THE Vertical. Robert Young Estates Winery Scion Shines

The first thing I have to do is to thank Issa and Nura Khoury for introducing me to Scion a couple (or more) years ago. It was in late 2004 that they had a tasting at their store on Eastern – which was their only location at the time – and one of the wines was the Scion. I remember tasting it and being blown away. I promptly ordered a couple of bottles, and the rest, as they say, was history.

I had planned for this vertical for quite some time. As a member of the wine club, I was in the unique position of acquiring this wine on a regular basis, and I knew I had to share it with my friends when the opportunity arose. I used Evite to invite a few people who I knew were real fans of great Bordeaux blends and only regret that I was only able to accommodate a small portion of the people I wanted to be there.

So how did the tasting go? You be the judge!

Thanks to Kelly Pafford of Robert Young Estates Winery for supplying literature and Wine Club apps for the tasting. It was wonderful having the winery so involved with their members’ activities.

There were five years served. 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003. The first thing that should be stated at the front is that each and every one of these vintages was fabulous. Here are comments from everyone as we poured and paired during the evening:

Decanted for little over 30 minutes, the 1999 was a blend of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, and 13% Cabernet Franc. Velvety on the tongue, it displayed earth, cigar box, black cherries, plums, and just a touch of smoke. The tannins had integrated well into the wine and gave the wine an old-world character. There were nods all around as everyone sipped away! This almost tied with the 2000 as the second Wine of the Night.

The 2000 was decanted for the same period of time as the 1999 and had a completely different flavor profile! It is a blend of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Merlot. Wow! was the sound heard as everyone tasted this. The aroma was richer than the ‘99, with black cherries, tobacco, plums, and pepper. Almost Syrah-like in character, it had a rich, velvety mouthfeel, well-integrated tannins, and lots of dark fruit. It also had the earth, cocoa, and leather you’d expect from this type of blend with this age. In my personal opinion, age has done wonders for this wine and it has far outstripped the ’99 and is ready to drink now, although it has some years left to go. This was the second Wine of the Night.

The 2001 was decanted little more than an hour. A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc, and 9% Merlot, it displayed the tannins, dark fruit, and body you’d expect from a wine with this much high-quality Cabernet in the blend. However, even with this much Cab in the mix, it wasn’t a big tannic bruiser, but offered a velvety mouthfeel, tobacco, and earth.

Decanted for 90 minutes, the 2002, a blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, and 11% Cabernet Franc, showed its youth in its profile of black cherries, currants, plums, tobacco, and black raspberries. Silky in the mouth, it is as good as it gets.

There is no doubt that the 2003, with its blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot was the star of the evening. Talk about a Grand Slam! Equal to anything that may come out of Napa, it had big fruit (but it was not a fruit bomb), smoke, integrated tannins and balanced acid, earth, cocoa, tobacco, and more. Take THIS Opus One and Insignia! The 2003 easily kicks the big boys’ collective butts and shines in the process. Fritz Reese, our own personal sommelier and wine educator, declared that this was easily the Wine of the Night, and I agreed with him. While the aroma, flavor profile, structure, and mouthfeel shine now, we can only imagine how it will be in a few years. Wow. What a great wine. And at about $50.00 a bottle, a decided bargain, especially during these days of overpriced Napa Cabernet “stars” from the so-called cult wineries.

All of these wines possessed beautiful noses, silky mouthfeel, well-integrated tannins, good acid balance, complex mid-palates, and a beautiful, long, lingering finish. There wasn’t a bomb in the group, and the age of the 1999 and 2000 brought out subtle traits that are not yet apparent in the 2001, 2002, or the 2003.

The 1999 and 2000 were served with pot roast and baby Yukon Gold potatoes. Because of their age, I did not want to overwhelm them with a lot of spices. The pot roast was the perfect choice and, well, pretty much disappeared.

I served my “famous” smoked brisket with the younger wines, and because of it having been smoked with a dry rub (secret ingredients and all!) it had more complex, assertive flavors than the pot roast. Once again, it was a great match with the more fruit-forward characteristics of the younger wines.

My goal for 2008 is to acquire more Scion! I loved these wines just as much now as I did when I first tasted it at Khoury’s and am a fan for life. While the budget will whimper during these purchases, I’d love to have another vertical in a couple of years so that more of my friends can enjoy the pleasure of drinking these beautiful wines.

Thanks, Robert Young Estates! And thanks to everyone who attended, brought food, and had the opportunity to sip on these wines. A rare treat that I can't wait to repeat!

Spirit Therapies, HenderZIN (aka Paso Zins ROCK), New Releases and More!

Where do I begin? I can't even think. I have had what seems like the busiest weekend of my life, but it was all good!

First things first! I'm going to touch on the October 12 1st Annual Beer and Wine Tasting for Spirit Therapies, an organization that provides opportunities for developmentally disabled children to learn how to ride horses. Of course, it's more than *just* riding horses; it's about interacting with other people and the animals, learning a skill, building self-esteem, and realizing the joy of accomplishment.

Thanks to Scott & Elaine, Mike, Celeste, Jana, and Zach (see story on Two Buck Chuck) for giving of their precious Friday night time to do the pouring for the guests who came to financially support the cause. They already know how much I appreciate their time – if and when you run into them, thank them. This is a wonderful cause, and (Irene gets on soapbox) I feel that everyone needs to support a charitable cause of some kind if they have the ability to do so. While the pourers weren’t supporting this with their money, their time is just as valuable a commodity for an organization such as this. I encourage everyone to find a cause (or two or more), and support it with your money, your time, your heart. The world would be better off, as would those who are less fortunate. Most touching was the presence of some of the riders. These kids have to deal with disabilities that would bring us to our knees, and they do it with courage and unwavering optimism. It is humbling seeing a child whose twisted form has to be transported in a wheelchair because he cannot even crawl, but who is able to sit high and proud on a gentle horse. For once, *he* gets to see life away from the wheelchair. Don't be afraid to check them out. You may find that your heart is miraculously softened. (Irene steps down from soapbox).

And now for HenderZIN. This was the second annual event, and my second time enjoying the festivities. Of course, this time going as *the* Vegas Wineaux (LOL), it was a little different. Now to my good friends who didn't attend last year … neener neener! I've had this much fun TWO years in a row! And for those of you who have missed both ... what can I say? You've missed a terrific event TWICE!

Once again, the event was held in the parking lot of Khoury's on Eastern, just north of St. Rose Parkway. And like last year, it rocked.

Issa and Nura Khoury have done a wonderful job of putting the event together, and we can't figure out how they managed to do it, especially with a new baby!

Let me go over some of my highlights (if you were there, your highlights may vary. I took notes).

First, a few shout outs to everyone whom I recognized. If you remember running into me and your name isn't here, let me know! Mel and Gene, Michael, Mitch and Amy, Don and Mark, Robin, Debbie and Mitch, and Tori. And of course, the wine elite were there! Tobin James, Kent Rosenblum, *the* Jim Lambert of Stanley Lambert, Bill of Four Vines (official title: Zin Pimp), and our wonderful Vegas pourers, including Carrie, Maureen, and Paul. Natalie and Teresa of Vino 100 stopped by to enjoy the festivities. Whew! There were many more there I knew, but my poor gray matter is fried!

The wines were wonderful. Opolo, Four Vines, Brochelle, Outpost, Montevina, Palm Cellars, and more! There was a band playing, BBQ, and rivers of flowing Zin!

And now give me a moment to offend a few people. First of all, *all* of the wines were wonderful. The wines were from all over California (I didn’t see the New Zealand Zin this year), and were varied in type, character, and structure. With that being said, I have to say that Paso Robles Zins as a group kick Napa Zin butt. The Paso wines are more fruit forward as opposed to having a dustier, earthier character which typify the Napa Zins. That’s not necessarily a good or bad thing. Two of the wines I could drink by the cup are Opolo Mtn. Zinfandel (Paso) and Outpost Howell Mountain (Napa). Very different styles, both delish. However, there are *more* of the Paso wines I could drink by the cup than those from Napa.

As I peruse my notes, I realize that my favorites were Tobin James Dusi, Fat Boy, and Blue Moon, Opolo Mtn. Zin, Four Vines Dusi, Brochelle, Outpost Howell Mountain, Sequum Kidd Ranch, and the unreleased JDusi – a Zin made by the granddaughter of the original owner of the Dusi Vineyard in Paso Robles. This had more complexity and more Napa in style than the other Dusi wines. Once again, all of these comments are my opinion. Your Mileage May Vary (YMMI). The upshot is that while I loved Zins from all of the AVAs, I loved more of the Paso Zins.

One more opinion: Paso Robles OWNS Zin. So there. Neener neener.

My good friend Elliot (going to be a Papa in a couple of months!) gave me the heads up on the new upcoming releases from Stanley Lambert. They are Three’s Company (GSM blend), Thousand Words (Chardonnay), Silent Partner (100% Cabernet), and Nordic Frost (Riesling). There were too many folks having a great time to get release dates, but stay tuned! I’m pretty certain that there will be tastings, and you can be sure I’ll be there!

Whew. And there’s still more! In the upcoming Blog entry, there will be information about wine clubs; in particular, one of my favorite local wine clubs. On a "Say It Isn't So!" note, I will address the buzz about the departure of a dearly beloved wine friend from our area to parts unknown. I am planning to turn into an intrepid cub reporter (didn't you ever read Superman comics?!?) and get to the bottom of a disturbing and saddening rumor. On the exciting, doing the "happy dance" side, there is a Vegas Wineaux event in the planning stages for November.

Curious? See you next time!