2012 Siduri Pinot Noir Sonoma County

2007 Stolpman Syrah Estate Grown

2010 Turley Zinfandel Dusi Vineyard

2012 Helioterra Pinot Noir Willamette Valley

N.V. Laurent-Perrier Champagne Brut L.P.

N.V. Lucien Albrecht Crémant d’Alsace Brut Rosé

1992 Theo Schmitz-Schwaab Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Auslese Fuder #8

2010 Turley Cabernet Sauvignon The Label

2007 Jean Edwards Cellars Syrah Alder Springs Vineyard Mendocino County

2012 Jean Edwards Cellars Petite Sirah

 

 

 

2012 Siduri Pinot Noir Sonoma County – $21.59

When is a lot of information considered to be too much information?  The following is from the Siduri site and explains what went into this wine:

 

WINEMAKING, INGREDIENTS, ADDITIVES i.e. HOW WE MADE THE WINE

 

The Sonoma County Pinot Noir is made up of 17 different lots of Pinot Noir with each lot being made as a separate wine and then these parts were blended together. On most lots, we added a small amount of sulfur at the crush pad to prevent fermentation from starting prematurely and to allow for a “cold soak.” On some lots, we added a small amount of water to the juice prior to fermentation. We did this by draining off juice from the fermentation vessel and then adding that same amount of water back. This allowed us to reduce the sugar and potential alcohol without changing the skin-to-juice-ratio of the must. On some lots we bled off additional juice to make for a more concentrated wine. On some lots, we added a small amount of tartaric acid to the must. Tartaric acid occurs naturally in the juice/wine and the amount we added was a fraction of the total. On a very few lots, we added enzymes to the juice. Enzymes occur naturally in all fruit juices and help break down the skins allowing more flavors and colors to be extracted from the skins. On a very few lots we added yeast nutrients—these also occur naturally in the juice and help the yeast finish the fermentation. We only added these nutrients if the naturally occurring nutrients were unusually low. On some lots we added yeast to the must to complete the fermentation. Other lots fermented without the addition of yeast. All lots went through malolactic fermentation spontaneously. Sulfur was added during the wine’s elevage. The wine was bottled without fining or filtration.

The wine is 14.58% alcohol, 5.9 TA, 3.78pH, with 58ppm total SO2. This wine is Vegan-friendly. This wine has been tested and is Gluten-free.

 

The bottle is sealed with a twist off cap.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright ruby red color.  The alluring nose has cherries, raspberries, baking spices, dusty minerals, dry earth and a hint of dried herbs.  This has medium body with moderate tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate spicy cherries and red berries jump out first with minerals and dried herbs coming in later.  The finish has good length with tart cherries and subtle earthiness carrying the load.  Very easy to drink, value priced and very food friendly, who could ask for more?  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2007 Stolpman Syrah Estate Grown – $21.99

I’m always in the mood for a good Syrah, and the ones from Stolpman definitely fall in that category.  The Stolpman Estate Syrah is consistently very good to outstanding, generally offering high quality at a very reasonable price.  This is generally a wine that greatly rewards a couple ears in the cellar.  I’m looking forward to checking in to see how this wine is progressing.

 

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

 

Winery history

Tom and Marilyn Stolpman founded Stolpman Vineyards in 1990 after making the decision that Marilyn’s dream of an “investment we can enjoy” could include finding the perfect piece of property that could grow world-class wine grapes.  Tom was seeking out Limestone hills in a cool, maritime climate.  Until 1997, when Stolpman produced its first wines, all of the grapes were sold to other wineries including the cult hits of Sine Qua Non & Ojai Vineyards.  In 2001 winemaker Sashi Moorman came aboard and began working closely with Vineyard Manager Ruben Solorzano to increase the quality of the fruit going to the winery, including experimentation with dry-farming & high density plantings.

 

After decades of careful development, Stolpman Vineyards now bottles wine from approximately 90% of the 152 acres under vine.  Through extensive experimentation with many varietals, the team has perfected its offerings of Syrah, Roussanne, Sangiovese and Sauvignon Blanc.  Limited plantings of Grenache, Viognier, Petite Sirah, and Chardonnay serve as blending grapes.  The very best limited production wines including Angeli, La Croce, and Ruben’s Block are generally only available to the Stolpman Vineyards Wine Club.

 

Today, Tom’s son Peter Stolpman manages the tightly knit family operation dedicated to making world-class wines.  The team never rests in pushing the envelope of quality through organic dry farming and the meticulous work of Stolpman’s vineyard crew, “La Cuadrilla”.

 

Much more information is available at Stolpman Vineyards website.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a fairly deep maroon color.  The very open and inviting nose has blackberries, minerals, freshly ground espresso, smoked meat, black pepper, baking spices, licorice, dark chocolate, and violets, with just a touch of earthiness.  This is fairly full bodied with fairly solid tannins and good acidity.  The palate features spicy berries with dark chocolate and spicy oak coming in on the back end.  The finish is fairly long with fresh ground espresso and dark chocolate lingering on after the spicy fruit fades away.  This is entering a nice drinking window and should hold for a few years.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2010 Turley Zinfandel Dusi Vineyard – $39.99

It’s hard for me to believe but this is only the second vintage of this wine that I have purchased.  I didn’t even get this bottle for the winery, a local store received a cache of Turley wine a while ago and I had to grab a mixed case at below mailing list prices.

 

This wine clocks in at 16.0% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep ruby red color.  The spellbinding nose has blackberries, blueberries, crushed stones, cracked black peppercorns, mocha, Asian spices and fresh ground espresso.  This has a full body with moderate to solid tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate a load of fruit hits first with crushed stones and black pepper providing a nice counterbalance.  The finish has outstanding length with mocha and Asian spices entering the picture.  This is a hitting is just starting to hit its stride.  Outstanding.  (93 pts)

 

 

 

2012 Helioterra Pinot Noir Willamette Valley – $25.64

This 100% Pinot Noir is a blend of grapes from Lichtenwalter Vineyard (Ribbon Ridge), Lia’s Vineyard (Chehalem Mountains), Apolloni Vineyard (North Willamette Valley) and Kathken Vineyard (Eola-Amity Hills).  The wine was fermented with a combination of native and inoculated yeasts for added complexity and aged for 11 months in 100% French Oak barrels (22% new oak).

 

The wine has 13.9% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright red to ruby color.  The sexy nose has cherries, warm baking spices, raspberries, minerals, wildflowers, leafy herbs and subtle underbrush.  This has medium body with soft to moderate tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate juicy red fruit and spice lead the show with leafy herbs and minerals coming in later.  The finish has very nice length with the herbs and minerals taking the lead and the red fruit providing nice background sweetness.  Very young but already tasty with a bit of air.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

N.V. Laurent-Perrier Champagne Brut L.P.

This wine is a blend of Chardonnay (45%), Pinot Noir (40%) and Pinot Meunier (15%).

 

This has 12.0% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a standard Champagne cork.l

 

My Tasting Note

The wine was a light straw color filled with steady streams of pinpoint sized bubbles.  The very inviting nose had apples, lemon zest, yeasty bread, crushed stone minerals, pears and a touch or nuttiness.  This had light body with crisp, citrusy acidity.  On the palate this was bright and fresh with tart apples, minerals and lemon zest up front with a nutty element coming in on the back end.  The finish had good length with the lemon zest leaving your mouth watering for another sip.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

N.V. Lucien Albrecht Crémant d’Alsace Brut Rosé

Domaine Lucien Albrecht is one of the oldest and leading Alsace family owned estate, tracing its roots back to 1425.  Through the Albrecht eighteen generations, they have become one of the largest owners of prime Alsace hillside vineyards.  In the early 70’s, Lucien Albrecht, the father of Jean, the current proprietor and winemaker, was one of the three founding fathers of the regulated Crémant d’Alsace.  In 2004, Lucien Albrecht Crémants made history.  At the 14th Concours National des Crémants de France (Crémant Wine Challenge), they stole the show, winning an unprecedented Four Gold Medals.

 

Lucien Albrecht Brut Rosé is made from 100% Pinot Noir.  The whole cluster hand-picked grapes are softly pressed in a pneumatic press, hence the coral, light pink salmon color.  Lucien Albrecht Brut Rosé is made by using the same methods as in Champagne, i.e “method traditionnelle”.  After the second fermentation in the bottle, lee ageing lasts for nine months, followed by remuage and disgorging.

 

This has 12.0% alcohol by volume.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright salmon pink color.  The enticing nose has cherries, strawberries, minerals, yeasty bread and a hint of citrus zest.  The wine has light body with crisp acidity and sporadic pinpoint bubbles after an initial blast of bubbles left a nice mousse.   Cherries, strawberries and minerals dominate the palate.  The finish has great length with just a hint of lingering sweetness.  Not a lot of complexity but very tasty.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

1992 Theo Schmitz-Schwaab Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Auslese Fuder #8

My comments

We are BIG fans of nicely aged German Rieslings.  The sugary sweetness these wines show in their youth melds with the citrusy acidity over the years to form a magical elixir that becomes a rich wine with just enough acidity on the back end to leave you grabbing the glass for another sip.

 

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

 

Winery history

As is usual for a lot of the smaller, European wineries, not a lot of information seems to be available on the internet.  I can recite Jon Rimmerman’s (from Garagiste Wine) silky prose, but I don’t want this to sound like a sales pitch.  All I will say is, if you like older German Rieslings that have generally been in perfect condition, at really nice prices, check out http://garagiste.com/ and sign up for the list.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a medium golden yellow color.  The fresh smelling nose has apples, pears, honey, petrol, minerals, Spring flowers, pineapple, lemon zest, and a touch of spice.  This has light to medium body with very nice acidity and a ton of richness.  The sugar and acidity have melded into a very nice, rich, silky wine.  On the palate the rich, honey dipped apples and pineapple are joined with minerals and a touch of spice with a bit of citrusy acidity coming in on the back end. The finish has nice length and ends with a touch of flinty minerality and citrus zest.  Very nice and at a peak drinking window.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2010 Turley Cabernet Sauvignon The Label

When I received the offer from Turley for this Cabernet, I had to grab a few bottles.  I’ve read some mixed reviews on this wine so it seems like a perfect time give it a try.  I’m hoping the negative reviews are from the people that were expecting a big, ripe, overly rich wine.

 

This wine has 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 very nice nose has cassis, baking spices, violets, cherry, dried herbs, and a touch of dark bittersweet chocolate.  This has medium body moderate tannins, and good acidity.  The creamy palate has nice up front berries, cherries, and spice with dried herbs and some building dark chocolate coming in on the back end.  The finish has decent length with a touch of earthiness joining the components from the palate.  This may not have a ton of complexity but is an enjoyable wine and seems to be in a very nice drinking window.  The QPR at $40 open for debate, but I’m glad I have more in the cellar.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

2007 Jean Edwards Cellars Syrah Alder Springs Vineyard Mendocino County

I guess you can call this a Social Media relationship.  I learned of Jean Edwards Cellars via Twitter.  I read their Tweets and started following them, luckily they followed me back.  Over the last couple of years we have exchanged jokes and Tweets about just about everything.  I was finally able to order a few bottles of their wine, and after giving a bottle a good 15 minutes to recover from the trip half way across the country, I popped the cork.  I am now a big fan and I spread their name to anyone who will listen to me.  I highly encourage you to check out their website and join their mailing list.  These are two very nice people making some of the best wine in the Napa Valley.

 

This has 14.2% alcohol by volume and is sealed with a natural cork.

 

Winery history

We are the owner/vintners of Jean Edwards Cellars – we share a passion for wine, a similar palate and a singular vision on the style of wines we produce.  We live by our motto that “you should only make wines you love to drink” and focus our production on artisan red wines that are full-bodied and classically styled.

 

Quality and heritage are important to us – our wines are reflective of their origins and are sourced some of the most prestigious vineyards (and vineyard blocks) throughout Napa Valley including Stagecoach Vineyard (on Pritchard Hill); vineyards on the valley floor in Rutherford, Oakville and Coombsville; and mountain vineyards on Howell and Spring Mountain.

 

Time really flies – we started producing commercial wines in 2004 but our dream of producing high quality Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon wines started much earlier when we traveled to the valley in 1985.  During that trip, we developed a true appreciation for cabernet sauvignon wines and decided we would some day be a part of the business and produce a wine called Jean Edwards Cellars (our two middle names).  It was a goal worth waiting for and twenty plus years later we released our first wine in the Spring of 2006.

 

For more information, to order wine, or to join the Jean Edwards mailing list, visit their website.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark ruby color, almost purple.  The very nice nose has blackberries, charred meat, smoke, roasted herbs, licorice, black pepper, minerals, brined olives, wild flowers, and a touch of mint.  This has medium to full body with fairly solid tannins, and very good acidity.  The palate has a nice blend between the juicy, crushed berries, and the savory elements of black pepper, roasted herbs, and charred meat.  The finish is long and layered with nice juicy berries adding sweetness to the savory elements.  This is drinking nicely, but will reward some additional cellar time.   (93 pts)

 

 

 

2012 Jean Edwards Cellars Petite Sirah

One of my favorite wineries producing a wine with grapes that were purchased from another preferred winery.  How could I not grab a few bottles of this wine.

 

This wine has 14.3% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

Unfortunately this wine was so popular at a small party, I was not able to get a good tasting note.  I poured a very small amount to make sure the wine was not flawed.  A few minutes later I went to get a decent pour and the bottle was empty.  Everyone around the table was swirling, tasting and smiling, so they liked it…obviously a lot.

 

My quick impression was that the wine was very tight, as expected.  It was not very giving fruit wise initially, relying on minerals, pepper and spice with the fruit in the background.  After about 30 minutes the fruit started to move into the foreground (based on smelling other people’s wine).  I look forward to trying another bottle in a couple months so I can get a better read on the wine.

 

 

 

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.

 

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Cheers!

 

 

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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!