2007 Cayuse Armada Vnyd Syrah Walla Walla Valley ***

Dark burnt purple color. Very floral on the nose with acacia and hibiscus. Although the wine gains depth with air the overall impression is of tart succulence: quite citric, with notes of beef tartar, rosemary and orange soda. Medium length, but very bright in the mouth. Certainly has another five years to it.

Trip to AC

I took a trip to a relatively new vineyard in American Canyon today. This acreage is planted to a musque clone of Sauvignon Blanc, sometimes also referred to as Sauvignon Musque. Musque is an aromatic version of Blanc, and it is responsible for some of the cult Sauvignons from Napa Valley (Arietta, Araujo), which is what led me here. The land is tended by Oak Knoll Farming, with whom I've had a good relationship the past three years, but the risk is whether this varietal will mature properly this far south in Napa Co. One thing I find incredibly interesting about these hills east of the city of American Canyon is the high percentage of yellow sandstone and limestone in the soil. I'll be tasting samples of past vintages over the next two days to determine whether we bring this vineyard online for Crosby Roamann in 2012. Right now it looks like we will at least try an experimental small lot.

Midnight Sun Mammoth Extra Stout ***

Soupy, persistent head. Great color. Mildly heavy on the palate with sweet malt notes and lingering hoppy bitterness on the finish.

Crosby Roamann Wine Tastings at Crown

I'm just back from a weeklong trip through the Fort Lauderdale - Miami area performing wine tastings for Crown Wine and Spirits, our exclusive distributor in Florida. Thank you to everyone who stopped by to taste our wines, and everyone at Crown who made this trip such a success!