WTN: Recent Pinots: Littorai, Roar

[Charley Hood]

2001 Littorai Cerise Vineyard, Anderson Valley 1/20/13: Deep black cherry to a red-brown edge. Smoke and supple black cherry-kirsch fruit, Asian spice and a note of caramel, dry old leather tones on the nose. Broad, dry, rather earthy entry to a fairly tight center of dried dark cherry fruit, loamy earth and fine, slightly hard tannins, cool stone fruit acidity, dry forest floor elements, showing a bit of pepper-spice on the moderate to long finish.

2004 Roar Pisoni Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands 1/23/13: Medium red-blue to a pale red-pink edge. Rich black cherry fruit shrouded in a sauvage, sanguine element, game and coolish wet stone qualities on the nose. Rich and surprisingly elegant on entry with a slightly sweet wild cherry aspect that continues into the center, now a bit sauvage with dark cherry, dried brush and scorched earth, turning a bit taut and narrowing as this rich, full-bodied chameleon stretches through a very long, ever-changing finish. Exciting stuff!

[David M. Bueker]

Thanks. Really interesting to see notes on Cali Pinot with at least a little age.

[Charley Hood]

I have many more archived in my files. I do follow this board regularly, just haven't posted in a while. Anything in particular you are interested in, David? I may have some notes.

[James Dietz]

I have a bottle of the 2004 Roar Pisoni and of the SLH. Sounds like now might be the time to try. Thanks for the note.

[David M. Bueker]

Got any recent notes on 2001s from Calera?

[Jenise]

Charley, good to see a post from you again!

[Charley Hood]

Sorry, I don't show anything on the 2004 Roar SLH. The 2004 Roar Pisoni PN I had last night is showing as well at this time as any Roar PN I can remember.

Re: 2001 Calera. I kind of got away from Calera in the late 90's. Nothing negative, just followed my PN interest to certain RRV, Sonoma Coast, SLH, SRH and Oregon producers since then instead of the Calera, Saintsbury and Dehlinger I'd been following to that point.

Thanks for the note, Jenise. It's nice to be back!.

[Jenise]

Didn't Calera go through a rather jaundiced period in the 90's? I remember having an '87...oh gosh, a single vineyard...Jensen?...that this big gorgeous Yugoslavian guy brought to an art gallery opening in Anchorage, Alaska, in the early 90's that I was also at: this is one of those instant-cement time/place/taste memories all wine lovers have, where one probably would have completely forgotten the event itself but for the magical appearance of a wine that changed everything. I've not had a Calera since that impressed as that one did, but I've read good press for Calera again recently.

[James Dietz]

It seems, Jenise, that the big gorgeous Yugoslav dude made quite an impression too!

We tried the 2004 Roar Pisoni yesterday with dinner. I won't even try to improve on your description, but we really enjoyed the wine. It was very well-balanced, one of those wines you enjoy immensely precisely because everything is so in tune that it's all pleasure.

I'm grateful for your note, Charley, as otherwise we might have missed this wine's sweet spot.

[Jenise]

It seems, Jenise, that the big gorgeous Yugoslav dude made quite an impression too!

Not for the reason you'd think. He had a name that was unfamiliar to me--let's say it was Zovic--and before I met him that night the friend that introduced he and I confessed to me that she fantasized about him in bed, thinking that screaming the name "Zovic! Zovic!" in ecstasy had a certain ring. Wouldn't have given him a thought but for that and the amazing Calera Jensen he brought to share (a magnum, I forgot to mention earlier.)

Really, I wouldn't have.

I promise.

Not me, you know me better than that. It was only the wine I cared about.

Okay, he was kind of cute.....

[James Dietz]

It seems, Jenise, that the big gorgeous Yugoslav dude made quite an impression too!

Not for the reason you'd think. He had a name that was unfamiliar to me--let's say it was Zovic--and before I met him that night the friend that introduced he and I confessed to me that she fantasized about him in bed, thinking that screaming the name "Zovic! Zovic!" in ecstasy had a certain ring. Wouldn't have given him a thought but for that and the amazing Calera Jensen he brought to share (a magnum, I forgot to mention earlier.)

Really, I wouldn't have.

I promise.

Not me, you know me better than that. It was only the wine I cared about.

Okay, he was kind of cute.....

Yes, I DO know you. Remember Cabana Boy? And I do know it was about the wine.

[Jenise]

Cabana Boy!!! I forgot all about him. Ah, the good old days.

Speaking of associations, I never see a Beringer Howell Mountain Bancroft Ranch Merlot without thinking of you--and a certain black bra.