This is based on wine provided by the winery or organization acting on their behalf.

 

 

2011 Wesley Ashley Intelligent Design Cuvée Blanc

2011 Wesley Ashley Intelligent Design Cuvée

 

 

 

About Uncorked Ventures

Uncorked Ventures is a small, family owned business that has been growing since its inception in 2010.

 

Brothers-in-law Mark Aselstine and Matt Krause go treasure-hunting into California, Oregon and Washington wine country to bring you the very best wines that few people have ever heard of.  Building relationships with the winemakers and vineyard proprietors, Mark and Matt find themselves offered access to special limited production wines that astonish and impress.  This “feet on the ground” approach allows them to offer you both high-scoring wines and wines that would score highly—if they weren’t such a secret.

 

The world of flavors and pairing possibilities Uncorked Ventures can open up for you comes from the unparalleled expertise of the winemakers we discover.  When we work alongside them to see their process, or take the time to get to know them beyond a casual phone call, they become inspired to take a hidden bottle out from behind the counter and say, “I don’t usually share this, but…”

Fresh. Original. Exceptional. Precious. Unforgettable.

 

Whether as appreciated gifts, in gift baskets with unique artisan items, or as a member of one of our wine clubs, we promise wine experiences that satisfy, surprise and create memories.

 

Information on the company and the different products they sell is available on their website.

 

 

About #WineChat

#winechat is a weekly, Twitter based discussion about something dealing with the world of wine.  Generally, each week’s chat deals with a specific theme and is lead by an “expert” in that area.  This is generally a nice way to learn about a region, winery, type of wine, etc.

 

Mission

What is #WineChat?  Click here to learn more.

 

Description

How do you join #winechat? Using a tool such as Hootsuite, log into your twitter account & follow the #winechat stream. Be sure to include #winechat at the end of each tweet so everyone in the stream can see you!

 

Grab a glass and join in!

 

Click here for the current #winechat schedule.

 

 

#winechat is hosted by Protocol Wine Studio.  For more information on them, click here.

 

 

About the Winery

Most of the background and information about the winery is on their site in a video format which does not allow for easy transfer to a post like this.  I highly recommend checking out this content.

 

Information is available about the winery on their website by clicking here.

 

 

The Line-up

Here is the line up that was provided for this online tasting event:

 

 

 

2011 Wesley Ashley Intelligent Design Cuvée Blanc – SRP $34

The wine is a blend of 60% Viognier, 30% Roussanne and 10% Grenache Blanc.  This is sealed with a natural cork and has 13.9% alcohol by volume.  There were 275 cases of the wine produced.

 

The Viognier was barrel fermented in 3 year old French Oak barrels, 50% of these barrels were allowed to go through ML after primary fermentation was complete.  Lees was stirred in all barrels 2 times a month for 6 mos.  The Rousanne and Grenache Blanc were cold fermented in small stainless tanks and not allowed to go through ML, to preserve the exotic aromas and flavors.  The Blend was assembled in tank after 10 mos and then bottled.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a light golden straw color.  The spellbinding nose has pears, nuts, pineapples, spice, white peaches and orange blossoms.  This dry wine has medium body and good acidity.  This is rich and creamy on the palate with nice closing acidity featuring pears, orange zest and nuts.  The finish has good length with some lemon zest coming in late.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2011 Wesley Ashley Intelligent Design Cuvée – SRP $38

This is a blend of 75% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 5% Petite Sirah.  The final alcohol is 14.1% and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

The Grenache was picked in the early morning hours in the winery’s vineyard in Santa Barbara County.  They were hand sorted and de-stemmed (whole berry) to a small stainless steel tank for primary fermentation.  They chose to ferment the Grenache with native yeasts, and after a 3 day cold soak, primary fermentation started.  They gently pumped over the tank 3 times a day and allowed the temp to spike at 88F for one day for maximum extraction and mouth feel.  After 10 days, they racked the free run to neutral barrels where the wine underwent Malolactic fermentation.

 

The Syrah and Petite Sirah was picked a few weeks later and co-fermented in an open top tank, where it received 3 punch downs a day.  It was racked to new French Oak barrels while it was still fermenting and let it finish in barrel (they believe this aids in color stabilization and increased mouth feel).  The M+ toast French Oak barrels added the wonderful mocha spice and sweet vanilla that comes through in the blend.  Like the Grenache, they let the Syrah-Petite Sirah go through Malolactic fermentation.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright ruby red.  The very inviting nose has black cherries, raspberries, minerals, dried herbs and baking spices.  This has medium body with soft to moderate tannins and good acidity.  There is nice up front fruit on the palate with minerals and dried herbs adding good complexity.  This has good length on the finish with building baking spices providing an extra layer of depth.  (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 2013 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:

 

 

 

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!

 

 

 

This is based on wine provided by the winery or organization acting on their behalf.

 

 

2011 Bolla Chianti

2010 Cecchi Chianti Classico

2009 Castello Banfi Chianti Classico Riserva

 

 

 

These samples were sent in conjunction with an online promotion to educate casual wine drinkers about the Chianti region and its different types of wines.

 About Chianti

The first time Chianti was recognized as a wine was in 1398.  At that time Chianti was a white wine, not red as it is today.  The first “official” borders for the Chianti region were drawn up in 1716.  In 1872, Baron Bettino Ricasoli, the second Prime Minister of Italy, created the “recipe” for Chianti.  This original recipe called for Chianti to be a blend of 70% Sangiovese, 15% Canaiolo and 15% Malvasia.  Prior to this, Canaiolo had been the dominant grape in the blend.

 

In the 1970s, most people’s idea of Chianti was a wine in a fiasco, the straw-covered bottle you’d find at inexpensive Italian restaurants and pizza parlors.  At that time, with the growing popularity of Chianti, many producers were unfortunately more focused on increasing production instead of increasing quality.

 

The biggest change in the region occurred in 1996, when due to the increased popularity and quality of the so-called Super Tuscans, the Chianti laws were changed to eliminate the minimum amount of white grapes that had to be used and to allow up to 15% “international” grapes.  In 2006, the laws were again changed prohibiting the use of white grapes in the production of Chianti Classico wines.

 

 

 About Banfi

Banfi is a private concern, founded in New York in 1919 by John Mariani, Sr. and today owned and operated by his grandchildren.  The company is focused on the production and import of wine.

 

Banfi Vintners is the sole U.S. importer of the Mariani family’s internationally renowned wine estates in Italy: Castello Banfi of Montalcino, Tuscany, and Banfi Piemonte of Strevi, Piedmont.  Banfi also imports the wines of several other producers, including category leaders Bolla, Cecchi, Florio, Fontana Candida, Placido, Riunite, and Sartori from Italy, Concha y Toro and Emiliana from Chile, and Trivento from Argentina, Wisdom & Warter Sherries from Spain and Stone’s Ginger wine from England.  The company has ranked as North America’s leading wine importer for more than three decades.

 

Additional references

 

The Race of the Rooster: How Chianti earned its famous emblem by Arianna Armstrong on Palate Press.

 

Visit the Crazy for Chianti page on Facebook.

 

The Crazy for Chianti organization also has a nice website.

 

 

 

This line up for this tasting:

 

 

 

2011 Bolla Chianti

Bolla Chianti wines are more of an every day wine.  This wine is available just about everywhere for under $10 a bottle.

 

The Bolla Chianti is generally a blend of 90% Sangiovese and 10% Canaiolo and other indigenous varieties.  The grapes are crushed and fermented at controlled temperatures in stainless steel for 10 to 12 days.

 

This wine has 13.0% alcohol.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a light, bright, ruby red color.  The very appealing nose has cherries, wild flowers, scorched earth, dried herbs, and spice.  This is barely medium body with soft tannins and very good acidity.  On the palate the tart, red cherries steals the show with some earthiness and spice in the background.  The finish has decent length and again is dominated by the tart cherries.  This is a nice Chianti for weeknight pizza, pasta, or lighter meat dishes.  This would also do well with a cheese/salami platter.  (86 pts)

 

 

2010 Cecchi Chianti Classico

The Cecchi Chianti Classico is a step up from the Bolla Chianti both in quality and price.  This wine has very good distribution and is usually available for under $15.

 

This wine is generally a blend of 90% Sangiovese and 10% Colorino Toscano.  After a traditional fermentation on the skins for 18 days, the wine is aged in small oak barrels and barriques for 9 to 12 months.

 

The wine is 13.5% alcohol by volume.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a nice ruby red color.  The nose is initially a bit shy but with some air it opens to show cherries, violets, warm baking spices, earthy underbrush, and a touch of licorice.  This has medium body, soft tannins and good acidity.  On the palate this is rich and plush with cherries, baking spices with some building earthiness on the back end.  The finish is a touch short with cherries giving way to some lingering earthiness.  This will pair well with the usual pizza and pasta but would be nice with lighter meat and poultry dishes.  (88 pts)

 

 

2009 Castello Banfi Chianti Classico Riserva

This Chianti Classico Riserva is the next step up in price and quality.  This wine also enjoys good distribution and is usually available for well under $20.

 

This wine typically is predominantly Sangiovese with small amounts of Canaiolo Nero and Cabernet Sauvignon.  After maceration and fermentation, the wine is aged for at least 2 years, with at least 12 months in Slavonian oak.  After bottling, the wine receives at least 6 months of bottle aging before release.

 

This wine had 13.0% alcohol.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a shade darker than medium ruby red.  The very open and inviting nose has cherries, plums, leather, earthy underbrush, wild flowers, dusty minerals, and a touch of licorice.  This has medium body, soft to moderate tannins, and good acidity.  On the palate there is a nice balance between the fruit, spice, and earthiness with none of the elements trying to overwhelm the others.  The finish has very nice length and again shows nice balance.  This could be slipped into a “Super Tuscan” line up and not stick out as a weak link.  This would stand up well to a meat dish, like roast beef, especially if it was finished with some nice Italian herbs.  This would rock with a pizza loaded with sausage or pasta with meat sauce.  (89 pts)

 

 

What would be better to pair with these three Chianti wines than pizza?  I picked up a pizza at the local pizzeria with a thin “cracker crust” that was loaded with pepperoni, sausage, and gooey cheese.

 

 

 

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 2013 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:

 

 

 

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!

 

 

 

This is based on wines provided to me by the winery or organization acting on their behalf.

 

 

2008 Jaffe Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Metamorphosis

2009 Jaffe Estate Transformation

 

 

 

 

‘It’s comforting to know that if a giant meteor is ever headed our way, the Jaffes can not only warn us, they can pour us a nice glass of wine while we wait for impact’

 

 

 

Gary and Pam Jaffe

Gary Jaffe’s wine journey started in 1980 when he took a vacation from the family’s insurance business to visit St. Helena.  During the visit, Gary came to a revelation, “I decided I’d live here one day,” he said.  Monthly visits to the area again opened his eyes; he could buy some land for what he was spending on hotels.

 

Gary eventually purchased 8 acres on Pritchard Hill above LakeHennessey.  This gave Gary a place for a cabin and to set up a telescope to watch the stars.  A few years later, he doubled his land holdings and looked to plant grapes.  In 1991, reality set in when it was estimated it would cost $100,000 per acre to plant grapes on the rocky site.

 

Around this same time, Gary took a class on the art of collecting at UCLA where he met his future wife, Pam.  “I decided to collect her,” he quipped. “She’s my kind of art.”

 

Gary and Pam moved to the valley in 1999, with the addition of twin girls into their lives, the distance to town began to diminish the appeal of living at the solitary mountain site.

 

This led Gary and Pam to fine a house on 3 acres of land at the southern edge of the St. Helena appellation, at the edge of the Rutherford Bench.  The site was home to a vineyard with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon that had been planted in the 1970s.  After renovating the house and added an observatory that housed a 16-inch aperture optical telescope, it was time to start the next chapter in their lives…

 

 

 

The Winery

Jaffe Estate Winery produces two estate-grown, relatively low alcohol wines, Transformation is a Bordeaux style blend and Metamorphosis is a Cabernet Sauvignon.  2005 marked the first vintage to be released.  The couple was proud when their wines were added to the highly selective list at Auberge du Soleil.

 

Jaffe Estate wines are on the wine list at several restaurants in the valley.  The wines are also available direct from the winery by clicking here.

 

 

 

The winery has a free newsletter and “The Celestial Set” Wine Club.

 

For more information on Jaffe Estate, you can visit their website, or find them on Twitter or Facebook.

 

 

 

The Line up

Here are the wines for this tasting:

 

 

 

2008 Jaffe Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Metamorphosis – SRP $68

Metamorphosis is a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the estate vineyard in the St. Helena appellation.

 

The wine is 13.8% alcohol and is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a medium to deep ruby red color.  The outstanding nose has cassis, baking spices, tobacco, cedar, licorice, cocoa powder, stony minerals, violets, dried herbs and a touch of dry earth.  This has medium body, moderate to full tannins and very good acidity.  On the palate this is a restrained and nicely nuanced wine with no over the top ripeness or layers of oak.  The finish has nice length and balance but at this time the tannins get a bit chalky and course.  Give this one another year or two in the cellar and enjoy over the next decade.  This has great potential.  (93 pts)

 

 

2009 Jaffe Estate Transformation – SRP $68

Transformation is a blend 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Merlot from the estate’s vineyard in St. Helena.

 

The wine has an alcohol level of 14.5%.  The bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright red to ruby color.  With some air, the initially slightly shy nose has cherries, cassis, warm baking spices, cedar, stony minerals, licorice and scorched earth.  This has medium body, moderate ripe tannins and good acidity.  On the palate the up front fruit slowly adds spices, minerals and a touch of earthiness.  The rich and smooth finish has nice length with a floral note entering the picture.  This has very nice balance and could age several years but is delicious today.  (92 pts)

 

 

Closing thoughts

It was refreshing to sample a couple of wines from the Napa Valley with retrained levels of alcohol.  If you missed it above, the 2008 Metamorphosis clocked in at 13.8%.

 

Even though the Transformation is a year younger, it was more open and ready for consumption.  If I had both of these wines in my cellar, I’d consume the 2009 Transformation and save the 2008 Metamorphosis for down the road.  That said, both wines would be outstanding even today, if served with a moist, juicy cut of beef.

 

 

 

Napa Valley Film Festival

Are you interested in attending the Napa Valley Film Festival?  The festival runs from November 13 through 17.

 

Oh, almost forgot, how does attending the event for free sound?  To celebrate being a sponsor of the event, Benchmark Wine Group is giving away a very nice package to one lucky person.  Enter by October 31st for your chance to win.

 

The Napa-based company is offering one lucky winner two Festival Passes to the Napa Valley Film Festival (NVFF), worth a $500 value; two private invitations to the Benchmark Opening Night VIP kick-off party; and exclusive access to the sneak preview screening of ‘August: Osage County’, starring Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts.

 

Benchmark Wine Group will be hosting an exclusive Opening Night VIP kick-off party on Wednesday, November 13 and a winemaker tasting with Todd Alexander of Bryant and Bettina on Friday, November 15.  NVFF Patrons and special guests will be invited to join Benchmark Wine Group at the Michael Holmes Gallery at Riverfront, 606 Main Street, from 8 pm to 10 pm Wednesday to launch the week’s festivities.  Every guest Wednesday will be entered into a raffle for a chance to buy a bottle of 2001 Château Haut-Brion for $1; taste magnums of 1983 Pétrus, 1966 Château Margaux, and 2003 Diamond Creek; and enjoy food catered by Morimoto Napa.

 

For more information, click here.

 

To view the official rules and to enter, click here.

 

A video about the event from my bud, Amy Payne, is available by clicking here.

 

 

 

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 2013 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:

 

 

 

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!

 

 

This is based on samples provided by the winery or organization acting on their behalf.

 

 

2007 Imagine Wine Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles

2007 Imagine Wine Syrah Winged Paradise Mountain Vineyard

 

 

 

This is from an extra special online WineChat celebrating the release of a very limited wine, the 2007 Imagine Wine Syrah Winged Paradise Mountain Vineyard.  The wine was aged in oak for 6 years.  Ross Rankin, the owner, says the wine “is unique and one of a kind” in today’s “sell it quick” market.” The Syrah retails for $80 and only 246 cases were made.

 

This was a large scaled event with three prongs.  The first part was an in house tasting with food, music, dancing, and of course wine.  The second part of the release party was a Skype conference with Ross Ranking.  I participated in the third portion of the release party, and online #winechat tasting.

 

 

The Winery, in their words

Imagine Wine is a true boutique winery producing aromatic and delicious wines in the beautiful Santa Ynez Valley, near Santa Barbara, California.  Our wines are hand crafted by our winemaker, Ross Jay Rankin.  He entered the industry in the late 1990’s and early on he produced in a facility affectionately known by its many excellent winemakers as the “Lompoc Wine Ghetto.”  In 2008 he moved his craft to the “state-of-the-art” facility, Terravant, in Buellton.  Ross sources extraordinary grapes from the renowned vineyards of the California central coast.  His signature Paradise Mountain Syrah and Viognier are made exclusively from the highly sought after grapes of a unique vineyard in the eastern hills of Santa Barbara County.  Begun in 2004, Imagine Wine now has a complement of fine, limited production wines to suit any wine lovers’ tastes.  Our Tasting Room and Art Gallery opened in Fall 2009 in Santa Ynez where our followers may discuss winemaking (or the world’s dilemmas) with Ross or his wife, LynDee, over sips of Imagine Wine.

 

Much more information on the winery and their wines is available by clicking here.

 

The winery is also on Facebook and Twitter.

 

 

 

About Winechat

#winechat is a weekly, Twitter based discussion about something dealing with the world of wine.  Generally, each week’s chat deals with a specific theme and is lead by an “expert” in that area.  This is generally a nice way to learn about a region, winery, type of wine, etc.

 

Mission

What is #WineChat?  Click here to learn more.

 

Description

How do you join #winechat? Using a tool such as Hootsuite, log into your twitter account & follow the #winechat stream. Be sure to include #winechat at the end of each tweet so everyone in the stream can see you!

 

Grab a glass and join in!

 

Click here for the current #winechat schedule.

 

 

#winechat is hosted by Protocol Wine Studio.  For more information on them, click here.

 

 

 

The line up for the event:

 

 

 

2007 Imagine Wine Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles – SRP $39

This wine was supplied to “babysit” those of us who may have wanted to jump the gun and partake in the Winged Syrah before the official start of the event.

 

IMAGINE… 36 months in French, Hungarian, and American oak. Stunning aromas of licorice, vanilla, and leather with flavors of Blackberry and Raspberry. Medium tannins with a slight pleasant smokiness. 200 cases produced

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a fairly deep garnet color.  The very inviting nose has cassis, dried herbs, tobacco, cedar, warm baking spices, and a touch of dark bittersweet chocolate.  This has medium to full body, moderate ripe tannins and nice acidity.  On the palate this wine has rich cassis and spice up front with dried herbs coming in on the back end.  The finish has very nice length with a bit of dark chocolate adding some complexity.  (91 pts)

 

 

2007 Imagine Wine Syrah Winged Paradise Mountain Vineyard – SRP $80

This is 100% Syrah that was aged 65 months in 30% to 40% new oak: 70% French, 25% Hungarian, and 5% American.

 

246 cases were produced.

 

The wine has 16.0% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep garnet color.  The very open and inviting nose has blackberries, blueberries, dried herbs, Asian spices, dark chocolate, minerals, freshly ground espresso, smoke, and black olive.  This has a full body, moderate ripe tannins and good acidity.  Rich and plush on the palate loaded with crushed berries, spice, minerals, dark chocolate and espresso.  Thais had a long finish with dried herbs and white pepper adding even more complexity but it does show some alcoholic heat.  (93 pts)

 

This was much more than a novelty act; this was a top notch wine but not one for everyone.  During the event, while discussing the price, I think I aptly used Saxum as a reference point.  After so much time in oak, the wine was a bit slow to fully unwind and was in a constant state of change.  If you have a bottle or buy some, I would strongly encourage following the winery’s recommendation of serving between 60 and 65 degrees and give it at least an hour of air.  Personally, I wouldn’t recommend stashing it in your cellar, open your bottle over the upcoming holiday season and enjoy.

 

 

Napa Valley Film Festival

Are you interested in attending the Napa Valley Film Festival?  The festival runs from November 13 through 17.

 

Oh, almost forgot, how does attending the event for free sound?  To celebrate being a sponsor of the event, Benchmark Wine Group is giving away a very nice package to one lucky person.  Enter by October 31st for your chance to win.

 

The Napa-based company is offering one lucky winner two Festival Passes to the Napa Valley Film Festival (NVFF), worth a $500 value; two private invitations to the Benchmark Opening Night VIP kick-off party; and exclusive access to the sneak preview screening of ‘August: Osage County’, starring Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts.

 

Benchmark Wine Group will be hosting an exclusive Opening Night VIP kick-off party on Wednesday, November 13 and a winemaker tasting with Todd Alexander of Bryant and Bettina on Friday, November 15.  NVFF Patrons and special guests will be invited to join Benchmark Wine Group at the Michael Holmes Gallery at Riverfront, 606 Main Street, from 8 pm to 10 pm Wednesday to launch the week’s festivities.  Every guest Wednesday will be entered into a raffle for a chance to buy a bottle of 2001 Château Haut-Brion for $1; taste magnums of 1983 Pétrus, 1966 Château Margaux, and 2003 Diamond Creek; and enjoy food catered by Morimoto Napa.

 

For more information, click here.

 

To view the official rules and to enter, click here.

 

A video about the event from my bud, Amy Payne, is available by clicking here.

 

 

 

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 2013 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:

 

 

 

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!

 

 

 

This is based on wines supplied by the winery or organization acting on their behalf.

 

 

 

2012 Trapiche Pinot Noir

2011 Bodega Familia Schroeder Pinot Noir Saurus Patagonia

2011 Bodega Chacra Pinot Noir Barda

 

 

 

This is based on a Twitter #winechat we had on October 9^th.  The “host” for the event was Dan Altman of Argovino. 

 

Argovino in their words:

The wines of Argentina offer exceptional value and a huge variety of flavor. Argovino helps you to discover the finest Argentine wines in every price range with unbiased reviews and articles about the industry. We have more than 300 wines on the site and are adding wines every week. Have a look around and consider subscribing to our free monthly newsletter, which enters you for weekly wine giveaways! Soon you’ll be seeing our Argovino ratings at your local wine shop, too. We’re a completely independent source of wine information – we just want to connect you to the best that Argentina’s wondrous vineyards have to offer.

 

For more information on Argovino, to see their reviews or to sign up for their free newsletter, click here.

 

 

 

About Winechat

#winechat is a weekly, Twitter based discussion about something dealing with the world of wine.  Generally, each week’s chat deals with a specific theme and is lead by an “expert” in that area.  This is generally a nice way to learn about a region, winery, type of wine, etc.

 

Mission

What is #WineChat?  Click here to learn more.

 

Description

How do you join #winechat? Using a tool such as Hootsuite, log into your twitter account & follow the #winechat stream. Be sure to include #winechat at the end of each tweet so everyone in the stream can see you!

 

Grab a glass and join in!

 

Click here for the current #winechat schedule.

 

 

#winechat is hosted by Protocol Wine Studio.  For more information on them, click here.

 

 

 

Here are the wines we sampled and discussed on this evening.

 

 

 

2012 Trapiche Pinot Noir

Trapiche is located in Mendoza, Argentina at the foothills of the Andes Mountains.  Trapiche is Argentina’s largest exported premium wine brand, exporting to more than 80 countries world wide.  They were one of the first Argentine wineries to export to the United States.

 

The winery own 1,000 hectares of vineyards and buys grapes from an additional 200 independent producers in the best growing area in Argentina.

 

This wine is the “entry level” Pinot Noir produced by the winery and is widely distributed.  Some shopping around could yield a price around $6.50 a bottle.

 

This 100% Pinot Noir from the Mendoza region has an alcohol level of 13.5% and is closed with a synthetic cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a light to medium ruby red color.  The slightly shy nose has cherries, baking spices, raspberries, cola, white pepper, wild flowers, and scorched earth.  This is barely medium body with soft tannins and good acidity.  On the palate spicy cherries and berries up front slowly allow some earthiness and a floral note to come into focus.  The finish has decent length highlighted by fruit and subtle earthiness.  Not a bad entry level Pinot and a tremendous value.  (87 pts)

 

 

2011 Bodega Familia Schroeder Pinot Noir Saurus Patagonia

The Schroeders, a European family deeply rooted in the Patagonia and well-known for their solid enterprising profile, approached this ambitious 120-hectare productive project using such varieties as Malbec, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon from red grapes and Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay from white grapes.

 

As the vines settled in their terroir through an innovative farming system, the winery saw its inception in October, 2002, and grew to become today’s fully-functioning vineyard-winery complex, producing exquisite wines that captivate local and foreign experts and consumers.

 

Bodega Familia Schroeder is one of the newer wineries in the area.

 

This wine, with a suggested retail price of under $14 a bottle is the entry level Pinot Noir from the winery.  It has 14.0% alcohol and is sealed with a synthetic cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a shade or two lighter than medium ruby red.  The slightly shy but exotic nose has cherries, eucalyptus, spice, wild flowers and earthy underbrush.  This has medium body, soft tannins and decent acidity.  On the palate creamy fruit dominates with spice and some earthiness coming in on the back end.  The finish has decent length and leans on the earthy elements.  The wine is a bit soft on the back end and finish.  (86 pts)

 

 

2011 Bodega Chacra Pinot Noir Barda – SRP $24.99

The first vineyard that would become part of Bodega Chacra was purchased in 2004.  The existing but abandoned vineyard had originally been planted in 1932.  The vineyard is home to gnarled Pinot Noir vines planted on their own rootstock.  The climate in the area is very dry with a maximum humidity of 30% and an average of just 7 inches of rain a year.  This coupled with the fact the region is surrounded by deserts has resulted in a complete absence of phylloxera and vine diseases.

 

No mechanization is used at any stage of the production process. The berries are placed whole, without crushing, in the fermentation vat, where the weight of the grapes near the top of the vat crushes some of those at the bottom of the vat. This method, which shares similarities with carbonic maceration, allows the wine to express the subtle, complex and finely textured tannins characteristic of very old vines. Fermentation is initiated spontaneously by indigenous yeasts, and lasts approximately three weeks at an average temperature of 78.8F (26C). During fermentation, a layer of carbon dioxide blankets the surface of the cap, which is neither pumped over nor punched down.

 

This 100% Pinot Noir from the Patagonia region was aged 12 months in French oak barrels.  It has 13.5% alcohol and is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a light, transparent ruby red color.  The initially slightly shy nose eventually opens nicely showing cherries, strawberries, white pepper, wild flowers, leafy green herbs, and dry earth.  This has medium body, soft to moderate tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate there is a nice mix of the fruit and savory elements with a bit of earthiness coming in late.  The finish has very good length and shows very good balance.  This is a very nice Pinot Noir, not just a nice Pinot from Argentina.  (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 2013 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:

 

 

 

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!

 

 

 

This is based on a winery supplied sample.

 

 

 

The Region

Tuscany is one of the main wine producing regions in Italy, and probably the most famous.  The region is located in Central Italy and wine has been produced here as far back as the fifth century BC.

 

Some of the more familiar wines made in the area are Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.

 

Sangiovese is the main grape for the region.  The region had very strict regulations on how wines were to be made and what grapes could be used.  Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and other grapes are not indigenous to the area, so their use was not allowed in wines that carried an “official” quality designation.  These other grapes were planted as an “experiment” by a few adventurous wineries that wanted to try and produce the best wine possible.  The use of these varietals lead to the coining of the term “Super Tuscan”.  Since these “Super Tuscans” did not abide by the regulations, they were labeled using the lowest level identifier, simply “Table Wine”.  The problem was that these lowly wines became some of the most sought after wines from the region.  Eventually, the bureaucracy caught on that this type of wine had a future in the region the designation of Toscana IGT was created.  This simply means this is a wine made in any of Tuscany’s 10 provinces and is indicative of the geographical region.

 

There is an outstanding article on the background and origin of the Toscana IGT designation on wine-searcher.  Click here to read more.

 

 

The Winery

Castello Banfi was the “First Winery in the World Recognized for Exceptional Environmental, Social and Ethical Responsibility and Leadership in Customer Satisfaction” by the International Standard Organization (ISO Geneva).

 

Castello Banfi is a family-owned vineyard estate and winery in the Brunello region of Tuscany. Together with its sister estates in Piedmont, Vigne Regali and Principessa Gavia, it has become recognized the world over for its dedication to excellence and sparking a renaissance in the art of Italian winemaking.

 

More information on the estate and their wines is available on their website.  Please click here to read more.

 

 

“It is our fondest desire that this project will be good for the people of Montalcino,

good for Italy, good for America, good for all people who love fine wine.”

John F. Mariani, Jr.

Founder of Castello Banfi · September 12, 1984

 

 

 

2012 Castello Banfi Centine Rose Toscana IGT – SRP $12.99

This wine is a blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.  After a brief maceration period the wine is fermented.  After malolactic fermentation, the wine is briefly aged in small oak barrels and bottled in the Spring.

 

The final alcohol level is 12.5% and the wine is sealed with a screw cap.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright and intense pink salmon color.  The fresh and inviting nose has cherries, watermelon, spice, minerals, citrus zest and just a hint of dried earth.  This has light body and crisp acidity.  On the palate the spicy fruit grabs hold, slowly allowing some minerality and citrus to slip through.  The mouthwatering finish has nice length and highlights the spicy, mineral laden fruit.  This would be nice on its own or with a light meal on the patio or deck.  (89 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 2013 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:

 

 

 

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!

 

 

These reviews are based on samples provided by the winery or organization acting on their behalf.

 

 

New York’s Finger Lakes

North America’s premier cool-climate winegrowing region

 

 

2012 Knapp Vineyards Riesling Dry Finger Lakes

2012 Lakewood Vineyards Riesling Dry Riesling Seneca Lake

2012 Lucas Vineyards Riesling Semi-Dry Cayuga Lake

2012 Fulkerson Riesling Ice Wine Finger Lakes

 

 

It was my good fortune to be able to participate in an online tasting of wines from the Finger Lakes region of New York.  The event was the final online event celebrating the release of the 2012 Rieslings from the area.  The event was dubbed “Riesling Hour”, even though the event lasted for hours.

 

To follow ongoing conversations on the wines from the Finger Lakes region, check out the hashtag #FLXWine or follow @FLXwine on Twitter or give a “Like” to Finger Lakes Wine on Facebook.

 

 

I want to thank the Finger Lakes Wine Alliance and the wineries for providing these wines for me to sample.

 

 

 

About the region

The Finger Lakes became an official American Viticultural Area (AVA) in 1982 but its history goes back much further.  The first vineyard in the region was planted by Reverend William Bostwick in his rectory garden in Hammondsport, NY in 1829.

 

The region is now home to over 115 wineries with about 9,200 acres of vineyards.  The region produces about 220,000 cases of Riesling wine from the 848 acres of Riesling grapes.

 

In 1998 the region was brought to the forefront in the wine world when Semi-Dry Rieslings from Dr. Konstantin Frank’s and Fox Run Vineyards each won a Gold medal in Strasbourg’s Rieslings of the World Competition in Alsace.

 

The major varieties of grapes planted in the region are Riesling, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir and Gewurztraminer.  Each of these has over 100 acres of vines in the AVA.

 

 

Much more information about the region is available on the Finger Lakes Wine Alliance website.

 

 

 

My Line Up

There were a lot of different wines opened for the event; my line up included everything from dry wines through a very sweet Iced wine.

 

 

 

2012 Knapp Vineyards Riesling Dry Finger Lakes – SRP $15.95

 

The Winery

Knapp Winery’s 40 acre estate is about a mile west of the shores of Cayuga Lake.  Besides Riesling, the winery also grows Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Lemberger, and Vignoles.

 

The winery was started in 1984 and sold to the current owners Gene Pierce and Scott Welliver in 2000.

 

The winery was the first one in the Finger Lakes to plant and vinify Cabernet Franc.

 

For more information on Knapp Winery & Vineyard Restaurant, visit their website by clicking here.

 

The Wine

This 100% Riesling is classified as Dry but does have a touch of residual sugar, 1.1%.  There were 401 cases produced.  The final alcohol is 12% and this is closed with a synthetic cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a light, pale straw color.  The crisp and clean nose has apples, lemon zest, minerals, white peaches and lime.  This has light body, crisp acidity, and just a touch of sweetness.  There is nice fruit on the front end on the palate with minerals and a slight saline element coming in on the back end and medium length finish.  This is a solid and very food friendly Riesling.  (Rated B+)

 

 

 

2012 Lakewood Vineyards Riesling Dry Riesling Seneca Lake – SRP $12.99

 

The Winery

Lakewood Vineyards is on the west side of Seneca Lake.  The winery has 75 acres of grapes planted, which includes 10 acres of Riesling.  Besides Riesling, the winery has 13 other varieties of grapes planted.

 

The Stamp family has owned Lakewood Farm since 1952 when Frank Stamp bought the run down peach and apple orchard.  Over time, the family planted some grapes before opening the winery in 1989.

 

For more information on the winery, visit their website by clicking here.

 

The Wine

This wine is 100% estate grown Riesling.  The wine is dry, with just a hint of sweetness from the .78% residual sugar.  There were 810 cases produced and the wine has a final alcohol level of 11.7%.  The bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a light golden yellow color.  The fresh smelling nose has apples, citrus, minerals and lemongrass.  This has a light body and is dry with mouth watering, citrusy acidity.  This is bright and lively on the palate with nice citrus and minerality.  The finish has decent length shows nice key limes and minerals.  This is a nice wine that is very tasty but lacks a bit in the complexity department.  (Rated B+)

 

 

 

2012 Lucas Vineyards Riesling Semi-Dry Cayuga Lake – SRP $13.99

 

The Winery

The Lucas Vineyards history began in 1974 when Ruth Lucas and her family made the move out of the Bronx to a 60 acre farm in Interlaken, New York.  After selling their grapes to another winery for a few years, the family decided to start making their own wine.  Their first vintage was 1980 and consisted of under 500 cases of Cayuga White and Estate Red.

 

Today the winery produces 25 different wines with a total production of 26,000 cases a year from the 14 grapes varieties they grow.

 

For more information on the winery, please click here.

 

The Wine

This 100% Riesling has 2.2% residual sugar which earns it the classification of Semi-Dry.

 

This wine has 11.4% alcohol and is closed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a yellow to straw color.  The rich and juicy smelling nose is full of apples, peaches, flinty minerals, citrus, and some spice.  This has light to medium body, good acidity, and nice lingering sweetness.  Apples, minerals, juicy peaches and citrus zest coat the palate with some slow building spice coming in on the back end.  The finish has good length and is crisp and clean with lingering citrus and ripe apple sweetness.  I’d love to try this with a few years in the cellar.  (Rated B)

 

 

 

2012 Fulkerson Riesling Ice Wine Finger Lakes – SRP $29.99

 

The Winery

The Fulkerson family has been farming this land, on the west side of Seneca Lake, since 1805.  Caleb Fulkerson, a veteran of the Revolutionary War settled in the area.  The land has stayed in the family’s hands by being passed down through the generations.

 

Some grapes were planted in the 1830s but in the 1970s the family greatly expanded the vineyards.  The winery currently has over 100 acres cultivated with Riesling occupying 22 acres.  The winery has grown from 1,000 cases produced in 1989 to 30,000 cases a year.

 

For much more information on the winery, please visit their website by clicking here.

 

The Wine

Due to forecasted heavy rain, the winery decided to harvest the optimally ripened grapes and freeze them prior to pressing.  After fermentation the wine was aged 6 months in new oak barrels.

 

There were 127 cases of this 375ml bottle produced.  The final alcohol is 11% with 19.7% residual sugar.  The bottle is sealed with an agglomerated cork closure.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a golden yellow color.  The extremely rich smelling nose is full of honey, apples, petrol, ripe peaches, spice and orange zest.  This has a full body, good acidity, and a “boat load” of residual sweetness.  This is very rich and luscious on the palate.  The long and lingering finish is loaded with juicy peaches, honey, and citrus.  Even though this could be paired with something for dessert, I think it would be best to simply savor this on its’ own instead of dessert.  (Rated A-)

 

 

 

 

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 2013 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:

 

 

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!

 

 

This is based on a sample provided by the winery or organization acting on their behalf.

 

2012 Beauregard Vineyards Pinot Gris Orange Wine Regan Vineyards

 

About Winechat

#Winechat is wine conversation via Twitter each Wednesday 9-10pm EST (6-7 PST).

 

Mission

What is #WineChat?  Click here to learn more.

 

Description

How do you join #winechat? Using a tool such as Hootsuite, log into your twitter account & follow the #winechat stream. Be sure to include #winechat at the end of each tweet so everyone in the stream can see you!

Grab a glass and join in!

Click here for the current #winechat schedule.

 

 

 

About Beauregard Vineyards

For five generations, my family has been working the land in Bonny Doon, CA growing premium wine grapes.  As winemakers it is our mission to produce wines that display the flavor of our home land, and make wines that are true to their variety.  My wines are simplistic in the sense that they reflect what they truly are.  This is accomplished through old world winemaking techniques.

 

We invite you to experience the true terroir of Bonny Doon, and enjoy the typicity and purity of our wines.

– Ryan Beauregard, Winemaker

Much more information on the winery, their vineyards, and most importantly, their wines is available here.

 

About Orange Wine

Simply stated, an Orange Wine is a wine made with “white grapes” that are treated like they were red.  This includes extended maceration time which does not happen in the production of a typical white wine.  This time the juice spends in contact with the grape skins allows the wine to gain color, flavor, and tannins from the skins.

 

Orange Wine is not a new fad; they have been around for thousands of years and had a big revival in northeastern Italy and Slovenia in the 1950s and 60s.

Several months ago Wine Enthusiast magazine had a feature on Orange Wines entitled “Orange Wines Will Never be Mainstream” and subtitled “But a case for why they’re more than a dying trend.”  The full article is available by clicking here.

 

Other articles about orange wines are available in these newspapers and magazines:

Bon Appetit, San Francisco Chronicle, New York Times, and Imbibe Magazine.

 

 

Here is a side by side comparison of the winery’s regular Pinot Gris and their Orange Wine.  These two wines are from the same grape, vineyard, and vintage.

 

 

 

2012 Beauregard Vineyards Pinot Gris Orange Wine Regan Vineyards – SRP $32.00

This wine had 21 days of skin contact during fermentation and was aged in neutral American oak.  The final alcohol is 13.7%.  There were 240 cases of the wine produced.

 

I sampled the wine over a few hours trying it at varying temperatures.  In my opinion, the wine was best at a cool room temperature, perhaps 65 to 68 degrees.  At colder temperatures the nose was fairly closed and the acidity was suppressing the palate and clipping the finish.  If the wine was too warm it lost its structure and balance.  This wine should be treated like a lighter body red wine and not a white wine.

 

This wine would work with most of the foods served with fuller bodied whites and lighter bodied red wines.  The winery suggests Havarti cheese and during the chat Thanksgiving dinner was brought up, which I agree with wholeheartedly.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright, neon orange color.  The exotic nose has white peach, dark toast, spice, roasted leafy herbs, minerals, orange zest, raspberry, pencil shavings, and butterscotch.  This medium body, dry wine is rich and velvety on the palate, with light tannins and very good acidity.  The finish has very nice length and ends with a unique dried orange skin element as well as minerals.  (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 2013 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:

 

 

 

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!

 

 

 

This is based on samples provided by the winery or another organization acting on their behalf.

 

 

 

2012 Acquiesce Belle Blanc

2012 Watts Winery “Upstream” Chardonnay

2012 Borra Intuition White

2011 St. Jorge Winery Verdelho Seco Silvaspoons Vineyard

 

Lodi Information

Lodi is just east of San Francisco and has provided grapes for producers all over the world since the 1800’s.  Today, there are approximately 80 wineries and tasting rooms, but more than 750 growers and over 100,000 acres planted to vineyards!

 

It is a well-known fact that Lodi is predominantly a red wine region, proudly holding the self-proclaimed title of “Zinfandel Capital of the World”.  What is lesser known is that Lodi’s unique Mediterranean climate allows for over 75 different varietals to thrive, including unique white varieties like Albariño, Kerner, Roussane, Vermentino, Symphony, Verdelho and Viognier.  Over the past decade, creative, new vintners have begun to experiment with Lodi’s many white varieties, resulting in today’s production of exceptional varietal wines and intriguing blends.

 

 

Lodi Links

Tons of great and useful information is available on the Wines of Lodi, LOCA website.  I highly encourage you to read about the area by clicking here.

 

 

Lodi Road Trip Passport

September is the month long celebration of California wine in Lodi.  This is the second annual Lodi Road Tip Passport.  Your purchase of a Passport gets you exclusive discounts toward activities, wine tastings and bottle or case purchases from over 45 Lodi wineries. Get your passport stamped at each winery and be entered to win a Lodi Wine Weekend Getaway!

 

More information is available by clicking here.

 

 

My observations

This was my second opportunity to sample some of the wines coming out of Lodi.  In an earlier post I reviewed four rosé wines from the region.  To check out that post click here.

 

These two tastings were a revelation to me.  Most of the Lodi red wines I’ve had over the years were big, ripe and bold red wines.  I didn’t know how the region would do producing lighter, crisp white and rosé wines.  Based on these two events, you can now count me in as a fan in these two categories.  For the most part, these wines were crisp wines with nice fruit and minerality.  These are exactly the wines we open from late Spring through early Fall in my house and probably yours.  I would proudly open these wines to pour for even the most discriminating wine lovers.

 

As an added bonus, these wines offer tremendous value of your money.  If these wines were produced in other parts of the state, the prices would two to three times higher.

 

If you are not a fan of the big red wines of Lodi, don’t let that stop you from sampling the very impressive whites and rosé wines being produced in the region.

 

 

Here is the line up for this tasting event:

 

 

 

2012 Acquiesce Belle Blanc – SRP $24

 

About the winery

Acquiesce Winery is Lodi’s only winery that is dedicated to white wines, though they do produce an occasional rosé.  If you visit their website and check out the wines they produce, the first thing you’ll notice is that all their wines are made with the traditional Rhone grapes.  No chardonnay or sauvignon blanc wines here.  Instead, you will find Roussanne, Viognier, Picpoul Blanc, Grenache Blanc, and this wine, a blend of a few of the varietals.  The second thing you’ll notice is their bottles.  Again, they are different and distinctive.

 

There is nothing wrong about being predictable other than being predictable and boring.  I love wineries that think outside the box and are distinctive.  Being different and distinctive is only a good thing if you are good at it, and Acquiesce excels at what they do.

 

Much more information is available on the winery’s website.  Click here to visit.

 

About this wine

The Belle Blanc is a blend of 60% Grenache Blanc, 30% Roussanne, and 10% Viognier from estate vineyards.  The grapes for this wine were harvested in the Mokelumne River AVA of the Lodi Appellation.  The clones used are from Tablas Creek cuttings from the famous French winery, Chateau de Beaucastel.  All grapes were hand harvested in the morning to preserve acidity and whole cluster pressed to capture the fresh, flavorful character.  The wine was cool fermented in stainless steel tanks.  There were 150 cases produced of this 13.5% alcohol wine.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a very light straw color.  The sensuous nose is full of honeysuckle, pear, spice, orange blossom, honey, apricot, pineapple, and stony minerals.  This has light to medium body, is dry, and has crisp acidity.  On the palate spicy pears, honey and minerals can be found up front with pineapples and citrus on back end.  This has nice length on the finish with a nice floral note closing the show.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2012 Watts Winery “Upstream” Chardonnay – SRP $15

 

About the winery

Watts Winery is a small “mom and pop” winery in Lodi.  If you visit their tasting room, you will be dealing with the owners, Craig and Sherri Watts.  For four generations the Watts family sold their grapes to the larger, well known, bulk wineries.  Those grapes were used to produce some of the inexpensive, non-distinct wines a lot of us consumed to start us on our vinous journey.  Eventually the family decided it was time to take the next step and produce their own wine.  Their first wine was a 1999 Old Vine Zinfandel.

 

The winery now produces several award winning wines and recently added this label, Upstream.

 

For more information on the winery, including the story behind their Butterfly wines, please click here to visit their site.

 

About this wine

After harvesting the grapes are pressed into stainless steel vats and cold fermented.  The wine is slowly fermented and cold filtered over the winter.  This unoaked Chardonnay is from the Delta, about 60 miles from San Francisco Bay.  The warm to hot days are offset by the cool nightly delta breezes to ensure the grapes ripen and maintain their natural acidity.  The final alcohol is 13.6%.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a fairly bright yellow color with some straw.  The clean and fresh nose has green apple, pear, lemon zest, spice, stony minerality, white peach, and a touch of tropical pineapple.  This has medium body, is dry, and has nice citrusy acidity.  On the palate, nice up front apples, pears and minerals hit first with lemon zest kicking in on the back end.  This has decent length on the finish with apples, minerals, and closing tart lemon zest with just a hint of pineapple.  This could use a touch more complexity, which may develop over time.  (89 pts)

 

 

2012 Borra Intuition White – SRP $22

 

And now for something totally different.

 

About the winery

After making wine for his family for almost a decade, Steve Borra stepped out on his own to start Borra Vineyards.  The winery was started in 1975 and Steve produced Barbera and Carignane wines from his vineyards in Lodi.  In 1992 the family purchased 200 acres of land along the north bank of the Mokelumne River.  The property is now called the Gill Creek Ranch.  The vineyard is now home to Viognier, Chardonnay, Merlot, Zinfandel, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.

 

Much more information on Borra Vineyards and its history is available on their website.  Click here to visit.

 

About this wine

This wine is different and is nothing like any wine you’ve had in the past.  Winemaker Markus Niggli, from Switzerland, set out to do something different by breaking all the rules.  He took cool climate German grapes, heavily reduced yields to one ton an acre and allowed them to fully ripen in the warm Lodi climate.  Next Markus barrel fermented the grapes with no added acidity until it was dry and aged the wine 9 months in 50% new American oak and 50% once used French oak.  To most people this is a recipe for disaster or at least a wine oddity.  In the end, this blend of 60% Kerner, 20% Riesling, and 20% Gewürztraminer is a racy success.  Did you notice the predominant grape in the blend?  Kerner was a new one for me too.

 

There are 200 cases of this wine and it has an alcohol level of 13.3%.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a light straw to yellow color.  The exotic nose has butterscotch, coconut, apples, white peaches, white pepper, minerals, white flowers, mint, spice, pineapple, and citrus zest.  This has a medium body, is dry, and has good acidity.  This is luscious on the palate with apples and white peaches sprinkled with coconut and a few drops of butterscotch on the front end.  The back end introduces minerals, spice, and a floral note.  This has nice length on the finish with the addition of a minty note.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

2011 St. Jorge Winery Verdelho Seco Silvaspoons Vineyard – SRP $18

 

About the winery

This will be a little sketchy; there isn’t a lot of information on the winery’s website.

 

St. Jorge Winery is owned by a Portuguese family that has been growing food and making wine for hundreds of years.  The family tree has its roots on the Azores Island of St. Jorge.  The growing winery planted five additional acres of grapes in 2012.

 

Some additional information on the winery is available on their website.  Click here to visit.

 

About this wine

The Verdelho Seco (dry) joins the off dry Verdehlo in the winery’s portfolio.  Verdehlo is a white grape native to Portugal.  The grapes come from the Silverspoons Vineyard in the Alta Mesa region of the Lodi Appellation.

 

The wine was supposedly aged for 6 months in “neutral” oak barrels but I picked up considerable oak influences in the wine.  The final alcohol is 14.8%.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a light straw to yellow color.  The nose has apples, vanilla, spicy oak, white peaches, citrus zest, and some minerality.  This has medium to full body and decent acidity.  On the palate there is some nice up front fruit and minerals then some oak kicks in adding layers of spice and vanilla that slightly obscures the bright fruit.  There is nice length on the finish where a touch of citrus zest breaks through the oak influences.  This is very well made, just not my preferred style.  If you prefer a creamy, oak influenced, fuller body white wine, this will exceed your expectations.  (86 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 2013 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:

 

 

 

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!

 

 

 

This is based on samples provided by the winery or another organization acting on their behalf.

 

 

2011 Four Vines Naked Chardonnay

2010 Four Vines Truant Old Vine

2011 Alto Cinco Garnacha Cariñena

 

About the company:

Purple Wine Company was founded in 2002 by Derek Benham and is based in Graton, California.  Its mission is to create high quality wines that offer outstanding value and are consistent in style from vintage to vintage.  The wines made via its sister production company, Sonoma Wine Company, are produced using water and energy conservation practices, while reducing Green House Gas emissions.

 

The Purple Wine Company portfolio includes Avalon, BEX, Four Vines, Cryptic and the newest addition to the PWC family, Alto Cinco.  While distinctly different, all brands maintain committed to producing the best possible wine in an environmentally conscious way.

 

More information about Purple Wine Company and their portfolio of wines is available on their website.

 

 

The PWC Green Initiative

The Purple Wine Company has a successful “Green Initiative” that includes just about every facet of their business from growing grapes to distributing their wines.  Much more information and details of their model is available here.

 

The Purple Wine Company maintains a social media presence on Twitter and Facebook.

 

Here is the line up for this evening’s online tasting:

 

 

 

2011 Four Vines Naked Chardonnay – SRP $12.00

The Naked Chardonnay is from the El Camino, Los Alamos, and Loma Verde vineyards in the Cat Canyon of Santa Barbara County.

 

This wine was fermented and aged in 100% stainless steel tanks.  A small percentage (4%) was allowed to go through malolactic fermentation.  This as well as sur lies aging added a slight creaminess to the front end on the palate.

 

There were 56,000 cases of this wine produced.  The final alcohol is 13.9%

 

Even though unoaked Chardonnay wines are growing in popularity, especially in my house, it is a long shot it will ever over throw the Chardonnay wines that are aged in oak.  That category of wine is still one of the most popular out there with a ton of devoted followers.  I’m just thankful there are a growing number of wineries thinking outside of the norm and producing wines that highlight the nice fruit, minerality, and tangy acidity the Chardonnay grape has to offer.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright straw to yellow color.  The impressive and inviting nose has apples, stony minerals, white peach, lemon zest, lime, and a touch of almond from the sur lies aging.  This dry white has light to medium body, and tart acidity.  On the palate crisp apples, minerals and a touch of creaminess hit first with citrusy acidity kicking in on the back end.  This has a nice finish, featuring minerals, lime, and mouthwatering acidity.  (89 pts)

 

This is a real value for the money.  If you like wines like a Sauvignon Blanc, you should give an unoaked Chardonnay a shot.

 

 

 

2010 Four Vines Truant Old Vine – SRP $12.00

The Truant Old Vine is a blend of 77% Zinfandel, 13% Syrah, 5% Petite Sirah, 3% Barbera, and 2% Sangiovese from vineyards in Paso Robles, Mendocino County, Cucamonga Valley, Lodi, Amador County and Sonoma’s Russian River Valley.

 

There were 50,000 cases of this 14.5% alcohol wine produced.

 

Even though there is enough Zinfandel in the wine to be labeled as a Zin, the winery simply lists the wines as being Old Vine.  This is a smart move, in upcoming vintages the percentages may change and leave Zinfandel with a low enough percentage to not allow it to be listed on the front label.  Not listing a specific grape on the front of the bottle does not mean a lower quality wine, it just allows the winery to adjust the blend each vintage allowing them to produce the best blend possible.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a fairly dark ruby red color.  The deep and dark nose has earthy, blackberries, black pepper, warm baking spices, plums, earthiness, and meaty notes.  This has medium to full body, light to moderate ripe tannins, and decent acidity.  The palate features nice berries, spice and earthiness.  The finish has decent length.  (86 pts)

 

This tasty, value priced gem is a rich but not jammy style of wine with good spice, perfect with something off the grill or sipping on its own.

 

 

 

2011 Alto Cinco Garnacha Cariñena – SRP $16.00

The Alto Cinco is a blend of 94% Garnacha and 6% Tempranillo from the Cariñena region in Spain.  The grapes used in this wine were harvested from vineyards both in higher and lower elevations.  The elevation of the vineyards imparts different characteristics to the finished wine.  In this case the grapes from the lower elevations added increased aromatics and berry flavors while the grapes from higher elevations added intensity and old vine spice to the blend.

 

The wine was aged for 6 months in a mix of French and American oak barrels.  The final alcohol level is 14%.

 

Wines from Spain, especially Garnacha, which is known as Grenache in other parts of the world, is a growing category, gaining devotees every day.  The Grenache grape is grown all over the world and produces varying styles of wines depending on where it is grown.  I’d advise everyone to check out wines made from this versatile grape.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a medium ruby red color.  The inviting nose has black cherry, raspberry, spice, minerals, licorice, dried herbs, plums, and a bit of earthiness.  This has medium body, moderate tannins, and good acidity.  On the palate, cherries, berries, loads of spice dominate with a bit of earthiness slowly building on the back end.  This has good length on the finish with nice balance between fruit and savory elements, nice closing acidity invites another sip.  (90 pts)

 

This wine would be wonderful paired with something hot off the grill, especially some chicken or pork.

 

 

 

 

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 2013 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:

 

 

 

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!