2004 Kaesler Shiraz The Bogan

2007 Stefania Cabernet Sauvignon Chaine d’ Or Vineyard

2005 Terre del Marchesato Emilio Primo Toscana IGT

2007 Keplinger Grenache N=1

2004 Kaesler Shiraz The Bogan – $36.99

This wine has 2% Viognier blended in with the Shiraz. I was a bit surprised to see this wine was aged in Pennsylvanian oak barrels. I did not even know there were oak barrels produced in PA, let alone exported to Australia.

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

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark ruby color. The stunning nose has cassis, wood smoke, cedar, blackberries, warm baking spices, dark chocolate, dusty minerals, dried flowers and a touch of freshly ground dark roasted coffee. This has medium body with moderate tannins and very good acidity. On the palate the rich fruit is buffered with solid spice, minerals and dark chocolate. On the back end dark roasted coffee and a floral note come into the picture. This is big and ripe but held together nicely with solid acidity and a good tannic backbone. The finish shows the rich fruit with a nice overlay of spicy oak. This is nicely balanced and seems to be entering a good drinking window and should hold for several more years. A rock solid effort. (94 pts)

2004 Kaesler Shiraz The Bogan

2007 Stefania Cabernet Sauvignon Chaine d’ Or Vineyard – $30.00

I’ve been a big fan of the Rhone Ranger wines and blends produced by Stefania. I grabbed a three pack of this wine a few years ago, but until now have yet to open one.

This has 14.1% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep ruby color. The distinct and appealing nose has cassis, mint, cedar, tobacco, baking spices, minerals, tomato leaf and dark chocolate. This has medium body, moderate tannins and good acidity. On the palate a nice core of cassis, mint and cedar hit up front with spice, minerals and a green herbal streak coming in on the back end. The green element lingers through the fairly long finish and takes a turn towards jalapeño pepper. If the green element integrates over the next couple of years, this will be an outstanding bottle of wine. For now it’s good but not much more. (87 pts)

2007 Stefania Cabernet Sauvignon Chaine d’ Or Vineyard

2005 Terre del Marchesato Emilio Primo Toscana IGT – $18.83

This is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and a small amount of Petit Verdot from Tuscany.

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

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep ruby red with a touch of brick at the edge. The luscious nose has cassis, cherries, baking spices, cedar, dried herbs, violets, minerals, dark chocolate and a touch of mint. This has medium body with moderate tannins and very nice acidity. On the palate rich fruit and spicy oak immediately grab your attention. On the mid palate to back end dried herbs and minerals kick in. The finish has very nice length with dark chocolate and a touch of mint entering the picture. This seems to be at its peak right now but should easily last a few more years in the cellar. Note, this wine threw a ton of sediment, so a quick decant is advised. (92 pts)

2005 Terre del Marchesato Emilio Primo Toscana IGT

2007 Keplinger Grenache N=1 – $70.00

Here’s the background on the wine’s name, N=1:

Always game for experimentation, we relented, selecting one 600L barrel to age for another year. This wine is the first iteration of this experiment, hence the name “N=1,” and it will only be repeated in truly exceptional vintages.

Production was a minuscule 60 cases, luckily 3 bottles were able to find a home in my cellar.

The wine has 15% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep dark red color. The stunning nose has cherries, white pepper, warm baking spices, minerals, roasted herbs, cola and dried flowers. This has medium to full body with moderate to solid tannins and very nice acidity. On the palate the tart cherries, white pepper and spices jump out first with roasted herbs and cola coming in on the back end. The finish is extremely long and nicely layered. This is absolutely stunning today but has not reached its peak. Enjoy it with plenty of air or let it sleep in the cellar for a couple more years. This would fit in nicely as a sleeper in a high end CdP tasting. (95 pts)

2007 Keplinger Grenache N=1

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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.

Cliff's Wine Picks