PINOT PARTY

California and Oregon Steal the Show

In the past, France as well as the Eastern and Midwest US had been well represented.

What is the likelihood that out of 32 entries, not a single wine from France or US wine from east of the Rockies would be entered?    With the exception of one wine from Chile and another from Ontario, all hailed from Oregon or California.   I’m not sure if this is any indication of what is out there in the market or if most of the tasters have learned that French wines and Eastern wines generally do not score well in this context.   After all, this is a pretty competitive group and maybe everyone was out to win the competition.   Though Pinot Party is a sanctioned American Wine Society educational event, in reality, it means bragging rights for a year if one’s entry scores the highest.  So, for that reason, I will list who brought each wine that I review and what score it was awarded.

Because we have both 32 wines and 32 judges, we start out in groups of 6-8 judges who each judge a fifth of the wines.   All of the second place wines are re-judged and the highest scoring second place wine becomes the “wild card” and along with all the first place wines is judged again by all the table captains.   For this reason I will list a “primary” score, a “secondary” score and a “final” score where appropriate.   In keeping with the theme here (the Michigan Vintner’s opinions), I will also list my score.   Unfortunately, I did not taste all 32 wines, so what you see here is only those that I tasted regardless of rating.  Keep in mind that the people who make up each panel were different at each level.   For this reason, the top wines are not only highly rated but highly rated by 14-20 different judges depending on the route the wine takes to the final judging.   The wine marked with an * was the top second place wine or “wild card” entry into the first place final judging.

First Place Final Judging

2016  Z. Alexander Brown Uncaged Monterey County Pinot Noir CA – Peg Hartman Starting with a very deep color, this lovely wine offers up soft floral scents with soft perfectly balanced texture and a long ripe fruity finish.   I could see serving this wine with just about anything.   My score 91 points, group score(s) 99 /91 points, first place overall.

2017 J. Lohr Falcon’s Perch Monterey County Pinot Noir CA – Lenore D’Haem  Here is a perfect Pinot Noir reminiscent of my favorite Burgundies.   I shouldn’t be surprised that J. Lohr at a fairly reasonable price continues to not only make some of California’s best wines, but, certainly among its best values.   To me this wine tastes slightly more mature than most with an edge of leather, earth, tar with plump ripe Pimm’s Cup-like condensed jelly flavors and long silky tannins in the finish.   My score 94 points, group score(s) 90 / 88.5 points, second place overall.

2015 Left Coast Cellars Cali’s Cuvee Willamette Valley Pinot Noir OR – Brian Cain  What do they say about the blind pig finding an acorn?   This was a salesman’s recommendation from a shop in Nashville (not a “natural” wine, however).  The bouquet is full of rich oaky, earthy elements nicely meshing with exotic ripe fruit liqueur  smells and a long full throttle palate finishing with passion fruit, musk and mouth coating soft tannin and noticeable alcohol.  My score 93 points, group score(s) 94 / 88 points, third place overall.

2015 Anne & Amie Vineyards Two Estates Willamette Valley OR – Tony Fiore  Fresh and lightly aromatic though seemingly a bit closed.  The mid palate with a surprise of perfume and incense suggests that even at four years old, it has some growing to do.  My score 86 points, group score(s) 86 / 82.2 points, fourth place overall.

 2017 B Side Wines Napa Valley Pinot Noir CA – Steve Karsten  Classy, rich and ripe with lots of soft fat juicy layers of berry fruit and toasty oak.   It is similar to Meiomi (the best selling Pinot in the US that wine snobs love to hate).   Clearly bigger than most Pinots with a surplus of ripe plums, sweet cherries balanced off with firm tannin; all in all, a most enjoyable glass of wine.   My score 89 points, group score(s) 81 / 78.5 points, fifth place overall.

*2017 Black Stallion Los Carneros Pinot Noir CA – Rich Wildman  Though not deeply pigmented, the black red hue is fulfilled by the vigor, fat ripe fruit and big oak with a finish that lasts several seconds.  There is a hint of bitterness which is offset nicely with sweet oak and grape tannin with strawberry jam-like fruit throughout.  My score 90 points, group score(s) 87 / 93 / 81.5 points, sixth place over all.  This was the wild card, hence an extra set of scores (the 93).

Second Place Judging

Top second place wine was 2017 Black Stallion (see above)

2016 J. Lohr Fog’s Reach Arroyo Secco, Monterey Pinot Noir CA – Jackie Hansen  This HUGE wine is loaded with big herbal ripe rich black berry flavors and a super rich velvety tannic finish that lasts and lasts.  Group score(s) 90 / 88 points.

2016 Hahn Winery Central Coast Pinot Noir CA – Fran Karsten  To my taste, this is the biggest fullest wine of the event.   It was at a table with a lot of really good wines; it might sometimes seem unfair that several at this table didn’t make the final judging, but, Pinot Party is really more of a tournament style judging so all wines in the end, must be judged by the best overall.  Group score(s) 85 / 88 points.

2017 Sterling Vineyards Vintner’s Collection California Pinot Noir CA – Kelly Coduti  In spite of the score, it must have been good; it was drained by the time I got to the table.   Group score(s)  77 / 82 points.

2015 Sonoma-Cutrer Russian River Valley, Sonoma Pinot Noir CA – Barb Borrello I like this wine.   The big, nervous, edgy, vividly fresh fruit reminds me of a Cotes du Rhone in texture yet offers up perfectly accurate Pinot Noir varietal character in a surprisingly generous mouth feel for such a bright wine.   Reminds me of wines tasted along the Route du Vin in Burgundy’s “lesser” regions like Mercury, Givry, Montagny and Rully..82 / 79 points.

Other Observations

As always, people don’t seem to like maturing wines.   Alice’s favorite wine and certainly one that I really liked was 2014 ZD Founders Reserve Carneros Pinot Noir CA – Joe Borrello.  Its only fault what that it was really starting to taste like Pinot Noir with a ripe full palate loaded with brandied cherries, compost, tar and silky tannins that lasted and lasted.  Ironically, it was the third lowest rated wine in the preliminary judging with 67 points.  My dear wife, Alice, got the booby prize with 2017 Rocklin Ranch Arroyo Secco, Monterey Pinot Noir, a “natural” wine she picked up in Nashville.  I’m not sure how any wine can only score 53 points, but, it got a zero on one judge’s sheet.   See “June and Johnny do Nashville” dated October 1st and scroll down to the paragraphs on natural wines for a conversation on why this and other wines of its type are not well liked by most tasters including myself.

Interestingly enough the region thought to be way too cold to grow grapes, Monterey, showed very well in this tasting taking first and second place.   Other too-cold-to-grow-grapes places like Willamette Valley, Carneros and Russian River Valley also scored well.   If one bought property in these places over 50 years ago it was sold at grazing prices.   Old wineries like Hahn, J. Lohr, Cline, Bogle and others still offer some great values because their property was purchased in what is now prime growing regions  back when no one thought you could even grow grapes there.   As someone who drinks a lot of wine, I’m a big big fan of these heritage brands (see “Finding a Wine Bargain” dated January 23rd, 2017).

Enjoy in Good Health,

Brian Cain, the Michigan Vintner