Storyline
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1999 Consorzio |
I stopped by the Renwood table, and learned that Gordon Binz has left to join a new startup winery just two miles "down the road." I realized as I was tasting these wines that they are the same wines that were poured here last year! How odd. (And, as I get deeper into this tasting, my notes seem to be getting more brief.) 1996 Sangiovese - Clockspring Vineyard - shows very pretty and bright sweet varietal fruit - a nice follow - very cleanly made and pleasurable wine. 1996 Barbera - Amador County - darker color - shows lovely, but restrained aromatics - this wine is not showing as well as it did last year. 1996 Barbera - Linstadt Vineyard - This is one wine that has benefited from an additional year of bottle age - a rather smooth entry with deep purple and black plum & blackberry flavors - very smooth and pleasing with a long, clean finish - a very nice effort. Then, a quick visit with Chappellet. 1996 Tocai Friulano - (also known as Sauvignon Vert) medium brass color - restrained nose, but the wine is a little too cold to show its best - very interesting and pleasing fruit - other difficult to describe earthy components across the mid-palate - not off-putting at all, but give the wine complexity and satisfying weight. The fruit comes from 70 year old vines - only 500 of them. A very interesting and unusual white wine. 1997 Sangiovese - Estate - dark purple color - the nose is restrained with just a hint of TCA that I do not detect on the palate - in the mouth the wine is deep and dark, with satisfying absolutely black stone fruit and blackberry flavors. This is a very delicious wine. |
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