Chateau Potelle: 0 out of 2 is Bad

I think I may have given up on Chateau Potelle, which many people love and is quite esteemed by many critics. But I am starting to think it is just not for me!


First I had their Mount Veeder (a sub-appellation of Napa) Syrah. I think it was 2001 vintage. It is a very earthy, old-world style, with lots of tobacco, leather, pepper and stinky soil! Very terroir-driven for CA. While I did enjoy it with food (lamb in particular), I just found it too unforgiving on its own!

Tonight I opened a bottle of their 2001 Paso Robles Cougar Pass blend (Syrah, Zinfandel (i thought it was zin at first; it's in the new, "official" CA zin bottle shape), Cab Sauv and Merlot). I was pretty disappointed . . . I found it to be thin bodied, acrid and overly acidic.. It did have nice bright cherries, chocolate, raspberries and plum, but it was a task to dig those scents out of the overwhelming alcohol smell, not to mention a general rotten kind of thing going on. In fact, with both this and the Syrah, I often can't help wondering if the wine is corked. It's definitely better on the palate than the nose, with some nice cinnamon and spices coming through, but still, as a whole it just didn't do it for me.

However, since so many people enjoy these wines, and as they are priced moderately, I encourage you to make your own evaluations.

Even with the above disappointments, I am still hankering to try their Riviera Rose. If I can find a bottle around here, I'll let you know if it saves Potelle's dwindling place in my cellar!