2004 Casanuova delle Cerbaie Brunello di Montalcino

2005 Carlisle Syrah Bennett Valley

2007 Von Hövel Scharzhofberger Riesling Spätlese

2009 Bedrock Wine Co. Zinfandel Old Vine

2004 Casanuova delle Cerbaie Brunello di Montalcino – $25.34

This wine is a prime example of why you should support your local wine store. Sometimes a distributor for whatever reason, has excess stock they would like to clear out. If you are on good terms with a local store, you can get a heads up of a great close out deal. I bought this Brunello for a touch over $25 the community average cost on Cellar Tracker is over $32 and this wine sells at auction for over $37. Of course, a great price is only great if you like the wine. Time to see if I got this one at a great price.

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

My Tasting Note

The wine is a red to ruby color with a touch of brick at the edge. The slightly different but appealing nose has raspberries, cherries, baking spice, earthy underbrush, dried flowers, roasted herbs, minerals, mushrooms, and a touch of mint. This has medium body, slightly chalky tannins and good acidity. On the palate the baking spices, red fruit and earthiness kick in first with oak, minerals and more earthiness coming in on the back end. The finish has decent length with a touch of mint add a nice closing element. This is on the young side but came around nicely with some air. (92 pts)

2004 Casanuova delle Cerbaie Brunello di Montalcino

2005 Carlisle Syrah Bennett Valley – $36.00

I sure am glad I jumped on the Carlisle mailing list before they became a big name. Mike Officer produces some of the best wines in California and sells them at very wallet friendly prices.

This wine has 15.0% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark purple color. The show stopping nose had blackberries, black olives, charred meat, cherries, bacon fat, licorice, roasted herbs and violets. This has a fairly full body with moderate to solid ripe tannins and good acidity. Berries, meat and cherries coat the palate slowly allowing black olives and roasted herbs to share the stage. The long and lingering finish displays ever evolving layers of flavors. This wine seems to be just entering a nice drinking window and should hold for several years. (93 pts)

2005 Carlisle Syrah Bennett Valley

2007 Von Hövel Scharzhofberger Riesling Spätlese – $13.29

We love German Riesling. To me they offer some of the best values you can find on a store’s shelf. These are very versatile wines that go great with a wide range of foods. If you ever have the opportunity to sample or buy a German Riesling with a decade or two of age on it, jump for it.

This has 8.0% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a clear, pale yellow with a very slight green tint. The very fresh and inviting nose has apples, minerals, lime, orange zest, peaches, and a touch of petrol and white pepper. This has light to medium body with nice residual sweetness and very good balancing acidity. This is rich and luscious on the palate with juicy fruit, minerals, citrus, and nice sweetness. The finish is fairly long and very flavorful. This has the complete package and is very nicely balanced. This is enjoyable now but will last in the cellar for at least another decade and improve along the way. (94 pts)

2007 Von Hövel Scharzhofberger Riesling Spätlese

2009 Bedrock Wine Co. Zinfandel Old Vine – $22.50

Morgan Twain-Peterson has followed the lead of Carlisle’s Mike Officer, make very good fines from old vines and sell them for great prices. I’m not sure of the status of Bedrock’s mailing list, but I recommend either getting on the list or accepting a spot on their waiting list. Besides very good red wines, Bedrock produces some truly outstanding white wines.

This has 15.0% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark maroon color. The very open and expressive nose has brambly berries, plums, warm baking spices, vanilla, minerals, dried flowers, white pepper and a touch of dark bittersweet chocolate. This has a medium to full body with moderate to solid tannins and very good acidity. Tart berries and spice initially grab the palate with white pepper, vanilla and minerals breaking through on the back end. The finish has nice length with dark chocolate and some earthiness coming into the picture. I don’t remember past bottles showing as much acidity so there may be a bit of bottle variation. (90 pts)

2009 Bedrock Wine Co Zinfandel Old Vine

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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.