For ken2v and malibugolfer .... what are your thoughts on some of the Cabs out of the Eldorado Hills? It has been years since I have lived out there but always impressed with some of the smaller wineries and I believe many of their grapes ended up in Napa wines. I believe they still do Passport weekend up there and great way to get to some of the smaller places. We always started at Poor Reds first.

Are they still producing good ones out of Amador?

 

Riders, I am truly flattered that you'd think of myself with Ken.
I know what I like, I've had the good fortune to drink what I considered really tasty product, but I am just barely conversant with Santa Rita Hills, Ken's home turf, some Monterey and Sonoma with occasional Napa stuff.
The Eldo AVA would be out of my ability to comment, more's the pity.
So many wines, so little time.

 

Don't even go there, M. You and I are booked into the same asylum.

I'm not the Cab guy. We get Cab, mostly through wine club affiliations ( Merus and Altvs, Harlan's second label), drink some of the standards be it Stag's Leap or Grgich or Montelena, Heitz, and are most interested in lesser-known stuff in that key 50-100 range ... Lewis, Neal Family and a few others a wine merchant up north turned us on to. And what we can get locally when it comes from far enough inland to support Cab, but there are far more Cab Savvy -- -- people here.

I'm learning Pinot, taking baby steps. Always preferred Pinot overall and living now five years in the SRH AVA it was a natural. We toe the Oregon and SLH and Russian River waters, Burgundy, but I think you can understand how geography plays into this. We're Rhone Rangers, too.

P.S. We've had some nice Zins from Gold Country.

 

Tonight ...

2002, 2003, 2004 Fess Parker Bien Nacido Pinot
2002 Siduri Cargasacchi Pinot
2011, 2012 Foley Bar Lazy S Pinot

 

Siduri indeed.
I believe my brother knows Adam Lee. He turned me on to Siduri years ago.
They have vines everywhere now.
I imagine you're drinking a Santa Rita planting?

 

Love Siduri

 

Yes, Carg grapes.

The 2002 Parker was corked and the Siduri simply had gone far far far so far around the bend; this still is California, not Burgundy, so not unexpected. Mercaptans had hit the 2004. The '03 Parker was right there in the ball game. Rich and round but still holding acid.

2011 was a tough harvest here in the Hills. The result is a lot of bad wines and some great ones. Quite concentrated fruit but rustic, and I think that year it was all 2A. I'm glad we have several left. 2012 was a perfect year, across the AVA. Best drinkable vintage overall -- if not asking Brian Loring -- right now.

 

Huge Siduri fan here. Adam is a good friend of mine and truly good people ... and to make this board-related? He's a HUGE Vegas fan. Goes there a lot. A generous, fun, honest guy who makes fantastic wine.

 

Had a 2013 Hillard Bruce Sky Pinot last night with our BBQ ribs

 

Sky always is a good choice with grilled/sauced.