Cliff's Wine Picks

 

2013 Borra Vineyards Old Vine Barbera

2010 Reininger Syrah Walla Walla Valley

2014 Macchia Sangiovese Amorous Lodi

2007 Long Shadows Wineries Cabernet Sauvignon Feather

2012 Miner Family Napa Valley Red Wine

 

 

 

2013 Borra Vineyards Old Vine Barbera – $22.50

I was able to attend a tasting at the winery’s Gill Creek Ranch in late September and loved the “alternative” wines they served.  Their white wines were crisp, light and mineral driven.  I was able to sample this specific wine at a large Barbera tasting with several wineries participating.  This was one of the standouts (for me) at the event.

 

This is 100% Barbera from over 40 year old vines from the vineyard planted around their tasting room in Lodi’s Mokelumne River AVA.  The winemaker, Markus Niggli (Swiss born) uses native fermentation of only free-run juice.  After fermentation, the wine is aged for 22 months in 35% new French oak.  Total production was a minuscule 120 cases.

 

If you ever make it to Lodi, a stop at Borra Vineyards is a must.  If you’re lucky enough to meet Markus, you’ll be impressed with his forward vision and old-school approach to wine making.  Much more information about the winery, people and wine is available on their website.

 

The wine is a nice garnet color.  The seductive nose has black cherries, crushed stone minerals, baking spices, cola, scorched earth, and dried wild flowers.  This has medium to full body with moderate tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate black cherries, minerals and spice quickly jump out with cola and dry earth coming in on the back end.  The lingering finish adds a nice dried floral note.  This won’t be mistaken for an Italian Barbera, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.  I liked this wine…a lot.  This has 15.2% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a twist-off cap.  (92 pts)

 

 

2010 Reininger Syrah Walla Walla Valley – $22.96

Even though I had heard of the winery for a few years, I hadn’t tried any of their wines.  A couple years ago the local wine store offered this wine in an e-mail only offer at an exceptional price, so I had to grab a six pack.

 

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

 

The Winery

From 1997 through 2004, REININGER Winery was located in a small but functional facility located at the historic Walla Walla Regional Airport.  The “shack-teau,” as Chuck and Tracy fondly nicknamed it, was originally designated as a WWII Army Air Corp runway “crash house” and “base theater” where old time crooners and classic films entertained troops.

 

In 2003, REININGER Winery purchased seven acres of land, located six miles west of Walla Walla, adjacent to Highway 12, and began renovating two pre-existing potato sheds into a remodeled 15,000 square foot winery, complete with production facility, administrative offices, and a spacious new tasting room.  “We worked closely with architect Jon Campbell to create a modern production facility incorporating rustic design elements,” said Chuck Reininger.  “This resulted in a unique atmosphere for events and entertaining.”

 

In that same year, Chuck and Tracy partnered with Tracy’s brothers, Jay and Cyndi Tucker, and Kelly and Ann Tucker, as well as her parents, Terry and Ronnie Tucker.  Today, Kelly Tucker serves as general manager and oversees sales and marketing.  Jay Tucker functions as tasting room director, plant manager, and grower relations contact.  Terry and Ronnie Tucker, who’ve been actively involved in both vineyard and winery projects since the 1980’s, bring an abundance of guidance and support to the organization.

 

Much more information can be found on the winery’s website.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a dark, inky purple color.  The outstanding nose has blackberries, minerals, white pepper, dried herbs, warm baking spices, blueberries and a touch of cedar.  On the palate the velvety berries and minerals provide a mountain of flavor with white pepper and dried herbs creeping in on the back end.  The finish has very nice length with baking spices joining the party in your mouth.  This is still on the young side but it is already outstanding.  (93 pts)

 

 

2014 Macchia Sangiovese Amorous Lodi – $21.99

This is another wine from Lodi I picked up at Total Wine in Columbia after returning from my trip to Lodi.  I loved my visit to Macchia and highly recommend trying any you may see on a shelf.

 

A stop at the “man cave” tasting area at Macchia should be on your short list of places to visit in Lodi.  Additional information about the winery is available on their website.

 

This wine is a fairly deep ruby color.  The sexy nose has cherries, warm baking spices, raspberries, dry earthy underbrush, violets, dusty minerals and a touch of licorice.  This has a full body with moderate ripe tannins and nice acidity.  On the palate this wine is full of rich fruit, spices and earthiness on the front end with minerals and a nice floral note on the back end.  The long, lingering finish closes with a hint of orange zest.  This is nothing like an Italian Sangiovese but the wine world would be a boring place if every wine made from a specific grape tasted the same no matter where it was grown.  This demands a hearty meal, think pasta with a meat sauce or a pizza with plenty of pepperoni and sausage.  This has 16.0% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (92 pts)

 

 

2007 Long Shadows Wineries Cabernet Sauvignon Feather – $42.74

This wine is from various Columbia Valley vineyards in Washington, and legendary winemaker Randy Dunn.  The wine is a deep ruby red color.  The mesmerizing nose has cassis, crushed stone minerals, white pepper, licorice, violets, sun baked earth, dried herbs, red raspberries, cedar, baking spices, and a hint of dark bittersweet chocolate.  This has medium body, solid tannins and very good acidity.  On the palate nice fruit, minerals, white pepper and cedar quickly take control with dried herbs, spices and subtle dried earth coming in on the back end.  The finish is long and lingering with nice fruit joined by dried herbs, dark chocolate and a touch of spicy oak.  This is a very classy wine that would cost twice this price if it had a Napa Valley appellation in its name.  This still seems young but tastes great none the less.  This has 14.2% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  Enjoy this now with some air or enjoy it over the next several years.  (94 pts)

 

 

2012 Miner Family Napa Valley Red Wine – $18.89

This wine was purchased from Last Bottle.  See below for information on them with a link to join the site (with a $10 credit).

 

I was not able to find the grapes or blend used to produce this wine.

 

The wine is a deep ruby red color.  The intoxicating nose has cassis, cherries, dusty minerals, white pepper, violets, licorice, dry earth and licorice.  This has a medium body with soft to moderate tannins and good acidity.  On the palate upfront fruit, minerals and white pepper jump out first with dry earth coming in on the back end.  The finish has decent length with a floral note coming in.  This isn’t one to stash away in your cellar, enjoy this over the next couple of years.  This has nice balance and is very food friendly.  This has 14.2% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (88 pts)

 

 

 

I am a big fan of the “Flash Wine Sale” site Last Bottle.  One of the wines in this post, the Miner, was purchased from the site.  This wine was purchased at a big discount.  I highly recommend getting on their e-mail list.  Like most of the flash sale sites, they offer one wine per day until it sells out.  They also have a couple two-day marathons during the year.  Last Bottle is a great site to buy special wines at prices low enough to open any day of the week.

 

If you sign up using this link you will get a $10 credit that can be used on your first purchase.  I will also get a credit if you make a purchase.

 

Other than getting a credit as explained above, I have no financial interest in the site.  After you are on the list, you can also get the same credit by introducing friends to Last Bottle.

 

 

 

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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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!