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

 

 

 

 

Overview

This was the third straight week the Twitter based #winechat had an Oregon winery and one of their Pinot Noirs front and center.  The first two from Lenne Estate and Youngberg Hill were polar opposites.  The Lenne was full of juicy darker fruit and ready to rock whereas the Youngberg Hill was tight with red fruit, spice and minerals and needs some cellar time.  A quick review of the technical aspects of the wine and winery lead me to expect this wine to be somewhere in the middle between the two previous wines.

 

 

The Winery

The Wrigley Family purchased 200 acres of land in 2006 with about 80 acres being suitable for vineyards.  They planted their first Pinot Noir (6 acres), Chardonnay (1+ acres), Riesling (1 acre) and Pinot Gris (1 acre) vines beginning in October of 2008. The first vintage release was 2009, with the “MAC” Cuvée Pinot Noir, McMinnville.

 

J Wrigley Vineyards is an estate vineyard located in the McMinnville AVA of Yamhill County Oregon.  McMinnville is the home of the International Pinot Noir Festival, distinguishing Yamhill County as a contender in the global marketplace for award winning wines.

 

The preferred spelling is J Wrigley, with no period after “J”. As John Wrigley explains, “All our family’s names begin with ‘J’” – John, Jody, Jordan (6), and John Hayes (4). – “That’s our family”.

Regarding the Wrigley name:  As far as he can determine, John Wrigley is not related to the Wrigley gum family.  “They don’t send me Christmas cards,” he quips. “But I’d have to go back to genealogy charts to definitively determine that.”

 

If you are into the geological aspects of vineyards and the terroir, I highly recommend checking out the winery’s website by clicking here.

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

About Winechat

#winechat is a weekly, Twitter based discussion about something dealing with the world of wine.  Generally, each week’s chat session 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!

 

The #winechat schedule is available on their Facebook page by clicking here.

 

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

 

 

 

 

2012 J Wrigley Pinot Noir Proposal Block Estate – SRP $45

There were 250 cases produced of this 100% Pinot Noir.  The wine was aged for 10 months in new French oak barrels before bottling.  This wine has 14.0% alcohol by volume.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright, brilliant red to ruby color.  The sexy nose has raspberries, dusty flint minerals, white pepper, baking spices, cherries, earthy underbrush and mocha.  This has medium body with moderate tannins and very good acidity.  On the palate the raspberries and minerals grab hold initially, slowly allowing white pepper, spices and cherries to slip in with some earthiness coming in on the back end.  The finish is long and nicely layered with bright fruit, minerals and some subtle earthiness.  This is very tasty now but will be better with some cellar time.  This could turn into a real gem in a year or two.  (93 pts)

 

 

Closing comments

This was a very impressive Pinot Noir.  I was very impressed by the streak of minerals that extended from the nose right through the long finish.  This was my first exposure to J Wrigley and I look forward to checking out their other offerings in the future.  Based on the wine chat conversation, I would highly recommend checking out the winery if you ever make it to Oregon wine country.  John loves to talk about the soils in the area and the “terroir” they provide to the finished 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 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:

 

 

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:

 

Snooth

WINES THAT RANG OUR BELL IN MARCH 2014 – Our Favorite Wine Writers Share Their Picks – White wines for spring.

http://www.snooth.com/articles/wines-that-rang-our-bell-in-february-2014-5296/?viewall=1#ixzz2z411esZO

 

Snooth

WINES WE’VE LOVED!  Our Favorite Wine Writers Share Their Picks

http://www.snooth.com/articles/wines-we-yve-loved/?viewall=1#ixzz2yOsinkhN

 

Snooth

OUR FAVORITE REDS FOR SPRING – The Wine Cognoscenti Recommend

http://www.snooth.com/articles/our-favorite-reds-for-spring/?viewall=1#ixzz2xkH0dfSj

 

Snooth

WHAT’S A GREAT GRENACHE? – Our Friendly Wine Experts Share Their Favorites!

http://www.snooth.com/articles/what-ys-a-great-grenache-5209/

 

Snooth

SPRING TIME IS FOR PAIRING – Our Favorite Wine Writers Share Their Picks

http://www.snooth.com/articles/spring-time-is-for-pairing/

 

Balzac

Balzac Communications & Marketing – News & Views

http://balzaccommunications.createsend1.com/t/ViewEmail/y/948F113D27729D90/DF475947E7F379DE2A1BF84ACBDD178B

 

Snooth

WHAT WE’VE BEEN DRINKING – News and Reviews from Around the Blogosphere

http://www.snooth.com/articles/what-we-yve-been-drinking/?viewall=1#ixzz2vy4idw7a

 

Snooth

WINES THAT RANG OUR BELL IN FEBRUARY 2014 – Our Favorite Wine Writers Share Their Picks

http://www.snooth.com/articles/wines-that-rang-our-bell-in-february-2014/?viewall=1#ixzz2vy4DCh5L

 

Crave Local

California Wine Reviews: Cline Cellars and Jacuzzi Family Vineyard

http://www.cravelocal.com/all-favorites/california-wine-reviews-cline-cellars-and-jacuzzi-family-vineyard/

 

Crave Local

Sample Boutique Wines at Affordable Prices with Tastingroom.com

http://www.cravelocal.com/all-favorites/sample-boutique-wines-at-affordable-prices-with-tastingroom-com/

 

 

 

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.

 

 

2013 Bodega del Fin del Mundo Malbec Postales

2012 Familia Zuccardi Malbec Serie A Valle de Uco

2012 Argento Malbec

2012 Alamos Malbec

2012 Familia Zuccardi Malbec Santa Julia Reserva

2011 Bodega del Fin del Mundo Malbec Reserva

2011 Bodegas Escorihuela Gascón Malbec Don Miguel Gascón Reserva

2011 Bodega Norton Malbec Privada Mendoza

 

 

Overview

Malbec World Day (MWD) took place for the first time on April 17, 2011, with more than 72 events being held in 45 cities, across 36 countries.

 

The huge international significance which Malbec World Day has accomplished in each of its editions is also thanks to the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Trade of Argentina.Every year, around the world, more than 40 representatives of Argentina play a major role in the impact of Malbec World Day in the international media.

 

On April 17, 2012, in its second year, there were more than 142 events in 68 cities across 43 countries around the world. The key celebrations were held in New York, Washington, Los Angeles and Seattle in USA, Ottawa, Toronto, Victoria and Vancouver in Canada, United Kingdom, Holland, Colombia, Peru, Mexico, Brazil, Costa Rica and Buenos Aires (Argentina).

 

In 2013, 106 events were held in 76 cities across 50 countries. The whole world honored our country’s signature grape.

 

The fourth edition of Malbec World Day, an international celebration dedicated exclusively to the Argentine grape par excellence. The festivities of 2014 praise the musical culture under the slogan: “To the sound of Malbec” (or “Music for Malbec”). From their ancient origins, Bacchanalian parties appealed to the liberation of the senses through sensuality and movement. Therefore, this year we are to through music to enhance the rhythmic quality of our wine. The tempo of Malbec is like your taste: untamed, intense and vigorous.

 

Much more information on the event is available on the Wines of Argentina site by clicking here.

 

 

Malbec – The Grape

While acreage of the Malbec is declining in France, in Argentina the grape is surging and has become a “national variety” of a sort that is uniquely identified with Argentine wine.  The grape was first introduced to the region in the mid 19th century when provincial governor Domingo Faustino Sarmiento instructed the French agronomist Miguel Pouget to bring grapevine cuttings from France to Argentina.  Of the vines that Pouget brought were the very first Malbec vines to be planted in the country.  During the economic turmoil of the 20th century, some plantings of Malbec were pulled out to make way for the jug wine producing varieties of Criolla Grande and Cereza.  But the grape was rediscovered in the late 20th century as the Argentine wine industry shifted its focus to premium wine production for export.  As the Argentine wine industry discovered the unique quality of wine that could be made from the grape, Malbec arose to greater prominence and is today the most widely planted red grape variety in the country.  As of 2003 there were over 50,000 acres (20,000 hectares) of Malbec in Argentina.

 

The grape clusters of Argentine Malbec are different from its French relatives, having smaller berries in tighter, smaller clusters.  This suggests that the cuttings brought over by Pouget and later French immigrants were a unique clone that may have gone extinct in France due to frost and the phylloxera epidemic.  Argentine Malbec wine is characterized by its deep color and intense fruity flavors with a velvety texture.  While it doesn’t have the tannic structure of a French Malbec, being more plush in texture, Argentine Malbecs have shown aging potential similar to their French counterparts.  The Mendoza region is the leading producer of Malbec in Argentina with plantings found throughout the country in places such as La Rioja, Salta, San Juan, Catamarca and Buenos Aires.

(Courtesy of Wikipedia)

 

 

Argentina – The Country

The Argentine wine industry is the fifth largest producer of wine in the world.  Argentine wine, as with some aspects of Argentine cuisine, has its roots in Spain.  During the Spanish colonization of the Americas, vine cuttings were brought to Santiago del Estero in 1557, and the cultivation of the grape and wine production stretched first to neighboring regions, and then to other parts of the country.

 

Historically, Argentine winemakers were traditionally more interested in quantity than quality with the country consuming 90% of the wine it produces (12 gallons/45 liters a year per capita according to 2006 figures).  Until the early 1990s, Argentina produced more wine than any other country outside Europe, though the majority of it was considered unexportable.  However, the desire to increase exports fueled significant advances in quality.  Argentine wines started being exported during the 1990s, and are currently growing in popularity, making it now the largest wine exporter in South America.  The devaluation of the Argentine peso in 2002 further fueled the industry as production costs decreased and tourism significantly increased, giving way to a whole new concept of enotourism in Argentina.

(Courtesy of Wikipedia)

 

 

 

About Winechat

#winechat is a weekly, Twitter based discussion about something dealing with the world of wine.  Generally, each week’s chat session 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!

 

The #winechat schedule is available on their Facebook page by clicking here.

 

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

 

 

 

My lineup for the tasting:

 

 

 

2013 Bodega del Fin del Mundo Malbec Postales

The wine has 14.0% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a plastic stopper.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright ruby red color.  The very appealing nose has blackberries, raspberries, plums, fresh ground coffee, baking spices, candied violets, and earthy underbrush.  This has medium body with soft tannins and decent acidity.  On the palate sweet, juicy berries and spice grab hold and slowly allows a floral note to slip into the picture.  The finish has decent length with a bit of dark chocolate and earthiness coming into play.  This is an easy drinking wine with just a touch of sweetness that would appeal to a lot of wine drinkers especially in a party setting.  (86 pts)

 

 

 

2012 Familia Zuccardi Malbec Serie A Valle de Uco

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

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a medium ruby to violet color.  The soothing nose has crushed berries, black cherries, plums, licorice, chocolate, vanilla and wild flowers.  This has medium body with soft tannins and decent acidity.  On the palate sweet, juicy fruit and vanilla jump out first with some dark chocolate coming in later.  The finish has good length with a floral note adding some depth.  This wine leaves a sweet final impression which would make it a good choice for a friendly gathering.  (86 pts)

 

 

 

2012 Argento Malbec

This has 13.9% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a twist off cap.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a violet red color.  The open and appealing nose has currants, plums, Asian spices, dark chocolate, underbrush, dried flowers and a touch of smoke.  This has medium body with moderate tannins and good acidity.  The palate has a nice mix of fruit and savory notes with an earthy edge coming in on the back end.  The finish has good length with a solid dark chocolate element and earthiness balancing out the fruit.  This has nice depth.  (88 pts)

 

 

 

2012 Alamos Malbec

The wine has 13.7% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with an agglomerated cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a medium to deep ruby color.  The nose has plums, blackberries, fresh ground espresso and toasty oak.  On the palate the plums jump out first and grudgingly allows some ground espresso to slip through.  The finish is a touch short and is dominated by toasty oak with a touch of fruit in the background providing some needed sweetness.  (85 pts)

 

 

 

2012 Familia Zuccardi Malbec Santa Julia Reserva

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

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a medium to dark ruby red.  The slightly shy nose eventually offers up black cherry, baking spice, toasted oak and violets.  This has medium body with moderate tannins and good acidity.  This is much more giving on the palate with cherries and spicy oak up front with more spice and nice earthiness coming in on the back end.  The finish has good length with the savory elements carrying the load with the fruit in the background.  This is not a fruit forward wine, the fruit is a supporting character adding nice sweetness.  (88 pts)

 

 

 

2011 Bodega del Fin del Mundo Malbec Reserva

This wine has 14.0% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a nice ruby red color.  The exotic nose has blackberries, flinty minerals, roasted herbs, dark bittersweet chocolate, toasty oak and dried wild flowers.  This has medium body with moderate to full tannins and good acidity.  On the palate mineral laden berries and roasted herbs hit first with dark chocolate and toasty oak coming in later.  The finish has good length with the toasty oak and berries carrying the load.  This would be nice with a piece of juicy meat, hot off the grill.  (88 pts)

 

 

 

2011 Bodegas Escorihuela Gascón Malbec Don Miguel Gascón Reserva

This wine has 14.8% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a medium to dark ruby color.  The slightly different nose has an adhesive tape element to go with crushed blackberries, dark chocolate, minerals and earthy underbrush.  This has a medium to full body with moderate to solid tannins and good acidity.  On the palate the crushed berries and minerals initially take hold with dark chocolate and earthy elements coming in on the back end.  The finish has decent length with a reappearance of the adhesive tape (bret).  The apparent bret element will turn a lot of people off but it’s not that distracting for those of us who thinks it can add an element to a wine in small doses.  That said, this is pushing the limits of my bret tolerance.  (85 pts)

 

I should note, no one else noticed anything wrong with this wine, so the bret issue I encountered could be related to the dreaded “bottle variation”.

 

 

 

2011 Bodega Norton Malbec Privada Mendoza

This wine has 14.8% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a medium to dark ruby color.  The bold nose has crushed berries, game, dark roasted coffee, mocha, vanilla, cherries and potpourri.  This has medium to full body with fairly solid tannins and good acidity.  On the palate spicy oak and fruit grab hold up front with coffee and mocha coming in later.  The finish is fairly long with vanilla and a gamy note coming in.  A solid wine that would go well with a hearty meat dish.  (89 pts)

 

 

 

Closing comments

These wines showed the range of Malbec wines being produced in Argentina.  Some were soft, fruity, easy drinking wines perfect for non-critical sipping with friends.  Other samples were perfect for casual week night dining with family and friends.  Still others were serious wines with a savory edge that would be perfect for the “wine geek” in your life or yourself.

 

 

 

Win an All-inclusive VIP Sonoma Winecation

 

 

 

Underground Cellar is offering you a chance to win an all-inclusive VIP weekend in Sonoma wine country.

 

The winner will get the following with a value of $6,500:

• Weekend getaway for 4 to California’s exclusive Sonoma wine country
• Stay at the luxurious 5,500 sq. ft. Villa Terra Nova Retreat
• Behind-the-scenes private tour of Iron Horse Vineyards, by winemaker David Munskgard
• VIP chef’s dinner at award-winning “the girl and the fig” restaurant
• Rountrip airfare, luxury transportation, and many other surprises!

Click here to enter.   If you win, you can even include me as one of your friends.

Even if you don’t win the grand prize, there is over $3,000 of gift cards with a value of up to $200 to be given away.

 

While you’re there, check out Underground Cellar unique wine selling model.  You can “buy” a lower cost wine and get upgraded to a much more expensive bottle for free.  For example, one of their current offers is $42 for a 2008 Balboa Brioso.  If you buy this wine, you could get “upgraded” to 2007 Stonestreet Monument Ridge Cabernet ($60 value), 2009 Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet ($85 value), 2007 Anderson’s Conn Valley Reserve Cabernet ($130 value), 1994 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon ($150 value), or even a 1985 BR Cohn Cabernet Sauvignon Olive Hill (Helen Turley) with a value of $220.

 

The shipping is also incredible, at 6 bottles, shipping cost $5! Buy 6 more bottles and ship for FREE.

 

 

 

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:

 

 

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:

 

Snooth

WINES THAT RANG OUR BELL IN MARCH 2014 – Our Favorite Wine Writers Share Their Picks – White wines for spring.

http://www.snooth.com/articles/wines-that-rang-our-bell-in-february-2014-5296/?viewall=1#ixzz2z411esZO

 

Snooth

WINES WE’VE LOVED!  Our Favorite Wine Writers Share Their Picks

http://www.snooth.com/articles/wines-we-yve-loved/?viewall=1#ixzz2yOsinkhN

 

Snooth

OUR FAVORITE REDS FOR SPRING – The Wine Cognoscenti Recommend

http://www.snooth.com/articles/our-favorite-reds-for-spring/?viewall=1#ixzz2xkH0dfSj

 

Snooth

WHAT’S A GREAT GRENACHE? – Our Friendly Wine Experts Share Their Favorites!

http://www.snooth.com/articles/what-ys-a-great-grenache-5209/

 

Snooth

SPRING TIME IS FOR PAIRING – Our Favorite Wine Writers Share Their Picks

http://www.snooth.com/articles/spring-time-is-for-pairing/

 

Balzac

Balzac Communications & Marketing – News & Views

http://balzaccommunications.createsend1.com/t/ViewEmail/y/948F113D27729D90/DF475947E7F379DE2A1BF84ACBDD178B

 

Snooth

WHAT WE’VE BEEN DRINKING – News and Reviews from Around the Blogosphere

http://www.snooth.com/articles/what-we-yve-been-drinking/?viewall=1#ixzz2vy4idw7a

 

Snooth

WINES THAT RANG OUR BELL IN FEBRUARY 2014 – Our Favorite Wine Writers Share Their Picks

http://www.snooth.com/articles/wines-that-rang-our-bell-in-february-2014/?viewall=1#ixzz2vy4DCh5L

 

Crave Local

California Wine Reviews: Cline Cellars and Jacuzzi Family Vineyard

http://www.cravelocal.com/all-favorites/california-wine-reviews-cline-cellars-and-jacuzzi-family-vineyard/

 

Crave Local

Sample Boutique Wines at Affordable Prices with Tastingroom.com

http://www.cravelocal.com/all-favorites/sample-boutique-wines-at-affordable-prices-with-tastingroom-com/

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

Overview

Youngberg Hill is both a winery and an Inn.  If you go to their website, the first thing you’ll notice is the pictures and stories about their inn.  It looks beautiful but I will refrain from commenting about it since this piece is about their wine.  I will say, if you are planning a trip to the Oregon’s wine country, this should be at the top of your list of places to stay.

 

Youngberg Hill uses organic and sustainable practices with the goal of being certified a “Biodynamic” vineyard in a couple of years.  The winery’s vineyards measure 20 acres, divided into four distinct blocks.  Three of the blocks are used for Pinot Noir and one contains Pinot Gris.  All vineyards are dry farmed and well as utilizing the previously mentioned biodynamic practices.

 

 

The Winery

Youngberg Hill was started in 1989 with the noble goal of creating the best wine from the best grapes in every vintage.

 

In 1989, Ken Wright, who saw great potential in the soils of Willamette Valley, planted the vineyards (now known as the Jordan and Natasha blocks) on what was to become known as Youngberg Hill.  Wright, considered to be one of the “gurus” of Oregon wine, exclusively used the fruit from Youngberg for his Panther Creek wines.  In 1996, the first wine to be labeled Youngberg Hill Vineyards was produced.

 

By 2003, Wayne Bailey – the son of an Oakland, Iowa farmer, and with a mechanical engineering degree in tow – bought the property and launched what he describes as his “fifth career”, that of a wine grower and producer.  With the 2013 harvest, Wayne marked his 10th anniversary farming Youngberg.

 

The winery started practicing organic farming in 2003, are LIVE certified, and are moving toward biodynamic farming practices.   They are most interested in sustaining and even improving the quality and balance of the soil naturally.  They believe these practices produce the highest quality fruit possible, while maintaining the integrity of the soils and the rich nourishment they provide to the fruit.

 

In their words – Oregon’s premier wine country estate and one of Wine Spectator’s favorite locations; set on a 50 acre hilltop surrounded by an organic vineyard.  We have an amazing 25 year old vineyard that is farmed organically.  We are well known for producing award winning Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris wines.  As passionate farmers and winemakers we are thrilled to share, educate, and talk wine.  We respect the environment and believe that we can make a difference in how we treat the land and each other every day.  We care for our wine and guests with this same respect and philosophy.   We are proud of our ‘Green’ approach to wine country living and look forward to sharing it with you.

 

 

Much more information on the winey and Inn can be found on their website by clicking here.

 

 

 

 

About Winechat

#winechat is a weekly, Twitter based discussion about something dealing with the world of wine.  Generally, each week’s chat session 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!

 

The #winechat schedule is available on their Facebook page by clicking here.

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

2010 Youngberg Hill Pinot Noir Jordan Block – SRP $40

The four acre Jordan Block is the smaller of the two original block planted in 1989 by Ken Wright.  The Jordan Block is on a steeper slope then the other original block, the Natasha Block.  It is at an altitude of approximately 750 feet on Steiwer soil.  The vines are own-rooted with 60% Pommard and 40% Wadenswil clones.

 

2010 was a cool vintage that fortunately provided a nice “Indian Summer” that allowed the grapes to ripen.  Since the grapes had to “hang” until late October to ripen, birds became a major issue.  The birds liked the winery’s grapes as evidenced by the 30% of the crop they ate.  In most cooler vintages, the wines produced are highly structured but need some cellar time to show their best.  The wine was aged for 10 months in 25% new oak.

 

The wine has 12.9% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a twist off closure.  I should note, the winery’s “technical” notes say the alcohol is 11.95%, but I am using the percentage off of the label.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright ruby color.  The enticing nose has black cherries, minerals, baking spice, violets, anise, and subtle earthiness.   This barely has medium body with moderate tannins and very good acidity.  On the palate the tart fruit, minerals and spice hit first with anise and violets coming in on the back end.  The finish gets a touch lean with some earthiness  coming into the picture to add to the tart fruit and minerals before a slight herbal note slips in.  This is very young and will be better with some cellar time which should allow it to fill out on the back end and fully open up.  (89 pts)

 

 

Closing comments

This wine really needs and deserves a couple years in the cellar for it to fill out on the back end and to open up.  As with most wines produced in cool vintages, patience will be rewarded.  If you drink this now, give it a considerable amount of air.

 

 

 

Win an All-inclusive VIP Sonoma Winecation

 

 

 

Underground Cellar is offering you a chance to win an all-inclusive VIP weekend in Sonoma wine country.

 

The winner will get the following with a value of $6,500:

• Weekend getaway for 4 to California’s exclusive Sonoma wine country
• Stay at the luxurious 5,500 sq. ft. Villa Terra Nova Retreat
• Behind-the-scenes private tour of Iron Horse Vineyards, by winemaker David Munskgard
• VIP chef’s dinner at award-winning “the girl and the fig” restaurant
• Rountrip airfare, luxury transportation, and many other surprises!

Click here to enter.   If you win, you can even include me as one of your friends.

Even if you don’t win the grand prize, there is over $3,000 of gift cards with a value of up to $200 to be given away.

 

While you’re there, check out Underground Cellar unique wine selling model.  You can “buy” a lower cost wine and get upgraded to a much more expensive bottle for free.  For example, one of their current offers is $42 for a 2008 Balboa Brioso.  If you buy this wine, you could get “upgraded” to 2007 Stonestreet Monument Ridge Cabernet ($60 value), 2009 Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet ($85 value), 2007 Anderson’s Conn Valley Reserve Cabernet ($130 value), 1994 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon ($150 value), or even a 1985 BR Cohn Cabernet Sauvignon Olive Hill (Helen Turley) with a value of $220.

 

The shipping is also incredible, at 6 bottles, shipping cost $5! Buy 6 more bottles and ship for FREE.

 

 

 

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:

 

 

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:

 

Snooth

WINES WE’VE LOVED!  Our Favorite Wine Writers Share Their Picks

http://www.snooth.com/articles/wines-we-yve-loved/?viewall=1#ixzz2yOsinkhN

 

Snooth

OUR FAVORITE REDS FOR SPRING – The Wine Cognoscenti Recommend

http://www.snooth.com/articles/our-favorite-reds-for-spring/?viewall=1#ixzz2xkH0dfSj

 

Snooth

WHAT’S A GREAT GRENACHE? – Our Friendly Wine Experts Share Their Favorites!

http://www.snooth.com/articles/what-ys-a-great-grenache-5209/

 

Snooth

SPRING TIME IS FOR PAIRING – Our Favorite Wine Writers Share Their Picks

http://www.snooth.com/articles/spring-time-is-for-pairing/

 

Balzac

Balzac Communications & Marketing – News & Views

http://balzaccommunications.createsend1.com/t/ViewEmail/y/948F113D27729D90/DF475947E7F379DE2A1BF84ACBDD178B

 

Snooth

WHAT WE’VE BEEN DRINKING – News and Reviews from Around the Blogosphere

http://www.snooth.com/articles/what-we-yve-been-drinking/?viewall=1#ixzz2vy4idw7a

 

Snooth

WINES THAT RANG OUR BELL IN FEBRUARY 2014 – Our Favorite Wine Writers Share Their Picks

http://www.snooth.com/articles/wines-that-rang-our-bell-in-february-2014/?viewall=1#ixzz2vy4DCh5L

 

Crave Local

California Wine Reviews: Cline Cellars and Jacuzzi Family Vineyard

http://www.cravelocal.com/all-favorites/california-wine-reviews-cline-cellars-and-jacuzzi-family-vineyard/

 

Crave Local

Sample Boutique Wines at Affordable Prices with Tastingroom.com

http://www.cravelocal.com/all-favorites/sample-boutique-wines-at-affordable-prices-with-tastingroom-com/

 

 

 

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.

 

 

2012 Hans Wirsching Iphöfer Scheurebe Kabinett trocken

2011 Graf v. Schönborn Hallburger Schlossberg Silvaner Kabinett trocken

2012 Weingut Ökonomierat Rebholz Pinot Blanc Dry

2012 Graf v. Schönborn Schloss Hallburger Pinot Gris Kabinett trocken

2011 Friedrich Becker Becker Family Pinot Noir

2011 Weingut Schnaitmann Lemberger Dry

 

 

 

 

 

I was happily invited to participate in a Wine Studio event presented by Protocol Wine Studio of Germany’s lesser known wine varieties chosen by Rudi Wiest Selection.  Like most people, most of my German wine knowledge involves the many style and classification of Rieslings they produce.

 

 

 

About Rudi Wiest Selections

Rudi Wiest Selections is a leading importer of fine German wines in the United States market. Since 1978 our sole focus has been rebuilding the image of legendary Germany wine estates through education of consumers and persons in the wine trade alike. We are committed to giving the best service and information regarding the selection of fine German wine. Visiting Germany two to three times a year, we personally maintain relationships with every estate and exhaustively involve ourselves with the selection process. Our commitment assures only the finest wines earn the Rudi Wiest Selections quality seal.

 

Much more information on Rudi Wiest Selections, the Estates they represent and the wines are available on their website by clicking here.

 

 

“Rudi Wiest is one of the one of the most important, and some say the most important importer of German wine in the United States.”

“Rudi Wiest – A pioneer, visionary and tireless crusader for German wine.”

Two quotes about Rudi Wiest from the article “Mr. German Wine” (translated from German) from the September 2005 ussue of Alles Uber Wein.

 

 

 

About WineStudio

#WineStudio PROTOCOL wine studio presents an online twitter-based educational program where we engage our brains and palates! It’s part instruction and wine tasting, with discussions on producers, grapes, tourism, terroir, regional culture, food and wine matching and what all this means to us as wine drinkers.

 

Wine Studio events generally last multiple weeks and can border on “information overload” at times.  These events provide a complete picture of all elements involved in the event’s theme.

 

Description

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

 

You don’t have to have the wines that are being discussed to become much more knowledgeable in the subject matter but having them will make the event a lot tastier.  Check out the Protocol Wine Studio site for information on upcoming events and information on purchasing the packages that will be discussed.

 

Grab a glass and join in!

 

If you are in San Diego, Protocol Wine Studio hosts a lot of events onsite.  Again, check out their site for information.

 

 

 

The line up for the four week long #WineStudio series.

 

 

 

The first week of Wine Studio did not include imbibing in specific wines.  This week was an introduction into the world of Rudi Wiest Selections.  This was an opportunity to get to know the team behind the man who created one of the top German wine portfolios.

 

 

 

The second week of WineStudio included these two wines, a Silvaner and a Scheurebe:

 

 

 

2012 Hans Wirsching Iphöfer Scheurebe Kabinett trocken – SRP $27

Now in its 14th generation, the Wirsching family has been making wine since the 1630’s.  Wirsching winery ranks among the best known and largest privately held wine estates in all of Franconia.  The village of Iphofen, is named Franconia’s “historic treasure box” the soils are prized.

 

DNA work in late 90’s revealed Scheurebe is likely cross of an unknown wild grape and Riesling.  Not as previously thought Riesling and Silvaner.  This style of bottle is called a “Bocksbeutel” in German, which translates to “goat scrotum” and is very common in wines from Franken.

 

“Scheurebe (shoy-ray-beh) offers all that is Dirty and Fun. It is Riesling’s evil, horny twin.” Terry Theise

 

The wine has 12.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a twist off closure.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a pale yellow to straw color.  The very open and inviting nose has white peach, apples, warm spices, orange blossoms and lemon zest.  This has a light body with crisp acidity and just a hint of sweetness.  On the palate the apples, spice and lemon zest grab hold first, slowly allowing some peach to slip through.  The finish has very nice length with a nice orange blossom note to grab hold before some mouthwatering lemon zest takes over.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2011 Graf v. Schönborn Hallburger Schlossberg Silvaner Kabinett trocken – SRP $20

Schloss Hallburg is currently practicing organic and will be Certified Organic in 2015.

 

Silvaner is an offspring of a spontaneous crossing of Traminer and Österreichisch Weiss (literally Austrian White).  This variety has been widespread since the early 19th Century; by mid 20th Century it had become the most important grape variety in Germany.  It has since continuously declined but has settled down and is holding steady at about 5200ha or 5% of total plantings in Germany.  Of the 5200 ha, 1,300 is in Franken.  Silvaner wines can age gracefully for many years, especially ones done as Spätlese or Auslese with some residual sugar.

 

This wine has 12.5% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a twist off closure.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a light, pale straw color.  The initially slightly shy nose opened as the wine warmed up a bit has apples, pears, melon, minerals, dried straw and a slight nutty element.  This has light to medium body and decent acidity.  On the palate this is a touch soft and round with lemon, pears and apples leading off with nice minerality coming in on the back end as well as a slight saline element.  The finish has decent length with apples, minerals and citrus zest.  This wine, while nice, left me wanting a little bit more of something, probably a little more zippy acidity.  (88 pts)

 

 

 

The third week line up included a Pinot Blanc and a Pinot Gris:

 

 

 

2012 Weingut Ökonomierat Rebholz Pinot Blanc Dry – SRP $20

Hansjörg Rebholz was chosen Winemaker of the Year in 2002 and since has been awarded 5 grapes by Gault-Millau – its highest rating.  Rebholz was awarded Collection of the Year in the Gault-Millau 2013.  For many years they have been one of the top 10 in Germany.  Pinot Blanc accounts for about 15% of Rebholz’s annual production.  There were only 125 cases of this wine produced.  This wine is certified organic.

 

Weissburgunder is Pinot Blanc in German; other synonyms are Klevner, Feher Burgundi, Pinot Bianco, Rulandske Bile, Rulandske biele, Blanc Vrai.  Pinot Blanc is a late-ripening, thin-skinned, tight-clustered grape that does well with a variety of vinification techniques

 

This wine has 13.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a twist off closure.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a very light, pale yellow to straw color.  The crisp and refreshing nose has apples, stony minerals, orange blossoms, lemon zest and peach pit.  This has medium body with crisp acidity and just a hint of sweetness.  On the palate crisp apples, minerals and lemon zest grab hold first, slowly allowing orange blossoms and a touch of peach to slip into the picture.  The finish has nice length with lemon zest and minerals leading the show.  (89 pts)

 

 

 

2012 Graf v. Schönborn Schloss Hallburger Pinot Gris Kabinett trocken – SRP $20

In 1806, Schloss Hallburg became a part of the many von Schönborn holdings.  Georg Hünnerkop, the estate manager, in 2009 was chosen Estate Manager of the Year in Germany by Gault –Millau.  Schloss Hallburg is practicing Organic and is on track to become Certified Organic in 2015.

 

You will see on some German labels Grauburgunder which is Pinot Gris in German.

 

This wine has 12.5% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a twist off closure.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a light yellow color.  The open and enjoyable nose has apples, flinty minerals, lemon zest, peach skin, melon, spice and white flowers.  This has light to medium body with crisp acidity and just a hint of sweetness.  On the palate apples and minerals hit first with tart lemon zest coming in right behind.  The finish has very good length with citrus, apples, minerals and white flowers seeming to hang on forever.  Outstanding effort!  (92 pts)

 

 

 

The fourth week’s line up included the red grapes Pinot Noir and Lemberger:

 

 

 

2011 Friedrich Becker Becker Family Pinot Noir – SRP $20

Becker earned “Newcomer of the Year” in 2006 and for 8 of the last 9 years produced Germany’s top Pinot Noir as chosen by Gault-Millau.  Becker’s two flagship vineyards are St. Paul & Kammerberg, both consist primarily of Limestone.  Plantings are 60% Pinot Noir/Pinot Blanc/Pinot Gris, 22% Riesling and the remaining 18% Silvaner, Gewürztraminer & Muskateller.

 

Spatburgunder is the German name for Pinot Noir.

 

Vineyard Sourcing of 2011 Becker Pinot Noir is 80% Schweigener Sonnenberg.

This wine has 13.5% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a twist off closure.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a light to medium ruby color.  The relaxing nose has cherries, earthy underbrush, baking spices, orange zest, minerals, smoke and a touch of anise.  This has medium body, soft tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate the earthy cherries and minerals kick in first with orange zest and spices coming in later.  The finish has good length with the spices, smoke and earthiness closing the show.  (89 pts)

 

 

 

2011 Weingut Schnaitmann Lemberger Dry – SRP $20

Rainer Schnaitmann was chosen newcomer of the year in 2007 by Gault-Millau/German Wine Guide just 10 years after he founded the estate.  In 2005 Fritz Jr. took over the winemaking at the estate and his father continues to oversee the outside vineyard work.  Schnatimann’s plays classical music FOR his wines in the cellar.

 

The official designation is Blauer Limberger, but the synonyms Lemberger and Blaufränkisch are permitted.

 

Lemberger is cultivated almost exclusively in Württemberg, where it accounts for more than 14% of the region’s vineyard area.  For years there has been a gradual increase in the vineyard area devoted to this variety, just the opposite in the states.  Within a short time Rainer has already had significant influence 2 bring focus back to the long neglected Württemberg region.  Lemberger is a black skinned grape variety that buds early, ripens late and thrives best in a warm environment.

 

To me, the Lemberger is almost a softer version of a zinfandel with the dark fruit and spice

 

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

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a medium to dark ruby red color.  The enticing nose has blackberries, minerals, plums, black pepper, roasted herbs, baking spices, licorice and candied violets.  This has medium body, moderate tannins and good acidity.  On the palate the berries and plums provide nice up front sweetness with roasted herbs, pepper and minerals coming through on the mid-palate.  The finish has very nice length with a bit of chocolate and licorice coming into the picture adding good depth.  This is very tasty.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

Conclusion

If your German wine knowledge revolves around Riesling, these wines will serve as a great starting point in the advancement of your wine knowledge.  This was an outstanding mix of wines that may be “lesser known” but make no mistake, these are NOT lesser wines.

 

 

 

 

Win an All-inclusive VIP Sonoma Winecation

 

 

 

Underground Cellar is offering you a chance to win an all-inclusive VIP weekend in Sonoma wine country.

 

The winner will get the following with a value of $6,500:

• Weekend getaway for 4 to California’s exclusive Sonoma wine country
• Stay at the luxurious 5,500 sq. ft. Villa Terra Nova Retreat
• Behind-the-scenes private tour of Iron Horse Vineyards, by winemaker David Munskgard
• VIP chef’s dinner at award-winning “the girl and the fig” restaurant
• Rountrip airfare, luxury transportation, and many other surprises!

Click here to enter.   If you win, you can even include me as one of your friends.

Even if you don’t win the grand prize, there is over $3,000 of gift cards with a value of up to $200 to be given away.

 

While you’re there, check out Underground Cellar unique wine selling model.  You can “buy” a lower cost wine and get upgraded to a much more expensive bottle for free.  For example, one of their current offers is $42 for a 2008 Balboa Brioso.  If you buy this wine, you could get “upgraded” to 2007 Stonestreet Monument Ridge Cabernet ($60 value), 2009 Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet ($85 value), 2007 Anderson’s Conn Valley Reserve Cabernet ($130 value), 1994 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon ($150 value), or even a 1985 BR Cohn Cabernet Sauvignon Olive Hill (Helen Turley) with a value of $220.

 

The shipping is also incredible, at 6 bottles, shipping cost $5! Buy 6 more bottles and ship for FREE.

 

 

 

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:

 

 

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:

 

Snooth

WINES WE’VE LOVED!  Our Favorite Wine Writers Share Their Picks

http://www.snooth.com/articles/wines-we-yve-loved/?viewall=1#ixzz2yOsinkhN

 

Snooth

OUR FAVORITE REDS FOR SPRING – The Wine Cognoscenti Recommend

http://www.snooth.com/articles/our-favorite-reds-for-spring/?viewall=1#ixzz2xkH0dfSj

 

Snooth

WHAT’S A GREAT GRENACHE? – Our Friendly Wine Experts Share Their Favorites!

http://www.snooth.com/articles/what-ys-a-great-grenache-5209/

 

Snooth

SPRING TIME IS FOR PAIRING – Our Favorite Wine Writers Share Their Picks

http://www.snooth.com/articles/spring-time-is-for-pairing/

 

Balzac

Balzac Communications & Marketing – News & Views

http://balzaccommunications.createsend1.com/t/ViewEmail/y/948F113D27729D90/DF475947E7F379DE2A1BF84ACBDD178B

 

Snooth

WHAT WE’VE BEEN DRINKING – News and Reviews from Around the Blogosphere

http://www.snooth.com/articles/what-we-yve-been-drinking/?viewall=1#ixzz2vy4idw7a

 

Snooth

WINES THAT RANG OUR BELL IN FEBRUARY 2014 – Our Favorite Wine Writers Share Their Picks

http://www.snooth.com/articles/wines-that-rang-our-bell-in-february-2014/?viewall=1#ixzz2vy4DCh5L

 

Crave Local

California Wine Reviews: Cline Cellars and Jacuzzi Family Vineyard

http://www.cravelocal.com/all-favorites/california-wine-reviews-cline-cellars-and-jacuzzi-family-vineyard/

 

Crave Local

Sample Boutique Wines at Affordable Prices with Tastingroom.com

http://www.cravelocal.com/all-favorites/sample-boutique-wines-at-affordable-prices-with-tastingroom-com/

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

Overview

This will be my first exposure to Lenné.  My appreciation for Oregon Pinot Noir wines has grown steadily over the last few years.  I was pleased to see the winery’s vineyard shares a ridge with one of my favorite Oregon Pinot wineries, Penner-Ash.

 

The Winery

The Lenné history starts in 2000 when Steve and Karen Lutz bought the 21 acre site.  Beginning in 2001, Steve has planted about 15 acres of vines in their steep, south facing vineyard near the town of Yamhill.  The vineyard is dry famed in some of the poorest vineyard soil in the country.  This caused a high mortality rate for the young vines, but in the long run will cause the root systems to dig deep for water and nutrients, resulting in better wine.

 

The winery is named after Karen Lutz’s late father, Lenny.

 

Much more information about the winery, vineyards and people behind this wine is available on their website by clicking here.

 

 

 

 

 

About Winechat

#winechat is a weekly, Twitter based discussion about something dealing with the world of wine.  Generally, each week’s chat session 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!

 

The #winechat schedule is available on their Facebook page by clicking here.

 

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

 

 

 

 

2010 Lenne Estate Pinot Noir Estate – SRP $45

 

The Wine

The grapes for this wine were cold soaked for five days before inoculation after being gently de-stemmed.  The must was fermented at moderate temperatures.  After fermentation, the wine was racked into small French oak barrels, 42% new, and aged for 11 months.  The best barrels were selected to be used for this wine.  There were 225 cases of wine produced and the final alcohol level is 13.6%.  The bottle is sealed with a natural cork with a small circle of hard wax covering the cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright red to ruby color.  The striking nose has cherries, blackberries, potpourri, mocha, stony minerals, violets, smoke, eucalyptus and underbrush.   This has medium body with silky tannins and good acidity.  On the palate the sweet fruit and spicy, toasty oak grab hold first with minerals, mocha and earthy elements coming in on the back end.  The finish has very good length with the savory elements and a blast of minerals taking center stage and the fruit providing nice background sweetness.  This is very young but already impressive.  (92 pts)

 

 

Closing comments

This wine needs an hour or two of air to fully open up and show at its best.  Personally, I’d recommend leaving the wine in a cool, dark corner of your cellar for two years.

 

This winery has joined my list of my top 5 Oregon Pinot Noir producers.  The others on that list are Penner-Ash, Soter, Helioterra and Belle Pente.

 

 

 

Win an All-inclusive VIP Sonoma Winecation

 

 

 

Underground Cellar is offering you a chance to win an all-inclusive VIP weekend in Sonoma wine country.

 

The winner will get the following with a value of $6,500:

• Weekend getaway for 4 to California’s exclusive Sonoma wine country
• Stay at the luxurious 5,500 sq. ft. Villa Terra Nova Retreat
• Behind-the-scenes private tour of Iron Horse Vineyards, by winemaker David Munskgard
• VIP chef’s dinner at award-winning “the girl and the fig” restaurant
• Rountrip airfare, luxury transportation, and many other surprises!

Click here to enter.   If you win, you can even include me as one of your friends.

Even if you don’t win the grand prize, there is over $3,000 of gift cards with a value of up to $200 to be given away.

 

While you’re there, check out Underground Cellar unique wine selling model.  You can “buy” a lower cost wine and get upgraded to a much more expensive bottle for free.  For example, one of their current offers is $42 for a 2008 Balboa Brioso.  If you buy this wine, you could get “upgraded” to 2007 Stonestreet Monument Ridge Cabernet ($60 value), 2009 Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet ($85 value), 2007 Anderson’s Conn Valley Reserve Cabernet ($130 value), 1994 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon ($150 value), or even a 1985 BR Cohn Cabernet Sauvignon Olive Hill (Helen Turley) with a value of $220.

 

The shipping is also incredible, at 6 bottles, shipping cost $5! Buy 6 more bottles and ship for FREE.

 

 

 

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:

 

 

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:

 

Snooth

WINES WE’VE LOVED!  Our Favorite Wine Writers Share Their Picks

http://www.snooth.com/articles/wines-we-yve-loved/?viewall=1#ixzz2yOsinkhN

 

Snooth

OUR FAVORITE REDS FOR SPRING – The Wine Cognoscenti Recommend

http://www.snooth.com/articles/our-favorite-reds-for-spring/?viewall=1#ixzz2xkH0dfSj

 

Snooth

WHAT’S A GREAT GRENACHE? – Our Friendly Wine Experts Share Their Favorites!

http://www.snooth.com/articles/what-ys-a-great-grenache-5209/

 

Snooth

SPRING TIME IS FOR PAIRING – Our Favorite Wine Writers Share Their Picks

http://www.snooth.com/articles/spring-time-is-for-pairing/

 

Balzac

Balzac Communications & Marketing – News & Views

http://balzaccommunications.createsend1.com/t/ViewEmail/y/948F113D27729D90/DF475947E7F379DE2A1BF84ACBDD178B

 

Snooth

WHAT WE’VE BEEN DRINKING – News and Reviews from Around the Blogosphere

http://www.snooth.com/articles/what-we-yve-been-drinking/?viewall=1#ixzz2vy4idw7a

 

Snooth

WINES THAT RANG OUR BELL IN FEBRUARY 2014 – Our Favorite Wine Writers Share Their Picks

http://www.snooth.com/articles/wines-that-rang-our-bell-in-february-2014/?viewall=1#ixzz2vy4DCh5L

 

Crave Local

California Wine Reviews: Cline Cellars and Jacuzzi Family Vineyard

http://www.cravelocal.com/all-favorites/california-wine-reviews-cline-cellars-and-jacuzzi-family-vineyard/

 

Crave Local

Sample Boutique Wines at Affordable Prices with Tastingroom.com

http://www.cravelocal.com/all-favorites/sample-boutique-wines-at-affordable-prices-with-tastingroom-com/

 

 

 

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 Billsboro Pinot Noir

2012 Hosmer Cabernet Franc

2010 Chateau Lafayette Reneau Cabernet Franc

2011 Heron Hill Vineyards Cabernet Franc Ingle Vineyard

2010 Fox Run Vineyards Cabernet Franc – Lemberger

2010 Swedish Hill Vineyard Optimus

2011 Damiani Wine Cellars Meritage

2012 Hector Wine Company Essence

 

 

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 revolved around the Red Wines from the region and included Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir and red blends.

 

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.

 

If you want to check out the Twitter chat session, click here to view via Storify.

There is also a video of the first half of the online chat by clicking here.

 

 

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

This event revolved around the red wines of the Finger Lakes.  Here is my line up for the event:

 

 

The wines for the event were broken down into two flights by style and residual sugar.  The first flight line up:

 

 

2012 Billsboro Pinot Noir – SRP $24

 

The Winery

Owners Kim and Vinny Aliperti started Billsboro Winery in 2007.  It was their quest to create dynamic wines from grapes grown in the vineyards around Seneca Lake.

 

More information on the winery, visit their site by clicking here.

 

The Wine

The grapes for this 100% Pinot Noir are from Sawmill Creek Vineyards in Hector, NY, along the southeast corner of Seneca Lake.  The grapes were harvested at 21.5 Brix.  After de-stemming and a gentle crushing, the must was chapitalized to 23 Brix.  The wine was aged 9 months in 7 neutral and 2 three year old French oak barrels.  After aging, the wines were blended, filtered and bottled.  The total production was 253 cases.

 

The wine is sealed with an agglomerated cork and has a final alcohol of 12.5%.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a light ruby red color.  The subtle nose has cherries, earthy underbrush, leather, baking spices and a touch of black pepper.  This has light to medium body, soft tannins and good acidity.  The palate features sweet fruit, spice, earthiness and a hint of black pepper.  The finish has good length leaving a slightly sweet closing impression.  This is an easy drinking Pinot Noir to serve before or during a meal.

 

 

 

2012 Hosmer Cabernet Franc – SRP $18

 

The Winery

After fifteen years of selling their grapes to others, Cameron and Maren Hosmer had a vision of making and selling their own wine.  Hosmer Winery is founded on the principle that great wine starts in the vineyard.  The vineyards were started as a grape farm in the early 1970s on the west bank of Cayuga Lake.  The winery’s vineyards are now 70 acres and the home to 14 different grape varieties.

 

You can get more information on the winery, their wines or place an order on their website by clicking here.

 

The Wine

This wine is the winery’s flagship red and comes from grapes off of 20 year old vines.  After being fermented at 84 degrees for 10 days, it is aged 18 months in a 50/50 mix of French and American oak barrels.  Most of the barrels are between 6 to 10 years old.  The wine is bottled after filtration.  The total production was 186 cases.

 

The bottle is closed with an agglomerated cork and the wine has 12.7% alcohol by volume.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a light ruby color.  The interesting nose has berries, white pepper, roasted herbs and minerals.  This has medium body, moderate tannins and good acidity.  On the palate the wine features briary berries, pepper and spice up front with earthiness and minerals coming in on back end.  The finish has good length with nice closing spice and berries.  This wine is bone dry and very food friendly.

 

 

 

2010 Chateau Lafayette Reneau Cabernet Franc – SRP $19

 

The Winery

The winery began in the mid-1980s when Dick and Betty Reno purchased a 140 acre farm and brick farmhouse on the southeastern slopes of Seneca Lake.  About 50 acres of “local grapes”, Catawba, Niagara and Concord were replanted to be the home to fine wine grapes, in 1985.  Chardonnay and Riesling make up over half the new plantings but Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Pinot Noir, Syrah and Seyval Blanc were also planted.  The winery was purchased by Gene Pierce and Scott Welliver in the fall of 2013.  The new owners are now the owners of three distinct and different wineries.

 

You can order wine or get more information on the winery and their wines by clicking here.

 

The Wine

This wine is 100% Cabernet Franc comes from a one acre estate vineyard.  After fermentation, the wine is aged for 18 months in a mix of new and used French and Hungarian oak barrels.  After the wine is bottled it is aged for an additional 6 months before it is released.

 

The wine has 13% alcohol and is sealed with a natural cork.  There were 300 cases produced of this bone dry wine.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a light to medium ruby red color.  The inviting nose has berries, cherries, baking spices and black and green peppercorns.  This has a medium body, moderate tannins and good acidity.  The palate on the wine features spicy, peppery berries with a slight herbal note and some earthiness.  The finish has good length with cherries, berries and pepper carrying the load.

 

 

 

2011 Heron Hill Vineyards Cabernet Franc Ingle Vineyard – SRP $25

 

The Winery

Heron Hill has grown from a 5,000 case, white wine only winery in 1977 to now producing 20,000 cases.  The days of white wines only is now in the distant past.  The winery now produces almost 20 different wine varieties.  The winery greets more than 50,000 visitors a year at its location on scenic Keuka Lake.

 

Much more information about the winery and their wines is available by clicking here.  You can also buy wine and gifts on their website.

 

The Wine

The vineyard used for this wine, Ingle Vineyard, is the estate vineyard on the west side of Canandaigua Lake.

 

After fermentation the wine is aged 22 months in French, Eastern European, and American oak barrels, 20% new oak (French & Eastern European) along with older Eastern European & American oak barrels.

 

The wine has 12.5% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  There were 200 cases of this wine produced.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a medium ruby color.  The inviting nose has cherries, dark chocolate, baking spices, root beer, white pepper, forest floor and a bit of cedar.  This has medium body, soft tannins and good acidity.  The palate is highlighted by sweet cherries, spice and white pepper up front with some earthiness coming in late.  The finish has good length with the cherries leaving a sweet closing statement.

 

 

 

The line up for the second flight of the evening:

 

 

2010 Fox Run Vineyards Cabernet Franc – Lemberger – SRP $18

 

The Winery

The winery is located high on Torrey Ridge, overlooking one of the deepest parts of Seneca Lake.  Fox Run owns 55 acres of vineyards.  For over a century the land was a dairy farm.  Grapes were first planted in 1984 and the Civil War era dairy barn was converted into a modern wine making facility in 1993.  A new facility was built in 1996 with a picturesque view of Seneca Lake.

 

More information about the winery, their wines and their online store is available on their site by clicking here.

 

The Wine

This wine is a blend of 54% Cabernet Franc and 46% Lemberger.  The grapes come from two blocks of the estate vineyards.  The first block was established in 2005, the second block was established in 1997.

 

For this wine, the grapes were fermented at a high temperature in order to extract flavors and tannins from the grapes.  The wines were aged in a mix of newer and older barrels.  After careful trials the wines were blended and bottled.

 

The wine has 13.3% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with an agglomerated cork.  There were 511 cases of this wine produced.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a medium to dark ruby red color.  The nose on the wine has earthy berries, baking spices, dried herbs, cedar, licorice and dark chocolate.  This has medium body, moderate tannins and good acidity.  The palate has rich berries and spices up front with earthiness coming in on the back end.  The finish has good length with some dark chocolate and licorice coming in adding depth.

 

 

 

2010 Swedish Hill Vineyard Optimus – SRP $25

 

The Winery

Swedish Hill is owned and operated by the Peterson family.  The vineyards were planted in 1969 so the family could sell the grapes to other local wineries.  In 1985, the family crushed their first grapes for their own winery, producing 1,200 cases.  This is now one of the largest wineries in the Finger Lakes region, producing over 60,000 cases a year.

 

Much more information about the winery, their varied wines and a place to place an order is available by clicking here.

 

The Wine

This wine is a blend of 49% Cabernet Franc, 28% Merlot and 23% Cabernet Sauvignon.  After fermentation, the wine is aged for a year in small oak barrels.

 

The wine has 12.3% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with an agglomerated cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a fairly deep ruby color.  The very appealing nose has crushed berries, dried herbs, baking spices, cherries, minerals and vanilla.  This has medium body, moderate tannins and good acidity.  On the palate, nice berries and spice hit on the front end with dried herbs and subtle earthiness coming in on back end.  This has good length with a hint of dark chocolate coming into the picture.

 

 

 

2011 Damiani Wine Cellars Meritage – SRP $27

 

The Winery

Damiani Wine Cellars is located on the eastern shores of Seneca Lake.  The winery was established in July 2004 and has about 20 acres of estate vineyards.  The winery produces about 8,000 cases of wine a year among the close to two dozen wines they make.

 

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

 

The Wine

This wine is a blend of 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Cabernet Franc and 12% Merlot.  After fermentation, the wine is aged for 14 months in 56% French oak and 44% American oak, 30% of which are new. The wine was bottled without filtration.  There were 407 cases produced.

 

This has 13.0% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a medium ruby red color.  The enticing nose has berries, cherries, baking spices, cocoa powder, dried herbs, vanilla and a touch of cedar.   This has medium body, moderate chalky tannins and good acidity.  On the palate the fruit hit first with spicy oak, vanilla and some earthiness coming in on the back end.  The finish has decent length with spicy oak and vanilla.  This could use some time in the cellar for the tannins to soften a bit or serve with a juicy cut of meat.

 

 

 

2012 Hector Wine Company Essence – SRP $25

 

The Winery

The winery is owned and operated by viticulturist Jason Hazlitt and winemaker Justin Boyette.  They began making wine in 2009 using grapes from Jason’s family business, Sawmill Creek Vineyards.  The two opened a tasting room in 2010 across the street from the vineyard.

 

More information about the winery, their wines and information on their case club is available by clicking here.

 

The Wine

This is a blend of 43% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc and 7% Syrah.  The grapes were hand harvested from the Sawmill Creek Vineyard and hand sorted at the winery.  The wines were destemmed (partial whole cluster for the Merlot and Cab Franc), fermented and aged separately.  After aging in a mixture of French, American and Hungarian oak barrels, the wine was blended and bottled.  There were 178 cases of this wine produced.

 

This has 13.2% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep ruby to maroon color.  The inviting nose has cherries, blackberries, minerals, baking spices, dried herbs, black pepper and dark chocolate.  This has a medium body with moderate to solid tannins and good acidity.  The palate has nice up front fruit with solid savory notes coming in on the back end.  The finish has good length with dried herbs and subtle earthiness entering the picture.

 

 

 

Win an All-inclusive VIP Sonoma Winecation

 

 

 

Underground Cellar is offering you a chance to win an all-inclusive VIP weekend in Sonoma wine country.

 

The winner will get the following with a value of $6,500:

• Weekend getaway for 4 to California’s exclusive Sonoma wine country
• Stay at the luxurious 5,500 sq. ft. Villa Terra Nova Retreat
• Behind-the-scenes private tour of Iron Horse Vineyards, by winemaker David Munskgard
• VIP chef’s dinner at award-winning “the girl and the fig” restaurant
• Rountrip airfare, luxury transportation, and many other surprises!

Click here to enter.   If you win, you can even include me as one of your friends.

Even if you don’t win the grand prize, there is over $3,000 of gift cards with a value of up to $200 to be given away.

 

While you’re there, check out Underground Cellar unique wine selling model.  You can “buy” a lower cost wine and get upgraded to a much more expensive bottle for free.  For example, one of their current offers is $42 for a 2008 Balboa Brioso.  If you buy this wine, you could get “upgraded” to 2007 Stonestreet Monument Ridge Cabernet ($60 value), 2009 Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet ($85 value), 2007 Anderson’s Conn Valley Reserve Cabernet ($130 value), 1994 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon ($150 value), or even a 1985 BR Cohn Cabernet Sauvignon Olive Hill (Helen Turley) with a value of $220.

 

The shipping is also incredible, at 6 bottles, shipping cost $5! Buy 6 more bottles and ship for FREE.

 

 

 

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:

 

 

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:

 

Snooth

OUR FAVORITE REDS FOR SPRING – The Wine Cognoscenti Recommend

http://www.snooth.com/articles/our-favorite-reds-for-spring/?viewall=1#ixzz2xkH0dfSj

 

Snooth

WHAT’S A GREAT GRENACHE? – Our Friendly Wine Experts Share Their Favorites!

http://www.snooth.com/articles/what-ys-a-great-grenache-5209/

 

Snooth

SPRING TIME IS FOR PAIRING – Our Favorite Wine Writers Share Their Picks

http://www.snooth.com/articles/spring-time-is-for-pairing/

 

Balzac

Balzac Communications & Marketing – News & Views

http://balzaccommunications.createsend1.com/t/ViewEmail/y/948F113D27729D90/DF475947E7F379DE2A1BF84ACBDD178B

 

Snooth

WHAT WE’VE BEEN DRINKING – News and Reviews from Around the Blogosphere

http://www.snooth.com/articles/what-we-yve-been-drinking/?viewall=1#ixzz2vy4idw7a

 

Snooth

WINES THAT RANG OUR BELL IN FEBRUARY 2014 – Our Favorite Wine Writers Share Their Picks

http://www.snooth.com/articles/wines-that-rang-our-bell-in-february-2014/?viewall=1#ixzz2vy4DCh5L

 

Crave Local

California Wine Reviews: Cline Cellars and Jacuzzi Family Vineyard

http://www.cravelocal.com/all-favorites/california-wine-reviews-cline-cellars-and-jacuzzi-family-vineyard/

 

Crave Local

Sample Boutique Wines at Affordable Prices with Tastingroom.com

http://www.cravelocal.com/all-favorites/sample-boutique-wines-at-affordable-prices-with-tastingroom-com/

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

It was my good fortune to be able to participate in an online tasting of wines from Hungary presented by the importer/wholesaler Blue Danube Wine Company via Protocol Wine Company’s Twitter based #winechat.

 

I want to thank Blue Danube for providing these wines for me to sample.

 

 

Blue Danube Wine Company

Blue Danube Wine Company distributes wines as a wholesaler to wine retailers, supermarkets, and better restaurants within California.  Simultaneously, we continue to build a nation-wide network of distributors.

 

As the gateway between East and West, Central Europe has been largely defined by invasion, occupation and alliances despite thousands of years of winemaking.  Blue Danube Wine Company was founded in 2002 by husband and wife team Frank Dietrich and Zsuzsanna Molnar in order to travel to this unique corner of the world and bring its wine culture back to the US market.  Focusing on Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia and Montenegro, our goal is to seek out winemakers who truly capture the character of the land they come from.  Indigenous grapes, winemaking traditions that predate Western Europe, and building meaningful long term relationships are the means to this end.

 

Much more information on the regions Blue Danube covers and their wines is available on their website by clicking here.

  

 

About Hungary

Bisected by the Danube River and a gateway between East and West, Hungary has been largely defined by invasion, occupation or alliances ranging from the Mongolians, Turks, Germans, Austrians, Italians, French, Czechs, Slovaks, Serbs, Croatians and Communist Russia.  Hungarian cuisine, language, and wine culture is the remarkable transformation of these foreign influences into something uniquely their own.  Over the past 2000 years, its continental climate, fertile soil, volcanic terroirs, and native grapes make it the only country in the world to sing about their wine in their National Anthem.  That said, the Communist period that followed World War II focused on quantity over quality and the greatness of the many regional wines were largely forgotten.  Today, only 20 years after the re-establishment of private and family wineries, Hungary is in the midst of a wine renaissance.  The potential of its 22 distinct appellations and breadth of indigenous varieties and traditions of winemaking are only now being truly (re)discovered.

Much more information on The Wines of Hungary is available on Blue Danube’s site by clicking 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.

 

 

 

My Line Up

 

Here is my line up for the evening:

 

 

2011 Eszterbauer Szekszárd Nagyapám – SRP $17.95

 

The Winery

The Eszterbauer family emigrated to southern Hungary from Bavaria is 1746.  The area they chose was south of Budapest and north of Croatia.  Based on latitude, the region is between France’s Bordeaux and the Loire Valley.The black and white photos on the winery’s labels are from the 1930s and show the family in the winery’s cellar and vineyards.  The family owns 8 hectares of vineyards but farms a total of 22 in 7 sites.

 

The Wine

The grape used for this wine is Kadarka.  Never heard of it, you say?  That makes two of us.  This grape has a long history and is popular in Hungary and Bolivia.  The grape is also used in most of the eastern European countries where it also goes by the names Gamza, Cedarka and Skadarska.

 

To me, the grape seemed to be like a combination of Gamay (Beaujolais) and Cabernet Franc (Loire).  The wine had nice fruit, spice and minerals like a good Loire Cab Franc but like a good Cru Beaujolais it could take a slight chill.

 

The fruit for this wine comes from the winery’s oldest vineyards and many feel it is Hungary’s finest Kadarka.  This is a unique red wine that can use a slight chill.

 

This wine has 14.0% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

This wine is a medium ruby red color.  The inviting nose has cherries, black pepper and chalky minerals.  The wine has medium body, soft to moderate tannins and good acidity.  On the palate the wine has nice peppery cherries and spice up front with minerals coming in on the back end.  The finish has nice length with the cherries and pepper carrying the load.  (87 pts)

 

 

 

2011 Bodrog Borműhely Furmint Tokaji Lapis – SRP $21.95

 

The Winery

The Tokaji region in Northeastern Hungary is home to the world’s first appellation system.  Their system was enacted over 100 years before Bordeaux.  Tokaji is so ingrained in Hungarian identity that it’s part of their National Anthem.

 

The wine business in Hungary is caught up in a renewed renaissance.  Private and family ownership of wineries, which was illegal under Communism, has only been re-established over the last 20+ years.

 

 

The Wine

The grape used for this wine is Furmint.  This is also the predominant grape used in the production of Hungary’s highly acclaimed and delicious sweet dessert wine, Tokaji.

 

This wine is not a sweet wine but is almost totally dry.  This wine was an eye opener.  It had very nice richness and opulence with no lingering sweetness.  Crisp, mouthwatering acidity on the finish held everything together nicely and made you want to grab your glass for another sip.

 

This has 12.5% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

This is a nice yellow with straw tint.  The rich smelling nose has peach, vanilla custard, minerals and white pepper.  This has light to medium body and good acidity.  On the palate this is rich and opulent up front with great closing citrusy acidity.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2011 Fekete Pince Somlovasarhely Somlói Olaszrizling – SRP $24.95

 

The Winery

Somló is Hungary’s smallest appellation and was once an underwater volcano.  The volcano is now dormant but the region is home to Hungary’s steepest and most densely planted vineyards.

 

The winemaking “laws” for the region were very strict.  In 1752, local laws stated that if you were found adding water to wine, expect 25 lashings as the minimum punishment.  If you were found to be labeling wine as Somló but using other fruit sources, you would be banned from making wine permanently and might even have your property confiscated.

 

The owner/winemaker is “The Grand Old Man” of Somló is Fekete Béla.  Since Fekete is now approaching 90 years old, he and his wife Bori decided the 2013 vintage would be their last.

 

The Wine

This is another unique Hungarian wine.  The wine is aged in 1200 liter Hungarian oak casks for two years that are never completely sealed.  The two years of oxygen contact leads to the “nutty” elements the wine shows.

 

This wine has 12.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with an agglomerated cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a light golden yellow color.  The different and interesting nose has a “nutty” element with spices, pear, apples and minerals.  This has medium body with good acidity and a touch of sweetness.  On the palate there is a saline element to go with spices and nuts and minerals and white fruit with some mouthwatering citrus coming in on the back end.  This has good length the citrus, minerals and the saline element leaving you reaching for another sip.  (89 pts)

 

 

 

Closing comments

This was an eye opening experience for me.  All three of these wines were very unique and impossible to easily categorize with other wines available from around the world.  If you are looking for something thought provoking, different and most importantly very tasty, check out Hungarian wines.

 

 

 

Win an All-inclusive VIP Sonoma Winecation

 

 

 

Underground Cellar is offering you a chance to win an all-inclusive VIP weekend in Sonoma wine country.

 

The winner will get the following with a value of $6,500:

• Weekend getaway for 4 to California’s exclusive Sonoma wine country
• Stay at the luxurious 5,500 sq. ft. Villa Terra Nova Retreat
• Behind-the-scenes private tour of Iron Horse Vineyards, by winemaker David Munskgard
• VIP chef’s dinner at award-winning “the girl and the fig” restaurant
• Rountrip airfare, luxury transportation, and many other surprises!

Click here to enter.   If you win, you can even include me as one of your friends.

Even if you don’t win the grand prize, there is over $3,000 of gift cards with a value of up to $200 to be given away.

 

While you’re there, check out Underground Cellar unique wine selling model.  You can “buy” a lower cost wine and get upgraded to a much more expensive bottle for free.  For example, one of their current offers is $42 for a 2008 Balboa Brioso.  If you buy this wine, you could get “upgraded” to 2007 Stonestreet Monument Ridge Cabernet ($60 value), 2009 Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet ($85 value), 2007 Anderson’s Conn Valley Reserve Cabernet ($130 value), 1994 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon ($150 value), or even a 1985 BR Cohn Cabernet Sauvignon Olive Hill (Helen Turley) with a value of $220.

 

The shipping is also incredible, at 6 bottles, shipping cost $5! Buy 6 more bottles and ship for FREE.

 

 

 

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:

 

 

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:

 

Snooth

WHAT’S A GREAT GRENACHE? – Our Friendly Wine Experts Share Their Favorites!

http://www.snooth.com/articles/what-ys-a-great-grenache-5209/

 

Snooth

SPRING TIME IS FOR PAIRING – Our Favorite Wine Writers Share Their Picks

http://www.snooth.com/articles/spring-time-is-for-pairing/

 

Balzac

Balzac Communications & Marketing – News & Views

http://balzaccommunications.createsend1.com/t/ViewEmail/y/948F113D27729D90/DF475947E7F379DE2A1BF84ACBDD178B

 

Snooth

WHAT WE’VE BEEN DRINKING – News and Reviews from Around the Blogosphere

http://www.snooth.com/articles/what-we-yve-been-drinking/?viewall=1#ixzz2vy4idw7a

 

Snooth

WINES THAT RANG OUR BELL IN FEBRUARY 2014 – Our Favorite Wine Writers Share Their Picks

http://www.snooth.com/articles/wines-that-rang-our-bell-in-february-2014/?viewall=1#ixzz2vy4DCh5L

 

Crave Local

California Wine Reviews: Cline Cellars and Jacuzzi Family Vineyard

http://www.cravelocal.com/all-favorites/california-wine-reviews-cline-cellars-and-jacuzzi-family-vineyard/

 

Crave Local

Sample Boutique Wines at Affordable Prices with Tastingroom.com

http://www.cravelocal.com/all-favorites/sample-boutique-wines-at-affordable-prices-with-tastingroom-com/

 

 

 

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.

 

 

2012 Ledge California Soul (Mother Hips) Rosé

2012 Ledge Catacombs Rosé

 

 

 

About the winery:

The Adams Ranch is in the Willow Creek region on the west side of Paso Robles and rests on a plateau with the Santa Lucia Mountains as a backdrop, with a steep drop to Vineyard Drive in the foreground.  The vineyard is almost entirely Syrah, with some Grenache and Mourvedre peppered in.  They expand every year at a snail’s pace, with 25 dry farmed acres as the ultimate goal.  The vines are own rooted and reared in the home nursery after pruning each year.  Once established, the vines are dry farmed, field-blended and co-fermented using only native yeasts and are aged in neutral oak barrels.

 

The winery’s site and mailing list sign up is available by clicking here.

 

If desired, you can order wine directly from the winery or just check out their current releases by clicking here.

 

 

 

About the winemaker:

Mark Adams – Paso Robles musician and Winemaker

Mark is mister do-it-all, farmer, winemaker, musician, husband, father and formerly a sound effects editor for Sony.  Mark is also the assistant winemaker for the renowned Saxum Winery with his childhood pal, Justin Smith.

 

“Adams offers a bridge between Paso’s lavish ways and a more cerebral effort”

Jon Bonné – THE NEW CALIFORNIA WINE – A Guide to the Producers and Wines Behind A Revolution in Taste

 

 

Much more information about Mark, both wine/beer and music related is available here.  I highly recommend giving a listen to some of Mark’s music available on this site.

 

There is an outstanding over view of Mark on the San Francisco Chronicle’s site in a story titled “Winemakers to Watch 2014: Mixing tradition and pioneering spirit by Jon Bonné.  The story is available here.

 

 

 

About the wines:

I received several bottles of wines to sample.  There were three different “labels”, California Soul (Mother Hips), Catacombs and Kazoo.  The first two labels included a white, a red and a rosé each.  Instead of trying to sample all seven wines at once I had to choose between sampling based on label or style.  I opted to sample the wines by style.  This post will cover the Rosé wines.  A later post will cover the whites and another will be coming for the red wines.

 

These wines may be available at your local wine store; I know my local store carries both of these wines.

 

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

 

 

 

2012 Ledge California Soul (Mother Hips) Rosé – SRP $15

The Mother Hips is a rock band that is known for a style of west coast music that came to be referred to as California Soul.  Upon their 20^th anniversary, Ledge paid tribute to them by blending 60 cases of wine, which to our surprise sold out in a few weeks.  This was never intended to be a “lasting” label, but the brand and the wines continue to attract new fans every day.  They expanded the line to include white and rose wines in addition to the red blends.

 

This is a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre from the James Berry Vineyard, but eventually the grapes will be sourced from select vineyards throughout the state.

 

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

 

Even though this wine may be listed as sold out, Mark told me he still has a few cases available.  If the website shows sold out, send him an e-mail at wine@ledgevineyards.com and tell him I sent you.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright pink to light red color.  The nose forces you into a spring time mood with bright cherries, strawberries, minerals, spice and some subtle earthiness.  This has a light body with very crisp acidity and just a hint of sweetness.  On the palate the red fruits and minerals grab hold, slowly allowing some spice to slip into the picture.  The crisp and clean finish adds a touch of earthiness to the fruit and minerals.  This would rock on a sunny deck or patio.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

2012 Ledge Catacombs Rosé – SRP $20

The concept of Ledge Catacombs is simply that it is farmed in close proximity to the family estate. The vines are sustainably farmed and offer us some insight with regard to our planting decisions at the Adams Ranch.

 

This wine is a blend of 75% Grenache, 15% Syrah and 10% Mourvedre.  This comes from the James Berry Vineyard and was pulled from a co-fermented lot that spent 24 hours in a concrete tank. It was slowly fermented in a stainless steel tank over the course of three weeks.

 

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

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a pink to salmon color.  The soft and enjoyable nose has cherries, watermelon, spice, white pepper, minerals and strawberries.  This has light to medium body with decent acidity and just a touch of sweetness.  On the palate this is soft and fruity up front with white pepper and minerals.  The finish has nice length with some spice joining the party.  This would be easy to sip on a warm, sunny day with or without a platter of cured meats and cheese.  (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:

 

 

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:

 

Snooth

WHAT’S A GREAT GRENACHE? – Our Friendly Wine Experts Share Their Favorites!

http://www.snooth.com/articles/what-ys-a-great-grenache-5209/

 

Snooth

SPRING TIME IS FOR PAIRING – Our Favorite Wine Writers Share Their Picks

http://www.snooth.com/articles/spring-time-is-for-pairing/

 

Balzac

Balzac Communications & Marketing – News & Views

http://balzaccommunications.createsend1.com/t/ViewEmail/y/948F113D27729D90/DF475947E7F379DE2A1BF84ACBDD178B

 

Snooth

WHAT WE’VE BEEN DRINKING – News and Reviews from Around the Blogosphere

http://www.snooth.com/articles/what-we-yve-been-drinking/?viewall=1#ixzz2vy4idw7a

 

Snooth

WINES THAT RANG OUR BELL IN FEBRUARY 2014 – Our Favorite Wine Writers Share Their Picks

http://www.snooth.com/articles/wines-that-rang-our-bell-in-february-2014/?viewall=1#ixzz2vy4DCh5L

 

Crave Local

California Wine Reviews: Cline Cellars and Jacuzzi Family Vineyard

http://www.cravelocal.com/all-favorites/california-wine-reviews-cline-cellars-and-jacuzzi-family-vineyard/

 

Crave Local

Sample Boutique Wines at Affordable Prices with Tastingroom.com

http://www.cravelocal.com/all-favorites/sample-boutique-wines-at-affordable-prices-with-tastingroom-com/

 

 

 

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 La Rochelle Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

2012 La Rochelle Pinot Meunier Saralee’s Vineyard

2010 La Rochelle Pinot Noir Deer Meadows Vineyard

 

 

(Based on bottles supplied by the winery or organization acting on their behalf)

 

 

 

 

La Rochelle is part of the Steven Kent Portfolio of wine.

 

Our mission at La Rochelle is a simple one:  to make California’s best, most interesting, most collectable Pinot Noir.

 

My family introduced the Pinot Noir grape to California in the 1850s.  Today, we partner with the state’s most renowned Pinot Noir vineyards – Garys’. Sleepy Hollow. Rosella’s. Londer. Paraiso. Tondre. Ferrington. Deer Park.  We craft Pinot Noir grown on these famed estates that let the individual vineyard’s terroir, its special sense of place, shine through.

 

My great-great-great grandfather left the French port of La Rochelle one hundred and sixty years ago on a voyage of possibilities.  Our journey at La Rochelle Winery is an equally exciting one:  to discover the best Pinot Noir vineyards and translate those exceptional estates into limited releases worthy of our heritage.

 

 

If your passion is Pinot, then your journey has led you to the right place… –  Steven Kent Mirassou

 

 

Sign up for the La Rochelle Mailing List

 

 

More Winery Information

 

The wines for this tasting:

 

 

2009 La Rochelle Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast (SRP $38.00)

This 100% Pinot Noir uses grapes sourced from two vineyards, Spring Hill Vineyard (located on the West side of the Petaluma River) and La Cruz Vineyard (located on the East side).  In the past both vineyards were sources for single vineyard Pinot Noirs exclusively for members of the winery’s Pinot Noir Program.

 

Technical info

After destemming and crushing the fruit was allowed to cold soak for four days.  After barrel fermentation, the wine was barrel aged for 18 months.  The barrels were 88% French oak, 12% American; 50% new, 36% second-use, 14% third use.

 

Total production was 326 cases and the final alcohol is 14.9%.

 

Tasting note

The wine is a light to medium ruby red color.  The enchanting nose has cherries, warm baking spices, raspberries, minerals, vanilla, spicy oak and a touch of earthiness.  This has medium body, soft ripe tannins and very good acidity.  On the palate the baking spices and cherries jump out first with vanilla and minerals coming in on the back end.  The finish has very nice length with raspberries and a touch of toasty oak entering the picture.  This tastes wonderful today but can easily last in the cellar for a few more years.  (92 pts)

 

 

2012 La Rochelle Pinot Meunier Saralee’s Vineyard (SRP $38.00)

Pinot Meunier is part of the Pinot family of grapes.    Pinot Meunier thrives in its home region of Champagne in France.  It is thought the Pinot Meunier grape is a genetic mutation of Pinot Noir.  Besides France, the grape is grown in Germany and Australia as well as small quantities in California.  This wine is 100% Pinot Meunier.

 

Technical info

After destemming and crushing the fruit was cold soaked and barrel fermented.  The wine was barrel aged for 8 months.  The barrels were 29.5% new oak, 38% second use, 32.5 third-use or neutral, 50% American oak from Virginia.

 

Total production was 866 cases and the final alcohol is 13.9%.

 

Tasting note

The wine is a light ruby red color.  The enticing nose has cherries, earthy underbrush, strawberries, warm baking spices, vanilla and dusty minerals.  This is barely medium body with good acidity and is silky smooth.  On the palate this has nice fruit up front with spice and minerals coming in around the sides.  On the backend some nice earthiness and vanilla enter the picture.  The finish has nice length with a slight and pleasing herbal note coming into focus.  This is smooth and delicious with no rough edges but probably not one to hold onto long term.   Enjoy this one over the next couple of years.  (91 pts)

 

 

2010 La Rochelle Pinot Noir Deer Meadows Vineyard (SRP $75.00)

This wine is part of La Rochelle’s Grand Cru Collection.  These extremely limited wines are sourced only from the finest vineyards in California.  These wines represent the winery’s greatest winemaking achievement each vintage.  This is the winery’s first use of grapes from this Anderson Valley vineyard.

 

Technical info

After destemming and crushing the fruit was allowed to cold soak for four days.  After barrel fermentation, the wine was barrel aged for 18 months in 100% French oak.  There were 5 barrels of wine produced, 3 barrels were new and the other 2 were second use.

 

Total production was 235 six-packs and the final alcohol is 14.3%.

 

Tasting note

The wine is a light to medium ruby red color.  The stunning nose has cherries, baking spices, peach pit, vanilla, strawberries, earthy underbrush, stony minerals and candied violets.  This has medium body with moderate ripe tannins and very good acidity.  On the palate the cherries and spice grab hold initially, slowly allowing some minerals and earthy elements to slip through.  On the back end a nice floral note comes into focus.  The finish has very good length with a touch of peach joining the spice and cherries.  This is on the young side, a year or two in the cellar will be rewarded.   (94 pts)

 

 

Pairing Suggestion

We decided to pair these very food friendly wines with a recipe I found on MyRecipes.com via Cooking Light.

 

Penne and Chicken Tenderloins with Spiced Tomato Sauce

 

Ingredients

1 teaspoon ground fennel seed

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 pound chicken breast tenders, cut into (1-inch) pieces

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

4 cups canned diced tomatoes, undrained

1 cup white wine

8 ounces uncooked penne

1/4 cup (1 ounce) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

 

Preparation

Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl; rub over chicken.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 4 minutes, turning once. Remove from heat; set aside.

Reduce heat to medium. Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds or until garlic is soft. Add tomatoes and wine, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Add chicken, and simmer 5 minutes.

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain. Toss pasta with sauce in a large bowl. Sprinkle with cheese and basil.

Note:

Any small pasta will work in this quick, easy entree. Ground fennel and coriander bring a welcome complexity to the chicken and impart their flavor to the sauce.

 

 

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 Andis Wines Primitivo

2010 Andis Wines Painted Fields

 

 

 

 

 

About Winestyr

Winestyr is a new way to buy wine.  The company finds the best wines from the wineries that are too small for the big distributors to handle.

 

Our online marketplace helps wine lovers discover amazing lesser, known wines, while also helping small wineries reach new customers. Here’s a quick rundown of how it works:

Curation – We taste every wine we put on our site and turn down wines that are overpriced or poorly made.

Cost – There are no upfront costs or monthly fees. You learn about new wines and buy the ones you want.

 

BUY

We’ve curated over 300 wines from over 50 of the best craft wine producers in the country. We’ve tasted every wine and stand behind their quality so you can buy with confidence. We’re adding new wines and vintages all the time and continue to be blown away by the range of style and beauty of these wines.

 

DRINK

When you pop the cork, make sure to take the time to truly enjoy every sip. Focus on the experience – from the intensity of color in the glass, the aromas emanating from the rim, and the flavors and textures of the wine from the moment it hits your lips, through your palate, and after you’ve swallowed.

 

RATE

This is the fun part. We’ll automatically keep track of every wine you purchase through Winestyr and make it easy for you to keep track of wines you’ve liked and disliked along with your tasting notes. It’s like a virtual wine journal.

 

RECOMMENDATIONS

We’ll look at your ratings and help you learn your palate and preferences over time. Along with making expert recommendations based on your palate, we’ll also tell you why we’ve made our suggestions so you can learn about wine in the process. It’s like having a wine expert at your fingertips.

 

Some of the wineries available through Winestyr

Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards, McGah Family Cellars, Hand of God Wines, Desert Wind Winery, Outcast Wines, Joullian Vineyards, Old Shore Vineyards, Deep Sea Wines, Nichelini Family Winery, David Family Wines, Frisby Cellars, Naked Winery, Piccola Wine Company, Sojourn Cellars, Buoncristiani Family Winery, White Oak Vineyards & Winery, McFadden Vineyard, Wine Guerrilla, H-G Vineyards, Mill Creek Vineyards & Winery, Anaba Wines, Windsor Oaks Vineyards, Colcanyon Estate, Andis Wines, Charles Creek Vineyard, Rocca Family Vineyards, Lacuna Wines, Toccata Wines, Ground Effect Wine Co., Fore Family Vineyards, Reid Family Vineyards, Jim Ball Vineyards, Ehret Family Winery, Tallulah Wines, Big Fish Wines, Optima Winery

 

Much more information is available on their website by clicking here.

 

If you are interested in trying out Winestyr, use code “TRYWINESTYR” to take $10 off your next Winestyr purchase.

 

 

  

 

 

About Andis Wines

Opened in November of 2010, Andis Wines is a modern boutique winery located in historic Amador County in the heart of California’s beautiful Sierra Foothills.  Our focus: seeking out the best vineyards in the Sierra Foothills to craft delicious wines with balance, character and complexity.  All of our fruit is hand sorted and fermented in small lots to promote diversity of style and varietal correctness.  Using both traditional and innovative winemaking approaches, Andis Wines have quickly garnered 90+ point scores in Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast, glowing reviews in print and online media, and placements in some of the finest restaurants in Northern California and Hawaii.

 

Our building is a state-of-the-art winemaking facility built with a “green” design.  The spacious tasting room offers picturesque vineyard views of surrounding Amador wine country with comfortable picnic areas to spend time with family and friends.  Our contemporary design, gracious staff, and commitment to making superior wines make Andis a must-stop on your Amador wine tasting adventure.

 

Much more information on Andis Wines is available on their website by clicking here.

 

 

 

The lineup for this tasting:

 

 

2011 Andis Wines Primitivo – SRP $25

While recent research has indicated Primitivo is genetically identical to Zinfandel, what we see in the winemaking process is a grape that behaves like Zinfandel’s more mature and sophisticated cousin.  Rich with all the attributes we love about Zin, dense fruit, big structure, complex finish, it also consistently has spectacular color and very silky tannins.  Quickly becoming one of our favorites, we’ve found there are few occasions or pairings where this Primitivo doesn’t shine.  The 2011 vintage was sourced from the wonderful Shenandoah Valley vineyard farmed by Art Toy.  It possesses aromas of blueberry and black cherry, accented by a hint of mint and cedar.  Medium bodied with a core of jammy fruit and soft silky tannins, it finishes with just a touch of pepper and spice.  Best decanted prior to serving.

 

This wine has 13.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with an agglomerated cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep red color.  The appealing nose has brambly berries, cherries, baking spices, cedar, white pepper, minerals, roasted herbs, earthy underbrush, eucalyptus, vanilla and dried flowers.  This has medium body, moderate to solid tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate the juicy, tart fruit gets spiced up with a small dollop of spicy oak on the front end, with a touch of eucalyptus, roasted herbs and subtle earthiness coming in on the back end.  The finish has nice length with some pepper and a floral note entering the picture.  If you like a restrained, balanced Zinfandel, grab a bottle of this wine, it will make you smile.  This is one to hunt down.  (91 pts)

 

 

2010 Andis Wines Painted Fields – SRP $28

Each season we harvest a few extra tons from some of our favorite fields and pull in some grapes from vineyards we think might be promising with the intent of finding just the right mix for Painted Fields.  As we set worthy lots aside, we begin experimenting with various blends until we find just the right mix for that vintage.  By not limiting ourselves to a specific varietal or predetermined blend, we allow tremendous latitude to make a simply delicious red wine.

 

This is a blend of 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Syrah and 10% Petite Sirah.

 

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

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a medium ruby red color.  The nose is a touch reserved and shy but eventually has black cherry, baking spices, minerals, dark chocolate and a touch of vanilla.  This has medium body, moderate to solid tannins and very nice acidity.  This is much more open and giving on the palate with layers of fruit and spice upfront with minerals and dark chocolate coming in on the back end.  The finish has nice length with a touch of earthiness coming into play.  This may be one to sit on for another year or two.  (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!