SteveTimko
Steve Timko
2002 Renaissance Mediterranean Red - USA, California, Sierra Foothills, North Yuba (7/3/2010)
A nice meaty nose after I pulled the cork, so it's age was showing there. Very little on the palate. Like a balanced table wine. No noticeable tannins. Swirling did nothing to open it up.
I came back to it after two hours. It's a GSM blend but after two hours I got some blackberry syrah flavor but nothing else. Just a thin wine. It's not really showing signs of aging. I don't' know if it's faded or never had the concentration to begin with. It's 54 percent grenache but there's not a hint of grenache anywhere in this 12.7 percent alcohol wine. Short finish. Maybe I committed infantcide. If I had any more of this I'd let it sleep for at least five more years. I didn't llike this wine.
2002 Cedarville Vineyard Syrah - USA, California, Sierra Foothills, El Dorado (7/3/2010)
Proved to be popular with the wine geeks at the holiday get together. This wine will make it to 15 years standing up. I pulled the cork and let it breathe for four hours in the morning before serving it on the evening.
The white pepper was strong at first but as the wine got more air it came into balance. Black fruits on the nose and palate. some spices. Nice concentration. Nice finish. No one is going to confuse this with an Old World wine but it's a good example of California syrah.
2006 Belle Pente Chardonnay Belle Pente Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley (7/3/2010)
This is quite tasty. I'm sorry now I didn't buy more at the winery. It's evolved nicely in the 20 months since I last tasted it.
The alcohol is high, 14.7 percent, but the wine was balanced. It was a little bit big but I think it could still go with a lot of food. Maybe a little bit of oak on the finish, but it's not intrusive.
Nuttiness on the nose and apple and other white fruits on the palate. Crisp. Good finish. This wine is an excellent value. This wine may improve a little bit with age but it will definitely hold for five or more years. I pulled the cork and let it breathe for about four hours in the morning before serving it in the evening.
2009 Unti Vineyards Grenache Ros - USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley (7/3/2010)
I'm surprised to see the positive notes for this wine on CellarTracker! I like Unti wines but I didn't like this wine. I didn't get the acidity others note, plus it didn't seem to have much body. It seemed like a bleed off. I got some strawberry and maybe a little bit of rhubarb. Short finish. It just didn't seem that interesting.
2004 Mount Aukum Winery Syrah Michael Thoma - USA, California, Sierra Foothills, Fair Play (7/3/2010)
Still tannic and tight. Swirling did little to open this. Black fruits on the nose and palate. Short finish. I can't tell if it's going to develop into anything.
2006 Jessie's Grove Winery Zinfandel Vintner's Choice Old Vine - USA, California, Central Valley, Lodi (7/3/2010)
This was a nice claret-style, 14.7 percent alcohol zin. Mostly blackberry and a little bit of spice. Definitely not a fruit bomb. No real tannic structure, but it seems like it could age a few years. I liked this.
A nice meaty nose after I pulled the cork, so it's age was showing there. Very little on the palate. Like a balanced table wine. No noticeable tannins. Swirling did nothing to open it up.
I came back to it after two hours. It's a GSM blend but after two hours I got some blackberry syrah flavor but nothing else. Just a thin wine. It's not really showing signs of aging. I don't' know if it's faded or never had the concentration to begin with. It's 54 percent grenache but there's not a hint of grenache anywhere in this 12.7 percent alcohol wine. Short finish. Maybe I committed infantcide. If I had any more of this I'd let it sleep for at least five more years. I didn't llike this wine.
2002 Cedarville Vineyard Syrah - USA, California, Sierra Foothills, El Dorado (7/3/2010)
Proved to be popular with the wine geeks at the holiday get together. This wine will make it to 15 years standing up. I pulled the cork and let it breathe for four hours in the morning before serving it on the evening.
The white pepper was strong at first but as the wine got more air it came into balance. Black fruits on the nose and palate. some spices. Nice concentration. Nice finish. No one is going to confuse this with an Old World wine but it's a good example of California syrah.
2006 Belle Pente Chardonnay Belle Pente Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley (7/3/2010)
This is quite tasty. I'm sorry now I didn't buy more at the winery. It's evolved nicely in the 20 months since I last tasted it.
The alcohol is high, 14.7 percent, but the wine was balanced. It was a little bit big but I think it could still go with a lot of food. Maybe a little bit of oak on the finish, but it's not intrusive.
Nuttiness on the nose and apple and other white fruits on the palate. Crisp. Good finish. This wine is an excellent value. This wine may improve a little bit with age but it will definitely hold for five or more years. I pulled the cork and let it breathe for about four hours in the morning before serving it in the evening.
2009 Unti Vineyards Grenache Ros - USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley (7/3/2010)
I'm surprised to see the positive notes for this wine on CellarTracker! I like Unti wines but I didn't like this wine. I didn't get the acidity others note, plus it didn't seem to have much body. It seemed like a bleed off. I got some strawberry and maybe a little bit of rhubarb. Short finish. It just didn't seem that interesting.
2004 Mount Aukum Winery Syrah Michael Thoma - USA, California, Sierra Foothills, Fair Play (7/3/2010)
Still tannic and tight. Swirling did little to open this. Black fruits on the nose and palate. Short finish. I can't tell if it's going to develop into anything.
2006 Jessie's Grove Winery Zinfandel Vintner's Choice Old Vine - USA, California, Central Valley, Lodi (7/3/2010)
This was a nice claret-style, 14.7 percent alcohol zin. Mostly blackberry and a little bit of spice. Definitely not a fruit bomb. No real tannic structure, but it seems like it could age a few years. I liked this.