2016 MAILROAD really nice green stringy singing on it I’m really happy with how the fruit is put together on that.
Talbot sleepy hollow 2018 really giant giant fruit super ripe lots of Coke but a fun version.
L’usine 2018 Annapolis Ridge. Super meaty and savory with surprising tannin but bright purple and 15-0.
2019 Willakinsey estate nice light garnet medium intensity fruit shy good structure.
2020 Three Sticks Price Family nice spiciness good cedar and match head bright Ruby transparency black black but not clean balanced with a serious swipe of structure. I really like this wine. It feels sweet at first, but shortly removes that notion. Top-10 of day for sure.
2019 Talley Rosemary’s nice garnet wide clear edges plenty of Oak but also plenty of pinot spirit fairly concentrated with a bit of heat though 14-2.
2017 Siduri Barbieri so far the most boring one I’ve had just a completely forgettable pinot.
2019 The Hilt estate gobs and gobs of oak and ripe pretty much their tourist wines 13-0.
Mcintyre 2018 SLH this is a beautiful wine, thin and direct while packed with incredible flavor. Only had their Merlot before. 2015 old vines so oxidized didn’t taste should’t even be pouring. The only thing I’ve tasted here worse is the Temperance santa barbara co.
Leticia Reserve dU Domaine 2019 shockingly green and vegetable bell pepper and asparagus but rather pretty fruit nice and astringency.
2018 GoldenEye confluence purple Ruby 10 Amber pink. Really chalky with raspy bitter undertones surprisingly *Anderson* with green harsh structure this makes me happy for the sins I have experienced with this label recently.
2019 Mary Edwards Meredith estate beautiful floral nice perfume velvet with a leathery itch round and full in the mouth a nice bit of abrasive structure but pretty chubby stuff.
2017 flying goat Santa Maria Valley Bein Nacido easily Far and away the most garnet Amber wine in the room ridiculously clear and transparent Smoky green must with good graphite and match head sour vegetal stupidly brilliant in the mouth just hitting it stride tannins perfectly integrated into round rich fruit.
2018 Calara Jensen. Smells like Syrah literally smells like Syrah Ruby with blue edges really tannic incredibly dry and tannic in the mouth shockingly harsh but still pulls it off.
2019 bona courses SBC nice light Garnett transparent then and nice good nose really easy stuff.
Tally Stone Corral is so high pitched really unlike anything else in the room I’ve tasted so far I mean real beautiful vegetable laced with incredible stitches and panic throughout. Just gorgeous
So the Madison is very odd at least the first one. It’s got this thin cola perfume on the nose it feels very thin. In the mouth the lightest harshest most astringent acidic thin citrusy thing I think I’ve ever had but I’m not sad with all that said. Top one or two wines in the room.
Okay so the Madison in the middle is a completely different bird Smokey and funky full of dirty baby diaper and compost to shit fruit riding with dryer intense sappy briar more ridiculous tanning in a very thin package but plenty of fruit these are very interesting wines and I like this one
So what about MADSON number three this is kind of the piece de resistance make or break wine for this group warm and somewhat flat in the nose far less perfume seriously Garnet almost funky dill and green pepper but with way soft young tannins and cheery fruit these people literally make a pinot for every sector of the market.
Finally into the Big basins about down a couple times Corallitos or something. Gorgeous nose super graphite super rasping just saw two people pour it out naturally. Nice purple with an Amber core ridiculous velvet fruit but you’re not patinaad. Full and delicious on entry and then goes just great even shrill and coffee Drivel but still beautiful black cherry pie Cherry hanging on.
And on to the Lester almost a Milky short of Amber transplant purple. Very refined nose touch of metallic but great green vegetable Rich round in the mouth but finishes with darker tannins.
2019 Dusty Nabor Spear Pinot transparent purple and wide clear eggs gorgeous Rich fruit good Velvet luxe but with an edge. Round ripe but thin and I’m not convinced there’s enough fruit to survive this.
Dunham estate Old Barn or something really rich nice of little banana tropical dick black right cherry but then you taste it and it’s just fucking stunning this is a huge one but it’s tempered with the kind of things that have to be in there.
Going on something something pretty special purple pink eyes gorgeous nose actually gorgeous full velvet absolutely brilliant fruit really nice and done with a little waddle of cardboard pulling a savory together. Far more structured than you would expect in the mouth but not green or brittle Rich fruit still cascading through.
Mount Eden starts off fairly predictable Garnet with a purple backing ridiculous rich nose beautiful Lush nose but not too much. green and edgy and with copious vegetables. Sweet feeling on the tongue but feeling is almost immediately dashed by the ridiculousness of the texture vegetal and fruit. Tannins are a spire of steely savory working well with the richness of the fruit. This is 2019 Santa Cruz mountains.
Also got into some Lester vineyard that they bottle themselves and here again we have Garnett. An interesting juxtaposition against the big basin.
88 Hospices de Beaune ridiculous peanut butter cola broken skin nose vanilla wafer and. Sharp and amazing. Possibly a bit past peak but it’s feeling really nice and fruit is just flush on it.
2018 Monticello estate just a gorgeous wine for the price point 40 bucks and particularly well done just a solid solid wine you can’t argue with yourself unbelievable 87 was a little oxidized 2009 was nutty and polished. Corley block 11 clean and nicely done nothing hanging out at the edges tight and acidic well done beautiful thin fruit.
Flying goat Rancho Santa Rosa 2017 beautiful crisp vegetal tight green and viril. Gorgeous purple gold amber. Showing Rich fruit with a little patina ridiculously structured it went acerbic acerola in nature of citrus shark but so Sandy smooth and balanced it’s just stupidly gorgeous fruit fades in a pedigreed way all polished and gold trusted and still stupidly tannin right and perfect throughout the veg.
So what we gonna say about today?
MOUNT EDEN pretty much all-around WOTD. Absolute perfection in Pinot, although you could probably find a thousand reasons why it’s not perfect Pinot. THAT is the beauty of Pinot!
Not as impressed with BIG BASIN and FLYING GOAT as I have been in past years, though they are gorgeous enough to merit this list.
MADSON is DEF the one to watch. Quite possibly my favorite wines on the floor.
Despite trying to find ANYTHING and EVERYTHING wrong with the Donum’s, they are just flat-out SPECTACULAR.
THREE STICKS in contention for WOTD. Top 2 or 3 easy.
Stephen McConnell 