2007 Scherrer Winery Syrah ‘Sasha’

2006 Pasanau Priorat Ceps Nous

2009 Reyneke Capstone

2010 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir Rosella’s Vineyard

2007 Scherrer Winery Syrah ‘Sasha’ – $31.99

I’m a long time fan of Scherrer Zinfandels and Pinot Noirs. When I saw this bottle of Scherrer Syrah on a store’s shelf, I had to grab a bottle. It will be nice to see what Fred can do with one of my favorite grapes.

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

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright ruby red color. The slightly shy nose smells like a warm berry pie with dried flowers, minerals, dark chocolate and some subtle earthiness. This is barely medium body with moderate tannins and very good acidity. On the palate the berry pie flavors hit first with minerals and some earthiness coming in later. The finish has good length and picks up a nice floral note and bittersweet chocolate. This is somewhere between your typical California Syrah and one from the France’s Rhone Valley. (91 pts)

2007 Scherrer Winery Syrah Sasha

2006 Pasanau Priorat Ceps Nous – $18.99

This wine is a blend of Garnacha, Merlot, Mazuelo, and Syrah. This was purchased a few years ago from Garagiste Wine. I had a bottle about a year ago that was outstanding but I felt it would improve with some additional cellar time, time to check in again.

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

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep garnet color. The sensuous nose has black cherries, minerals, dried herbs, raspberries, vanilla, wildflowers, blueberries, black pepper, and a slight hit of eucalyptus. This has medium body, moderate ripe tannins, and very good acidity. The wine is rich and velvety on the palate with lush fruit up front and minerals, dried herbs, spicy oak, and pepper kicking in on the back end and carrying through the long finish. This is an outstanding bottle of wine, not as rough and tumble as I was expecting. This can be enjoyed over the next half decade, perhaps longer. (92 pts)

2006 Pasanau Priorat Ceps Nous

2009 Reyneke Capstone – 25.69

This is a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Shiraz and 10% Merlot from the Stellenbosch region of South Africa. I’ve never been a big fan of South African wines, to me they always seem to be looking for an identity. This one received a high score and a great review from Wine Advocate.

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

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep garnet color. The exotic nose has cherries, raspberries, mint, black pepper, dried herbs, minerals and dried flowers. This is barely medium body with moderate to solid tannins and good acidity. On the palate the red fruit and chalky minerals start the show with dried herbs and black pepper coming through on the back end. The finish get a touch lean but adds a nice floral note. This just seems to be missing a few parts and comes up a bit short on providing an enjoyable glass of wine. (86 pts)

2009 Reyneke Capstone

2010 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir Rosella’s Vineyard – $46.00

If you follow this blog, you already know I’m a big fan of Brian Loring’s wines. His Rosella’s Vineyard is generally my second favorite wine behind the Clos Pepe wines. These are generally made in a bigger riper style, very Californian. If you’re looking for a Burgundian style of wine, look elsewhere. If you are looking for a rich and flavorful Pinot Noir, welcome home.

This has 14.9% alcohol by volume and is closed with a twist off cap.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a nice deep garnet red color. The easy to enjoy nose has black raspberries, black cherries, minerals, wild flowers, baking spices, earthy underbrush and a touch of mint. This has medium to full body, soft to moderate ripe tannins and good acidity. On the palate spicy dark fruit and some earthiness hit first, followed by minerals and a hint of mint. The finish has great length and full of nicely layered fruit, spice and earthiness. May be a touch on the young side but this tastes marvelous. (94 pts)

2010 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir Rosella’s Vineyard

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