2007 Freemark Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon

2009 Maipe Malbec Reserve

2009 Syncline Grenache-Carignan

2007 Jean Edwards Cellars Syrah Alder Springs Vineyard Mendocino County

2007 Freemark Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon – $19.00

My comments

Something I knew way back but forgot was that Freemark Abbey was the only winery to have two bottles of wine in the 1976 “Judgment in Paris” tasting that put California on the world’s wine map. After a few lean years, I think the winery has righted the boat and are again producing very nice, bargain priced wines.

Winery history

In 1967, seven partners purchased Freemark Abbey, setting the stage for a new era of creativity. The winery earned the nickname the “University of Freemark” due to the sheer number of innovations and significant winemakers that emerged from our cellars.

In 1976, wine expert Steven Spurrier conducted a legendary blind tasting in Paris – pitting the upstart wines of California against the establishment of France. Of the 12 American wineries chosen to compete, only Freemark Abbey had two wines represented – a Chardonnay and a Cabernet Sauvignon. In an upset that shocked the wine world, California wines won every category of the tasting, putting Napa Valley firmly on the world stage.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark, ruby red color. The very comforting nose has cassis, warm baking spices, tobacco, dried herbs, plum, licorice, and a touch of smoke. This has medium body, fairly solid, ripe tannins, and very nice acidity. The palate features bright and juicy berries, baking spices, dried herbs and a touch of oak. The finish has nice length with the berries and dried herbs joined by a touch of excess spicy oak. I would be nice if the touch of extra oak would integrate, but I really don’t see that happening. No hurry on this one, enjoy it over the next several years. This was a steal for $19. (90 pts)

2009 Maipe Malbec Reserve – $11.39

My comments

When we’re having a beef based dinner but I’m in the mood for something different, more times than not, I grab a Malbec from Argentina. The Malbec grape is one of the Bordeaux grapes, but it found a home in Argentina. As with most other grapes, Malbec wines run the spectrum from easy drinking week night wines to full blown special occasion wines. These Malbecs from Argentina should not be passed if you had one that didn’t meet your tastes, shop around and you’ll find a great wine that won’t break the budget.

Winery history

At the time of the financial crisis in 2001 that caused the replacement of 4 presidents in a month, violent attacks on bank offices and devaluation of the Peso to a quarter of its worth, Juan Pelizzatti was a telecommunications marketing professional in his mid thirties with a passion for wine, thinking of a project where he could invest his soul and his dreams.

The crisis, for a short period of time, gave many Argentines the impression that there was not much left to loose and that only a radically new vision of the future could help them survive it. Juan was one of them: armed with his family’s life savings and a legacy of winemaking from his Italian grandfather, he took a month’s vacation from his job and literally walked the province of Mendoza in search of a new land.

Luck and some good advice helped him find the perfect place in Agrelo, Lujan de Cuyo: 150 ha of almost bare land formerly planted with Malbec vines where only 30 hectares had survived the very bad years preceding the crisis.

Many years and a lot of work later, this estate has become one of the most promising new wine projects in Argentina, representing one of the most successful business models of the new wine landscape in Argentina. In the meantime, Argentine exports have sustained double digit growth, whilst Malbec, once a rare local grape, has achieved the status of an internationally demanded variety.

Much more information on the winery’s website.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep ruby red color. The very nice nose has blackberries, licorice, fresh ground dark roast coffee, dark bittersweet chocolate, baking spices, and plums. This has medium body, soft but persistent tannins, and good acidity. The palate has nice juicy berries but the savory notes of dark chocolate and fresh ground coffee and a lot of depth. The finish has nice length and is an extension of the palate. This is drinking very nicely but isn’t really built for the long haul, drink this over the next year, maybe two. (90 pts)

2009 Syncline Grenache-Carignan – $19.94

My comments

If you’ve been reading my posts for more than just a couple of weeks, you’ll see I love just about all wines. That said, my heart belongs to the grapes from the Rhone in France. I think these are some of the most versatile grapes in the world. These grapes seem to be able to adapt to where ever they are planted and can produce many different styles of wine. I found this specific wine when a friend tweeted he had this in his glass one evening. I was able to track down a few bottles from a store in Washington. A few days later, they were in my cellar.

Winery history

Birth of Syncline Winery: James and Poppie Mantone.

Poppie and James met during the harvest of 1997 while working together in the cellar at LaVelle Vineyards (Willamette Valley, Oregon). Shortly after, they had fallen madly in love, married and began plans for a new endeavor: a winery of our own.

Four years later they relocated their home to the Columbia Gorge; where passion for Rhône wines led them to explore the emerging potential of vineyards in the Columbia Valley, Washington.

Inspired by early efforts of Rhone and Burgundy varietals sampled from Washington wineries, Syncline’s first vintage consisted of 76 cases of Celilo Vineyards Pinot Noir from vines planted in 1972. The next year, production was increased to include Columbia Valley Syrah and Grenache. At the same time they began working with vineyards to plant Viognier, Mourvedre, Roussanne, Cinsault, Counoise and Carignan.

They have kept production under 6,000 cases annually to ensure intimacy with each barrel and every vine.

Much more information is available on the winery’s website.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a shade lighter than a medium ruby red color. The bright and cheerful nose has raspberries, cherries, minerals, baking spices, licorice, wild flowers, and just a touch of underbrush. This has medium body, fairly solid, ripe tannins, and very good acidity. The palate has nice red fruits, spice, and some earthiness with no rough edges. The finish has decent length and again features the red fruit, spice, and a touch of earthiness. This should hold for a couple more years, but is very tasty today. (90 pts)

2007 Jean Edwards Cellars Syrah Alder Springs Vineyard Mendocino County – $30.00

My comments

I guess you can call this a Social Media relationship. I learned of Jean Edwards Cellars via Twitter. I read their Tweets and started following them, luckily they followed me back. Over the last couple of years we have exchanged jokes and Tweets about just about everything. I was finally able to order a few bottles of their wine, and after giving a bottle a good 15 minutes to recover from the trip half way across the country, I popped the cork. I am now a big fan and I spread their name to anyone who will listen to me. I highly encourage you to check out their website and join their mailing list. These are two very nice people making some of the best wine in the Napa Valley.

Winery history

We are the owner/vintners of Jean Edwards Cellars – we share a passion for wine, a similar palate and a singular vision on the style of wines we produce. We live by our motto that “you should only make wines you love to drink” and focus our production on artisan red wines that are full-bodied and classically styled.

Quality and heritage are important to us – our wines are reflective of their origins and are sourced some of the most prestigious vineyards (and vineyard blocks) throughout Napa Valley including Stagecoach Vineyard (on Pritchard Hill); vineyards on the valley floor in Rutherford, Oakville and Coombsville; and mountain vineyards on Howell and Spring Mountain.

Time really flies – we started producing commercial wines in 2004 but our dream of producing high quality Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon wines started much earlier when we traveled to the valley in 1985. During that trip, we developed a true appreciation for cabernet sauvignon wines and decided we would some day be a part of the business and produce a wine called Jean Edwards Cellars (our two middle names). It was a goal worth waiting for and twenty plus years later we released our first wine in the Spring of 2006.

For more information, to order wine, or to join the Jean Edwards mailing list, visit their website.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark ruby color, almost purple. The very nice nose has blackberries, charred meat, smoke, roasted herbs, licorice, black pepper, minerals, brined olives, wild flowers, and a touch of mint. This has medium to full body with fairly solid tannins, and very good acidity. The palate has a nice blend between the juicy, crushed berries, and the savory elements of black pepper, roasted herbs, and charred meat. The finish is long and layered with nice juicy berries adding sweetness to the savory elements. This is drinking nicely, but will reward some additional cellar time. (93 pts)

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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

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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.