SteveTimko
Steve Timko
2005 Talley Vineyards Pinot Noir Edna Valley - USA, California, Central Coast, Edna Valley (5/9/2014)
This was a bonus bottle I brought to the pinot noir tasting. It is showing well with red fruits on the nose and palate. Balanced. Nice finish. More acid showing now than when I tasted it in the tasting room. It seemed a little soft in the tasting room but that baby fat has gone. I would say this wine will age another five years easily. Everyone seemed to like it at the tasting.
2010 Black Kite Pinot Noir Redwoods Edge - USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley (5/9/2014)
This was my wine of the night in the blind tasting. It's showing well now and I think it will improve with age. Wonderful nose. Floral, light. It seems to fill your whole nasal cavity. Mostly red fruits in the palate with some spices. Long finish. It shows great pinot noir elegance. I'd like to try this wine again in five or six years. I think it can age another decade.
2010 Calera Pinot Noir 35th Anniversary Mills Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Mount Harlan (5/9/2014)
An odd blend of sweet red fruit and bitter tannin. The tannin tells me this wine needs some time to mellow out. I tasted it blind and never would have guessed it would have come from a respected wine maker. Given the time constraints of the tasting I probably didn't give it enough time to get more air and show its best side. Even with decanting I don't think I'd recommend drinking this yet. It seems to be in an awkward phase.
2010 Domaine Serene Pinot Noir Evenstad Reserve - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley (5/9/2014)
Tasted blind, I got ripe fruit and some toasted oak on the nose. I announced to others at my table I thought it was Santa Barbara pinot noir. There was a moment of surprise when it was revealed to be Oregon pinot noir. Then I imagined Bob Wood smiling and giving me the thumbs up.
Perhaps my tastes have changed, but I didn’t enjoy this as much as I have Domaine Serene Evanstad Reserve in the past. The few times I had it before it seemed to be a masterful blend of different vineyards. I got too much toasted oak on this tasting, although I guess the oak could recede with age. It tastes of bright red fruit with some tartness. Not really out of balance, but it lacks the finesse of a good pinot. I didn’t like the tannins on the finish either, but this could resolve with time. When I tasted it blind, I was on the fence whether I liked it or not, but since it’s supposed to be Oregon pinot noir, I decided I don’t like it.
2011 Erath Pinot Noir Estate - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley (5/9/2014)
For $14, a decent QPR. Darker fruit flavors. A little bit of smokiness. Balanced. Shortish finish. But it tasted like pinot noir. Not easy to do with less expensive wines.
2012 Lucia Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands (5/9/2014)
In the blind tasting, several others complained about the flare of alcohol on the finish but I didn't get it. The wine did seem a little big and didn't have the finesse I like in pinot noir. Darker fruits. Good finish. I think this is another wine that will show better in four or five years.
2012 Luli Pinot Noir - USA, California, Central Coast (5/9/2014)
In the blind tasting this was the group's wine of the night and my No. 2. Terrific QPR. Not complex but nicely balanced. Supposedly a sommelier is one of the people behind this wine and it seems food friendly. Although it's about a third of the price, it has the delicacy lacking in the 2010 Domaine Serene Evanstad Reserve.
Black cherry and slightly floral on the nose. A little bit of spice. The finish was okay but not great. It was a delight to drink. I don't have a good sense of how it will age.
2012 Roar Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands (5/9/2014)
This is showing well. Maybe the only thing I didn't like is that there's some oak showing on the palate, but I suspect that will integrate nicely in a year or two. Bright red fruits and good acidity. A nice finish. If I had this I'd let it sleep for another five years.
1999 Hiedler Weissburgunder Maximum - Austria, Niederösterreich, Kamptal (4/17/2014)
The 1999 Hiedler Weissburgunder Maximum has been the Benjamin Button of wines for me. The older the wine gets, the younger it tastes.
When I tasted it in 2010, it was mostly absent of fruit. There was sweetness and botrytis but not much fruit. I thought the wine was over the hill and didn’t open any of my three remaining bottles until earlier this year. The second bottle was tired, but much more drinkable. There were some apple and citrus flavors and a decent finish.
I was going to a dinner where I decided to bring six bottles of wine for the 30 people there and most were not wine geeks. So I thought this would be a terrific chance to burn off the remaining two bottles. I opened one of the two Hiedlers and three other bottles and after a half hour or so was casually tasting through them. The Hiedler astonished me. It tasted great. All kinds of citrus and apple on the nose. More citrus on the palate with some smoke and maybe a streak of quinine on the finish. This was also a rich, powerful wine. This wine lived up to Terry Thiese’s claim that it’s one of the best pinot blancs in the world.
There may be an issue with storage for these bottles. I’ve had them in my cellar since I bought them. When I realized how good it tasted, I decided not to uncork my fourth and last bottle of this wine. I’ll save it for fellow wine geeks and cross my fingers when I open it, hoping it’s a good bottle.
2010 Chéreau-Carré Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Chateau l'Oiseliniere de la Ramee - France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine (4/17/2014)
Great QPR. Light. Sea spray and nice minerality with maybe just a streak of citrus. Finish was short. This paired nicely with seafood. A De Maison Selections import.
2002 Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erben Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Kabinett - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (3/8/2014)
Nice white fruits. Good minerality. Seems to be holding well. My friend said this was one of those $7 Premier Cru deals that they don't have any more. Imported by Premier Cru.
2007 Bernhard Ott Riesling vom Roten Schotter - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wagram (3/8/2014)
Showing very well. White fruit and lime. It's slightly off dry, but not as much as some of Ott's other rieslings. I buy Ott's wines specifically to match with food and they don't disappoint. Just sleek and elegant. Imported by Valley View Wine Co.
2012 Walter Scott Pinot Noir Cuvée Ruth - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley (3/8/2014)
Bright red fruit almost overwhelms this wine right now, but I get the sense that a few years in the cellar will bring it around. Nice balance otherwise with a good finish. Right now it's hard to tell it's from Oregon.
This was a bonus bottle I brought to the pinot noir tasting. It is showing well with red fruits on the nose and palate. Balanced. Nice finish. More acid showing now than when I tasted it in the tasting room. It seemed a little soft in the tasting room but that baby fat has gone. I would say this wine will age another five years easily. Everyone seemed to like it at the tasting.
2010 Black Kite Pinot Noir Redwoods Edge - USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley (5/9/2014)
This was my wine of the night in the blind tasting. It's showing well now and I think it will improve with age. Wonderful nose. Floral, light. It seems to fill your whole nasal cavity. Mostly red fruits in the palate with some spices. Long finish. It shows great pinot noir elegance. I'd like to try this wine again in five or six years. I think it can age another decade.
2010 Calera Pinot Noir 35th Anniversary Mills Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Mount Harlan (5/9/2014)
An odd blend of sweet red fruit and bitter tannin. The tannin tells me this wine needs some time to mellow out. I tasted it blind and never would have guessed it would have come from a respected wine maker. Given the time constraints of the tasting I probably didn't give it enough time to get more air and show its best side. Even with decanting I don't think I'd recommend drinking this yet. It seems to be in an awkward phase.
2010 Domaine Serene Pinot Noir Evenstad Reserve - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley (5/9/2014)
Tasted blind, I got ripe fruit and some toasted oak on the nose. I announced to others at my table I thought it was Santa Barbara pinot noir. There was a moment of surprise when it was revealed to be Oregon pinot noir. Then I imagined Bob Wood smiling and giving me the thumbs up.
Perhaps my tastes have changed, but I didn’t enjoy this as much as I have Domaine Serene Evanstad Reserve in the past. The few times I had it before it seemed to be a masterful blend of different vineyards. I got too much toasted oak on this tasting, although I guess the oak could recede with age. It tastes of bright red fruit with some tartness. Not really out of balance, but it lacks the finesse of a good pinot. I didn’t like the tannins on the finish either, but this could resolve with time. When I tasted it blind, I was on the fence whether I liked it or not, but since it’s supposed to be Oregon pinot noir, I decided I don’t like it.
2011 Erath Pinot Noir Estate - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley (5/9/2014)
For $14, a decent QPR. Darker fruit flavors. A little bit of smokiness. Balanced. Shortish finish. But it tasted like pinot noir. Not easy to do with less expensive wines.
2012 Lucia Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands (5/9/2014)
In the blind tasting, several others complained about the flare of alcohol on the finish but I didn't get it. The wine did seem a little big and didn't have the finesse I like in pinot noir. Darker fruits. Good finish. I think this is another wine that will show better in four or five years.
2012 Luli Pinot Noir - USA, California, Central Coast (5/9/2014)
In the blind tasting this was the group's wine of the night and my No. 2. Terrific QPR. Not complex but nicely balanced. Supposedly a sommelier is one of the people behind this wine and it seems food friendly. Although it's about a third of the price, it has the delicacy lacking in the 2010 Domaine Serene Evanstad Reserve.
Black cherry and slightly floral on the nose. A little bit of spice. The finish was okay but not great. It was a delight to drink. I don't have a good sense of how it will age.
2012 Roar Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands (5/9/2014)
This is showing well. Maybe the only thing I didn't like is that there's some oak showing on the palate, but I suspect that will integrate nicely in a year or two. Bright red fruits and good acidity. A nice finish. If I had this I'd let it sleep for another five years.
1999 Hiedler Weissburgunder Maximum - Austria, Niederösterreich, Kamptal (4/17/2014)
The 1999 Hiedler Weissburgunder Maximum has been the Benjamin Button of wines for me. The older the wine gets, the younger it tastes.
When I tasted it in 2010, it was mostly absent of fruit. There was sweetness and botrytis but not much fruit. I thought the wine was over the hill and didn’t open any of my three remaining bottles until earlier this year. The second bottle was tired, but much more drinkable. There were some apple and citrus flavors and a decent finish.
I was going to a dinner where I decided to bring six bottles of wine for the 30 people there and most were not wine geeks. So I thought this would be a terrific chance to burn off the remaining two bottles. I opened one of the two Hiedlers and three other bottles and after a half hour or so was casually tasting through them. The Hiedler astonished me. It tasted great. All kinds of citrus and apple on the nose. More citrus on the palate with some smoke and maybe a streak of quinine on the finish. This was also a rich, powerful wine. This wine lived up to Terry Thiese’s claim that it’s one of the best pinot blancs in the world.
There may be an issue with storage for these bottles. I’ve had them in my cellar since I bought them. When I realized how good it tasted, I decided not to uncork my fourth and last bottle of this wine. I’ll save it for fellow wine geeks and cross my fingers when I open it, hoping it’s a good bottle.
2010 Chéreau-Carré Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine Chateau l'Oiseliniere de la Ramee - France, Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine (4/17/2014)
Great QPR. Light. Sea spray and nice minerality with maybe just a streak of citrus. Finish was short. This paired nicely with seafood. A De Maison Selections import.
2002 Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erben Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Kabinett - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (3/8/2014)
Nice white fruits. Good minerality. Seems to be holding well. My friend said this was one of those $7 Premier Cru deals that they don't have any more. Imported by Premier Cru.
2007 Bernhard Ott Riesling vom Roten Schotter - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wagram (3/8/2014)
Showing very well. White fruit and lime. It's slightly off dry, but not as much as some of Ott's other rieslings. I buy Ott's wines specifically to match with food and they don't disappoint. Just sleek and elegant. Imported by Valley View Wine Co.
2012 Walter Scott Pinot Noir Cuvée Ruth - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley (3/8/2014)
Bright red fruit almost overwhelms this wine right now, but I get the sense that a few years in the cellar will bring it around. Nice balance otherwise with a good finish. Right now it's hard to tell it's from Oregon.