Cliff's Wine Picks

 

2006 Saxum Heart Stone Vineyard

2012 Robert Hunter Pinot Noir Reserve Hunter Farms

2006 Rudius Syrah Emerald Pool Alder Springs Vineyard

2010 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir Garys’ Vineyard

2013 Bokisch Vineyards Tempranillo Lodi

2008 One Time Spaceman Moon Duck

 

 

 

2006 Saxum Heart Stone Vineyard – $55.00

This wine  is a blend of 38% Syrah, 36% Grenache and 26% Mourvedre from Paso Robles.

 

The wine is a deep maroon color.  The alluring nose has blackberries, crushed stone minerals, licorice, Asian spices, tar, roasted meat, dried wildflowers and black cherries.  This has a full body with moderate ripe tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate blackberries, minerals, Asian spices and roasted meat quickly grab your attention on the front end with cherries and tar coming in on the back end.  The long finish adds a dried floral note.  This is in a perfect drinking window but should hold for a couple years.  This has 15.6% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (94 pts)

 

 

2012 Robert Hunter Pinot Noir Reserve Hunter Farms – $14.75

This wine was purchased from Last Bottle at a big discount so the price listed is not a usual price.  Information on Last Bottle is at the end of this post.

 

This wine is a medium ruby red color.  The sexy nose has cherries, warm baking spices, damp earth, roasted leafy herbs, dusty minerals and dried wild flowers.  This has medium body with soft tannins and good acidity.  On the palate tart cherries, baking spices and damp earth jump out on the front end with roasted herbs and minerals coming in on the back end.  The finish has nice length with a nice dried floral note adding some depth.  This is a tasty wine to drink over the next couple of years.  This has 13.7% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (90 pts)

 

 

2006 Rudius Syrah Emerald Pool Alder Springs Vineyard – $45.00

This was one of my first purchases upon getting on the Rudius mailing list.

 

The wine is a deep, dark as midnight, purple color.  The stunning nose has blackberries, dying wood embers, roasted meat, blueberries, vanilla, dusty minerals and violets.  This has a full body with fully resolved tannins and nice acidity.  On the palate rich berries, charred wood, roasted meat and blueberries grab hold immediately with vanilla and minerals coming in later.  The long, lingering finish adds black pepper and violets which provide another dimension to the wine.  This is probably on the down side of its evolution but it is still a wonderful bottle of wine.  This has 15.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (93 pts)

 

 

2010 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir Garys’ Vineyard – $46.00

It would be hard for me to pick a favorite source for Loring Pinot Noir but it usually boils down to which one I buy the most.  That means it’s a dead heat between Garys’ Vineyard and Clos Pepe.  Both are winners and always welcome on my dinner table.

 

The wine is a deep ruby color.  The inviting nose bas black cherries, baking spices, crushed stone minerals, white pepper, forest floor, blackberries, citrus zest and dried wildflowers.  This has medium to full body with soft to moderate tannins and very good acidity.  Black cherries, baking spices and minerals jump out quickly on the palate with blackberries, white pepper and forest floor coming in on the back end.  The finish has great length with a nice dried floral note and a hint of citrus zest adding depth.  This has matured into a rich and flavorful Pinot, a classic Loring wine.  This has 14.8% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a twist off closure.  (93 pts)

 

 

2013 Bokisch Vineyards Tempranillo Lodi – $20.70

Bokisch Vineyards is one of my favorite Lodi wineries.  If you ever find yourself in Lodi, I highly recommend a stop at Bokisch.  Besides their top notch red wines, they make some of the best white wines anywhere.

 

The wine is a deep ruby red color.  The exotic nose has black cherries, crushed stone minerals, baking spices, blackberries, dry underbrush, roasted leafy herbs, wildflowers, white pepper and a touch of dark roast coffee beans.  This has medium body with soft to moderate tannins and very nice acidity.  Tart black cherries, baking spices, underbrush and wildflowers immediately grab your attention on the palate with minerals, tart berries and roasted herbs coming in later.  The finish has very nice length with dark roasted coffee beans and white pepper providing nice depth.  This has great balance and is very easy to enjoy.  Who says Lodi only makes big, bold red wines, this is full of subtle nuances with no rough edges.  This has 13.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (92 pts)

 

 

2008 One Time Spaceman Moon Duck – $22.79

This is a blend of 40% Mourvedre, 30% Syrah, 20% Grenache and 10% Tempranillo.

 

The wine is a deep ruby red color.  The alluring nose has blackberries, crushed stones, cherries, baking spices, dark chocolate, licorice, black peppercorns, dried violets and underbrush.  This has a medium to full body with moderate to solid tannins and very good acidity.  On the palate blackberries, minerals, licorice and baking spices take control on the front end with cherries, black pepper and dark chocolate coming in later.  The finish adds a nice underbrush element as well as a floral note.  This wine is at its peak drinking window and should hold for a couple years.  For the price, this is as good as it gets.  This has 15.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (94 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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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!