NV Jean Lallement Champagne Grand Cru -- It is classically creamy, with notes of toast, rust, lemon rind and ginger. It has a longer finish than the Mailly, but I find the pink/orange bubbles more appealing. Find this wine

Some of our party ordered a chef's degustation menu, but the Vue was accommodating enough to allow others to order from the basic menu, and still time the courses pretty well. In general I found the food good, with attractive presentations... even a multi-course vegetarian menu was offered for Loren Sonkin and Jane Flaherty. (Jane, at left, with black truffle risotto and macrobiotic salad from the chef's vegetarian menu) We were happy to "handle" our own wines, as it made issues of timing and "pour size" quite easy. The restaurant was a fusion of classic and modern design -- the synthesis of which was well done and appealing. With music playing for appreciative dancers, the place was quite loud -- making communication at our table fairly difficult.  My ability to employ semaphore flags seemed lost on the group, but Roland Riesen proved skillful at lip reading.

Chardonnay Flight -- I had the blue crab stuffed peppers with this flight.

2003 Rhys Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains -- The nose is appealing and bright with lemons, grapefruit and chalk... later I uttered "cold butter," and "cream of wheat." It was pleasantly light and athletic in its weight and demeanor, though still offering a smooth, rich mouthfeel. The flavors were bright with citrus, but also offered an interesting guava note though the center. Chambers Weikel (left) called it "buttery, but not necessarily oaky."  Beth Weikel (left) who along with Chambers, made the trip from Pittsburgh, likened it to a Sauvignon Blanc, referencing the citrus fruit and tangy acidity. This is somewhat odd Chardonnay, but I enjoyed it. Find this wine

2004 Rhys Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains -- There were two bottles of this wine poured -- the first decanted for an hour and returned to the bottle, while the second was opened the night before, with just a small pour taken, then placed in the refrigerator. I tasted both. The decanted sample struck me as more "oaked" featuring lots of toast, char, lanolin and apple fruit. I believe someone called it more complex than the other bottle -- if so, I'm happy to be a simple fellow. The "overnight" bottle spoke more to lemon and lime. There is still a good dose of charred wood scents and flavors, but less penetrating than the other bottle. It has nice weight and soft textures... acids seeming far less apparent than in the 2003 model. It closes with a slash of grapefruit and a long swath of tutti-frutti. George and Sherri Chyla expressed a mutual appreciation of this wine for its deeper fruit and greater weight than the 2003. Find this wine

Rhys/ Alesia Pinot Flight -- I ate a delicious wild mushroom bisque with this flight.

2004 Alesia Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast -- Of the two bottles that were initially poured, one was corked, but there was a third bottle on hand -- George Oryshkewych was well prepared. I found the nose lightly candied and offering both black and red fruits. With some time it expressed more earth tones/forest floor fragrances, but it was still dominated by the different faces of cherry. It seemed quite ripe and mouth filling when sipped, but showing reasonable balance in fruit to structure. Tannins clip the wine slightly, but all and all a nice wine. Adam Friend called it a "people pleaser" and the "most ready" in the flight -- no argument from me. Find this wine

2004 Alesia Pinot Noir Kanzler Vineyard --There was a consensus that one bottle showed more brett (brettomyocenes) than did the other. I gave it a sniff, and did not find it especially problematic (especially with some air time), but there was a clear difference in the two bottles. I drank from the "clean" bottle. Who put the Snickers bar in my glass? Chocolate, caramel, and nuts all wafted up from the bowl... ripe, dark cherries, too. It is a rich, deep blast of fruit when sipped, but suffers from some bitterness along the way to a fairly short finish. Roland Riesen deemed it "too extracted." Time will probably help this round out, but on this occasion it seemed a little clumsy. Find this wine

2004 Rhys Pinot Noir Home Vineyard San Francisco Bay -- There was a great deal of buzz about this wine, some perhaps stemming from its very limited availability, but also from the positive remarks issued by tasters of diverse palate preferences. It seems lighter in color than the Alesia Pinots and of an altogether different fashion. Yes, it speaks to some earth and stones... also a sweet brown sugar note that Beth and I both seemed to independently perceive -- but largely the nose is very shy. It offers taut cherry fruit, with chiseled rock accents, but also a bitter, stemmy finish. I placed the glass aside and revisited it about an hour and a half later. The bouquet was quite pretty with its floral high points and dried porcini essence, but at this point the tannins overwhelmed the palate, making it seem lean, clipped and hard. It hints at its transparent nature and perhaps elegant form, so I have an inclination as to what has been impressive to others, but it never reached "clarity" this night. It was not hard to understand how some flatly said "I just do not get it." Find this wine

Kosta Browne Kanzler Flight -- with roasted duck breast.

2002 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Kanzler Vineyard -- This one was decanted for a few hours. It has a strange chemical/insecticide scent at the outset, but later moved toward a more candied cherry and roasted green pepper fragrance -- an odd combo. Compared to the following wines, the fruit had a minimal presence and suffered from its battle with drying tannins and a prickly, warm finish. Find this wine

2003 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Kanzler Vineyard -- It was rich, ripe and candied on the nose. A real wild child in the mouth as the alcohol runs amok. It was ripe, fat and sweet, but devoid of framework. Medicinal and prickly on the finish -- what's not to like? Not much, I gather, as this was easily the group's favorite wine of the night. Find this wine


2004 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Kanzler Vineyard -- This vintage featured a more profound warming sensation and lots of caramel on the nose. Beyond that wrinkle, I found it very similar to the '03 in its raw materials, but much better formed. The alcohol is reigned in -- the weight and heat were forced into a slimming girdle, making it smooth and rich in a much better way. That said, I'd avoid open flames when sipping this. Find this wine

 

A "mystery bottle" made the rounds... Beth told me I would hate this one.

2005 AP Vin Pinot Noir Kanzler Vineyard -- The first thing noticed by many was its screwcap closure. It had a very meaty and gamy character in the bouquet, but also a confectionary quality, too. On the nose alone I'd guess Syrah, but instead it was a "Syrah-lite" Pinot. Standard cherry fruit, with a slightly stemmy character... bits of charcoal and coffee through the middle. It showed some silky textures, but really gritty tannins -- lending it a slightly rustic charm. Of the Kanzler wines I tried tonight, this was the most interesting. Find this wine

Syrah Flight -- with a variety of artisanal cheeses.

2004 Kongsgaard Syrah Hudson Vineyard -- I think I heard Jane remark on some "burned espresso" -- that was fair. Roasted would be a kind word to describe the nose, though charred and burned might be closer to my reality. "Creme brulee" was perhaps the best of all worlds. This was very extracted, and very full in the mouth. Black berries and over roasted coffee dominate the palate, but they were tempered as they rode along the very creamy textural wave. The tannic crunch took a good grip and was reluctant to let go. A year or two in cellar would probably help here. Find this wine

2003 Alesia Syrah Sonoma Coast -- "Sweaty gym socks" said Jane -- now on a roll. I did not get any funk or musty character at first. Nor did I get any of the classic TCA scents when that call went up. When I sipped the wine, I could tell it was corked. There was still some dispute, probably because this was the amalgamation of two bottles poured into the same decanter. There were good bits of pretty fruit still working, but as the minutes went past they lost ground. Find this wine

I opened another Pinot, even though I thought it might get lost in the shuffle.

1997 Rochioli Hirsch Vineyard Pinot Noir -- It is lightly colored -- transparent in appearance and character. It was initially funky, with lots of earth, mushroom and wet straw, but evolved in fragrance and flavor toward what Roland called "strawberry syrup." High toned scents of rhubarb, cherry blossom and brown spice... earth and mineral flavor components show with time. Not heavy, but lithe and precise. Some commented it might be past its prime. That was contextually understandable, but I found it charming and elegant -- really nice.
As far as I know, this Hirsch bottling was a one time event for Rochioli. In the past I have found this bottling rough and unresolved, but this night's showing reminded me of why I used to really enjoy California Pinot Noir, and Tom Rochioli's work in particular. Find this wine

Dessert -- just coffee for me.

1999 Chateau Coutet Barsac -- Vinyl shower curtains and oranges! It lacks some acidic zip, but not bad at all. Find this wine

The wines were not especially impressive in this setting. The Rhys/Alesia wines are not made to bowl one over, and they did not. The Home Ranch Pinot in particular seems to have fine promise, and even now stands out as unique in a California Pinot world that too often lacks such a quality. The others ranged from decent to very good, but none really struck a chord with me. It was unfortunate to have some TCA tainted and otherwise flawed bottles in the mix. Many of the night's other wines seemed "overdone." I found the other attendees to be frank and fair in the opinions they offered, none seeming especially taken by the wines, but enjoying the experience all the same. That in itself is a grand and worthwhile result.

LM