Reviews

Issue 214 August 2014

2012 COASTVIEW VINEYARD CHARDONNAY – 91 points
2012 HOMESTEAD BLOCK ROUSSANNE – 91 points
2012 ALFARO FAMILY VINEYARD PINOT NOIR – 93 points
2012 LESTER FAMILY VINEYARD PINOT NOIR – 93 points
2012 WOODRUFF FAMILY VINEYARD PINOT NOIR – 92+ points
2012 COASTVIEW VINEYARD PINOT NOIR – 93 points
2012 HOMESTEAD – 92 points
2012 PADEREWSKI VINEYARD GSM – 91 points
2011 GRIZZLY – 93 points
2011 ODEON SYRAH/CABERNET – 93 points
2011 OLD CORRAL SYRAH – 91 points
2011 RATTLESNAKE ROCK SYRAH – 91 points
2011 COASTVIEW VINEYARD SYRAH – 90 points

"Located high up in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Big Basin Vineyards is run by Bradley Brown. He releases numerous estate wines, yet also makes a number of wines from other top vineyards in the Central Coast. These 2011s show the freshness and focus of the cooler vintage, and his 2012s offer beautiful purity, with more fruit forward profiles" – Jeb Dunnuck

2012 Coastview Vineyard Chardonnay: " Light gold in color, the 2012 Chardonnay Coastview Vineyard is a medium to full-bodied, balanced and decidedly rich effort that gives up classy white peach, honey blossom, brioche and subtle nutty aromas and flavors. It’s loaded with fruit, yet it has solid mid-palate depth and is balanced and beautifully drinkable. Enjoy it over the coming 3-4 years."

2012 Homestead Block Roussanne: " A smoking Rhone white, the medium gold colored 2012 Roussanne Homestead Block offers mineral-tinged tropical fruits, pear and hints of toasted almonds to go with a medium to full-bodied, rich, layered, and textured profile on the palate. Enjoy this clean, classy and food friendly effort over the coming 4-5 years."

2012 Alfaro Family Vineyard Pinot Noir: " Looking at Bradley’s Pinot Noirs, the 2012 Pinot Noir Alfaro Family Vineyard is a smoking effort. Spice, pepper and underbrush are supported by plenty of spice-laced cherry and framboise, and it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, excellent overall balanced and notable purity of fruit. Showing some tannic grip on the finish, it should evolve nicely over the coming 7-8 years."

2012 Lester Family Vineyard Pinot Noir: " Bright, perfumed and slightly lifted aromatically, with plenty of plum, licorice, violets and menthol, the 2012 Pinot Noir Lester Family Vineyard is medium-bodied, supple and nicely textured, with good overall freshness. Showing more sweet fruit and floral notes with time in the glass, this pretty, perfumed and lively Pinot Noir should be consumed over the coming 5-8 years."

2012 Woodruff Family Vineyard Pinot Noir: " The 2012 Pinot Noir Woodruff Family Vineyard is rich, concentrated Pinot that has medium-bodied richness and building tannin. Possessing plenty of menthol, spice and pine-like nuances to go with a darker core of fruit, give it a year in the cellar and enjoy bottles through 2022."

2012 Coastview Vineyard Pinot Noir: " Similar in quality, the 2012 Pinot Noir Coastview is silkier and more finesse driven, with bright berry fruits, violets, sappy herbs and tinges of minerality all emerging from the glass. Medium to full-bodied, beautifully balanced and with terrific length, I love the overall purity of fruit, and it will shine for upward of a decade."

2012 Homestead: " A blend of 34% Grenache, 23% Syrah, 21% Carignan, 18% Mourvedre and the balance Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2012 Homestead is a ripe, rounded and textured wine that has loads of black licorice, ground herbs, pepper and spice that are backed up by a core of sweet black fruit. Staying fresh and lively, with a terrific finish, enjoy this forward, fruit-loaded effort over the coming 5-7 years."

2012 Paderewski Vineyard GSM: " The 2012 GSM Paderewski Vineyard is more savory and rustic than past vintages, with notions of blackberry, black raspberry, chalky minerality, menthol and underbrush giving way to a medium to full-bodied, concentrated, yet chewy feel on the palate. Made from 50% Grenache, 31% Syrah and 19% Mourvedre, give it a year in the cellar and enjoy bottles over the following 5-6 years. "

2011 Grizzly: " The 2011 Grizzly is a blend of close to equal parts Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre that has a beautiful sense of energy and vibrancy. Possessing plenty of ripe black raspberry, kirsch, licorice and ground spices on the nose, it flows onto the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a seamless, elegant texture and fine tannin that emerges on the finish. Clean, classy and focused, it’s another superb wine from this estate that will evolve nicely for over a decade. "

2011 Odeon Syrah/Cabernet: " Even better, the 2011 Syrah Cabernet Odeon is gorgeous on all account. Cassis, black raspberry, lead pencil, mint and violets all emerge from the glass, and this medium to full-bodied, seamless and elegant blend will thrill for over a decade."

2011 Old Corral Syrah: " Another cool-climate, beautifully complex effort, the 2011 Syrah Old Corral offers notions of white pepper, green olive, freshly snipped flowers and both red and black fruits in its medium-bodied, layered and energetic profile. Showing the focus and precision that’s common in the vintage, yet with good ripeness, it will drink nicely through 2021."

2011 Rattlesnake Rock Syrah: " Kicking off the Syrahs, the 2011 Syrah Rattlesnake Rock comes from Bradley’s Rattlesnake Rock vineyard located high up in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Showing the cooler nature of the vintage nicely, with medium to full-bodied richness and a layered, textured feel, it gives up lots of peppery herbs, green olive, bacon and darker berry-styled fruit. Showing plenty of polished tannin on the finish, it will evolve nicely for 10-15 years. "

2011 Coastview Vineyard Syrah: " Similarly styled, with a decidedly cool-climate feel, the 2011 Syrah Coastview Vineyard is a classy, medium-bodied Syrah that excels on its purity and elegance. Showing darker fruits, green olive, sappy herbs and tinges of mint, it has good, not great, concentration, integrated acidity and a clean finish. It’s another high-quality Syrah that will evolve nicely for a decade."