Cliff's Wine Picks

 

2013 Casey Flat Ranch Capay Valley

2010 Jaffe Estate Transformation

2015 LangeTwins Sauvignon Blanc Lodi

2010 Jean Edwards Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Seventy Four – Forty One Napa Valley

Lucien Albrecht Crémant d’Alsace Chardonnay Tradition Brut Réserve

2014 St. Amant Winery Zinfandel Old Vines Mohr-Fry Ranch Vineyard

 

 

 

2013 Casey Flat Ranch Capay Valley – $10

This bottle was purchased from Last Bottle wines, my favorite “flash” wine site.  This was actually a “mystery bottle” from one of their marathons.  I bought a case of wine for $10 a bottle and this was one of the bottles.  If you use the provided link and sign up, you get an immediate 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 a blend of 39% Syrah, 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc and 11% Mourvedre

 

The wine is a deep, dark ruby red color.  The muscular nose has blackberries, scorched earth, dried leafy herbs, dusty minerals, cassis, licorice, baking spices, black cherries and dry underbrush.  This has medium to full body with moderate to solid tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate blackberries, minerals, baking spices and scorched earth pop out on the front end with dried herbs and black cherries coming in later.  The finish has good length with dry underbrush and licorice providing depth.  This is on the young side, the best days are another year or two down the road.  This has 14.8% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2010 Jaffe Estate Transformation – $34

This bottle was purchased from Last Bottle wines, my favorite “flash” wine site.  If you use the provided link and sign up, you get an immediate 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 a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Merlot.  I really like Jaffe Estate and get any of their wine I can get my hands on.

 

The wine is a saturated ruby red color.  The open and easy nose has cassis, roasted leafy herbs, black cherries, cedar, tobacco, freshly ground espresso beans, dark chocolate, baking spices and dried violets.  This has medium body with moderate tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate cassis, cedar, baking spices and tobacco grab your attention quickly on the front end with espresso beans, dark chocolate and roasted herbs coming in later.  The finish has nice length with a dried floral note joining the fruit, spice and cedar.  This wine is a big, smooth wine but there are more than enough savory elements to keep it well clear of the fruit bomb category.  This has nice balance and more importantly, it tastes great.  This has 14.7% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2015 LangeTwins Sauvignon Blanc Lodi – $10

I’m a big fan of wines from Lodi.  If your past experiences of Lodi wines are limited to big red wines, especially Zinfandel, I highly recommend checking out their crisp white and rosé wines.  These wine will make you a fan.

 

The wine is a pale yellow color with a very slight green tint.  The crisp and fresh nose has tart apples, dusty minerals, lemongrass, lime zest, under ripe pineapple and a spritz of grapefruit.  This has medium body with crisp acidity and just a hint of residual sweetness.  On the palate tart apples, minerals and lemongrass quickly grab your attention with lime zest and a hint of pineapple coming in later.  The mouthwatering finish has good length with a touch of grapefruit joining the tart apples and minerals.  This would be perfect with a light meal on the deck or patio on a warm, sunny day.  The hint of sweetness would also make this a marvelous way to relax before dinner.  This has 12.8% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a twist off closure.  (89 pts)

 

 

 

2010 Jean Edwards Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Seventy Four – Forty One Napa Valley – SRP $55

Jean Edwards Cellars is one of my favorite Cabernet producers in Napa.  Even though they taste great upon release with some air, they really open up and start strutting their stuff with a couple years in the cellar.  If you aren’t familiar with their wines, check them out online.  The distribution of the wines across the country is growing, so depending on where you are, they may be on the shelf at your local wine store.

 

The wine is a deep ruby red color.  The intense nose has cassis, dusty minerals, cedar, tobacco, white pepper, dry earth, violets, baking spices and licorice.  This has medium to full body with moderate to solid tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate cassis, minerals, tobacco and cedar quickly grab your attention with white pepper and baking spices coming in later.  The finish has very good length with dry earth and violets providing nice depth.  This tastes great today with some air but some additional cellar time will be rewarded.  There is no hurry opening this wine, it will last another decade, probably more.  Another great job from a winery you have to check out.  This has 14.3% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (94 pts)

 

 

 

What is better than a nice Cabernet Sauvignon and a piece of beef?  In this case, I prepared a (boneless) Prime Rib with the Sous-Vide at 127 degrees for about 6 hours and finished it off on a smoking hot grill for about a minute per side.  The finished product was a perfect rare to medium-rare from the edge to the center.  This was only my second use of the Sous Vide but the results were magnificent.

 

 

 

Lucien Albrecht Crémant d’Alsace Chardonnay Tradition Brut Réserve – $19.29

I’ve been a big fan of Albrecht Crémant wines for several years.  Since my local Total Wine carries these wines, there are always a few bottles in my cellar.

 

The wine is a light golden straw color with a steady stream of pinpoint sized bubbles.  The festive nose has tart green apples, freshly baked bread, crushed stone minerals and lemon zest.  This has light to medium body and seems to be almost totally dry with crisp acidity and great inner mouth effervescence.  On the palate tart apples, minerals and yeasty bread quickly grab your attention with lemon zest coming in on the back end.  The finish has nice length.  This isn’t the most complex bubbly out there but for under $20 it’s still very tasty.  I wouldn’t open this for a holiday celebration but for some casual bubbly, it’s a keeper.  This has 12% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a standard Champagne cork.  (88 pts)

 

 

 

2014 St. Amant Winery Zinfandel Old Vines Mohr-Fry Ranch Vineyard – $16.71

I’ve been a fan of St Amant Winery zinfandels for several years.  It was great visiting with the Stuart Spencer, the winemaker for St Amant as well as Jerry Fry, the owner/grower at this vineyard during a trip to Lodi last year.  Even though I’ve loved past vintages of this wine, I think this is their best effort to date.  I’m extremely fortunate to have a Total Wine store in the area that carries this wine so I always have a few bottles in my cellar.  If you live near a Total Wine, I highly recommend grabbing a bottle of this wine on your next shopping trip.

 

The wine is a dark ruby red color.  The very appealing nose has brambly berries, dusty minerals, licorice, black pepper, cherries, charred underbrush, violets and a hint of mint.  This has medium to full body with moderate tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate brambly berries, minerals and black pepper quickly take control with underbrush and cherries slipping through on the back end.  The finish has very good length with a nice floral note and just a hint of mint adding good depth.  This is drinking very nicely now with some air but some cellar time will be rewarded.  This has great balance and is easy to enjoy.  A great effort.  This has 15.5% alcohol, which was a surprise to me, not a trace shows through any where.  The bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (93 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!