California Tasting - Part III

The final chapter from a great exhibition of California wines in Stockholm last month, see the previous parts here - Part I & Part II.

Staggering towards the next table...I saw that Silver Oak was presented. I have found memorys of Silver Oak vintages from the 80´s but I haven´t tasted anything from them for many years. The 2008 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is young and spicy with fine cassis fruit and a medium bodied taste with a neat structure. This is as far as you can get from some of the oak and fruit monsters you run into from time to time (~89p). The 2008 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon is a stunning creature with its polished, luxurious Cabernet fruit and a long, long, tight, beautiful finish. Still very young, but ooh so good! (~94p).
Vinopia is the importer.

At their table, Vinobele poured the following wines for me. The 2011 Darioush Chardonnay has a big and open nose with lots of tropical fruit, lemon cream and fudge. The taste is rather voluptuous but keeps in check with a fine acidity. Very good (~89p). The 2010 Darioush Cabernet Franc is a really interesting wine with its grassy, cool, lingonberry and licorice nose and young, tight, a touch peppery taste. The finish is long, warm and spicy. This I would like to toy with a whole evening (~92p). The Darioush line up ended with two vintages of their Cabernet - the 2009 is big, intense and deep with a fine sweet black currant fruit and a equally big, intense taste to match (~90p). The 2005 on the other hand doesn´t keep it together - the fruit is jammy, the taste is big and bold but behind the surface it is a bit empty (~78p).

Continuing from this table, the 2011 Far Niente Cabernet Sauvignon is a nice laid back, fresh Cabernet with medium intensity, fruit and finish. A very nice wine (~87p). Lastly, the 2010 Enroute Pinot Noir is full of upfront, juicy, sweet Pinot fruit, but the taste is tighter, with a nice structure and a spicy finish. Really good (~88p).

I only tasted one wine from the Spendrup table, but what a wine! The 2008 Sequana Sundagw Ridge Vineyard Pinot Noir is a stunner! A deep, elegant, profound nose with rasberries, licorice and spice box. The following taste just caresses the mouth and manages to be both hedonistic and structured at once. Great wine! (~95p).

The last table I managed to crawl up to was Janake Group. Here, Stellan, poured me some highlights from their large portfolio. The 2010 Tolosa Estate Pinot Noir is light but nice with fine red fruit, licorice and spices. The taste is a tad warm but delivers a nice mouth feel (~85p). The 2006 Tudor Pinot Noir is a more serious wine, with gorgeous rasberry fruit and a long, spicy, juicy finish. Would love to drink a glass or two (Riedel Sommelier Bourgogne that is...) of this! (~91p)
Even though spring never seems to arrive, you can imagine that there is sunny and warm outside with a glass of 2011 Pasternick Rosé of Syrah. A fine, rather elegant nose with red currants, lingonberries and gravel. The taste is medium bodied, fresh and with a nice rasberry touch (~86p). The big, big brother - 2005 Pasternick Syrah - is a really fine bottle of Syrah, with its peppery blackberry fruit and a long, warm, balanced taste. Lovely! (~92p)

A really nice event - 54 wines tasted and with some new interesting acquaintances. When is the next one...?