2006 Rhys Alesia Syrah Fairview Ranch

2012 White Hart Pinot Noir

2012 Rock Wall Wine Co. Obsideana

2012 Murrieta’s Well The Spur

2010 Bedrock Wine Co. Syrah Pleine de Chene Hudson Vineyard North

2000 Ada Nada Barbaresco Elisa

 

 

 

2006 Rhys Alesia Syrah Fairview Ranch – $20.00

This wine has 14.25% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

The wine is a deep maroon color.  The thought provoking nose has blackberries, smoked meat, licorice, crushed stone minerals, black plums, cracked black peppercorns, dry earth and violets.  This has medium to full body with moderate to solid tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate black pepper laced berries, minerals and smoked meat take control on the front end with plums, dry earth and violets coming in on the back end.  The finish has great length with licorice joining the peppery berries and minerals.  To me this still tastes very young and still has not reached its peak.  This could last in your cellar for another decade.  (92 pts)

 

 

2012 White Hart Pinot Noir – $21.99

This wine has 14.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with an agglomerated cork.

 

The wine is a bright ruby red color.  The appealing nose has wild cherries, baking spices, dry underbrush, cranberries, melted licorice and wild flowers.  This has medium body with soft to moderate silky tannins and nice acidity.  On the palate tart cherries, baking spices and cranberries take control on the front end with dry underbrush coming in later.  The lingering finish adds licorice and a nice floral element.  This is a well mannered California Pinot that does not push the ripeness envelope to the edge.  (90 pts)

 

 

2012 Rock Wall Wine Co. Obsideana – $16.19

This is a blend of 50% Zinfandel and 50% Petite Sirah from Nils Venge’s Black Rock Ranch in Lake County.  The vineyard contains so much obsidian that it glows in the moonlight.  Rock Wall is Kent Rosenblum’s latest project along with his daughter and a group of industry veterans.

 

The wine is a deep maroon color.  The very open and giving nose has blackberries, licorice, black peppercorns, wood smoke, dark bittersweet chocolate, blueberries, minerals and vanilla bean.  This has a full body with moderate to solid tannins and nice acidity.  On the palate spicy, peppery blackberries jump out on the front end with minerals, licorice and a smoky element coming in on the back end.  The finish has nice length with vanilla bean and dark chocolate making an appearance.  This is very nice and the price is a big bonus.  The wine has 15.1% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (91 pts)

 

 

2012 Murrieta’s Well The Spur – $23.99

This vintage is a blend of 33% Petite Sirah, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Petit Verdot, 4% Malbec and 3% Merlot.

 

This has 13.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a screw cap.

 

The wine is a deep ruby red color.  The enticing nose has blackberries, warm baking spices, licorice, eucalyptus, dusty minerals, cocoa powder and dried violets.  This has medium to full body with moderate tannins and decent acidity.  On the palate blackberries, baking spices and cocoa powder jump out on the front end with minerals and violets coming in on the back end.  The lingering finish adds a hint of eucalyptus.  This isn’t one to stash in the cellar, unscrew the cap and enjoy.  (88 pts)

 

 

2010 Bedrock Wine Co. Syrah Pleine de Chene Hudson Vineyard North – $39.00

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

 

The wine is a dark, inky purple.  The exotic nose is full of blackberries, wood embers, plums, crushed stone minerals, fresh ground espresso beans, blueberries, meat juices, licorice, black peppercorns and scorched earth.  This has a full body with solid tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate massive crushed berries, minerals, wood embers and espresso beans immediately take hold with blueberries, black peppercorns and meat juices coming in later.  The finish is very long and shows great depth of flavor.  This has great balance and will reward some additional cellar time.  (94 pts)

 

 

2000 Ada Nada Barbaresco Elisa – $28.79

This has 14.0% alcohol by volume and the bottle was sealed with a natural cork.  About the only part of the cork that was not stained and saturated was the edge.

 

The wine is a ruby red color with a fair amount of brick at the edge.  The very saturated and stained cork as well as the bricking along with a fairly solid whiff of wet forest floor almost led me to the cellar to grab a replacement bottle but a taste poured into a glass and a little swirling eased my concerns.  The nose has cherries, licorice, earthy underbrush, raspberries, baking spices, dried flowers and a hint of mint.  This has medium body with moderate tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate cherries, raspberries, spice and underbrush grab your attention quickly with dried flowers and mint coming in later.  The finish has nice length with a nice balance between the fruit and savory elements.  This has nice balance and still has plenty of life.  Delicious.  (92 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!