Brown bag tasting notes, Californian theme.

2004 Patz & Hall Chardonnay Dutton Ranch (Russian River) – medium
light colour, vanilla nose with a whiff of salt air, soft wine with
clean fruit, soft finish. Pleasant.

1984 Phelps Insignia – very minty nose, medium colour, fresh wine with
no tannins evident but excellent acidity. I guessed the maker but not
the year – thought it was a bit younger. A good, rather than
outstanding showing.

1983 Stag’s Leap Winery Cabernet – dark, with a cherry vanilla nose
and excellent acidity, the fruit no doubt having dropped out a bit,
but nonetheless a surprisingly decent showing from this often lean
vintage.

1986 Diamond Creek Red Rock Terrace – sadly, a spoiled corked wine
with a vague and fruitless middle.

1990 Conn Valley Cabernet Reserve – good dark colour and a nose of
sweet vanilla pudding, then good fruit, soft tannins and at least
decent fruit.

1992 Hess Collection Cabernet – another dark wine with stronger
tannins than the Conn, and a hint of mint in the nose. Decent fruit,
but maybe a tad flat in the middle, only average length.

1997 Turley Hayne Zinfandel – wow! Big dark wine with a minty cherry
and blackberry nose, tons of sweet fruit on palate, and almost a
little acidic spritz that went away after a bit. Hot and long – this
one is 17.1% alcohol.

1996 Duckhorn Merlot Napa – sweet spicy nose, mellow on palate a
mature wine with medium length.

1996 Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet – sweet currant nose quite
mellow and resolved on palate with soft tannin and well melded
flavours, and a balanced lengthy finish. Very good.

2001 Paloma Merlot – dark sweet hot nose with cocoa, big and jammy in
the mouth with big tannins and blackberry aromas. Needs more time but
very good now.

2006 St. Chapelle Riesling Icewine – a light colour, sweet nose, pecha
flavours with bright acidity. Pleasant.

2000 Far Niente Dolce – always one of the best made California dessert
wines, this Sauternes bend had a sweet green apple nose and was
balanced and very long. Excellent.

On Aug 16, 1:27*pm, "Bill S." > wrote:
> Brown bag tasting notes, Californian theme.
>
> 2004 Patz & Hall Chardonnay Dutton Ranch (Russian River) – medium
> light colour, vanilla nose with a whiff of salt air, soft wine with
> clean fruit, soft finish. Pleasant.
>
> 1984 Phelps Insignia – very minty nose, medium colour, fresh wine with
> no tannins evident but excellent acidity. I guessed the maker but not
> the year – thought it was a bit younger. *A good, rather than
> outstanding showing.
>
> 1983 Stag’s Leap Winery Cabernet – dark, with a cherry vanilla nose
> and excellent acidity, the fruit no doubt having dropped out a bit,
> but nonetheless a surprisingly decent showing from this often lean
> vintage.
>
> 1986 Diamond Creek Red Rock Terrace – sadly, a spoiled corked wine
> with a vague and fruitless middle.
>
> 1990 Conn Valley Cabernet Reserve – good dark colour and a nose of
> sweet vanilla pudding, then good fruit, soft tannins and at least
> decent fruit.
>
> 1992 Hess Collection Cabernet – another dark wine with stronger
> tannins than the Conn, and a hint of mint in the nose. Decent fruit,
> but maybe a tad flat in the middle, only average length.
>
> 1997 Turley Hayne Zinfandel – wow! *Big dark wine with a minty cherry
> and blackberry nose, tons of sweet fruit on palate, and almost a
> little acidic spritz that went away after a bit. Hot and long – this
> one is 17.1% alcohol.
>
> 1996 Duckhorn Merlot Napa – sweet spicy nose, mellow on palate a
> mature wine with medium length.
>
> 1996 Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet – sweet currant nose quite
> mellow and resolved on palate with soft tannin and well melded
> flavours, and a balanced lengthy finish. Very good.
>
> 2001 Paloma Merlot – dark sweet hot nose with cocoa, big and jammy in
> the mouth with big tannins and blackberry aromas. *Needs more time but
> very good now.
>
> 2006 St. Chapelle Riesling Icewine – a light colour, sweet nose, pecha
> flavours with bright acidity. Pleasant.
>
> 2000 Far Niente Dolce – always one of the best made California dessert
> wines, this Sauternes bend had a sweet green apple nose and was
> balanced and very long. *Excellent.

I guess California retrospectives are the rage right now! Thanks for
the notes.