Sineann was the daughter of the king of the leprechauns in Ireland. She died trying to capture the "salmon of knowledge" in the river they named after her - the Shannon River.

Loren (at left in yellow shirt) and Jane Sonkin recently welcomed their friend Peter Rosback  (owner/winemaker at Sineann Winery) to their home, and wouldn't you know it -- a party broke out. Peter and his family were touring the Midwest, introducing their wines to new markets like Ohio, where they will be distributed by Langdon-Shiverick.

True to the nature of our hosts and the guests of honor, it was a fun affair. As it should be -- long on warm conversation, and frequent smiles. Pizzas, dips and a myriad of interesting cheeses were on hand throughout the night, as people moved in and out of the house enjoying a very pleasant Cleveland summer evening. I also had a chance to chat with Peter throughout the evening...

LM - Does your passion extend out to any certain varietal or vineyard site more than any other?

PR - "I drink mainly Pinot Noir, though I'm fond of the Old Vine Zin. Let me put it this way; my three favorite wines are my Old Vine Zin, the Resonance PN and the Block One Cab (33 year-old block at Champoux Vyds. in WA). The Block One is the biggest in flavor, I drink the Resonance most often, but if I made only wine it would be the Old Vine Zin because of its unique qualities. "

Barrel Samples -- I tried some leftovers from the previous day's sales calls...

2004 Sineann Pinot Noir Resonance Vineyard (Barrel Sample) -- shows a fairly deep red hue. It has a bright, friendly demeanor, with plenty of cherry and spice on the nose. A day of air seemed to do this wine no harm, as it has medium bodied red fruit draped over a nice earthy, tobacco laced core. It has no problems with tannins and the acids have a little of that pleasant, mouth watering quality. Plenty of spice through the finish...no problems with overt oak or alcohol. Any barrel sample can be deceptive, especially one that has been "aired out", but this is an impressive package.

2004 Sineann Pinot Noir Wyeast Vineyard (Barrel Sample) -- I'm told that "Wyeast" is a Native American word referring to Mt. Hood... near the area from which the fruit is sourced. Asian spice and incense dominate the nose, but cherries and a good helping of dirt show up, too. Following the nose, the palate has ample red fruit in front and earth tones in the middle...grilled meat accents, along with a mildly irritating popsicle stick resolve. The tannins take a good bite out of my gums...the acids seeming assertive. This is a substantial, mouth filling sample...should be interesting to see where it goes.

LM - Beyond your own wines, what do you like to drink?

PR - "I love great Burgundy, Grand Cru Chablis, the great Gruners, the great Barolos, Rieslings of the Mosel and the good Kiwi SB's."

2004 Sineann Pinot Noir Schindler Vineyard (Barrel Sample) -- showing plenty of wood and "warmth" when I tried it...I suspect the air was unkind to this one, as it does not have much else to offer when I tried it.

All of these seemed to be from just opened bottles --

2004 Sineann Pinot Gris Covey Ridge (13% alc./ about $18) -- golden in color. There is a definite smoky, toasty edge to the nose...poached pears, and apples. The nose puts me in mind of Chardonnay -- perhaps for the weighty impression it leaves. The palate offers plenty of ripe, juicy pineapple -- good density, but not heavy or syrupy. Accents of stone add interest, while acids do a good job of offsetting the pineapple sweetness, but the fruit is certainly the driving element.

LM - What do you most enjoy drinking at home? Beer or orange juice are acceptable responses...

PR - "I love great beer. They tend to be the very high gravity ones. Celebration Ale is one I enjoy. I consider it a good, light beer."

2004 Sineann Riesling Medici Vineyards (12% alc./about $18) -- I was grooving on the floral and apricot perfume, which in turn rolls right into the flavors in the mouth. It is ripe and juicy with golden, fresh apricot nectar, seeming bolstered by a bit of residual sugar (?)...just when it seems a bit too sweet, gentle acids seem to "clean it up." There are stones and spice as accents.

LM - Why so many bottlings and/or varietals? Is the fruit too good to pass up?...the locations too intriguing? Just part of the business model...?

PR - "I make wines I enjoy drinking and pick vineyards that can go it alone, hence the 29 different labels. It's entirely possible I'm an idiot in the business sense, but..."

2003 Sineann Oregon Pinot Noir ($30) -- this blend of single vineyard lots, is well balanced and forward, though not especially compelling in my brief encounter. The finish adds some interesting pine/forest floor notes.

2003 Sineann Pinot Noir Wyeast Vineayrd ($40) -- light cocoa scents give way to more earth and berry. This Pinot has a lighter sense about it, which is no knock against it -- elegant, pleasantly earthy/leafy, with raspberry fruit riding the crest of a well directed acidic wave.

LM - What's up with that new glass closure? If nothing else it looks nifty.

PR - "I'm excited about the glass closure. We've got to fix the cork problems. It's the first alternative I've seen that has a chance."

2000 Sineann Pinot Noir Reed & Reynolds Vineyard -- dark red at the center, and sliding to garnet at the rim. It offers a smoky, meaty nose at first, but steadily morphing toward that expansive floral/herbal "Oregon garrigue"... always nice to find. It shows dense/intense black cherry fruit, but its core and essence seems more spun toward earth, mushroom and crunchy leaves -- likely emphasized by its strong, crisp acids. Tannins seem firm, but not obtrusive. I liked this a great deal (probably for some of its evolution), but it still needs some time or significant air.

I brought this and presented it in a bag -- just to see how people related it (if at all) to the more current releases. Most commented on its strong acidity...some wondering if it might be from Burgundy, rather than Oregon. "Certainly not from California" more than a few folks interjected. I came to understand that Reed and Reynolds Vineyard is now referred to as "Resonance" (I like the name). This is a completely biodynamically farmed vineyard as of 2003.

LM - Thoughts on biodynamics?

PR - "Bio...hmmm...I think the jury's still out. I have 3 going now and I like what I'm getting. Resonance is my best every year, but always has been, even before it went bio. Schindler made a big quality jump in its first year of bio."

2002 Sineann Pinot Noir Resonance Vineyard -- seems dark like the 2000. Its bouquet is all about dark fruit and woody, smoky scents...some cocoa and bacon. It seems dense and tight in the mouth -- cherries on slightly charred wood. There are hard tannins here, just slightly superseding the acids. This is a strong and substantial Pinot that likely needs a few more years to uncoil, though I do not find it particularly pleasant for present sipping, as it is evidencing only its most basic elements.

2003 Sineann Pinot Noir Resonance Vineyard (low to mid $40's) -- this has fruit of good depth and density in both the bouquet and on the palate -- pleasantly framed by structure and lacking some of the harshness (and wood tones) of the '02 model. It is forward and pleasant now, but also seems to posses the balance to positively evolve.

2003 Sineann Pinot Noir Medici Vineyard -- it offers a slightly musky perfume...more earth, leaves and herbs with time. There is plenty of upfront acid that gives the cherry fruit a little extra sparkle. There is some earth and rock at the center...pine as it trails away. I found this more fresh, and perhaps lighter in body than the blended "Oregon" Pinot, but at around the same price ($30), more interesting and appealing.

LM - What are the biggest changes in Oregon PN in the past decade?

PR - "Oregon PN has probably benefited from better growing practices, smaller crop loads and better attention to details in the winery."

2003 Sineann Old Vine Zinfandel (15.8% alc.) -- This has a deep, dark and especially chocolate laced nose...black raspberry and spice. It has a big sweet attack of blackberry fruit, snappy spice and bits of vanilla bean. The fruit ripens and warms a bit through the center, where it morphs toward prune -- quite spicy and warm at the close... a bit of menthol, too. It would not be hard to imagine it weighing in at more than its listed alcohol, but this big boned Zin carries its weight with relative ease. The tannins are minimal, while the acids seem surprisingly high. I'm told (for better or worse) this Zin experiences little change over the years -- Peter noting recent tastes of the 1998 bottling were largely much as they had always been. This is sourced from the oldest producing vineyard in the Pacific Northwest -- nearly 100 years old. Peter views this as one of, if not the best wine they turn out year after year.

2003 Sineann Cabernet Sauvignon Block One ($58) -- hailing from the Champoux vineyard in Washington and weighing in at a listed 15.8% alc., I found this to be a ripe and rich Cabernet that surprisingly was not over done. It shows some wood, but again, nicely done -- framing the dark berries, pepper and herbs. The tannins are not imposing, actually pretty free and easy when I sampled it. As interesting and impressive as it is on some levels, it is not nearly as compelling as some of the other wines on the table.

2003 Sineann Blend (42% Merlot, 32% Syrah and 26% Cabernet Sauvignon) -- this had a rather unique nose -- gamy, herbal, and full of peppery spice. It is a middle weight, featuring black fruit (though a good bit less ripe than the Block One) and a big blast of herb (thyme, especially)...perhaps just a touch "wooden" at the center. A bit of tar, plenty of roasting meat and pepper give it a long resolve. It seems reasonably priced at $24.

I had heard a some accounts of the Sineann wines as "big", "powerful," "and in some instances "pushing the envelope," but after tasting through this line up, I'm not sure any of those descriptors are particularly apt. There is a good sense of balance and intensity alive in these wines -- the Zinfandel and the Resonance Pinots are in particular worth sampling. I do wonder about what I perceived as higher levels of alcohol in the Pinots, and how it will effect their development...when I wondered out loud if the 13.8% listed on most was not a fair measure low, there were no denials. That said, everything seems to fit at present.

Other wines enjoyed that evening include:

2003 Le Cigare Volant Blanc from Bonny Doon -- almost all Roussane, with a splash of Grenache Blanc. Walt Wirth of Langdon Shiverick related that Randall Graham found this fruit to be "too good" to go into the standard white blend (the "Big House," I'd imagine), so the first Cigare Blanc was born -- screw cap and all. The nose has a "rain water" and peach essence, and a light tropical lilt as it fades away. The palate has a smooth and easy feel about it, featuring peach, pineapple and guava. It is relatively low in acid, but mercifully light on it feet. There is a good bit of stone in the finish. It is quite enjoyable, if not especially "serious".

1997 Guigal Hermitage -- a dark and meaty Hermitage, with interesting spice and bacon scents. The dark fruits wrestle in the damp dirt (say that 5 times fast), and emerges with more character as a result. It is not especially complex, but enjoyable all the same. I'd feel a good bit better about bottles like this if they were priced like Crozes or St. Joseph -- that said, its enjoyable wine.

2000 Maurodos Vina San Roman Toro -- Dense and heavily extracted, this Spaniard has those bulldog tannins that just will not let go. It features plenty of dark fruit and a pleasantly earthy core, but also a creamy midpalate accented with cocoa, vanilla, nuts and caramel -- add a little nougat and we'd have ourselves a pretty special candy bar. The wine certainly needs time to hopefully tame the tannins, and integrate the rest.

1996 JL Chave St. Joseph -- it has that semi-classic Northern Rhone "ashtray and bacon" bouquet that I've grown to love. Being in a vegetarian home, the spit roasting meat and blood might be out of place, but those mixed with a rolling ball of dirt crusted, black fruit form an interesting and appealing palate. There is plenty of acid working here, and I'd have no problem holding these for another 3-5 years. The finish is long on dirt, rust, and mineral...mmmm.

1997 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir RRV Olivet Lane (14.8% alc.) -- somewhat surprisingly (as I've tried this a few other times) it is a bit swampy/funky at first, evolving to feature more forest floor and grilled mushrooms. It is medium to full bodied in the mouth, with dried and black cherry fruit easily pushing aside some light, clingy tannins. Quite earthy and mushroom studded at the center, lightly spicy at the longish finish. Acids are just enough to pull off its "Cal-elegant" style. No problems with alcoholic heat. I'd drink these sooner, rather than later.

1998 Pegau Chateauneuf du Pape -- I had a short but interesting talk with Bela Ballo on the joys and varieties of "stinky" cheese -- lovers of such might find some joy in this wine, too. After passing through an initial volatile stage, it offers all those wonderful "organic" scents - sweat, fresh manure, hay, animal fur, and some red berries, too. Raspberry fruit and iron wrestle for the top flavor component...nicely earthy underneath. The tannins are still quite strong, but less fierce than they were in the recent past. I still do not view this as a benchmark CdP, but certainly interesting and engaging.

1997 JL Chave Hermitage -- Walt Wirth lugged this Magnum with him, and only good courtesy by the guests kept it from being Thunderbirded (term of art) in the first hour. I've been lucky enough to sample this on a number of occasions, and where it did hit a brief sleepy phase, this big bottle, like my recent 375 is alert and awake.

Red berries on the nose, but mostly that wonderful mélange of dark earth, leather, chipped stone and traces of roasting meat. The palate has a sunny disposition, and largely follows along with the items on the olfactory menu...adding some pepper and herb. It has smooth, engaging textures, and a fine sense of balance. It still has a great deal of development ahead, though it is a joy to drink at present.

1997 Viader -- I've sampled this wine a number of times, but probably not in the past two years. My friend, "Colonial" Bob Eppich (at left in hat, with Tom Warren) offered a somewhat loaded question -- "What do you think?". This was a finely balanced Cal blend -- having dropped some fruit, but not really to it detriment. "Smooth", "elegant", "silky" were all descriptors that passed my lips -- its points of emphasis moving beyond the fruit -- now focused on textures and secondaries. I liked this as well as any California Bordeaux blend I've had in recent days, as it has developed very nicely. "Excellent, really." Your price tolerances will vary, but in excess of $100 these days, its positive development still does not justify the loot. Of course, I say that about so many things...

2002 Joh. Jos. Christoffel Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Kabinett (9% alc.) -- I stopped off here for a "palate refresher" and I was pleased with the results. The nose was heavy on floral notes and pineapple...just a light wisp of diesel. It shows good body -- just slightly syrupy with pineapple and apricot, then pleasantly submerged by a small, curling wave of acid. It has crushed stone and spice on the finish...quite nice.
Tom Warren told us he picked these up at Premier Cru for $8-9 -- really nice buy!

2001 Quinta Do Crasto Riserva Old Vines Douro -- It seems quite extracted. It has a pleasantly smoky nose, in addition to some earthy funk and dark berries. It has bright cherry fruit at the attack, but it is quickly superseded by a distinct "soy sauce" character...earth and leather at the center. Amy McClellan noted some cherry tobacco in the finish, in addition to some of that lingering soy -- I'm in agreement. The tannins run the gamut of "hard" to "fierce", to "immovable". This obviously needs some time to soften...

2002 Dom. Arlaud Bourgogne Roncevie -- It has an appealing nose of cherries, pine and mushrooms...moist and earthy. The fruit comes across like an Ocean Spray fruit cocktail -- "Cranberry/Grape" perhaps? In any case, it works for me. It seems clean, easy, balanced, and largely unoaked. The acids are refreshing and lifting. In many ways it is a "simple wine" compared to those tasted previously, but in this sense, there is nothing wrong with simple.

2001 JK Carrierre "Provocateur" Wilamette Valley Pinot Noir -- light wisps of smoke, ripe cherry, and nice bits of Oregon garrigue. Crisp red fruit flavors, along with a little crunchy leaf and earth. It has a nice acidic wash, which makes it a fine accompaniment for all sorts of fare. At $15, it seemed like a nice buy in Oregon Pinot Noir.

2003 JL Dubois Beaune-Cent-Vignes Premier Cru -- this bottle seemed to have problems with Volatile Acidity, and perhaps a bacterial issue beyond. It has a distinct chemical/cleanser edge...not very pleasing. Hopefully an aberrant bottle.

2001 Palama Mavro -- a Puglia blend of mostly Negroammaro, with Malvasia Nera in the minority. This was poured for me blind, and I thought it might be a Spanish Grenache blend -- smoke, red raspberry, and a bit of alcohol. It adds some earth and leather nuance with a few minutes, but it spoke more to "warm climate", than any part of Italy to me. It is priced in the mid-teens, which seemed fair, but it did not ignite any interest in me to purchase. That said, I only sipped it for a brief interval, so I imagine there were some changes over time.

Reporting from Cleveland...
Larry Meehan

Larry's previous article
Small Pleasures

Larry Meehan was a one time "boy entrepreneur", now a full time Dad. In the moments when the insanity fades, he is a fairly prolific tasting note writer, minor league party planner/caterer, sporadic wine educator, and consultant for a few retailers who (at their own peril) seem to value his opinions. Hailing from near Cleveland, he frequently gathers with local enthusiasts to share thoughts and a few glasses, but also concocts a number of tasting events that bring friends together from around the country. Larry samples hundreds of wines a year from a myriad of regions -- "Understanding the diverse and constantly changing landscape of wine will be a life long endeavor...I'm glad it is so much fun!"

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