2006 Terre di Talamo Morellino di Scansano Tempo Riserva

2010 Two Hands Shiraz Gnarly Dudes

2009 Villa Creek Garnacha Denner Vineyard

2011 Two Hands Cabernet Sauvignon Sexy Beast

2011 Exitus

2007 Ridge Geyserville

 

 

 

2006 Terre di Talamo Morellino di Scansano Tempo Riserva – $13.59

This was an unfamiliar wine when I saw it on the shelf at a local wine store.  Since I had a coupon worth 20% off on “old world” wine and we always seem to be low on Italian wines, I had to grab a bottle.  Since the bottle already had a couple years of age “under its belt”, I’m hoping it’s good to go.  This wine is 90% Sangiovese, 5% Alicante, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon.

 

The wine has 14.0% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a dull ruby color with some bricking at the edge.  The pleasurable nose has cherries, dusty minerals, baking spices, underbrush, roasted herbs, vanilla bean and dried violets.  This has medium body with very good acidity and just a touch of tannins.  On the palate cherry and dusty minerals grab hold first, slowly allowing spices and roasted herbs to slip into the picture.  The finish has good length with some underbrush and a touch of dark chocolate coming in late.  This was a steal at well under $15.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2010 Two Hands Shiraz Gnarly Dudes – $32.99

In July 2012, the store where we used to live brought this in at a great price, under $25 a bottle.  Those bottles are long gone, but when I saw this on the shelf of a store near our new home, I had to grab a bottle even though the cost was not as low.  Two Hands is one of my wife’s favorite wineries so it was nice to open something I knew she would appreciate.

 

Gnarly Dudes is made with fruit sourced from mature vineyards from the Barossa’s western ranges.

 

The lots making up this wine were crushed into and fermented in 3, 5, 7 and 10 ton open top vessels.  Three daily pump overs were performed during the peak of fermentation to extract flavor, color and tannins.  The batches were drained and pressed to tank, then racked to barrel for oak maturation where malolactic fermentation occurred.  All batches were kept separate and blended just prior to bottling.  The wine was aged 14 months in hogsheads, 11% new French oak with the balance in 1 to 4 year old French oak

 

This wine has 14.8% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a twist off cap.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a dark, inky, purple color.  The burly nose has blackberries, smoke, dark chocolate, plums, meat juices, black pepper, Asian spices, minerals, melted licorice, charcoal, and fresh wild flowers.  The wine is medium to full body with solid, ripe tannins, and good acidity.  On the palate there are loads of spicy, smoky, meaty berries with plums and dark chocolate coming in on the back end to add even more depth.  The finish is long, juicy, and flavorful.  A seamless, balanced, full flavored Shiraz with no rough edges.  Enjoyable now and for the next five years.  (94 pts)

 

 

 

2009 Villa Creek Garnacha Denner Vineyard – $33.60

This wine is 100% Grenache from the Denner Vineyard in Paso Robles.

 

This is the first year Villa Creek used concrete vats for a portion of the Grenache, which was fermented with 50% whole clusters. The other two lots were fermented in steel and aged in 500 liter barrels, 50% new.

 

The wine has 15.2% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork with wax coating.  There were 360 cases produced.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright red color with a ruby tint.  The sensuous nose has ripe cherries, crushed stone minerals, plums, licorice, dried herbs, dried flowers and a touch of scorched earth.  This has medium to full body with moderate to solid tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate the ripe cherries and stony minerals jump out quickly with dried herbs and dried earth coming in later.  The finish is long and lingering with licorice and a nice floral note entering the picture and adding good depth.  This is very easy to drink now and should provide plenty of pleasure over the next couple of years.  (93 pts)

 

 

 

2011 Two Hands Cabernet Sauvignon Sexy Beast – $39.99

Two Hands is one of my wife’s favorite wineries so I have to grab a bottle or two any time I see them on a store’s shelf.  I bought this bottle at the same time I grabbed the Gnarly Dudes also on this post.

 

This wine is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Australia’s McLaren Vale region.

 

The lots that went into this wine were crushed into and fermented in open top vessels.  There were three daily pump overs to extract flavors, color and tannins.  The average time ‘on skins’ was 14 days.  The batches were then drained and pressed to tank and then racked to barrel for oak maturation.  The wine was aged 14 months in hogsheads: 12% new French oak, balance in one to four year old French oak.

 

This wine has 14.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a twist off cap.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep maroon color.  The relaxing nose has ripe cassis, licorice, baking spices, pencil shavings and a hint of roasted herbs.  This has a medium to full body with moderate ripe tannins and decent acidity.  Ripe, rich fruit and spice coat the palate on the front end with a bit of roasted herbs coming in later.  The finish has good length with pencil shavings and a touch of earthiness entering the picture.  This wine is very easy to drink and enjoy.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2011 Exitus – $9.49

A local wine store had this opened for a tasting.  The wine had a suggested price of $25.99, which far exceeded its value.  To me the wine was simply an easy drinking wine to enjoy with friends at the end of an evening.  For their event price of $9.99, the wine seemed to be fairly priced, so I grabbed a couple bottles.

 

This wine is a blend of 60% Syrah from Monterey, 31% Merlot from Monterey and 9% Cabernet Sauvignon from California.

 

The wine has 13.5% alcohol by volume and the bottle was sealed with an artificial cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine was a deep ruby to purple color.  The comforting nose has blackberries, roasted herbs, cherries, white pepper, licorice and subtle earthiness.  This has medium body with soft to moderate tannins and decent acidity.  On the palate ripe fruit and spice jump out first with roasted herbs coming in later.  The finish has decent length with a touch of earthiness entering the picture.  The wine leaves a slightly sweet final impression on the palate.  (87 pts)

 

 

 

2007 Ridge Geyserville – $23.74

I always have a hard time choosing a favorite between the Ridge Lytton Springs and the Ridge Geyserville wines.  Both are zinfandel based blends but since Zinfandel generally constitutes less than 75% of the blend, they aren’t labeled as a Zinfandel.  This vintage is a blend of 58% Zinfandel, 22% Carignane, 18% Petite Sirah, 2% Mataro (Mourvedre).  This wine is disappearing from my cellar at a fairly fast rate of speed, of the 15 bottles I originally purchased; I now have less than half remaining.

 

The alcohol is listed at 14.4% and this uses a natural cork closure.

 

Winery history

The history of Ridge Vineyards begins in 1885, when Osea Perrone, a doctor who became a prominent member of San Francisco’s Italian community, bought 180 acres near the top of Monte Bello Ridge.  He terraced the slopes and planted vineyards; using native limestone, he constructed the Monte Bello Winery, producing the first vintage under that name in 1892.  This unique cellar, built into the mountainside on three levels, is Ridge’s production facility.  At 2600′, it is surrounded by the “upper vineyard.”

 

In the 1940s, William Short, a theologian, bought the abandoned winery and vineyard just below the Perrone property; he replanted several parcels to cabernet sauvignon in the late 1940s.  From these vines — now the “middle vineyard”— new owners Dave Bennion and his three partners, all Stanford Research Institute engineers, made a quarter-barrel of “estate” cabernet.  That Monte Bello Cabernet was among California’s finest wines of the era.  Its quality and distinctive character, and the wines produced from these same vines in 1960 and ’61, convinced the partners to re-bond the winery in time for the 1962 vintage.

 

The first zinfandel was made in 1964, from a small nineteenth-century vineyard farther down the ridge.  This was followed in 1966 by the first Geyserville zinfandel.  The founding families reclaimed the Monte Bello terraces, increasing vineyard size from fifteen to forty-five acres.  Working on weekends, they made wines of regional character and unprecedented intensity.  By 1968, production had increased to just under three thousand cases per year, and in 1969, Paul Draper joined the partnership.  A Stanford graduate in philosophy—recently returned from setting up a winery in Chile’s coast range—he was a practical winemaker, not an enologist.  His knowledge of fine wines and traditional methods complemented the straightforward “hands off” approach pioneered at Ridge.  Under his guidance the old Perrone winery (acquired the previous year) was restored, the finest vineyard lands leased or purchased, the consistent quality and international reputation of the wines established.  Cabernet and Zinfandel account for most of the production; Syrah, Grenache, Carignane, and Petite Sirah constitute a small percentage.  Known primarily for its red wines, Ridge has also made limited amounts of chardonnay since 1962.

 

Lytton Springs, in Sonoma County, became part of the Ridge estate in 1991.  A quarter century’s experience with this vineyard had convinced us that it was an exceptional piece of ground.  Forty consecutive vintages of Geyserville attest to yet another stunning combination of location and varietals.  Though born in the early sixties to the post-Prohibition world of modern California winemaking, Ridge relies on nature and tradition rather than technology.  Our approach is straightforward: find intense, flavorful grapes; intrude upon the process only when necessary; draw the fruit’s distinctive character and richness into the wine.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep ruby to maroon color.  The very enticing nose has brambly berries, cherry, black pepper, licorice, warm baking spices, charred meat, forest floor, and a touch of vanilla.  This has medium body, fairly solid tannins, and very nice acidity.  The palate has nice up front fruit and spice with more spice, licorice, and meaty elements coming in on the back end.  The finish is long with spice laden fruit slowly giving way to more earthy elements that seem to linger forever.  This is in a very nice drinking window and should hold for at least a few more years.  (92 pts)

 

 

I decided to try something different to pair with the Ridge Geyserville.  I have a pellet grill that I use to smoke meat and decided to see how a chicken would turn out.  I started with a five to six pound whole fryer.  After brining it overnight in water with kosher salt and brown sugar, I rinsed it off with cold water, patted it dry and coated it with my spice rub.  The bird then went into the pellet grill for 6 hours at 180 degrees.  For the last hour, I upped the temperature to 225.

 

Here is the finished chicken.  It was very tender and extremely juicy with just a touch of spice from the dry rub and it had a very nice smoky aroma and taste.  The chick and the wine worked very nicely together.

 

 

Connect with me

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.

 

If you like this post, consider joining Cliffs Wine Picks Wine Blog on Facebook and giving me a Like.

 

Cheers!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 2015 Cliff’s Wine Picks.

All rights reserved.

 

 

 

***** Shameless Self Promotion *****

 

Here is a link to a YouTube video of me getting “coal” from Santa for being named the “Nicest Person in Social Media” in 2012.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOvQTeGR3-c

 

 

 

Breaking news from Klout:

 

 

Cliff’s Wine Picks mentions or other posts

Here are posts, newsletters, blogs or other articles that either mention this site or that I have written:

 

Click here or on the “Cliff’s Wine Picks On Other Sites” link in the top right corner to see links to other sites that either have my reviews, my thoughts or other posts I have written.

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

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!

 

 

2005 Copain Syrah Harrison Clarke

2009 Foncalieu Côtes du Rhône Villages St. Gervais La Réserve du Crouzau

2010 Treasure Hunter Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Panjanatan Paso Robles

2008 Big Basin Vineyards Odeon

2008 Villa Creek Avenger

2007 Vincent Arroyo Petite Sirah

 

 

Due to ongoing unpacking and organizing from our move and the holiday season, most of these wines only have a tasting note without any other text.  These posts should return to normal next week.

 

 

 

2005 Copain Syrah Harrison Clarke – $40.00

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark purple color.  The deep and dark nose has blackberries, olive tapenade, minerals, wood smoke, black pepper, vanilla bean, blueberries and damp earth.  The wine has medium body with fairly resolved tannins and good acidity.  On the palate olives and berries pop out first with black pepper and damp earth coming in on the back end.  The olives and earthy elements linger on the decently long finish.  I’d advise consuming this wine over the next year, maybe two.  (88 pts)

 

 

 

2009 Foncalieu Côtes du Rhône Villages St. Gervais La Réserve du Crouzau – $8.95

I bought several bottles of this wine at the local store at a fantastic price.  I’ve held off opening a bottle for six months, but I really want to open one.  These could probably use another 6 months to a year in the cellar, but it’s time to check in and get a read on how long before these hit their stride.

 

Winery history

Les Vignobles Foncalieu are like no other cooperative.  Their technical teams include international talents who revel in this mosaic of huge terroirs.  So it comes as no surprise to learn that Michel Bataille and the 1,200 winegrowing estate owners made the choice to produce upmarket wines.  In order to achieve excellence in terms of quality, they have invested in cutting-edge facilities.

 

IN THE VINES

Very strict vine management specifications: pruning, green harvesting, picking dates, convocation to the vine plot…

GIS (geographic information system) cartography.

Computerized plot monitoring.

High-tech ripeness tracking.

Grape analysis, segmentation and control over the harvest adapted to the product profile with Dyostem©.

 

IN THE WINERY

Creation of a vinification plan for all the vineyards, taking account of client needs and brand profiles.

Precise definition of aromatic profiles.

Full traceability process guaranteeing regularity in the quality of wines.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a dark ruby color.  The outstanding nose has black cherries, blackberries, minerals, dried herbs, charred meat, earthy underbrush, and violets.  This has medium body, fairly solid tannins, and very good acidity.  The palate has very nice fruit and dried herbs with some spice and earthy elements in the background.  The finish shows considerable promise until the tannins and acidity kick in clipping it a bit.  Give this one another year in the cellar or give it some air.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2010 Treasure Hunter Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Panjanatan Paso Robles – $19.79

I grabbed several bottles of this wine, since a social media friend, Mark Adams, was the wine maker.  I’m glad I loaded up since the past few bottles have all been very good.  It’s always nice to get a good Cabernet for around $20.  Mark Adams is also the owner/wine maker of Ledge Vineyards and the Assistant Wine Maker for Saxum.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark ruby to maroon color.  The deep and dark nose has blackberries, cassis, cedar, dried herbs, minerals, smoke, licorice, baking spices, and violets.  This has medium to full body with fairly solid, ripe tannins and good acidity.  The wine is rich and velvety on the palate with spicy fruit, dried herbs, and minerals leading the way.  The finish is fairly long with nice spicy fruit, dried herbs, and a touch of earthiness.  A nice, rich, but not over the top Cabernet from Paso Robles.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2008 Big Basin Vineyards Odeon – $40.00

For the last few years I’ve felt Big Basin was one of the wineries to keep an eye on.  I think they are one big score away from popping onto most wine drinker’s radar.  Could they become the next Saxum?  In my opinion, the sky is the limit for this winery.

 

This is a blend of 57% Santa Cruz County Syrah and 43% Monterrey County Cabernet Sauvignon.

 

The wine has 15.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

Winery history

Big Basin Vineyards was founded in 1998 in the Santa Cruz Mountains next to Big Basin Redwoods State Park, with a new winery building completed in 2003.  Proprietor and wine maker Bradley Brown sources his wines from three Estate Vineyards – Rattlesnake Rock, Old Corral Block and Homestead Block.  All of the Estate vineyards are planted to Alban Selections on steep hillsides with mudstone and shale soils – 7 acres of Syrah, 2 acres of Grenache and 1 acre of Roussanne – and are farmed organically.  Additionally, Bradley works closely with Coastview Vineyard located at 2400 ft on a mountain top in the Gabilan Mountains overlooking the Salinas Valley and Monterey Bay (several miles due south of Mt. Harlan).  He has contracted with the vineyard to purchase Syrah planted in 1998 and to bud over certain sections of the vineyard to Pinot Noir and Grenache (in 2008) and plant a new block to an Alban selection of Syrah.  This vineyard is also farmed organically and managed according to Bradley’s direction.  Beginning in 2006, Big Basin started making Pinot Noir sourced from the Santa Cruz Mountains.  As of 2009, Big Basin is making three different single vineyard Pinots from the Santa Cruz Mountains (Alfaro Family, Lester Family and Woodruff Family Vineyards), plus the Pinot from Coastview Vineyard in the Gabilan Mountains.

 

Much more information is available on their website.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep purple color.  The stunning nose has cassis, charred meat, vanilla, dark chocolate, minerals, blueberries, and a touch of cedar.  This has a full body, moderate ripe tannins and decent acidity.  On the palate this is very big, rich and plush.  Though it pushes the ripeness to the top, it does not go over.  This is loaded with fruit and savory elements on the palate with a nice tannic backbone and just enough acidity to hold it all together.  The finish is impressively long and decadent.  I don’t think I’d want to stash this in the cellar for too long, but this will offer a lot of pleasure over the next few years.  (94 pts)

 

 

 

2008 Villa Creek Avenger – $29.75

The Avenger is my favorite wine from the Paso Robles based Villa Creek.  This is generally a full bodied, big boned, and brawny Rhone Ranger blend.  This vintage is a blend of 70% Syrah, 15% Mourvedre and 15% Grenache from the Booker Vineyard in Paso Robles.  I have been and probably will always be a big fan of this winery.  This is the last winery that I get an automatic shipment at every release and usually add on extra bottles.  In my house, there is no such thing as having too much Villa Creek in the cellar.

 

Winery history

In the spirit of the great wine producers of the southern Rhone and the bodegas of Rioja and Priorat, blending is what Villa Creek does best.  The area’s finest Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and Tempranillo Vineyards are just a stone’s throw from the west Paso Robles winery where these blends are lovingly produced by winemaker Cris Cherry and his wife JoAnn.

 

The grapes of the area’s most progressive vineyards, James Berry, Denner, Ohana and Booker, currently grace the wines of Villa Creek Cellars.  Per acre contracts insure that the fruit comes off the same blocks each vintage.  The Cherry’s own 70 acre estate on the west side of Paso Robles boasts elevations of 1400-1800 feet, calcareous soils, south facing slopes and ample water.  In the spring of 2012, the Cherry’s finished planting their first grape vines, 3.5 acres of Grenache.  They look forward to planting Mourvèdre and Carignan in the months to come.

 

Much more information is available on their website.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark, ruby red color.  The sexy and inviting nose has black raspberries, graphite, incense, cherries, plums, fresh wild flowers, melted licorice, vanilla, dark chocolate, and some subtle earthiness.  This has a full body, fairly solid tannins, and very nice acidity.  On the palate, besides a load of nice fruit, there are abundant amounts of dark chocolate, pepper, vanilla, and a floral element.  The finish is very long and highlighted by juicy, crushed berries, dark chocolate, and a some earthiness.  This is still on the young side and improved greatly with some air.  No hurry on this one, enjoy it over the rest of the decade.  (94 pts)

 

 

 

2007 Vincent Arroyo Petite Sirah – $28.80

 

This wine has 13.77% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep purple color.  The nose is full of blackberries, crushed stone minerals, vanilla, fresh ground espresso beans, white pepper and a touch of barnyard.  This has medium to full body with good acidity and moderate to solid tannins.  On the palate blackberries, espresso beans, stony minerals and vanilla grab hold first with white pepper coming in on the back end.  The finish has very nice length with some barnyard entering the picture.  This wine is entering a nice drinking period and can be enjoyed over the next several years.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

Connect with me

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.

 

If you like this post, consider joining Cliffs Wine Picks Wine Blog on Facebook and giving me a Like.

 

Cheers!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 2015 Cliff’s Wine Picks.

All rights reserved.

 

 

 

***** Shameless Self Promotion *****

 

Here is a link to a YouTube video of me getting “coal” from Santa for being named the “Nicest Person in Social Media” in 2012.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOvQTeGR3-c

 

 

 

Breaking news from Klout:

 

 

Cliff’s Wine Picks mentions or other posts

Here are posts, newsletters, blogs or other articles that either mention this site or that I have written:

 

Click here or on the “Cliff’s Wine Picks On Other Sites” link in the top right corner to see links to other sites that either have my reviews, my thoughts or other posts I have written.

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

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 my local store is usually VERY competitive.  I generally get case discounts, and since I work there part time, I get a 5% discount.  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!

 

 

 

2009 Sandler Wine Company Syrah Connell Vineyard

NV Louis Bouillot Crémant de Bourgogne Rosé Brut Perle d’Aurore

2008 Treasure Hunter Wines Cabernet Franc Catch 22

2005 Château Margüi Côteaux Varois

2008 Friedrich Wilhelm Ritzman Riesling Qualitätswein

2008 Westerhold Family Vineyards Syrah Westerhold Vineyard

2012 Bedrock Wine Co. Albariño Abrente

2008 Rhys Alesia Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

 

 

Due to ongoing unpacking and organizing from our move and the holiday season, most of these wines only have a tasting note without any other text.  These posts should return to normal in the next couple of weeks.

 

 

 

2009 Sandler Wine Company Syrah Connell Vineyard – $20.00

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep ruby to purple color.  The elegant nose has blackberries, violets, eucalyptus, blueberries, baking spices, crushed stone minerals and dried earth.  This has a medium body with moderate tannins and nice acidity.  On the palate berries and stony minerals jump out first with spice and white pepper coming in on the back end.  The lingering finish adds a touch of earthiness and eucalyptus.  This is in a very nice drinking window right now but should hold for a couple of years.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

NV Louis Bouillot Crémant de Bourgogne Rosé Brut Perle d’Aurore – $18.99

 

This has 12.0% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright salmon pink color with very persistent pinpoint bubbles.  The enticing nose has cherries, dark berries, yeasty bread, stony minerals and tangerine zest.  This is very effervescent on the palate with bright fruit, minerals and citrus up front with yeasty notes coming in on the back end.  The crisp and clean finish has nice length and leaves your mouth watering for another sip.  A nice sparkler for a festive occasion.

 

 

 

2008 Treasure Hunter Wines Cabernet Franc Catch 22 – $17.81

As I’ve mentioned here every time I open a bottle, generally the Treasure Hunter line of wines represent outstanding value.  Treasure Hunter isn’t really a winery, more of a wine business.  They buy excess grapes/juice/wine and sell it as is or blend different lots to create their wines.  These are generally very good to outstanding wines that sell for prices well below their level or quality.

 

I love the Cabernet Franc grape.  At its best it has nice dark berry fruit with some cherry and dried herbs.  If the grapes are over cropped and picked before fully ripe, the dried herbs become the much less pleasing green herbal elements.

 

Winery history

Treasure Hunter is a label under the 3 Finger Wine Company family of wines.

 

Each Treasure Hunter wine goes through a pain-staking process of examination from our panel of nine called The De-Vine Nine. Made up of top sommeliers, winemakers and restaurateurs, they are the best of the best and they pour through hundreds of wines before they are deemed worthy.

Each wine is a small one-time offering and represents an extraordinary opportunity to drink seminal wines of great importance.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep maroon color.  The very interesting and inviting nose has blackberries, dried herbs, licorice, black cherry, baking spices, cigar tobacco, dark chocolate, cedar, and some violets.  This has medium body with fairly solid tannins and good acidity.  On the palate the wine shows a fair amount of upfront berries and black cherry with dried herbs and spices, slowly a nice hit of dark chocolate creeps in on the backend.  The finish has decent length and leans more toward the dried herbs and dark chocolate with the fruit playing more of a supporting role in the background.  This is a fantastic, young wine for under $20.  I’m going to try and hold off opening another for a few months, but it will be tough.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2005 Château Margüi Côteaux Varois – $15.83

This was a spur of the moment purchase from Garagiste several years ago.  How could you pass up on a wine with the following Jon Rimmerman description and a cost of under $16?

 

The Syrah, which makes up 70% of the cepage has teeth like a Northern Rhone (not a Southern Syrah) and the Cabernet is like Left Bank Cabernet in a vintage like 1982 or 1990 – ripe and seductive with a fine tannic bite that only Cabernet skin tannins can provide.  Mix the two together and you have a cool-climate/warm-climate dichotomy from a great vintage (2005) that drinks like a much more expensive wine – no wonder the restaurants are lining up to buy this (can you imagine what the mark-up will be from a Michelin starred venue?).  With only 12.5-13.0% natural alcohol and fascinating levels of balanced natural extract, the glowing red fruit, mineral-dipped flavor has an uncanny Bordelaise edge that is magnified by the meaty, floral capacity of the Syrah.  Basically, it’s a great effort and EXTREMELY LIMITED (only 50 cases of the 2005 for the US).

 

This has 13.0% alcohol and is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep garnet color.  The appealing nose has cherries, blackberries, minerals, dried herbs, cedar, tobacco, eucalyptus and damp earth.  This has medium body, moderate tannins and good acidity.  On the palate the fruit and savory elements share top billing, each taking turns strutting their stuff.  The finish has nice length and shows outstanding balance.  This has a couple more years of life ahead of it before it starts declining.  This is a very nice bottle of wine to share over a meal.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

2008 Friedrich Wilhelm Ritzman Riesling Qualitätswein – $4.75

I grabbed about a case of this wine for under $5 a bottle to use as an afternoon sipper on the deck.  Even though it filled that role perfectly, it is a very enjoyable wine when paired with a light, spicy dish.

 

My Tasting Note

Light golden-yellow color. Apples, petrol, orange zest, and wet stone minerality on the slightly reserved nose. Light bodied with crisp, mouthwatering acidity and just enough sweetness to give nice balance. Rich and tart on the palate. Initially a very short finish but it filled out and got longer with air and warming up a bit. An absolute steal at $5 on close-out.  (87 pts)

 

 

 

2008 Westerhold Family Vineyards Syrah Westerhold Vineyard – $42.00

This is a wine I originally tried due to Russell Bevan being the winemaker.  It absolutely blew me away.  I quickly ordered more and put the word out on Twitter.  I suggested to Jeb Dunnuck that he should track down a bottle to try, he then gave it 95+ on his The Rhone Report.  A wine store owner friend from Napa (yes, you Carrie) bought some for the store based on my recommendation, and had to restock since it became very popular.  I’m not sure the status of the winery’s mailing list, but I’d recommend checking to see if it is still open.  The winery now also produces a Pinot Noir.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark purple color.  The spellbinding nose has blackberries, licorice, baking spices, cedar, black pepper, road tar, dried wildflowers, crushed stone minerals and scorched earth.  This has a full body with moderate to solid tannins and good acidity.  This has nice tart berries, black pepper, spicy oak and minerals up front with a dried floral note and some scorched earth coming in on the back end.  The has very nice length on the finish until the tannins and acidity kick in.  This is tasty but really could use some additional cellar time to help the finish open up and fill out.  (93 pts)

 

 

 

2012 Bedrock Wine Co. Albariño Abrente – $22.00

Though this wine is offered on the Bedrock mailing list (and listed in Cellar Tracker) as made by Bedrock, the wine is actually the result of a partnership between winemakers Michael Havens (the first person to make Albariño in the New World) and Morgan Twain-Peterson.

 

This has 13.0% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a twist off closure.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright and vibrant yellow to light gold color.  The crisp and refreshing nose has apples, lime, lemon zest, orange blossoms, minerals, melon, and a very slight herbal note.  This has light to medium body, crisp acidity, and just a touch of residual sweetness.  The orchard fruit and citrus play off each other very nicely on the palate with a streak of minerals coming in on the back end.  The finish is fairly long with a mouthwatering lime note and minerals slowly fading away leaving you wanting to grab the glass for another sip.  This will really shine on a warm Summer evening over a light meal.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

2008 Rhys Alesia Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast – $28.00

I’ve been on the Rhys mailing list for a few years.  A lot of people knock the wines because they don’t taste great upon release.  Rhys wines require a few years in the cellar to smoothen out and open up.  That said, their Alesia wines, which are made from purchased grapes, though also needing some time in the cellar, seem to be ready to drink a couple years earlier.  I grabbed several bottles of this wine when it was offered on their e-mail release.  I’ve had a couple bottles and every bottle has been better than the previous bottle…always a good sign.  I’m glad I still have five bottles to follow over the next few years.

 

This has 13.9% alcohol and is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a nice ruby red color. The sexy nose has strawberries, raspberries, cola, baking spices, underbrush, minerals, cherries, dried flowers, and a slight herbal note. The wine has medium body with soft tannins and very good acidity. The very complex palate has layers of fruit, spice, and earthy elements that slowly reveal themselves with each sip, with the nice cleansing acidity evident at all times. The finish is fairly long and the mouthwatering acidity is ever present. This is very food friendly and civilized. There is no excess weight or overly extracted notes evident on the wine. This is still on the young side and can be enjoyed over the next several years.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

Connect with me

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.

 

If you like this post, consider joining Cliffs Wine Picks Wine Blog on Facebook and giving me a Like.

 

Cheers!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 2015 Cliff’s Wine Picks.

All rights reserved.

 

 

 

***** Shameless Self Promotion *****

 

Here is a link to a YouTube video of me getting “coal” from Santa for being named the “Nicest Person in Social Media” in 2012.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOvQTeGR3-c

 

 

 

Breaking news from Klout:

 

 

Cliff’s Wine Picks mentions or other posts

Here are posts, newsletters, blogs or other articles that either mention this site or that I have written:

 

Click here or on the “Cliff’s Wine Picks On Other Sites” link in the top right corner to see links to other sites that either have my reviews, my thoughts or other posts I have written.

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

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 my local store is usually VERY competitive.  I generally get case discounts, and since I work there part time, I get a 5% discount.  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!

 

 

2009 Pierre Amadieu Côtes du Rhône Roulepierre

2007 JC Cellars Petite Sirah Eaglepoint Ranch

2008 Anthill Farms Syrah Peters Vineyard

2003 Bodegas AAlto Ribera del Duero

2012 Noble Vines Pinot Noir 667 Monterey

2008 Groom Shiraz

2010 Marchesi de’ Frescobaldi Chianti Rufina Nipozzano Riserva

 

 

 

2009 Pierre Amadieu Côtes du Rhône Roulepierre – $8.95

I grabbed a six pack of this wine after having a sip at a tasting.  At the time, I noted it needed a year in the cellar.  I opened a bottle after about a year in the cellar and it had opened nicely but still needed a bit more time.  It’s a nice time to see if the additional 11 months have been rewarded.  This is a blend of 75% Grenache and 25% Syrah.

 

This wine has 13.5% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

Winery history

Our history begins in 1929 when my grand father decides to bottle and trade under the signature Pierre Amadieu his wine coming from the 7 hectares (17 acres) of vineyard in Gigondas passed on by generation to generation.  He is then one of the firsts to print the name of the appellation on his bottles and obtains from 1932 a golden medal in the National Agricultural Concours of Paris.

 

I am presently on the head of the company and I am in charge of winemaking and maturing.  I work with my uncle Claude who runs the vineyard.  Together we follow the familial way of thinking by respecting soils and traditions in order to make you share wines faithful to the quality ambition of our grandfather and by adding a note of modernity in order to delight the most demanding and the most curious palates.

 

I am not a follower of over-extracted wines and often “heavy” to taste; my ambition is rather to obtain well-balanced wines with a Burgundy fineness.  Through the maturing I try to reveal all the elegance and the richness of our protected terroirs located on the heights of the appellation Gigondas.  From vines to the bottling patience and observation are required.  Today appreciated all over the world, every vintage reserves its subtleties which I am happy to subject to your appreciation.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a ruby red color.  The open and inviting nose has blackberries, black cherries, minerals, dried herbs, spices, black pepper, and a bit of earthiness.  This has medium body, moderate tannins and very good acidity.  On the palate spicy, peppery, mineral laden fruit takes center stage with dried herbs and some earthiness coming in on the back end.  The finish has decent length and is very flavorful.  This wine is in a very nice place right now but should hold up for a few years.  This was an absolute steal for the $9 I paid.  (89 pts)

 

 

 

2007 JC Cellars Petite Sirah Eaglepoint Ranch – $23.74

I bought a few bottles of this wine when the store brought in a few cases for an end of vintage sale.  To me, this was a no brainer.  I love JC Cellars and Petite Sirah, so when these were offered at about half off, several followed me home.

 

This has 15.0% alcohol by volume and is sealed with a natural cork.

 

Winery history

Jeff Cohn, the winemaker, president, and “JC” of JC Cellars got his start in the industry almost 20 years ago.  As an intern at Boordy Vineyards in Maryland, he drove an hour and half each way to prune vines in frigid weather, pick grapes in stifling heat, and scrub everything from barrels to floors.

 

Long before he began his winemaking career he received an associate degree in culinary arts from Johnson & Wales University, and a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management from Florida International University.

 

Cohn had always loved the hospitality industry, and as he worked through several high profile positions after college he found his passion for wine steadily growing.  The more he learned, the more he wanted to learn, until he realized that becoming a winemaker was his ultimate goal.  The job at Boordy was a deciding factor in the trajectory of his career — in spite of all the scrubbing.

 

With the encouragement and support of his family, Cohn moved to California in 1993 to follow his dream.  He earned his master’s degree in agriculture chemistry, with an emphasis on enology, from California State University, Fresno in 1996.  It was here that Cohn discovered French winemaking techniques and the concept of terroir.  “The flavor profile was so different than anything else I had ever tried,” he says of the first Chateauneuf-du-Pape he tried in school.  “It was a shocker.  To go from tasting only single varietals to a blend really opened my eyes.”

 

For more info, visit http://www.jccellars.com/about-jeff-cohn.html

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark purple color.  The big and bold nose has blackberries, black pepper, dark chocolate, fresh ground espresso, underbrush, melted licorice, and wood smoke.  This has a full body, solid, chewy tannins, and very good acidity.  On the palate the wine has an overload of ripe, juicy berries, pepper, dark chocolate and ground espresso.  The finish is fairly long and again, like the palate, is loaded with flavor.  The big, mouth coating tannins really kick in on the finish but the fruit and spice still shine through.  If you are not tannin adverse, this can be enjoyed now, if not, let this one sleep for a couple more years.  (93 pts)

 

 

 

2008 Anthill Farms Syrah Peters Vineyard – $28

Anthill Farms is more noted for their Pinot Noir wines but I’m a big fan of their Syrah based wines.  Very little of their wines make it out of their mailing list so the best way to procure the wines is via the list.  Unfortunately, it looks like their mailing list is currently full, but you can click here to get on the waiting list.

 

About the vineyard – Randy Peters and his father-in-law, Tom Mukaida, farm this vineyard outside of Sebastopol in western Sonoma County.  The southern slopes of these hills form the northern edge of the Petaluma Gap, which rushes cool, marine air from the Pacific Ocean inland.  The vines, a mix of Pommard and 777 planted twenty years ago, produce grapes that ripen unusually slow due to the oft-present morning fog.

 

This wine has 13.6% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a fairly deep ruby color.  The enticing nose has smoky minerals, berries, black pepper, smoked meat and dried violets.  This has medium body with moderate tannins and good acidity.  On the palate the minerals and spice jump out first with smoked meat and berries coming in fairly quickly, a nice floral note comes in on the back end.  The finish has very nice length.  This has the balance to age for a few more years but is hard to resist now.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

2003 Bodegas AAlto Ribera del Duero – $33.24

I’ve been a big fan of Aalto for several years.  These are big, tannic beasts in their youth that, with some cellar time, round into very pleasurable bottles of Tempranillo.

 

Winery history

The winery’s website is “under construction” so the following information is from the Drink Ribera site.

 

Aalto was founded in 1999 by Mariano García and Javier Zaccagnini with the aim of making a new wine, based on very old vineyards and Mariano’s expertise.  After 10 years, the winery is considered a leader in Ribera del Duero and has obtained the highest reviews in many tastings.  Top scores include three 98 point-ratings from The Wine Advocate, and twice being named Best Wine of Spain, as selected by Michel Bettane and Thiery Dessauve’s book of the Best 100 Wineries of the World.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep ruby red color.  The very inviting nose has cherries, black raspberries, licorice, Asian spices, plums, scorched earth, violets, vanilla, and a touch of mint.  This has medium to full body, fairly solid tannins, and good acidity.  The palate has nice red fruit, spice, and subtle earthiness, with darker fruit coming in on the backend.  The finish is fairly long with a very nice vanilla element adding to the earthy, spicy, red fruit.  This is drinking nicely now, but there is a definite upside to warrant some additional cellar time.  (93 pts)

 

 

 

2012 Noble Vines Pinot Noir 667 Monterey – $10.79

Noble Vines is a label produced under the Delicato Family Vineyards umbrella of wineries.  This was a new one for me when I tried a taste at a local wine store’s tasting a week ago.  Though it was nothing too special, it seemed like it would be a nice bottle of Pinot to enjoy along with a week night dinner.  For around $10, a couple bottles followed me home.

 

This wine has 14.5% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with an agglomerated cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright red color.  The soothing nose has cherries, cranberries, minerals, earthy peat moss, eucalyptus and wild flowers.  This has medium body, soft tannins and nice acidity.  On the palate bright red fruit and subtle earthiness hit the palate first with stony minerals and a hint of eucalyptus coming in later.  The finish has decent length with the earthy elements and a slight herbal note carrying the load.  Not a lot of complexity here but this is an easy to drink week night Pinot for around $10.  (88 pts)

 

 

 

2008 Groom Shiraz – $18.05

This wine was offered as an e-mail special about three years ago.  I stopped in for a free taste of the wine and decided I could make some room in the cellar for a six pack.  The wine obviously was made for the long haul and needed some cellar time.  Today is the day to check in to see how it is progressing.

 

Winery history

Marschall Groom Cellars is a very small family winery situated in the famous Barossa Valley region of South Australia.  The winery produces three varietals, Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz & Zinfandel – under the label GROOM.

 

Marschall Groom Cellars is the culmination of a dream, backed up by many years of talk and family discussion.  The proprietors are David & Jeanette Marschall and their six children, and Daryl & Lisa Groom and their four children.

 

The dream started to become reality with the purchase of 87 acres of bare land in the Kalimna appellation of the Barossa Valley, directly adjacent to the renowned Penfolds Kalimna vineyard – the home of Grange.  In 1997 the first acres on our Kalimna Bush Block were planted to Shiraz, producing its first crop in the 1999 vintage.  To complement our young Shiraz fruit we source from one other very reputable high quality vineyard in the Barossa, the Fechner Vineyard which is home to 50 year-old vines.

 

The Barossa Valley is too warm to grow world class Sauvignon Blanc.  This variety is ideally suited to much cooler, higher rainfall climates.  After thoroughly researching the climatic conditions within South Australia, a 20 acre vineyard in the Adelaide Hills appellation of Lenswood was planted to provide the perfect grapes for our Sauvignon Blanc.

 

In 2000, 8 acres of experimental Zinfandel vines were planted on the Kalimna Bush Block.  A very limited introductory wine release from these grapes was made from the 2003 vintage. The first Commercial release into the USA was the 2006 vintage.

 

Also working with the company to maintain and ensure our quality standards is Consultant Winemaker, Natasha Mooney; previously the winemaker for E&E Black Pepper Shiraz, and now working closely with Daryl to produce our stunning wines.  Our wines are hand-crafted and produced in limited quantities.

 

Our desire for the GROOM label is to let the vineyards and their fruit do the talking in producing the style and quality of our wines.  As proprietors, we have set the foundation in choosing the most ideal viticultural region needed to produce the highest quality for each of our chosen varieties. ENJOY!

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a dark ruby to maroon color.  The open and appealing nose has blackberries, plums, minerals, Asian spices, eucalyptus, black pepper, dried herbs, and some leather.  The is medium to full body, with fairly solid, ripe tannins and good acidity.  The palate has rich and velvety fruit with solid minerals and spices.  On the back end some dried herbs and a touch of eucalyptus add considerable depth.  The finish is fairly long with a touch of dark chocolate making an appearance.  This improved considerably with a couple hours of air, so let it sleep another year or let it breathe.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2010 Marchesi de’ Frescobaldi Chianti Rufina Nipozzano Riserva – $20.07

This wine is a perennial favorite to pair with pasta.  Even though, I prefer the wine with a bit of cellar time, I wanted to open this bottle to see if I need to stock up before it disappears of the store’s shelf.

 

This wine has 13.5% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a saturated ruby red color.  The spellbinding nose has black cherries, warm baking spices, dried violets, dry earth, dusty minerals and licorice.  This has medium body with moderate tannins and very nice acidity.  This is bright and lively on the palate with black cherries and spice jumping out first with dry earthy elements coming in on the back end.  The finish has very nice length with dusty minerals entering the picture.  This is on the young side but already very tasty.  Stock up if you find it at a great price to enjoy over the next few years.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

Connect with me

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.

 

If you like this post, consider joining Cliffs Wine Picks Wine Blog on Facebook and giving me a Like.

 

Cheers!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 2014 Cliff’s Wine Picks.

All rights reserved.

 

 

 

***** Shameless Self Promotion *****

 

Here is a link to a YouTube video of me getting “coal” from Santa for being named the “Nicest Person in Social Media” in 2012.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOvQTeGR3-c

 

 

 

Breaking news from Klout:

 

 

Cliff’s Wine Picks mentions or other posts

Here are posts, newsletters, blogs or other articles that either mention this site or that I have written:

 

Click here or on the “Cliff’s Wine Picks On Other Sites” link in the top right corner to see links to other sites that either have my reviews, my thoughts or other posts I have written.

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

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 my local store is usually VERY competitive.  I generally get case discounts, and since I work there part time, I get a 5% discount.  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!

 

 

 

2007 Villa Creek Garnacha Denner Vineyard

2012 Loring Wine Company Grenache Russell Family Vineyard

2007 Saxum Broken Stones

2011 Château Puech-Haut Coteaux du Languedoc Saint-Drézéry Prestige

2009 Benovia Pinot Noir Bella Una

 

 

Due to unpacking from a move from Wisconsin to South Carolina, some of these notes are short with very little background information.

 

 

 

2007 Villa Creek Garnacha Denner Vineyard – $35.00

Villa Creek is one of my favorite wineries.  This wine along with their Avenger wine are my favorites they produce.  The winery produces several very nice red wines, most of them being innovative blends from the big name vineyards in the Paso Robles area.  Besides the reds, they also produce a very nice white Rhone styled wine and a good Rosé.  The winery is worth the effort of tracking down a few bottles either locally or through their website.

 

This has 14.8% alcohol by volume and is closed with a Stelvin LUX+ stopper.

 

Winery history

In the spirit of the great wine producers of the southern Rhone and the bodegas of Rioja and Priorat, blending is what Villa Creek does best.  The area’s finest Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and Tempranillo Vineyards are just a stone’s throw from the west Paso Robles winery where these blends are lovingly produced by winemaker Cris Cherry and his wife JoAnn.

 

The grapes of the area’s most progressive vineyards, James Berry, Denner, Ohana and Booker, currently grace the wines of Villa Creek Cellars.  Per acre contracts insure that the fruit comes off the same blocks each vintage.  The Cherry’s own 70 acre estate on the west side of Paso Robles boasts elevations of 1400-1800 feet, calcareous soils, south facing slopes and ample water.  In the spring of 2012, the Cherry’s finished planting their first grape vines, 3.5 acres of Grenache.  They look forward to planting Mourvèdre and Carignan in the months to come.

 

Much more information is available on their website.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep ruby red color.  The very alluring nose has cherries, black raspberries, cola, warm baking spices, white pepper, violets, stony minerals, touch of pine needles, and some earthiness.  This has medium to full body, moderate tannins and good acidity.  On the palate the spicy, peppery cherries grab hold first, slowly allowing some minerals and earthiness to slip into focus.  The finish has very nice length with a nice blend of fruit and savory elements.  This has exceptional balance and should drink well for at least another 3 or 4 years.  (93 pts)

 

 

 

2012 Loring Wine Company Grenache Russell Family Vineyard – $33.00

This is another of the non Pinot Noir wines Brian Loring has produced.  Thus far, every one has been outstanding.  This one is a Grenache from the Russell Family Vineyard in Paso Robles.

 

This has 14.9% alcohol and is sealed with a twist off closure.

 

Winery history

My name is Brian Loring and my obsession is Pinot Noir.  OK, I’m also pretty crazy about Champagne, but that’s another story.  While in college, I worked at a wine shop in Hollywood (Victor’s), where one of the owners was a Burgundy fanatic.  So, my very first experiences with Pinot Noir were from producers like Domaine Dujac, Henri Jayer, and DRC.  Needless to say, I found subsequent tasting safaris into the domestic Pinot Noir jungle less than satisfying.  It wasn’t until I literally stumbled into Calera (I tripped over a case of their wine in the store room) that I found a California Pinot Noir that I could love.  But it would be quite a while before I found someone else that lived up to the standard that Josh Jensen had established.  I eventually came to understand and enjoy Pinots from Williams Selyem, Chalone, and Sanford, but I really got excited about California Pinot Noir when I met Norm Beko from Cottonwood Canyon at an Orange County Wine Society tasting.

 

I’d made about 3 trips around the booths at the tasting without finding a single good Pinot Noir.  So, being the open minded person that I am (remember I passed him up 3 times), I stopped at the Cottonwood booth.  I was BLOWN away by Norm’s 1990 Santa Maria Pinot Noir.  After a few years of attending every Cottonwood event and asking Norm 10,000 questions about winemaking, he offered to let come learn the process during the ’97 crush.  I checked sugar levels, picked, crushed, punched down, pressed, filled barrels, and generally moved a bunch of stuff around with fork lifts and pallet jacks!  It was the time of my life… I was totally hooked.  And even though I hadn’t planned it, I ended up making two barrels of Pinot Noir.  That was the start of the Loring Wine Company.  What had started out as a dream 15 years earlier was now a reality – I was a winemaker!

 

My Tasting Note

Bright red color with a slight ruby tint.  The comforting nose has cherries, baking spices, white pepper, raspberries, roasted leafy herbs, licorice, and dried flowers.  This has medium body, soft to moderate ripe tannins and decent acidity.  On the palate this is rich and lush with juicy cherries, berries and spice up front with raspberries and white pepper kicking in on the back end.  The finish has nice length with roasted herbs adding some complexity.  This is fairly ripe and juicy but with nice acidity holding everything together.  I wouldn’t stash this in the cellar for too long, but it should drink nicely for at least the next few years.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

2007 Saxum Broken Stones – $45.00

We shared this bottle with some friends so I did not have an opportunity for a good tasting note.  Suffice it to say, this was an absolutely stunning bottle of wine and a steal at the (at that time) price of only $45.  If you have this wine in your cellar, enjoy it now or over the next several years.

 

 

 

2011 Château Puech-Haut Coteaux du Languedoc Saint-Drézéry Prestige – $15.99

This wine is a custom cuvee produced by Château Puech-Haut, Philippe Cambie and Eric Soloman, exclusively for the United States.  This is a blend of 55% Grenache from 60 to 75 year old vines and 45% Syrah from 40 year old vines.  After fermentation, the wine was aged in concrete vats.

 

This has 15.0% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark maroon color.  The very open and giving nose is full of black raspberries, chalky minerals, potpourri, cherries, earthy underbrush, pencil shavings and dried herbs.  This has a fairly full body with moderate to solid tannins and good acidity.  Chalky minerals and berries immediately coat the palate, slowly allowing dried herbs, pencil shavings and dried herbs to slip in.  The long finish adds a nice dried floral note.  This does show just a touch of alcohol on the finish but that is a minor quibble.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

2009 Benovia Pinot Noir Bella Una – $40.84

The local store brought time in and put it on the shelf at a great price.  On Cellar Tracker, the average cost for this wine was close to $55.  Not one to question great values, I grabbed a few bottles.

 

This has 14.2% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright ruby red color.  The very approachable nose has cherry, raspberry, baking spices, licorice, violets, minerals and a touch of earthiness.  This has medium body, soft to moderate tannins and good acidity.  This offers up nice juicy red fruit and spice up front with  minerals and some subtle earthiness coming in on the back end.  The finish has very good length with tart cherries seeming to last forever.  (93 pts)

 

 

 

Connect with me

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.

 

If you like this post, consider joining Cliffs Wine Picks Wine Blog on Facebook and giving me a Like.

 

Cheers!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 2014 Cliff’s Wine Picks.

All rights reserved.

 

 

 

***** Shameless Self Promotion *****

 

Here is a link to a YouTube video of me getting “coal” from Santa for being named the “Nicest Person in Social Media” in 2012.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOvQTeGR3-c

 

 

 

Breaking news from Klout:

 

 

Cliff’s Wine Picks mentions or other posts

Here are posts, newsletters, blogs or other articles that either mention this site or that I have written:

 

Click here or on the “Cliff’s Wine Picks On Other Sites” link in the top right corner to see links to other sites that either have my reviews, my thoughts or other posts I have written.

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

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 my local store is usually VERY competitive.  I generally get case discounts, and since I work there part time, I get a 5% discount.  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!

 

 

 

2012 Garnet Pinot Noir Monterey County Pinot Noir

2012 Bogle Vineyards Petite Sirah

2011 The Hess Collection Cabernet Sauvignon Hess Select

2009 Tait The Ball Buster

2009 Copain Syrah Tous Ensemble

2009 McPrice Myers Syrah Larner Vineyard

2003 Elyse Cabernet Sauvignon Tietjen Vineyard

 

 

Due to a fast approaching move from Wisconsin to South Carolina, some of the wines have minimal information other than my tasting note.

 

 

2012 Garnet Pinot Noir Monterey County – $13.99

 

The wine has 14.2% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a twist off closure.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright red to ruby color.  The attractive nose has raspberries, baking spices, cherries, hazelnuts, vanilla and subtle earthiness.  This has medium body with soft tannins and very nice acidity.  Tart berries and spice hit first on the palate with vanilla and a nice earthy streak coming in later.  The finish has nice length with tart fruit and spice carrying the load.  This is a very nice Pinot Noir to dress up a week night dinner table.  (89 pts)

 

 

 

2012 Bogle Vineyards Petite Sirah – $9.99

 

The wine has 13.5% alcohol by volume, the bottle is sealed with an agglomerated cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a fairly deep ruby to maroon color.  The inviting nose has blackberries, dark chocolate, black pepper, dried herbs and dried violets.  This has medium body with moderate tannins and nice acidity.  On the palate blackberries and black pepper jump out first with dark chocolate and dried herbs coming in on the back end.  The finish has nice length with a dried floral note entering the picture.  This is a nice, everyday Petite Sirah to enjoy with a weeknight dinner.  (88 pts)

 

 

 

2011 The Hess Collection Cabernet Sauvignon Hess Select – $16.99

 

The wine has 13.5% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a synthetic Nomacorc.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep ruby color.  The straight forward nose has cassis, cedar, cherries, dusty minerals, licorice and a slight green herbal note.  This has medium body with moderate tannins and good acidity.  On the palate the cassis, cedar and minerals jump out first with some green leafy herbs coming in later.  The finish is a touch short with a noticeable green note.  (85 pts)

 

 

 

2009 Tait The Ball Buster – $13.59

 

This is a blend of 73% Shiraz, 15% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Sauvignon from Australia’s Barossa Valley.

 

This wine has 15.0% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a twist off closure.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep ruby to purple color.  The enticing nose has blackberries, cedar, cherries, vanilla, road tar, dark chocolate and dried wild flowers.  The wine has a full body with moderate tannins and good acidity.  On the palate, tart berries and cherries jump out first with vanilla and cedar coming in later.  The finish has nice length with a dried floral note entering the picture.  (89 pts)

 

 

 

2009 Copain Syrah Tous Ensemble – $20.00

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep purple color.  The very appealing nose has blackberries, melted licorice, smoked meat, stony minerals, black pepper, violets and dried herbs.  This medium bodied wine has moderate tannins and very nice acidity.  Rich berries, minerals and smoked meat jump out first on the palate with pepper and dried herbs coming through later.  The finish has nice length with a nice violet element coming into the picture.  This is in a prime drinking window but should hold for a few years.  An outstanding value.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

2009 McPrice Myers Syrah Larner Vineyard – $30.40

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep purple color.  The nose is full of crushed blackberries, dark chocolate, freshly ground espresso, black pepper, dried violets, vanilla and chalky minerals.  This has a full body with moderate, ripe tannins and decent acidity.  Ripe berries, espresso and dark chocolate coat the palate slowly allowing black pepper and minerals to slip into the picture.  The finish has nice length with vanilla and dried violets coming into play.  Not an every day wine, but you can pull out the beast once in a while for a wild ride.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2003 Elyse Cabernet Sauvignon Tietjen Vineyard – $35.00

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a brilliant ruby red color.  The spellbinding nose has cassis, melted licorice, dried herbs, dusty minerals, cedar, warm baking spices, white pepper and violets.  This has medium body with moderate tannins and very nice acidity.  Rich cassis, minerals and dried herbs grab hold of your palate immediately, slowly allowing spicy oak and baking spices to slip into the picture.  The finish has very nice length with white pepper and a nice floral note emerging.  This has superb balance and is in a great drinking window.  (94 pts)

 

 

 

Connect with me

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.

 

If you like this post, consider joining Cliffs Wine Picks Wine Blog on Facebook and giving me a Like.

 

Cheers!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 2014 Cliff’s Wine Picks.

All rights reserved.

 

 

 

***** Shameless Self Promotion *****

 

Here is a link to a YouTube video of me getting “coal” from Santa for being named the “Nicest Person in Social Media” in 2012.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOvQTeGR3-c

 

 

 

Breaking news from Klout:

 

 

Cliff’s Wine Picks mentions or other posts

Here are posts, newsletters, blogs or other articles that either mention this site or that I have written:

 

Click here or on the “Cliff’s Wine Picks On Other Sites” link in the top right corner to see links to other sites that either have my reviews, my thoughts or other posts I have written.

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

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 my local store is usually VERY competitive.  I generally get case discounts, and since I work there part time, I get a 5% discount.  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!

 

 

 

2007 Ridge Geyserville

2011 Lange Pinot Noir Willamette Valley

2010 Margarethenhof Ayler Kupp Riesling Spätlese

2011 Loring Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

2008 Big Basin Vineyards Odeon

2007 Novy Family Wines Syrah Garys’ Vineyard

2009 Turley Zinfandel Tofanelli Vineyard

 

 

Due to a fast approaching move from Wisconsin to South Carolina, some of the wines have minimal information other than my tasting note.

 

 

 

2007 Ridge Geyserville – $23.74

I always have a hard time choosing a favorite between the Ridge Lytton Springs and the Ridge Geyserville wines.  Both are zinfandel based blends but since Zinfandel generally constitutes less than 75% of the blend, they aren’t labeled as a Zinfandel.  This vintage is a blend of 58% Zinfandel, 22% Carignane, 18% Petite Sirah, 2% Mataro (Mourvedre).  This wine is disappearing from my cellar at a fairly fast rate of speed, of the 15 bottles I originally purchased; I now have less than half remaining.

 

The alcohol is listed at 14.4% and this uses a natural cork closure.

 

Winery history

The history of Ridge Vineyards begins in 1885, when Osea Perrone, a doctor who became a prominent member of San Francisco’s Italian community, bought 180 acres near the top of Monte Bello Ridge.  He terraced the slopes and planted vineyards; using native limestone, he constructed the Monte Bello Winery, producing the first vintage under that name in 1892.  This unique cellar, built into the mountainside on three levels, is Ridge’s production facility.  At 2600′, it is surrounded by the “upper vineyard.”

 

In the 1940s, William Short, a theologian, bought the abandoned winery and vineyard just below the Perrone property; he replanted several parcels to cabernet sauvignon in the late 1940s.  From these vines — now the “middle vineyard”— new owners Dave Bennion and his three partners, all Stanford Research Institute engineers, made a quarter-barrel of “estate” cabernet.  That Monte Bello Cabernet was among California’s finest wines of the era.  Its quality and distinctive character, and the wines produced from these same vines in 1960 and ’61, convinced the partners to re-bond the winery in time for the 1962 vintage.

 

The first zinfandel was made in 1964, from a small nineteenth-century vineyard farther down the ridge.  This was followed in 1966 by the first Geyserville zinfandel.  The founding families reclaimed the Monte Bello terraces, increasing vineyard size from fifteen to forty-five acres.  Working on weekends, they made wines of regional character and unprecedented intensity.  By 1968, production had increased to just under three thousand cases per year, and in 1969, Paul Draper joined the partnership.  A Stanford graduate in philosophy—recently returned from setting up a winery in Chile’s coast range—he was a practical winemaker, not an enologist.  His knowledge of fine wines and traditional methods complemented the straightforward “hands off” approach pioneered at Ridge.  Under his guidance the old Perrone winery (acquired the previous year) was restored, the finest vineyard lands leased or purchased, the consistent quality and international reputation of the wines established.  Cabernet and Zinfandel account for most of the production; Syrah, Grenache, Carignane, and Petite Sirah constitute a small percentage.  Known primarily for its red wines, Ridge has also made limited amounts of chardonnay since 1962.

 

Lytton Springs, in Sonoma County, became part of the Ridge estate in 1991.  A quarter century’s experience with this vineyard had convinced us that it was an exceptional piece of ground.  Forty consecutive vintages of Geyserville attest to yet another stunning combination of location and varietals.  Though born in the early sixties to the post-Prohibition world of modern California winemaking, Ridge relies on nature and tradition rather than technology.  Our approach is straightforward: find intense, flavorful grapes; intrude upon the process only when necessary; draw the fruit’s distinctive character and richness into the wine.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep ruby to maroon color.  The very enticing nose has brambly berries, cherry, black pepper, licorice, warm baking spices, charred meat, forest floor, and a touch of vanilla.  This has medium body, fairly solid tannins, and very nice acidity.  The palate has nice up front fruit and spice with more spice, licorice, and meaty elements coming in on the back end.  The finish is long with spice laden fruit slowly giving way to more earthy elements that seem to linger forever.  This is in a very nice drinking window and should hold for at least a few more years.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2011 Lange Pinot Noir Willamette Valley – $12.99

In my ongoing quest to build up a stash of under $15 Pinot Noirs for week night dinners, this is my next candidate.  It looks like I got a great deal on a couple bottles since the average price on Cellar Tracker is almost $10 a bottle higher.  The more I drink Oregon Pinot Noir wines, the more I like them.  They are nice alternatives to the riper, rounder California versions that populate my wine cellar.

 

This has 13.2% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a twist off cap.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a light ruby red color.  The mysterious nose has black cherries, smoke, minerals, earthy underbrush, warm baking spices, dried flowers and just a touch of nice funk.  This is barely medium body with silky tannins and good acidity.  On the palate the spices and cherries jump out first with minerals, smoke and some earthiness coming in on the back end.  The finish has decent length with cherries and spice carrying the load.  This isn’t the most complex Pinot out there but is a winner for under $15.  (89 pts)

 

 

 

2010 Margarethenhof Ayler Kupp Riesling Spätlese – $10.44

 

This wine has 8% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a synthetic nomacorc.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright golden yellow color.  The very satisfying nose has apples, honey, petrol, orange blossoms, orange zest and crushed stone minerals.  This has medium body with crisp acidity and good residual sweetness.  On the palate honey dipped apples jump out immediately with orange zest and minerals coming in on the back end.  The finish have good length and shows great balance between the acidity and sweetness.  There’s no hurry to drink this one, it can last in the cellar for a decade, maybe longer.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

2011 Loring Pinot Noir Russian River Valley – $24.92

 

This wine has 14.8% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a twist off closure.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep ruby to maroon color.  The appealing nose has black cherries, raspberries, dusty minerals, baking spices, vanilla, wildflowers and subtle underbrush.  This has medium to full body with soft tannins and good acidity.  Rich, spicy fruit engulfs the palate with minerals and a nice floral note coming in on the back end.  The finish has nice length with a bit of earthiness and vanilla joining the sweet fruit.  This is very easy to drink.  (89 pts)

 

 

 

2008 Big Basin Vineyards Odeon – $40.00

This is a blend of 57% Santa Cruz County Syrah and 43% Monterey County Cabernet Sauvignon.

 

This wine has 15.5% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  There were 7 barrels of this wine produced.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep maroon color.  The deep and dark nose has blackberries, cassis, vanilla, dried herbs, stony minerals, dark bittersweet chocolate, cracked black peppercorns and dried violets.  The wine has a full body with moderate to solid tannins and nice acidity.  Big fruit and minerals jump out first on the palate with dried herbs and vanilla coming in later.  The full flavored finish adds some dark chocolate and black pepper.  This is a beast but the tannins and acidity keep it in check, at least for now.  (93 pts)

 

 

 

2007 Novy Family Wines Syrah Garys’ Vineyard – $29.99

This was a very easy wine to buy in bulk, one of my favorite wineries, one of my favorite grapes and one of my favorite vineyards.

 

This wine has 14.2% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

Winery history

Our winemaking goal is to produce wines that best capture the distinct flavor and character of a given vineyard site.  To that end, we focus on sites that provide us with exceptional fruit.  We are fanatical in our protection of the vineyard flavor and are determined not to let any overt winemaking components mute the personality of an individual site.

 

In the cellar, we vinifiy each wine separately by block, clone and barrel type in order to maximize the individual components and provide greater complexity to the final blend.  This approach also provides us with much more flexibility in crafting a wine using only the best and most harmonious lots.

 

Given that the majority of our wines are single vineyard offerings, it is critical for us to maintain the site’s individual character in order to provide you with a truly diverse offering of wines.  To that end:

 

• We believe in minimal intervention, “gentle” winemaking.  In other words, we let the wine make itself.  We do not want to do anything to the wine that isn’t absolutely necessary.
• We believe in bottling our wines unfiltered and unfined whenever possible, convinced as we are that fining and filtering strip wines of flavor and character.
• We believe that the best wines express their origins.  Our goal is not to produce the world’s best Syrah or Zinfandel but rather to produce the very best wine from a given site.

 

Much more information on Novy and the wines they produce is available on their website by clicking here.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark ruby to purple color.  The very enticing nose has blackberries, licorice, smoked meat, pepper, baking spices, blueberry, dried herbs, minerals and dark chocolate.  This has medium to full body with solid tannins and very nice acidity.  Spicy fruit with a nice meaty presence grabs hold of your palate with pepper and some earthiness coming in later.  This has a nice lingering finish which again highlights the meaty elements with chocolate and fruit in the background providing nice sweetness.  This is very nice with impressive balance.  (93 pts)

 

 

 

2009 Turley Zinfandel Tofanelli Vineyard – $34.00

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep maroon color.  The alluring nose has brambly berries, black cherries, crushed stones, vanilla, dried herbs, black pepper, dark chocolate and dried flowers.  This has a full body with moderate tannins and good acidity.  On the palate berries, cherries, spice and dark chocolate jump out first with pepper and vanilla coming in on the back end.  The finish has nice length with dried herbs and a dried floral note entering the picture.  This is drinking very nicely today but should hold for a couple more years.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

Connect with me

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.

 

If you like this post, consider joining Cliffs Wine Picks Wine Blog on Facebook and giving me a Like.

 

Cheers!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 2014 Cliff’s Wine Picks.

All rights reserved.

 

 

 

***** Shameless Self Promotion *****

 

Here is a link to a YouTube video of me getting “coal” from Santa for being named the “Nicest Person in Social Media” in 2012.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOvQTeGR3-c

 

 

 

Breaking news from Klout:

 

 

 

Cliff’s Wine Picks mentions or other posts

Here are posts, newsletters, blogs or other articles that either mention this site or that I have written:

 

Click here or on the “Cliff’s Wine Picks On Other Sites” link in the top right corner to see links to other sites that either have my reviews, my thoughts or other posts I have written.

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

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 my local store is usually VERY competitive.  I generally get case discounts, and since I work there part time, I get a 5% discount.  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!

 

 

 

2012 Schug Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

2008 Long Shadows Wineries Saggi

2009 Henry’s Drive Shiraz Dead Letter Office

2010 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands

 

 

 

2012 Schug Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast – $19.79

I decided to take a shot on this one when I was it on a local wine store’s shelf.  Early reviews called 2012 a great, can’t miss vintage.  Unfortunately I have tried more than a few misses over the last several months.  That said, a 2012 Pinot Noir with the Sonoma Coast appellation on the label for under $20 is worthy of a tryout.

 

This 100% Pinot Noir uses grapes from the following vineyards, 43% Ricci; 20% Stage Gulch; 13% Sangiacomo; 12% Schug Estate, 8% Iund and 4% La Prenda.

 

The wine has 13.5% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a synthetic Nomacorc.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright red to ruby color.  The slightly shy nose has cherries, baking spice, earthy underbrush, dusty minerals and dried flowers.  This has medium body with soft to moderate tannins and good acidity.  Tart cherries, spice and minerals hit the palate first with earthy underbrush dominating the back end.  The finish has decent length but gets a bit muddled.  Not bad for under $20 but there are better Pinots out there for the same price.  (86 pts)

 

 

 

2008 Long Shadows Wineries Saggi – $26.59

This was another Long Shadows wine I was able to grab for about half off from an e-mail closeout offer from a local wine store.  This is a top notch winery and I have loved every wine of theirs I was fortunate enough to drink.

 

This wine is a blend of 45% Sangiovese, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Syrah.  The winemakers for this wine are Ambrogio and Giovanni Folonari from one of Tuscany’s oldest and most prestigious wine families.

 

The wine has 14.6% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep ruby to maroon color.  The intoxicating nose has black cherries, blackberries, licorice, dried violets, minerals, dried herbs, earthy underbrush, cedar and baking spices.  This has medium to full body with moderate to solid tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate tart cherries, spicy oak and spice hit on the front with minerals, dried herbs and some underbrush coming in on the back end.  The finish has very nice length with a dried violet note entering the picture.  This has very nice balance and is built to age.  This could be even better in a few years.  (93 pts)

 

 

 

2009 Henry’s Drive Shiraz Dead Letter Office – $14.88

This is another wine I was able to buy as an e-mail offer from the local wine store at a great price.  The suggested retail price for the wine is $27, so I was able to grab my bottles for close to half off.  Like I always say, it pays to support your local wine stores, besides great advice on wines you may not know, they can be the source for great values when an importer or distributor is overstocked and looks to unload some inventory.

 

This wine uses fruit from Padthaway and McLaren Vale.

 

This wine has an ABV of 14.5% and the bottle is sealed with a twist off cap.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep ruby to maroon color.  The very open and inviting nose has plums, currants, freshly ground espresso beans, vanilla, dark bittersweet chocolate, road tar, dried sage, crushed stones and dried wildflowers.  This has medium to full body with moderate tannins and good acidity.  On the palate, fruit and espresso jump out first with vanilla, sage and minerals coming in later.  The finish has nice length with some dark chocolate adds nice depth.  This is on the young side and would benefit from some time in the cellar.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

2010 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands – $25.00

In my opinion, the Loring appellation wines are some of the best bargains out there when it comes to quality California Pinot Noir.  The Loring appellation wines are, at least to me, dialed down a notch compared to their single vineyard siblings.  This and the lower prices, under $25 make them a nice way to kick up a week night dinner several notches without breaking the bank.

 

This has 14.7% alcohol and is closed via a Stelvin+ screw cap.

 

Winery history

My name is Brian Loring and my obsession is Pinot Noir.  OK, I’m also pretty crazy about Champagne, but that’s another story.  While in college, I worked at a wine shop in Hollywood (Victor’s), where one of the owners was a Burgundy fanatic.  So, my very first experiences with Pinot Noir were from producers like Domaine Dujac, Henri Jayer, and DRC.  Needless to say, I found subsequent tasting safaris into the domestic Pinot Noir jungle less than satisfying.  It wasn’t until I literally stumbled into Calera (I tripped over a case of their wine in the store room) that I found a California Pinot Noir that I could love.  But it would be quite a while before I found someone else that lived up to the standard that Josh Jensen had established.  I eventually came to understand and enjoy Pinots from Williams Selyem, Chalone, and Sanford, but I really got excited about California Pinot Noir when I met Norm Beko from Cottonwood Canyon at an Orange County Wine Society tasting.

 

For more information, to buy wine, or to join the mailing list, visit their website.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a ruby red color.  The alluring nose has raspberries, warm baring spices, cola, cherries, wild flowers, plums, eucalyptus, and some earthiness.  This has medium body, soft tannins, and good acidity.  On the palate the baking spices and fruit jump out and take hold slowly allowing a touch of eucalyptus and earthiness to break through on the back end.  The finish has good length and adds some minerality to the fruit and spice.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

Connect with me

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.

 

If you like this post, consider joining Cliffs Wine Picks Wine Blog on Facebook and giving me a Like.

 

Cheers!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 2014 Cliff’s Wine Picks.

All rights reserved.

 

 

 

***** Shameless Self Promotion *****

 

Here is a link to a YouTube video of me getting “coal” from Santa for being named the “Nicest Person in Social Media” in 2012.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOvQTeGR3-c

 

 

 

Breaking news from Klout:

 

 

Cliff’s Wine Picks mentions or other posts

Here are posts, newsletters, blogs or other articles that either mention this site or that I have written:

 

Click here or on the “Cliff’s Wine Picks On Other Sites” link in the top right corner to see links to other sites that either have my reviews, my thoughts or other posts I have written.

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

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 my local store is usually VERY competitive.  I generally get case discounts, and since I work there part time, I get a 5% discount.  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!

 

 

 

2012 Siduri Pinot Noir Sonoma County

2007 Stolpman Syrah Estate Grown

2010 Turley Zinfandel Dusi Vineyard

2012 Helioterra Pinot Noir Willamette Valley

N.V. Laurent-Perrier Champagne Brut L.P.

N.V. Lucien Albrecht Crémant d’Alsace Brut Rosé

1992 Theo Schmitz-Schwaab Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Auslese Fuder #8

2010 Turley Cabernet Sauvignon The Label

2007 Jean Edwards Cellars Syrah Alder Springs Vineyard Mendocino County

2012 Jean Edwards Cellars Petite Sirah

 

 

 

2012 Siduri Pinot Noir Sonoma County – $21.59

When is a lot of information considered to be too much information?  The following is from the Siduri site and explains what went into this wine:

 

WINEMAKING, INGREDIENTS, ADDITIVES i.e. HOW WE MADE THE WINE

 

The Sonoma County Pinot Noir is made up of 17 different lots of Pinot Noir with each lot being made as a separate wine and then these parts were blended together. On most lots, we added a small amount of sulfur at the crush pad to prevent fermentation from starting prematurely and to allow for a “cold soak.” On some lots, we added a small amount of water to the juice prior to fermentation. We did this by draining off juice from the fermentation vessel and then adding that same amount of water back. This allowed us to reduce the sugar and potential alcohol without changing the skin-to-juice-ratio of the must. On some lots we bled off additional juice to make for a more concentrated wine. On some lots, we added a small amount of tartaric acid to the must. Tartaric acid occurs naturally in the juice/wine and the amount we added was a fraction of the total. On a very few lots, we added enzymes to the juice. Enzymes occur naturally in all fruit juices and help break down the skins allowing more flavors and colors to be extracted from the skins. On a very few lots we added yeast nutrients—these also occur naturally in the juice and help the yeast finish the fermentation. We only added these nutrients if the naturally occurring nutrients were unusually low. On some lots we added yeast to the must to complete the fermentation. Other lots fermented without the addition of yeast. All lots went through malolactic fermentation spontaneously. Sulfur was added during the wine’s elevage. The wine was bottled without fining or filtration.

The wine is 14.58% alcohol, 5.9 TA, 3.78pH, with 58ppm total SO2. This wine is Vegan-friendly. This wine has been tested and is Gluten-free.

 

The bottle is sealed with a twist off cap.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright ruby red color.  The alluring nose has cherries, raspberries, baking spices, dusty minerals, dry earth and a hint of dried herbs.  This has medium body with moderate tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate spicy cherries and red berries jump out first with minerals and dried herbs coming in later.  The finish has good length with tart cherries and subtle earthiness carrying the load.  Very easy to drink, value priced and very food friendly, who could ask for more?  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2007 Stolpman Syrah Estate Grown – $21.99

I’m always in the mood for a good Syrah, and the ones from Stolpman definitely fall in that category.  The Stolpman Estate Syrah is consistently very good to outstanding, generally offering high quality at a very reasonable price.  This is generally a wine that greatly rewards a couple ears in the cellar.  I’m looking forward to checking in to see how this wine is progressing.

 

This has 14.5% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

Winery history

Tom and Marilyn Stolpman founded Stolpman Vineyards in 1990 after making the decision that Marilyn’s dream of an “investment we can enjoy” could include finding the perfect piece of property that could grow world-class wine grapes.  Tom was seeking out Limestone hills in a cool, maritime climate.  Until 1997, when Stolpman produced its first wines, all of the grapes were sold to other wineries including the cult hits of Sine Qua Non & Ojai Vineyards.  In 2001 winemaker Sashi Moorman came aboard and began working closely with Vineyard Manager Ruben Solorzano to increase the quality of the fruit going to the winery, including experimentation with dry-farming & high density plantings.

 

After decades of careful development, Stolpman Vineyards now bottles wine from approximately 90% of the 152 acres under vine.  Through extensive experimentation with many varietals, the team has perfected its offerings of Syrah, Roussanne, Sangiovese and Sauvignon Blanc.  Limited plantings of Grenache, Viognier, Petite Sirah, and Chardonnay serve as blending grapes.  The very best limited production wines including Angeli, La Croce, and Ruben’s Block are generally only available to the Stolpman Vineyards Wine Club.

 

Today, Tom’s son Peter Stolpman manages the tightly knit family operation dedicated to making world-class wines.  The team never rests in pushing the envelope of quality through organic dry farming and the meticulous work of Stolpman’s vineyard crew, “La Cuadrilla”.

 

Much more information is available at Stolpman Vineyards website.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a fairly deep maroon color.  The very open and inviting nose has blackberries, minerals, freshly ground espresso, smoked meat, black pepper, baking spices, licorice, dark chocolate, and violets, with just a touch of earthiness.  This is fairly full bodied with fairly solid tannins and good acidity.  The palate features spicy berries with dark chocolate and spicy oak coming in on the back end.  The finish is fairly long with fresh ground espresso and dark chocolate lingering on after the spicy fruit fades away.  This is entering a nice drinking window and should hold for a few years.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2010 Turley Zinfandel Dusi Vineyard – $39.99

It’s hard for me to believe but this is only the second vintage of this wine that I have purchased.  I didn’t even get this bottle for the winery, a local store received a cache of Turley wine a while ago and I had to grab a mixed case at below mailing list prices.

 

This wine clocks in at 16.0% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep ruby red color.  The spellbinding nose has blackberries, blueberries, crushed stones, cracked black peppercorns, mocha, Asian spices and fresh ground espresso.  This has a full body with moderate to solid tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate a load of fruit hits first with crushed stones and black pepper providing a nice counterbalance.  The finish has outstanding length with mocha and Asian spices entering the picture.  This is a hitting is just starting to hit its stride.  Outstanding.  (93 pts)

 

 

 

2012 Helioterra Pinot Noir Willamette Valley – $25.64

This 100% Pinot Noir is a blend of grapes from Lichtenwalter Vineyard (Ribbon Ridge), Lia’s Vineyard (Chehalem Mountains), Apolloni Vineyard (North Willamette Valley) and Kathken Vineyard (Eola-Amity Hills).  The wine was fermented with a combination of native and inoculated yeasts for added complexity and aged for 11 months in 100% French Oak barrels (22% new oak).

 

The wine has 13.9% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright red to ruby color.  The sexy nose has cherries, warm baking spices, raspberries, minerals, wildflowers, leafy herbs and subtle underbrush.  This has medium body with soft to moderate tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate juicy red fruit and spice lead the show with leafy herbs and minerals coming in later.  The finish has very nice length with the herbs and minerals taking the lead and the red fruit providing nice background sweetness.  Very young but already tasty with a bit of air.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

N.V. Laurent-Perrier Champagne Brut L.P.

This wine is a blend of Chardonnay (45%), Pinot Noir (40%) and Pinot Meunier (15%).

 

This has 12.0% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a standard Champagne cork.l

 

My Tasting Note

The wine was a light straw color filled with steady streams of pinpoint sized bubbles.  The very inviting nose had apples, lemon zest, yeasty bread, crushed stone minerals, pears and a touch or nuttiness.  This had light body with crisp, citrusy acidity.  On the palate this was bright and fresh with tart apples, minerals and lemon zest up front with a nutty element coming in on the back end.  The finish had good length with the lemon zest leaving your mouth watering for another sip.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

N.V. Lucien Albrecht Crémant d’Alsace Brut Rosé

Domaine Lucien Albrecht is one of the oldest and leading Alsace family owned estate, tracing its roots back to 1425.  Through the Albrecht eighteen generations, they have become one of the largest owners of prime Alsace hillside vineyards.  In the early 70’s, Lucien Albrecht, the father of Jean, the current proprietor and winemaker, was one of the three founding fathers of the regulated Crémant d’Alsace.  In 2004, Lucien Albrecht Crémants made history.  At the 14th Concours National des Crémants de France (Crémant Wine Challenge), they stole the show, winning an unprecedented Four Gold Medals.

 

Lucien Albrecht Brut Rosé is made from 100% Pinot Noir.  The whole cluster hand-picked grapes are softly pressed in a pneumatic press, hence the coral, light pink salmon color.  Lucien Albrecht Brut Rosé is made by using the same methods as in Champagne, i.e “method traditionnelle”.  After the second fermentation in the bottle, lee ageing lasts for nine months, followed by remuage and disgorging.

 

This has 12.0% alcohol by volume.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright salmon pink color.  The enticing nose has cherries, strawberries, minerals, yeasty bread and a hint of citrus zest.  The wine has light body with crisp acidity and sporadic pinpoint bubbles after an initial blast of bubbles left a nice mousse.   Cherries, strawberries and minerals dominate the palate.  The finish has great length with just a hint of lingering sweetness.  Not a lot of complexity but very tasty.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

1992 Theo Schmitz-Schwaab Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Auslese Fuder #8

My comments

We are BIG fans of nicely aged German Rieslings.  The sugary sweetness these wines show in their youth melds with the citrusy acidity over the years to form a magical elixir that becomes a rich wine with just enough acidity on the back end to leave you grabbing the glass for another sip.

 

This has 8.0% alcohol by volume and the bottle was sealed with a natural cork.

 

Winery history

As is usual for a lot of the smaller, European wineries, not a lot of information seems to be available on the internet.  I can recite Jon Rimmerman’s (from Garagiste Wine) silky prose, but I don’t want this to sound like a sales pitch.  All I will say is, if you like older German Rieslings that have generally been in perfect condition, at really nice prices, check out http://garagiste.com/ and sign up for the list.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a medium golden yellow color.  The fresh smelling nose has apples, pears, honey, petrol, minerals, Spring flowers, pineapple, lemon zest, and a touch of spice.  This has light to medium body with very nice acidity and a ton of richness.  The sugar and acidity have melded into a very nice, rich, silky wine.  On the palate the rich, honey dipped apples and pineapple are joined with minerals and a touch of spice with a bit of citrusy acidity coming in on the back end. The finish has nice length and ends with a touch of flinty minerality and citrus zest.  Very nice and at a peak drinking window.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2010 Turley Cabernet Sauvignon The Label

When I received the offer from Turley for this Cabernet, I had to grab a few bottles.  I’ve read some mixed reviews on this wine so it seems like a perfect time give it a try.  I’m hoping the negative reviews are from the people that were expecting a big, ripe, overly rich wine.

 

This wine has 14.5% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep garnet color.  The very nice nose has cassis, baking spices, violets, cherry, dried herbs, and a touch of dark bittersweet chocolate.  This has medium body moderate tannins, and good acidity.  The creamy palate has nice up front berries, cherries, and spice with dried herbs and some building dark chocolate coming in on the back end.  The finish has decent length with a touch of earthiness joining the components from the palate.  This may not have a ton of complexity but is an enjoyable wine and seems to be in a very nice drinking window.  The QPR at $40 open for debate, but I’m glad I have more in the cellar.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

2007 Jean Edwards Cellars Syrah Alder Springs Vineyard Mendocino County

I guess you can call this a Social Media relationship.  I learned of Jean Edwards Cellars via Twitter.  I read their Tweets and started following them, luckily they followed me back.  Over the last couple of years we have exchanged jokes and Tweets about just about everything.  I was finally able to order a few bottles of their wine, and after giving a bottle a good 15 minutes to recover from the trip half way across the country, I popped the cork.  I am now a big fan and I spread their name to anyone who will listen to me.  I highly encourage you to check out their website and join their mailing list.  These are two very nice people making some of the best wine in the Napa Valley.

 

This has 14.2% alcohol by volume and is sealed with a natural cork.

 

Winery history

We are the owner/vintners of Jean Edwards Cellars – we share a passion for wine, a similar palate and a singular vision on the style of wines we produce.  We live by our motto that “you should only make wines you love to drink” and focus our production on artisan red wines that are full-bodied and classically styled.

 

Quality and heritage are important to us – our wines are reflective of their origins and are sourced some of the most prestigious vineyards (and vineyard blocks) throughout Napa Valley including Stagecoach Vineyard (on Pritchard Hill); vineyards on the valley floor in Rutherford, Oakville and Coombsville; and mountain vineyards on Howell and Spring Mountain.

 

Time really flies – we started producing commercial wines in 2004 but our dream of producing high quality Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon wines started much earlier when we traveled to the valley in 1985.  During that trip, we developed a true appreciation for cabernet sauvignon wines and decided we would some day be a part of the business and produce a wine called Jean Edwards Cellars (our two middle names).  It was a goal worth waiting for and twenty plus years later we released our first wine in the Spring of 2006.

 

For more information, to order wine, or to join the Jean Edwards mailing list, visit their website.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark ruby color, almost purple.  The very nice nose has blackberries, charred meat, smoke, roasted herbs, licorice, black pepper, minerals, brined olives, wild flowers, and a touch of mint.  This has medium to full body with fairly solid tannins, and very good acidity.  The palate has a nice blend between the juicy, crushed berries, and the savory elements of black pepper, roasted herbs, and charred meat.  The finish is long and layered with nice juicy berries adding sweetness to the savory elements.  This is drinking nicely, but will reward some additional cellar time.   (93 pts)

 

 

 

2012 Jean Edwards Cellars Petite Sirah

One of my favorite wineries producing a wine with grapes that were purchased from another preferred winery.  How could I not grab a few bottles of this wine.

 

This wine has 14.3% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

Unfortunately this wine was so popular at a small party, I was not able to get a good tasting note.  I poured a very small amount to make sure the wine was not flawed.  A few minutes later I went to get a decent pour and the bottle was empty.  Everyone around the table was swirling, tasting and smiling, so they liked it…obviously a lot.

 

My quick impression was that the wine was very tight, as expected.  It was not very giving fruit wise initially, relying on minerals, pepper and spice with the fruit in the background.  After about 30 minutes the fruit started to move into the foreground (based on smelling other people’s wine).  I look forward to trying another bottle in a couple months so I can get a better read on the wine.

 

 

 

Connect with me

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.

 

If you like this post, consider joining Cliffs Wine Picks Wine Blog on Facebook and giving me a Like.

 

Cheers!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 2014 Cliff’s Wine Picks.

All rights reserved.

 

 

 

***** Shameless Self Promotion *****

 

Here is a link to a YouTube video of me getting “coal” from Santa for being named the “Nicest Person in Social Media” in 2012.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOvQTeGR3-c

 

 

 

Breaking news from Klout:

 

 

Cliff’s Wine Picks mentions or other posts

Here are posts, newsletters, blogs or other articles that either mention this site or that I have written:

 

Click here or on the “Cliff’s Wine Picks On Other Sites” link in the top right corner to see links to other sites that either have my reviews, my thoughts or other posts I have written.

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

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 my local store is usually VERY competitive.  I generally get case discounts, and since I work there part time, I get a 5% discount.  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!

 

 

 

2002 Stanley Lambert Cabernet Sauvignon Thoroughbred

2009 Bedrock Wine Co. Zinfandel Old Vine

2009 Brassfield Estate Winery Eruption Volcano Ridge

2009 Il Borro Toscana IGT

2006 The Colonial Estate Emigré

2009 Bodega Numanthia Termes Toro Termes

 

 

 

2002 Stanley Lambert Cabernet Sauvignon Thoroughbred – $26.39

I first tasted this wine several years ago at a Cabernet Sauvignon tasting at a local wine store.  Even though several of the wines being served were considerably more expensive, this one was the star.  I bought several bottles at the event and more as time passed.  All together I bought about a case and a half of this wine.  This, unfortunately, is my last bottle.

 

This has 14.0% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with an agglomerated cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a nice ruby red color with a touch of brick showing at the edge.  The intoxicating nose has cassis, eucalyptus, tobacco, well worn leather, baking spices, dusty minerals and dried violets.  This has medium body with nice acidity and soft, silky tannins.  On the palate cassis, minerals and eucalyptus pop out first with spices and a nice floral note coming in on the back end.  The finish has great length with the fruit turning more to cherry and some subtle earthiness coming into the picture.  This is probably at its peak.  (93 pts)

 

 

 

2009 Bedrock Wine Co. Zinfandel Old Vine – $22.50

Morgan Twain-Peterson has followed the lead of Carlisle’s Mike Officer, make very good fines from old vines and sell them for great prices.  I’m not sure of the status of Bedrock’s mailing list, but I recommend either getting on the list or accepting a spot on their waiting list.  Besides very good red wines, Bedrock produces some truly outstanding white wines.

 

This has 15.0% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark maroon color.  The very open and expressive nose has brambly berries, plums, warm baking spices, vanilla, minerals, dried flowers, white pepper and a touch of dark bittersweet chocolate.  This has a medium to full body with moderate tannins and very good acidity.  Tart berries and spice initially grab the palate with white pepper, vanilla and minerals breaking through on the back end.  The finish has nice length with dark chocolate and some earthiness coming into the picture.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2009 Brassfield Estate Winery Eruption Volcano Ridge – $14.24

This is a blend of 37% Syrah, 30% Mourvedre, 14% Grenache, 10% Petite Sirah and 9% Malbec, from the High Valley AVA in the eastern part of Lake County in California.

 

The wine has 14.8% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

Winery History

Brassfield Estate Winery & Vineyard is located in the western section of High Valley at High Serenity Ranch on a truly distinctive and remarkable winegrowing property.  Our valley floor vineyards sit at 1800 ft elevation.  The higher vineyard blocks rise to nearly 3000 ft.  The temperatures of some parts of this unique vineyard are some of the coldest in CA, giving Brassfield a heat summation equivalent to a Region 3 or less in some vintages.

 

In 1973, Jerry Brassfield purchased the original 1,600 acres here as a cattle ranch and wildlife reserve.  Over the next three decades Jerry acquired additional property.  Today, the Lake County estate includes 2,500 acres across both the eastern and the western sections of High Valley, as well as the Round Mountain Volcano.

 

The Vineyards were investigated for their potential to produce world-class estate-grown wines in 1998.  Vineyard planting began in 2001.  As the vineyards matured, the winery has grown with a state-of-the-art winemaking facility.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark maroon color.  The sexy nose has blackberries, Asian spices, black pepper, smoked meat, dark bittersweet chocolate, plums, some eucalyptus, and a hit of earthiness.  This has a fairly full body, solid ripe tannins, and good acidity.  The palate has a nice initial hit of fruit and dark chocolate that is joined by some building spice and earthiness.  The finish has nice length and is joined by a touch of spicy oak.  The oak has started to integrate and will probably be even better integrated with some air or a little more cellar time.  This is very tasty today if a touch of oak doesn’t bother you too much.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2009 Il Borro Toscana IGT – $29.93

This is a “luxury cuvee” comprised of 50% Merlot grown on rich clay soil, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon grown on ancient alluvial sand and 10% Syrah grown on mineral rich stony soils.  All the vineyards are estate owned.

 

This wine has 14.5% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a medium garnet color.  The inviting nose has plum, blackberries, smoke, dried herbs, crushed stone minerals, tobacco, leather, dark chocolate and lavender.  This has medium body, moderate tannins and very good acidity.  On the palate plums, chalky minerals and dried herbs jump out first with tobacco and dark chocolate coming in on the back end.  The finish has very nice length with a floral note and some subtle earthiness entering the picture.  This really needs and deserves some time in the cellar.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2006 The Colonial Estate Emigré – $29.88

Emigré is a blend of Grenache, Shiraz, Mourvedre, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan, and Muscadelle harvested from four vineyards, two in cool climates, Greenock and Eden Valley, and the other two from the northern Barossa Valley.  Wines from The Colonial Estate don’t come cheap.  Their lower end wines start at $30.  This is one of their higher end wines and has a release price around $90.  I’ve been lucky in the past (and this time too) to find their wines either on a clearance sale or via Garagiste for under $30.  If you ever have the chance to get a bottle of this wine or either the Exile Cabernet or Shiraz at a great price, grab a bottle, it will bring a smile to your face.

 

This wine has 14.5% alcohol and is closed with a natural cork.

 

Winery history

The Colonial Estate is a range of limited-production Australian wines with an old world approach.  The fruit is hand picked and carefully selected; the reds receive cold pre-maceration, fermentation, pressing and maceration on skins prior to ageing in French oak; whilst the whites get whole-bunch pressing, lees stirring and are fermented with naturally occurring yeasts.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep maroon color.  The fully open and inviting nose has cherries, blackberries, minerals, Asian spices, fresh ground dark roast coffee, dark bittersweet chocolate, charred meat, dried herbs, wild flowers, and scorched earth.  This has medium to full body, fairly solid ripe tannins, and good acidity.  On the palate the big fruit component is matched stride for stride by dusty minerals, dark chocolate, dried herbs, and dark roast coffee, with a meaty element coming in on the back end.  The finish is long with minerals, charred meat, and dried herbs adding a great dimension to the mixed fruits.  This seems to be entering its prime time drinking window.  This is big and bold but not an overly ripe, syrupy style of wine.  (94 pts)

 

 

 

2009 Bodega Numanthia Termes Toro Termes – $18.99

This is a wine that I generally like in almost all vintages but it’s not a wine I hunt down.  If I can find it at a good price I’ll grab a few bottles.

 

This has 15% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is an inky ruby red.  The sexy nose has black cherries, tobacco, blackberries, white pepper, dried flowers, mocha, vanilla and a touch of earthy underbrush.  This has a fairly full body, moderate to solid tannins and very good acidity.  Intense red and black fruit grabs your palate slowly allowing pepper and mocha to slip in.  On the back end vanilla and some building earthiness enter the picture.  The finish has good length and veers solidly into the earthy spectrum with just a touch of an herbal note coming into play.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

Connect with me

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.

 

If you like this post, consider joining Cliffs Wine Picks Wine Blog on Facebook and giving me a Like.

 

Cheers!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 2014 Cliff’s Wine Picks.

All rights reserved.

 

 

 

***** Shameless Self Promotion *****

 

Here is a link to a YouTube video of me getting “coal” from Santa for being named the “Nicest Person in Social Media” in 2012.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOvQTeGR3-c

 

 

 

Breaking news from Klout:

 

 

Cliff’s Wine Picks mentions or other posts

Here are posts, newsletters, blogs or other articles that either mention this site or that I have written:

 

Click here or on the “Cliff’s Wine Picks On Other Sites” link in the top right corner to see links to other sites that either have my reviews, my thoughts or other posts I have written.

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

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 my local store is usually VERY competitive.  I generally get case discounts, and since I work there part time, I get a 5% discount.  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!