Opolo Vineyards, Paso Robles, CA
These folks, who I had never heard of before, had quite a spread. At least one of the owners (moustache) was present at the show. I tasted late on Saturday and they were almost out of wines and concerned about what they would do Sunday. Anyway...
Summit Creek Zin, 2003, $18, Not to my taste, a touch of turpentine, along with earthy flavors.
Mountain Zin, 2003, $24, Wow! It's 16% alcohol, so you get a noseful of that, plus the aromas of a very intense Zinfindel. An impressive piece of work. What would you eat with it? Darned if I know. (There were some Elk dealers over in the Minnesota Foods section...)
Syrah, 2001, $24, Okay, that's more like it. A complex wine, very tasty, a little bit of fruit, the slightest touch of spice, and a leathery aftertaste. Maybe the Zins were tasted too young?
Pinot Noir, 2002, $24, Reminded me a lot of the "Blue Moon" Pinot Noir (see review below). Very good, but perhaps not the best bargain.
Rousanne and Viognier, 2003, $20 and $22 respectively, I can't mentally separate the two of them. Lots of fruit in both of them, but quite a bit of alcohol as well. I must be out of touch, I was remembering yeasts finishing up around 14-15% and now I'm seeing wines 1-2% higher than that in alcohol.
Bridgeview Vineyards
The "Blue Moon" folks. I've had their Cab/Merlot and Pinot Noir before.
Riesling, 2004, $9, A bit sweet, but with genuine fruit flavor. This summer I might be tempted.
Merlot, 2001, $9, Hmmm...might have been better a year or two ago? Not all that complex. Tastes like Merlot. I'd drink it, but it's nothing special.
Cab/Merlot, 2002, $10, This is better. A nice blend. A little bit of smoke, a little bit of fruit, and a fair amount of tannin.
Pinot Noir, 2002, $15, Must be the movie surcharge. Anyway, a very good wine, I liked it as much as a number of more expensive Pinots (though not as good as those fine Oregon Pinots at World Class Wines).
Random selections
Rosemount Diamond Label Chardonnay, 2004, $10, Everything that's good about chardonnay, dry yet fruity, subtle yet with aftertaste, but no killer dose of oak! Yay!
Minnestalgia Winery, Minnesota wines, I tried the honey wine and the loganberry wine. It's cool that there is wine made in Minnesota, but I found these to be non-essential. Sorry.
Little Penguin, missed their booth, but the Shiraz is drinkable and a good deal I think. Plus the label is most excellent.
Rancho Zabaco, Dancing Bull Zin 2003, Sonoma Heritage Zines Zin 2003, and Dry Creek Valley Reserve 2001, Sometimes I think the winemakers go too far in making different wines. How many wines does Chateau Margaux put out each year? (Okay, it's more than one, but I think they put out their name wine and second line, Pavillion Rouge, and that's it.) Anyway, the 2003s were great, huge Zins, fruit, tabacco, leather, and smoke. They did taste a bit different, but I don't remember the distinctions. The 2001, no surprise, was a bit mellower, but more complex in flavor. Good stuff!
Okay...that looks like all that I can piece together. Enjoy!
Posted by duver001 at February 28, 2005 8:35 PM