We had some of our best friends over for dinner on Saturday, October 27th. Since they are into good wine as much as we are and it’s been quite a while since we’ve “broken bread” together, I decided to pull out a few special bottles.

They were calling for a cold day, so we decided to go with a good, nothing fancy, comfort food, style of dinner, with the wine playing the starring role.

I tried to pick wines that were all different but that would fit into the more laid back, easy living dinner we had planned.

For me, the hardest part of a dinner party is selecting the wines. I select every one for a specific reason, even if the reason is that I just want to drink one.

On a sad note, after a lot of good food and wine, we ended up not opening the 2007 Saxum James Berry Vineyard. My review of the Saxum is in my blog from Oct 26-28.

2010 Bedrock Wine Co. Cuvée Karatas – $28.00

My comments

I joined the Bedrock mailing list to get my hands on their red wines, but I am increasing impressed by their white. I think the Bedrock white wines are some of the best being produced in California. Across the board they have been outstanding.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a pale, golden yellow color. The fresh and vibrant nose has melon, white peach, apples, slate, beeswax, flint jasmine, citrus zest, grapefruit, and some white pepper. This is light to medium bodied with tart, citrusy acidity. On the palate there is a load of spicy, mineral laden fruit with lemon zest and a healthy splash of grapefruit. The wine has a long, lingering finish with nice tart grapefruit, lemon zest, and a touch of white pepper. This is stunning today but will last in the cellar for at least a few years. (93 pts)

2010 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir “The Three” – $33.00

My comments

This was a special, limited production, bottling of the best of the best from Loring. I was able to get a three pack of this wine. It’s not for a Red Burgundy enthusiast, but a more over the top California version of Pinot Noir.

My Tasting Note

This is a deep, dark ruby color. The very inviting nose is full of rich and smoky black cherries, earthy blackberries, minerals, baking spices, white pepper, underbrush, and vanilla. This has medium to full body with fairly solid, ripe tannins and good acidity. On the palate the wine is full of rich, spicy fruit with some subtle earthiness in the background. The finish is fairly long with nice, ripe fruit and lingering spiciness. This is nothing like a Red Burgundy, but that is not the winery’s goal so it succeeds, in my opinion. (92 pts)

2006 Glaetzer Shiraz Amon-Ra Barossa Valley – $68.74

My comments

Year after year, this is one of the bench mark wines from Australia.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark purple color, almost black. The deep and alluring nose has blackberry, minerals, eucalyptus, baking spices, black cherries, earth, vanilla, licorice, and a nice floral note. This is medium to full body with solid, ripe tannins and very good acidity. A bit brighter on the palate than the nose lead me to expect, very ripe but not syrupy or off dry and the acidity and tannins hold everything together. Very rich and velvety on the palate with layers of flavors that get revealed layer by layer. The finish is extremely long with the fruit and savory notes seeming to constantly change highlighting a different sensation every couple of seconds. On of the best wines I’ve ever had, absolutely stunning. (96 pts)

2008 Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford – $48.00

My comments

Mike Smith is one of the up and coming wine makers in California. I’m glad I was able to get in on the ground flood of the operation. The winery also produces a very good Syrah to go with their numerous cabernets.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark ruby color. On the outstanding nose the wine shows cassis, black cherry, Rutherford dust, minerals, licorice, baking spices, dried herbs, and dark chocolate. This is fairly full bodied with solid tannins and very good acidity. The wine has a long, lingering finish with spicy fruit and the dried herbs leading the way. This is extremely young and will improve with a few more years in the cellar. (93 pts)

Remember to support your local wine store!

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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.

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