2007 Alysian Wines Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, Floodgate Vineyard West Block

[wondersofwine]

This is SERIOUSLY good stuff! A little background--Alysian Wines is Gary Farrell's new venture since selling his self-named winery. I ordered the Russian River cuvee and the Floodgate Vineyard West Block Pinot Noir. This may be his first release (or second?) under Alysian label but the vines were planted in the 70's from Martini Clone 13. 444 cases produced and priced at $55. After opening one last night I ordered four more bottles.

Elliott's on Linden had a special Bring Your Own Bottle evening last night. Pours were to be shared with Tad, the wine director, and $50 gift certificates to Kitchen Essence were awarded for the oldest wine and best-tasting wine.

I had the soup du jour, a hearty corn chowder with andouille sausage, and cedar plank salmon with Jack Daniels and maple glaze. For dessert I had peach and blueberry cobbler. The Pinot Noir was a wonderful pairing with the salmon.

A Staglin Cellars Cabernet Sauvginon won the best-tasting prize but Tad said if my wine had had about three more years in bottle, it might have been the winner. I shared tastes with my waitress (it was her favorite of the night) and with two gentlemen at the next table (one was originally from Ulm, Germany.) They in turn shared a Mazer Inferno wine with me. From Valtellina area of Italy and the owner couldn't remember the name of the grape used in the wine. It was from 2003 and they said it had some funk initially but by the time I tasted it it was drinking well. He had purchased it in NYC.

Okay, the Floodgate. 14.3% alcohol. 50% new oak. Older vines with low yields. Fantastic aroma wafts from the glass. Floral and cherries (website mentions blackberries and black cherries as well as violets.) Light Burgundy shade with transparency. Very aromatic. Inkling of sweetness yet enough acid to lend structure. Rather lengthy finish with a peppery or spicy note. One of the gentlemen said he tasted some chocolate also. Fantastic now and may be even better in three or four years. I will try to space out the four bottles I just ordered but it will be hard to keep my hands (and nose and tastebuds) off them. This is one of those wines you want to sink your nose into.

[This message has been edited by wondersofwine (edited 07-20-2010).]

[wondersofwine]

I had asked the gentlemen with the Mazer Inferno if the grape might be Nebbiolo. They said no. We both checked our references after that evening (the one who brought it checked in a reference book on Italian wines and I checked on the Internet). It turns out that the standard red wine variety in Valtellina, Italy is Chiavennasca, the local name for a Nebbiolo clone grown almost exclusively in Lombardy, so I was correct (pat on the back.) I wasn't familiar with the name Chiavennasca or Valtellina wines however. Some nonindigenous grapes are creeping into blends in Valtellina wines now but Chiavennasca is still the D.O.G.C. standard.

[This message has been edited by wondersofwine (edited 07-22-2010).]