2010 Don Sebastiani & Sons Sauvignon Blanc Project Paso

2009 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills

2007 Anthill Farms Syrah Windsor Oaks Vineyard

2010 Don Sebastiani & Sons Sauvignon Blanc Project Paso – $7.59

Project Paso is a venture by Don Sebastiani & Sons in an attempt to highlight the wines coming out of the Paso Robles area. In 1990 there were fewer than 20 wineries in Paso Robles, there are now over 200. The area is now the fastest rowing AVA in California. The Project Paso wines are meant to provide quality, distinctive, wallet friendly wines that can be enjoyed any time.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a light, pale straw yellow color. The tropical smelling nose has citrus zest, apples, minerals, pineapple, lime, white pepper, and fresh cut grass. Light body with tart acidity and just a touch of sweetness. This shows crisp citrus on the palate with some grassy notes and apple. There is decent length on the finish with a bit of white pepper coming in on the back end. This is nothing too special but nice on a hot afternoon or with a light meal on the deck or patio. What more could you want in a $8 wine? (86 pts)

2009 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills – $24.00

In my opinion, the Loring appellation wines are some of the best bargains out there when it comes to quality California Pinot Noir. The Loring appellation wines are, at least to me, dialed down a notch compared to their single vineyard siblings. This and the lower prices, under $25 make them a nice way to kick up a week night dinner several notches without breaking the bank.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a fairly deep ruby red color. The very sexy and open nose has raspberries, black cherries, cola, baking spices, vanilla, smoke, wild flowers, white pepper, earthiness, and a faint herbal note. This has a medium body, silky tannins, and very nice acidity. On the palate the wine shows juicy, spicy berries, and just a hint of an herbal element that adds to the taste in a positive way, with some building pepper and citrus zest coming in on the back end. On the fairly long finish the juicy berries, spice and white pepper are joined by some earthiness. This is an very good wine and a great value for under $25. (91 pts)

2007 Anthill Farms Syrah Windsor Oaks Vineyard – $25.00

Anthill Farms likes to make a “one off” wine. In 2005, they made a Syrah with grapes from the Windsor Oaks Vineyard that turned out so well, it was quickly made part of their line up. This is a classic cool climate Syrah that shows tart acidity and good savory elements. The vineyard is only 10 miles from the coast and the grapes struggle to ripen in this area, resulting in longer “hang times”. This is not a fruit forward, fruit driven, fruit bomb.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark ruby color. The slightly shy nose eventually shows raspberries, blackberries, dark chocolate, black pepper, minerals, road tar, and some earthiness. This has medium body, fairly solid tannins, and very good acidity. On the palate the bright berries and pepper dominate the front end with dark chocolate, more pepper, and some earthiness coming in on the back end along with a big blast of mouthwatering acidity. The finish shows a touch of stems but otherwise is a continuation of the fruit and pepper. The finish is a touch clipped when the acidity kicks in. This could easily sit in the cellar for several more years and may improve if some of the acidity would integrate. This wine needs food and shines in that role. (90 pts)

Connect with me

You can follow me on Twitter for more wine info, potential food pairings, and an occasional recipe or two. Be warned, I’m also a sports fan and there are occasional Pittsburgh Penguins, Steelers, and Pirates tweets. I attended the University of South Carolina, so during football season, there will also be some Gamecock posts.

If you like this post, consider joining Cliffs Wine Picks Wine Blog on Facebook and giving me a Like.

Cheers!

* Shameless Self Promotion *

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

Breaking news from Klout:

Remember to support your local wine store!

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

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.

Cliff's Wine Picks