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Copyright © 2004, Dover Canyon Winery. All rights reserved. |
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Click here for Robert Parker reviews . . . “I was impressed by all three of these limited production cuvées . . .”
Click here to see customer and winemaker tasting notes . . .
“I am a wine freak. I love a good Zinfandel, and there is a small vintner named Dover Canyon that makes some of the best wine on the planet, and it's affordable.” —Chris Cognac, host of the Food Network show “The Hungry Detective” 2005 Tre Noce “Tre Noce is the latest offering from Dover Canyon, an amazing small winery in Paso Robles. The syrah is blended with some of the best hand-farmed zinfandel around. With hints of black pepper and deep jam, the depth of flavor in this wine is spectacular; your taste buds will be in nirvana with this one. Dover Canyon has never let me down and the Tre Noce is no exception.” —Chris Cognac, host of the Food Network show “The Hungry Detective” 2004 Syrah, Jimmy’s Vineyard Wine Camp “Big wines are not my favorites, but sometimes they just seem to work. Such a wine is the richly seductive 2004 Dover Canyon Winery Syrah, Jimmy’s Vineyard, Paso Robles. I expected only my palate to be blown away, but it was me that was blown away instead. This wine is just concentrated delicious. Make no mistake, this is a big wine for big food, but at the same time it maintains its balance perfectly as it is structured more on its acids than its alcohol. Sure it is loaded with big forward fruit, but what beautiful fruit it is - no simple fruit bomb here. While there is plenty of cassis throughout this wine, it is not the simple sweet cheap liqueur flavors you usually find in California syrah, but an electric, thoroughly bittersweet cassis essence that has the biting bitter sweetness of real black currents. I matched this big beauty with a prime ribeye, well crusted with coarsely ground tellicherry peppercorns, grilled rare and served drizzled with black truffle olive oil. A drop or bite was not left. Wines like this transcend personal prefereces. They are so distinctive and so well made that if you have any passion for wine at all you can’t help but to love them.” 2004 Syrah, Starr Ranch Appellation America “Paso Robles is turning out some dammed fine Rhones, and this one delivers in spades. Winemaker Dan Panico is known for making wines of enormous strength and character, and his reds almost always exhibit a smoke and licorice profile. It’s a big, black wine that exudes meaty, leathery, and earthy aromas, with hints of dark licorice and blueberry pie . . . Flavors are huge and rich, with smoked bacon, ham, dark meat duck, currants, and a ripe plummy and blueberry core that is heavy and dense . . . One of the smoothest Syrahs I’ve tasted in years.”
2004 Alto Pomar Vinography “Dark garnet in the glass, this wine has a funky, distinctive nose of aromas that bounce between old socks, barnyard, and saddle leather. In the mouth it is smooth on the tongue with juicy flavors that have the spiciness of sandalwood incense and a plummy fruit quality that morphs to cassis as the wine heads towards a nice finish. This is an individualistic wine with something to say, and most will find the conversation very pleasing. I'd be particularly interested in seeing how this wine ages.”
2003 Old Vine Zinfandel, Benito Dusi Vineyard San Francisco Chronicle, July 28, 2005 “Spicy aroma of chile, black pepper, red plum, graphite and earth. Also very spicy on the palate, but with bright red plum and raspberry fruit and hints of raisin, earth and graphite. From an 80-year-old vineyard still farmed every day by Benito Dusi, 72.”
And here’s some miscellaneous stuff we found on the web . . .
2002 Alto Pomar, Alto Pomar Vineyard “Picked up this with a number of other bottles on a visit to the winery in February. Medium ruby in color, red berries was the primary element on the nose and palate, with hints of spice and vanilla. Very fruit driven, balanced and restrained for a Rhone blend from Paso Robles. 14.2% alcohol, 6 barrels made. Went very well with our dinner and I would classify this as a food wine.” From Wine Spectator Forums
2002 Old Vine Zinfandel, Benito Dusi Vineyard “Picked this up in a wine shop I was pouring at tonight in SLO. $25, listed 14.7% abv. Sadly, only 8 barrels (~200 cases) were produced. First pour: nose of brett, sweat, and funk. 5 mins later after pouring first glass:
2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, Hansen Vineyard “Deep, dense purple red in color with aromas of pure red/black fruit. Dense, chewy palate with hints of berry, chocolate but currently disjointed with a finish of slightly bitter tannins. Would hold this beast with the hope (like most Dover Canyon reds) the flavors integrate. Has all the right stuff, but very young. On day three, you could sense more potential as the tannins and oak were much better integrated into a background of classic cabernet flavors. HOLD if you have any bottles.” From CellarTracker!™
1999 Menage “Every year I enjoy this wine!! Deep maroon with inviting aromas of dark fruit and cassis. Moderately complex with lots of forward fruit (blackberry, current) followed by a strong midpalate of complex flavors including tar, cocoa, dust and virtually no dectable tannins on a fairly long finish. This is the real deal from a fun small west side Paso winery. Along with Justin Isosocles, this is a very good example of "Paso Meritage". Wish I had a couple more bottles of this.” From CellarTracker!™ |