2007 Domaine de l’Hortus Coteaux du Languedoc Pic St. Loup Classique

2009 Turley Zinfandel Juvenile

2010 Loring Pinot Noir Cargasacchi Vineyard

2009 Hobo Wine Company Zinfandel Branham Vineyard Rockpile

2007 Domaine de l’Hortus Coteaux du Languedoc Pic St. Loup Classique – $14.53

This a blend of about 60% Syrah and 30% Grenache which were tank vinified, with 10% barrel aged Mourvedre. I’m a big fan of the impressive, value priced, wine from the Languedoc region in France. These are exceptional wines to pair with a piece of juicy meat hot off the grill.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a ruby red color. The very nice and outgoing nose has blackberries, plums, smoke, roasted herbs, warm baking spices, minerals, meat juices, a touch of licorice, and some nice earthiness. This has medium body, moderate tannins, and very good acidity. The fruit and spice immediately grab the palate, eventually allowing smoky roasted herbs and some earthiness to break through. The finish has nice length with the berries slowly giving way to meat juices, roasted herbs, minerals, and some subtle earthiness. This is drinking very nicely today and should hold for at least a few more years. (91 pts)

2009 Turley Zinfandel Juvenile – $16.00

The Turley Juvenile Zinfandel is a blend of grapes from younger vines in the vineyards from around the state the winery uses for their single vineyard Zinfandels. These vineyards include some of my favorites, Hayne and Ueberroth, among others. The vines range from 6 to 25 years old. To me, this is one of Turley’s better value wines. This is generally a wine to drink on the younger side while giving the single vineyard Zinfandels some cellar time.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a fairly deep ruby red color. The very appealing nose has brambly berries, black pepper, warm baking spices, cherries, caramel, and a touch of earthiness. This has a full body, moderate ripe tannins, and nice acidity. One the palate the jammy fruit, spice and pepper grab hold and grudgingly give way to some cherry. The finish has nice length and leans on the savory notes with the fruit providing nice background sweetness. This does show a touch of alcohol but not really enough to be a distraction, at least to me. This seems to be hitting its stride. (90 pts)

2010 Loring Pinot Noir Cargasacchi Vineyard – $46.00

I love Brian Loring’s Pinot Noirs, actually I love all the wines of his that I have tried. That said, this will be my first Cargasacchi Vineyard Pinot Noir from Loring. I don’t know how this wine fell through the cracks, but this was the first time I bought the wine. Loring’s Pinot Noirs are very Californian in style, which I do not say in a bad way. Brian’s pinots are usually ripe and bold and very tasty. If you are looking for a Burgundy, look elsewhere, if you are looking for a very tasty bottle of wine you’re in the right place.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep purple color. The intoxicating nose has blackberries, minerals, baking spices, black cherries, licorice, raspberries, a touch of smoke, and some subtle earthiness. This has medium to full body, moderate tannins, and very good acidity. Loads of spicy berries and minerals dominate the front end with black cherries and earthy elements coming in on the back end. The finish has very nice length but does show just a touch of alcohol, but not enough to take away from the wine. This is a very nice combination of a big, rich California Pinot but with plenty of tannins and acidity to provide support and balance. This is an outstanding effort. (93 pts)

2009 Hobo Wine Company Zinfandel Branham Vineyard Rockpile – $22.32

I’ve been a big fan of the red wines coming out of the rugged Rockpile appellation in Sonoma for several years. These are generally big, burly wines due to the area’s proximity to the cooling breezes off of the Pacific Ocean.

Tim Fish from Wine Spectator had a very nice piece on the area about a year ago. I’m not sure if you have to be a subscriber or not to follow this link, but it’s well worth checking out. I think the writer’s blogs are free with no subscription required.

Between a Rockpile and a Zin Place

My Tasting Note

The wine is a fairly deep ruby red color. The outstanding nose has brambly berries, fresh ground black pepper, minerals, freshly ground dark roast coffee, melted licorice, and a touch of charred meat. This has medium to full body, fairly solid tannins, and very good acidity. On the palate the wine is a bit brighter than the nose lead me to expect with peppery berries and cherries leading the way with a nice jolt of minerals following closely. The finish has decent length but gets a touch lean. This has a pretty big acidity component that will integrate with some cellar time, perhaps allowing the finish to fill out. This is good today, but I think it will improve with another year in the cellar. (89 pts)

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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.