Cliff's Wine Picks

 

2012 Saddleback Cellars Barrel Select Posse Red

2012 KITÁ Spe’y Camp 4 Vineyard

2010 Tamaral Ribera del Duero Vendimia Seleccionada

1988 Schloss Schonborn Erbacher Marcobrunn Riesling Spatlese

2007 Zaca Mesa Syrah

Laurent-Perrier Champagne Brut L.P.

 

 

 

2012 Saddleback Cellars Barrel Select Posse Red – $18.89

This wine was from Last Bottle Wines, information on the site is below.

 

I couldn’t find much information on the wine so the exact blend is a mystery.

 

The wine is a deep ruby red color.  The invigorating nose has cassis, black cherry, baking spices, licorice, black peppercorns, crushed stone minerals, violets and a touch of cedar.  This has medium body with moderate tannins and very good acidity.  On the palate cassis, cherries, spices and cedar dominate the front end with minerals, black peppercorns and a floral note coming in later.  The finish has nice length.  This is a very nice week night bottle of wine that could work with a nice meat dish on a weekend.  This has 14.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (90 pts)

 

 

2012 KITÁ Spe’y Camp 4 Vineyard – $19.62

This wine was from Last Bottle Wines, information on the site is below.

 

This is a blend of 53% Grenache, 27% Syrah and 20% Carignane from California’s Santa Ynez Valley.

 

The wine is a dark ruby red color.  The enticing nose has cherries, crushed stone minerals, baking spices, white pepper, scorched earth, roasted leafy herbs, charcoal, blackberries and dried wild flowers.  This has medium body with soft to moderate tannins and very good acidity.  On the palate tart cherries, baking spices, white pepper and stony minerals quickly grab your attention on the front end with roasted herbs, charcoal and blackberries coming in later.  The finish has good length with scorched earth and a dried floral note providing nice depth.  This has great balance and a bit more cellar time will be rewarded.  This has 14.2% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (90 pts)

 

 

2010 Tamaral Ribera del Duero Vendimia Seleccionada – $18.85

This wine was from Last Bottle Wines, information on the site is below.

 

This wine is 100% Tinta Fina (Tempranillo) from the winery’s vineyards in Pesquera del Duero.  The wine was aged for 14 months in 60% American and 40% French oak.

 

The wine is a bright ruby red color.  The inviting nose has blackberries, cherries, baking spices, licorice, forest floor, roasted leafy herbs and wild flowers.  This has medium body with soft to moderate tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate this is lighter and livelier than the nose lead me to expect with tart cherries, baking spices, forest floor and licorice on the front end with blackberries and roasted herbs coming in later.  The finish has nice length with a nice floral note entering the picture.  This isn’t a big and concentrated wine but the great balance and nuance helps it to shine.  I kept reaching for another sip, which is a great trait for a wine to process.  This has 14.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (93 pts)

 

 

1988 Schloss Schonborn Erbacher Marcobrunn Riesling Spatlese – $34.81

To me, one of the greatest joys in the wine world is being able to sip a well aged German Riesling.

 

The wine is a golden yellow color.  The mesmerizing nose has apples, petrol, orange blossoms, honey, slate, citrus zest, white peaches and white pepper.  This has light to medium body with crisp acidity and nice sweetness.  Very rich and smooth on the palate with most of the overt sugar having been incorporated into the magical elixir.  The wine has a long, lingering finish full of peach, apples, honey, minerals, and lime zest.  This has 9.5% alcohol and the bottle was sealed with a natural cork. (94 pts)

 

 

2007 Zaca Mesa Syrah – $13.59

The wine is a deep garnet color.  The inviting nose has blackberries, licorice, cherries, black pepper, dusty minerals, espresso beans, dark chocolate and dried violets.  This has medium body with soft to moderate tannins and nice acidity.  On the palate blackberries, licorice, espresso beans and dusty minerals on the front end with dark chocolate coming in later.  The finish has decent length with a dried floral note providing some depth.  This seems to be a bit on the decline and probably needs to be opened in the next year.  This has 14.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (88 pts)

 

 

Laurent-Perrier Champagne Brut L.P. – $39.99

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

 

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 of 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.  This has 12.0% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a standard Champagne cork.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

 

 

I am a big fan of the “Flash Wine Sale” site Last Bottle.  You probably noticed some of the wines in this post were purchased from the site.  All of these wines were 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.

 

 

 

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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!