29 Oct Between now and the end of the year we are planning to publish a series of tasting articles on more than a dozen themes, mostly geographical but occasionally stylistic (as in fizz or fortified and sweet wines). This is the first of those, devoted to the American wines that happen to have come the way of my palate and those of the rest of the JR.com team.
As it happens, tomorrow we will be publishing a collection of tasting notes on almost 90 of America’s finest Cabernets but this is a coincidence. There are two main reasons for publishing this ragbag of reviews of US wines that have, relatively unusually, made it over the Atlantic. Firstly because a series of new imports by one of Britain’s few champions of American wine, Roberson, constituted one of my first tastings once I was back in the swing of tasting here in London after the summer break. Secondly because, with the exception of the ocean of inexpensive likes of Blossom Hill and the more basic Gallo brands, we see all too few wines from the US in the UK, which meant that this assortment was relatively easy to assemble.
While we continue to work on other assortments, many of them very much more extensive than this one, we hope that you enjoy an unusually British perspective on some interesting American wines.
Tasting notes are presented whites first, then reds. We've grouped them by state (California and Oregon) and then within each state, we present them in declining score order.
WHITES
CALIFORNIA
Pithy, leesy, slightly nutty. Multi-layered, complex, textural...
Really fragrant, floral nose – the Mendoza clone, perhaps? Then...
Fine, balanced but fleshy. Smooth, flinty and quite hard...
Lovely fruit character – star fruit, grapefruit. Crisp, well...
Lots of peach yoghurt and orange peel notes. A little bit of oak...
Maybe a tiny bit volatile? Not as satisfying as their Hyde...
Stone fruit and real substance. More than a hint of burgundy in...
Leesy and yeasty with lots of tropical fruit. Slightly bitter...
Restrained oak, though still a rich and ripe incarnation of...
Gorgeous, succulent fruit, with a toasty, smoky edge. Still...
Toffee apple, lemon – lovely zest and bite. Good density and...
Real interest on the nose, with great presence and – could it be...
Sophisticated oak, which is pretty dominant really. Zippy citrus...
Gentle and by no means obviously California! But with some...
Spring Mountain District. A herbal, full bodied style of...
Screwcap! (Most unusual for a California wine.) Their third...
Grainy, mature, with some greenness on the nose. Relatively fine...
Dense and yet lively = green butterscotch character. Just a bit...
Quite lean, restrained style. Not a huge amount of substance...
Light butterscotch nose. A bit expensive for what it is. But...
Creamy nose, light palate. Citrus fruit on the palate. Sharp...
Not nearly so fat and fleshy as most Napa Chardonnay. No...
Made by ex Greek philosophy professor Abe Schoener who cut his...
Creamy, sweet fruit. Fresh, light and easygoing. Emphasises the...
A bit watery but not too sweet. Though caramel overlays actually...
Deep gold. Tense and with lots of acidity though much more...
Organically grown, close planted vines, mainly the See clone...
Sweet start and then round and floral. Easy and not overdone...
A butterball style – unreconstructed Californian Chardonnay. A...
Regular, sweet and dull.
TA 5.5 g/l, RS 3.5 g/l, pH 3.65. Fruit from Monterey, San Luis...
OREGON
Rich, creamy, leesy nose. Loads of pith and bite. Slightly sour...
Screwcap. An old favourite. 'Baby sister to Sigrid Chardonnay.'...
Lovely crisp profile. Luminscent. Light leesy character. Pure...
Developed, creamy and fleshy. Some mushroom character. Great...
Rich citrus fruit, a good dash of mineral character (the old...
A little bit of furry phenolic bite. Fresh, clean, direct. No...
Leesy, bright, clean and spritzy. Good purity.
Rather restrained and very compact. Conforms to a certain...
A little sweet on the nose – just a bit simple. And a tad...
REDS
CALIFORNIA
Juicy, sweet fruit. Savoury, milk chocolate, herbs, long and...
Mid crimson. Mildly earthy nose with lift. Real precision. Racy...
Prominent oak on the nose, although the fruit is really pure and...
Made by Pax Mahle of the Pax label with which he is no longer...
Bottled in April 2014. Sangiovese, Viognier, Pinot Noir...
Interesting! Fruity but lots of iodine, marmite, umami mushroom...
Slightly stinky. Cherry and cranberry – lots of crunch and...
A very precise front label tells us that this, presumably field...
New outfit with the Wind Gap winemakers Pax Mahle and Scott...
Super ripe fruit, soft tannins, smooth mouthfeel. Liquid...
From a steep reclaimed hillside on Spring Mountain with volcanic...
Vines at 900 m close to Annapolis – surrounded by trees...
Crisp and seemingly lighter than their regular RRV Pinot Noir...
Red fruit, soft palate, bright acid. Very satisfying fruit, with...
50% new, 50% second year French barriques. Mid crimson. 60% Swan...
Dense and correct. Lots of appeal and a bit richer than some...
This is part of their experiment to compare Syrah and Mondeuse...
Unnecessarily heavy bottle. Includes some Cabernet Franc. 700...
Lots of perfume – lots of oak too. Very spiced. Light and lean...
Two concrete eggs and 420 cases, says the label. (No oak then.)...
RS 1.8 g/l, pH 3.71, TA 5 g/l.Fruit from Olson Ranch in Santa...
Dusty with a hint of green pepper. Tough, ambitious.
Fresh crunchy red fruit. Light but not thin. Tender, just...
Organic. Very pale ruby. Medicinal note. Lively and bright...
Very pure and charming. There does seem to be just a suggestion...
It may not be the smartest package in the world (it's a little...
Just six miles from the Pacific and planted with a mix of...
Unnecessarily heavy bottle. From vineyards in Atlas Peak, Howell...
Very fine and tarry and salty and pure. Uncompromising. None of...
Incredibly smart-looking for the $$$. Sweet and with some...
16 months in small French oak, 18% new. Sandy loam soils, mix of...
Light, pale and fresh. So much better than the regular bottling.
This is the second varietal Tribidrag (the original Croatian...
Light and fresh and definitely a tad tart.
78% San Luis Obispo, the rest Monterey. Not much nose. Very...
Mid pale ruby. Some rather attractive earthiness on the nose...
A bit green and underripe and demanding.
An experimental bottling from 60-70 year-old vines of this...
Too sweet and syrupy. Sickly.
A bit muddy on the nose. Ordinary.
OREGON
Has all the flesh and red fruit that's missing from their 3...
Single vineyard on volcanic soil. Gorgeous cherry, clove...
Really bright fruit, so delicate yet so broad in flavour. Tight...
Cranberry, black cherry, really light tannins. Good floral...
A Rollin Soles production with Dijon clones.
Rather ordinary...
Forest floor note on the nose, light tannins, wood spice. Crisp...
Way more engaging than their Chardonnay – aniseed, chocolate...
Mushy blackcurrant flavour, rich oak scent, but the fruit is a...
Mid cherry red. Inviting spicy fragrance. Cedary freshness. Very...
A blend from their five vineyards as opposed to their single...
Firm crimson. Proper well-balanced correctly fruited Pinot. Lots...
Crisp, zippy, good cherry fruit. very little oak on display...
Quite striking stemmy nose. Stylised but lovely – fresh and...
Juicy friendly blend without any excesses. I would fall on this...
Cusp of ripeness – and a little bit spritzy on the tongue...
Much better cherry scent than their basic Pinot, although there...
Ruby – looks as though it has aged a bit. Mild, mellow nose and...
Oregon appellation bought-in fruit from Rogue inter alia...
Blackcurrant, loads of sappy oak. Bitter finish. A pastiche of...
Very pale ruby. A little stewed on the nose. And then rather...
