2005 Mas des Dames Coteaux du Languedoc

2004 Clarendon Hills Grenache Old Vines Blewitt Springs

2007 Long Shadows Wineries Cabernet Sauvignon Feather

 

 

 

2005 Mas des Dames Coteaux du Languedoc – $15.86

 

My comments

This is another wine I purchased from Garagiste Wines and Jon Rimmerman.  I bought three bottles of this wine but held off opening a bottle for a couple of years.  I had a bottle about a year ago and thought it was very nice, but felt it would improve with some additional cellar time.  It’s time to check in again.  This is a blend of 50% Grenache, 30% Carignan, and 20% Syrah.

 

Winery history

Mas des Dames is a former 18th century farmhouse surrounded by 14 hectares of vines located in the hills behind Béziers, Southern France.  Where the Languedoc is often a ‘sea’ of vineyards, in this hidden valley we were lucky to find an ancient structure of small plots, surrounded by a natural flora.  This ‘garrigue’ of oak, olive, and pine trees creates a natural balance in the vineyards, enabling us to work without any insecticides and just minimal treatments against illness.  We’ve never used chemical fertilizers and do not irrigate.  That is why our yields are low (about 35hl/ha). but have a nicely concentrated quality.  A certification for organic farming is pending.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a nice ruby red color.  The very nice nose has black cherries, red raspberries, plums, crushed stone minerality, smoke, roasted herbs, meat juices, warm baking spices, and a touch of earthiness.  This has medium body, fairly solid tannins, and very good acidity.  The palate has some nice up front fruit followed by roasted herbs, minerals, grilled meat, and a touch of dark chocolate.  The finish has nice length and leans more on the savory elements with the fruit adding a touch of sweetness.  This is in a nice place, but should hold for another year or two.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

2004 Clarendon Hills Grenache Old Vines Blewitt Springs – $25.00

 

My comments

We had a “house favorite” for dinner, Lime-Cilantro Pork Tacos for dinner and I was in the mood for something “different”.  I knew the tacos would be well seasoned and have a bit of bite from a jalapeño so I wanted something big, rich, and fruit driven to pair.  It’s been a while since I had this wine, but knew it would meet my requirements.

 

Winery history

In 1990, Roman Bratasiuk embarked on a truly remarkable wine making journey.  His vision: to create single vineyard wines equal to anything in the world.  Quite simply.  Working with old, dry-grown vines and performing every step of the process by hand, Roman sought to redefine the Australian fine wine landscape by solely conveying the imprint a vineyard forges on the varietal expression.  Every year a pragmatic and calculated Clarendon Hills learns a little more about our vineyards and pushes a little further to propel each one of our 100% varietal wines to the pinacle of their capability.

 

Please join Roman and the Clarendon Hills family in celebrating our 19 single vineyard, 100% varietal wines.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep garnet to purple color.  The impressive and massive nose has kirsch, black raspberries, melted licorice, Asian spices, minerals, black pepper, blueberries, earthiness, and cherries.  This has a full body, solid, ripe tannins, and decent acidity.  This is a massive wine on the palate with a boat load of syrupy fruit with enough spice and black pepper to add some depth, but this is all about the fruit.  The finish seems to last forever with berry compote and black pepper slowly adding some dark chocolate and a touch of earthiness, but again, this is a fruit driven wine.  Not a lot of subtlety or finesse,  but every once in a while a solid kick in the head does you well.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2007 Long Shadows Wineries Cabernet Sauvignon Feather – $42.74

 

My comments

This is a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Columbia Valley in Washington.  The winery teamed up with a few “world renowned” vintners to establish individual wineries that would reflect the reputation of each wine maker.   In this case, the winemaker is Randy Dunn.  Randy started his wine making career at Caymus.  He has also assisted at Pahlmeyer, Livingston, La Jota and others.  He also owns his own winery, Dunn Vineyards, and has produced roughly 5,000 cases a year since 1979.

 

I bought a few bottles of this a while ago but knew it would take a few years before it would show well.  I’m sure this will be better in a few years, but I really want to check in to see how it is doing.

 

Winery history

After twenty years at the helm of the Stimson Lane wine group (Chateau Ste. Michelle, Columbia Crest and other wineries), Allen Shoup retired to pursue a personal dream.  For years he had envisioned a joint venture with highly acclaimed winemakers from different regions of the world.  His goal was to bring their expertise to Washington to create some of the most special wines ever crafted from the region’s top vineyards; wines that would stand shoulder to shoulder with the world’s best.

 

Encouraged by his associates, including long time friend and mentor, Robert G. Mondavi, Allen invited several of the world’s most talented and celebrated vintners to the sunny slopes of the ColumbiaValley.   Peering over steep cliffs into the valley where the Snake and YakimaRivers flow into the mighty Columbia, each vintner embraced Allen’s dream and agreed to lend their talents to create this tribute to the worldwide celebration of wine.

 

With their enthusiastic support and advice, Allen drew up plans to establish individual wineries that would reflect the reputation of each winemaker.  He named the venture Long Shadows Vintners in tribute to this select group of individuals who have shaped the industry with their benchmark wines and wineries.

 

His vision is now unfolding.  Long Shadows winemaker-partners are designing world-class wines comparable in stature to those they crafted in their native wine regions.  They are touring the land, running the soil through their fingers, and surveying with practiced eye the leafy trellises that spill down the hillsides of the ColumbiaValley.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a dark red color, verging onto purple.  The very nice nose has cassis, minerals, white pepper, licorice, violets, sun baked earth, dried herbs, red raspberries, baking spices, and some dark bittersweet chocolate, and a touch of cedar.  This has medium body, fairly solid tannins, and very good acidity.  The palate has a nice fruit component up front with a load of savory elements coning in on the back end adding depth and complexity.  The finish is fairly long with some sweet fruit joined by dried herbs, dark chocolate, and a touch of spicy oak.  This is a very classy wine that would cost twice this price if it had a Napa Valley appellation in its name.  This is a touch young, but tastes great none the less.  (93 pts)

 

 

***** 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!

 

 

 

2008 Villa Creek Avenger

2007 Copain Syrah Tous Ensemble

2007 Rhys Alesia Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

2009 Seghesio Family Vineyards Zinfandel Home Ranch

 

 

2008 Villa Creek Avenger – $29.75

 

My comments

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

 

Winery history

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

 

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

 

Much more information is available on their website.

 

My Tasting Note

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

 

 

 

2007 Copain Syrah Tous Ensemble Mendocino County – $25.00

 

My comments

This was Copain’s effort to put out a value priced, mid-level, appellation branded level of wines.  The Copain Tous Ensemble line up has grown to now include Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Roussanne, Viognier, and a Rosé.  In my opinion, the Copain Tous Ensemble lineup offers stunning quality for the price.  I’ve had and greatly enjoyed multiple vintages of the Syrah, Pinot Noir, and the Rosé.  I believe these wines have some distribution, I highly recommend grabbing a bottle to sample if you see one on your local wine store’s shelf.

 

This Syrah is a blend of grapes from Alder Springs, Eaglepoint Ranch, Hawks Butte and McDowell Valley vineyards in Mendocino County.

 

Winery history

Wells Guthrie discovered early on that his taste in wine gravitated toward Europe in general and France’s Rhône Valley in particular.  So much so, he picked up and moved with his new bride to the region to learn from the best.  For two years, Wells apprenticed for esteemed winemaker and living legend Michel Chapoutier in France’s Rhone Valley.  During that time, Wells was deeply inspired by the traditions and practices of French winemaking, not to mention the European attitude that wine is an essential part of life. At Copain, he creates wines that are firmly rooted in California, yet with the sensibilities of the European wines that so moved him.  He is as committed to crafting these elegant, nuanced wines as he is to building a legacy that will be passed down to his daughters in the great tradition of European winemakers whose estates have been in the same family for generations.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a nice garnet color.  The easy going nose has blackberries, red raspberries, minerals, warm baking spices, black pepper, smoked meat, vanilla, and fresh wild flowers.  This has medium body, fairly well integrated tannins, and very nice acidity.  The palate is lead by mineral laden fruit, black pepper, and a meaty element.  The finish has nice length and adds a touch of dark chocolate.  This is in its prime drinking window and I’d recommend opening this one over the next year, maybe two.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2007 Rhys Alesia Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast – $35.00

 

My comments

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

 

Winery history

While much of our focus is on winegrowing for our Rhys estate-managed vineyards, we also enjoy exploring distinctive California locations outside the Santa Cruz Mountains.  In particular we love the seductive beauty of Pinot Noir and Syrah from the Sonoma Coast and the utterly unique expression of Syrah from the Santa Lucia Highlands.  We call these wines made from purchased grapes “Alesia.”

 

Each Alesia wine is made with the same philosophy as our estate grown wines – concentration from low yields and pure, fresh fruit flavors.

 

More information on Rhys and Alesia is available at:  http://www.rhysvineyards.com/index.html

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright, ruby red color.  The very open and appealing nose has cherries, baking spices, minerals, smoke, white pepper, underbrush, raspberries, wild flowers, and earth.  This has medium body, fairly solid tannins, and very good acidity.  The palate has tart cherries, juicy raspberries, loads of minerals, white pepper, and just enough earthiness to add a lot of appeal.  The finish has decent length with nice spicy, earth driven fruit, but it would have been nice if it was a touch fuller and a little longer, but those are minor quibbles.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2009 Seghesio Family Vineyards Zinfandel Home Ranch – $32.29

 

My comments

I’m not really a point chaser since I buy a lot of my wine from smaller wineries who don’t even submit their wines for review by the big publications.  A lot of the “big name” wineries I buy from are the ones I “found” before they started getting the big scores.  That said, even though I have been a fan of Seghesio wines for several years, I bought this specific wine simply because it received a high score and was listed as the number 12 wine on the Wine Spectator “Top 100 Wines of 2011”.

 

Winery history

The Seghesio story begins in 1886, when Edoardo Seghesio departed his family’s vineyards in Piedmont, Italy, for a new life in America.  Like so many immigrants, he was drawn to Northern Sonoma County and the Italian Swiss Colony to follow his passion for winemaking.  The “Colony,” as it was known, hired immigrants for three-year stints, providing room and board, and a lump sum at the end of those three years enabling employees to buy land or set up a business in their new homeland.

 

Edoardo quickly rose through the ranks to winemaker, yet he yearned for home.  The Colony’s manager repeatedly encouraged him to stay, and finally, it was the manager’s niece and the opportunity to purchase land that convinced Edoardo to remain.  That young girl, Angela Vasconi, and Edoardo were married in 1893.  In 1895, they purchased a modest home in northern Alexander Valley, more for the surrounding 56 acres Edoardo recognized as ideal vineyard land than for the home itself.  They planted the Home Ranch that year to what became the family’s lifeline—Zinfandel.

 

Much more information is available on their website.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a couple notches darker than a medium ruby red.  The stunning nose has cherries, baking spices, vanilla, black peppercorns, black raspberries, violets, and a touch of road tar and dark chocolate.  This has a medium to full body, fairly solid tannins, and very good acidity.  The palate has a nice fruity base but plenty of savory elements to steer well clear of being called a fruit bomb.  The finish is long and lingering with cherries, vanilla, black pepper, and a touch of dark chocolate.  This is a touch on the young side, but absolutely delicious.  (93 pts)

 

 

 

Winery Owners:

If any smaller domestic wineries are looking for distribution in MN, IA, IL and WI, shoot me an e-mail to cliff@CliffsWinePicks.com.  I know a smaller wholesaler with divisions in those states looking to expand.

 

 

 

***** 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:

 

 

Wines bought or received this week

It has been a busy week receiving wine.  Shipments from Carlisle and Jean Edwards arrived.

 

 

 

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!

 

 

 

 

2008 Loring Wine Divergence

2009 Turley Zinfandel Old Vines

2008 Santi Ripasso della Valpolicella Classico Superiore Solane

1994 Theo Schmitz-Schwaab Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Spätlese #3

2006 Altesino Brunello di Montalcino

 

 

 

2008 Loring Wine Divergence – $99.67

 

My comments

This wine was Brian Loring’s attempt to produce a wine from California to emulate the style of Spanish wineries like Bodegas El Nido in Jumilla.  This is a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Mourvedre from Paso Robles.

 

Winery history

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

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark purple color.  The very impressive nose has blackberries, raspberries, baking spices, licorice, dark chocolate, dried herbs, earthy underbrush, vanilla, leather, and a touch of cedar.  This has full body, fairly solid ripe tannins, and decent acidity.  This wine delivers a mouth full of juicy crushed berries along with an equal measure of savory elements to keep this from getting boring and adding a ton of depth.  The finish is long and full of spicy fruit with some nice dark chocolate and earthiness coming in at the end.  Not a lot of subtlety but utterly delicious.  (93 pts)

 

 

 

2009 Turley Zinfandel Old Vines – $23.71

 

My comments

To me, one of the better values out there is the Turley Old Vines Zinfandel.  Along with the appellation wines from Carlisle and Bedrock, these prove you can get a great bottle of California Zinfandel for $25 or less.

 

This is a blend of Zinfandel grapes from some of the older vineyards in California that don’t produce enough wine to allow for a single vineyard bottling.

 

Winery history

In 1993, Turley Wine Cellars was founded by Larry Turley, brother of the well-known consulting winemaker Helen Turley.  Turley, had entered the wine business in 1981 as co-founder of the multi-varietal Frog’s Leap Winery, but soon realized that his interest lay in wines made from the Zinfandel grape.

 

Starting out with just one location in St. Helena, Turley Wine Cellars soon expanded to Templeton with the purchase of the historic Pesenti winery, where Zinfandel had been planted since 1923.

 

As of 2000, Turley Wine Cellars has had a two-year waiting list for new wine club customers.

 

In 2007, Turley Wine Cellars was producing approximately 14,000 cases a year of both single-vineyard and regional Zinfandel wines.

 

By 2011, Turley Wine Cellars is annually producing approximately 16,000 cases of award winning Zinfandel and Petite Sirah wines using multiple “small” vineyards located in Napa and Sonoma counties, and other Paso Robles locations.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a fairly dark ruby red color.  The very nice and inviting nose has brambly berries, black pepper, vanilla, warm baking spices, dark chocolate, incense, and some subtle earthiness.  This has medium body, fairly solid tannins, and very good acidity.  On the well behaved palate the spicy berries and black pepper take charge with some dark chocolate, vanilla, and earthy elements coming in later.  The finish has nice length and again highlights the spicy berries and earthiness.  If you think Turley zins are all overblown, you should give this one a try, it will change your opinion.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2008 Santi Ripasso della Valpolicella Classico Superiore Solane – $11.37

 

My comments

I love a nice, smooth, rich Italian Ripasso wine, as long as they don’t get too heavy and plodding.  This value priced Ripasso has enough richness to be smooth and velvety but retains enough acidity to be very food friendly.

 

To make a Ripasso wine, the grapes are allowed to dry out slightly on straw mats to concentrate the sugars and flavors.  After fermentation, the resulting wines is then blended with standard Valpolicella wine and re-fermented.  This yields a wine with the extra richness from the dried grapes but the acidity and lighter body from the “fresh” Valpolicella grapes.

 

Winery history

Gruppo Italiano Vini is the number one wine grower-producer in Italy and a global leader in the production and sales of excellent wines.  The Group owns 14 historic cellars with celebrated brands that are distributed worldwide.  These properties are surrounded by their own vineyards, beautiful expanses of territory totaling 1,340 hectares and lying within Italy’s most prestigious wine-producing areas.  Founded in 1986, the Group has its headquarters in the eighteenth-century Villa Belvedere on Lake Garda in the province of Verona.  Gruppo Italiano Vini is unique within the international wine-producing world for its ability to combine the advantages of a small structure with those of a big company.

 

Every estate in the Group’s portfolio adheres scrupulously to each steps of the production process: cultivation of the vines, harvesting, vinification, maturing and bottling under the expert and professional guidance of agronomists, oenologists and cellar managers.

 

The Group excels in sales and service; its extensive sales organization is specialized by channel and supported by structured marketing strategies and modern, efficient integrated logistics services.

 

This is a major advantage for the Group’s clients, who can choose from a vast selection of superb Italian wines via a simple system: one order, one delivery, one invoice.  The Group’s extensive international experience makes it extremely versatile and able to respond to the demands of a constantly changing market.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep ruby red color.  The very nice nose has cherries, baking spices, earthy underbrush, black raspberries, wild flowers, and some dried herbs.  This has medium body, soft ripe tannins, and good acidity.  The palate has spicy fruit, earthy elements, and a dash of toasty oak as well as some dried herbs.  The finish has nice length with the spicy, earthy, fruit.  Not the biggest or richest Ripasso out there, but this is very food friendly and costs south of $15.  (88 pts)

 

 

 

1994 Theo Schmitz-Schwaab Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Spätlese #3 – $23.74

 

My comments

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

 

Winery history

As is usual for a lot of the smaller, European wineries, not a lot of information seems to be available on the internet.  I also can’t find anything on CellarTracker for this winery since the 1995 vintage.  This leads me to think it no longer exists.  I can recite Jon Rimmerman’s (from Garagiste Wine) silky prose, but I don’t want this to sound like a sales pitch.  All I will say is, if you like older German Rieslings that have generally been in perfect condition, at really nice prices, check out http://garagiste.com/ and sign up for the list.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright yellow color with a slight golden tint.  The rich and inviting nose has apples, white peaches, stony minerals, petrol, white pepper, honey, lime zest, and a touch of pineapple.  This has a light to medium body, nice residual sweetness, and good citrus driven acidity to keep it in perfect balance.  The finish is very long with the initial sweetness slowly giving way to a nice blast of mouthwatering lemon-lime acidity.  At 19 years of age, this still seems to be on the young side.  I look forward to enjoying my remaining bottles on the wine’s evolution over the next decade.  (94 pts)

 

 

 

2006 Altesino Brunello di Montalcino – $32.00

 

My comments

This is a new winery for me, but it came with a high recommendation from a friend that knows his Italian wines.  I love a big Brunello, especially with beef that has been seasoned with Italian herbs and spices.

 

Winery history

Altesino is a leader in various, important innovations in the production of Sangiovese from Montalcino, causing it to stand out and become a reference point for the entire territory.

 

Some of the positive contributions putting Montalcino on the world map are: the introduction of the “Cru” (Montosoli) concept in 1975, the first experiments with barriques in ’79, the production in ’77 of the first Grappa from a winery and the first Futures (purchasing wine before its release) for Brunello 1985.

 

Over the last forty years an intense relationship has been developed with the land full of history, with its almost sensual beauty that is physically perceived and its subtle charm that reaches the body and soul.

 

This is the philosophy that inspires Altesino to produce wine and maintain its culture.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a medium ruby red, with a much lighter meniscus.  The very inviting nose has raspberries, cherries, warm baking spices, eucalyptus, wild flowers, dark chocolate, earthy underbrush, and some spicy oak.  This has medium body, fairly solid tannins, and very good acidity.  The palate leads off with tart, juicy, red fruit but nice spice, oak, and a touch of eucalyptus come into the picture adding depth.  The long finish is full of spicy fruit, oak, and some nice earthiness.  Tasty today but this should add some complexity with additional cellar time.  (92 pts)

 

 

***** 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:

 

 

Wines bought or received this week

 

Bedrock shipment arrived:

(6) 2012 Bedrock Wine Co. Mourvedre Ode to Lulu Rosé

(6) 2012 Bedrock Wine Co. Sauvignon Blanc Kick Ranch

(6) 2012 Bedrock Wine Co. Albariño Abrente

(2) 2011 Bedrock Wine Co. Syrah T ‘n’ S Hudson Vineyard South

(2) 2011 Bedrock Wine Co. Syrah Griffin’s Lair

(2) 2011 BedrockWineCo.SyrahNorthCoast

(1) 2011 Bedrock Wine Co. Zinfandel Puccini Vineyard

 

I also picked up an e-mail offer from the local wine store:

(6) 2009 Borgo Scopeto (Tenuta Caparzo) Borgonero Toscana IGT

 

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

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

 

Notes – I use the “official” Cellar Tracker name for the wines.  I use Cellar Tracker to help manage and organize my cellar.  I highly recommend checking it out at www.cellartracker.com.  Loading you existing cellar is a lot less intimidating than it would first appear.  There is a good chance 99% of your wine is already in the system, so you generally only need to enter part of the wine’s name and the system will find it for you.

 

 

Prices noted are the prices I paid at the time of purchase.  I don’t shop around to find the best prices, but my local store is usually VERY competitive.  I generally get case discounts, and since I work there part time, I get a 5% discount.  Wines purchased direct from a winery do not include any shipping charges.  None of the prices include the sales tax.

 

 

All wines that were sent to me free of charge to sample will be noted and I will show suggested prices when available.

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

 

 

 

2007 Freemark Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon

2009 Maipe Malbec Reserve

2009 Syncline Grenache-Carignan

2007 Jean Edwards Cellars Syrah Alder Springs Vineyard Mendocino County

 

 

 

2007 Freemark Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon – $19.00

 

My comments

Something I knew way back but forgot was that Freemark Abbey was the only winery to have two bottles of wine in the 1976 “Judgment in Paris” tasting that put California on the world’s wine map.  After a few lean years, I think the winery has righted the boat and are again producing very nice, bargain priced wines.

 

Winery history

In 1967, seven partners purchased Freemark Abbey, setting the stage for a new era of creativity.  The winery earned the nickname the “University of Freemark” due to the sheer number of innovations and significant winemakers that emerged from our cellars.

 

In 1976, wine expert Steven Spurrier conducted a legendary blind tasting in Paris – pitting the upstart wines of California against the establishment of France.  Of the 12 American wineries chosen to compete, only Freemark Abbey had two wines represented – a Chardonnay and a Cabernet Sauvignon.  In an upset that shocked the wine world, California wines won every category of the tasting, putting Napa Valley firmly on the world stage.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark, ruby red color.  The very comforting nose has cassis, warm baking spices, tobacco, dried herbs, plum, licorice, and a touch of smoke.  This has medium body, fairly solid, ripe tannins, and very nice acidity.  The palate features bright and juicy berries, baking spices, dried herbs and a touch of oak.  The finish has nice length with the berries and dried herbs joined by a touch of excess spicy oak.  I would be nice if the touch of extra oak would integrate, but I really don’t see that happening.  No hurry on this one, enjoy it over the next several years.  This was a steal for $19.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2009 Maipe Malbec Reserve – $11.39

 

My comments

When we’re having a beef based dinner but I’m in the mood for something different, more times than not, I grab a Malbec from Argentina.  The Malbec grape is one of the Bordeaux grapes, but it found a home in Argentina.  As with most other grapes, Malbec wines run the spectrum from easy drinking week night wines to full blown special occasion wines.  These Malbecs from Argentina should not be passed if you had one that didn’t meet your tastes, shop around and you’ll find a great wine that won’t break the budget.

 

Winery history

At the time of the financial crisis in 2001 that caused the replacement of 4 presidents in a month, violent attacks on bank offices and devaluation of the Peso to a quarter of its worth, Juan Pelizzatti was a telecommunications marketing professional in his mid thirties with a passion for wine, thinking of a project where he could invest his soul and his dreams.

 

The crisis, for a short period of time, gave many Argentines the impression that there was not much left to loose and that only a radically new vision of the future could help them survive it.  Juan was one of them: armed with his family’s life savings and a legacy of winemaking from his Italian grandfather, he took a month’s vacation from his job and literally walked the province of Mendoza in search of a new land.

 

Luck and some good advice helped him find the perfect place in Agrelo, Lujan de Cuyo: 150 ha of almost bare land formerly planted with Malbec vines where only 30 hectares had survived the very bad years preceding the crisis.

 

Many years and a lot of work later, this estate has become one of the most promising new wine projects in Argentina, representing one of the most successful business models of the new wine landscape in Argentina.  In the meantime, Argentine exports have sustained double digit growth, whilst Malbec, once a rare local grape, has achieved the status of an internationally demanded variety.

 

Much more information on the winery’s website.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep ruby red color.  The very nice nose has blackberries, licorice, fresh ground dark roast coffee, dark bittersweet chocolate, baking spices, and plums.  This has medium body, soft but persistent tannins, and good acidity.  The palate has nice juicy berries but the savory notes of dark chocolate and fresh ground coffee and a lot of depth.  The finish has nice length and is an extension of the palate.  This is drinking very nicely but isn’t really built for the long haul, drink this over the next year, maybe two.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2009 Syncline Grenache-Carignan – $19.94

 

My comments

If you’ve been reading my posts for more than just a couple of weeks, you’ll see I love just about all wines.  That said, my heart belongs to the grapes from the Rhone in France.  I think these are some of the most versatile grapes in the world.  These grapes seem to be able to adapt to where ever they are planted and can produce many different styles of wine.  I found this specific wine when a  friend tweeted he had this in his glass one evening.  I was able to track down a few bottles from a store in Washington.  A few days later, they were in my cellar.

 

Winery history

Birth of Syncline Winery: James and Poppie Mantone.

Poppie and James met during the harvest of 1997 while working together in the cellar at LaVelle Vineyards (Willamette Valley, Oregon).  Shortly after, they had fallen madly in love, married and began plans for a new endeavor: a winery of our own.

 

Four years later they relocated their home to the Columbia Gorge; where passion for Rhône wines led them to explore the emerging potential of vineyards in the Columbia Valley, Washington.

 

Inspired by early efforts of Rhone and Burgundy varietals sampled from Washington wineries, Syncline’s first vintage consisted of 76 cases of Celilo Vineyards Pinot Noir from vines planted in 1972.  The next year, production was increased to include Columbia Valley Syrah and Grenache.  At the same time they began working with vineyards to plant Viognier, Mourvedre, Roussanne, Cinsault, Counoise and Carignan.

 

They have kept production under 6,000 cases annually to ensure intimacy with each barrel and every vine.

 

Much more information is available on the winery’s website.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a shade lighter than a medium ruby red color.  The bright and cheerful nose has raspberries, cherries, minerals, baking spices, licorice, wild flowers, and just a touch of underbrush.  This has medium body, fairly solid, ripe tannins, and very good acidity.  The palate has nice red fruits, spice, and some earthiness with no rough edges.  The finish has decent length and again features the red fruit, spice, and a touch of earthiness.  This should hold for a couple more years, but is very tasty today.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2007 Jean Edwards Cellars Syrah Alder Springs Vineyard Mendocino County – $30.00

 

My comments

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

 

Winery history

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

My Tasting Note

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

 

 

***** 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!

 

 

 

When bad things happen to good wine.

 

This is based on samples provided by the winery.

 

 

 

 

 “Enjoy our glass closure

Cut foil & give it a thumbs up”

 

 

 

Northwest Totem Cellars –  A name that pays respect to a life and people that once depended on, respected and revered their environment and the living world.  We and our children are committed ambassadors to this living world.  Our commitment to compassion runs broadly across many constituents; people, planet and, never to be overlooked, all other non-human living beings who share our world.  Our reverence for life securely encompasses the animals of our planet.  We share a view that they are their own communities, like that of our native ancestors, like us today.  They are their own nations.  The totem is our connection to life; old and new, human and non-human.

 

Tucked away on a private property, we are a small, family-owned winery producing hand-crafted wines in the heart of Woodinville Wine Country.  We share our love of wine and community with some of the best wineries in WashingtonState.  We’re proud to be a part of a growing wine region that is the most rapidly-increasing wine tasting area in the world!

 

The words “personal” and “warm” will define your experience at Northwest Totem Cellars.  As you walk through the front door, you realize this tasting experience will be one of your most memorable.  Pouring our wines from the “kitchen” private tasting room, Mike Sharadin, our winemaker, barrel washer, one-man show et al, will enlighten you on Washington wines, our own voyage as a small producer and will share with you the passion that has fueled our love of the grape.

 

Thank you for your interest in Northwest Totem Cellars.  We hope to meet you soon in the kitchen!

 

 

Much more information as well as links to purchase wine is available on their website.

 

 

 

My Information

Northwest Totem Cellars is a new winery for me.  I met the owner/winemaker, Mike Sharadin, on Twitter a couple years ago.  Even though he is a Philadelphia Flyers and Dallas Cowboys fan, which usually makes a person the “low man on the totem pole” to someone from Pittsburgh, we “tweeted” quite a bit.

 

As a fan of the wines coming out of the Pacific Northwest and Washington in particular, I became more intrigued and interested in learning more about Northwest Totem Cellars.  When Mike offered to send me a few samples to try, I jumped at the opportunity.

 

Mike sent me a few samples but a severe frigid spell and a weekend stop in the Dakotas or Northern Minnesota caused the wine to freeze.  When I received the bottles, a couple days later, they were still VERY cold and sweating.  On one bottle, the glass stopper had pushed through the capsule and was leaking.  Mike graciously offered to replace the “wine sickles” with good bottles once the weather cooperated.

 

This lead to the decision to do an “Ice and Nice” tasting.  I would open a pristine bottle from the second shipment and the frozen counterpart from the first shipment.  This would allow a review of the good bottle and a comparison to the changes that occur to wine when it freezes.

 

 

The lineup, first the “Nice”:

 

 

And the “Ice”:

 

 

I like the fact the winery uses glass stoppers on their bottles.  To me, this is a fantastic alternative to cork and much classier than the “twist off” options.  I won’t even bring up the synthetic cork options which I despise.

 

 

2008 Northwest Totem Cellars Cabernet Franc (SRP $35)

 

ColumbiaValley

14.2% ABV

 

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a fairly deep ruby red color, lighter at the edge.  The very nice and open nose has cassis, Asian spices, minerals, black cherries, dried herbs, leather, tobacco, vanilla, and a touch of cedar.  This has medium body, fairly solid tannins, and very good acidity.  The palate has nice spicy fruit and vanilla with dried herbs providing considerable depth.  The finish is fairly long with the fruit, minerals, and dried herbs lingering nicely before a touch of dark chocolate closes the show.  This is a very nice, young, Cabernet Franc that will reward some time in the cellar.  This won’t be confused with a wine from California, which sets it in a very nice class.  This could turn into something special in a couple of years.  (93 pts)

 

Frozen Bottle:  The nose was very muted and shy with berries, dried herbs, and smoke.  The palate lacks any richness or depth and is hollow and very soft.  The finish is very short with very little fruit, mainly just toasty oak and dried herbs.  The wine has no obvious flaws but the fruit is virtually non-existent.

 

 

 

2009 Northwest Totem Cellars Low Man (SRP $35)

 

Columbia Valley

74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Cabernet Franc, 3% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot

14% ABV

 

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a nice deep ruby red color.  The enticing nose has blackberries, cherries, warm baking spices, leather, white pepper, minerals, violets, vanilla, dried herbs, and just a touch of cedar.  This has medium body, fairly solid, ripe tannins, and good acidity.  This wine is delicious on the palate.  Nice berries and cherries start the show but are quickly joined with sweet vanilla, spices, and a touch of dried herbs.  The finish is long and nuanced with layers of fruit and savory notes finally giving way to a nice closing note of dried herbs and cherry.  For a very young Bordeaux blend it is stunning, with perfect balance.  I’m sure this will be better with some cellar time, but it will be hard to resist.  (95 pts)

 

Frozen bottle:  The very shy nose has black cherry, dried dill, toasty oak, and dry straw.  The palate has a quick hit of cherry but it is quickly overwhelmed by dried herbs and toasty oak.  This has very soft acidity and the tannins are also very soft and don’t stick around to add any body or structure.  The fruit disappears quickly on the finish leaving toasty oak and dried herbs.

 

 

 

2008 Northwest Totem Cellars Merlot (SRP $35)

 

(Note:  I didn’t have a good sample of this wine for comparison, so only the unrated frozen sample is detailed)

 

The wine is a shade darker than ruby red.  The nose has cherries, cedar, tobacco, and a touch of smoke.  Again, very soft with little to no acidity or tannins to give any support.  On the palate, a brief hit of sweet cherry is quickly over taken by oak.  The short finish features a mouth full of spicy oak with nothing holding the wine together.

 

 

Day 2:

The next day, the good bottles were even better, more integrated and expressive than on the first day.  The previously frozen bottles were nothing more than red oak juice with a hint of fruit on the nose.

 

 

 

Ice and Nice Conclusion:

It’s scary that there were no perceivable flaws with the bottles that had frozen during shipping.  These bottles “looked” pristine, I only knew they had frozen because they were very cold and sweating when I picked them up.  One bottle in the shipment had frozen enough that the glass stopper had pushed through the capsule and was leaking.

 

It’s generally pretty easy to note cooked/stewed fruit on a bottle of wine that was submitted to extreme heat, but extreme cold is much harder to notice.

 

A less than above board retailer could have put these bottles on their shelf and the winery could have potentially lost future business because of these damaged bottles of wine.

 

 

 

 

***** 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!

 

 

 

2006 Carlisle Syrah Cardiac Hill

2006 Oliverhill Winery Shiraz Jimmy Section

2008 JC Cellars The Impostor

2003 Turley Petite Syrah Hayne Vineyard

 

 

 

2006 Carlisle Syrah Cardiac Hill – $37.00

 

My comments

This is probably my favorite Syrah in the Carlisle lineup.  This usually has that little something extra that propels it to the upper echelon.  I’ve never met a Bennett Valley Syrah I didn’t like and actively hunt them down.

 

Winery history

We are a small Sonoma County winery specializing in the production of old-vine, vineyard designated zinfandels and red Rhone varieties (syrah, grenache, mourvèdre, and petite sirah).  While we like our wines to be bold, rich, and intensely flavored, each reflecting a sense of place, its origins in the vineyard, we also strive to create wines of balance, complexity, and perhaps most importantly, pleasure.

 

Rich.  Lusty.  Hedonistic.  These are some of the descriptors we often hear applied to our wines.  However, we also hear the words elegant, balanced, complex.  Yes, through hard work in the vineyard and winery, we believe you can have it all, the best of both worlds.  Our approach to winemaking is simple, yet difficult.  We prefer to intervene in nature’s process as little as possible but we will leave no stone unturned in our quest to maximize the quality of each wine we produce.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep garnet to purple color.  The soothing nose has blackberries, minerals, smoky ashes, white pepper, dark chocolate, baking spices, dried flowers, meat juices, and licorice.  This has medium to full body, fairly solid tannins, and good acidity.  The palate has nice initial fruit but the more savory notes take over fairly quickly adding a lot of depth.  The finish is fairly long with nice spicy, mineral laden fruit.  This still seems to be on the young side and may be better a couple years down the road.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2006 Oliverhill Winery Shiraz Jimmy Section – $19.00

 

My comments

One of my wife’s all time favorite wines.  How much does she like it?  Per Cellar Tracker I bought a total of 33 bottles, and his will be the 26^th bottle we’ve opened since December 2009.

 

I should add I like this wine as well.  I still do not understand how it was such a slow mover at the local wine store.  This is part of my last case which only cost me $19.00, a bottle.  A steal based on the $35 release price.

 

Winery history

Stuart Miller is the winemaker and caretaker of the vineyard: this is truly a hands-on winery where every step of production from vineyard to bottling is overseen by Stuart himself.  His family are involved in all stages of the process, picking grapes, pruning vines, bottling, packaging and more.

 

Oliverhill was established in the early 1970s and the Miller family moved in during the early 1990s.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark, inky purple color.  The sensuous nose has blackberries, black pepper, vanilla, dying coal embers, dark chocolate, violets, licorice, and some well worn leather.  This has a fairly full body, fairly solid, ripe tannins, and very nice acidity.  On the palate, juicy crushed berries hit first, immediately complimented by black pepper, vanilla, and dark chocolate.  The finish is fairly long and adds a dried herb element that blends well with the spicy, peppery berries and dark chocolate.  This is in a very nice drinking window and should hold for another few years at the minimum.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2008 JC Cellars The Impostor – $25.73

 

My comments

Jeff Cohn just keeps cranking out the hits.  Since his earlier days making outstanding wines for Rosenblum, Jeff is now making the same style of wines for his own label.  These are generally full throttle, distinctive wines.

 

This wine is a blend of Zinfandel, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Tempranillo, Carignane, Grenache and Viognier.

 

Winery history

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep purple color.  The very open and nice nose has brambly berries, black pepper, vanilla, dark chocolate, violets, licorice, meat juices, and a touch of earthiness.  This has a full body, fairly solid, ripe tannins, and good acidity.  On the palate the wine is a mouth full of juicy, peppery, berries with dark chocolate and earthy elements coming in on the back end providing extra depth.  The finish is fairly long but a touch of excess oak does pop out.  This is a big and rich wine that is not sweet or syrupy and has no raisiny notes.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2003 Turley Petite Syrah Hayne Vineyard – $51.75

 

My comments

Turley Winery, in my opinion, was one of the first, “cult wineries” in California.  Their wines were impossible to get, unless you were one of the lucky few on their mailing list.  Some of the luster has faded a bit due to competition from the likes of Carlisle and Bedrock, but the name Turley still commands attention from a LOT of people.

 

It vineyards in California were rated based on the quality and reputations of the grapes they produced, there wouldn’t be too many above the Hayne Vineyard.  The Petite Sirah and the Zinfandel produced from Hayne Vineyard are the top wines made by Turley.

 

Winery history

In 1993, Turley Wine Cellars was founded by Larry Turley, brother of the well-known consulting winemaker Helen Turley.  Turley, had entered the wine business in 1981 as co-founder of the multi-varietal Frog’s Leap Winery, but soon realized that his interest lay in wines made from the Zinfandel grape.

 

Starting out with just one location in St. Helena, Turley Wine Cellars soon expanded to Templeton with the purchase of the historic Pesenti winery, where Zinfandel had been planted since 1923.

 

As of 2000, Turley Wine Cellars has had a two-year waiting list for new wine club customers.

 

In 2007, Turley Wine Cellars was producing approximately 14,000 cases a year of both single-vineyard and regional Zinfandel wines.

 

By 2011, Turley Wine Cellars is annually producing approximately 16,000 cases of award winning Zinfandel and Petite Sirah wines using multiple “small” vineyards located in Napa and Sonoma counties, and other Paso Robles locations.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark, inky maroon color.  The intoxicating nose has blackberries, licorice, black pepper, baking spices, meat juices, dark chocolate, fresh ground dark roast coffee, blueberries, vanilla, wild flowers, and minerals.  This has full body, solid, ripe tannins, and very nice acidity.  On the palate the wine is rich and velvety with loads of spicy, juicy berries, black pepper, dark chocolate, and minerals.  The finish is very long and ever changing, highlighting different elements every second or two.  The blackberries, blueberries, dark chocolate, and dark roast coffee stand out the most.  This is absolutely delicious today but will hold for several years.  (95 pts)

 

 

***** 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:

 

 

 

Wines bought or received this week

 

I worked at the wine store yesterday, so I had to grab a few bottles.

(2) 2009 Lewis Cellars Syrah Ethan’s at a steal of a price, $33.24 each

(1) 2011 Calera Pinot Noir Central Coast for $24.69

 

 

 

 

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!

 

 

 

2006 Sterling Vineyards Merlot Three Palms Vineyard

2004 Palmaz Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Cedar Knoll Vineyard

2009 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir Clos Pepe Vineyard

2007 Scherrer Winery Zinfandel Scherrer Shale Terrace

 

 

 

2006 Sterling Vineyards Merlot Three Palms Vineyard – $20.89

 

My comments

This is a very consistent, single vineyard Merlot that used to be a “house favorite”.  Unfortunately, over the years the price increases took enough of a toll, that I felt it no longer offered enough quality to merit the price.  When the local store was able to secure enough of the wine to offer via an “end of vintage” e-mail offer for a touch over $20, I had to jump in.

 

Winery history

Sterling Vineyards is proud to be a certified Napa County Green Winery, a distinction we achieved in 2009 as one of the first 12 wineries to be included.  This certification is a result of our diligent efforts in conserving water and energy, as well as preventing pollution and landfill waste.

 

In addition, Sterling is also certified as Napa County Green for our land and vineyard practices, which include sustainable vineyard management, water conservation, and fish-friendly farming across 100% of our estate vineyards.

 

Every year we recycle approximately 1,400 tons of waste, resulting in a waste diversion rate of 95%.  This has resulted in awards in the Waste Reduction Awards Program from the California Integrated Waste Management Board for the past three years.  (Proceeds from the award have been donated to local charities each year.)

 

Finally, in December 2008 our iconic tram was converted to solar power.  The solar energy system produces more than 100,000 kilowatt-hours per year, which is equivalent to the energy required to power 5.5 homes for a full year.  This conversion also eliminates 65 tons of CO2 emitted into the environment annually.

 

From vineyard practices to winery operations to the daily activities at our world-famous tasting rooms, Sterling Vineyards is proud to act as a dedicated steward of our environmental riches.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a medium to dark ruby red color.  The very nice nose has cherry, cedar, melted licorice, plums, baking spices, tobacco, dried herbs, dark roast espresso, and a touch of earthiness.  This has medium body, fairly solid tannins, and very nice acidity.  The palate shows no excess weight with nice balance between the fruit and savory elements.  The finish is a touch short and a bit lean but other wise this is a very sound and appealing wine.  A steal at $20 but questionable value at $60.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2004 Palmaz Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Cedar Knoll Vineyard – $18.21

 

My comments

This wine’s normal price is in the $45 to $49 range, which I feel is WAY too high.  The community average price in CellarTracker for this wine is over $28, which is again pushing the limit.  Luckily I was able to grab half a case for well under $20.  That makes it a good Napa Valley Cab at a price that won’t break the bank when consumed on a week night, especially for an aged Cabernet is in its’ prime drinking window.

 

I’ve had a couple bottles that I liked and rated 89-90 points.

 

Winery history

Cedar Knoll Vineyard and Winery was founded in 1881 by Henry Hagen.  One of their wines won a Silver Medal at the Paris Exposition in 1889.  At that time, Cedar Knoll was one of Napa’s premier wineries.  The winery was a victim of Prohibition and was closed for close to 80 years.  Cedar Knoll is now owned by the Palmaz family.  They have resurrected the vineyards and restored the original Hagen house.  The vineyards occupy 55 acres and are located just northeast of the city of Napa.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a fairly dark ruby red color, much lighter at the edge.  The very nice and appealing nose has cassis, cedar, dried herbs, cherry, smoke, tobacco, raspberry, baking spices, and a touch of well worn leather.  This has medium body, good acidity, and fairly integrated tannins.  On the palate the wine has silky smooth fruit up front with spices and dried herbs coming in on the back end.  The finish has decent length with some spicy oak adding an extra dimension.  Not a lot of complexity but this is in a nice place right now.  This probably should be consumed over the next year or two before the fruit starts to fade.  (89 pts)

 

 

 

2009 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir Clos Pepe Vineyard – $45.00

 

My comments

Loring produces some of my favorite Pinot Noirs made in California and their wine from the Clos Pepe Vineyard is one of my favorite they produce.  To me, this wine always has the rich and lush fruit that is the “house style” for Loring wines and has plenty of acidity and tannins to support the body and depth usually in this wine.  For a wine of this quality, the price actually represents a nice value for a higher end, single vineyard, Pinot from California.

 

Winery history

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

My Tasting Note

The wine is a medium to deep ruby red color.  The very nice nose has cherries, baking spices, raspberries, underbrush, and a touch of smoke.  This has medium to full body, fairly solid, ripe tannins, and good acidity.  On the palate the wine is rich and lush with juicy fruit but with plenty of savory elements adding considerable depth and complexity.  The finish is long and very flavorful with the fruit, spice, and subtle earthiness lingering seemingly forever.  This is outstanding today, but will last for at least a few years in the cellar.  (93 pts)

 

 

 

2007 Scherrer Winery Zinfandel Scherrer Shale Terrace – $17.50

 

My comments

The Scherrer Winery futures program for their Zinfandels is one of the best mailing lists to join.  The wines are ordered and paid for before they are bottled, several months later the wine is bottled and shipped.  Generally the winery holds their zins in the bottle for a year before releasing them to the restaurants, distribution, or the normal mailing list.  What’s the advantage of paying for wine and waiting for shipment?  How about a big discount, 40% to 50% off regular release price?  This top notch Zin cost me well under $20.

 

The Scherrer Zinfndels are built to age. These are well balanced zins with restrained alcohol levels that age marvelously.  With enough bottle age, these take on the nuances of an aged Claret.

 

Winery history

In the mid-1970’s, due to a normal teenage interest in alcoholic beverages, my family allowed me to make some wine from the family vineyard and beer at home (under adult supervision, of course).  This led to a UC Davis degree as well as concurrent work at a local winery doing the dirtiest and most menial jobs imaginable.  In the mid-1980’s good friends at Duxoup Wine Works (think Marx Brothers for the pronunciation) inspired me to try my hand at my own label so I negotiated cellar space in lieu of a raise by my then-current employer, Greenwood Ridge Vineyards in Anderson Valley (I got a raise anyway).  Greenwood Ridge was supportive of my project and decided to have some Scherrer Zinfandel produced for their label as well.  Unfortunately, I had a poor business plan and during the first year I realized I was not yet ready for this project.  Greenwood Ridge continues to make a small amount of Scherrer Vineyard Zinfandel to this day.

 

Much more information on this outstanding winery and a link to join the highly recommended mailing list available on their website.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a medium ruby color, much lighter than your normal zin, this actually looks like a Pinot Noir.  The very tempting nose has brambly berries, cherries, baking spices, minerals, smoke, white pepper, wild flowers, and some earthiness.  The wine has medium body with fairly solid tannins and very good acidity.  The palate leans a bit more to the red fruit than black with cherries, spices, minerals, and nice earthiness.  The finish is fairly silky and smooth and lingers nicely.  This is still on the young side and improved with air.  Don’t be in a hurry on this one.  (93 pts)

 

 

***** 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!

 

 

 

2008 Elyse Le Corbeau Hudson Vineyard

(Suggested Retail Price $37.00)

 

This is based on a winery supplied sample.

 

 

 

 

Winemaking is cooking without a flame.  Our winemaking philosophy at Elyse in Napa Valley is similar to the approach of a great chef who carefully prepares artisan grown ingredients to bring each layer of flavor to the table.  Long term alliances with our growers form the cornerstone to our portfolio of vineyard driven wines that possess an unfaltering affinity for pairing with food.

 

 

“A meal with wine is dining – it’s a conversation, an event.  It’s what wine is all about.” – Ray Coursen, Winemaker & Owner

 

 

“This excellent winery continues to carve out a well-deserved reputation for its interesting red wine portfolio.” – Robert M. Parker Jr.

 

 

 

 

Elyse Winery was started in 1987 by Ray and his wife Nancy when they crushed 4.5 tons of Zinfandel from the Morisoli Vineyard in Rutherford to craft 286 cases of their first wine.  While the portfolio has grown over the last 25 years, the focus remains on creating vineyard driven wines that pair well with food.  Total production is currently 10,000 cases and the wines are nationally and internationally distributed.

 

Ray grew up on a dairy farm in northwest New Jersey and tended various crops before tiring of milk and leaving the roost.  After a two year stint in the army and extensive travel in Europe and Africa, he returned to the states and attended StockbridgeAgriculturalCollege at the University of Massachusetts.  While at school, he worked at a fine wine shop in Boston, and it was here that he discovered fine French wine.  With Coursen’s background in farming and his new appreciation for wine, the idea of making wine took hold.

 

Nancy is a third generation Californian and grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area.   Following her graduation from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in Occupational Therapy, she worked with special needs children in the educational systems of the Boston area.   It was in Boston in 1982 that Nancy met Ray and shortly thereafter his interest in the wine business brought them to the NapaValley.

 

 

Much more information and Ray, Nancy, Elyse, and her younger brother Jacob Franklin can be found at:  http://www.elysewinery.com/25.html

 

 

On your next visit to the NapaValley, I highly recommend a stop at Elyse.  They are about a mile south of Yountville just off Highway 29.  A reservation is required but the visit is well worth the phone call.  More information is available at:  http://www.elysewinery.com/visit.html

 

And finally onto the reason you are visiting this post, the wine.

 

 

My comments

 

“Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe” -from Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven”.

I’ve been a fan of the big, “hedonistic” California Rhone Ranger wines for several years, but I’m equally a fan of the “cool climate” style of these wines, like this one.  Wines like this one are made for the dinner table and shine in that environment.  The rich, jammy fruit of the wines from warmer locales is more than adequately replaced with spice, dried herbs (often noted as garrigue in reviews of French wines), pepper, and subtle earthiness.  If you are a fan of a French Chateauneuf du Pape, check out these Grenache and Syrah blends from California, like this one.

To get a bottle of this wine for yourself, visit your local wine store or order directly from Elyse on their website.

 

Wine Info

This is a blend of 90% Grenache and 10% Syrah from the Hudson Vineyard in California’s Carneros region.

 

The wine was aged 22 months in French oak, 20% of which were new.

 

The total production was 300 cases and the final alcohol is 14.4%.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a medium red color with just a touch of a ruby tint.  The friendly and inviting nose has raspberries, plums, dried herbs, white pepper, Asian spices, dried wild flowers, minerals, and hints of orange zest, vanilla, and some subtle earthiness.  This has a medium body, fairly solid, velvety tannins, and very nice acidity.  On the palate the wine has very nice fruit but the spices, dried herbs, and earthy elements steal the spotlight adding waves of flavor and considerable depth, before the fruit comes roaring back into the picture.  The finish is fairly long with nice plum and raspberry competing with the spice and earthy elements.  This could easily be slipped into a Chateauneuf du Pape tasting and not stick out as being from California.  This is still very young and could use a fair amount of air or preferably a year or two in the cellar.  (93 pts)

 

 

***** 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!

 

 

 

2005 Copain Syrah James Berry Vineyard

2004 Finca Villacreces Ribera del Duero

2007 K Vintners Syrah Morrison Lane

 

 

 

2005 Copain Syrah James Berry Vineyard – $60.00

 

My comments

I’m in the mood for something special tonight.  Dinner won’t be anything to out of the ordinary, so I decided to kick up the wine selection a few notches.

 

This is one of my favorite wineries, using one of my favorite grapes, from one of my favorite vineyards.  That sounds special, at it does to me.  It has been a couple years since I tried this wine, so it’s a perfect time to check in to see how it is progressing.

 

Winery history

Wells Guthrie discovered early on that his taste in wine gravitated toward Europe in general and France’s Rhône Valley in particular.  So much so, he picked up and moved with his new bride to the region to learn from the best.  For two years, Wells apprenticed for esteemed winemaker and living legend Michel Chapoutier in France’s Rhone Valley.  During that time, Wells was deeply inspired by the traditions and practices of French winemaking, not to mention the European attitude that wine is an essential part of life.  At Copain, he creates wines that are firmly rooted in California, yet with the sensibilities of the European wines that so moved him.  He is as committed to crafting these elegant, nuanced wines as he is to building a legacy that will be passed down to his daughters in the great tradition of European winemakers whose estates have been in the same family for generations.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark ruby color.  The big and bold nose has blackberries, smoked meat, minerals, blueberries, tar, black pepper, bittersweet chocolate, and some earthiness.  This has medium to full body, fairly solid tannins, and very nice acidity.  The wine isn’t as big on the palate as the nose lead me to expect, it’s actually very civilized.  The palate has nice rich fruit but equal amounts of savory elements to steer clear of getting too fruity and boring.  The tannins and acidity easily holds everything in place and maintains control.  The finish is fairly long with some dark chocolate and earthiness creeping in to add considerable interest.  I may have been in the minority, but I liked this style of Copain Syrah.  (93 pts)

 

 

 

2004 Finca Villacreces Ribera del Duero – $30.79

 

My comments

I’ve been a fan of the masculine wines coming out of Spain’s Ribera del Duero region for several years.  These tend to be on the rustic side with burly tannins in their youth but with plenty of acidity and fruit to evolve into something special with enough time in the cellar.  It’s been a few years since I tried this wine, so it’s time to check in again.

 

Winery history

One of the most sought-after pieces of land in Ribera del Duero, the estate of Villacreces sits next to Vega Sicilia, perhaps (historically) the most famous property in the Spanish region.  There is written evidence that the first vines were planted on the estate in the 13th Century.  During the 14th Century, it was run by Saint Pedro de Villacreces and, later on, with its perfect conditions for prayer and retreat, it became a monastery.  In the 20th Century, the property belonged to a wealthy aristocratic family from Valladolid, who used to spend their holidays and weekends there.  In the early 1970s, 100 acres of vineyard were planted, which has now been increased to 150. Including a 200-year-old forest, the estate comprises a total of 285 acres.

 

In 2003, the Anton family – owners of a Rioja bodega and one of Spain’s most famous Michelin starred restaurants in the Basque country – purchased the estate and invested in revitalizing both the estate and the vineyards.  The property is situated at 2,300 feet above sea level on poor soils comprised of lime, gravel, sand and quartz which naturally keep yields low (the estate averages 1.6 tons per acre).  The proximity to the Duero river helps protect the vines from and reduce the effects of the frosts that are common in the Ribera del Duero.

 

This is courtesy of Eric Solomon’s fantastic site, loads of fantastic information is available and is highly recommended.  Click here to visit the site.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep ruby red color.  The very nice nose has blackberries, minerals, raspberries, dried herbs, orange zest, earthy underbrush, warm baking spices, dark roast coffee, and dark chocolate.  This has medium to full body, solid, ripe tannins, and very good acidity.  The palate has very nice fruit with loads of spice, minerals, and earthiness adding tons of depth.  An herbal note pops out on the back end and lingers on through the long finish.  Even though it is 9 years old, this is still on the young side and needs some air or preferably a few more years in the cellar.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2007 K Vintners Syrah Morrison Lane – $43.69

 

My comments

I was in the mood for something different today.  I bought six bottles of this wine from the local store a couple years ago.  I opened one about a year ago, and it definitely fell into the “something different” category.  This wasn’t your typical, fruit driven wine.  At that time, the fruit was a bit player in the bigger picture.  It’s time to try my second bottle to see how this is progressing.

 

Winery history

Located at the base of the Blue Mountains in Walla Walla (Washington State), Charles Smith opened his first winery, K Vintners, in December of 2001.  The first release, 1999 K Syrah from Walla Walla Valley, initiated the style of winemaking that Charles continues today: small lots of single vineyard Syrahs and field blends of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Tempranillo and Viognier, all of which are hand-picked, foot-stomped, fermented with naturally occurring yeasts and basket pressed.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark purple color, almost black.  The deep and dark nose has blackberries, charred meat, smoky embers, dried flowers, black pepper, roasted herbs, vanilla, melted licorice, minerals, and dark bittersweet chocolate.  This is fairly full bodied with solid tannins and good acidity.  On the palate the charred meat, roasted herbs, and black pepper seize control before some fruit can finally break through.  The finish is long and again full of the savory elements with just enough fruit slipping through to add some sweetness before the dark chocolate eventually closes the show.  This is still on the young side and will reward some additional cellar time, but this will never be a fruit driven wine.  (93 pts)

 

 

 

 

***** 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

 

 

 

According to Klout:

 

 

 

 

Wines bought or received this week

 

I received a few bottles from a new winery in Argentina to sample.

2011 Fat Gaucho Torrontés

2011 Fat Gaucho Malbec

2010 Fat Gaucho Malbec Reserva

2010 Fat Gaucho Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva

These wines will be reviewed for Crave Local.

 

 

 

 

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 winey or an organization acting on their behalf.

 

Prices noted are the Suggested Retail Prices.

 

 

 

One note of caution in regards to my notes below.  The samples were in small, 50ml, bottles from TastingRoom.com.  Some of the wines seemed a touch soft or tired on the mid-palate and finish.  I like these small bottles for sampling purposes, but they are designed to be sampled fairly quickly.  The mini bottles are bottled from regular sized bottles in a “zero-oxygen chamber”, they are supposed to be consumed within four to six months.  My samples had been rebottled about 5 1/2 months earlier, and I really think this was making them appear a bit “tired”.  The more acidity driven whites seem to have held up much better than the reds.

 

Since the samples were fairly small and questionable quality, I will not post scores for the wines.  I will note, all the wines were well made with absolutely no flaws.  I feel every wine, from a pristine bottle, would merit a solid recommendation.  Do not pass on any of these wines based on my notes, I know I won’t.  I would be happy to have a bottle of any of these wines with my evening dinner.

 

 

 

 

 

For 35 harvests, for 35 Septembers, our family has carefully farmed and managed some of the finest grapes in Sonoma County. With painstaking devotion to the land, three generations –  Henry Trione, sons Mark and Vic, and Mark’s daughter Denise – have developed a reputation for producing premium grapes. Our wines are characteristic of the appellations in which they are grown: the cool, slow-ripening flavors of the Russian River Valley and the rich, dark-berry essence of the Alexander Valley.

 

Over these many harvest seasons, we have owned and managed more than 700 acres of the best grapes and soils in these highly respected Sonoma County appellations. We have learned to balance and blend the gifts of nature with state-of-the-art winemaking. Our grapes have been the foundation of many award-winning wines. Now we bring our grapes to you in wines bottled under our own label, Trione Vineyards & Winery.

 

We are passionate about family and tradition, especially traditions that include good food and good wine. Our vineyards, our wines – and our winery – have been a labor of love, the culmination of our family’s long tradition of dedication to Sonoma County. Please share a bottle of wine from the Trione Vineyards and Winery with your family and friends, and taste our commitment to excellence. Salute!

 

 

 

Much more information is available on their website.

 

Trione wines are distributed in about half the country and also available on their website.

 

The Trione Wine Club offers significant discounts on wine and other perks, information is available here.

 

 

 

The line up for the tasting:

 

 

 

2010 Trione Sauvignon Blanc River Road Ranch – $23.00

 

Wine Information

The grapes for this wine came from the Trione River Road Ranch in the heart of the Russian River Valley AVA.  Sauvignon Blanc thrives here in the well-drained gravel and clay loam soils.  The long and cool 2010 growing season extended into fall, allowing fruit flavors to develop fully.  The Sauvignon Blanc was harvested the last day of September.

 

2010 was yet another challenging year in SonomaCounty for grape growing.  In fact, rainfall and low temperature records for the month of July were set that had not been seen in 50 years.  Yields were down in all varieties and growers and winemakers were wondering if the fruit would ripen at all, given the cool summer growing season.  Then Mother Nature showed her fickle ways by sending late August temperatures rising to above 100°F and scorching any exposed fruit not protected by leaf coverage.  The temperature rise hastened ripening and the grapes were harvested about two weeks later than normal.

 

The 2010 Sauvignon Blanc was made in the traditional method of tank fermentation and barrel aging.  Neutral white French oak barrels were used for the barrel aging.

 

Total production was 1,054 cases and the final alcohol was 14%.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a very light yellow to straw color, just a touch more color than water.  The fresh and Spring-like nose has gooseberry, honeysuckle, melon, lime zest, fresh cut grass, minerals, sea breeze, and a touch of baking spices.  This has just a touch over light body, is dry, and has juicy, citrusy, acidity.  The mouthwatering palate has nice spice, gooseberries, melons, herbal notes, and lime.  The finish has nice length and again has a nice mix of citrus, spice, and herbal notes.  This is like Spring in a bottle.

 

 

 

2008 Trione Chardonnay River Road Ranch – $30.00

 

Wine Information

2008 by all accounts was a season of extremes.  It began as a dry winter with slightly early bud break, which was followed up by the most extreme frost events that the Russian River Valley had seen in years.  Full frost protection was needed as well as a lot of praying.  The summer was moderate with long warm days and cool nights.  With a small crop set and a heat spike in late August, the harvest was set in motion.  The heat sent sugars climbing and the vineyard crews scrambling to get the fruit in as quickly as possible.  The Chardonnay harvest was about one week ahead of the previous year.

 

Traditional winemaking is the focus with Chardonnay at Trione.  Like the great wine estates of Burgundy, the wines are made with grapes that are hand harvested, whole bunch pressed for gentle juice extraction with the resulting juice racked to barrels.  The barrels are 100% French oak with a mixture of new, one and two years of age.  The lees from the previous vintage are used to initiate fermentation.  The wine then spends the next few months fermenting with the completion happening sometime the following spring.

 

The wine was aged for 13 months in oak barrels, 40% new.

 

There were 1,252 cases produced and the final alcohol was 14.5%

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a pale golden-yellow color with a slight greenish tint.  The nice nose has apples, pears, hazelnuts, baking spices, spicy oak, and a touch of lemon zest.  This has medium body and has good acidity.  On the palate there are baked apples, lemon zest, and a touch of nuttiness.  The finish is fairly long with tart apples and spice being joined by a slight herbal note.

 

 

 

2008 Trione Pinot Noir River Road Ranch – $35.00

 

Wine Information

2008 by all accounts was a season of extremes.  It began as a dry winter and slightly early bud break, which was followed up by the most extreme frost events that the RussianRiverValley had seen in years.  Full frost protection was needed as well as a lot of praying.  The summer was moderate with long warm days and cool nights.  With a small crop set and a heat spike in late August, the harvest was set in motion.  The heat sent sugars climbing and the vineyard crews scrambling to get the fruit in as quickly as possible.  The Pinot Noir harvest was about one week ahead of the previous year.

 

Traditional techniques such as such as open top fermentations and hand plunging the cap during primary fermentation were implemented.  To accentuate the fruit component, twenty percent of the grapes were added whole cluster to the bottom of the fermenter.

 

The wine was aged for 13 months in oak barrels, 45% new.

 

A total of 1,295 cases were produced.  The final alcohol was 14.3%.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a light ruby red, considerably lighter at the edge.  The inviting nose has black cherries, earthy underbrush, baking spices, dried herbs, mushrooms, and a touch of cola.  This has medium body at most, soft but persistent tannins, and very good acidity.  The palate has earthy black cherries and spice carrying most of the load.  The finish has decent length but could use a touch more oomph.

 

 

 

2008 Trione Syrah River Road Ranch – $32.00

 

Wine Information

Trione Syrah grows in a single block planted with two clones, 470 and 877.  The mild 2008 growing season allowed slow ripening with full development of rich flavors and soft tannins.  Ten tons of grapes were hand harvested on October 8th and crushed the just-completed winery.

 

This Syrah was made with many of the small-batch techniques used with Pinot Noir:  fermentation in small, open-top fermenters with a larger portion of whole berries, hand plunging the cap four times daily for maximum flavor and color extraction.  The whole berries contributed deep blackberry fruit character and added complexity.

 

There were 678 cases produced and the final alcohol was 15.3%.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep ruby red color.  The enticing nose has blackberries, plums, warm baking spices, white pepper, meat juices, violets, and earthy underbrush.  This has medium body, fairly solid tannins, and good acidity.  The palate has very nice spicy berries with white pepper, earthy elements, and a meaty quality.  The finish has very good length and again leans on the spicy, peppery, earthy berries.

 

 

 

2007 Trione Cabernet Sauvignon Block Twenty One – $64.00

 

Wine Information

The Block 21 Cabernet is a single vineyard selection from the Trione Cloverdale Ranch, situated on the western flank of the MayacamasMountains, in the northern portion of AlexanderValley.

 

This classic Bordeaux blend includes 10% Merlot from the Geyserville Ranch and 2.5% each Petite Verdot and Malbec, both from Cloverdale.  After a long, mild growing season, the grapes were harvested by hand, each variety separately fermented, then barrel aged for twelve months.  Once the final blend was determined, the wine was returned to barrel and aged for an additional twelve months to ‘marry’ the varietals.  The French oak barrels (45% new) used from coopers Taransaud, Vicard and Bossuet.

 

Only 733 cases of wine was produced and the alcohol is 14.5%.

 

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a touch darker than a medium ruby red color.  The very appealing nose has cassis, cedar, baking spices, cherries, minerals, dried herbs, and some earthiness.  This is medium to full bodied with fairly solid, ripe tannins, and good acidity.  The palate has nice cassis and cherry up front with baking spices, dried herbs and some earthiness coming in late.  The finish has nice length and briefly leans on the fruity components before the savory notes take over.  I would have liked a touch more fullness on the palate which gets a bit lean.

 

 

 

2007 Trione Geyserville Ranch – $48.00

 

Wine Information

The “Red Wine” is a classic Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec.  This wine was blended to show the complexities that exist in the Alexander Valley Appellation. The wine is composed mainly of Cabernet Sauvignon from Nervo Ranch.  The Merlot is from the Geyserville Ranch, the Petite Verdot and Malbec are from Cloverdale Ranch.  The varietal breakdown is 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 4% Petite Verdot and 4% Malbec.  Each variety was fermented separately in small open top vessels.

 

A total of 2,435 six-packs were produced with a final alcohol of 14.9%.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep ruby to maroon color.  the slightly subdued nose has cassis, warm baking spices, dark chocolate, dried herbs, black cherries, and a bit of earthiness.  This has a full body, fairly solid tannins, and decent acidity.  The palate has nice cassis and plum notes up front with dried herbs and some dark chocolate coming in on the back end and carrying on through the nice finish.  Nicely balanced but I’d have liked a touch more complexity.

 

 

 

 

 

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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

 

 

 

 

 

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Notes – I use the “official” Cellar Tracker name for the wines.  I use Cellar Tracker to help manage and organize my cellar.  I highly recommend checking it out at www.cellartracker.com.  Loading you existing cellar is a lot less intimidating than it would first appear.  There is a good chance 99% of your wine is already in the system, so you generally only need to enter part of the wine’s name and the system will find it for you.

 

 

Prices noted are the prices I paid at the time of purchase.  I don’t shop around to find the best prices, but 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!