2007 JC Cellars Petite Sirah Eaglepoint Ranch

2010 Torbreck Shiraz Woodcutter’s

2010 Penner-Ash Pinot Noir

2007 JC Cellars Petite Sirah Eaglepoint Ranch – $23.74

I bought a few bottles of this wine when the store brought in a few cases for an end of vintage sale. To me, this was a no brainer. I love JC Cellars and Petite Sirah, so when these were offered at about half off, several followed me home.

This has 15.0% alcohol by volume and is sealed with a natural cork.

Winery history

Jeff Cohn, the winemaker, president, and “JC” of JC Cellars got his start in the industry almost 20 years ago. As an intern at Boordy Vineyards in Maryland, he drove an hour and half each way to prune vines in frigid weather, pick grapes in stifling heat, and scrub everything from barrels to floors.

Long before he began his winemaking career he received an associate degree in culinary arts from Johnson & Wales University, and a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management from Florida International University.

Cohn had always loved the hospitality industry, and as he worked through several high profile positions after college he found his passion for wine steadily growing. The more he learned, the more he wanted to learn, until he realized that becoming a winemaker was his ultimate goal. The job at Boordy was a deciding factor in the trajectory of his career — in spite of all the scrubbing.

With the encouragement and support of his family, Cohn moved to California in 1993 to follow his dream. He earned his master’s degree in agriculture chemistry, with an emphasis on enology, from California State University, Fresno in 1996. It was here that Cohn discovered French winemaking techniques and the concept of terroir. “The flavor profile was so different than anything else I had ever tried,” he says of the first Chateauneuf-du-Pape he tried in school. “It was a shocker. To go from tasting only single varietals to a blend really opened my eyes.”

For more info, visit http://www.jccellars.com/about-jeff-cohn.html

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark purple color. The big and bold nose has blackberries, black pepper, dark chocolate, fresh ground espresso, underbrush, melted licorice, and wood smoke. This has a full body, solid, chewy tannins, and very good acidity. On the palate the wine has an overload of ripe, juicy berries, pepper, dark chocolate and ground espresso. The finish is fairly long and again, like the palate, is loaded with flavor. The big, mouth coating tannins really kick in on the finish but the fruit and spice still shine through. If you are not tannin adverse, this can be enjoyed now, if not, let this one sleep for a couple more years. (93 pts)

2007 JC Cellars Petite Sirah Eaglepoint Ranch

2010 Torbreck Shiraz Woodcutter’s – $21.99

This perennial favorite is 100% Shiraz from seven different sub-regions in the Barossa Valley. The wine has a fairly large production and is generally available just about everywhere.

This has 14.5% alcohol and is sealed with a twist off.

The Winery

Torbreck Vintners was founded by David Powell in 1994. The roots go back to 1992 when Dave, who was then working at Rockford, began to discover and clean up a few sections of dry-grown old vines.

Much more information on this prestigious winery is available on their website.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep purple color. The intoxicating nose has blackberries, smoke, dried herbs, minerals, black olives, blueberries, scorched earth and plums. This has medium to full body, moderate tannins, and nice acidity. On the palate the first thing to hit is warm berry pie which is slowly joined by black olives, minerals and earthy elements. The finish is fairly long and again dominated by the berry pie. Not a lot of complexity, but still very tasty. (89 pts)

2010 Torbreck Shiraz Woodcutter’s

2010 Penner-Ash Pinot Noir – $42.99

It’s been a few years since I last had a Penner-Ash Pinot Noir. I’m looking forward to getting re-acquainted with their wines. This is their entry level Pinot, in the past I’ve had their single vineyard offerings.

This is 100% Pinot Noir blended with grapes from 17 different Willamette Valley vineyards.

This has 13.5% alcohol by volume and is sealed with a natural cork.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright violet color. The very inviting nose has raspberries, black cherries, black tea leaves, earthy underbrush, minerals, baking spices, and rose water. This has medium body, soft tannins and very good acidity. The wine is plush on the palate with spicy red fruit up front with spice, minerals and building earthiness coming in on the back end. The finish has nice length with a nice floral note coming into the picture. This is very elegant, food friendly and most importantly enjoyable. (91 pts)

2010 Penner-Ash Pinot Noir

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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.

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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.