2009 Cellers Can Blau Montsant Can Blau

2007 McPrice Myers Syrah Les Galets

2001 Castello di Verduno Barbaresco Faset

2009 Clayhouse Vineyard Cuvée Blanc Red Cedar Vineyard

2005 Turley Petite Syrah Hayne Vineyard

2009 Cellers Can Blau Montsant Can Blau – $12.34

This is consistently a very nice, affordably priced blend from the Montsant region of Spain. This is a blend of 40% Carinena, 40% Syrah, and 20% Garnacha.

Winery history

Cellers Can Blau was founded in 2003. The winery produces about 300 barrels of wine a year from their 34 hectares of vineyards. 70% of the wine they produce is exported.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep maroon color. The very intriguing nose has plums, minerals, dying wood embers, blackberries, cherry, baking spices, melted licorice, and dried herbs. This has medium body, moderate to solid tannins, and very good acidity. On the palate spicy plums and berries lead the show with dried herbs and spicy oak coming in on the back end. The finish is fairly long with some nice minerality coming into the picture and ends with a smoky note that just seems to hang on forever. This is now in a very nice drinking window and it should hold for a few years. A steal for south of $15. (91 pts)

2007 McPrice Myers Syrah Les Galets – $34.50

I don’t think McPrice Myers makes a wine that isn’t pedal to the metal. These are generally massive, distinctive wines. Before opening a bottle of their wine, you have to be in the mood to get hit over the head. I have moved away from this style of wines and left the McPrice Myers mailing list, but I have enough in the cellar that I can open one to share or just want something big and rich that requires no contemplation.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark purple color. The massive nose is full of blackberries, blueberries, minerals, dark chocolate, black pepper, charred meat, hot asphalt, vanilla, and violets. This has a very full body, solid tannins, and good acidity. On the palate there is a load of peppery, crushed berries and stony minerals up front with some meaty elements and vanilla coming in on the back end. The finish is long and lush with some dark chocolate entering the picture as well as a touch of alcohol. This is a big boy with little in the way of subtlety or nuance. (94 pts)

2001 Castello di Verduno Barbaresco Faset – $28.74

I’m a big fan of Italian Barbaresco. I’m probably in the minority, but I prefer a nice Barbaresco over a Barolo. Both wines are made with the same grape, the Nebbiolo, but are totally different styles of wine. If you’ve never had either wine, I highly encourage you to try both and let me know your favorite.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a light to medium ruby red color with a fair amount of brick, mainly at the rim. The inviting nose has earthy underbrush, cherries, fresh ground espresso, road tar, baking spices, rose water, and a soft herbal note. This has medium body, moderate tannins, and very good acidity. Tart, earthy cherries hit the palate first, quickly followed by espresso grounds and spices. The finish has nice length and has a slight, interesting, herbal note. This is drinking very nicely today. (92 pts)

2009 Clayhouse Vineyard Cuvée Blanc Red Cedar Vineyard – SRP $23.00

About a year ago, I received a sampler set from TastingRoom.com to review. Of the six wines that were included, this was my favorite. As part of the sampler set, I was able to select two full sized bottles of wine for free. I liked this wine enough that I elected to get two bottles of this instead of selecting two different bottles. This is a white Rhone style blend from Paso Robles made from Grenache Blanc, Roussanne and Viognier.

To see my post on the TastingRoom.com sampler set, see the post here.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a light, pale, straw to yellow color. The very appealing nose has apples, minerals, white peaches, white pepper, pears, orange blossoms, and a touch of lime zest. This has medium body with mouthwatering acidity. On the palate the wine is creamy and supple with apples, white peach and spice on the front end, on the back end, the acidity kicks in and wipes the palate clean leaving mouthwatering citrus. The finish has nice length with some spice and white pepper peaking through the lemon/lime citrus. This is a very nice white Rhone style blend from California. (91 pts)

2005 Turley Petite Syrah Hayne Vineyard – $40.25

This is a long time personal favorite, unfortunately at the current price of over $70, I don’t get to partake very often. I lucked into getting a couple bottles last year on WineBid for a touch over $40 a bottle. Someone must have not liked the wine to dump it at that price. I’m still shocked my low ball bid won the lot.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark, inky purple color. The stunning nose has blackberries, smoky wood embers, black pepper, dark bittersweet chocolate, well worn leather, warm baking spices, and a touch of cedar. This has a full body, solid tannins, and very nice acidity. On the palate this has big, juicy berries, chocolate, spices, and nice oak and possesses excellent balance between the richness and power. The long, lingering finish is again very rich and plush with a nice blend of fruit and savory elements. This is drinking very nicely right now but this has the backbone and stuffing to last in the cellar for a long time. (94 pts)

Something new and exciting

Fellow wine lover and social media friend, Dan Goderis, started a Blog Talk Radio show. Dan’s first guest was another friend, Karen Troisi from Jean Edwards Cellars. The first “episode” is available here. I highly recommend checking out this entertaining new venture for Dan. This episode was sponsored by Carrie and Randy Bowman from Napa Valley Wine and Cigar. Everyone involved is a friend, so check it out!

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.