Afterwards

Enotria and their Executive Chef, Jeff Briggs, prepared a swell supper for us. We started with a salad of tossed greens with a delicious balsamic vinaigrette, spicy walnuts and Gorgonzola.

I, along with most of the tasters, opted for the lamb entree - beautifully charred medallions with grilled peppers and onions, a Romanesca sauce and harissa mashed potatoes.

We finished with crème brulee.

Kudos to Enotria for helping to create a terrific evening for us - great food in a comfortable setting, and the freedom to hold a splendid tasting!

Dinner wines

1998 Flowers Perennial - my first taste of this wine - initial nose of funky Pinot blows off, revealing very rich, intriguing aromatics that defy description - this is precisely Greg’s intent, I think - difficult to identify flavor profile with pleasing astringency and palate-cleansing quality about it. Not dissimilar from the 1997 edition - an interesting and enjoyable wine.

Scant notes were taken on the rest of these wines - I was too damned hungry and having too much fun! Hopefully, somebody even more anal-retentive than I will provide a list and notes on the other wines.

The Other Hand - one of three of Manfred Krankl's Syrahs that Monsieur Danger graciously provided tonight - shows incredibly rich and intense Syrah fruit - highlights of garrigue and mineral with a hint of road tar and smoked meat. Perhaps a bit short in the finish and a bit disjointed.

Against the Wall - not nearly as intense - has evolved since I last tasted it - has gained some balance without loosing it’s intensity - very pleasing complexity with smoky and earthy overtones - it is evolving the way I would expect a world-class wine of it’s type would. Overwhelming in its youth, the wine is now quite whelming - and an absolute pleasure to taste.

Red Handed - Syrah, Grenache, Mouvedre - delicious and complex flavors - smoky meat and earth subtleties - fabulous to drink.

These wines, along with the Orion, take New World Syrah to another level. This was a very special opportunity to taste all three Syrahs from Sine Qua Non.

Thanks, David! 

Conclusions

This event joins some of my other favorite themed offlines - Pagani Madness, Journey to Jimsomare - as memorable and tremendously enjoyable. The company was fabulous, and I had a chance to meet some board members in person who I had known by name only.

Congratulations to Josh for creating and hosting a simply fabulous tasting.

Wines of the Day

1997 Venge Family Reserve Scout’s Honor - a jammy, juicy, in your face V-bomb.

Nils - I love you, man !!!

1995 Dalla Valle - overwhelming favorite of the tasting. Wonderful flavors, easy to drink, great structure. A total class act in a flight of great Cabernet.

 califusa

Left Coast Correspondent 
to the Gang of Pour