2007 Alma Rosa Pinot Noir La Encantada Vineyard

2006 Novy Family Wines Syrah Judge Family Vineyard

2007 Markus Molitor Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett

2007 Burgess Grenache Napa Valley

2007 Alma Rosa Pinot Noir La Encantada Vineyard – $14.99

This is my third and last bottle of this wine. The first two bottles have been too oaky for my tastes. I don’t mind a bit of oak, but when it becomes a focal point of the wine, it has crossed the line. We’re having grilled chicken breasts for dinner, so instead of trying to mask the excess oak, I figured this may help keep it in check. The excess oak is a shame since I remember this wine being very nice other wise.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark ruby color. The big and bold nose has cherries, black raspberries, baking spices, cedar, wild flowers, smoke, and some earthy underbrush. This has medium to full body, fairly solid tannins, and tart acidity. Tart cherries hit the palate first, followed by some spices and earthiness before the oak takes over, which it does in a big way. The finish is fairly long but just about totally oak driven. If you like oak dominated wine, you’ll like this a lot more than I do. (86 pts)

2006 Novy Family Wines Syrah Judge Family Vineyard – $15.00

I’m a big fan of both the Novy and Siduri wines made by Adam Lee. I buy a fair amount of their wines and just about always stock up when they have special pricing around an open house or other event. Based on the price I paid, I’m sure this wine was on sale and I bought enough cases to get an additional 25% off.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep ruby to maroon color. The very open and nice wine has plums, blackberries, black pepper, wood smoke, melted licorice, dried herbs, minerals, and a slight herbal note. This has medium to full body, moderate tannins, and very nice acidity. On the palate smoky, peppery fruit and minerals slowly adds dried herbs and a nice herbal element. The finish has good length and leans more towards the savory elements with the fruit in the background adding a touch of welcome sweetness. I normally don’t like herbal notes in red wines, but on this wine it adds a nice counter point to the dark, smoky, elements. I assume this included at least some whole clusters which added the herbal note. I really like this wine. (91 pts)

2007 Markus Molitor Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett – $19.00

I bought a six pack of this wine during a tasting at the local wine store. I remember it being fairly sweet but loaded with acidity. I swore I’d keep my hands off the wine for at least 5 years. Well, it will be 5 years the end of next month, so I almost made it. I’m looking forward to seeing how the wine has evolved in the cellar.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a fairly bright golden yellow color. The very alluring nose has apples, honeydew melon, spice, minerals, vanilla, citrus zest, orange blossoms, and a touch of petrol. This has light to medium body, crisp acidity, and solid residual sweetness. The rich and creamy palate has ripe apples dipped in honey, minerals and melon up front with vanilla and lime coming in on the back end. The finish is very long and full of sweet fruit, minerals, and bit of closing citrus. Definitely on the sweet side for a Kabinett, but the acidity does a valiant job holding everything together. (92 pts)

2007 Burgess Grenache Napa Valley – $6.00

A Twitter friend alerted me that the winery was blowing this wine out in their tasting room. I called to see if the price was available without physically being in the tasting room. They told me I could order over the phone and that they could ship the wine to me immediately. I happily grabbed a case for the ridiculous price f $6 a bottle. The case arrived in perfect condition, so I immediately opened a bottle. The next morning I called again to see if they had any more available. It turned out they were down to one case. Needless to say, the case arrived at my door a few days later. I shared several bottles with wine loving friends and have been enjoying the wine for the last year and a half. After opening this bottle, I will be down to only 3 bottles.

This isn’t a big, ripe, fruit forward style of California Grenache. The fruit is there, but shares top billing with some nice savory elements.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a medium to dark ruby red color. The very inviting nose has cherries, melted licorice, warm baking spices, dried herbs, some earthiness, blackberries, and minerals. This has medium body, moderate tannins, and very good acidity. The red fruit and spice dominate the front end on the palate with dried herbs and earthiness coming in later. The finish has decent length with some building minerality adding a nice dimension. This was an absolute steal for $6 direct from the winery’s tasting room. (90 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.