Cliff's Wine Picks

2009 Bedrock Wine Co. Zinfandel Old Vine – $22.50

From a bottle that had been opened about 2 hours, but not decanted. Deep, dark maroon color. Brambly berries, black pepper, dark chocolate, vanilla, plums, minerals and a floral note on the very nice nose. Medium to full body with solid tannins and decent acidity. Loads of fruit and spice on the palate with a very nice black pepper component. Fairly long finish with the peppery berries and a bit of an earthy element lingering nicely. Still young, could use some additional cellar time.  (91 pts)

2008 New Harbor Pinot Noir – $5.70

A nice lighter ruby color. Cherries, plums, baking spices, a bit of earthy underbrush on the nice but slightly reserved nose. Fairly light bodied with soft, ripe tannins and nice acidity. Sweet fruit and spice on the palate with some earthy elements in the background. Seems to have just a trace of residual sugar, but not too much. Fairly short finish. Not a world class Pinot, but a perfect $6 Pinot for a week night dinner on the deck.  (87 pts)

2010 Treasure Hunter Cabernet Sauvignon Panjanatan Paso Robles – $19.79

Decanted about 2 hours. Deep, dark ruby to maroon color. Cassis, cedar, dried herbs, minerals, wild flowers, and a touch of licorice on the open and inviting nose. Medium to full body with fairly solid, ripe tannins and very nice acidity. Nice spicy fruit on the palate with dried herbs and a bit of earthiness in the background. Nice length on the finish which is showing a bit of oak. Could use some cellar time to help the oak integrate on the back end. Very nice now, better down the road.  (91 pts)

2009 The Lucky Country PTY LTD Shiraz The Lucky Country – $11.88

Deep, dark ruby to purple color. Blackberries, licorice, blueberries, some cedar and a faint floral note on the very open nose. Medium to full body with ripe tannins and slightly low acidity. A pretty distinct dark chocolate element on the palate to go with the fruit and spicy oak. Decent length on the finish. Easy drinking wine not meant for any serious contemplation. A bit soft and a bit overly oaky, but for a bit over $10, it works nicely.  (88 pts)

2009 McPrice Myers Grenache L’Ange Rouge – $30.40

From a bottle that had been open a couple of hours but not decanted. A deep garnet color. Blackberry liqueur, vanilla, baking spices, licorice, black pepper, black cherries, and some dried herbs on the big and rich nose. Full bodied with solid, ripe tannins and good acidity. Loads of spicy, peppery berries on the palate with enough tannins and acidity to support it and keep everything in place. Fairly long finish with a nice lingering peppery spice. This is big and pushes the limit but never crosses the line. I think I’d drink fairly young while the tannins and acidity are youthful enough to support the rich flavors.  (91 pts)

2006 Novy Family Wines Nebbiolo Stolpman Vineyard – $19.00

Light to medium ruby color with a fair amount of brick. Rose water, cherries, baking spices, underbrush, some tar, licorice, and a slight dusty element on the soft and enticing nose. Medium body with solid tannins and very good acidity. Spicy, earthy fruit on the palate with very nice grip. Nice, lingering finish with spicy fruit and a nice earthy edge. In prime drinking window.  (91 pts)

2008 Allegrini Palazzo della Torre Veronese IGT – $14.24

Deep maroon color. Blackberries, plums, smoke, dried herbs, vanilla, wild flowers and some minerality on the open and expressive nose. Medium body with silky, ripe tannins and decent acidity. Nice layered fruit and spice on the palate with just a touch of earthiness in the background. Nice length on the finish which is nicely spicy. Very nice.  (91pts)

2010 Cupcake Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc – $7.12

Very light, pale, straw color. Fresh cut grass, gooseberry, lemon zest, grapefruit, and some minerality on the nose. Very light body with crisp, mouthwatering acidity. Bright and zippy on the palate with the citrus and a nice herbal over lay. The herbal notes continue into the finish with the citrus turning more towards lime. Finish could be a touch longer, but this is very nice for the price.  (89 pts)

2001 Elyse Cabernet Sauvignon Tietjen Vineyard – $35.00

From a bottle opened about 2 hours but not decanted. Deep maroon color. Cassis, cedar, licorice, cherries, dried herbs, baking spices, and a touch of dusty earthiness. Medium body with nice, ripe tannins and good acidity. Nice, spicy, red and black fruit with a bit of earthiness and dried herbs in the background. Good length on the finish with the fruit and savory elements sharing the load. In a real nice drinking window, but no hurry on this one.  (92 pts)

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 my local store is usually VERY competitive.  I generally get case discounts, and since I work there part time, I get a 5% discount.  Wines purchased direct from a winery do not include any shipping charges.  None of the prices include the sales tax.