. wine that is really special; the nose is layered, includes good fruit tones and some earth accents but is also loaded with those secondary and tertiary notes that make pinot so ethereal rotting leaves, truffles, undergrowth, dried herbs, an old steamer trunk this is the nose I search for; almost as good in the mouth with the same dynamic complexity, electric blackberry/black raspberry flavors, a little less in the texture and roundness department but makes up for it in length. All things considered, one of the most character driven domestic pinots Ive had in a long while and fully mature, at that. Thanks Steve.
Best, Jim
13.5% alcohol and, in its youth, perhaps the most tannic wine I have encountered; now, wonderful warm fruit, tar and earth nose (similar to Barolo but higher pitched) with hints of dark cherry compote and marjoram; still quite tannic but now, at least, the fruit shows through, bright, intense; chalky finish that dries toward the very end. For drinking with very flavorful, fatty food and a chaser of water handy. Considerable sediment required decanting.
2007 Bjrnstad, Pinot Noir Hellenthal Vnyd.:
Yum! A dose of whole cluster comes across on the nose (even though there was none) but with the non-green aspects of that element and plenty of texture (or at least, suggestions of texture); complete in the mouth with the terroir being every bit as important as the fruit, good textures and integration, lovely secondary qualities and a medium length finish. I like this wine, despite its 14.4% alcohol, which never evidences itself. Best guess; given a decade or so this wine will be as special as the Cronin (below) but more elegant.
1994 Dalla Valle, Maya:
This is incomplete it reminds me of a road that was just resurfaced and the remarking isnt finished yet one solid straight line right down the middle and nothing at all at the sides not a bad wine but falling well short of being what it could/should be. A bit drying on the finish. Eh?!
1995 Cronin, Pinot Noir:
Aged Santa Cruz Mtn. wine that is really special; the nose is layered, includes good fruit tones and some earth accents but is also loaded with those secondary and tertiary notes that make pinot so ethereal rotting leaves, truffles, undergrowth, dried herbs, an old steamer trunk this is the nose I search for; almost as good in the mouth with the same dynamic complexity, electric blackberry/black raspberry flavors, a little less in the texture and roundness department but makes up for it in length. All things considered, one of the most character driven domestic pinots Ive had in a long while and fully mature, at that. Thanks Steve.
Best, Jim