December 2014 West Coast Wine Reviews
Please note if there is a WB rating range, the wine was difficult to pin down in terms of rating, after additional time passes the wine should resolve itself and be more easily reviewed.
Arcadian/Bratcher
2007 Arcadian Chardonnay Sleepy Hollow Vineyard. Light gold in color. Aromas of peach, matchstick and lemon curd are the hallmarks of the 2007 Sleepy Hollow Chardonnay. Medium-bodied in the mouth, with good density and textural roundness, it is a wine to lay down. How many 7+ year-old California Chardonnays can you say that about? WB 93.
2008 Arcadian Chardonnay Sleepy Hollow Vineyard. Light gold. Fuji apple, Key limes and minerals are all found in this impressive Chardonnay crafted by Joe Arcadian. Amazingly, the wine spent 45 months in oak, yet nary a trace can be found in the bottled product! Finishes very long, with a mineral-coated, almost saline quality and strong acidity and energy. Quite different in style from the more easygoing 2007 version. WB 94.
2008 Arcadian Pinot Noir Fiddlestix Vineyard. Nearly translucent red. Wild cherry, cranberries and flowery notes are present in abundance in the 2008 Fiddlestix. In the mouth, the Fiddlestix Pinot Noir is marked by minerality intertwined with red fruits and underbrush tones. Finishes long and refined. Approachable now, but will certainly benefit from a few years of aging. WB 94.
2008 Arcadian Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands. Light ruby-red. Red cherries and cranberries dominate this light-bodied Pinot Noir. Readily approachable, with no hard edges, this pleasant Pinot Noir can be drunk now or over the next few years. WB 90.
2001 Arcadian Pinot Noir Sleepy Hollow Vineyard. Light red with an orange rim. Intoxicating aromas of smoke, cherries and nutmeg characterize the 2001 Sleepy Hollow Pinot Noir. Seamless on the palate, with good energy and a long, very fine finish that still has some tannin to resolve. At 12 years of age, this beauty is still 2-3 years from peak, but there is certainly no crime in drinking it now! Tasted multiple times with consistent notes. WB 95.
2008 Arcadian Sleepy Hollow Chardonnay. Gold color. Flowers, spiced pears, minerals and earth characterize the 2008 Sleepy Hollow Chardonnay. Medium- to full-bodied, with a slightly reduced quality and good refinement that promises a long road ahead. Finishes long, with a late-arriving minerally note. This excellent Chardonnay can be enjoyed now with a healthy dose of air, or can be cellared for 5+ years. WB 93+.
2001 Arcadian Pinot Noir Pisoni Vineyard. The 2001 Pisoni Pinot Noir is marked by deep black cherries, earth and sage notes. In the mouth, it is very broad, dark-fruited, with a racy mineral streak. Finishes very long, with wave after wave of minerals. This highly refined wine is approachable now, but is sure to benefit from a few years of additional slumber. WB 95.
2007 Arcadian Sleepy Hollow Syrah. Bacon fat, iron, and black olives jump out of the glass. Medium-bodied in the mouth, with cool minerals and smoked beef quite apparent. Unfortunately, this particular bottle was also marked by a hint of Brett, which makes it difficult to render a final judgment.
Paul Lato
2013 Paul Lato Chardonnay Pisoni Vineyard. Powerful green apple, lime and white flowers can all be discerned on the effusive nose. In the glass, this highly refined, glyceral Chardonnay grips the palate like a vice and positively detonates on the very long, mounting finish. This would put many Grand Cru Burgundies to shame, and is the best Pisoni Chardonnay to date. Bravo! WB (95-97)
2013 Paul Lato Chardonnay Hilliard Bruce Vineyard (5 barrels). Medium-bodied, with a gentler grip on the palate than the Sierra Madre. Granny smith apples, limes and minerals are present on the palate. Finishes with good persistence and minerality. Needs 1-2 years of bottle age. WB (92-94).
2013 Paul Lato Chardonnay Sierra Madre Vineyard (17 barrels). Slightly reduced on the nose. Big, minerally and a bit one-dimensional at present, the Sierra Madre is nonetheless very promising. Bitter lemons and vitamins on the palate give way to a very long finish that positively saturates the palate with a tactile impression of powdered stone. This stuffed to the gills Chardonnay will require several years of aging, yet there is no denying its potential. WB (94-95+).
2013 Paul Lato Pinot Noir Gold Coast. Light red. Aromatics of red dark cherries and hint of cotton candy characterize this Pinot Noir blend. Light- to medium bodied, with ample red fruits, this well-crafted wine will provide much pleasure over the near term. WB 91.
2013 Paul Lato Pinot Noir Hilliard Bruce Vineyard. Dark red. Violets and cherry notes jump from the glass here. Medium- to full-bodied, with great fruit density, but what sets the Hilliard Bruce Pinot Noir apart is its tremendous sense of refinement – there is not a hard edge to be found anywhere. Finishes very long with serious complexity. A flat-out great Pinot Noir! WB 95.
2013 Paul Lato Pinot Noir Prospector. Scents of red cherries, herbs and a hint of licorice root characterize nose of the 2013 Prospector Pinot NoirVelvety, with dark plums and minerals, this medium-bodied wine displays excellent refinement and class all the way though to its long finish. Delicious enough to drink now, but will get better with a couple of years in the cellar. WB 94.
2013 Paul Lato Pinot Noir Zotovich Vineyard. Flowers and sweet spices leap from the glass. Sweet on the entry, with a mélange of firm dark fruit, utterly seamless all the way to the very long and complex finish. Yet another superstar Pinot Noir from Paul Lato! WB 95+.
2013 Paul Lato Pinot Noir Atticus. Dark red. Sweet cherries, a medium body and a forward personality characterize the Atticus Pinot Noir. It displays a good degree of refinement, is well balanced and will undoubtedly be a crowd pleaser. WB 93.
2013 Paul Lato Pinot Noir Solomon Hills Vineyard. Very deep ruby-red. Rose petals and red raspberries dominate the aromatics of this impeccably balanced and refined Pinot Noir. Medium bodied, with a caressing texture and superb complexity. Beautiful as always! WB 95+.
2013 Paul Lato Pinot Noir Pisoni Vineyard. This deep, dark Pinot is something else! Powerful yet light on its feet, with tactile sensation of minerals, underbrush, black fruits and a hint of charcoal. Lasts for nearly a minute on the palate, and is impossible to spit. Will benefit from a few years in the cellar, but is a monument in the making without a shadow of a doubt! WB 97.
2012 Paul Lato Grenache Larner Vineyard. Rose petals, underbrush and some exotic spices define the aromatics here. Medium-bodied, but with good grip, excellent balance and refinement and a long, resonant finish. Best vintage of Larner Grenache ever. WB 94.
2012 Paul Lato Grenache Paderewski Vineyard. Earthy overtones and eucalyptus are ever-present. Dense yet still light on its feet. Still needs some time for the various components to meld together. A promising debut. WB 92+.
Kapcsandy
2013 Kapcsandy Family Winery Furmint. Pale yellow. Light-bodied, with notes of grass, quinine and green apple. Strong, omnipresent acidity and a long, minerally finish round out this food-friendly wine. Drink now – 2020. WB 90.
2010 Kapcsandy Family Winery Endre. Violets and dark berries can be found in the nose of the 2010 Endre. Medium-bodied, with a still-strong tannic spine and good refinement and length. Can be drunk now with considerable aeration, bit will likely improve over the next few years. WB 92.
2012 Kapcsandy Family Winery Estate Cuvee. Deep red. Highly refined and vinous. Mostly red-fruited, with notes of licorice, cassis and a silky mouthfeel. Finishes very long, with gently caressing tannins largely buried by the waves of fruit. A very impressive Estate Cuvee! WB 94.
2012 Kapcsandy Family Winery Rapszodia. Lighter in color than all other reds at this estate. Rather closed on the nose, although with some coaxing notes of lavender begrudgingly emerge. Medium-bodied and very refined in the mouth, with a very long, incrementally building finish. Difficult to get a handle on this today. WB 93+(?).
2012 Kapcsandy Family Winery Cabernet Sauvignon – Grand Vin. Dark, brooding nose with cassis and bitter chocolate. In the mouth, the 2012 Grand Vin exhibits superior refinement, a cashmere-like texture, with copious black raspberries, cassis and lead pencil. This superbly balanced wine fills every nook and cranny of the mouth long after swallowing. In short – a near-perfect wine that is surprisingly approachable today. Bravo! WB 98.
2012 Kapcsandy Family Winery Roberta’s Reserve. Very deep red. Mocha, spices and red strawberries are found in the 2012 Roberta’s Reserve. This impeccably balanced, minerally wine is suave in the mouth, finishing with and a long, kaleidoscopic finish that demonstrates superior winemaking and raw materials. Requires at least a handful of years of cellaring. WB 97+.
2013 Kapcsandy Family Winery Rapszodia (Barrel sample). Much darker in color than the 2012, the 2013 Rapszodia is highly aromatic, with chocolate, violets and minerals seemingly ever-present. Medium- to full-bodied, already demonstrating great refinement, the 2013 Rapszodia is destined to be a knockout when bottled. Will require considerable cellaring, yet is unquestionably the best Rapszodia to date. WB (95-96+).
2013 Kapcsandy Family Winery Roberta’s Reserve. Very dark, nearly black in color. Massive, mouth-filling flavors of melted fudge, plums, copious minerals transition to a complex and very long finish. This embryonic, formidably endowed wine is loaded with power and structure, but is never heavy. A monument in the making that will require at least 10-15 years of bottle age, but has a good chance of becoming the best Roberta’s produced to date, and that’s saying something! WB (97-99).
2010 Kapcsandy Family Winery Vino del Sol. Sweet cherries and dark plum aromas can be found in this attractive dessert wine. Medium-bodied, with super-ripe fruits in the mouth that are deftly balanced by an acidic streak that keeps the wine from becoming cloying. Finishes with a long, mounting raspberry-filled blast. Good stuff! WB 93.
Pott Wines
2012 Pott La Carte de la Terroir. A blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the ruby-red La Carte gives off aromas of violets, plums and a hint of herbs. Medium-bodied, with a considerable mineral undertone, the Carte finishes quite long. A promising wine that will require 5 years of cellaring. WB 93.
2012 Pott Grenache. Medium red. Medium garnet. Fruitcake, red plums and potpourri transition to a medium-bodied, nicely textured wine that finishes with considerable tannin that will require several years of bottle age to resolve. Regrettably, this charming, lighter-styled Grenache is being phased out Chez Pott. WB 92.
2012 Pott Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Violets and graphite characterize the aromas of Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Suave on the entry and mid-palate, with a long, cascading and persistent finish that bodes very well for the wine’s future development. Will require a few years in the cellar, but is very promising. WB 94.
2012 Pott Kaliohomanuk. A very dense, dark-fruited powerhouse, with abundant minerals and spices, superb refinement and a very long finish. The mountain fruit really shine through in here, and today the structure is nearly completely buried. A wonderfully classy and promising Cabernet. WB 94+.
2012 Pott The Arsenal. Cassis, lavender and hints of smoke mark the 2012 Arsenal. Full-bodied and slightly more powerful than other wines at this address, the Arsenal is also a bit shorter on the refinement. Best in 8-10 years or longer. WB 94.
2013 Pott Swiss Bank. From 100% Combsville fruit, the Swiss Bank displays considerably less grip than other 2013’s at this address. Dominated by sweet red berries at the moment, it will undoubtedly firm up during elevage. Still, this appears to be more of a mid-distance runner at this stage. WB 91-93.
2013 Pott Port. Petite Syrah with Viognier, with alcohol in the 17.5-18% range. Very fruity and low acid, big bodied and quite tannic and monolithic at the moment. It may improve, but is a touch too simple at the moment. WB 90+(?).
Fairchild
2011 Fairchild Cabernet Sauvignon Sigaro Vineyard. Smoke, licorice, dark cherries and spices characterize the distinctive 2011 Sigaro. In the mouth, this Pritchard Hill-based Cabernet Sauvignon is marked by dark, ripe fruit, good refinement, a long finish and serious structure, especially for 2011. Completely transcends the vintage, and would benefit from a few years of cellaring. An impressive wine for sure! WB 95.
2012 Fairchild Cabernet Sauvignon Georges III. Recently bottled, the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon GIII vineyard exhibits big, sweet red cherries and some dried herbs. Full-bodied, with a good refinement and finish, it is perhaps more Napa-like than the Left Bank-leaning Sigaro. A solid wine that will drink well young, but should ideally be cellared for 3-4 years at a minimum. WB 93.
