(Yes, I know this should be in the tasting notes forum, but I sure like a comprehensive summary.  I'll break out the individual notes to the various sub-forums as well)

Christmas this year was nice and quiet, just Teri and I and Hudson...



...up at The Sea Ranch, along the beautiful Northern California Coast. Despite mixed forecasts, weather was extremely agreeable, and I must say that this was a great way to spend Christmas! Being only two of us drinking (Hudson hasn't developed a taste for dry wines yet, though he does like stickies!), we had the opportunity to savor and enjoy the wine selections over time, and over meals, which really made the experience that much more special. The following wines were enjoyed over this five day period.

2005 Core 613 White Blend
It's no secret that I am a huge fan of Dave's wines, and I absolutely loved the 2004 version of the 613, as well as the component tastings of the '05 before the final blend was assembled. That said, after three bottles of this I am convinced there is something went wrong somewhere along the way. Don't get me wrong, this is a very enjoyable wine, but just not up to the standards I expect from Core. As with previous bottles, this wine has an incredible amount of trapped CO2, which takes quite some time and effort to dissipate. Clean, fresh, and pleasant, the wine is a good starter, but has slightly off notes that persist even on the 2nd day, preventing it from really showing it's stuff. NR - flawed. PUME

2001 Tandem Pinot Noir, Keefer Ranch
Keefer Ranch is one of my favorite RRV vineyards, and this wine really shined on this night. Medium dark ruby, slightly cloudy, and not a hint of fading, the wine sports a nose of classic Keefer - bright red fruits, cranberries, and Asian spice. Outstanding texture, with smooth seamless tannins, a wealth of fruit, broad and expansive across the palate, with an explosive mid-palate, finishing long and very fine. Certainly no sign of this one fading in the near future, I think this will be interesting to watch over the next 5 and maybe even 10 years. 94 Points, PAME.

1964 Borgogno Barbaresco Riserva

I have enjoyed the outstanding '64 Barolo from this producer on many occasions, but this was my first time trying the Barbaresco. Throwing plenty of sediment, but the wine is crystal clear after double decanting, and is mostly orange in color with a bright ruby core. The nose shows a fully mature wine that is likely a bit past it's prime, but still lovely with orange peel, subtle soft red fruits, light sweet red cherries, earth, and just a touch of intriguing spice. Tannins are fully resolved, and the wine has just terrific acidity carrying the delicate red fruits beautifully. Very finely texture, soft and elegance, good depth, and a surprisingly long pleasing finish. 92 Points, PIME.

1964 Borgogno Barolo Riserva

Again, lots of sediment, but crystal clear on dbl decanting, this wine is somewhat darker than the Barbaresco, with an orange edge leading to a medium ruby core. Fantastic on the nose, exotic and exuberant, with sweet red cherries, mint, cardamom, lofty floral notes (roses), and a touch of tar. Just a really deep, complex nose that won't quit! A very finely textured, silky palate, still wine some very light tannins, great acidity, bright, fresh, deep, and complex, with a long fine finish. 95 Points, PIME.

2001 Marquis Philips Shiraz '9'
I've been quite a fan of this wine since release, always enjoying it for it's unabashed power coupled nice complexity and depth. That said, while enjoyable, this bottle was a relative disappointment. A massive blueberry bomb, it also shows notes of mocha and spice, but it showed a bit hot and a little disjointed. Still, it's a hard wine not to like, with it's rich, vibrant palate, very fine tannins, depth of fruit, and long finish. We drank this as an after dinner wine, and it worked reasonable well. 92 Points, PUME.

NV Elie et Alain Renardat-Fache Bugey-Cerdon, Methode Ancestrale
At 7.5% alcohol, this lovely, lightly sweet bubbly makes the perfect mid-day wine to sip while kickin' back in the sun with a good book. Never complex, always light and delightful. 88 Points, PIME

2006 Husch Savignon Blanc, Mendocino County
I needed something in which to cook the fresh clams, and this looked like a suitable candidate up at Surf Super. Of course, I had to taste test it before cooking with it . Really nice classic Sauv. Blanc character, grassy, tropical, and melon notes, balanced, clean, and fresh. 88 Points, PIME.

2002 Radio Coteau Syrah, Timbervine
Very dark, opaque purple in color, the nose on this wine just screams Northern Rhone, and I would bet it would do well as a ringer in a blind lineup. Notes of very dark fruits, plum, sauvage, herbs, meat, and white pepper. The nose is very deep, intense, and complex. Smooth and refined on the palate, with black olive notes making an appearance, and a wealth of black fruits supported by bracing acidity. The tannins are very fine, but still very much apparent. Great structure and balance, I expect this will continue to improve for some years to come, and I'll try not to open another for at least 5 years (we'll see, restraint no being one of my finer points). 92+ points (with significant upside potential), PAME.

1947 Borgogno Barolo Riserva

I had high expectations for this wine, which has performed marvelously for me on two previous occasions, and I am pleased to say that it continues to be enormously impressive. Light translucent orange/ruby in color, the nose on this wine is simply stunning and captivating. Showing absolutely no oxidative/maderized notes whatsoever, but rather lofty but seemingly delicate aromas of roses, violets, spice, red fruits, strawberries, cedar, earth, and a tar. The nose is wildly complex, and difficult to convey in a tasting note, but a wine that puts a smile on your face at first sniff, and one you are happy just smelling forever. The palate is equally unbelievable, seemingly weightless, it is one of the silkiest textures I've ever experienced! Tremendously complex, offering multiple layers of textures and flavors, it is still fleshy, silky, with a broad mouth feel, great acidity, no noticeable tannins, and a long, long fine finish. 98 Points, PAME, and my Wine of the Weekend!


1985 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir, Rochioli Vineyard

Yes, the label had fallen off and had to be taped to the bottle, but this bottle having been in the family since release I certainly had no concerns as to it's authenticity . Since we recovered a bunch of wines from my parent's cellar about 5 years ago we have gone through about two cases of this wine, and it is with mixed emotions that we put to rest our final bottle. This wine has shown a good deal of bottle variation, but has always been reliable - ranging from simply very good to outstanding.
This bottle was throwing virtually no sediment, so I didn't even bother decanting - just popped and poured. The color is a quite light, but brilliant ruby with only a touch of orange at the edge. The nose in initially very reticent, but with some time and coaxing it eventually emerges beautifully - and bountifully, with classic RRV red fruits, cranberries, strawberries, Asian spice, clove, and a touch of forest floor. Extremely soft and smooth on the palate, the wine has impeccable balance and grace, with a velvety supple mouth feel, elegant and feminine, good acidity, and a very pleasing finish. This wasn't one of the top bottles of this wine I have opened, but it was still extremely satisfying. 94 Points, PUME (only slightly).

2002 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon, Hillside Select
My first HSS, and I had very high expectations, having read so many great notes on this wine. I have to admit, relative to what I was expecting I was slightly disappointed. Decanted 3 hours in advance, and I am glad I did - the first hour in the decanter the wine had almost no nose. However, with air it began to blossom, and finally bloomed into a huge powerful nose by the time we poured. Very dark purple, almost black, the nose is just beautiful, and fully expressive of a high quality Napa Cab (i.e., no mistaking this for a Bordeaux, for example). Huge aromas of massive black fruits, plum, cassis, graphite, and lofty floral notes. On the palate the wine is massive, broad, full, and quite tannic, with bracing acidity. Tannins are firm, but very fine and ripe, and the wine has great balance and tremendous power. What it seemed to lack for me however was that extra "wow" factor, that perfume, that something special that lifts it to a higher rating. That said, I think all the components are there, and when the wine softens and integrates I think it very well may warrant a much higher score. That said, for me the way it performs today warrants 95+ Points, PUME.

1999 Beringer Nightingale
This sweet blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc has long been a favorite of mine, but the '99 seems to be advancing rather quickly. Showing very dark in color, a deep amber, the nose offers up notes of caramel, spice, and honey, having dropped the tropic fruit notes it possessed in its youth. The palate is quite fine, rich and thick, but with sufficient acidity to carry the weight. Moderate complexity, with a long sweet finish. 90 Points, PUME (only slightly).

2005 Jackson-Triggs Vidal Icewine
What a great buy, at about $15 bucks/187ml from Costco. Light yellow in color, the wine has tropical fruit in abundance - pineapple, mango, along with spice and a even a touch of lemon. Very sweet, but with great acidity, this is just nectar to me. 93 Points, PAME.

On the way home from The Sea Ranch we were honored to spend time and break bread with the Rigisich's, where Steve cooked up some of Bryan's absolutely incredible steaks. I didn't take formal notes, but we opened:

2003 Fort Ross Vineyards Chardonnay
Wow, this is really, really good! Amazing tropical fruit notes, lemon, and a zing of spice. Terrific balance, fresh and vibrant. 92 Points.

1971 Borgogno Barolo Riserva
I've had a fair amount of bottle variation with this wine, but it has always come across a bit light and simple for such a great vintage. Well, not this bottle! I was a little concerned by the color when decanting, as it had much more of a brown tinge than I was expecting, and certainly more brown that I'd seen in previous bottles, causing me some concern that it may be oxidized (despite the outstanding condition of the cork - looked like a 5 year old cork!). Well, it turns out this bottle performed better than any I'd opened previously, showing lovely texture, wonderful balance, depth and complexity. Subtle soft red fruits, some spice, earth, and floral aromas, what really hooked me with this wine was the rich texture and the depth on the palate. 93 Points, PAME.

1938 Massandra Red Muscat
This was actually leftover from the night before, but wow was it going strong. The wine has an odd, very fine sediment - so fine that it really isn't disagreeable in the glass. What a tremendously interesting wine, that I actually find difficult to describe - certainly it was vibrant and fresh, with good sweetness, and really interesting spice notes. Very, very unique, and my thanks to Steve for sharing and allowing me my first experience with this utterly unique wine.

All in all a great Christmas for our little family