Oswaldo Costa
Oswaldo Costa
The amiable Mike Dashe, whose winsome lack of pretension conceals a formidable cv, held court at CSW yesterday evening and poured nine conscientiously crafted wines.
Though I have my preferences, I don’t subscribe to the idea of favorite and non-favorite grapes, choosing to believe that most vinifera can produce excellent wine with the right terroir and handling; but I have to confess to some degree of difficulty with zinfandel. Perhaps, to a bloody foreigner who is neither Mexican or Indian, the ballsy pepperiness is an acquired taste. So I’m probably not the right guy to be texting this to my laptop, but if you have no dogs to hunt with, hunt with a cat.
Anyway, Dashe’s philosophy is disorderly, the natural result of intelligence and experience, abetted by marrying a native of Brittany not named Brittany, and I was curious to see what such an enlightened world view would do to a grape that is, perhaps more often than any other, routinely massacred by the forces of excess after appearing in the original version of How the West Was Won.
Well, while I remain unconvinced about zin, I came away thinking that Mike has pulled a hare from a hat with a line of quasi-carbonic (destemmed rather than whole cluster) zins that arrive at your table squeaking just below the notorious Ellenbogen 14% Rube Con. That blustery Zin character delivered without as much redneck brawn. Bravo. But, alas, the zin I liked the most was the humblest of the traditionals. Sigh, the palate can be such a banana peel, even if you don’t taste blind, as long as you’re honest about your feelings.
2009 Dashe Potter Valley McFadden Farm Riesling
My least favorite of the evening. Lovely mineral aroma but too sweet and overwhelmingly floral, like a scheurebe with A.D.D. or a muscat on dope.
2010 Dashe Dry Creek Valley “Vin Gris”
A rosé, blend of Grenache, petite syrah and a touch of zinfandel. Attractive meaty nose. More balanced, nice enough, but with a candied edge that mars the finish.
2009 Dashe Dry Creek Valley Grenache “L’Enfant Terrible”
Nose has an appealing steely/graphite note, balance is excellent, with a good bite from acidity & tannin. Some broodiness and tightness right now, should become extremely nice in a year or two.
2007 Dashe Potter Valley McFadden Farms Zinfandel “L’Enfant Terrible” 13.8%
Lovely, full berry aroma. Plush and fruity, but the dark zin pepperiness keeps any trace of carbonic sycophancy at bay.
2009 Dashe Potter Valley McFadden Farms Zinfandel “L’Enfant Terrible” 14.2%
Lovely aromas, good ripeness, excellent weight, attractive mouth feel, favorite so far.
2010 Dashe Potter Valley McFadden Farms Zinfandel “L’Enfant Terrible” 13.8%
Very aromatic, with graphite steeliness surrounded by herbs and iodine. Loveliest aroma so far. Fine and strong acidity, grippy tannins, but the herbal aspect is too overwhelming at this point, like the pimply overflowering of youth. Acidity should make it a fine ager, and the nose promises much. Very little was made, so if you love zin and can get your hands on this, go for baroque.
2009 Dashe Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 14.3%
Vinified traditionally, 100% destemmed, from five vineyards. Almost same alcohol level as its quasi-carbonic 09 sibling. Very elegant nose, the words old school appear insistently on the cortical teleprompter. Smooth, with fine acidity, kept from urbane gentility by the insistent rush of pepperiness. Possibly due to the lower alcohol, this was the most satisfying of the zins to drink (as opposed to smell), despite the “nobler” grapes that go into the next two. Less became more, or perhaps it’s the vintage effect, since the quasi-carbonic I liked best was also from 09.
2007 Dashe Dry Creek Valley Florence Vineyard Zinfandel 14.8%
Pungent aromas of provençal herbs. Smooth, vanilly (but not oaky), attractive, with good grip. Acid and sweetness appear technically in balance, but there’s too much alcohol sweetness for zis finicky non-habitué.
2008 Dashe Alexander Valley Todd Brothers Old Vines Zinfandel 14.8%
From 50Y old vines. More subdued but quite elegant nose, with a hint of reductive rubber. Smoother than the Florence, but with less weight to back up the same degree of alcohol and boisterous pepperiness. Liked the Florence better, and the regulat even more.
Thanks, Mike & CSW, for the pleasurable and instructive ride.
Though I have my preferences, I don’t subscribe to the idea of favorite and non-favorite grapes, choosing to believe that most vinifera can produce excellent wine with the right terroir and handling; but I have to confess to some degree of difficulty with zinfandel. Perhaps, to a bloody foreigner who is neither Mexican or Indian, the ballsy pepperiness is an acquired taste. So I’m probably not the right guy to be texting this to my laptop, but if you have no dogs to hunt with, hunt with a cat.
Anyway, Dashe’s philosophy is disorderly, the natural result of intelligence and experience, abetted by marrying a native of Brittany not named Brittany, and I was curious to see what such an enlightened world view would do to a grape that is, perhaps more often than any other, routinely massacred by the forces of excess after appearing in the original version of How the West Was Won.
Well, while I remain unconvinced about zin, I came away thinking that Mike has pulled a hare from a hat with a line of quasi-carbonic (destemmed rather than whole cluster) zins that arrive at your table squeaking just below the notorious Ellenbogen 14% Rube Con. That blustery Zin character delivered without as much redneck brawn. Bravo. But, alas, the zin I liked the most was the humblest of the traditionals. Sigh, the palate can be such a banana peel, even if you don’t taste blind, as long as you’re honest about your feelings.
2009 Dashe Potter Valley McFadden Farm Riesling
My least favorite of the evening. Lovely mineral aroma but too sweet and overwhelmingly floral, like a scheurebe with A.D.D. or a muscat on dope.
2010 Dashe Dry Creek Valley “Vin Gris”
A rosé, blend of Grenache, petite syrah and a touch of zinfandel. Attractive meaty nose. More balanced, nice enough, but with a candied edge that mars the finish.
2009 Dashe Dry Creek Valley Grenache “L’Enfant Terrible”
Nose has an appealing steely/graphite note, balance is excellent, with a good bite from acidity & tannin. Some broodiness and tightness right now, should become extremely nice in a year or two.
2007 Dashe Potter Valley McFadden Farms Zinfandel “L’Enfant Terrible” 13.8%
Lovely, full berry aroma. Plush and fruity, but the dark zin pepperiness keeps any trace of carbonic sycophancy at bay.
2009 Dashe Potter Valley McFadden Farms Zinfandel “L’Enfant Terrible” 14.2%
Lovely aromas, good ripeness, excellent weight, attractive mouth feel, favorite so far.
2010 Dashe Potter Valley McFadden Farms Zinfandel “L’Enfant Terrible” 13.8%
Very aromatic, with graphite steeliness surrounded by herbs and iodine. Loveliest aroma so far. Fine and strong acidity, grippy tannins, but the herbal aspect is too overwhelming at this point, like the pimply overflowering of youth. Acidity should make it a fine ager, and the nose promises much. Very little was made, so if you love zin and can get your hands on this, go for baroque.
2009 Dashe Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 14.3%
Vinified traditionally, 100% destemmed, from five vineyards. Almost same alcohol level as its quasi-carbonic 09 sibling. Very elegant nose, the words old school appear insistently on the cortical teleprompter. Smooth, with fine acidity, kept from urbane gentility by the insistent rush of pepperiness. Possibly due to the lower alcohol, this was the most satisfying of the zins to drink (as opposed to smell), despite the “nobler” grapes that go into the next two. Less became more, or perhaps it’s the vintage effect, since the quasi-carbonic I liked best was also from 09.
2007 Dashe Dry Creek Valley Florence Vineyard Zinfandel 14.8%
Pungent aromas of provençal herbs. Smooth, vanilly (but not oaky), attractive, with good grip. Acid and sweetness appear technically in balance, but there’s too much alcohol sweetness for zis finicky non-habitué.
2008 Dashe Alexander Valley Todd Brothers Old Vines Zinfandel 14.8%
From 50Y old vines. More subdued but quite elegant nose, with a hint of reductive rubber. Smoother than the Florence, but with less weight to back up the same degree of alcohol and boisterous pepperiness. Liked the Florence better, and the regulat even more.
Thanks, Mike & CSW, for the pleasurable and instructive ride.