This is based on a Sample sent to me. 

I’ve been looking forward to trying this wine for a couple weeks.  I wanted to give it time to settle down from the shipping to the Midwest from California.  I figured this was the perfect time to open it since the wine was just offered by Jean Edwards Cellars on their pre-release e-mail offer on Friday.  Total production was only 250 cases of this wine.

I’ve had past vintages of this wine and its’ quality far exceeded the price point.

I decanted the wine for about 5 hours, but it probably could have used more.  The wine is a deep, dark purple color.  The nose on the wine is deep and dark with cassis, black cherry, dried herbs, wood smoke, cedar, Asian spices, vanilla, earthy underbrush, tobacco, dark chocolate, and some violets.  This is medium body with fairly solid, ripe tannins and good acidity.  Nice spicy, forward fruit and spice but with plenty of power and grip on the palate, dark chocolate, cherry, and a bit of oak add dimension and depth.  There is a long, flavorful finish with just a touch of spicy oak popping out.  This tastes very nice now, but a couple of years in the cellar will be greatly rewarded.  It wouldn’t surprise me if this shuts down some what in the next six months, so try early or wait a few years.  (94 pts now, but better in a few years)

I highly recommend this wine, and ordered a mixed case from their offer.

Here is the information from the winery on their offer:

2009 Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (750ml) – pre-release

Release price $65

Our 2009 cab from Stagecoach is a real gem! As with most cabs from this vineyard, there is a very nice Asian spice element that sits on top of a solid core of delicious black cherry notes, cassis and cola. The nose is very full with dark fruit, tobacco and vanilla. Medium weight – it’s a bit more fruit forward than our 2008 without going over the edge and for such a young cabernet it shows tremendous integration and length. The wine is 98% cabernet sauvignon and 2% petite verdot; aged 22 months in French Oak (50% new/50% one year old barrels). Our 2009 offering provides the supple, round mouth of our 2007 along with the power and fruit structure of our 2008.  We are absolutely in love with this wine and know you will love it too!

There are two other wines in the latest offer, the 2009 Seventy Four – Forty One Cabernet Sauvignon – HowellMountain and a special “Library Release” of their first commercial offering the 2004 Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.

I should add, there are significant discounts for mailing list members off the release price.

If you’re interested, visit http://www.jeanedwardscellars.com/ tell Karen, Cliff sent you.  They are also available at wine@jeanedwardscellars.com.

Cheers!

2008 McPrice Myers Syrah Les Galets – $28.80

I’ve wanted to try this one since it arrived at my door last April.  This is, as with most McPrice Myers wines, a big boy, weighing in at over 16% alcohol.  The professional and Cellar Tracker reviews sound promising.  As I state every time I have one of these wines, they may not be for daily consumption, but every few weeks I can get into one.  This should be a good match for a Wisconsin dietary staple, some spicy brats.

I’m generally a fan of Mc Price Myers, but some of their wines are too big and ripe even for me.  Wines with this much body and alcohol, to me, absolutely must have solid tannins and more importantly enough acidity to avoid becoming syrupy.  There has to be something to support and give a backbone to a massive wine.

From a bottle that had been opened for 2 hours but not decanted.  Deep, dark purple color, almost black.  This wine has a massive nose full of blackberries, plums, charcoal, minerals, vanilla, charred meat, wildflowers, and spicy oak.  This is a full bodied wine with solid, chewy tannins and good acidity.  This has solid walls of fruit and spice on the palate with some nice earthiness and dark chocolate in the background.  There is a long lingering finish full of dark fruit, spice, and dark chocolate.  This is an outstanding wine that should last several years in the cellar, but I’d probably drink on the young side before the alcohol (16.2%) becomes too noticeable.  (94 pts)

Dinner was some fresh, store made “Spicy Packer Brats” from Karl’s Country Market close to my office.  These were a perfect pairing with the McPrice Myers Syrah, in my opinion.  Both were big and bold but complimented each other.

2003 Domaine du Banneret Châteauneuf-du-Pape – $28.73

I bought a few of these from Garagiste Wine out of Washington a little over five years ago.  So far we’ve only had one bottle and I liked it, so it’s time to check in again to see how it is doing.

The wine is a light to medium ruby red color with a fair amount of bricking.  Worn leather, minerals, dried herbs, cherries, plums, baking spices, earthy underbrush, white pepper, and meat juices are on the very open and inviting nose.  This is medium body with fairly solid tannins and very nice acidity.  More savory than fruity on the palate with the dried herbs and earthy elements in the front and the fruit in the background.  This has a fairly long finish which is again more savory than fruity but seems a touch clipped by the tannins and acidity.  This has very nice balance and could use a bit more cellar time, which will be rewarded.  (93 pts)

2009 Trentadue Winery La Storia “Cuvée 32” – $17.04

We have visited the AlexanderValley based Trentadue Winery a few times in the past and always had a good time and an even better tasting.  This is a long time favorite wine in my house.  The blend varies each vintage, this one is 49% Sangiovese, 27% Merlot, 8% Montepulciano, 8% Malbec, 7% Petite Sirah, and 1% Syrah.  This wine has enough acidity from the Sangiovese to stand up to dishes with tomatoes but the other grapes lend enough body and oomph to stand up to meat.  We like this wine with everything from pasta with meat sauce to Veal Parmesan and baked ziti.

This was decanted about an hour.  The wine is a fairly deep maroon color, but much lighter at the edge.  There are earthy cherries, blackberries, dried herbs, black pepper, and hints of licorice and wildflowers on the enticing nose.  Medium body with fairly solid but ripe tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate the wine has tart cherries, baking spices, earthy elements, and a slight, satisfying herbal note.  Fairly long finish with spicy, tart cherries out front with some earthiness in the background.  A very nice California version of an Italian “Super Tuscan”.  A few years in the cellar won’t hurt the wine, but probably won’t help too much, drink this young for the tart fruit.  (91 pts)

2008 Grooner Grüner Veltliner – $9.46

This bottle fell through the cracks.  I had it on my list to drink a year or two ago but never got around to opening it.  Grüner Veltliner, like Riesling, are higher acidity whites that can age pretty well, even the ones from low price points.  I guess today will be a good day to see how this under $10 Austrian white progressed or even survived with three years in the cellar.

This is a very nice pale yellow/green color.  A soft and inviting nose with juicy melons, lemon zest, white pepper, fresh green peas, vanilla, and green herbs.  The wine is light to medium body with tart acidity and just a hint of sweetness.  On the palate the wine has tart citrus, solid herbaceous notes, and some spicy white pepper.  There is a nice lingering finish with the citrus and herbal notes and some spice in the background and just a touch of sweetness adding depth.  This is a very nice Summer sipper, especially for an under $10 wine that sat in the cellar for over three years.  (88 pts)

Mailing Lists

Jean Edwards Cellars

This is the home of some fantastic NapaValley cabernets at unbelievable prices.  Their latest offer includes their 2009 Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet and the 2009 Seventy Four – Forty One Howell Mountain Cab came out of Friday.  If you can bribe your way onto their pre-release mailing list, these are only $48 each.  As a bonus, they also have a Library Release of their first commercial offering, the 2004 Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet.  Visit https://jeanedwardscellars.com/ and tell Karen I sent you.

If you’re interested, we’re having a pre-release 2009 Jean Edwards Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Stagecoach Vineyard with dinner tonight.  Check out my blog tomorrow for my review.

Epoch Estate Wines

Epoch’s next release will be hitting the inbox in mid September.  They are moving from the dreaded free-for-all to a guaranteed allocation with a wish list option.  This usually method usually cuts back your maximum bottle quantity but allows you some time to get in your order.  I greatly prefer smaller but guaranteed allocations.  I’ve completely missed some offers due to business travel and how many people can actually spend all day constantly monitoring their e-mail when an offer is due to hit?

Rudius Wines

No definite date for the next release but the interesting news is there will be a white wine offering in the future.  There will be a 2011 Rudius Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay in the Spring offering.  The upcoming fall release looks to be Cabernets and Grenache.  I highly recommend getting on Jeff Ames’ mailing list for Rudius.  I also recommend checking out the really nice, updated website which includes new “retrospective” tasting notes on the wines.  The site is http://www.rudiuswines.com/

#CabernetDay

Save the Date: August 30, 2012 will be the third annual global celebration of Cabernet.  You have a couple weeks to pick out a bottle to open.  Let us know which wine you choose.  #Cabernet Day

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

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 Wild Hog Vineyard Petite Sirah Cache Creek – $9.50

I bought a case of this wine via an e-mail offer from my local store.  I’m not sure what the suggested price is for this wine, but it has to be well north of $10.00.  It’s been a while since I last had a bottle, but it’s always been your typical Petite Sirah.  By typical, I mean a full bodied wine with lots of dark fruit, pepper, smoke, licorice and solid, chewy tannins.  At under $10, this is a top shelf week night wine.

According to the winery’s website there were 270 cases produced, but what do they know.  They also say this is the last vintage for this wine and I have a case of the 2008 in the cellar.  Oops, I guess 2007 wasn’t the last vintage ever produced.  🙂

The wine is a deep, dark, inky purple color.  There are blackberries, pepper, vanilla, smoke, licorice, fresh cut flowers, eucalyptus, and some cherry on the very nice nose.  This is fairly full bodied with solid, ripe tannins and very nice acidity.  This is big and bold but not over the top on the palate with loads of spicy, peppery berries with just a bit of an herbal note, possibly from stems.  Fairly long finish with the peppery berries front and center. Tastes very nice today and fairly young but I’d probably err on the side of drinking this young, over the next few years for the ripe, spicy fruit.  (90 pts)

2005 Novy Family Wines Syrah Rosella’s Vineyard – $17.00

It’s been about a year and a half since we last tried this wine.  At that time, I felt the wine could use some additional cellar time.  I think Adam Lee of Novy (and Siduri) makes outstanding, spicy, structured Syrahs that steer clear of their brethren who push the ripeness envelope to the max.  For some reason, I was able to get a few bottles of this wine at an outstanding price direct from the winery and I jumped on the offer.  Novy currently has the third most bottles in my cellars of all wineries.

The wine is a deep, dark, inky purple color.  This has smoked meat, black pepper, blackberries, road tar, soy sauce, earthy underbrush, licorice, citrus zest, and a floral note on the deep, dark, brooding nose.  This is medium to full bodies with solid, ripe tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate the wine shows the smoked meat component with nice spicy berries and some earthiness with a nice citrus element lurking in the background adding considerable interest.  Nice lingering finish with the smoky, peppery berries slowly giving way to soft earthy, meaty notes.  In a great drinking window now, but should hold for at least a few years.  (93 pts)

2011 Bedrock Wine Co. Casa Santinamaria – $17.50

I’ve been looking forward to trying one of these since they showed up at my door at the end of March.  I love the Bedrock white wines, like I mentioned in my previous blog.  This is from a vineyard that was planted n 1905.  This is a “field blend” comprised of Muscadelle, Chasselas, Zinfandel, Semillon, and even a little bit of Chardonnay.  That wasn’t a mistake, some old vine red Zinfandel grapes from the vineyard are in the blend.  Everything was picked together and whole-cluster pressed into old French oak and stainless steel barrels.  This was fermented with native yeasts and malolactic fermentation was inhibited.

The wine is a bright yellow/straw color.  This has a very intriguing nose with apples, pears, peach, minerals, white pepper, citrus zest, a very nice floral note and just a bit of an herbal note.  This has medium body with crisp acidity and just a hint of lingering sweetness.  This has luscious, juicy fruit on the palate with citrus, herbal notes and a bit of white pepper in the background.  This very unusual blend is very unique and delicious.  This is another winning white wine from Bedrock.  (92 pts)

We had the Casa Santinamaria with a simple Bruschetta with fresh from the garden cherry tomatoes, red onions, and basil.  We use Cholula hot sauce and Gouda cheese.  The touch of sweetness kept the hot sauce in check and the acidity cut through the rich cheese and stood up to the tomatoes.  Superb!

2011 One Time Spaceman MCA Rose – $15.21

I’ve had this a couple times and it’s a very nice, easy drinking, fruity Rosé.  It is a bit softer and shows a touch of sweetness.  This is a Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre blend from Paso Robles.  The winemaker, Mark Adams, is a rising star in my opinion.  Besides the One Time Spaceman label, he has another label called Ledge.  I recommend doing a Google search for them and joining the mailing list.  Mark is also the assistant winemaker for a small Paso Robles winery you may have heard of, Saxum.  In his spare time, he is also a musician.  Check out his latest offering, Panjanatan, I know it’s available on Amazon, probably other places as well.

The wine is a bright salmon color.  This has watermelon, strawberries, white peaches, white pepper, and a touch of earthiness on the soft and pleasing nose.  This is light to medium body with nice acidity and just a touch of sweetness.  On the palate the wine is full of sweet, juicy red fruit with some citrus kicking in on the backend.  This is a nice, easy drinking Rosé, perfect for a casual dinner on the deck or patio or to sip on a hot day.  (89 pts)

News, Notes, and Questions –

Wine Country memories

Here is a shot of me with Richard Graeser of Graeser Winery.  We were barrel tasting two vintages of his Diamond Mountain Cabernet Franc.  I have always loved the wines and Richard was definitely a character.  I hated that the winery went out of business a couple years ago.  Luckily I still have a fair amount of his wine in my cellar, including both vintages we were tasting on this day.

One more with Richard and a friend of mine, Dave Schauer.

The gang enjoying a glass of Napa’s finest before dinner at Cole’s Chop House in Napa.  With friends Kristin and Dave Schauer and my wife Eva.

Mailing Lists

Big Basin

The next BigBasin release is coming on September 10^th.  I love their big, full bodied red wines created from the Rhone grapes.

Loring Wine Co

The latest Loring offer hit the inbox this week.  I’m in for the Pinots, but will be passing on the full blown California Chardonnay offer.  I’m more into crisp, tank fermented, non malolactic Chardonnay wines.  I’m sure Brian’s Chardonnays have a large and devoted following, but I’m not one of them.

#CabernetDay

Save the Date: August 30, 2012 will be the third annual global celebration of Cabernet.  You have a couple weeks to pick out a bottle to open.  Let us know which wine you choose.  #Cabernet Day

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

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!

2011 Villa Creek Pink – $12.80

This is one of my go-to summer rosé wines.  This usually has a nice mix of fresh fruit and crisp acidity.  There are rosés out there with crisper acidity and others with more fruit, but to me, this strikes a nice middle ground.  This generally pairs well with lighter warm weather meals but will also be welcomed as a sipper on a hot day.  This is a tank fermented, saignee, blend consisting of 70% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre, and 10% Carignan from Paso Robles.

The artwork on the Rosé label was created by the owner’s daughter Camille.  As an added bonus, $2 from each bottle sold goes to Jack’s Helping Hand, a San Luis Obispo, CA charity that meets the needs of ailing and disabled children. Please visit http://www.jackshelpinghand.org/  for more information.

The wine is a very nice looking pinkish salmon color.  The very crisp and clean nose has strawberries, white peaches, cherries, Asian spices, citrus zest, minerals, and a touch of earthiness.  Light to medium body with crisp acidity and just a touch of sweetness makes for a very nice palate on a warm evening.  The palate has nice crisp, sweet fruit and spices with some earthiness lurking in the background.  The finish shows nice length with the fruit and spice slowly giving way to a touch of mouthwatering, citrusy acidity.  A very nice Rosé with or without food.  (91 pts)

We paired the Villa Creek Rosé with a “house favorite” dinner, a Stuffed Zucchini with Tomatoes and Jack Cheese.  Well, that’s the name, but the “stuffing” also has potatoes, garlic, onion, and basil.  We use a recipe from “Cook’s Illustrated” magazine.  The crisp acidity, fruit and spice paired very nicely with the dish.  Here’s how the finished dish looked:

2007 Stolpman Syrah Estate Grown – $19.99

A little something to sip while working at the wine store today.  Need to make sure we don’t suffer from dehydration.  I had a bottle of this last November and felt it needed at least six months in the cellar for the finish to come together and the oak too begin to smooth out.  I want to see how this is coming along.

Deep, dark, inky maroon color. Big and open nose with blackberries, blueberry, smoked meat, fresh ground black pepper, dried herbs, violets, licorice, and earthy elements.  Full body with solid, chewy, ripe tannins and good acidity.  Big, bold and ripe fruit and spice on the palate with some oak popping out in the background.  Fairly long finish filled with the spicy fruit and a touch of excess oak.  This is still young and should improve as the oak more fully integrates.  (91 pts)

2008 Orin Swift The Prisoner – $29.58

This is usually a family choice when we’re having something a touch spicy that needs a red wine.  Burritos with enchilada sauce and some spicy refried beans meet these requirements.  This is usually a love it or hate it wine.  People who love it, generally go wild for it, those who don’t like it generally look at it as a gloppy mess.  To me, this wine varies heavily by vintage.  In hotter years it tends to be sweet and syrupy, in more moderate years it maintains enough acidity to hold the big fruit, body, and alcohol (15.2%)  in check.

This is big, ripe, full bodied red from Napa and is a blend of 46% Zinfandel, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the balance consisting of Syrah, Petite Sirah, Charbono and Grenache.

Note after bottle was opened about an hour but not decanted.  Deep, dark purple color.  Blackberries, licorice, pepper, smoke, dried herbs, cherry and a touch of alcohol on the very open nose.  Full body with solid, ripe tannins and decent acidity.  Big, bold and ripe with just enough acidity to keep it from being syrupy.  Extreme ripeness but with no raisiny elements.  Enough spice and pepper to add nice complexity.  Long, rich and flavorful finish.  Absolutely nothing subtle about this wine.  Outstanding for what it was meant to be.  (91 pts)

Here was our Saturday dinner.  We had beef burritos with enchilada sauce, cheddar jack cheese, fresh lettuce, onions, and my wife’s fresh salsa.  A side of spicy refried beans with some cheese finished off the meal.  The Prisoner ended up being a pretty good pairing with the meal.

2010 Cupcake Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc – $7.12

We like this on a warm afternoon while we are relaxing on the deck before starting to make dinner.  Always light, crisp, and refreshing with just a touch of sweetness.  A perfect wine in that regards for about $7.

Very light, yellow to straw color. Fresh cut grass, lemon zest, gooseberry, grapefruit, minerals and some apples on the fresh smelling nose. Very light body with crisp, mouthwatering acidity and just a touch of sweetness. Bright and zippy on the palate with the citrus and herbal notes with some minerality. The herbal notes continue into the mouthwatering finish with the citrus turning more towards lime. Finish could be a touch longer, but this is very nice for the price.  (89 pts)

2007 Villa Creek Garnacha Denner Vineyard – $28.00

Our second Villa Creek wine of the weekend, we like this winery if you didn’t catch that drift.    I’ve had several of these over the last couple of years and everyone has been outstanding.  Generally offers nice earthy red fruit, spicy oak, and a nice pine/evergreen note.

While doing a bit of digging, I noticed the winery used a tasting note of mine from CellarTracker on their site.  http://bit.ly/NYaTJw

From a bottle that had been opened an hour but not decanted.  The wine is a nice deep ruby color.  Cherries, raspberries, cola, licorice, pine resin, baking spices, fresh wild flowers, minerals, white pepper, and a touch of earthiness are on the deep and alluring nose.  This is medium to full body with fairly solid, ripe tannins and very nice acidity.  Nice spicy fruit grabs your palate with savory notes and the pine in the background adding depth.  Fairly long finish with the fruit slowly giving way to a bit of spicy oak.  This still tastes young and has several wonderful years ahead.  (92 pts)

We paired the Villa Creek Grenache with a grilled, thick cut, boneless pork loin chop served over a bed of thin, crunchy onion rings and sauteed fresh green beans with some shallot.  It was a delicious pairing.

News, Notes, and Questions –

Wine Buying

Where do you buy your wine?  Supermarket, local wine store, direct from the winery, flash sale sites, large, internet based wine stores, etc.

Personally, I buy about 35% of my wine direct from wineries, 55% from my local wine store, and the remaining 10% mainly older vintages or hard to find wines from WineBid and Garagiste.

Mailing Lists

Loring Wine

One of my “must buy’ mailing lists, Loring Wine, sent out their “save the date” e-mail.  Their next offer goes live on August 15^th and will include Pinot Noirs from Keefer Ranch, Durell, Rosella’s, and Garys’ as well as Chardonnays from Durell and Rosella’s.  Hopefully they will once again be releasing some of the Pinots in 375ml bottles.  These are big favorites of my wife when I’m traveling.  We generally have couple bottles of Loring Pinot Noirs every month.  Highly recommended!

Villa Creek

The next release from the Paso Robles based Villa Creek offer goes live on August 21st.  This is one of the few wineries that I take an automatic six bottle shipment.  I usually add at least enough to take it up to a case, but I have been known to get two cases in a shipment.  I absolutely love Villa Creek’s wines and highly recommend them and share bottles with friends.  In my opinion, Villa Creek wines need a few hours of air or preferable a few years in the cellar to come together and to show well.  I’m still slowly drinking my remaining bottles from the 2005 vintage and loving them.

Bedrock Wine

Finally placed my order this morning.  I love the generous and guaranteed allocations, not to mention the fantastic wines.  I ended up leaving more on the table than I was originally planning to leave.  That should help people who wishlisted some wine or enable new people to join the list and enjoy the wonderful offerings from Morgan.

#CabernetDay

Save the Date: August 30, 2012 will be the third annual global celebration of Cabernet.  You have a couple weeks to pick out a bottle to open.  Let us know which wine you choose.  #Cabernet Day

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

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 Cosentino Winery Cabernet Franc – $9.49

I used to be a big fan of Cosentino Winery but they fell on hard financial times a couple years ago and the winery and name changed hands.  I haven’t had a chance to try their newer releases so I can’t state an opinion of how the new Cosentino is doing.  I hope they are either back on track or at least headed in the right direction.  This was purchased on a blow out sale from my local wine store while the winery/distributor were sorting out their problems.

The wine was decanted for about an hour.  This is a deep ruby color, much lighter at the rim.  On the very nice nose there are blackberries, dried herbs, cedar, licorice, dark chocolate, and some cherry.  The wine has medium body with soft, ripe tannins and very nice acidity.  Nice fruit and dried herbs on the palate with some spicy oak in the background.  Decent length on the finish where the fruit fades fairly quickly but the dried herbs and spicy oak linger for a bit.  This is a nice Cabernet Franc that was an absolute steal at under $10, making it a perfect week night wine.  Not one to age too long, but no big hurry.  (88 pts)

2006 Carlisle Zinfandel Sonoma County – $16.00

Has there ever been a better $16.00 Zinfandel produced by a major California winery?  Wines like this, at this price point, are the main reason no one drops off of the Carlisle mailing list.  I’ve had this wine several times over the last few years and it has never disappointed.  I’d recommend getting on the mailing list but it is full.  I’m sure the waiting list is even longer since Mike Officer, the owner/winemaker, isn’t going to be increasing his production enough to supply everyone.  Like I stated earlier, very few people drop off of the mailing list allowing new people to join the fun.

This is a deep, dark, opaque ruby to purple color.  Enticing nose with brambly berries, vanilla, black pepper, scorched earth, dark chocolate, melted licorice, a faint floral note, and some eucalyptus.  Fairly full bodied with nice, integrated, ripe tannins and good acidity.  Big, ripe, and mouth filling flavors coat the palate.  The spicy, peppery berries lead the way with vanilla and a bit of oak; some dark chocolate comes in on the back end providing additional depth.  The wine has very nice length on the finish with the peppery berries, chocolate, and some earthy elements lingering.  This is an incredible value at $16, without a doubt one of the best under $20 zinfandels out there.  (93 pts)

2010 Bedrock Wine Co. Sauvignon Blanc Kick Ranch – $22.00

I’m going to open a bottle of Bedrock wine to celebrate the arrival of their latest e-mail offering.  I haven’t had one of these in almost a year.  I really liked my previous bottles, rating it 91 pts.  It’s looking like a good day for dinner on the deck, which would be perfect with this wine.  I’ll have to see how this pairs with some seared scallops, but I have high expectations.

A light golden straw color.  Apples, lemon zest, peach, fresh cut grass, flinty minerality, grapefruit, and some baking spices on the fresh and clean nose.  Light to medium body with tart, mouthwatering acidity.  Big citrus and herbal elements on the palate.  White fruit and a bit of peach give way to a load of citrus with the herbal notes and minerals coming in on the back end.  Long, lingering finish with the citrus and herbal notes.  An outstanding California Sauvignon Blanc.  (92 pts)

This paired very nicely with a dinner of large seared scallops, with raw, fresh carrots, cauliflower, cucumber, celery, and cherry tomatoes with a spicy, Creole dipping sauce.

2008 Frimaio Chianti Classico – $18.99

After several weeks of dry weather with above normal temperatures, today is cold and wet.  Light rain and an afternoon temperature of only 62 makes me think of pasta for dinner.  We made a large batch of baked ziti in the Spring and froze some for quick and easy dinners.  Today feels like a baked ziti and garlic bread type of day.  Off to Cellar Tracker to find a nice Italian wine to pair with the ziti.  I chose this wine since I haven’t had one in several months and we had liked it the last time we had a bottle.

Deep ruby to maroon color.  There are cherries, wet earth, raspberries, licorice, dried herbs, blackberries, and a slight floral note on the very fragrant nose.  The wine has medium body with ripe tannins and very nice acidity.  This is bigger and darker than most Chianti Classicos with nice, big fruit, spice, and earth on the palate.  Decent finish with the fruit and tart acidity balancing very nicely, just wish it was a bit longer.  Overall, not your usual lighter bodied sangiovese, but still with the acidity to pair up with a nice meat sauce.  (89 pts)

I bought his during a close out sale at the local wine store, and feel like it was a good bargain for south of $20.  This won’t be mistaken for a high end Chianti Classico, but is perfectly acceptable for a Thursday night dinner.

Here’s what dinner looked like, it tasted fantastic.  We generally make a very large batch  of the baked ziti and cut it into 4″ x 4″ cubes once it cools down.  We wrap each chunk individually and freeze them for quick weeknight dinners.  The garlic bread sticks are a store bought, frozen brand we like.  I doctor them up by adding a bit of real butter, garlic powder, and fresh grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

Quick Question –

Do you have a preferred publication or website to help find information on a new wine or a wine you see mentioned on a website?  Parker’s Wine Advocate, Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, Tanzer’s IWC, RhoneReport, Pinot Report, etc.  I know we all value our own opinion the most, but I’m talking about a wine you’ve never tasted.  How do you decide to pull the trigger on an offer from a flash sale site, or large store’s e-mail offer?

Personally, my order would be in this sequence Steve Tanzer/Josh Raynolds, Jeb Dunnuck’s Rhone Report, Tim Fish from Wine Spectator, Greg Walter’s Pinot Report, a few Cellar Tracker users whose palates I trust, Robert Parker, then the rest.

Rants from Manfred Krankl of SQN –

In his latest offer Manfred Krankl, offered up “5 Rants”, any opinions?  Agree or disagree with Manfred on these?  Some of these were fairly long winded and hard to distill down to a sentence or two.

1 – “Yes we are growing fruit in a very hot area, but we have such huge diurnal temperature swings that it balances out and that way we also preserve acidity.”  Do your think hot days and cool nights help make a good wine?  Manfred doesn’t think it does.

2 – ‘Old vines always make better wine than young vines.”  We all know “old vines” or “vieilles vignes” are meaningless, non-regulated terms but do you think wines made from wine from a “lazy-assed” grower and old vines are inherently going to be better than wines made from young vines grown by a “smart, caring, and industrious” grower?

3 – “Our soil is 600 million years old.”  This rant seems to run in a circle but seems to be pointed at a grower in Australia.  A closing comment related to finding a whale bone in the vineyard seems to point to a specific vineyard in Paso Robles.

4 – “Our vineyard is so great because we have such wonderfully well drained soils.”  Manfred feels that “well drained soil” is absolutely meaningless in California since most of the time they get ZERO rain from mid April through September and quite often through October or November.

5 – “Terroir”  This rant is very long winded and hard to paraphrase.  Manfred feels terroir is a term sometimes used to gloss over wine flaws or to highlight a wine without “a fingerprint of its maker.”

To me, most of these “rants” seem to point to a winemaker who makes wine from warm but not hot areas with young vines, in new, valley floor vineyards with the wine maker’s fingerprints all over the finished product, who doesn’t like other wineries getting scores that equal or surpass the ones they receive, and to justify high prices.

Bedrock Wine Co. Allocation

This is an outstanding winery and a real challenge.  I joined the mailing list go get Morgan’s big red wines but I’m finding myself being sucked in by his whites.  This is not a put down of the Zinfandel, Syrah, and “Heritage” reds but rather me giving them the credit they deserve with the class of their whites.  I’d love to grab my entire allocation, but I’m going to have to leave some on the table for anyone not offered something they want or for new people to join the list.

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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!

2007 Bodega Numanthia Termes Toro Termes – $16.14

This is a wine other people generally love a lot more than me.  I generally like it but don’t do cartwheels over it.  Probably a bad analogy since I NEVER do cartwheels, period.  This is usually a Wine Spectator darling, which at times makes it a bit harder to find at a good price.  Luckily, my local store came up with a nice cache and blew through it at an outstanding price.

From a bottle that had been opened but not decanted for about 2 hours.  Deep, dark ruby color.  Cherries, vanilla, licorice, baking spices, blackberries, spicy oak, dark chocolate, earthy underbrush, wild flowers, and leather on the very nice nose.  Medium to full body with solid, ripe tannins and very nice acidity.  Cherries, chocolate and spice hit the palate first with an overlay of spicy oak and some earthiness.  A slight herbal note comes in on the finish, which is long and flavorful.  Much improved over the last year, if you don’t like spicy oak, you probably won’t like this wine.  Personally, I like it, and feel it will get even better with another year in the cellar.  (90 pts)

2005 Kees-Kieren Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spätlese * – $11.39

I bought a couple bottles of this at a close out price at my local wine store (The Wine Cellar of Wisconsin) a while back hoping for a nice Riesling to enjoy on a warm day on the deck.  We opened a bottle that evening and it blew me away.  I immediately shot off an e-mail to the store to stash a case in the back for me.  This was everything I love about a young German Spätlese Riesling, nice rich sweetness along with enough acidity to leave your mouth watering.  This was drinking very nicely young, but I have no doubt this will be fantastic down the road.  Time to check in again.  As an added bonus this wine is closed with a glass stopper, which I love.  This closure ensures a nice, tight seal and no possible cork taint.  I haven’t read any studies about long term cellaring of a wine closed in this manner.

A light golden straw color.  Petrol, honey, apples, pears, peach pits, tangerine, white pepper, pineapple, strong minerality and a floral note on the very nice and intoxicating nose.  Lighter body with loads of sweetness and nice balancing acidity.  Rich and fruity on the palate with mouthwatering citrusy acidity kicking in to keep it from being too sweet.  Long finish with the white pepper note from the nose making a background appearance.  Still very young but hard to resist. Glad I have a almost a case in reserve.   This will age and improve for another decade or more.  Rieslings age incredibly well, I am still drinking some German Rieslings from the mid to late 1980s.  (93 pts)

2007 Jean Edwards Cellars Syrah Alder Springs Vineyard Mendocino County – Winery supplied bottle, Release price $45.00

This is a wine I am looking forward to trying.  Only a miniscule 75 cases were produced.  My Twitter friend, Karen Troisi, along with John Troisi are the owner/vintners of the winery.  Jean Edwards Cellars make predominantly Cabernet based wines but have produced a couple of Syrahs over the last few vintages.  I very much enjoyed a bottle of their 2006 Jean Edwards Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley a few months ago that I had purchased and it was outstanding.

Decanted about 2 hours.  Deep, dark ruby color.  Blackberries, smoked meat, fresh cracked black pepper, roasted herbs, melted licorice, a touch of mint, and wild flowers on the deep and dark nose.  Medium body with fairly solid, ripe tannins and very nice acidity.  Nice melding of the fruit, spice, and smoked meat flavors on the palate with some pepper and the roasted herbs in the background providing nice depth.  Nice length on the finish which is more on the savory side than the fruity side.  Not an in your face style of wine, very food friendly.  This is still on the young side, if you only have a bottle or two, hold off for a couple years or give it a fair amount of air.  Very promising future.  (93 pts)

As a follow up, the winery only has a couple cases of this wine still available.  They will soon be releasing a 2008 Cooper’s Cuvee which is 86% Alder Springs syrah, 11% mouvedre and 3% carignan.  Limited to about 50 cases.

2010 Don Sebastiani & Sons Sauvignon Blanc Project Paso – $7.49

Past bottles showed this to be a nice Summer sipper on the deck or patio.  Crisp acidity and just a touch of lingering sweetness.  Usually something to sip before and during dinner preparation.  For the price, it fits that role very nicely.

A light, pale straw yellow color.  Citrus zest, apples, minerals, pineapple, white pepper, and some cut grass on the light and tropical nose.  Light body with tart acidity and just a touch of sweetness.  Crisp citrus on the palate with some grassy notes and apple.  Decent length on the finish with a bit of white pepper coming in on the back end.  Nothing too special but nice on a hot afternoon.  What more could you want in a $8 wine?  (86 pts)

2007 Trefethen Cabernet Sauvignon Oak Knoll – $47.49

I’m looking forward to trying this wine.  I had a taste at a local wine tasting and thought it was worth grabbing a few bottles.  We’ll have to see how it evolves over a couple hours and with a nice grilled steak.

Decanted about 2 hours.  Deep, dark maroon color.  Blackberries, cassis, dried herbs, vanilla, spicy oak, Asian spices, and a bit of tobacco on the warm and inviting nose.  Medium body with fairly solid tannins and very nice acidity.  A nice mouthful of spicy fruit with some dried herbs and vanilla lurking in the background.  Very nice length on the finish with the spicy fruit leading the charge.  Let this one lay down for another year of two and you’ll be rewarded.  (91 pts)

Dinner was an absolutely awesome 2” thick, over 2 pound T-Bone Steak, a skewer of “large” grilled shrimp, grilled potatoes with butter, fresh chives and parsley, and a piece of tomato bread.  And no, I didn’t eat all of the steak, but it will make a couple of fine steak sandwiches for lunch this week.

Wine News

Is it just me or is everyone experiencing less “corked” bottles of wine?  So far this year I’ve only opened 3 bottles of wine that were corked.

My theory is two fold:

1)  Cork producers are doing a much better job of quality control to help fight off alternative closures.

2)  Since a lot of wine is now closed with something other than cork, there is lower demand so the wineries can be more selective with their sources.

Sine Qua Non – I remember “joining” the SQN mailing list a few years ago.  Well, actually I joined the waiting list.  The wines were supposedly fantastic and at the time, moderately priced.  Zip ahead a few years, I’m still on the waiting list, but my friend finally will be getting an allocation in their next offer.  Unfortunately, the price is now $145 a bottle.  I’ve never had an SQN, and at that price, I probably never will.  My friend is passing on his offer and I can take it if I want…I just don’t know if I want.

Scherrer Winery – I don’t think there is a better deal than the Scherrer Futures Program.  Via their e-mail list you can get six bottles of their Old & Mature Vines Zinfandel and six bottles of their Shale Terrace Zinfandel for $260.  That’s under $22 a bottle for a top notch, age worthy Zin.  Yes, you pay for the wine in July and get it in March, but this is great wine for the price.  If you want, you can buy the wine when it’s released, but then it’s $30 a bottle, if there’s any left.  Oh, and how age worthy?  Had a 2004 Old & Mature Vines Zinfandel a few months ago from a 375ml bottle, and it still improved with some air and had years of life ahead of it.

Winery Shout Outs – Wineries to watch out for

Helioterra is a small up and coming winery out of Oregon.  I tasted through their lineup with owner/winemaker Anne Ebenreiter Hubatch a few weeks ago and she is making some mighty tasty wine.  In addition to Willamette Valley Pinot Noirs, Anne makes a Syrah and a Mourvedre with grapes from Washington.  Anne has a couple other projects, Whoa Nelly and The Guild.  Hopefully her wines will make it onto wine store shelves here in WI in 2013.  Check them out at http://helioterrawines.com/

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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!

2010 King Estate Pinot Gris Signature Collection – $12.82

This is a wine we love to have with dinner on the deck in the Summer.  If we drank more white wine, this would be called our “house white”.

A light, golden, straw color. Apples, white peaches, pears, citrus zest, minerals, and a slight floral note on the fresh and lively nose. Light to medium body with crisp acidity. Nice juicy, citrus and white fruit on the palate with some minerality. Mouthwatering finish with lime and apples. Not as rich as prior vintages but still very nice, especially on a warm Summer evening.  (88 pts)

I paired the King Estate Pinot Gris with a favorite Summer meal, a Crawfish Salad.  The recipe, from Hanneke Eerden, from The Netherlands is available at http://www.thedutchesscooks.com/2012/05/crawfish-salad/  I replaced the avocado with an egg, but the Crawfish and her salad dressing makes the dish.  The wine has enough acidity to cut through the dressing but enough fruit to tame the spicy Crawfish.

2005 Consilience Syrah Camp 4 Vineyard – $14.24

I got a little flack on Facebook over this wine.  Granted, it is a massive wine packing 16.5% ABV.  The wine actually is big enough to support and conceal “most” of the alcohol.  This isn’t a wine to have every night, or even every month, and it will be a total turnoff for a lot of wine drinkers, but every once in a while, I enjoy a wine in this style.

Deep, dark purple color. Charcoal, blackberries, black pepper, blueberries, smoked meat, dark chocolate, and some vanilla on the big and open nose. Full bodied with solid, ripe tannins and decent acidity. A mouthful of fruit and spice with some smoked meat coming in on the back end. Decent length on the finish which also stars the smoked meat and berries. Could use a touch more acidity to help hold it in check, it gets a bit muddled on the back end and finish and shows a touch of alcoholic heat. No subtlety but tasty.  (90 pts)

2009 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands – $24.00

Loring is a mailing list I very highly recommend.  Brian’s wines are usually very good to outstanding.  I feel their appellation wines, such as this one, are some of the best deals available in the marketplace on quality California Pinot Noirs.  The house style is fruit forward, rich, wines.  These will never be confused with a Red Burgundy.  Ripe fruit is not a flaw.  Luckily I get these wines in sufficient quantities because we seem to have a Loring wine every other week.

From a bottle that had been opened about 2 hours but not decanted.  Deep ruby color.  Black cherries, raspberries, baking spices, minerals, white pepper, fresh wild flowers, and a hint of earthy underbrush on the very enticing nose.  Medium body with soft, ripe tannins and very nice acidity.  Nice spicy fruit on the palate with minerals and an earthy element in the background.  Long, lingering finish featuring the spicy fruit.  Outstanding effort with great QPR.  (93 pts)

2011 Bedrock Wine Co. Mourvedre Ode to Lulu Rosé – $18.00

The Bedrock Rosé as well as the Villa Creek Pink is our main Summer Rosé wines.  We usually stock up on one other wine to get us through the season.  This year the third bottling was the 2011 One Time Spaceman MCA Rosé.  All three are made with Rhone grapes but are very different from each other.  The Bedrock has the bigger acidity with nice spice and minerality and the One Time Spaceman is the softest and fruitiest.  The Villa Creek is somewhere in the middle.  All three are very different, but very tasty and welcome on my deck with dinner any time.

A nice, light, pinkish salmon color. Minerals, strawberry, white pepper, melons, orange zest, and a bit of dusty earthiness on the very appealing nose. Light body with crisp acidity. A very dry rose with nice minerality and fruit with the white pepper and citrus making an appearance on the back end. Nice, lingering, mouthwatering finish. The real deal. Even those who like a crisp French Rose will find pleasure in this wine. (92 pts)

We tried a new dish for dinner to pair with the Bedrock Rosé, Pan-Fried Shrimp with Creole Mayonnaise from MyRecipes.com via Cooking Light magazine.  We just julienned some cucumber and carrots and added some broccoli florets to go with the dipping sauce to round out the meal.  The recipe is available at http://bit.ly/OsKpBe

The acidity in the wine helped cut through the slightly spicy mayonnaise, but the nice fruit helped tame the spicy shrimp.  I love a nice cold Rosé with a hot from the pan dish, a case of opposites attract.  Next time, I may kick up the heat a bit and open an off dry Riesling.

Wine News:

The always anticipated newest Saxum offer hit the old inbox this week.  Great wines, but the price increases are pushing the wine to the “Very Special Occasion” category.  I remember when the wines were south of $50, now they are getting close to the $100 price point.  The wines get great scores so I’m sure the point chasers and the flippers will be buying, but my purchases are dwindling.

One winery that always gets my business is Carlisle.  Great wines and the owner, Mike Officer, is doing a great job keeping the wines reasonably priced.  I took just about everything Mike offered in his latest release.

Also at nice price points, Villa Creek and Bedrock offers will be out in the near future.

Surprise news:

A few years ago I ordered and paid for a case of wine from a Napa Valley based winery.  We visited the winery multiple times and always enjoyed their Cabernet Franc.  After ordering the wine but before shipping, the winery went bankrupt.  After repeated attempts to get “my” wine, I was told everything was gone, there were no “bones left to pick”.

I e-mailed and used every available means to get hold of the owner.  I have been exchanging e-mails with him over the last few days, and he has agreed he owes me the wine and will send me my case out of his “personal” stash as soon as the weather cools a bit.  I don’t have the wine yet, but this is the closest I have been to getting it in 3 years.  Fingers crossed I’ll get my 2007 Diamond Mountain Cabernet Franc.

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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!

A new concept in wine packaging and marketing

This is a review of a free, company supplied, product that was sent to me to review.

I have seen the future of in-home wine tasting parties and events, it is TastingRoom.com.

This is also the absolute perfect gift for a wine lover in your life, a business associate, or a valued customer.  The premise is simple, select a “wine sampler” set from the mind boggling array they offer and they take care of the rest.  You, or your gift recipient, will receive a nice presentation box with your wine sampler:

Each bottle is a 50ml (1.7 oz.) “tasting” size.  This is a little less than a normal half glass of wine, more than enough to sample or share a taste with a friend or spouse.  The sampler kit also contains a description of the wines in the suggested drinking sequence.  My sampler was called Bright Crisp Whites 2 Super Flight.   More about the Super Flight part later, but the sampler contained a nice, varied selection of white wines, perfect for the Summer season.

Every wine may not appeal to everyone, but I’m sure you’ll find one you will like.  The website lists all the different samplers that are available.  You can choose a sampler based on a country, region, grape, even one winery.

Here are the wines that were in my Sampler (prices for 750ML bottle):

2010 Easton Sauvignon Blanc Monarch Mine Vineyard, Sierra Foothills, California – $15.95

A light, pale straw color.  Fresh cut grass, lemon zest, apple, pear, and some minerals are on the fresh smelling nose.  This is fairly light bodied with tart acidity and just a touch of sweetness.  Nice refreshing citrus and herbal notes dominate the palate.  The wine has a nice, lingering finish which shows just a touch of sweetness.  A nice aperitif or on a hot Summer day.

2010 Colome Torrontes Valle Calchaqui, Argentina – $14.95

A very light and pale straw color, almost clear.  A very interesting nose with musky melons, straw, spice and a slight herbal note.  The wine has medium body with decent acidity.  On the palate the wine is a bit soft with melon, spice, and a touch of citrus.  The finish is a touch short and a bit soft with just a bit of citrus popping through at the end.

2010 Trattore Roussanne Dry Creek Valley California – $23.95

A light straw-yellow color.  Apples, pears, minerals dominate the palate with earthy notes in the background with an herbal note.  The wine has medium body and nice acidity.  Nice fruit and minerals on the palate with a nice finish highlighted with fruit and herbal notes.

2009 Jacuzzi Family Vineyards Gilia’s Vernaccia Carneros California – $21.95

A light golden straw color.  A nice nose with pear, lemon curd, minerals, and a slight herbal note.  The wine has medium body and nice acidity.  Rich and creamy on the palate with apple, pear, and citrus.  The finish has a nice, lingering citrus/herbal quality.

2009 Clayhouse Estate Cuvee Blanc, Red Cedar Vineyard, Paso Robles – $22.95

The wine is almost clear with just a faint yellow tint.  Apples, pears, white peach, stony minerals on the nose with notes of spice and a floral element.  Medium body with good acidity.  Tart, spicy, fruit on the palate with some minerals and a slight herbal quality.  Very nice, lingering finish with the mouthwatering citrus slowly fading.  This is a white Rhone styled blend of Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, and Viognier.

2009 Twisted Oak Ruben’s Blend Calaveras County California – $23.95

A bright yellow to straw color.  A big minty element dominates the nose with minerals, apples, spice, and an herbal note in the background.  The wine has medium body and soft acidity.  The palate, like the nose is dominated by the minty/herbal elements with some fruit and spice again in the background.  A shortish, mint dominated finish.  This is a blend of Marsanne, Roussanne, and Grenache Blanc.

Now for the best part, earlier I mentioned this was a “Super Flight” sampler.  This means, I can pick my favorite wine(s) and get two bottles for free.  The purchase of a Super Flight entitles the recipient of the Sampler to select two bottles of wine and have them delivered right to their door.

In my case, I opted to get two bottles of the 2009 Clayhouse Estate Cuvee, a very nice white blend based on grapes native to the Rhone Valley of France.  The ordering process was fairly simple and painless.  I set up an account and entered the code from my sampler.   Their system brought up the wines that were in my sampler.  I selected the wine I wanted, set the quantity to 2 bottles.  After entering my shipping information and submitting, I received a confirmation e-mail a minute later.  Just as advertised, the bottles were free.  I liked the fact I was sent a “shipment” e-mail with the tracking information.  This allowed me to easily have the shipment held at the local UPS Depot and pick up on my way to work before it was bounced all over town on a truck with no hope of delivery since we work all day.

Prices for the basic sampler starts at under $20.  The Super Flight I reviewed is $48.95 and includes two full sized bottles of wine.

Beside these Sampler and Super Flight sets, they also have Wines by the Glass (100ML) and full size (750ML) bottles.

This was based on a Sampler sent to me for review.

Cheers!

Information and products available on their website: http://www.tastingroom.com/

2009 Bedrock Wine Co. Zinfandel Old Vine – $22.50

From a bottle that had been opened about 2 hours, but not decanted. Deep, dark maroon color. Brambly berries, black pepper, dark chocolate, vanilla, plums, minerals and a floral note on the very nice nose. Medium to full body with solid tannins and decent acidity. Loads of fruit and spice on the palate with a very nice black pepper component. Fairly long finish with the peppery berries and a bit of an earthy element lingering nicely. Still young, could use some additional cellar time.  (91 pts)

2008 New Harbor Pinot Noir – $5.70

A nice lighter ruby color. Cherries, plums, baking spices, a bit of earthy underbrush on the nice but slightly reserved nose. Fairly light bodied with soft, ripe tannins and nice acidity. Sweet fruit and spice on the palate with some earthy elements in the background. Seems to have just a trace of residual sugar, but not too much. Fairly short finish. Not a world class Pinot, but a perfect $6 Pinot for a week night dinner on the deck.  (87 pts)

2010 Treasure Hunter Cabernet Sauvignon Panjanatan Paso Robles – $19.79

Decanted about 2 hours. Deep, dark ruby to maroon color. Cassis, cedar, dried herbs, minerals, wild flowers, and a touch of licorice on the open and inviting nose. Medium to full body with fairly solid, ripe tannins and very nice acidity. Nice spicy fruit on the palate with dried herbs and a bit of earthiness in the background. Nice length on the finish which is showing a bit of oak. Could use some cellar time to help the oak integrate on the back end. Very nice now, better down the road.  (91 pts)

2009 The Lucky Country PTY LTD Shiraz The Lucky Country – $11.88

Deep, dark ruby to purple color. Blackberries, licorice, blueberries, some cedar and a faint floral note on the very open nose. Medium to full body with ripe tannins and slightly low acidity. A pretty distinct dark chocolate element on the palate to go with the fruit and spicy oak. Decent length on the finish. Easy drinking wine not meant for any serious contemplation. A bit soft and a bit overly oaky, but for a bit over $10, it works nicely.  (88 pts)

2009 McPrice Myers Grenache L’Ange Rouge – $30.40

From a bottle that had been open a couple of hours but not decanted. A deep garnet color. Blackberry liqueur, vanilla, baking spices, licorice, black pepper, black cherries, and some dried herbs on the big and rich nose. Full bodied with solid, ripe tannins and good acidity. Loads of spicy, peppery berries on the palate with enough tannins and acidity to support it and keep everything in place. Fairly long finish with a nice lingering peppery spice. This is big and pushes the limit but never crosses the line. I think I’d drink fairly young while the tannins and acidity are youthful enough to support the rich flavors.  (91 pts)

2006 Novy Family Wines Nebbiolo Stolpman Vineyard – $19.00

Light to medium ruby color with a fair amount of brick. Rose water, cherries, baking spices, underbrush, some tar, licorice, and a slight dusty element on the soft and enticing nose. Medium body with solid tannins and very good acidity. Spicy, earthy fruit on the palate with very nice grip. Nice, lingering finish with spicy fruit and a nice earthy edge. In prime drinking window.  (91 pts)

2008 Allegrini Palazzo della Torre Veronese IGT – $14.24

Deep maroon color. Blackberries, plums, smoke, dried herbs, vanilla, wild flowers and some minerality on the open and expressive nose. Medium body with silky, ripe tannins and decent acidity. Nice layered fruit and spice on the palate with just a touch of earthiness in the background. Nice length on the finish which is nicely spicy. Very nice.  (91pts)

2010 Cupcake Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc – $7.12

Very light, pale, straw color. Fresh cut grass, gooseberry, lemon zest, grapefruit, and some minerality on the nose. Very light body with crisp, mouthwatering acidity. Bright and zippy on the palate with the citrus and a nice herbal over lay. The herbal notes continue into the finish with the citrus turning more towards lime. Finish could be a touch longer, but this is very nice for the price.  (89 pts)

2001 Elyse Cabernet Sauvignon Tietjen Vineyard – $35.00

From a bottle opened about 2 hours but not decanted. Deep maroon color. Cassis, cedar, licorice, cherries, dried herbs, baking spices, and a touch of dusty earthiness. Medium body with nice, ripe tannins and good acidity. Nice, spicy, red and black fruit with a bit of earthiness and dried herbs in the background. Good length on the finish with the fruit and savory elements sharing the load. In a real nice drinking window, but no hurry on this one.  (92 pts)

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.