February 10th, 2012

Sarah Goes To a bare knuckle brawl.

These wines are more bare knuckle brawlers to last weeks ballerinas.  This week we left terrior behind to focus on crowd pleasing fruity styles that the West Coast wine regions produce in droves. The robust reds charged out of the bottle full of fruit and sweet new oak delivering a one, two punch to the palate. Two Syrahs, 2 Cab blends, and one Pinot Noir made the line up.  Arranged according to alcohol percentage the Oregon and California wines flanked the bunch.  The Dos Irmaos proved to be the outlier with much lower alcohol and extraction.  One taster comparing it to a Bourgogne Rouge.  Not far off really, but not what has come to be expected from Willamette Pinot Noir on the whole.  The remaining wines stuck to their scripts showing jammy fruit, round tannins, spicy new.  The group agreed the Pirouette was the most crowd pleasing.  McCrea's Ciel du Cheval was the favorite of most. 

2008 Dos Irmaos

2006 Ramey Larkmead Cab

2007 Basel Cellars Syrah

2006 Pirouette

2007 McCrea Syrah