Cliff's Wine Picks

 

2014 Giesen Sauvignon Blanc

2007 Agharta Wines Black Label

2016 Villa Creek Rosé

2012 Kessler-Haak Pinot Noir Ohana

2012 Columbia Crest H3 Les Chevaux

2006 Rudius Syrah Spirit Rock Alder Springs

 

 

 

2014 Giesen Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough – $11.04

This wine is made from a blend of grapes from 60 vineyards spread across the length and breadth of Marlborough’s Wairau Valley.  This vintage also has a small selection of fruit from the more southern Awatere Valley.

 

The wine is a pale yellow with a green tint.  The invigorating and refreshing nose has tart green apples, lemongrass, lime zest and a hint of green pea.  This has light body with crisp acidity and seems to be totally dry.  On the palate tart apples, lemongrass and a touch of green pea come through on the front end with lime zest coming in later.  The finish has nice length with lemongrass and crisp lime zest leaving your mouth watering for another sip.  This may not be loaded with complexity but the bright flavors and crisp acidity make it a winner on a sunny day.  This is very easy to sip.  This has 12.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a twist off closure.  (89 pts)

 

 

 

2007 Agharta Wines Black Label – $75

First some info for the wine geeks from the winery:

This wine spent 57 months in barrel, 55% was new French oak.  The final selection process yielded only a 20 barrel-lot, which is composed of 100% Alder Springs fruit.  Eleven of the selected barrels were new in 2007, from coopers Darnajou, Ermitage, François Frère & Meyrieux, the remaining barrels were of varying ages, but all were essentially neutral when the wine went into them.  Four of the barrels were co-fermented with Viognier and they were clearly loaded with a succulent lift in their aromas.  Only two of the barrels came from fruit that was de-stemmed.  The freshest and most concentrated barrels included 100% whole-clusters, with some of the more open knit and exotic barrels having received some partial de-stemming, giving them some more evolved and exotic characteristics, that worked well in the final blend.

This is 98% Syrah and 2% Viognier.  85% were whole-cluster.

 

The wine is a deep, inky purple color.  The sexy nose has blackberries, blueberries, charcoal, dark bittersweet chocolate, road tar, plums, violets, licorice and black pepper.  This has a full body with moderate to solid tannins and good acidity.  A barrage of berries, charcoal, dark chocolate and road tar quickly engulf your palate on the front end with plums, charcoal and black pepper coming in later.  The long finish adds licorice and a nice floral note.  This is a loaded wine but with the structure and savory notes that keep it out of the “fruit bomb” category.  This isn’t for you if you are looking for a lighter style of nuanced wine.  This will last in the cellar for several more years but I wouldn’t plan on cellaring it for an extended length of time, this needs opened before the acidity and tannin levels decrease to the point they can’t support the body and flavor, figure 5 to 7 more years.  This has 15.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (94 pts)

 

 

 

2016 Villa Creek Rosé – $19.20

Villa Creek (as well as Bedrock) are the two wineries that always receive an order from me for their Rosé wine.  Villa Creek is a personal favorite winery of mine.  They are located in Paso Robles and utilize some of the “big name” vineyards in the region as well as their own vineyards.  To me, they make some of the best, reasonably priced red wines coming out of Paso Robles.

 

This vintage is a blend of 75% Mourvedre, 20% Grenache and 5% Carignan from Luna Matta and Denner Vineyards in Paso Robles.

 

The wine is a salmon pink color.  The intoxicating nose has cherries, strawberries, crushed stone minerals, wildflowers, peaches, subtle dry earth and orange zest.  On the palate red fruit and minerals quickly grab your attention with peaches and wildflowers coming in later.  The juicy finish has very good length with nice depth being provided by orange zest and a hint of dry earthiness.  The is crisp, clean and dry, perfect for a warm afternoon lunch or lighter dinner on the deck or patio.  This has 13.2% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

2012 Kessler-Haak Pinot Noir Ohana – $25

This is a new winery for me.  I would take the review below with a grain of salt, even though the bottle didn’t show serious leakage, there was a distinct “red line” extending the length of the cork it may have been subjected to some heat.

 

The wine is a deep maroon color.  The deep and mysterious nose has black cherries, blackberries, earthy underbrush, dark chocolate, white pepper, baking spices, dead wood embers and dried flowers.  This has medium to full body with soft to moderate ripe tannins and decent acidity.  On the palate dark fruit, baking spices and earthy underbrush quickly jump out on the front end with dark chocolate and wood embers coming in later.  The finish has nice length with white pepper and a dried floral note providing some depth.  This would be hard, if not impossible, to guess it was a Pinot Noir.  This could use a bit more acidity to help keep the big body and flavors in check.  This has 14.6% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with an agglomerated cork.  (86 pts)

 

 

 

2012 Columbia Crest H3 Les Chevaux – $12.74

This wine is a blend of 60% Syrah, 27% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 4% Viognier, 2% Malbec and 3% Other Varietals.

 

The wine is a deep maroon color.  The open and giving nose has blackberries, black cherries, plums, baking spices, scorched earth and roasted leafy herbs.  This has medium to full body with soft tannins and decent acidity.  On the palate dark fruit and baking spices come through on the front end with scorched earth coming in later.  The finish has nice length with a roasted herb note providing some depth.  This doesn’t offer a lot in the complexity department but the big flavors and the low price point make this a winner to serve to a gathering of friends or a leisurely weeknight meal.  This has 14.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with an agglomerated cork.  (87 pts)

 

 

 

2006 Rudius Syrah Spirit Rock Alder Springs – $45

This is one of the first wines I bought from Jeff Ames’ mailing list for Rudius.  I highly recommend checking out the winery and joining their mailing list.

 

The wine is a deep purple color.  The deep and dark nose firmly places this wine on the dark and wild side of the Syrah spectrum with roasted game, blackberry liqueur, black pepper, olive tapenade, plums, soy sauce, cocoa powder and damp underbrush.  This full bodied gem has moderate to solid tannins and nice acidity.  The wild game and berries dominate the front end on the palate with black olives, pepper and dark chocolate coming in on the back end.  The long finish adds some building earthiness and soy.  This is drinking very nicely right now but a touch of alcohol pokes through at times so I’d advise opening this one in the next couple of years before it becomes more prominent.  This has 15.7% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (93 pts)

 

 

 

 

I am a big fan of the “Flash Wine Sale” site Last Bottle.  Some of the wines in this post may have 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!