Cliff's Wine Picks

 

2009 Loring Wine Company Brut Rosé Late Disgorged

2008 Rhys Pinot Noir Alpine Vineyard

2010 Bedrock Wine Co. Heirloom Wine Pagani Ranch

2005 Mitolo Shiraz Reiver

2013 Taken Wine Co. Taken

2012 Bedrock Wine Co. Sauvignon Blanc Kick Ranch

 

 

 

2009 Loring Wine Company Brut Rosé Late Disgorged – $55.00

This wine is from the 2009 vintage but was not “disgorged” until May 2015.

 

The wine is a fairly deep salmon pink color with several streams of very persistent pinpoint sized bubbles.  The very inviting nose has cherries, apples, toasted yeasty bread, strawberries, crushed stones, roasted nuts and lime zest.  This has light to medium body with crisp acidity and just a hint of lingering sweetness.  On the palate bright red fruit, toasted bread and minerals quick take control with apples and crushed stones coming in later.  The finish has nice length with a hint of roasted nuts and mouthwatering lime zest entering the picture.  This is a nice, festive bubbly perfect with a gathering of friends.  This has 12.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with an old school crown cap.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

2008 Rhys Pinot Noir Alpine Vineyard – $59.00

Alpine Vineyard lies between 1200 and 1490 feet above sea-level 10 miles from the Pacific Ocean.  The vineyard is broken down into 16 blocks, each only .5 acre in size.  Each block is planted with a different clone, 12 are different selections of Pinot Noir and 4 are different selections of Chardonnay.

 

The wine is a deep, dark ruby color.  The sensuous nose has black cherries, earthy underbrush, minerals, charred wood, warm baking spices, raspberries, cola and white pepper.  This has medium body with moderate tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate black cherries, underbrush, charred wood and baking spices quickly grab your attention with raspberries, minerals and white pepper coming in later.  The finish has great length with waves of fruit and savory notes seeming to linger forever.  This has great balance will probably improve over the next few years and drink very nicely for another decade.  This is a very stylish and refined Pinot that isn’t made to wow you with up front fruit, that said, it will wow you.  This has 13.3% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (94 pts)

 

 

 

2010 Bedrock Wine Co. Heirloom Wine Pagani Ranch – $37.00

This is a field-blend of Zinfandel, Alicante Bouschet, Grand Noir de la Calmette, Petite Sirah, and Lenoir.

 

The wine is a deep maroon color.  The sensuous nose has juicy blackberries, licorice, dusty minerals, cedar, worn leather, scorched earth, tobacco, cracked black peppercorns, dark chocolate and dried flowers.  This has a full body with solid tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate blackberries, black pepper and dusty minerals jump out first with cedar and scorched earth coming in later.  The finish has great length with a dried floral note and dark chocolate entering the picture.  This is a very easy to drink and love wine with a velvety texture and enough acidity to hold everything together.  This has 15.0% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (94 pts)

 

 

 

2005 Mitolo Shiraz Reiver – $20.59

Mitolo is one of the premiere wineries in Australia.  The winemaker, Ben Glaetzer, is one of the Australian superstars in the wine business.  This is an Aussie Shiraz that someone lost money on.  The release price was well north of $40 but I bought a case and a half for a touch over $20 a bottle from the local wine store.  This is my last bottle from that purchase.

 

The grapes for this wine come from a single vineyard in Greenock in the northern part of the Barossa Valley.

 

The wine is a deep, dark purple color, almost black.  The very deep and inviting nose is locked and loaded with blackberries, smoked meat, baking spices, vanilla, dark chocolate, cherries, charcoal, dried herbs and black pepper.  This has a fairly full body, solid, velvety tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate big fruit and spice quickly take hold allowing dried herbs, chocolate, and vanilla to slowly slip into the picture.  The finish is long with cherries and a big blast of black pepper adding considerable interest.  The wine has 14.5% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a Stelvin twist-off cap.  (94 pts)

 

 

 

2013 Taken Wine Co. Taken – $24.64

This is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot.  The wine spent 16 months in 50% new French oak barrels.

 

This is a deep purple color.  The explosive nose is full of blackberries, dark chocolate, vanilla, espresso beans and plums.  This has medium to full body with soft tannins and decent acidity.  On the palate blackberries, plums and dark chocolate quickly grab your attention with vanilla and espresso beans coming in later.  The finish has nice length and is totally fruit driven.  This is a fairly soft Cab blend that would be nice after dinner or to share with friends over conversation and a platter of appetizers.  I’d have liked a bit more structure and backbone.  This has 14.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (88 pts)

 

 

 

2012 Bedrock Wine Co. Sauvignon Blanc Kick Ranch – $22.00

This wine is from the Rincon Valley in Sonoma County.  The wine is fermented using native yeasts entirely in barrels, with 5% being new Acacia wood.

 

The wine is a bright straw yellow color.  The open and expressive nose has apples, gooseberry, spice, lemon zest, orange blossoms, minerals, light leafy herbal notes and a hint of roasted nuts.  This has medium body with crisp acidity.  On the palate tart apples, spice, slate minerals and gooseberry jump out on the front end with orange blossoms and a slight herbal note coming in on the back end.  The finish has good length with orange blossoms and tart lemon zest leaving your mouth watering for another sip.  This is drinking wonderfully today and it should hold for another year or two.  This has 14.1% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (92 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!