There may have been fewer velvet jackets but lots more life.
I headed first to room that housed the domestic, Australian, Eric Solomon selections. I’ve always heard lots of good things about K-Vintners from Walla Walla. tried the “Big Boy” mostly Grenache, and then the Mibrandt Wahluke Slope Syrah. These massive, clunky, senseless wines made me doubt the sanity of those who whispered the name to me.
Sonoma's Wells Guthrie of Copain continues to make sensible syrah, meaning they have some connection to the grape and the place. Poor Wells, I’d love to see what he did in France but he lives in California, what can he do? Eaglepoint Ranch was nicely animal and structured. The news from Wells is that his winery is almost finished, so he'll be able to move out of the industrial park he's called wine home by the next vintage.
That was about all I could take of domestic stuff. Before I left the rear room, though, I wanted to check out Domaine de la Janasse, which proved to be an interesting segue. If you’re reading this blog, this is NOT our kind of wine. This celebrated by Mr. Parker wine is way to modern for us. It's tweaked. Way too much oak and vanilla and grenache is a terrible combination in my view. Janasses is an Eric Solomon Selection, not a distributor who has a lot that I admire but every once in a while there’s an exception. Such an exception is the Alsatian Domaine Bott -Geyl. If you get a chance to taste the Riesling Les Elements, 2004, it’s a treat of tart lemon and fierce minerality with a finish that doesn’t quit.
TBC
