2006 Rudius Syrah Spirit Rock Alder Springs Vineyard

2008 Stefania Haut Tubee

2012 Loring Wine Company Cabernet Sauvignon Blend

2009 Bodegas El Nido Jumilla Clio

 

 

 

2006 Rudius Syrah Spirit Rock Alder Springs Vineyard – $45.00

This is one of the first wines I bought from Jeff Ames’ mailing list for Rudius.  I highly recommend checking out the winery and joining their mailing list.

 

This has 15.7% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep purple color.  The nose firmly places this wine on the dark and wild side of the Syrah spectrum with roasted game, blackberry liqueur, black pepper, olive tapenade, plums, soy sauce, cocoa powder and damp underbrush.  This full bodied gem has moderate to solid tannins and nice acidity.  The wild game and berries dominate the front end on the palate with black olives, pepper and dark chocolate coming in on the back end.  The long finish adds some building earthiness and soy.  This is a wild and exotic Syrah that will please the adventurous wine drinker looking for a wine that pushes the fruit into the background.  (93 pts)

 

 

2008 Stefania Haut Tubee – $20.00

This is a blend of 37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Syrah, 15% Merlot, 10% Zinfandel, 2% Grenache and trace amounts of Mourvedre, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Pinot Gris.  The wine is named after the owner’s hot tub in their back yard.  There were 108 cases of the wine produced.  The grapes used in this red blend change dramatically every vintage based on what is available to make this tasty blend.

 

The wine has 13.8% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a medium to dark ruby red color with some lightening at the edge.  The nose is open and inviting with cassis, cedar, cherries, white pepper, plums, candied violets, dark chocolate, dried herbs, vanilla, and some earthiness.  This has medium body, moderate tannins and good acidity.  This is much brighter on the palate than I expected with tart cherries, plums and white pepper up front.  On the back end spicy oak, dried herbs and plums come into focus.  The finish has decent length with dark chocolate and some earthiness creeping into the picture.  This is just about as good as it gets for a $20 California blend.  Drink over the next year, maybe two.  (90 pts)

 

 

2012 Loring Wine Company Cabernet Sauvignon Blend – $16.50

This wine is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Mourvedre from Paso Robles.

 

This wine has 14.9% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a twist off cap.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright ruby red color.  The stunning nose has cassis, licorice, earthy underbrush, black cherries, dried herbs, cedar, stony minerals, tobacco, dark chocolate and dried flowers.  This has medium body, moderate ripe tannins and nice acidity.  On the palate, juicy berries and spicy oak jump out first with dried herbs, cherries and minerals coming in on the back end.  The finish has nice length with a nice earthy element and chocolate coming into the picture adding some complexity.  Not a wine made to stash in the cellar but to open and enjoy over the next couple of years.  A great value for under $20.  (89 pts)

 

 

2009 Bodegas El Nido Jumilla Clio – $34.99

This is a blend of 70% Monastrell and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon that was aged in new French and American oak for 24 months.  Famed Australian winemaker Chris Ringland makes this wine in collaboration with the Gil family.

 

This has 15.5% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark, inky purple color.  The very open and opulent nose is full of blackberries, cassis, smoke, vanilla, candied violets, dark chocolate, cherries, licorice and scorched earth.  This full bodied wine has moderate tannins and decent acidity.  On the palate this powerhouse packs a punch with loads of spicy, oak driven berries and smoke on the front end with dark chocolate and earthy elements coming in on the back end.  The finish has great length with more earth and some fresh ground espresso entering the picture.  This is very tasty but could use a jolt of acidity to help hold it together and maintain focus.  Perhaps some additional cellar time will help the wine to integrate into a cohesive offering but at present it does get a touch muddled and plodding on the back end and finish.  (91 pts)

 

 

Blog Update

I am now making one post a week on all the wines I open for the week, except for one.  I will now be making a separate post each week on one wine.  That wine will be my “wine of the week”.  This may be the best wine I had during the week or one I would like to highlight for some reason.  My weekly post will usually be on Sunday evening, the wine of the week post will be on Tuesday.  I will post about special events or tastings on Thursday evenings.  As always, comments are appreciated as are likes on Facebook.

 

 

 

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!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 2013 Cliff’s Wine Picks.

All rights reserved.

 

 

 

***** 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

 

 

 

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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.

 

 

 

Cheers!