Cliff's Wine Picks

 

2011 Bedrock Wine Co. Zinfandel Old Vine

2009 Lewis Cellars Syrah Ethan’s

2012 Buoncristiani Dolcetto di Nonno

2010 Domaine Tour Saint-Michel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée du Lion

2009 Château Garraud

2014 Speedy Creek Sangiovese

 

 

 

2011 Bedrock Wine Co. Zinfandel Old Vine – $22

This wine is a blend of grapes mainly from the late ripening Stellwagen Vineyard as well as Casa Santinamaria which was originally slated for a vineyard designated bottling.  The remainder of the wine includes grapes from the terraced Los Chamizal Vineyard, some younger vine fruit from Rossi Ranch in Kenwood, a few barrels of Monte Rosso Zinfandel, and a bit of old-vine Carignane and Mourvedre from the winery’s Bedrock Vineyard.

 

The wine is a deep garnet color.  The inviting nose has brambly berries, black pepper, baking spices, black cherries, dry underbrush and wild flowers.  This has medium to full body with moderate tannins and good acidity.  On the palate brambly berries, black cherries, black pepper and baking spices grab control on the front end with underbrush and a nice floral note coming in later.  The finish has nice length with berries and spice dominating.  Not as complex as earlier vintages but that’s a result of the vintage.  This is very tasty and would be a great pairing with a wide range of food.  This has 14.8% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2009 Lewis Cellars Syrah Ethan’s – $33.24

I’m not as big a fan as most people.  The winery has a cult like following but I’m just one of those people.  I generally grab a few bottles when I can get them at great prices, but I don’t hunt them down and I never pay full price.

 

The wine is a dark, opaque purple color.  The stunning nose is full of crushed berries, minerals, charred meat, scorched earth, vanilla, violets and dark chocolate.  This full bodied wine has fairly solid tannins and good acidity.  On the palate, the wine is big and brawny but the tannins and acidity hold everything together.  The initial assault on your palate is quickly reined in and held together through the long finish.  As should be expected from the winery, this is not a wine for the timid or for someone looking for a subtle, nuanced wine.  This will club you over the head and leave you asking for more.  This has 15.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

2012 Buoncristiani Dolcetto di Nonno – $40

This wine is a blend of 65% Napa County (Buon Block) and 35% Sonoma County (Unti Ranch in Dry Creek Valley) grapes.  Only 140 cases of this wine were produced.

 

From the winery:

Our paternal grandfather, Nonno, immigrated to California from Northern Italy and brought his passion for food, wine, art, and family tradition.  The Buoncristiani brothers, Nonno’s grandsons, planted Dolcetto to be crafted into a wine as a tribute to their roots, and in honor of Nonno.

 

The wine is a deep ruby color.  The very inviting nose has blackberries, blueberries, dry underbrush, dusty minerals, warm baking spices, dark chocolate, white pepper and wildflowers.  This has medium to full body with soft to moderate tannins and nice acidity.  On the palate crushed berries, dark chocolate, underbrush and minerals grab control on the front end with baking spices and white pepper coming in on the back end.  The finish has good length with berries and dark chocolate joined by a nice floral note.  This is a serious Dolcetto.  This has 14.4% alcohol and the bottle sealed with a natural cork.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2010 Domaine Tour Saint-Michel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée du Lion – $22.80

This was another “steal” from Last Bottle wines, my favorite “flash” wine site.  If you use the provided link and sign up, you get an immediate $10 credit and I get a credit if/when you make a purchase.  Check them out, they have awesome deals and their Marathons are always something special.

 

Even though the blend for this wine varies by vintage, it is generally about 75% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 5% Mourvedre.

 

This family (and currently woman owned) estate is now in its’ fourth generation and has grown to now include about 100 acres, 86 in Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

 

The wine is a nice maroon color.  The very impressive nose has kirsch, strawberries, garrigue, leather, white pepper, scorched earth and wildflowers.  This has medium body with moderate to solid tannins and very good acidity.  On the palate nice upfront fruit is joined by garrigue and white pepper with leather and scorched earth coming in later.  The finish has great length with wildflowers providing depth.  This tastes great now with some air but some additional cellar time will be rewarded.  This will improve over the next year or two and drink very nicely for the following decade.  This has 14.0% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (94 pts)

 

 

 

2009 Château Garraud – $25.49

From the Lalande de Pomerol region in Bordeaux.  This is a blend of 69% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon.

 

The wine is a medium to deep ruby color.  The intense nose has plums, black cherries, baking spices, cedar, tobacco, dried leafy herbs and crushed stone minerals.  This has medium body with moderate to solid tannins and very good acidity.  On the palate nice fruit and spice come through on the front end with slightly scratchy cedar and tobacco coming in later.  On the nicely lingering finish, dried herbs and minerals proved good depth.  The tannins are still fairly prominent on the back end and finish.  This tastes good now with some air, but I think this will be better in a couple years.  This has 13.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2014 Speedy Creek Sangiovese – $18.79

This was another “steal” from Last Bottle wines, my favorite “flash” wine site.  If you use the provided link and sign up, you get an immediate $10 credit and I get a credit if/when you make a purchase.  Check them out, they have awesome deals and their Marathons are always something special.

 

This is mostly Sangiovese with small amounts of estate grown Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot.  This wine was aged for 18 months in French Oak barrels.  This wine has a suggested price of SRP $30, so the Last Bottle price was very good.

 

The wine is a deep ruby color.  The enticing nose has black cherries, earthy underbrush, warm baking spices, crushed stone minerals, licorice and wild flowers.  This has medium body with soft to moderate tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate black cherries, minerals and earthy underbrush jump out on the front end with baking spices and licorice coming in later.  The finish has good length with a floral note providing some extra depth.  This is a nice California Sangiovese.  This has 14.2% alcohol and the bottle is closed with a natural cork.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

A few meals paired with a couple of the wines.

Other meals that were paired with all the wines for the week are usually posted on my Instagram account, Cliff’s Wine Picks Instagram.  If you want a specific recipe, send an e-mail to Cliff @ CliffsWinePicks . com.  Obviously, remove the spaces.

 

I paired the Bedrock Zinfandel with tacos, refried beans and Mexican rice.

 

 

The Speedy Creek Sangiovese paired very nicely with pasta and my wife’s meat sauce.

 

 

The Lewis Syrah was paired with a grilled ham steak and my wife’s macaroni and cheese casserole.

 

 

 

I am a big fan of the “Flash Wine Sale” site Last Bottle.  You probably noticed some of the wines in this post were purchased from the site.  All of these wines were purchased at a big discount.  I highly recommend getting on their e-mail list.  Like most of the flash sale sites, they offer one wine per day until it sells out.  They also have a couple two-day marathons during the year.  Last Bottle is a great site to buy special wines at prices low enough to open any day of the week.

 

If you sign up using this link you will get a $10 credit that can be used on your first purchase.  I will also get a credit if you make a purchase.

 

Other than getting a credit as explained above, I have no financial interest in the site.  After you are on the list, you can also get the same credit by introducing friends to Last Bottle.

 

 

 

Connect with me

You can follow me on Twitter for more wine info, potential food pairings, and an occasional recipe or two.  Be warned, I’m also a sports fan and there are occasional Pittsburgh Penguins, Steelers, and Pirates tweets.  I attended the University of South Carolina, so during football season, there will also be some Gamecock posts.

 

I post a lot more pictures and pairing suggestions on my Instagram account, consider joining me at https://www.instagram.com/cbbrown3/

 

If you like this post, consider joining Cliffs Wine Picks Wine Blog on Facebook and giving me a Like.

 

Cheers!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 2019 Cliff’s Wine Picks.

All rights reserved.

 

 

 

***** Shameless Self Promotion *****

 

Here is a link to a YouTube video of me getting “coal” from Santa for being named the “Nicest Person in Social Media” in 2012.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOvQTeGR3-c

 

 

 

Breaking news from Klout:

 

 

Cliff’s Wine Picks mentions or other posts

Here are posts, newsletters, blogs or other articles that either mention this site or that I have written:

 

Click here or on the “Cliff’s Wine Picks On Other Sites” link in the top right corner to see links to other sites that either have my reviews, my thoughts or other posts I have written.

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

Notes – I use the “official” Cellar Tracker name for the wines.  I use Cellar Tracker to help manage and organize my cellar.  I highly recommend checking it out at www.cellartracker.com.  Loading you existing cellar is a lot less intimidating than it would first appear.  There is a good chance 99% of your wine is already in the system, so you generally only need to enter part of the wine’s name and the system will find it for you.

 

 

Prices noted are the prices I paid at the time of purchase.  I don’t shop around to find the best prices, but always check out the sale and close out items when in a store.  Wines purchased direct from a winery do not include any shipping charges.  None of the prices include the sales tax.

 

 

All wines that were sent to me free of charge to sample will be noted and I will show suggested prices when available.

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

 

2013 Anthill Farms Grenache Steel Plow Vineyard

2014 Macchia Barbera Delicious Lodi

2012 Jean Edwards Cellars Petite Sirah

2014 Bacio Divino Pazzo

2012 Elyse Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley

2014 Courtney Benham Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

 

 

 

2013 Anthill Farms Grenache Steel Plow Vineyard – $18

Just about every year Anthill Farms produces a “one-off” wine that usually doesn’t become part of their wines produced every year.  I say usually because several years ago their one-off wine was a Syrah from Windsor Oaks Vineyard that was so popular it was added to their annual offerings.  This is a one-off wine from a couple years ago from the volcanic soils of the Sonoma Valley.

 

The wine is a very light ruby red color, just a touch darker than some Rosé wines.  The inviting nose has cherries, baking spice, crushed stones, white pepper, wild flowers and a touch of dried herbs.  This has medium body with moderate tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate spicy, tart cherries, minerals and white pepper quickly take hold, slowly allowing some dried herbs to slip through.  The finish has nice length with cherries, white pepper and minerals seeming to linger forever.  This is very young so patience will be rewarded.  This has outstanding balance and is very food friendly.  This has 13.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (91 pts)

 

 

2014 Macchia Barbera Delicious Lodi – $19.54

Barbera is another grape that is used to produce some real gems in Lodi.  In Lodi, the grape gets a bit riper and more luxurious then their Italian counterparts.  These are nice, easy drinking, fruit driven wines that will surprise you when you try one.  In September 2016 I participated in a big Lodi Barbera tasting at Macchia Wines and across the board, these were outstanding wines.  Do these wines age?  After trying his 2014 and 2015 vintages, Tim Holdener, Macchia owner/winemaker, pulled a 2003 vintage from his personal stash for us to taste.  The wine held up marvelously and proved Lodi wines can age, even those produced from the Barbera grape which is usually consumed within a couple years of being produced.

 

The wine is a deep maroon color.  The exotic nose has black cherries, blackberries, white pepper, dusty minerals, espresso beans, scorched earth, dark chocolate and dried violets.  This has a full body with soft tannins and nice acidity.  On the palate cherries, blackberries, white pepper and minerals come through on the front end with espresso beans and dark chocolate coming in on the back end.  The finish has very nice length with scorched earth and a dried floral note providing good depth.  The wine finishes with lingering sweet fruit.  This won’t be confused with an Italian Barbera but who cares, it’s very tasty.  This has 14.6% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (90 pts)

 

 

2012 Jean Edwards Cellars Petite Sirah – $30

This 100% Petite Sirah comes from multiple blocks in Vincent Arroyo vineyards in Calistoga that was aged in a combination of French and American Oak.

 

The wine is a deep, dark purple color.  The exuberant nose has blackberries, black peppercorns, eucalyptus, espresso beans, baking spices, dry earth, tobacco, dried wildflowers and a bit of dark chocolate.  This has medium to full body with solid tannins and very good acidity.  On the palate blackberries, black pepper and espresso beans grab your attention on the front end with dry earth, tobacco and baking spices coming in later.  The finish has nice length with a dried floral note and dark chocolate providing good depth.  This is still very young and needs a couple hours of air, preferably a couple more years in the cellar.  There still seems to be a lot hidden behind the wall of tannins and acidity, this has tremendous upside for those with patience.  This has 14.3% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (91 pts now with potential to 94-95)

 

 

2014 Bacio Divino Pazzo – $22

This was another “steal” from Last Bottle wines, my favorite “flash” wine site.  If you use the provided link and sign up, you get an immediate $10 credit and I get a credit if/when you make a purchase.  Check them out, they have awesome deals and their Marathons are always something special.

 

Pazzo means “crazy” in Italian.

 

This is a blend of 46% Sangiovese, 28% Merlot, 10% Syrah, 10% Malbec and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon.  I know this only adds up to 98% but this is the breakdown by the winery.

 

The wine is a deep garnet color.  The enticing nose has black cherries, raspberries, licorice, roasted leafy herbs, dark roasted coffee beans, white pepper, baking spices and wildflowers.  This has medium body with soft to moderate tannins and nice acidity.  On the palate black cherries, roasted herbs, coffee beans and baking spices jump out on the front end with raspberries and white pepper coming in later.  The finish has nice length with subtle underbrush providing some depth.  This is an easy drinking wine that is full of fruit and savory notes to enjoy over the next few years.  This has 14.9% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with an agglomerated cork.  (90 pts)

 

 

2012 Elyse Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley – $18

This was another “steal” from Last Bottle wines, my favorite “flash” wine site.  If you use the provided link and sign up, you get an immediate $10 credit and I get a credit if/when you make a purchase.  Check them out, they have awesome deals and their Marathons are always something special.  The wine’s release price was $40 so Last Bottle’s price was well over 50% off.

 

This wine includes 12% Petite Sirah and 6% Carignane.  The grapes come from Teldeschi and Ramazzotti Vineyards.  Following a 15 day native yeast fermentation the wine was aged 10 ½ months in American oak with 25% new.  The total production was 1,176 cases.

 

The wine is a deep ruby to maroon color.  The enticing nose has brambly berries, baking spices, dry earth, black peppercorns, licorice, dark chocolate, candied wildflowers and underbrush.  This has medium body with moderate tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate brambly berries, baking spices and black peppercorns come through on the front end with underbrush, dry earth and chocolate coming in later.  A candied floral note and licorice come in on the nicely lingering finish.  This has very nice acidity and good closing tannins making this a great partner to something hot and juicy off the grill.  This has 14.6% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (92 pts)

 

 

2014 Courtney Benham Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley – $21.24

Courtney Benham is a division of Martin Ray Winery.  Courtney Benham Wines are limited release for special offer to their wine club members but obviously some make it into the hands of the Total Wine stores since I can buy these reasonably priced wines at my local store.

 

The wine is a medium to deep ruby color.  The slightly shy nose has crushed berries, baking spices, tobacco, violets and a touch of dark chocolate.  This has medium body with soft to moderate tannins and good acidity.  On the palate crushed berries and spices come through on the front end with tobacco and violets coming in on the back end.  The finish has decent length with some dark chocolate providing depth.  This gets a bit hollow on the back end and this doesn’t offer much complexity.  Perhaps some cellar time will allow the wine to fill out and aid the complexity.  As is this is a nice week night Cabernet from Napa at an attractive price.  This has 14.2% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a twist off closure.  (87 pts)

 

 

A few meals paired with a couple of the wines.

 

Other meals that were paired with all the wines for the week are usually posted on my Instagram account, Cliff’s Wine Picks Instagram.  If you want a specific recipe, send an e-mail to Cliff @ CliffsWinePicks . com.  Obviously, remove the spaces.

 

 

The Bacio Divino Pazzo was paired with Veal Parmigiana, a garlic roll and a tossed salad.

 

 

I paired the Jean Edwards Cellars Petite Sirah with a simple bacon cheeseburger (with pepper jack cheese) and fries.

 

 

The Macchia Barbera Delicious paired very nicely with a meaty baked ziti that was loaded with gooey mozzarella cheese.

 

 

 

I am a big fan of the “Flash Wine Sale” site Last Bottle.  You probably noticed some of the wines in this post were purchased from the site.  All of these wines were purchased at a big discount.  I highly recommend getting on their e-mail list.  Like most of the flash sale sites, they offer one wine per day until it sells out.  They also have a couple two-day marathons during the year.  Last Bottle is a great site to buy special wines at prices low enough to open any day of the week.

 

If you sign up using this link you will get a $10 credit that can be used on your first purchase.  I will also get a credit if you make a purchase.

 

Other than getting a credit as explained above, I have no financial interest in the site.  After you are on the list, you can also get the same credit by introducing friends to Last Bottle.

 

 

 

Connect with me

You can follow me on Twitter for more wine info, potential food pairings, and an occasional recipe or two.  Be warned, I’m also a sports fan and there are occasional Pittsburgh Penguins, Steelers, and Pirates tweets.  I attended the University of South Carolina, so during football season, there will also be some Gamecock posts.

 

I post a lot more pictures and pairing suggestions on my Instagram account, consider joining me at https://www.instagram.com/cbbrown3/

 

If you like this post, consider joining Cliffs Wine Picks Wine Blog on Facebook and giving me a Like.

 

Cheers!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 2019 Cliff’s Wine Picks.

All rights reserved.

 

 

 

***** Shameless Self Promotion *****

 

Here is a link to a YouTube video of me getting “coal” from Santa for being named the “Nicest Person in Social Media” in 2012.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOvQTeGR3-c

 

 

 

Breaking news from Klout:

 

 

Cliff’s Wine Picks mentions or other posts

Here are posts, newsletters, blogs or other articles that either mention this site or that I have written:

 

Click here or on the “Cliff’s Wine Picks On Other Sites” link in the top right corner to see links to other sites that either have my reviews, my thoughts or other posts I have written.

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

Notes – I use the “official” Cellar Tracker name for the wines.  I use Cellar Tracker to help manage and organize my cellar.  I highly recommend checking it out at www.cellartracker.com.  Loading you existing cellar is a lot less intimidating than it would first appear.  There is a good chance 99% of your wine is already in the system, so you generally only need to enter part of the wine’s name and the system will find it for you.

 

 

Prices noted are the prices I paid at the time of purchase.  I don’t shop around to find the best prices, but always check out the sale and close out items when in a store.  Wines purchased direct from a winery do not include any shipping charges.  None of the prices include the sales tax.

 

 

All wines that were sent to me free of charge to sample will be noted and I will show suggested prices when available.

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

 

2015 Cornerstone Cellars Pinot Noir

2013 Terra d’Oro Winery Barbera

2016 Turley Sauvignon Blanc Turley Estate

2012 Uvaggio (L’Uvaggio di Giacomo) Barbera

Paul Bara Champagne Grand Cru Brut Réserve

2007 Agharta Wines Black Label

 

 

 

2015 Cornerstone Cellars Pinot Noir – $19

This was a “steal” from Last Bottle wines, my favorite “flash” wine site.  If you use the provided link and sign up, you get an immediate $10 credit and I get a credit if/when you make a purchase.  Check them out, they have awesome deals and their Marathons are always something special.  The winery’s price for this wine is $50, do the math.  After using some of my credits, I actually bought this wine for a ridiculous $10.52 a bottle.  Check out Last Bottle, sign up and then get your friends to sign up and you’ll be able to score the same steals.

 

This 100% Pinot Noir is a blend of grapes from a wide array of vineyards and clones all over the Willamette Valley.

 

The wine is a medium ruby red color.  The elegant nose has black cherries, raspberries, baking spices, cocoa powder, dry earth, white pepper and wild flowers.  This has medium body with soft to moderate tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate bright fruit, baling spices and cocoa powder jump out on the front end with dry earth and white pepper coming in later.  The finish has good length with a nice floral note providing depth.  This carries no excess weight and shows great balance.  This would be a crowd pleaser, the upfront fruit will appeal to casual wine drinkers but there is enough savory notes on the back end and finish to appeal to most of the people reading this note.  This has 14.1% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with an agglomerated cork.  (90 pts)

 

 

2013 Terra d’Oro Winery Barbera – $10.19

This Terra d’Oro Barbera was fermented in stainless steel before being aged for 15 months in small French and Hungarian oak barrels.

 

The wine is a deep ruby red color.  The inviting nose has blackberries, baking spices, cherries, licorice, dry earth, dark chocolate and blueberries.  This has medium body with soft to moderate smooth tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate berries, cherries and baking spices dominate the front end with earthy elements and dark chocolate coming in on the back end.  The finish has nice length with blueberries providing some depth.  This is a bit lacking in complexity but the nice fruit and spice make it easy to drink and enjoy.  This has 13.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (89 pts)

 

 

2016 Turley Sauvignon Blanc Turley Estate – $28

This will be my first white wine from Turley.  I normally have a hard time limiting myself to a case of their zinfandel and petite sirah wines, but in this release, I stashed a couple bottles of their sauvignon blanc in my case.

 

This is a light golden straw color.  The mesmerizing nose has white peach, apples, lemongrass, crushed stone minerals and beeswax.  This has medium body with a creamy texture and very nice acidity.  On the palate nice fruit and minerals come through on the front end with lemongrass and beeswax coming in later.  The finish has good length with mouthwatering lime zest forcing you to grab another sip.  This has great balance and it is extremely easy to sip and enjoy.  This has 13.1% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (92 pts)

 

 

2012 Uvaggio (L’Uvaggio di Giacomo) Barbera – $10

This was another “steal” from Last Bottle wines, my favorite “flash” wine site.  If you use the provided link and sign up, you get an immediate $10 credit and I get a credit if/when you make a purchase.  Check them out, they have awesome deals and their Marathons are always something special.

 

The man behind Uvaggio is Jim Moore.  If you remember the old La Famiglia di Robert Mondavi label from many years ago, Jim was the wine maker and driving force behind those wonderful wines.

 

This 100% Lodi AVA wine is a blend of 98% Barbera from the Leventini Vineyard and 2% Primitivo from the Bella Vigna Vineyard.

 

The wine is a deep garnet color.  The very inviting nose has cherries, plums, baking spices, white pepper, dry loam, vanilla bean, raspberries and violets.  This has medium body with soft tannins and good acidity.  On the palate the rich fruit and spice jump out on the front end with nice earthiness and white pepper coming in later.  The finish has nice length with vanilla bean, raspberries and a floral note providing good depth.  This wouldn’t be mistaken for an Italian Barbera but who cares.  This has nice upfront fruit with enough savory notes to keep it very interesting.  Barbera is another grape that is producing very tasty wines in Lodi.  I liked this more and more as the evening turned into night.  Great job.  This has 13.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with an agglomerated cork.  (92 pts)

 

 

Paul Bara Champagne Grand Cru Brut Réserve – $29.29

This was another “steal” from Last Bottle wines, my favorite “flash” wine site.  If you use the provided link and sign up, you get an immediate $10 credit and I get a credit if/when you make a purchase.  Check them out, they have awesome deals and their Marathons are always something special.  This was picked up at a Last Bottle Marathon, always a great source for special wines at every day prices.  See below for information on the site and a discount on your first purchase.

 

I can’t find, with 100% confidence, the exact blend of grapes for this wine but it appears to be 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay.  I should note, I have even seen this noted as 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir.  This means, your guess is as good as mine.

 

This is a light golden straw color with a steady stream of pinpoint sized, persistent bubbles.  The festive nose has tart apples, lemon zest, stony minerals, toasted yeasty bread, orange blossoms, white peach and a hint of berries.  This has light to medium body with great effervescence, crisp acidity and just a touch of sweetness.  On the palate apples, minerals, orange blossoms and lemon zest quickly take control with a hint of white peach and berries slipping in on the back end.  The finish has good length and is crisp and clean thanks to lemony acidity.  This is a joy to sip on its’ own or with a light meal.  This has 12.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a standard Champagne cork.  (92 pts)

 

 

2007 Agharta Wines Black Label – $41.39

This was another “steal” from Last Bottle wines, my favorite “flash” wine site.  If you use the provided link and sign up, you get an immediate $10 credit and I get a credit if/when you make a purchase.  Check them out, they have awesome deals and their Marathons are always something special.  I know the wine’s release price was $75 because I bought a couple bottles from the winery upon release.

 

First some info for the wine geeks from the winery:

 

This wine spent 57 months in barrel, 55% was new French oak.  The final selection process yielded only a 20 barrel-lot, which is composed of 100% Alder Springs fruit.  Eleven of the selected barrels were new in 2007, from coopers Darnajou, Ermitage, François Frère & Meyrieux, the remaining barrels were of varying ages, but all were essentially neutral when the wine went into them.  Four of the barrels were co-fermented with Viognier and they were clearly loaded with a succulent lift in their aromas.  Only two of the barrels came from fruit that was de-stemmed.  The freshest and most concentrated barrels included 100% whole-clusters, with some of the more open knit and exotic barrels having received some partial de-stemming, giving them some more evolved and exotic characteristics, that worked well in the final blend.

 

This is 98% Syrah and 2% Viognier.  85% were whole-cluster.

 

The wine is a deep, inky purple color.  The sexy nose has blackberries, blueberries, charcoal, dark bittersweet chocolate, road tar, plums, violets, licorice and black pepper.  This has a full body with moderate to solid tannins and good acidity.  A barrage of berries, charcoal, dark chocolate and road tar quickly engulf your palate on the front end with plums, charcoal and black pepper coming in later.  The long finish adds licorice and a nice floral note.  This is a loaded wine but with the structure and savory notes that keep it out of the “fruit bomb” category.  This isn’t for you if you are looking for a lighter style of nuanced wine.  This will last in the cellar for several more years but I wouldn’t plan on cellaring it for an extended length of time, this needs opened before the acidity and tannin levels decrease to the point they can’t support the body and flavor, figure 5 to 7 more years.  This has 15.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (94 pts)

 

 

 

 

 

A few meals paired with a couple of the wines.

 

Other meals that were paired with all the wines for the week are usually posted on my Instagram account, Cliff’s Wine Picks Instagram.  If you want a specific recipe, send an e-mail to Cliff @ CliffsWinePicks . com.  Obviously, remove the spaces.

 

I paired the 2007 Agharta Wines Black Label with slow simmered short ribs and gravy over mashed potatoes with a yeast roll and green beans we froze from last summer’s garden.

 

The 2015 Cornerstone Cellars Pinot Noir was paired with a new recipe, Creamy Ranch Chicken, and fresh picked broccoli from our “winter” garden.

 

How can you go wrong having a pepperoni and Italian sausage pizza with a bottle of 2012 Uvaggio (L’Uvaggio di Giacomo) Barbera

 

 

 

 

I am a big fan of the “Flash Wine Sale” site Last Bottle.  You probably noticed some of the wines in this post were purchased from the site.  All of these wines were purchased at a big discount.  I highly recommend getting on their e-mail list.  Like most of the flash sale sites, they offer one wine per day until it sells out.  They also have a couple two-day marathons during the year.  Last Bottle is a great site to buy special wines at prices low enough to open any day of the week.

 

If you sign up using this link you will get a $10 credit that can be used on your first purchase.  I will also get a credit if you make a purchase.

 

Other than getting a credit as explained above, I have no financial interest in the site.  After you are on the list, you can also get the same credit by introducing friends to Last Bottle.

 

 

 

Connect with me

You can follow me on Twitter for more wine info, potential food pairings, and an occasional recipe or two.  Be warned, I’m also a sports fan and there are occasional Pittsburgh Penguins, Steelers, and Pirates tweets.  I attended the University of South Carolina, so during football season, there will also be some Gamecock posts.

 

I post a lot more pictures and pairing suggestions on my Instagram account, consider joining me at https://www.instagram.com/cbbrown3/

 

If you like this post, consider joining Cliffs Wine Picks Wine Blog on Facebook and giving me a Like.

 

Cheers!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 2019 Cliff’s Wine Picks.

All rights reserved.

 

 

 

***** Shameless Self Promotion *****

 

Here is a link to a YouTube video of me getting “coal” from Santa for being named the “Nicest Person in Social Media” in 2012.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOvQTeGR3-c

 

 

 

Breaking news from Klout:

 

 

Cliff’s Wine Picks mentions or other posts

Here are posts, newsletters, blogs or other articles that either mention this site or that I have written:

 

Click here or on the “Cliff’s Wine Picks On Other Sites” link in the top right corner to see links to other sites that either have my reviews, my thoughts or other posts I have written.

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

Notes – I use the “official” Cellar Tracker name for the wines.  I use Cellar Tracker to help manage and organize my cellar.  I highly recommend checking it out at www.cellartracker.com.  Loading you existing cellar is a lot less intimidating than it would first appear.  There is a good chance 99% of your wine is already in the system, so you generally only need to enter part of the wine’s name and the system will find it for you.

 

 

Prices noted are the prices I paid at the time of purchase.  I don’t shop around to find the best prices, but always check out the sale and close out items when in a store.  Wines purchased direct from a winery do not include any shipping charges.  None of the prices include the sales tax.

 

 

All wines that were sent to me free of charge to sample will be noted and I will show suggested prices when available.

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

This is based on samples provided by Wining Hour Chat and a bonus bottle from Foundations Marketing Group, NYC.

 

 

2017 Vivanco Rioja Tempranillo-Garnacha Tinta y Blanca Rosado

2011 Vivanco Rioja Reserva

2016 Vivanco Rioja Tempranillo-Garnacha Rosado

 

 

 

Vivanco’s history began 100 years ago when Pedro Vivanco González, started to make wines with grapes from a small vineyard that the family had in Alberite, La Rioja, Spain.

 

A MAN AND HIS VISION  (from the winery)

 

A humble, amiable, conciliatory man, our father Pedro Vivanco Paracuellos began delivering wine on a bicycle in Logroño when he was 14 years old. Business grew quickly and soon he upgraded to a lorry, enabling him to deliver wine across La Rioja and surrounding provinces. It was on that road that he truly came to love wine. And he decided then, that if he did not start studying, he would not be able to devote his life to his passion. So he went to Requena and earned a degree in Oenology. He went on to purchase his first vineyard where our winery, museum and restaurant have since been built. We have been blessed, the business thrived and our family became even more immersed in Rioja wine culture. Wine made us who we are today and we believe we have the obligation to pay it back. With that focus in mind Bodegas Vivanco was officially born in 2004.

 

Much more information on the family, region and their wines is available on their website.

 

 

Here was my line up for the #WiningHourChat online tasting:

 

 

 

2017 Vivanco Rioja Tempranillo-Garnacha Tinta y Blanca Rosado

This is a blend of 80% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacha Tinta and 5% Garnacha Blanca from estate owned vineyards.

 

The wine is a bright pink salmon color.  The open and giving nose has cherries, strawberries, orange blossoms, melon, white peach and crushed stones.  This has medium body with nice acidity.  On the palate bright red fruit and crushed stones jump out on the front end with orange blossoms and white peach coming in later.  The finish has good length with melon and a hint of leafy green herbs providing nice depth.  I wish it would have been a warm and sunny day since this wine would shine on the deck or patio.  As is, this is an easy wine of kick back and sip with or without food.  This has 13.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a manmade plastic like closure.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2011 Vivanco Rioja Reserva

This is a blend of 90% Tempranillo and 10% Graciano from an estate owned vineyard.  After fermentation, the wine was aged for 24 months in a mix of French and American oak barrels.  The unusual shaped bottle was inspired by an 18th century bottle.

 

The wine is a medium ruby to violet color.  The inviting nose has berries, black cherries, well worn leather, roasted herbs, vanilla bean, plums and tobacco.  This has medium body with soft tannins and very good acidity.  On the palate this shows a nice balance between the up front fruit and the savory notes that are lurking around every corner.  This has nice length but could use a bit more body on the back end.  This is on the young side, if it can add a bit of weight and fill out on the finish this could be a gem in a couple years.  For now it is very enjoyable and easy to sip.  This has 14% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (89 pts)

 

 

2016 Vivanco Rioja Tempranillo-Garnacha Rosado – SRP $15

This is based on a sample provided by the winery or a company representing the winery.

 

This is a blend of 80% Tempranillo and 20% Grenache.  In the past I sampled their white and red Rioja wines and liked them more than the Rosado.  More info on them is available on this site.

 

The wine is a bright salmon pink color.  The alluring nose has cherries, strawberries, orange zest, leafy herbs, crushed stone minerals, white peach and melon.  This has medium body with decent acidity.  On the palate red fruit and minerals open the show with orange zest, leafy herbs and white peach coming in later.  The finish has nice length with some melon providing depth.  The finish gets a touch soft, a little more acidity would be welcome.  Overall, a nice Rosé to sip on a sunny day.  This has 13.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a plastic “cork”.  (87 pts)

 

 

Conclusion

The winery also makes a very enjoyable white wine and Crianza that I had previously reviewed.  My blog featuring those wines are available by clicking here.

Vivanco wines are imported to the United States by Opici Imports and represented by Foundations Marketing Group, NYC.

 

 

 

The #WiningHourChat is a Twitter based online wine chat that occurs every Tuesday for an hour starting at 9:00 Eastern.  The chat is full of very knowledgeable and friendly wine lovers and people that want to learn more about wine.  Every week there is a new theme.  Follow #WiningHourChat on Twitter to see what the week’s theme is and to join in the conversation.

 

Who:  Us, You, Our Friends, Your Friends, Everyone, Anyone

What:  A Twitter Wine Tasting & Discussion Entitled, #WiningHourChat

When: Tuesdays at 9 pm EST/6 pm PST

Where: Twitter @WiningHourChat using the hashtag #WiningHourChat

Why: Because. It’s The Wining Hour. Who doesn’t enjoy the wining hour?

 

 

 

Connect with me

You can follow me on Twitter for more wine info, potential food pairings, and an occasional recipe or two.  Be warned, I’m also a sports fan and there are occasional Pittsburgh Penguins, Steelers, and Pirates tweets.  I attended the University of South Carolina, so during football season, there will also be some Gamecock posts.

 

I post a lot more pictures and pairing suggestions on my Instagram account, consider joining me at https://www.instagram.com/cbbrown3/

 

If you like this post, consider joining Cliffs Wine Picks Wine Blog on Facebook and giving me a Like.

 

Cheers!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 2019 Cliff’s Wine Picks.

All rights reserved.

 

 

 

***** Shameless Self Promotion *****

 

Here is a link to a YouTube video of me getting “coal” from Santa for being named the “Nicest Person in Social Media” in 2012.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOvQTeGR3-c

 

 

 

Breaking news from Klout:

 

 

Cliff’s Wine Picks mentions or other posts

Here are posts, newsletters, blogs or other articles that either mention this site or that I have written:

 

Click here or on the “Cliff’s Wine Picks On Other Sites” link in the top right corner to see links to other sites that either have my reviews, my thoughts or other posts I have written.

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

Notes – I use the “official” Cellar Tracker name for the wines.  I use Cellar Tracker to help manage and organize my cellar.  I highly recommend checking it out at www.cellartracker.com.  Loading you existing cellar is a lot less intimidating than it would first appear.  There is a good chance 99% of your wine is already in the system, so you generally only need to enter part of the wine’s name and the system will find it for you.

 

 

Prices noted are the prices I paid at the time of purchase.  I don’t shop around to find the best prices, but always check out the sale and close out items when in a store.  Wines purchased direct from a winery do not include any shipping charges.  None of the prices include the sales tax.

 

 

All wines that were sent to me free of charge to sample will be noted and I will show suggested prices when available.

 

This blog has been verified by Rise: Rb4c89e8cc21bbd9321fbfae67aed4e2e

 

 

Cheers!

This was a winery supplied sample.

 

 

 

 

 

This was a pre-release sample that was provided by the winery.   The release price will be $48.

 

The total production was a minuscule 66 cases of wine with a scheduled release in mid-January.  The wine was aged about 13 months in French Oak (50% new) from the Alliere region of France, cooperages are Damy and Billon.

 

To purchase this wine or any of the other wonderful wines the winery produces, you need to get on their mailing list.  The winery does enjoy distribution in parts of the country, but I don’t believe their limited production wines are distributed, so join the mailing list.  As opposed to other winery mailing lists, you are under no obligation to purchase wines.  The winery will not drop you if you do not purchase wines and it is a simple process to opt out of receiving future e-mails from them if you decide to leave.

 

To learn more about the winery or to join their Mailing List, visit their website by clicking here.  The winery has a tasting room on Vine Alley in the Sonoma Court Shops at the historic Sonoma Plaza at 29 E. Napa Street in Sonoma.

 

 

2017 Jean Edwards Cellars Chardonnay Gold Coast Vineyard – SRP $48

This was a pre-release sample supplied by the winery.  We had the wine with food on the first evening and I followed the bottle over the next couple of days to note its’ evolution.  The wine was better every day and would have probably been even better in coming days, but my bottle was drained.

 

The grapes for this wine come from a cool climate vineyard on the Sonoma Coast that overlooks the San Pablo Bay.

 

The wine is a light golden straw color.  The totally invigorating nose has apples, pears, orange blossoms, crushed stone minerals, melon, toasty oak and lemon zest.  This has medium to full body with crisp acidity and a creamy mouth feel.  On the palate tart apples, pears, minerals and spicy oak come through on the front end with melon and orange blossoms coming in on the backend.  The finish has very good length with lemon zest providing nice depth.  This is extremely young, as a matter of fact, it has not even been released at this point.  That said, this is already showing very nice balance.  The oak does peek through at a few points but I’m sure it will integrate nicely in the coming months.  This is very food friendly and is an impressive first Chardonnay from Jean Edwards Cellars.  This has 14.8% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (93 pts)

 

Conclusion

This was a very enjoyable wine.  Even my wife, who doesn’t like Chardonnay wines, liked this one and told me I need to buy some.  I was already planning on grabbing this one as soon as it is released.  This has a touch of spicy oak and has a nice creamy element but it is not a buttery oak monster wine.

 

 

Connect with me

You can follow me on Twitter for more wine info, potential food pairings, and an occasional recipe or two.  Be warned, I’m also a sports fan and there are occasional Pittsburgh Penguins, Steelers, and Pirates tweets.  I attended the University of South Carolina, so during football season, there will also be some Gamecock posts.

 

I post a lot more pictures and pairing suggestions on my Instagram account, consider joining me at https://www.instagram.com/cbbrown3/

 

If you like this post, consider joining Cliffs Wine Picks Wine Blog on Facebook and giving me a Like.

 

Cheers!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 2018 Cliff’s Wine Picks.

All rights reserved.

 

 

 

***** Shameless Self Promotion *****

 

Here is a link to a YouTube video of me getting “coal” from Santa for being named the “Nicest Person in Social Media” in 2012.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOvQTeGR3-c

 

 

 

Breaking news from Klout:

 

 

Cliff’s Wine Picks mentions or other posts

Here are posts, newsletters, blogs or other articles that either mention this site or that I have written:

 

Click here or on the “Cliff’s Wine Picks On Other Sites” link in the top right corner to see links to other sites that either have my reviews, my thoughts or other posts I have written.

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

Notes – I use the “official” Cellar Tracker name for the wines.  I use Cellar Tracker to help manage and organize my cellar.  I highly recommend checking it out at www.cellartracker.com.  Loading you existing cellar is a lot less intimidating than it would first appear.  There is a good chance 99% of your wine is already in the system, so you generally only need to enter part of the wine’s name and the system will find it for you.

 

 

Prices noted are the prices I paid at the time of purchase.  I don’t shop around to find the best prices, but always check out the sale and close out items when in a store.  Wines purchased direct from a winery do not include any shipping charges.  None of the prices include the sales tax.

 

 

All wines that were sent to me free of charge to sample will be noted and I will show suggested prices when available.

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

 

 

2003 Chateau Pontet-Canet

2007 Diebolt-Vallois Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut

2013 Westerhold Family Vineyards Pinot Noir Westerhold Vineyard

2012 Carlisle Zinfandel Sonoma County

2012 Miner Family Grenache Hudson Vineyard

2010 Tenuta Carretta Roero Bric Paradiso

 

 

It has been a while since I have been able to post a blog.  There was an extended medical issue for a family member that required 24/7 support.  This issue consumed almost all my free time from early January through the end of July.  It took another month to get everything ironed out and try to settle back into the old routine.  Hopefully I will be able to get back on a posting schedule.  I have a couple blogs just about ready to go and have tasting notes from a couple of online tastings I have to enter.

 

 

 

2003 Chateau Pontet-Canet – $59.99

I attended a tasting of 2003 Bordeaux wines at a local wine store several years ago.  Even though I liked Bordeaux wines, I wasn’t all that experienced tasting these wines soon after release when they are generally still very tight and unyielding.  A few of the wines poured were so tight it was hard to get them to reveal very much with the usual small pours at this type of event.  That said, this wine was very tight but you could easily taste the power and depth on the palate.  It was a very easy decision to grab several bottles to stash in the cellar.

 

Winery history

Jean-François de Pontet, royal governor of the Médoc, combined several vineyard plots in Pauillac in the early 18th century.  Years later, his descendants added neighbouring vines in a place named Canet.  This was the beginning of one of the largest estates in the Médoc, which quite naturally added the name of its founder to that of the land registry reference.

 

A century later, Pontet-Canet was included in the famous 1855 classification, thereby confirming its membership among the elite of the Médoc.  This privileged position did not go unnoticed by one of the most important Bordeaux shippers of the time, Herman Cruse, who bought the estate in 1865.  He built new cellars, modernised the winemaking facilities, and established the wine’s reputation around the world.  The Cruse family owned Pontet-Canet for 110 years, until another shipper (from Cognac this time), Guy Tesseron, acquired it in 1975.

 

Over two centuries Pontet-Canet has been owned by three different families.  Today it is run by Alfred Tesseron with his niece Melanie (daughter of Gerard Tesseron) who is the descendant of Guy Tesseron.  Thirty years after their arrival in Pauillac the Tesseron have the satisfaction of knowing that they have gradually replanted some of the vineyard and renovated the buildings and the wine making facilities.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep ruby color.  The spellbinding nose has cassis, cigar box, mint, dried herbs, minerals, warm baking spices, vanilla, well worn leather and a bit of earthiness.  This is a wine you can sit and smell for hours and “almost” be satisfied.  This has medium body, fairly solid tannins and very nice acidity.  The palate features spicy fruit with touches of oak, dried herbs and some subtle earthiness.  The finish is extremely long and full of fruit, spice and some oak, which is still noticeable but not obtrusive.  This still seems very young but with some air, it rounded into shape very nicely.  This is very drinkable and enjoyable right now but there is absolutely no hurry with this one, it will last and improve for a few decades.  This has 13% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (96 pts)

 

 

2007 Diebolt-Vallois Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut – $45.45

This was another “steal” from Last Bottle wines, my favorite “flash” wine site.  If you use the provided link and sign up, you get an immediate $10 credit and I get a credit if/when you make a purchase.  Check them out, they have awesome deals and their Marathons are always something special.

 

This 100% Chardonnay is only produced when the quality of the grapes is good enough.  It looks like that happened only 6 times since 1999.

 

The wine is a light straw yellow color with a very persistent, steady stream of pinpoint sized bubbles.  The very appealing nose has pears, lemon curd, yeasty bread, white peach, minerals, shaved almonds and orange blossoms.  This has light body with great effervescence and tart acidity.  On the palate tart pears, lemon curd and minerals quickly take control eventually allowing yeasty bread, white peach and shaved almonds to enter the picture on the back end.  The finish has great length with zippy lemon zest leaving your mouth watering for another sip.  This tastes great now but I don’t plan on opening another bottle for a few years.  I think some cellar time will allow the acidity to integrate and additional nuances to develop.  This has 12.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a standard Champagne cork.  (94 pts)

 

 

2013 Westerhold Family Vineyards Pinot Noir Westerhold Vineyard – $30

I have been a big fan of the winery’s Syrah for several years but I hadn’t had the opportunity to try their Pinot Noir.  Last year the winery had a “holiday sale” so I was able to grab several bottles to try.  The winemaker is the renowned Russell Bevan.

 

The wine is a deep garnet color.  The expressive nose has black cherries, forest floor, spicy oak, crushed stone minerals, baking spices, charred wood, white pepper and dried wild flowers.  This has a full body with moderate tannins and nice acidity.  On the palate black cherries, spicy oak and baking spices come through on the front end with forest floor and charred wood coming in on the back end.  The finish has nice length with a dried floral note providing depth.  This comes across as a bit oaky at this time but some additional cellar time may help it integrate since this has good “stuffing”.  As is, this is a tasty, bigger boned Pinot Noir that may not appeal to anyone looking for a Burgundian styled wine but if you want a big, rich Pinot, look no further.  This has 14.8% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (90 pts)

 

 

2012 Carlisle Zinfandel Sonoma County – $19.50

This wine is a Zinfandel based blend from several regions and vineyards in Sonoma County.

This is a bit confusing, but here is a breakdown of the grape sources:

28% Zinfandel from the Rossi Ranch

28% of the grapes are from Rowe Vineyard, Zinfandel (74%), Petite Sirah (16%), Syrah (8%), and Other (2%)

19% Zinfandel from Banfield Ranch in the Russian River Valley

10% are from Montafi Ranch in the Russian River Valley ( 89% Zinfandel and 11% Mixed Blacks)

8% Sonoma Valley Petite Sirah from Rossi Ranch

5% are from Sodini Vineyard in the Russian River Valley (95% Zinfandel and 5% Mixed Blacks)

2% Russian River Valley Mixed Blacks (Alicante Bouschet, Grand Noir, Petit Bouschet) from Saitone Ranch

 

There were 986 cases produced

 

The wine is a deep ruby to purple color.  The elegant nose has brambly berries, black cherries, black peppercorns, warm baking spices, dry underbrush and dried wildflowers.  This has medium to full body with moderate tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate tart berries, black cherries, black peppercorns and baking spices come through on the front end with dry underbrush coming through on the back end.  The finish has good length with a nice dried floral note providing depth.  This is a very civilized and balanced Zinfandel that doesn’t push the ripeness.  How can this wine be under $20?  Very impressive wine that still has years of life.  This has 14.8% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (92 pts)

 

 

2012 Miner Family Grenache Hudson Vineyard – $17.91

This was another “steal” from Last Bottle wines, my favorite “flash” wine site.  If you use the provided link and sign up, you get an immediate $10 credit and I get a credit if/when you make a purchase.  Check them out, they have awesome deals and their Marathons are always something special.  This wine had a suggested price of $34 so the Last Bottle price was about 50% off.

 

This wine was produced as a “wine club exclusive” by the winery.

 

This is 100% Grenache from the Hudson Vineyard in Carneros, Napa Valley.  The wine was aged for 6 Months in Neutral French Oak.  480 cases were produced.

 

The wine is a light to medium ruby red color.  The slightly shy nose has cherries, dusty minerals, white pepper, dried flowers, plums and baking spices.  This is barely medium body with moderate tannins and good acidity.  This is much more open on the palate than it was on the nose with spicy, tart cherries, white pepper and dusty minerals with dried flowers and plums coming in on the back end.  The finish has nice length with cherries and white pepper holding down the fort.  Not your typical, push the ripeness limit, California Grenache.  This has nice balance and finesse.  This has 14.3% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (89 pts)

 

 

2010 Tenuta Carretta Roero Bric Paradiso – $19.13

This was another “steal” from Last Bottle wines, my favorite “flash” wine site.  If you use the provided link and sign up, you get an immediate $10 credit and I get a credit if/when you make a purchase.  Check them out, they have awesome deals and their Marathons are always something special.

 

This wine is 100% Nebbiolo that was aged 18 months in small oak casks before bottling and another 3 months of bottle age before release.

 

The wine is a deep garnet color.  The enticing nose has black cherries, tobacco, wild flowers, dusty minerals, dry underbrush, dark chocolate and baking spices.  This has medium body with moderate to solid tannins and very good acidity.  On the palate tart cherries, minerals and underbrush lead off with wild flowers and baking spices coming in later.  The finish has good length with dark chocolate and more wild flowers providing great depth.  This is on the young side but is already very tasty.  This has 14.0% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

I am a big fan of the “Flash Wine Sale” site Last Bottle.  You probably noticed some of the wines in this post were purchased from the site.  All of these wines were purchased at a big discount.  I highly recommend getting on their e-mail list.  Like most of the flash sale sites, they offer one wine per day until it sells out.  They also have a couple two-day marathons during the year.  Last Bottle is a great site to buy special wines at prices low enough to open any day of the week.

 

If you sign up using this link you will get a $10 credit that can be used on your first purchase.  I will also get a credit if you make a purchase.

 

Other than getting a credit as explained above, I have no financial interest in the site.  After you are on the list, you can also get the same credit by introducing friends to Last Bottle.

 

 

 

Connect with me

You can follow me on Twitter for more wine info, potential food pairings, and an occasional recipe or two.  Be warned, I’m also a sports fan and there are occasional Pittsburgh Penguins, Steelers, and Pirates tweets.  I attended the University of South Carolina, so during football season, there will also be some Gamecock posts.

 

I post a lot more pictures and pairing suggestions on my Instagram account, consider joining me at https://www.instagram.com/cbbrown3/

 

If you like this post, consider joining Cliffs Wine Picks Wine Blog on Facebook and giving me a Like.

 

Cheers!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 2018 Cliff’s Wine Picks.

All rights reserved.

 

 

 

***** Shameless Self Promotion *****

 

Here is a link to a YouTube video of me getting “coal” from Santa for being named the “Nicest Person in Social Media” in 2012.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOvQTeGR3-c

 

 

 

Breaking news from Klout:

 

 

Cliff’s Wine Picks mentions or other posts

Here are posts, newsletters, blogs or other articles that either mention this site or that I have written:

 

Click here or on the “Cliff’s Wine Picks On Other Sites” link in the top right corner to see links to other sites that either have my reviews, my thoughts or other posts I have written.

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

Notes – I use the “official” Cellar Tracker name for the wines.  I use Cellar Tracker to help manage and organize my cellar.  I highly recommend checking it out at www.cellartracker.com.  Loading you existing cellar is a lot less intimidating than it would first appear.  There is a good chance 99% of your wine is already in the system, so you generally only need to enter part of the wine’s name and the system will find it for you.

 

 

Prices noted are the prices I paid at the time of purchase.  I don’t shop around to find the best prices, but always check out the sale and close out items when in a store.  Wines purchased direct from a winery do not include any shipping charges.  None of the prices include the sales tax.

 

 

All wines that were sent to me free of charge to sample will be noted and I will show suggested prices when available.

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

 

2015 Flora Springs Dashaway

2012 Cairdean Vineyards Merlot

2008 Sleeper Brut Reserve Extended Tirage

2013 Speratus Cabernet Sauvignon

2012 Bedrock Wine Co. Heritage Compagni Portis

2015 Macchia Zinfandel Mischievous Old Vine

 

 

 

2015 Flora Springs Chardonnay Dashaway – SRP $45

This wine was a winery supplied sample.

 

This is 100% Napa Valley Chardonnay.  This was fermented in French oak barrels with twice-weekly lees stirring.  30% of the wine went through malolactic fermentation to give the wine a creamy texture.  The wine was aged for 7 months in French oak and concrete tanks before bottling.  There were 200 cases produced.  This wine was bottled with a holiday season label.  If you see it on close-out on a store’s shelf, grab it.  Someone told me they spotted it on a World Market shelf.

 

This is a golden yellow color.  The expressive nose has ripe apples, pears, toasted nuts, baking spices, pineapple, orange blossoms and vanilla.  This has medium to full body with a creamy texture and nice acidity.  On the palate apples, pears and roasted nuts quickly grab your attention on the front end with baking spices and pineapple coming in later.  The finish has good length with orange blossoms and vanilla providing nice depth.  The restrained oak use and limited malolactic allows the fruit to shine but still provide nice spice and a creamy texture.  This would be perfect with a wide array of meals or on its own.  This has 14.3% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2012 Cairdean Vineyards Merlot – $16

This was another “steal” from Last Bottle wines, my favorite “flash” wine site.  If you use the provided link and sign up, you get an immediate $10 credit and I get a credit if/when you make a purchase.  Check them out, they have awesome deals and their Marathons are always something special.  This wine had a suggested price of $50 so the Last Bottle price was over 67% off.

 

This winery changed their name from Cairdean to Brasswood Napa Valley.  That was the reason Last Bottle Wines was able to sell this wine at such an incredible price.

 

The wine is a deep maroon color.  The inviting nose has black cherries, white pepper, vanilla, dusty minerals, cedar, eucalyptus, baking spices, dark chocolate and a touch of blueberry.  This has medium body with moderate to solid tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate black cherries, baking spices, minerals and white pepper take control on the front end with eucalyptus, dark chocolate and vanilla coming in later.  The finish has good length with spicy cedar and a hint of blueberry providing good depth.  This is tasting very nice now and will hold and possibly improve over the next several years.  This has 14.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (93 pts)

 

 

 

2008 Sleeper Brut Reserve Extended Tirage – $22

This was another “steal” from Last Bottle wines, my favorite “flash” wine site.  If you use the provided link and sign up, you get an immediate $10 credit and I get a credit if/when you make a purchase.  Check them out, they have awesome deals and their Marathons are always something special.  In this case, the wine had an original release price of about $75 from the winery.

 

This bubbly was produced by Robert Hunter Winery.  The family closed the winery after Robert’s death.  Last Bottle Wines bought a lot of their inventory.  Since the wine was ready for market but not yet labeled, it acquired the “Sleeper” label which is Last Bottle’s “in house” label.  This is 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay from the Sonoma Valley.

 

This is a straw yellow color with several streams of pinpoint sized bubbles.  The bright and appealing nose has tart green apples, minerals, yeasty bread, roasted nuts and lemon zest.  This has light to medium body with crisp acidity and great inner mouth effervescence.  On the palate green apples and minerals quickly grab your attention with yeasty bread and roasted nuts coming in later.  The finish has nice length with a healthy amount of mouthwatering lemon zest making you grab another sip.  This has 12.56% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a standard Champagne cork.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2013 Speratus Cabernet Sauvignon – $17.88

This was another “steal” from Last Bottle wines, my favorite “flash” wine site.  If you use the provided link and sign up, you get an immediate $10 credit and I get a credit if/when you make a purchase.  Check them out, they have awesome deals and their Marathons are always something special.

 

Following taken from the Last Bottle Wines offer since there is limited information available:

Do you love the wines of Jean Hoefliger (lord knows how many 95-100 pointers at Alpha Omega and others that range from $50-$200)? Do you love the slammin’ good 2013 vintage? Do you love doing good? Well, we are hitting that trifecta today, oh yes!! What a unique find!!

In brief: Speratus is a wine that is made 100% for charity. The proceeds of ALL sales are donated to needy families to attend school. In fact, since the wine is exclusively sold to the mailing list, we didn’t even know it EXISTED! But we’re Napa Valley locals, and it was only a matter of time…in addition, every single part of this wine is donated by wineries and winemakers. This list includes a staggering array of incredible producers — including (blended by Jean Hoefliger): Beckstoffer Vineyards, Sangiacomo, Trefethen, Flora Springs, Antinori.. Not to mention all the barrels, corks, capsules, grapes, warehousing, legal stuff, EVERYTHING is donated. Jean blends something magical, ages in French oak barrels and the wine is released and sold via mailing list. It’s NEVER in stores, never in restaurants, in fact, Last Bottle is probably the only place you will ever see this rarity…and our PRICE?! C’mon!!

What’s it like? We think it’s a bit like Bordeaux, with its dusty black currant fruit, but without any rusticity. Rather, we are talking sweet, ripe fruit, medium weight, boysenberry jam, licorice and some dark chocolate, too. At our stupendous price, we instantly thought that this was 6 or 12-pack worthy for sure. We had to offer it on a Saturday, though, because there ain’t much!! Totally cool stuff!!

 

The wine is a deep ruby to purple color.  The expressive nose has cassis, licorice, baking spices, violets, dark roast coffee beans, dusty minerals, roasted herbs, dark chocolate, black cherries and vanilla beans.  This has medium body with moderate tannins and very good acidity.  On the palate this is a bit more lean than the usual California Cabernet with cassis, baking spices and minerals on the front end and dark roast coffee, dark chocolate and roasted herbs coming in later.  The finish has nice length with vanilla beans and more roasted herbs.  At this point there is nothing about this wine that would make it leave a lasting impression.  It is very drinkable but not memorable.  The prominent roasted herbs on the back end and finish are an issue for me.  Perhaps a bit more cellar time will bring some improvement.  That said, for under $20 this is fine for a week night Alexander Valley Cabernet.  This has 14.2% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (87 pts)

 

 

 

2012 Bedrock Wine Co. Heritage Compagni Portis – $25

This wine is a field blend consisting of about a dozen different varietals including Gewurtzraminer, Trousseau Gris, Riesling, Roter Veltliner, Chardonnay and a few others from a vineyard planted in 1954.  This is how wines used to be made before people wanted to see a specific grape on the label.

 

The wine is a bright yellow color.  The exotic nose has apples, lychee, white peach, pear, stony minerals, petrol, honeysuckle, orange blossoms and melon.  This has medium body with nice acidity.  This is rich and luxurious on the palate with nice white orchard fruit, orange blossoms, minerals and lychee nuts on the front end with honeysuckle and a touch of lime zest coming in later.  The finish has very nice length with a touch of melon and white peach providing great depth.  This was much smoother and richer as it warmed up a bit, don’t serve this one too cold, just a brief chill in the refrigerator will be perfect.  This has 14.2% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2015 Macchia Zinfandel Mischievous Old Vine – $15.29

Macchia makes the big, full bore Zinfandels that originally put Lodi on wine lover’s radar.  Like most other wineries in the region Zinfandel is still the mainstay of their offerings but other grape varieties are also produced masterfully.

 

The wine is a deep, dark ruby to maroon color.  The big and bold nose has blackberries, toasty oak, black cherries, vanilla bean, black peppercorns, charcoal, dark chocolate and dried wildflowers.  This has a full body with soft to moderate ripe tannins and decent acidity.  This is rich and velvety on the palate with big upfront fruit and barrel nuances coming in later.  This doesn’t offer a lot of complexity but it makes up for that deficiency with a load of fruit on the palate.  This isn’t a wine to sit back and ponder over, pop the cork and just enjoy.  This has 15.4% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

A few meals paired with a couple of the wines.

 

Other meals that were paired with all the wines for the week are usually posted on my Instagram account, Cliff’s Wine Picks Instagram.  If you want a specific recipe, send an e-mail to Cliff @ CliffsWinePicks . com.  Obviously, remove the spaces.

 

I paired the Flora Springs Chardonnay with Seafood Lasagna and a salad with lettuce fresh from the garden,

 

The Macchia Zinfandel was perfect with a Grilled Wisconsin Jalapeno-Cheddar Brat and fries.

 

The Speratus Cabernet paired nicely with Pot Roast with veggies and rice.

 

 

 

Recipe Requests

 

I received a couple requests for this recipe from a week or two ago:

 

Pork Tenderloin with Mustard Sauce

 

2 cups uncooked egg noodles

1 TB Olive Oil

1 (one pound) Pork Tenderloin, trimmed and sliced into 1/2″ thick slices

1/2 t black pepper

1/4 t salt

1 cup dry white wine (I like Sauvignon Blanc)

3 TB Whole Grain Dijon mustard

2 TB water

2 t cornstarch

 

Cook noodles per directions (omit any fat or salt), drain

 

While noodles cook, heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high.

Sprinkle pork slices with the salt and pepper.

Brown pork in pan for 2 minutes (at most), turning once.  Don’t over cook!

 

Combine the wine and mustard, pour into pan.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes

Remove pork from skillet and keep warm.

 

Combine water and cornstarch in a small bowl.

Stir cornstarch mixture into pan with the mustard sauce, bring to a boil and cook for one minute or until it gets thick.  This happens VERY quickly, don’t turn your head.

 

Put the completed noodles in the pan and toss to coat.  The sauce is very flavorful so a light coating is all that is needed, there won’t be excess “sauce”.

 

Serve the pork with the noodles and sauce.

 

I like this with a Pinot Noir or lighter style Syrah.

 

 

 

 

I am a big fan of the “Flash Wine Sale” site Last Bottle.  You probably noticed some of the wines in this post were purchased from the site.  All of these wines were purchased at a big discount.  I highly recommend getting on their e-mail list.  Like most of the flash sale sites, they offer one wine per day until it sells out.  They also have a couple two-day marathons during the year.  Last Bottle is a great site to buy special wines at prices low enough to open any day of the week.

 

If you sign up using this link you will get a $10 credit that can be used on your first purchase.  I will also get a credit if you make a purchase.

 

Other than getting a credit as explained above, I have no financial interest in the site.  After you are on the list, you can also get the same credit by introducing friends to Last Bottle.

 

 

 

Connect with me

You can follow me on Twitter for more wine info, potential food pairings, and an occasional recipe or two.  Be warned, I’m also a sports fan and there are occasional Pittsburgh Penguins, Steelers, and Pirates tweets.  I attended the University of South Carolina, so during football season, there will also be some Gamecock posts.

 

I post a lot more pictures and pairing suggestions on my Instagram account, consider joining me at https://www.instagram.com/cbbrown3/

 

If you like this post, consider joining Cliffs Wine Picks Wine Blog on Facebook and giving me a Like.

 

Cheers!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 2018 Cliff’s Wine Picks.

All rights reserved.

 

 

 

***** Shameless Self Promotion *****

 

Here is a link to a YouTube video of me getting “coal” from Santa for being named the “Nicest Person in Social Media” in 2012.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOvQTeGR3-c

 

 

 

Breaking news from Klout:

 

 

Cliff’s Wine Picks mentions or other posts

Here are posts, newsletters, blogs or other articles that either mention this site or that I have written:

 

Click here or on the “Cliff’s Wine Picks On Other Sites” link in the top right corner to see links to other sites that either have my reviews, my thoughts or other posts I have written.

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

Notes – I use the “official” Cellar Tracker name for the wines.  I use Cellar Tracker to help manage and organize my cellar.  I highly recommend checking it out at www.cellartracker.com.  Loading you existing cellar is a lot less intimidating than it would first appear.  There is a good chance 99% of your wine is already in the system, so you generally only need to enter part of the wine’s name and the system will find it for you.

 

 

Prices noted are the prices I paid at the time of purchase.  I don’t shop around to find the best prices, but always check out the sale and close out items when in a store.  Wines purchased direct from a winery do not include any shipping charges.  None of the prices include the sales tax.

 

 

All wines that were sent to me free of charge to sample will be noted and I will show suggested prices when available.

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

 

2014 Brassfield Estate Winery Pinot Noir High Serenity Ranch

Domaine Chandon Brut Classic

2011 Bedrock Wine Co. Zinfandel Monte Rosso Vineyard

Bernard Remy Champagne Grand Cru

1993 Schwaab-Kiebel Erdener Treppchen Riesling Spätlese

2006 Jean Edwards Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Stagecoach Vineyard

 

 

 

2014 Brassfield Estate Winery Pinot Noir High Serenity Ranch – $12.56

This was another “steal” from Last Bottle wines, my favorite “flash” wine site.  If you use the provided link and sign up, you get an immediate $10 credit and I get a credit if/when you make a purchase.  Check them out, they have awesome deals and their Marathons are always something special.  This wine had a suggested price of $30 so the Last Bottle price was well over 50% off.

 

Brassfield’s winemaking team is headed by winemaker Matt Hughes and acclaimed consulting winemaker David Ramey.  The fruit for this 100% Pinot Noir comes from three blocks of the coldest blocks in the winery’s estate vineyard.  15% to 20% whole clusters were used after a three day cold soak.  The fermentation was completed using native yeast and twice a day pumpovers.  After fermentation, the wine was aged sur lie fin 30% new French oak and 70% once used French oak barrels for 10 months.

 

The wine is a deep ruby color.  The inviting nose has black cherries, raspberries, pencil shavings, white pepper, minerals, dry underbrush and wild flowers.  This has medium body with moderate tannins and very good acidity.  On the palate cherries, raspberries and minerals jump out of the glass on the front end with pencil shavings and dry underbrush coming in later.  The finish has nice length with white pepper and flowers providing depth.  This seems young and fairly tight at this time, I’d give it a couple hours of air or even better, let it rest in the cellar for another year or two.  This has 14.3% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with an agglomerated cork.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

Domaine Chandon Brut Classic – $15.49

This is a blend of mostly Chardonnay with a healthy amount of Pinot Noir and a touch of Pinot Meunier.

 

This is a light straw color with several streams of pinpoint sized bubbles.  The festive nose has green apples, yeasty bread, roasted nuts, lime zest and chalky minerals.  This has light to medium body with crisp acidity and just a hint of sweetness.  On the palate tart apples, bread and minerals take control on the front end with roasted nuts coming in later.  Mouthwatering lime zest comes in on the nice finish.  This is a very reasonably priced sparking wine to enjoy any time, not just on a special occasion.  This has 12.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a standard Champagne cork.  (88 pts)

 

 

 

2011 Bedrock Wine Co. Zinfandel Monte Rosso Vineyard – $39

Morgan sources the grapes for this wine from the same block his father used for his sought after Ravenswood Monte Rosso Zin.  This famous vineyard on the Sonoma side of Mt Veeder was planted in 1886.  This wine was fermented via native yeasts and was aged in 35% new French oak from four Burgundian coopers.

 

The wine is a deep purple color.  The intoxicating nose has brambly berries, plums, dark chocolate, dusty minerals, black pepper, dried herbs, dried wildflowers and a hint of eucalyptus.  This has full body, moderate to solid tannins, a creamy texture and good acidity.  Berries, plums and minerals thoroughly coat your palate on the front end slowly allowing black pepper and dried herbs to enter the picture.  The long, lingering finish adds a dried floral note as well as a touch of eucalyptus.  This is drinking marvelously right now but it still seems a bit young.  This one can be opened now or left in the cellar for several more years.  This wine has 14.4% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (94 pts)

 

 

 

Bernard Remy Champagne Grand Cru – $28.57

This was another “steal” from Last Bottle wines, my favorite “flash” wine site.  If you use the provided link and sign up, you get an immediate $10 credit and I get a credit if/when you make a purchase.  Check them out, they have awesome deals and their Marathons are always something special.

 

This 100% Chardonnay was aged for 5 years on its lees.

 

The wine is a light golden yellow color with several steady steams of pinpoint sized bubbles.  The alluring nose has apples, yeasty bread, lemon zest, dusty minerals, roasted nuts and spring flowers.  This has light to medium body with great acidity.  On the palate tart apples, lemon zest and minerals quickly grab control with yeasty bread and a touch of nuttiness coming in later.  The lingering finish adds a nice floral note.  The citrusy crispness in this bubbly will keep you reaching for another sip.  A very good bargain.  This has 12.0% alcohol.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

1993 Schwaab-Kiebel Erdener Treppchen Riesling Spätlese – $16.41

I have a special place in my heart for a well aged German Riesling.  In their youth these wines may seem disjointed with plenty of residual sugar and an overload of acidity.  Over time in the cellar everything comes together, the sugar and acidity evolve into a rich, silky wine that is so easy to drink they can get addictive.

 

The wine is a bright yellow color with a slight golden tint.  The fresh and vibrant nose has apples, flinty minerals, orange blossoms, honey, lychee nuts, white peach and just a hint of petrol.  This has medium to full body with great acidity and nice lingering sweetness.  On the palate apples, minerals, honey and lychee nuts jump out quickly on the front end with orange blossoms and white peach coming in later.  The finish is long and lingering with a hint of petrol.  This is rich and luxurious, a wonderful bottle of wine that does not taste 24 years old.  I have no idea how long this will hold in the cellar but I am not in any hurry to open my remaining bottles.  This has 8% alcohol and the bottle was sealed with a natural cork that was nasty on the exposed end but otherwise solid.  (95 pts)

 

 

 

2006 Jean Edwards Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Stagecoach Vineyard – $40

This wine is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon with almost all the fruit from the esteemed Stagecoach Vineyard.  In this vintage, the winery and winemaker Kian Tavakoli blended in a small amount of valley floor Cabernet to “soften” the mountain fruit and add additional depth and complexity.

 

The grapes were hand picked.  After a cold soak and extended maceration with 75% crushed and 25% whole berries each lot was fermented separately in small closed top stainless steel tanks.  The wine was then aged for 20 months in 100% French oak with 60% being new.  The lots were then blended unfined and unfiltered and bottled.

 

The wine is a deep garnet color.  The sensuous nose has cassis, cedar, tobacco, dried herbs, dusty minerals, licorice, dry earth, violets and vanilla bean.  This has medium to full body with moderate to solid tannins and very good acidity.  This explodes on your palate with cassis, cedar, tobacco and minerals quickly grabbing your attention.  On the back end dried herbs and dry earth breaks through the initial wall of flavor providing a solid second wave.  The finish has outstanding length with vanilla bean and violets joining the still prominent cassis and minerals.  This still tastes on the young side, this improved steadily the more air it received.  There is no hurry with this wine, this has the balance and structure to allow it to drink very nicely for at least another decade, perhaps longer.  I’ve loved several Jean Edwards wines over the years but this is one of the best bottles from them that I have opened.  I’d love to follow this wine down the road but unfortunately this is my last bottle of this vintage, my vertical is now only from 2007 to 2014.  This has 14.8% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (96 pts)

 

 

 

A few meals paired with a couple of the wines.

 

Other meals that were paired with all the wines for the week are usually posted on my Instagram account, Cliff’s Wine Picks Instagram.  If you want a specific recipe, send an e-mail to Cliff @ CliffsWinePicks . com.  Obviously, remove the spaces.

 

I paired the 1993 German Spätlese with one of my favorite Cajun dishes, Crawfish and Pasta with Tasso Cream.  The recipe I use is from The Gumbo Shop in New Orleans’ French Quarter.

 

 

What goes great with a Napa Cabernet?  How about Prime Rib?  In this case, the meat was slightly over cooked, closer to medium than medium rare but it was still an outstanding meal.

 

 

I paired the Bedrock Monte Rosso Zinfandel with a burrito stuffed with homemade meat and Mexican rice with black beans and all the usual fixings.

 

 

The Brassfield Pinot Noir was paired with Rotisserie Chicken and fresh from the garden green peas.

 

 

We had the Domaine Chandon Sparking wine with a light lunch on the deck on a warm afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

I am a big fan of the “Flash Wine Sale” site Last Bottle.  You probably noticed some of the wines in this post were purchased from the site.  All of these wines were purchased at a big discount.  I highly recommend getting on their e-mail list.  Like most of the flash sale sites, they offer one wine per day until it sells out.  They also have a couple two-day marathons during the year.  Last Bottle is a great site to buy special wines at prices low enough to open any day of the week.

 

If you sign up using this link you will get a $10 credit that can be used on your first purchase.  I will also get a credit if you make a purchase.

 

Other than getting a credit as explained above, I have no financial interest in the site.  After you are on the list, you can also get the same credit by introducing friends to Last Bottle.

 

 

 

Connect with me

You can follow me on Twitter for more wine info, potential food pairings, and an occasional recipe or two.  Be warned, I’m also a sports fan and there are occasional Pittsburgh Penguins, Steelers, and Pirates tweets.  I attended the University of South Carolina, so during football season, there will also be some Gamecock posts.

 

I post a lot more pictures and pairing suggestions on my Instagram account, consider joining me at https://www.instagram.com/cbbrown3/

 

If you like this post, consider joining Cliffs Wine Picks Wine Blog on Facebook and giving me a Like.

 

Cheers!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 2018 Cliff’s Wine Picks.

All rights reserved.

 

 

 

***** Shameless Self Promotion *****

 

Here is a link to a YouTube video of me getting “coal” from Santa for being named the “Nicest Person in Social Media” in 2012.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOvQTeGR3-c

 

 

 

Breaking news from Klout:

 

 

Cliff’s Wine Picks mentions or other posts

Here are posts, newsletters, blogs or other articles that either mention this site or that I have written:

 

Click here or on the “Cliff’s Wine Picks On Other Sites” link in the top right corner to see links to other sites that either have my reviews, my thoughts or other posts I have written.

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

Notes – I use the “official” Cellar Tracker name for the wines.  I use Cellar Tracker to help manage and organize my cellar.  I highly recommend checking it out at www.cellartracker.com.  Loading you existing cellar is a lot less intimidating than it would first appear.  There is a good chance 99% of your wine is already in the system, so you generally only need to enter part of the wine’s name and the system will find it for you.

 

 

Prices noted are the prices I paid at the time of purchase.  I don’t shop around to find the best prices, but always check out the sale and close out items when in a store.  Wines purchased direct from a winery do not include any shipping charges.  None of the prices include the sales tax.

 

 

All wines that were sent to me free of charge to sample will be noted and I will show suggested prices when available.

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

 

2015 Bedrock Wine Co. Ode to Lulu Old Vine Rosé

2012 Gamble Family Vineyards Heritage Sites

2015 LangeTwins Sauvignon Blanc Lodi

2012 Sandler Wine Company Pinot Noir Boer Vineyard

2012 Imprimata Grenache

2013 Bedrock Wine Co. Albarino Abrente

 

 

 

2015 Bedrock Wine Co. Ode to Lulu Old Vine Rosé – $19

This vintage is a blend of over 60% Mataro (Mourvedre) from the Pagani Ranch and own-rooted fruit from Live Oak Vineyard in Contra Costa County.  The remainder of the grapes are Gibson Ranch Grenache and Cemetery Carignan.

 

The wine is an intense pink salmon color.  The fresh and spellbinding nose has cherries, strawberries, crushed stones, orange blossoms, watermelon, lime zest and a hint of dried herbs.  This has light to medium body with crisp acidity and seems to have just a touch of lingering sweetness.  The front end is fruit driven until the minerals and orange blossoms kick in on the back end.  The juicy finish has nice length with a touch of lime zest providing nice closing acidity.  This was a tasty vintage for this wine.  This has 12.3% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a twist off closure.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

2012 Gamble Family Vineyards Heritage Sites – $20

This was another “steal” from Last Bottle wines, my favorite “flash” wine site.  If you use the provided link and sign up, you get an immediate $10 credit and I get a credit if/when you make a purchase.  Check them out, they have awesome deals and their Marathons are always something special.  This wine had a suggested price of $35 so the Last Bottle price was over 40% off.

 

This is a blend of 47% Zinfandel, 32% Syrah, 12% Charbono and 9% Petite Sirah from Napa Valley.  The vines are all at least 35 years with most being over 50 years old.  The dry farmed vineyard yields under 2 tons of fruit per acre.

 

Each variety was harvested and fermented separately after being given a cold soak, destemmed and lightly crushed.  After a gentle pressing the wines were transferred to 60 gallon oak barrels for a 20 month aging process in 32% new oak (Saury American, Nadalie Virginia, Marchive Pennsylvania, Kadar Hungarian and Remond French)

 

The wine is a deep, inky purple color.  The expressive nose has blackberries, black pepper, dusty minerals, licorice, wood smoke, road tar, dark chocolate and dried flowers.  This has a full body with moderate ripe tannins and decent acidity.  On the palate blackberries, minerals and black pepper jump out quickly with licorice, dark chocolate and wood smoke coming in later.  The finish has nice length with a dried floral note providing some depth.  This isn’t a wine made to sit on for an extended time, it would be best to open this one in the next couple of years.  This has 14.3% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with an agglomerated cork.  (88 pts)

 

 

 

2015 LangeTwins Sauvignon Blanc Lodi – $10

I’m a big fan of wines from Lodi.  If your past experiences of Lodi wines are limited to big red wines, especially Zinfandel, I highly recommend checking out their crisp white and rosé wines.  These wine will make you a fan.

 

This is 100% “Musqué Clone” Sauvignon Blanc from the winery’s Jahant Vineyard in Lodi.

 

The wine is a pale yellow color with a very slight green tint.  The crisp and fresh nose has tart apples, dusty minerals, lemongrass, lime zest, under ripe pineapple and a spritz of grapefruit.  This has medium body with crisp acidity and just a hint of residual sweetness.  On the palate tart apples, minerals and lemongrass quickly grab your attention with lime zest and a hint of pineapple coming in later.  The mouthwatering finish has good length with a touch of grapefruit joining the tart apples and minerals.  This would be perfect with a light meal on the deck or patio on a warm, sunny day.  The hint of sweetness would also make this a marvelous way to relax before dinner.  This has 12.8% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a twist off closure.  (89 pts)

 

 

 

2012 Sandler Wine Company Pinot Noir Boer Vineyard – $25

Sandler Wine Company is the personal label of ever-present consulting winemaker, Ed Kurtzman.  Sandler Wine Company is devoted to small bottlings of Pinot Noir, Syrah, Zinfandel and Grenache, from some of Ed’s favorite vineyard and grower sources.  Production of most wines very seldom exceeds 100 cases and in some cases don’t even reach 25 cases.  This is a highly recommended mailing list to check out if you want very reasonably priced, small production wines.

 

The wine is a deep garnet color.  The sensuous nose has black cherries, raspberries, baking spices, dry underbrush, white pepper, chalky minerals and dried wildflowers.  This has medium body with moderate to solid tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate black cherries, raspberries, baking spices and minerals come through quickly on the front end with dry underbrush coming in later.  The finish has very good length with white pepper and a dried floral note providing nice depth.  This has great closing acidity.  This tastes great now with some air but I think some additional cellar time will be rewarded.  This has 13.4% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with an agglomerated cork.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2012 Imprimata Grenache – $15.70

100% Grenache grown in the tough Ironstone laden hillside. The vines appear to float above the valley and the sea below, braving the winds off of the Southern Ocean and keeping yields achingly low, thus producing a profound Grenache of delicate balance. Aged in neutral oak for 5 months.  The winemaker is Ben Glaetzer, a very highly regarded and world renowned figure in the Australian wine community.

 

This is a bright ruby color.  The seductive nose has black cherries, raspberries, dusty minerals, dry underbrush, white pepper, cola and a hint of dried leafy herbs.  This has a full body with moderate ripe tannins and nice acidity.  On the palate the cherries and berries jump out on the front end with the savory elements rolling in later.  The finish has very good length with fruit, minerals and white pepper seeming to linger forever.  This is rich and ripe but not overblown like some Aussie wines.  This wouldn’t be mistaken for a Southern Rhone wine but who cares, this is very tasty stuff.  The longer the bottle was opened the more the savory notes came through on the back end and finish.  I’d sit on this one for a couple more years to see what happens.  This has 15% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a twist off closure.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

2013 Bedrock Wine Co. Albarino Abrente – $22

This  was the 5th vintage of this wine made by Michael Havens (the first person to make Albarino in the New World) and Morgan Twain-Peterson.  The wine comes from two sites in the far southern part of Napa Valley.  This vintage consists of almost 60% grapes from the Watson Vineyard, which is planted in limestone.  The fruit from this vineyard adds density and perfume.  This was fermented and aged in stainless steel tank, with no malolactic.

 

The wine is a nice straw yellow color.  The invigorating nose has ripe apple, dusty minerals, lemon zest, white peach, under ripe melon and orange blossoms.  This has light to medium body with crisp acidity.  On the palate apples, lemon zest and white peach take control on the front end with minerals and orange blossoms coming in later.  The finish has nice length with a bit of melon joining the apples and lemon zest.  This has great citrusy acidity with enough apple and peach to balance the tartness.  The couple years in the cellar have been very kind to this wine but I’d advise consuming this one over the next year or two.  This has 13% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a twist off closure.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

A few meals paired with a couple of the wines.

 

Other meals that were paired with all the wines for the week are usually posted on my Instagram account, Cliff’s Wine Picks Instagram.  If you want a specific recipe, send an e-mail to Cliff @ CliffsWinePicks . com.  Obviously, remove the spaces.

 

I paired the Sandler Pinot Noir with Pork Tenderloin medallions over egg noodles with a mustard sauce.

 

 

 

 

I am a big fan of the “Flash Wine Sale” site Last Bottle.  You probably noticed some of the wines in this post were purchased from the site.  All of these wines were purchased at a big discount.  I highly recommend getting on their e-mail list.  Like most of the flash sale sites, they offer one wine per day until it sells out.  They also have a couple two-day marathons during the year.  Last Bottle is a great site to buy special wines at prices low enough to open any day of the week.

 

If you sign up using this link you will get a $10 credit that can be used on your first purchase.  I will also get a credit if you make a purchase.

 

Other than getting a credit as explained above, I have no financial interest in the site.  After you are on the list, you can also get the same credit by introducing friends to Last Bottle.

 

 

 

Connect with me

You can follow me on Twitter for more wine info, potential food pairings, and an occasional recipe or two.  Be warned, I’m also a sports fan and there are occasional Pittsburgh Penguins, Steelers, and Pirates tweets.  I attended the University of South Carolina, so during football season, there will also be some Gamecock posts.

 

I post a lot more pictures and pairing suggestions on my Instagram account, consider joining me at https://www.instagram.com/cbbrown3/

 

If you like this post, consider joining Cliffs Wine Picks Wine Blog on Facebook and giving me a Like.

 

Cheers!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 2018 Cliff’s Wine Picks.

All rights reserved.

 

 

 

***** Shameless Self Promotion *****

 

Here is a link to a YouTube video of me getting “coal” from Santa for being named the “Nicest Person in Social Media” in 2012.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOvQTeGR3-c

 

 

 

Breaking news from Klout:

 

 

Cliff’s Wine Picks mentions or other posts

Here are posts, newsletters, blogs or other articles that either mention this site or that I have written:

 

Click here or on the “Cliff’s Wine Picks On Other Sites” link in the top right corner to see links to other sites that either have my reviews, my thoughts or other posts I have written.

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

Notes – I use the “official” Cellar Tracker name for the wines.  I use Cellar Tracker to help manage and organize my cellar.  I highly recommend checking it out at www.cellartracker.com.  Loading you existing cellar is a lot less intimidating than it would first appear.  There is a good chance 99% of your wine is already in the system, so you generally only need to enter part of the wine’s name and the system will find it for you.

 

 

Prices noted are the prices I paid at the time of purchase.  I don’t shop around to find the best prices, but always check out the sale and close out items when in a store.  Wines purchased direct from a winery do not include any shipping charges.  None of the prices include the sales tax.

 

 

All wines that were sent to me free of charge to sample will be noted and I will show suggested prices when available.

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

 

2016 Raidis Estate Pinot Gris Cheeky Goat (Orange Wine)

2015 Ironstone Vineyards Petite Sirah (barrel sample shiner)

2012 Mark Herold Wines Flux

2012 Carlisle The Derivative White

2007 Terrabianca Campaccio Toscana IGT

2013 Michael-David Vineyards Syrah 6th Sense

 

 

 

2016 Raidis Estate Pinot Gris Cheeky Goat (Orange Wine) – $12.56

This was another “steal” from Last Bottle wines, my favorite “flash” wine site.  If you use the provided link and sign up, you get an immediate $10 credit and I get a credit if/when you make a purchase.  Check them out, they have awesome deals and their Marathons are always something special.  This bottle was included in a “mystery case” offer.

 

This is an “orange” wine.  No, there were no oranges used to produce the wine.  An orange wine is a wine made with white grapes, in this case, Pinot Gris, that is fermented “on the skins” like a red wine.  The fermentation process gives the wine an orange tint, hence the name.

 

The wine is a light peach color.  The very fragrant nose has cherry skin, white peach, orange blossoms, honeysuckle, pears, chalky minerals and pears.  This has medium to full body with decent acidity and a touch of residual sweetness.  On the palate cherry skins, pears and minerals grab hold on the front end with a big floral note coming in later.  This has nice length with cherry skins, minerals and the lingering floral notes.  This is an oddity but in this case, it works nicely.  This has 14% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a twist off closure.  (89 pts)

 

 

 

2015 Ironstone Vineyards Petite Sirah (unlabeled barrel sample)

This bottle of wine was a sample from a barrel that was aging at the winery.  This may not be representative of the final product since the released wines is produced by blending multiple barrels together.  Technically every barrel is slightly different so my sample may have been slightly better or worse than the released wine depending on the barrel that was used for my sample.  The released wine also would have spent additional time aging in the barrel, so that is another variable.

 

The wine is a deep purple color.  The very open and outgoing nose is full of blackberry, black peppercorns, scorched earth, blueberries, cedar, baking spices, licorice and vanilla bean.  This has a full body with moderate ripe tannins and nice acidity.  On the palate the front end is a warm berry pie full of blackberries, baking spices and blueberries.  The back end brings in black pepper and scorched earth notes.  The finish has nice length with cedar and vanilla bean providing depth.  This is a very easy to drink, fruit forward, Petite Sirah.  Some time in the cellar may allow some complexity to show through but why wait, enjoy this now for the great fruit and spice.  Since my bottle was an unlabeled sample, I don’t know the alcohol level or the closure used.  My bottle was closed with a manmade, spongy type closure.  No score since this wasn’t the released wine, but I did enjoy the wine.

 

 

 

2012 Mark Herold Wines Flux – $16.48

This was another “steal” from Last Bottle wines, my favorite “flash” wine site.  If you use the provided link and sign up, you get an immediate $10 credit and I get a credit if/when you make a purchase.  Check them out, they have awesome deals and their Marathons are always something special.  In this case, the release price was $32, so the Last Bottle price was almost 50% off.

 

This is a blend of 84% Grenache, 9% Syrah and 7% Mourvedre mostly from Lodi.

 

This is a deep ruby color.  The flamboyant nose is full of blackberries, raspberries, scorched earth, baking spices, blueberries and underbrush.  This has a full body with soft to moderate ripe tannins and decent acidity.  On the palate the front end is wall to wall fruit, thankfully some baking spices, underbrush and scorched earth come in on the backend.  The finish has good length and is again very fruit driven.  This is big, rich and lush and loaded with ripe fruit that pushes the sweetness a bit too far.  This may not be a wine for everyone but I bet it would be a smash hit at a holiday party.  I very much preferred the 2011 vintage of this wine.  This has 14.7% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with an agglomerated cork.  (86 pts)

 

 

 

2012 Carlisle The Derivative White – $28.50

This wine is a blend of 54% Semillon from Monte Rosso Vineyard, 30% Muscadelle from Monte Rosso Vineyard and 16% Palomino from Saitone Ranch in the Russian River Valley.   All the vines were planted between 1886 and 1920.  The Muscadelle was fermented in all stainless steel.  The Palomino was fermented in 75% stainless steel and 25% new oak.  The Semillon was fermented in all oak but only 22% new.  Malolactic fermentation was prevented to preserve acidity and freshness.  There were 316 cases produced.

 

This is a light golden yellow color.  The exuberant nose has tart apples, beeswax, lemon zest, unripe pineapple, crushed stone minerals and white peach.  This has a fairly full body with crisp acidity.  On the palate nice orchard fruit comes through on the front end with minerals, beeswax and pineapple coming in on the backend.  The finish has very nice length with mouthwatering lemon zest.  This is a contradictory wine, if it big and rich on the front end but when the lemony acidity kicks in on the finish it becomes lighter and more nuanced.  This is drinking very nicely today and should hold for at least a couple more years.  I liked this wine from the start but grew to appreciate it even more as the time rolled on.  This has 14.2% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2007 Terrabianca Campaccio Toscana IGT – $24.69

This “Super Tuscan” is a blend of 70% Sangiovese and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon.  A “Super Tuscan” wine is a wine that includes grapes not traditionally associated with Italian wine like Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon.

 

The wine is a fairly dark ruby color with some lightening at the edge.  The deep and exotic nose has blackberries, cherries, cocoa powder, licorice, underbrush, dried herbs, minerals and some well worn leather.  This has a medium body with fairly solid tannins and very good acidity.  On the palate the wine has loads of spicy, earthy fruit with dried herbs and cocoa powder adding considerable depth.  The finish has nice length, but a bit of oak pops out and gets a touch intrusive.  I don’t think there is a lot of upside by keeping this in the cellar but it should drink very nicely for the next five years, maybe even longer.  This has 13.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2013 Michael-David Vineyards Syrah 6th Sense – $12.99

This wine is mostly Syrah with a touch of Petite Sirah.  The winery likes to add a bit of Petite Sirah to most of their wines.  I was jokingly told they would add it to their Chardonnay if they could.  This wine was aged 12 months in French oak barrels.

 

The winery is one of the “big boys” in Lodi.  The family has been growing fruit and vegetable in the region since the 1850s and have been growing grapes for nearly 100 years.  With an eye to the future the winery has adopted some of the most progressive sustainable farming practices in the state.  All of the 750 acres of family vineyards are third party certified as being sustainably farmed.  Since the 2011 vintage, 100% of the Lodi grown fruit crushed at the winery has been certified as sustainably farmed.

 

Much more information on the winery is available on their website.

 

From the winery:

The Phillips brothers planted one of the first Syrah vineyards in California in 1982. With Michael’s son Kevin continuing the Phillips grape growing tradition into the 6th generation, this Syrah vineyard was one of the first he tended to as our Vineyard Manager. If you turn the bottle around you will see Kevin’s eye looking out from the inside of the bottle, making sure the wine is being enjoyed!

 

The wine is a deep purple color.  The intoxicating nose has blackberries, blueberries, asphalt, dark chocolate, fresh ground espresso beans, dry underbrush, licorice, violets and black pepper.  This has a full body with moderate ripe tannins and nice acidity.  This has massive berries and ground espresso beans on the front end with underbrush, dark chocolate and a big floral note coming in on the back end.  The finish is long and lingering with black pepper coming into play.  Not a lot of subtlety here but the big fruit and nice structure makes for a worthy companion for something hot off the grill.  This has 15.0% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  This is a steal for the price.  (89 pts)

 

 

 

A few meals paired with a couple of the wines.

 

Other meals that were paired with all the wines for the week are usually posted on my Instagram account, Cliff’s Wine Picks Instagram.  If you want a specific recipe, send an e-mail to Cliff @ CliffsWinePicks . com.  Obviously, remove the spaces.

 

 

I paired the Ironstone Petite Sirah with a burger made from ground New York Strip steak.  The burger was topped with a slice of pepper jack cheese.

 

 

The Michael-David Syrah went very nicely with grilled beef and chicken fajitas.

 

 

A rib-eye steak was marinated several hours with Italian herbs and cooked to medium rare with the Sous Vide then finished in a smoking hot cast iron pan.  This paired very nicely with the Terrabianca Campaccio.

 

 

 

 

I am a big fan of the “Flash Wine Sale” site Last Bottle.  You probably noticed some of the wines in this post were purchased from the site.  All of these wines were purchased at a big discount.  I highly recommend getting on their e-mail list.  Like most of the flash sale sites, they offer one wine per day until it sells out.  They also have a couple two-day marathons during the year.  Last Bottle is a great site to buy special wines at prices low enough to open any day of the week.

 

If you sign up using this link you will get a $10 credit that can be used on your first purchase.  I will also get a credit if you make a purchase.

 

Other than getting a credit as explained above, I have no financial interest in the site.  After you are on the list, you can also get the same credit by introducing friends to Last Bottle.

 

 

 

Connect with me

You can follow me on Twitter for more wine info, potential food pairings, and an occasional recipe or two.  Be warned, I’m also a sports fan and there are occasional Pittsburgh Penguins, Steelers, and Pirates tweets.  I attended the University of South Carolina, so during football season, there will also be some Gamecock posts.

 

I post a lot more pictures and pairing suggestions on my Instagram account, consider joining me at https://www.instagram.com/cbbrown3/

 

If you like this post, consider joining Cliffs Wine Picks Wine Blog on Facebook and giving me a Like.

 

Cheers!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 2017 Cliff’s Wine Picks.

All rights reserved.

 

 

 

***** Shameless Self Promotion *****

 

Here is a link to a YouTube video of me getting “coal” from Santa for being named the “Nicest Person in Social Media” in 2012.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOvQTeGR3-c

 

 

 

Breaking news from Klout:

 

 

Cliff’s Wine Picks mentions or other posts

Here are posts, newsletters, blogs or other articles that either mention this site or that I have written:

 

Click here or on the “Cliff’s Wine Picks On Other Sites” link in the top right corner to see links to other sites that either have my reviews, my thoughts or other posts I have written.

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

Notes – I use the “official” Cellar Tracker name for the wines.  I use Cellar Tracker to help manage and organize my cellar.  I highly recommend checking it out at www.cellartracker.com.  Loading you existing cellar is a lot less intimidating than it would first appear.  There is a good chance 99% of your wine is already in the system, so you generally only need to enter part of the wine’s name and the system will find it for you.

 

 

Prices noted are the prices I paid at the time of purchase.  I don’t shop around to find the best prices, but always check out the sale and close out items when in a store.  Wines purchased direct from a winery do not include any shipping charges.  None of the prices include the sales tax.

 

 

All wines that were sent to me free of charge to sample will be noted and I will show suggested prices when available.

 

 

 

Cheers!