Cliff's Wine Picks

 

2012 Roblar Pinot Noir Mission Ranch Vineyard

2013 Bleasdale Shiraz “Bremerview”

Domaine Roger Luquet Crémant de Bourgogne

2012 Purple Hands Pinot Noir Stoller Vineyard

2008 Vieux Château Mazerat

2013 Anthill Farms Grenache Steel Plow Vineyard

 

 

 

2012 Roblar Pinot Noir Mission Ranch Vineyard – $9.91

This was another “steal” from Last Bottle wines, my favorite “flash” wine site.  If you use the provided link and sign up, you get an immediate $10 credit and I get a credit if/when you make a purchase.  Check them out, they have awesome deals and their Marathons are always something special.

 

This is 100% Pinot Noir from the Mission Ranch Vineyard in the Arroyo Seco Valley.  The wine was aged for 22 months in French oak barrels.

 

The wine is a bright garnet red color.  The outgoing nose has black cherries, scorched earth, plums, minerals, white pepper, and vanilla bean.  This has a medium body with soft tannins and nice acidity.  On the palate black cherries, minerals and white pepper quickly grab your attention on the front end with scorched earth and spices coming in on the back end.  The finish has nice length with plums and vanilla bean providing some depth.  This doesn’t offer a lot of complexity but for $10 this is a great week night Pinot Noir.  This has 15.4% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with an agglomerated cork.  (89 pts)

 

 

 

2013 Bleasdale Shiraz “Bremerview” – $15

This was another “steal” from Last Bottle wines, my favorite “flash” wine site.  If you use the provided link and sign up, you get an immediate $10 credit and I get a credit if/when you make a purchase.  Check them out, they have awesome deals and their Marathons are always something special.

 

The wine is a deep maroon color.  The flamboyant nose is full of blackberries, blueberries, freshly ground espresso beans, baking spices, white pepper, dark bittersweet chocolate and crushed stones.  This has a full body with moderate very ripe tannins and decent acidity.  On the palate the front end is full of crushed blackberries and blueberries, later espresso beans and spices break through the wall of fruit.  The finish is long and rich with pepper, chocolate and minerals providing great depth.  This is pretty much a fruit bomb but with enough savory notes to keep it from getting boring.  This has 13.9% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a twist off closure.  (88 pts)

 

 

 

Domaine Roger Luquet Crémant de Bourgogne – $17.99

This sparkling wine is 100% Chardonnay.

 

The wine is a bright straw yellow color with a very persistent stream of pinpoint sized bubbles.  The exuberant nose has apples, freshly baked yeasty bread, minerals, lemon zest, orange blossoms and a spritz of lime.  This has light to medium body with crisp acidity and very nice effervescence.   On the palate apples, minerals and yeasty bread grab control on the front end with orange blossoms coming in later.  The finish has very nice length with lemon zest and a touch of lime providing great depth that leaves your mouth watering for another sip.  This offers great QPR!  This has 12% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a standard Champagne cork.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2012 Purple Hands Pinot Noir Stoller Vineyard – $24.69

There were 700 cases of this 100% Pinot Noir produced.  This is a blend of the 777 and Wädenswil clones.

 

The wine is an intense ruby color.  The spellbinding nose has blackberries, black cherries, Asian spice, candied violets, stony minerals and dried wildflowers with just a hint of smoke and forest floor.  This has medium body with moderate tannins and very good acidity.  On the palate this kicks it up a notch with intense dark fruit and spice up front with minerals and dried flowers coming in later.  The finish is very long with some earthiness and a touch of dark chocolate adding even more depth and complexity.  This is in a prime drinking window and should drink very nicely through at least the end of the decade, probably longer.  The wine has 12.5% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (93 pts)

 

 

 

2008 Vieux Château Mazerat – $39.39

This was another “steal” from Last Bottle wines, my favorite “flash” wine site.  If you use the provided link and sign up, you get an immediate $10 credit and I get a credit if/when you make a purchase.  Check them out, they have awesome deals and their Marathons are always something special.  In this case, a quick search on Wine Searcher showed most stores are charging around $60 for this wine.

 

This wine is a blend of 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Franc from the Saint Emilion region in Bordeaux.  The wine is a deep maroon color.  The sophisticated and inviting nose has black cherries, dusty minerals, plums, roasted leafy herbs, dry underbrush, charred wood and violets. This has medium to full body with moderate tannins and good acidity.  On the palate dark fruit, minerals and dried leafy herbs jump out quickly on the front end with charred wood and underbrush coming in later.  The finish has great length with a nice floral note entering the picture.  This is rich and silky and a pleasure to have with a nice meal.  This is drinking nicely now and will last for another decade or more.  Great job!  This has 13.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (93 pts)

 

 

 

2013 Anthill Farms Grenache Steel Plow Vineyard – $18.00

Just about every year Anthill Farms produces a “one-off” wine.  This is a wine that usually doesn’t become part of their wines produced every year.  I say usually because several years ago their one-off wine was a Syrah from Windsor Oaks Vineyard that was so popular it was added to their annual offerings.  This is a one-off wine from a couple years ago from the volcanic soils of the Sonoma Valley.

 

The wine is a very light ruby red color, just a touch darker than some Rosé wines.  The inviting nose has cherries, baking spice, crushed stones, white pepper, wild flowers and a touch of dried herbs.  This has medium body with moderate tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate spicy, tart cherries, minerals and white pepper quickly take hold, slowly allowing some dried herbs to slip through.  The finish has nice length with cherries, white pepper and minerals seeming to linger forever.  This is very young so patience will be rewarded.  This has outstanding balance and is very food friendly.  This has 13.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural 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!