2008 Long Shadows Wineries Saggi

2011 Bedrock Wine Co. Zinfandel Puccini Vineyard

2010 Henry’s Drive Shiraz Pillar Box Reserve

2011 Bodegas Escorihuela Gascón Malbec Don Miguel Gascón Reserva

2009 Turley Zinfandel Mead Ranch

2013 River Road Vineyards Pinot Noir Reserve Selection Russian River Valley

 

 

 

2008 Long Shadows Wineries Saggi – $26.59

This was another Long Shadows wine I was able to grab for about half off from an e-mail closeout offer from a local wine store.  This is a top notch winery and I have loved every wine of theirs I was fortunate enough to drink.

 

This wine is a blend of 45% Sangiovese, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Syrah.  The winemakers for this wine are Ambrogio and Giovanni Folonari from one of Tuscany’s oldest and most prestigious wine families.

 

The wine has 14.6% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep ruby to maroon color.  The intoxicating nose has black cherries, blackberries, licorice, dried violets, minerals, dried herbs, earthy underbrush, cedar and baking spices.  This has medium to full body with moderate to solid tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate tart cherries, spicy oak and spice hit on the front with minerals, dried herbs and some underbrush coming in on the back end.  The finish has very nice length with a dried violet note entering the picture.  This has very nice balance and is built to age.  This could be even better in a few years.  (93 pts)

 

 

 

2011 Bedrock Wine Co. Zinfandel Puccini Vineyard – Free

Here is a great e-mail to receive from a winery:

If you are getting this email it means you are one of Bedrock’s 150 very best customers who ordered this Spring.  Chris and I decided that instead of writing a florid love-letter to you expressing our deep appreciation that we would just use the time honored method of sending a bottle of wine.  Of course, we wanted to make sure it was a very special bottle, and so we decided that we would devote the entire production of Puccini Vineyard, a small, but perfectly cut, ruby of a vineyard your guys’ way.  There was a single barrel of wine made from the vineyard in 2011.

 

This wine has 15.4% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

The wine is a deep maroon color.  The stunning nose is full of crushed blackberries, raspberries, dried leafy herbs, white pepper, crushed stones, melted licorice, tobacco, dried violets and dead wood embers.  This has medium body with moderate to solid tannins and very nice acidity.  Tart berries, white pepper and crushed stones coat the palate on the front end with dried herbs and tobacco coming in on the back end.  The long and lingering finish adds dried flowers and a smooth smoky wood element.  This is much more nuanced and lively than a typical over 15% alcohol zinfandel and a joy to follow over its evolution in the glass.  I wish I had a case of this stashed in the cellar.  Outstanding!  (95 pts)

 

 

 

 

2010 Henry’s Drive Shiraz Pillar Box Reserve – $8.00

The wine is a deep garnet color.  The inviting nose has ripe blackberries, plums, road tar, eucalyptus, dried herbs, dried wild flowers, vanilla and subtle underbrush.  This has medium to full body with soft to moderate ripe tannins and nice acidity.  On the palate ripe berries and dried herbs jump out first with road tar and vanilla coming in later.  The finish has nice length with a touch of eucalyptus and dried flowers adding depth.  This is fairly ripe and loaded with flavor and has just enough acidity to hold everything together.  I wouldn’t sit on this for more than a couple years, open it now and enjoy the fruity ride.  This wine has 14.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a twist off cap.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2011 Bodegas Escorihuela Gascón Malbec Don Miguel Gascón Reserva

The wine is a deep ruby to purple color.  The enticing nose has blackberries, plums, dark chocolate, baking spices, road tar, dusty minerals and scorched earth.  This has medium body with moderate to solid tannins and good acidity.  On the palate berries, plums and spice jump out first with dark chocolate and dried earth coming in later.  The finish has nice length with a hint of road tar entering the picture.  Not profound or a wine to think over but an enjoyable weeknight change of pace wine.  This wine has 14.8% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (89 pts)

 

 

 

2009 Turley Zinfandel Mead Ranch – $33.56

For some reason, this wine always slipped through the crack when I was placing my order with Turley.  I grabbed one bottle of the 2008 vintage, but that was the only bottle of this wine I ever bought.  In May 2011, the local wine store received a stash of this wine and put it on the shelf at a great price, so I had to grab a few bottles.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark, inky purple color.  The typically Turley nose is full of brambly berries, warm baking spices, vanilla, stony minerals, black pepper, wild flowers and dark bittersweet chocolate.  This has a full body, solid tannins and good acidity.  The palate is immediately flooded with spicy, peppery, berries and minerals with vanilla and dark chocolate coming in on the back end.  The finish is long and full of peppery berries.  This wine seems to be at its peak right now but will hold for a few more years.  The wine has a lofty alcohol of 16.1% and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (94 pts)

 

 

 

2013 River Road Vineyards Pinot Noir Reserve Selection Russian River Valley – $16.60

The wine is a light ruby red color.  The sexy nose has cherries, dusty minerals, licorice, white pepper, dried earth and violets.  This has medium body with soft to moderate tannins and nice acidity.  On the palate cherries and minerals quickly jump out first with white pepper and dried earth coming in on the back end.  The finish has nice length with a floral note entering the picture.  This doesn’t offer a lot of complexity but that doesn’t stop it from being tasty.  This is a nice value for a week night Pinot Noir.  This has 13.7% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with an agglomerated cork.   (88 pts)

 

 

 

 

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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 always check out the sale and close out items when in a store.  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!