2010 Altesino Rosso di Montalcino

2012 Calera Pinot Noir

2011 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau

2006 Elyse Zinfandel Korte Ranch

2007 Carlisle Syrah Dry Creek Valley

2008 Andrew Will Sorella

2010 Altesino Rosso di Montalcino – $24.33

I like Altesino’s Brunello wines, when the local store stocked this Rosso on their shelf, I had to grab a few bottles. When done right, a Rosso is just a notch below a Brunello in quality but sells for a fraction of the cost.

This is 14.0% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

The Winery

The company is a leader in various, important innovations in the production of Sangiovese di Montalcino, causing it to stand out and become a reference point for the entire territory.

The introduction of the “Cru” (Montosoli) concept in 1975, the first experiments with barriques in ’79, the production in ’77 of the first Grappa di Fattoria under the consultancy of the master distiller Gioacchino Nannoni and the first Futures (purchasing wine before its release) for Brunello 1985 are some of the positive contributions putting Montalcino on the world map.

An intense relationship has built up over forty years with the land full of history, with its almost sensual beauty that is physically perceived and its subtle charm that reaches the body and soul. This is the philosophy that inspires Altesino to produce wine and maintain its culture.

More information is available on the winery’s website.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a medium ruby red color with a touch of brick. The bright nose has cherries, strawberries, raspberries, dried herbs, tobacco, minerals, and a touch of underbrush. This has medium body, light to moderate tannins, and very nice acidity. On the palate the red fruit and spice hit first with dried herbs, minerals, and tobacco coming in on the back end. The finish has nice length with the tobacco and minerals closing the show. Not a wine to contemplate over, but a very tasty Rosso to enjoy over the next few years with a hearty meal. (89 pts)

2010 Altesino Rosso di Montalcino

2012 Calera Pinot Noir

This bottle was from a large wine tasting in a local wine store. I was able to bring home the wine that was left over at the end, about a half bottle.

I’ve had earlier vintages of this wine and enjoyed them. I’m interested to see what the wine is like from this highly acclaimed vintage.

The wine has 14.5% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a medium ruby red color. The tempting and inviting nose has black cherries, baking spices, earthy underbrush, cola and a touch of spicy oak. This has medium body, soft to moderate ripe tannins and good acidity. On the palate the fruit is a bit brighter than the nose lead me to expect with tart cherries and baking spices up front with some building earthiness coming in on the back end. The finish has decent length with fruit and spice carrying the load. Not bad for an entry level Pinot and a keeper for a touch over $20. (90 pts)

2012 Calera Pinot Noir

2011 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau

This bottle was from a large wine tasting in a local wine store. I was able to bring home the wine that was left over at the end, about a third bottle.

This is one of the “big names” in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape. This vintage didn’t get as much acclaim as earlier vintages.

The wine has 14.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a medium to deep ruby red color. The outstanding nose has kirsch, brined olives, potpourri, crushed berries, cherries, cedar and minerals. This has medium body, moderate to solid tannins and good acidity. On the palate this wine slowly displays layer after layer of fruit, spice and minerals. The layered finish has very good length and is loaded with constantly evolving flavors. This tasted outstanding today but deserves some serious cellar time for it open up and spread its wings. (94 pts)

2011 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau

2006 Elyse Zinfandel Korte Ranch – $15.07

From a 375 ml bottle

Elyse has been one of my favorite wineries since my first visit there in 2001. I was talking to an employee at Merryvale about the style of wines I liked and that I was on the lookout for leads to some nice Petite Sirah based wines. All he said was, “You have to checkout Elyse”. As soon as we got back in the car, I pulled out my guidebook of wineries, and looked them up. According to the guide, they required a reservation so I called them. About 30 minutes later we were met by a very gracious and inviting tasting room employee. We spent the next hour trying just about everything they made. We left with several bottles for the week and ordered a case to be shipped back home.

The local wine store used to stock this wine in half bottles but I don’t know if anyone other than me bought it. A quick check of my purchase history in Cellar Tracker show I bought well over 2 cases of this wine. I know the last case was the last one the distributor had in stock. I’m not seeing as much Elyse on wine store shelves here in Wisconsin, which is a loss for the normal consumer. I keep the Elyse (and Jacob Franklin) part of my cellar stocked with purchases direct from the winery.

The wine has 14.8% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

Winery history

In 1983, Nancy and Ray arrived in California from Cape Cod to fulfill Ray’s dream of making wine and Nancy’s taste for adventure. After working harvest at Mt. Eden Winery in Saratoga, they moved to NapaValley and became innkeepers for a bed &breakfast. Ray then spent formative time at Tonella Vineyard Management, where he gained philosophical perspective and practical knowledge working in the vineyards. Ray’s nine year tenure at Whitehall Lane Winery under the tutelage of Art Finkelstein first as a cellar worker and then as head winemaker honed his skills in the art of blending and was the inspiration for Ray’s winemaking style today.

In 1987, Ray & Nancy started Elyse Winery with 286 cases of Zinfandel from the Morisoli Vineyard, which is still a cornerstone vineyard source for the winery. After a decade of nomadic winemaking at various custom crush facilities, in 1997 they purchased a small winery and vineyard on Hoffman Lane, the home of Elyse Winery and tasting room.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a medium ruby red color showing just a touch of brick, mainly at the edge. The very appealing nose reminded me more of a Claret than a zinfandel. There was some brambly berries and pepper, but they were joined with tobacco, cedar, dried herbs, cassis, and warm baking spices. This has a medium body, soft integrated tannins, and good acidity. On the palate this has lost most of its early “baby fat” and is a smooth, nuanced Zinfandel that again could be easily mistaken for a quality Claret. The finish is fairly long with nice fruit, spice, and a touch of earthiness. To some people, this may be over the hill, to me it is in a wonderful spot. This was from a 375ml bottle. (93 pts)

2006 Elyse Zinfandel Korte Ranch

2007 Carlisle Syrah Dry Creek Valley – $27.00

This wine is a blend of 77% Dry Creek Valley Syrah, 12% Dry Creek Valley Grenache both from the Teldeschi Vineyard, 9% Knights Valley Syrah from Peklan Ranch and 2% Russian River Valley Viognier.

Normally this is where I’d tell you to go to their website and sign up for the mailing list, but not this time. Unfortunately the Carlisle mailing list is full, the best you could do is get on the waiting list. The problem with that one is big, the wines are so good and fairly priced, very few people drop off the list. My best advice is to find someone on the list and beg them to share a bottle or two of their allocation with you.

The wine contains 14.5% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

Winery history

Carlisle is a winery that started as a classic “garage winery” for Owner/Winemaker Mike Officer. His first foray into wine making was making 5 gallons of Zinfandel in his kitchen. Over the next several years, with the help of his wife Kendall (Carlisle), and some friends, he produced a barrel of wine each vintage. During this period, he also has a “real job” as a software developer. To make a long story short, eventually the software developer title was left in the rear view mirror and Owner/Winemaker became his new title. I highly recommend checking out the complete story at http://www.carlislewinery.com/about.html

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep purple to black color. The very nice nose has blackberries, charcoal, white pepper, smoke, vanilla bean, dark chocolate, blueberries, Asian spices and minerals. This has medium to full body, moderate to solid tannins and good acidity. On the palate this is full of crushed berries, white pepper and Asian spices up front with smoke and minerals coming in on the back end. The finish has nice length with some dark chocolate entering the picture. This is drinking very nicely but has the stuffing and balance to keep in the cellar for another decade or more. (92 pts)

2007 Carlisle Syrah Dry Creek Valley

2008 Andrew Will Sorella – $61.74

I tasted this wine not long after release at the local wine store. The wine, though very young, showed considerable promise. I grabbed a few bottles and left them stashed in the cellar for a few years. It’s time to check in to see how the wine is progressing.

This wine is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc and 6% Merlot from the Champoux Vineyard in Washington’s Horse Heaven Hills.

This wine has 14.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

The Winery

Andrew Will Winery was started in 1989 and is owned by Chris Camarda. The winery was launched out of a love for wine that Chris had developed while working in the restaurant trade for almost 20 years. Named after the Camardas’ son Will and nephew Andrew, Andrew Will has been a major contributor to the success and notoriety in recent years of Washington State wines. Initially, the winery consisted of 900 square feet of rented industrial space in Seattle.

In 1994, the Camardas moved to Vashon Island, a short ferry ride from Seattle, where they built the present winery. The fruit however comes from the mainland, across the Cascades in Eastern Washington, where all the significant vineyards lie in the rain shadow of the mountains.

Klipsun and Ciel du Cheval vineyards are adjacent on the loam and gravel soils of Red Mountain but produce different styles of wine. Klipsun makes massive, opulent wine to appreciate early. Ciel du Cheval possesses a slightly more tannic structure and great ageing potential.

Much more information is available on the winery’s website by clicking here.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a medium to dark ruby red color. The suave and enchanting nose has cassis, cherries, warm baking spices, plums, minerals, dried leafy herbs, cocoa powder, with hints of cedar and earthy underbrush. The wine has medium body, moderate to solid tannins and very good acidity. The fruit, spices and minerals coat the palate, eventually allowing a touch of cedar and subtle earthiness to enter focus. The finish is very long with cocoa powder and dried herbs joining the party. This wine is the complete package and has the balance to improve over the next few years and last in the cellar for a decade or more. (95 pts)

2008 Andrew Will Sorella

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