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

 

 

 

 

Overview

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

 

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

 

 

The Winery

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

About Winechat

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

 

Mission

What is #WineChat?  Click here to learn more.

 

Description

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

 

Grab a glass and join in!

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

2010 Youngberg Hill Pinot Noir Jordan Block – SRP $40

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

 

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

 

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

 

My Tasting Note

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

 

 

Closing comments

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

 

 

 

Win an All-inclusive VIP Sonoma Winecation

 

 

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

Connect with me

You can follow me on Twitter for more wine info, potential food pairings, and an occasional recipe or two.  Be warned, I’m also a sports fan and there are occasional Pittsburgh Penguins, Steelers, and Pirates tweets.  I attended the University of South Carolina, so during football season, there will also be some Gamecock posts.

 

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

 

Cheers!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 2013 Cliff’s Wine Picks.

All rights reserved.

 

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

Breaking news from Klout:

 

 

Cliff’s Wine Picks mentions or other posts

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

 

Snooth

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

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

 

Snooth

OUR FAVORITE REDS FOR SPRING – The Wine Cognoscenti Recommend

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

 

Snooth

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

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

 

Snooth

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

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

 

Balzac

Balzac Communications & Marketing – News & Views

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

 

Snooth

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

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

 

Snooth

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

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

 

Crave Local

California Wine Reviews: Cline Cellars and Jacuzzi Family Vineyard

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

 

Crave Local

Sample Boutique Wines at Affordable Prices with Tastingroom.com

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

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

 

 

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

 

 

2012 Hans Wirsching Iphöfer Scheurebe Kabinett trocken

2011 Graf v. Schönborn Hallburger Schlossberg Silvaner Kabinett trocken

2012 Weingut Ökonomierat Rebholz Pinot Blanc Dry

2012 Graf v. Schönborn Schloss Hallburger Pinot Gris Kabinett trocken

2011 Friedrich Becker Becker Family Pinot Noir

2011 Weingut Schnaitmann Lemberger Dry

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

About Rudi Wiest Selections

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

 

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

 

 

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

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

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

 

 

 

About WineStudio

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

 

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

 

Description

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

 

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

 

Grab a glass and join in!

 

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

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

2012 Hans Wirsching Iphöfer Scheurebe Kabinett trocken – SRP $27

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

My Tasting Note

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

 

 

 

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

My Tasting Note

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

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

2012 Weingut Ökonomierat Rebholz Pinot Blanc Dry – SRP $20

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

 

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

 

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

 

My Tasting Note

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

 

 

 

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

My Tasting Note

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

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

2011 Friedrich Becker Becker Family Pinot Noir – SRP $20

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

 

Spatburgunder is the German name for Pinot Noir.

 

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

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

 

My Tasting Note

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

 

 

 

2011 Weingut Schnaitmann Lemberger Dry – SRP $20

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

My Tasting Note

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

 

 

 

Conclusion

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

 

 

 

 

Win an All-inclusive VIP Sonoma Winecation

 

 

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

Connect with me

You can follow me on Twitter for more wine info, potential food pairings, and an occasional recipe or two.  Be warned, I’m also a sports fan and there are occasional Pittsburgh Penguins, Steelers, and Pirates tweets.  I attended the University of South Carolina, so during football season, there will also be some Gamecock posts.

 

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

 

Cheers!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 2013 Cliff’s Wine Picks.

All rights reserved.

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

Breaking news from Klout:

 

 

Cliff’s Wine Picks mentions or other posts

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

 

Snooth

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

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

 

Snooth

OUR FAVORITE REDS FOR SPRING – The Wine Cognoscenti Recommend

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

 

Snooth

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

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

 

Snooth

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

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

 

Balzac

Balzac Communications & Marketing – News & Views

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

 

Snooth

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

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

 

Snooth

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

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

 

Crave Local

California Wine Reviews: Cline Cellars and Jacuzzi Family Vineyard

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

 

Crave Local

Sample Boutique Wines at Affordable Prices with Tastingroom.com

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

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

 

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

 

 

New York’s Finger Lakes

North America’s premier cool-climate winegrowing region

 

 

 

2012 Billsboro Pinot Noir

2012 Hosmer Cabernet Franc

2010 Chateau Lafayette Reneau Cabernet Franc

2011 Heron Hill Vineyards Cabernet Franc Ingle Vineyard

2010 Fox Run Vineyards Cabernet Franc – Lemberger

2010 Swedish Hill Vineyard Optimus

2011 Damiani Wine Cellars Meritage

2012 Hector Wine Company Essence

 

 

It was my good fortune to be able to participate in an online tasting of wines from the Finger Lakes region of New York.  The event revolved around the Red Wines from the region and included Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir and red blends.

 

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

 

 

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

 

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

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

 

 

About the region

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

My Line Up

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

 

 

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

 

 

2012 Billsboro Pinot Noir – SRP $24

 

The Winery

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

 

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

 

The Wine

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

 

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

 

My Tasting Note

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

 

 

 

2012 Hosmer Cabernet Franc – SRP $18

 

The Winery

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

 

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

 

The Wine

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

 

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

 

My Tasting Note

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

 

 

 

2010 Chateau Lafayette Reneau Cabernet Franc – SRP $19

 

The Winery

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

 

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

 

The Wine

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

 

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

 

My Tasting Note

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

 

 

 

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

 

The Winery

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

 

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

 

The Wine

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

 

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

 

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

 

My Tasting Note

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

 

 

 

The line up for the second flight of the evening:

 

 

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

 

The Winery

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

 

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

 

The Wine

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

 

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

 

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

 

My Tasting Note

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

 

 

 

2010 Swedish Hill Vineyard Optimus – SRP $25

 

The Winery

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

 

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

 

The Wine

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

 

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

 

My Tasting Note

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

 

 

 

2011 Damiani Wine Cellars Meritage – SRP $27

 

The Winery

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

 

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

 

The Wine

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

 

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

 

My Tasting Note

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

 

 

 

2012 Hector Wine Company Essence – SRP $25

 

The Winery

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

 

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

 

The Wine

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

 

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

 

My Tasting Note

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

 

 

 

Win an All-inclusive VIP Sonoma Winecation

 

 

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

Connect with me

You can follow me on Twitter for more wine info, potential food pairings, and an occasional recipe or two.  Be warned, I’m also a sports fan and there are occasional Pittsburgh Penguins, Steelers, and Pirates tweets.  I attended the University of South Carolina, so during football season, there will also be some Gamecock posts.

 

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

 

Cheers!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 2013 Cliff’s Wine Picks.

All rights reserved.

 

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

Breaking news from Klout:

 

 

Cliff’s Wine Picks mentions or other posts

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

 

Snooth

OUR FAVORITE REDS FOR SPRING – The Wine Cognoscenti Recommend

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

 

Snooth

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

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

 

Snooth

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

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

 

Balzac

Balzac Communications & Marketing – News & Views

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

 

Snooth

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

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

 

Snooth

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

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

 

Crave Local

California Wine Reviews: Cline Cellars and Jacuzzi Family Vineyard

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

 

Crave Local

Sample Boutique Wines at Affordable Prices with Tastingroom.com

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

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

 

Blue Danube Wine Company

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

 

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

 

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

  

 

About Hungary

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

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

 

 

 

About Winechat

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

 

Mission

What is #WineChat?  Click here to learn more.

 

Description

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

 

Grab a glass and join in!

 

Click here for the current #winechat schedule.

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

 

 

 

My Line Up

 

Here is my line up for the evening:

 

 

2011 Eszterbauer Szekszárd Nagyapám – SRP $17.95

 

The Winery

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

 

The Wine

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

My Tasting Note

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

 

 

 

2011 Bodrog Borműhely Furmint Tokaji Lapis – SRP $21.95

 

The Winery

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

 

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

 

 

The Wine

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

 

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

 

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

 

My Tasting Note

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

 

 

 

2011 Fekete Pince Somlovasarhely Somlói Olaszrizling – SRP $24.95

 

The Winery

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

 

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

 

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

 

The Wine

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

 

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

 

My Tasting Note

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

 

 

 

Closing comments

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

 

 

 

Win an All-inclusive VIP Sonoma Winecation

 

 

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

Connect with me

You can follow me on Twitter for more wine info, potential food pairings, and an occasional recipe or two.  Be warned, I’m also a sports fan and there are occasional Pittsburgh Penguins, Steelers, and Pirates tweets.  I attended the University of South Carolina, so during football season, there will also be some Gamecock posts.

 

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

 

Cheers!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 2013 Cliff’s Wine Picks.

All rights reserved.

 

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

Breaking news from Klout:

 

 

Cliff’s Wine Picks mentions or other posts

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

 

Snooth

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

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

 

Snooth

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

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

 

Balzac

Balzac Communications & Marketing – News & Views

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

 

Snooth

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

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

 

Snooth

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

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

 

Crave Local

California Wine Reviews: Cline Cellars and Jacuzzi Family Vineyard

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

 

Crave Local

Sample Boutique Wines at Affordable Prices with Tastingroom.com

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

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

 

 

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

 

 

Momokawa Diamond

Momokawa Pearl

SakéMoto Junmai

 

 

I was invited to participate in an online saké tasting, which was very easy to accept.  I have enjoyed saké in the past, but my knowledge on the beverage is VERY limited.  I usually rely on the suggestions from the server and never remember which ones I have liked or the ones I could barely tolerate.  This will be a great opportunity to try three different examples and allow me to note differences and figure out what I like based on side by side comparisons.

 

Visit the SakéOne website.

 

 

 

The selections were provided by Charles Communications for the SakéOne brand tasting and participation was limited to around a dozen people.

 

Generally, saké is best served is a white wine glass.  For some reason, several of us opted for a stemless wine glass like the Riedel O line.  I chose the glass since it seemed to be a nice middle of the road melding of the small traditional saké glass and a larger, stemmed wine glass.

 

Though saké can be served slightly warmed, it is better served chilled; I had mine at slightly cooler than room temperature.

 

It was pointed out that the American saké producers prefer to be called “craft” saké, or American, but don’t call them “domestic”.

 

An open bottle of saké will last for weeks in the refrigerator since it is pasteurized.

 

 

SakéOne is one of six saké breweries in America and the only saké brewery in Oregon.  It has promoted quality saké in America for over two decades, both as an importer and as a domestic craft brewer, focusing on quality, heritage and innovation.  SakéOne imports a boutique portfolio of Japanese regional saké including the brands Murai Family, Yoshinogawa and SakéMoto, a premium Japanese saké developed specifically for the American market. Greg also produces award-winning saké for the Momokawa, G Saké, and the fruit-infused Moonstone brands at SakéOne’s own Kura in Forest Grove, Oregon.

 

Saké’s presence in the American market is rapidly increasing; in the past ten years, saké has seen a 100% increase in the US Beverage alcohol market.  However, most premium saké is still imported from Japan.

 

 

The video from the online tasting, graphics dealing with saké terminology and the brewing process, as well as the participant’s posts can be found here:

http://sakeone.yourbrandlive.com/c/whitedaytasting/

 

The lineup for this tasting:

 

 

 

Momokawa Diamond – SRP $13

This saké is classified as a Junmai Ginjo.  Among other things, this means the rice was “polished” down to 60%.

 

This is considered to be a “starting point” sake, meaning it not too dry but also not overly “fruity”.  The final alcohol is 14.8%.

 

My Tasting Note

This is totally clear and colorless.  On the nose this offers an herbal note, earthy mushrooms, peat moss, apples, cherries and white flowers.  On the palate this is slightly creamy with chalky minerality, spice, apples and cherry skin.  This has decent length on the finish.

 

 

Momokawa Pearl – SRP $13

This saké is classified as a Junmai Ginjo Nigori Genhu.  Among other things, this means the rice was “polished” down to 60%.  This sake is undiluted so it retains the base alcohol of 18%.  It is also not filtered so it contains rice “sediment”.  Before drinking, the bottle must be turned over multiple times to allow for this sediment to be redistributed in the liquid.

 

This was originally produced even though they were told it would never be popular because “no one drinks nigori.” More than fourteen years later it is their most popular saké and one that they must take to festivals and tastings everywhere they go.

 

My Tasting Note

This is a cloudy white color, like low fat milk.  The nose offers apples, tropical fruit, and earthy peat moss.  This is creamy and slightly sweet on the palate.  The finish is fairly long.  This one was very different in looks and the creaminess.

 

 

SakéMoto Junmai – SRP $11

This saké is classified as a Junmai.  Among other things, this means the rice was “polished” down to 70%.  This was the one imported sake included in the tasting.

 

This comes from a brewer that has been producing sake for over 270 years and was produced with the American palate in mind, which makes it a bit richer and fruitier.  This has a final alcohol of 14.7%.

 

My Tasting Note

This is a very light yellow to straw color.  The nose has melon, peat moss, earthy, apples, white flowers and tropical fruit.  On the palate this is crisp and clean with good acidity and just a touch of sweetness.  This has good length with an herbal note coming in.  This was my favorite of the tasting.

 

 

Connect with me

You can follow me on Twitter for more wine info, potential food pairings, and an occasional recipe or two.  Be warned, I’m also a sports fan and there are occasional Pittsburgh Penguins, Steelers, and Pirates tweets.  I attended the University of South Carolina, so during football season, there will also be some Gamecock posts.

 

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

 

Cheers!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 2013 Cliff’s Wine Picks.

All rights reserved.

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

Breaking news from Klout:

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

 

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

 

 

2012 Knapp Vineyards Vidal Ice Wine

2012 Boundary Breaks Vineyard Riesling No. 90 Late Harvest

2009 Höpler Pinot Noir Eiswein

 

The Event

I was invited to participate in an online #winechat about Ice wines or as it’s spelled in Germany and Austria, Eiswein.  Of course, since it is a more festive chat if you’re sipping Ice wine while chatting, three bottles were supplied to me to sip and discuss during the event.

 

 

About Ice wine (Eiswein)

Ice wine is a style of dessert wine that is produced from fully ripe grapes that were harvested while frozen on the vines.  This freezing process only affects the water in the grapes.  When the still frozen grapes are crushed, the frozen water stays behind, leaving just a couple drops of highly concentrated sugar and “dissolved solids”.

 

The production of Ice wine is a risky business.  Several things can go wrong and ruin the crop before it can even get picked.  If the grapes rot before they freeze the entire crop is ruined.  Likewise, a winery needs a large enough workforce to be able to pick and process all the grapes before they have a chance to thaw.

 

Since the process requires a good deal of labor in a short period of time and each frozen grape only yields a precious little juice, Ice wines are generally expensive.

 

As should be expected, most true Ice wine comes from countries that “enjoy” a cold and predictable winter.  About 75% of the world’s ice wine comes from Canada and Germany.

 

Some wineries “cheat” and make an ice wine style of wine by freezing their grapes after a normal harvest and processing them like they were harvested frozen.  Even though these wines are similar, they are not true Ice wines.

 

 

 

 

About Winechat

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

 

Mission

What is #WineChat?  Click here to learn more.

 

Description

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

 

Grab a glass and join in!

 

Click here for the current #winechat schedule.

 

 

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

 

The line up for the event:

 

 

2012 Knapp Vineyards Vidal Ice Wine – SRP $24.95

Knapp Vineyards was started in 1984.  In 2000 the winery was sold to Gene Pierce and Scott Welliver, the current owners.  The winery produces Rieslings, Gewurztraminers, Lembergers, Chardonnays, Merlots, Sangioveses alongside French-American Hybrids such as Seyval, Baco Noirs, and more.

 

For this Ice Wine, the grapes were picked in the early morning hours of January 3^rd.  Even though the grapes were grown in 2011, the vintage for a wine is the year the grapes were “picked” hence the 2012.

 

This is 100% Vidal Blanc.  There were only 24 cases of wine produced.  This has 12% alcohol and there is 14% residual sugar in the wine.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a light golden straw color.  The rich nose has melons, white peaches, honey, orange zest and minerals.  This has a full body, moderate acidity and has a load of residual sugar.  On the palate the honey, ripe melons and super ripe peaches coat your mouth with syrupy sweetness with some minerals coming in on the back end with some orange zest.  The finish has good length and again is dominated with sweet, ripe fruit.   (90 pts)

 

 

2012 Boundary Breaks Vineyard Riesling No. 90 Late Harvest

Grapes were first planted at Boundary Breaks in 2008.  The winery only produces single vineyard, single clone Riesling.

 

This wine is a late harvest wine, not an ice wine.  This means the grapes were picked very late in the season when the grapes were ultra ripe, but the grapes were not frozen at harvest.

 

This wine is 100% Neustadt Clone #90 Riesling.  This has 14.2% alcohol and there is 12.7% residual sugar in the wine.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a very light yellow straw, almost colorless.  The fresh smelling nose has apples, honey, stony minerals, cantaloupe, vanilla, orange blossoms and a touch of white pepper.  This has a full body with decent acidity and is very sweet.  On the palate ripe apples and orange zest hit first with minerals coming in on the back end.  The finish is fairly long but could use a jolt of acidity.  (88 pts)

 

 

2009 Höpler Pinot Noir Eiswein – SRP $69

The winery is in Breitenbrunn, South East of Vienna on the West bank of LakeNeusiedl.  The wine production is 50% white wine, 45% red wine and 5% sweet.

 

Every 10^th bottle of Austrian wine imported into the United States is from Höpler.

 

This wine made from fully matured grapes which are left on the vine until they reached a temperature of at least -7°C (19.4°F). The water in the grapes forms ice crystals, and after gentle pressing the remaining concentrate is made into an exceptional wine with elegant sweetness balanced by refreshing acidity.  The wine has 11.5% alcohol by volume and the residual sugar is 236.3 g/l.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a light orange with pink highlights.  The rich nose has apricots, dusty minerals, caramel, wild flowers and cherries.  This has a full body with good acidity and nice residual sugar.  On the palate, ripe apricots and caramel jump out first with a touch of orange zest and minerals coming in on the back end.  The finish has very nice length with honey and peaches.  The acidity leaves your mouth watering for another sip.  This tastes very nice today but I’d wager it will be much better with a few years in the cellar.  (93 pts)

 

 

Connect with me

You can follow me on Twitter for more wine info, potential food pairings, and an occasional recipe or two.  Be warned, I’m also a sports fan and there are occasional Pittsburgh Penguins, Steelers, and Pirates tweets.  I attended the University of South Carolina, so during football season, there will also be some Gamecock posts.

 

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

 

Cheers!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 2013 Cliff’s Wine Picks.

All rights reserved.

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

Breaking news from Klout:

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

 

 

Each week I pick out one wine to highlight as my wine of the week.  This wine may be an outstanding wine, a great value or just something very interesting.

 

 

 

 The Winery

Calera is a vision, and Calera’s wines truly express the sense of place.  Rather than follow the recommended path, Josh Jensen became a pioneer in search of the perfect spot on the globe to grow grapes.  Taking his cue from the great domaines of Burgundy which have grown grapes in limestone soil for centuries, he set out in search of the perfect spot in California to create wines unique to the world but in the style of the greatest wines of France.  Site selection was vital as he ventured off the grid to plant on the site of an old limekiln in the Gavilan Mountains of California.  Today Calera wines still express that pioneer spirit and are revered the world over.  We are proud to report that even Robert Parker is convinced: “Calera is one of the most compelling Pinot Noir specialists of not only the New World, but of Planet Earth.”

 

The Wine

This 100% Pinot Noir is a blend of grapes from the following Central Coast vineyards:

Laetitia Vineyard- San Luis Obispo County

Sierra Madre Vineyard- Santa Barbara County

Antle Vineyard – Monterey County

Bien Nacido Vineyard- Santa Barbara County

Doctor’s Vineyard- Monterey County

Pedregal Vineyard – San Benito County

Chula Vina Vineyard- Monterey County

Besson Vineyard- Santa Clara County

Flint Vineyard- San Benito County

Idyll Times Vineyard- San Benito County

 

 

 

2012 Calera Pinot Noir – $23.93

I’ve enjoyed previous vintages of this wine, so I’m interested in seeing how this wine turned out in the highly acclaimed 2012 vintage.  This is usually a very nice middle of the road style of Pinot Noir.  It usually has some richness but is not overly ripe.

 

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

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a medium ruby red color.  The tempting and inviting nose has black cherries, baking spices, earthy underbrush, wild flowers, cola and a touch of spicy oak.  This has medium body, soft to moderate ripe tannins and good acidity.  On the palate the fruit is a bit brighter than the nose lead me to expect with tart cherries and baking spices up front with some building earthiness coming in on the back end.  The finish has decent length with fruit and spice carrying the load.  This is very nice for an entry level Pinot and a keeper for a touch over $20.  (90 pts)

 

 

Connect with me

You can follow me on Twitter for more wine info, potential food pairings, and an occasional recipe or two.  Be warned, I’m also a sports fan and there are occasional Pittsburgh Penguins, Steelers, and Pirates tweets.  I attended the University of South Carolina, so during football season, there will also be some Gamecock posts.

 

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

 

Cheers!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 2013 Cliff’s Wine Picks.

All rights reserved.

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

Breaking news from Klout:

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

 

 

N.V. Taittinger Champagne Brut

N.V. L. Aubry Fils Champagne Brut

2007 Saxum Bone Rock James Berry Vineyard

2001 Staglin Family Cabernet Sauvignon Estate

 

 

These are the wines we had at a dinner party at the home of a couple of friends.  Since the wines were not the focus of the evening, my tasting notes will be more of a brief impression of the wines.

 

 

The lineup for the evening:

 

 

 

N.V. Taittinger Champagne Brut

This is a light straw color with persistent pinpoint bubbles.  On the delightful nose, yeasty fresh baked bread and apples fill your nose with love, a touch of lemon zest and minerals cut through on the sidelines.  This light bodied charmer is dry and has crisp acidity.  On the palate the yeasty bread takes hold initially, grudgingly allowing apples and minerals to enter the picture with tart lemon zest coming in on the back end.  The finish has nice length with the lemon zest leaving a mouthwatering closing statement.  (91 pts)

 

This has 12.0% alcohol by volume.

 

 

N.V. L. Aubry Fils Champagne Brut

Now for something totally different than the previous Champagne.

 

This is a light yellow to straw color with a very nice mousse and very steady, pinpoint bubbles.  The crisp and spring like nose has green apples, anise, minerals, lemon zest and a hint of yeasty bread.  This has light body, is bone dry and has very crisp acidity.  On the palate, the green apples, anise and minerals jump out first with some fresh baked bread in the background providing nice depth, tart lemon zest comes in on the back end.  The finish is long and lingering with a nice nutty element adding a nice counter point to the lemon zest.  (92 pts)

 

This has 12.5% alcohol by volume.

 

 

2007 Saxum Bone Rock James Berry Vineyard

This is a blend of 82% Syrah, 13% Mourvedre and 5% Grenache.

 

This is a deep, dark purple to black color.  The intense nose has blackberries, smoked meat, raspberries, stony minerals, white pepper, blueberries, Asian spices and violets.  This has a full body, moderate to solid tannins and good acidity.  On the palate the big up front fruit is quickly balanced by a cascade of savory elements that take turns trying to steal the show.  The finish is very long and ever changing.  Even though this is big, ripe and rich, the wine does not come across as massive and brooding, the tannins and acidity hold everything together in a nice, balanced, tidy package.  (95 pts)

 

This has a lofty 15.7% alcohol.

 

 

2001 Staglin Family Cabernet Sauvignon Estate

This is from a magnum.

 

This is a medium to deep ruby with just a touch of brick on the edge.  The calm and relaxing nose has cassis, cedar, Rutherford Dust minerals, tobacco, dried herbs, cherries and a touch of mint.  This has medium body, moderate tannins and very nice acidity.  This is a smooth and rich Napa cab with velvety tannins.  On the palate, cherries and cedar envelope your taste buds initially, slowly giving way to minerals and dried herbs.  The finish has nice length with a touch of mint coming into the picture.  (94 pts)

 

This has 14.8% alcohol by volume.

 

 

Connect with me

You can follow me on Twitter for more wine info, potential food pairings, and an occasional recipe or two.  Be warned, I’m also a sports fan and there are occasional Pittsburgh Penguins, Steelers, and Pirates tweets.  I attended the University of South Carolina, so during football season, there will also be some Gamecock posts.

 

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

 

Cheers!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 2013 Cliff’s Wine Picks.

All rights reserved.

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

Breaking news from Klout:

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

 

 

2012 La Crema Chardonnay Monterey

2012 La Crema Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

 

 

La Crema – The right wine makes the party

 

 

Overview

I was lucky to be selected in an online tasting of wines from La Crema Winery that was sponsored by Snooth.  This event featured four wines from La Crema.  There was two Chardonnay wines and two Pinot Noirs.  In both cases the wines were the winery’s Monterey and Sonoma Coast appellation wines.

 

I want to thank La Crema and especially Gregory Dal Piaz of Snooth for allowing me to participate in this event.

 

 

 

 The Winery

For more than 30 years, La Crema has explored California’s coastal appellations, a voyage of varietals that started here at our estate in the foggy vineyards of the Russian River Valley.  On our journey, we have found exciting cool-climate vineyards north in the rugged hills of Mendocino, and south along the wind-swept slopes of Los Carneros.  Most recently, our exploration has taken us to the wind-swept hillside vineyards of Monterey.  Centered always on the dual lens of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, we look for one unifying factor at these exceptional sites: coastal wind and fog that allow the grapes ripen slowly on the vine, developing intensely complex aromas and flavors while retaining firm acid structure.

 

Naturally, our winemaking team seeks to express the essence of the terroir in our wines, capturing the unique personality and flavor profile of the vineyards.  Elizabeth Grant-Douglas infuses our winemaking regime with a highly personal touch that combines the best of traditional Burgundian winemaking techniques with a contemporary California style.

 

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

 

 

 

Snooth

Snooth is a community for wine lovers.

 

Whether one is just a beginner, or a total pro, Snooth offers its 1 million+ users countless opportunities to learn, taste, share and shop in the world of wine.

 

Members are able to interact with wineries, stores, fellow wine lovers, and wine professionals from all over the globe with Snooth’s daily newsletters, wine search, social forums and interactive media tools.

 

Since its launch in June 2007, Snooth has become one of the world’s largest and most comprehensive online wine destinations, featuring millions of price listings and wine reviews.  Snooth also powers wine & food pairings for major sites including Epicurious.com (Conde Nast) and myRecipes.com (Time Inc).

 

Why drink alone? Grab a glass and join the fun!

 

There is a ton of great information available on the Snooth website.

 

 

My line up

Even though there were four wines discussed at this online chat, everyone received just two of the wines.  Here is my line up for the event:

 

 

 

2012 La Crema Chardonnay Monterey – SRP $20

This 100% Chardonnay uses grapes from various vineyards in the Monterey region.  The vineyards of Monterey are defined by persistent ocean winds that are funneled down a 90-mile-long valley running north to south between the Santa Lucia and Gabilan Mountains.

 

The bottle is sealed with a Diam cork, which is made from pieces of shredded cork that is compressed and molded into shape.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a light golden yellow color.  The nose has apples, pears, crème brulee, baking spices, minerals, lemon zest, orange blossom and pineapple.  On the palate the wine has a creamy texture with nice acidity and a medium body.  On the palate apples, vanilla, spice and lemon zest steal the show.  The finish is a touch short but flavorful.  (87 pts)

 

 

2012 La Crema Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast – SRP $25

This 100% Pinot Noir is sourced from several vineyards in the Sonoma Coast region.  The coastal region’s boundary begins at the Mendocino County border, continues along the western coastal edge of Sonoma County through the mouth of the Russian River Valley; and extends to the Los Carneros region on the southern Sonoma/Napa

border.

 

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

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a light to medium ruby color.  The expressive nose has cherries, baking spices, minerals, raspberries, slight herbal note and cola.  This has a medium body, soft to moderate ripe tannins and nice acidity.  On the palate tart cherries, spice and minerals carry the majority of the load.  There is good length on the finish with some earthiness coming into the picture.  (88 pts)

 

 

Conclusion

These wines are made in an easy drinking style that will appeal to most wine drinkers and would be perfect for a party.  The wines have lower acidity which would make them a good choice where the wine won’t be expected to take center stage, but instead serve as a means of getting people to socialize over appetizers or casual meals.

 

 

 

Connect with me

You can follow me on Twitter for more wine info, potential food pairings, and an occasional recipe or two.  Be warned, I’m also a sports fan and there are occasional Pittsburgh Penguins, Steelers, and Pirates tweets.  I attended the University of South Carolina, so during football season, there will also be some Gamecock posts.

 

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

 

Cheers!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 2013 Cliff’s Wine Picks.

All rights reserved.

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

Breaking news from Klout:

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

 

 

N.V. Pierre Péters Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut Cuvée de Réserve

2006 M. Chapoutier St. Joseph Blanc Les Granits

2010 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir “The Three”

2005 Mas des Dames Coteaux du Languedoc

2007 Jean Edwards Cellars Syrah Alder Springs Vineyard Mendocino County

1998 Domaine de la Mordorée Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée de la Reine des Bois

1988 Schloss Schönborn Erbacher Marcobrunn Riesling Spätlese

1994 Prager Winery and Port Works Petite Sirah Royal Escort Vintage Port Paladini Vineyard

 

 

We had a small dinner party at the house with a couple friends in late November.  The friends, food and conversation were the stars of the evening, but we also had to open a few…OK, several bottles of wine.

 

Here are my thoughts and/or brief notes on the wines.  Since the wine was consumed over food and conversation, I was not able to take detailed tasting notes.  I will also just give the wines a letter score rather than the usual number since in most cases the wine was not the center of my attention.

 

 

 

Here is the lineup of wines the four of us enjoyed over a long evening:

 

 

 

N.V. Pierre Péters Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut Cuvée de Réserve

This bottle was a gift from a friend so it made sense to share it with friends.  I’m normally not a big sparkling wine/Champagne drinker, but this was wonderful and set a nice opening theme for the evening.

 

This had 12.0% alcohol and had a disgorged date of April 2012.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a pale golden straw color with tiny, persistent bubbles.  The very alluring nose had apples, yeasty bread, lemon zest, minerals, and a slight toasted nut element.  The wine is light and crisp with nice effervescence.  On the palate tart apples, yeast and lemon zest grabs hold and slowly allows chalky minerals, some melon, and a nice herbal note to slip into the picture.  The finish has nice length with lemon zest, minerals, and a yeasty note leaving a crisp and clean closing impression.  (A-)

 

 

2006 M. Chapoutier St. Joseph Blanc Les Granits – $25.17

I bought a couple bottles of this wine at a close out price a couple years ago.  We had a bottle not long after the purchase, but I wanted to save my remaining bottle for an event so we could share the bottle.  Tonight was a perfect occasion since my friend likes white Rhone wines even more than I do, and I like them a lot.

 

This had 13.5% alcohol and was sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine was a light, golden straw color.  The nose had nice apples, pear, white flowers, spices, orange zest and minerals.  On the palate the wine had a nice rich texture but was quickly followed with some citrusy acidity that kept it from getting plodding or heavy.  The finish was very long and fully of stony minerals, spice, orchard fruit and citrus zest.  (A)

 

 

2010 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir “The Three” – $33.00

This was a special “limited” bottling from Brian Loring.  If my memory is not failing me, he only produced about a dozen cases of this wine.

 

The wine has 14.9% alcohol and was sealed with a twist off cap.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine was a deep ruby red color.  The nose had black cherries, blackberries, baking spices, white pepper, underbrush, and vanilla.  This had medium to full body with fairly solid but ripe and silky tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate this was big, rich, and spicy with loads of dark fruit and baking spices.  There was very nice length on the finish with the spicy fruit lingering for a long time.  Not a wine for everyone, and not an everyday wine, but tonight I absolutely loved it.  (A)

 

 

2005 Mas des Dames Coteaux du Languedoc – $15.86

This bottle was from a Garagiste Wine purchase a few years ago.  I had a bottle not too long after the wine was delivered and knew this was a great purchase for a touch over $15.

 

This wine has 13.5% alcohol.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a nice ruby red color. The nose had 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.  (A-)

 

 

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

This winery is quickly becoming a personal favorite.  I love sharing their wines with friends so they can also become fans.

 

The wine has 14.2% alcohol and was sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine was 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.  (A)

 

 

1998 Domaine de la Mordorée Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée de la Reine des Bois

This bottle was brought by our dinner guests and fit in perfectly with the other wines we were opening.

 

This had 14.0% alcohol and was sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine needed a quick decant to wake up from its slumber in my friend’s cellar.  The wine was a nice ruby red with just a touch of brick at the edge.  After waking up the nose was stunning with crushed raspberries, black peppercorns, dried herbs, stony minerals, licorice, and a floral note.  On the palate the wine was rich and opulent but not overly heavy.  The finish seemed to go on forever.  I’d have loved to spend an evening with this wine to sample it as it progresses.  (A+)

 

 

1988 Schloss Schönborn Erbacher Marcobrunn Riesling Spätlese

This was a last second addition to the evening’s festivities.  My friend said his wife had never really had a good, older Riesling.  That’s about all the prodding I needed to pull something from the wine cellar.  It’s not every day you can share a 25 year old German Riesling with fellow wine lovers.

 

The wine has 9.5% alcohol and was sealed with a very fragile natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine was a deep, golden yellow color.  The nose had apples, white peaches, honey, minerals, citrus zest, lime, petrol and some white pepper.  This had light to medium body with good acidity and nice sweetness.  Very rich and smooth on the palate with most of the overt sugar having been incorporated into the magical elixir.  The wine had a long, lingering finish full of peach, apples, honey, minerals, and lime.  My friends loved the wine, but since I’ve had a few bottles of this wine over the last year, I knew this wasn’t a perfect bottle.  I think the fragile cork had caused a few slight issues to crop up.  It was real good but it just seemed to lack the oomph I was expecting.  (A-)

 

 

1994 Prager Winery and Port Works Petite Sirah Royal Escort Vintage Port Paladini Vineyard – $34.50

This bottle is from a winery in the Napa Valley we always visited.  When I saw this bottle pop up on Wine Bid last year, I had to stick in a low ball bid to see what happened.  I was lucky enough to win the bottle at what I felt was an incredible price for a bottle of 18 year old “Port” wine.

 

The wine had 18.3% alcohol and was “sealed” with the remnants of a natural cork.  I quickly saw that a normal cork screw would not work, so I pulled out the old Ah-So opener.  It easily slid between the cork and bottle but just a very slight twist caused the cork to disintegrate into the bottle.  No problem, the wine was simply served through a small strainer I use for occasions like this.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine was a deep, inky purple color.  The nose was full of peppery crushed berries, spice, cocoa powder and dark roasted coffee.  The years had tamed the wine so that it wasn’t big, brash and in your face.  It was sweet, but not overly syrupy.  It was still bold but the tannins were now reasonable and silky.  The finish was a touch short (or my palate was wearing out) but still very enjoyable and easy to sip at the end of a very enjoyable evening.  (B+)

 

 

Connect with me

You can follow me on Twitter for more wine info, potential food pairings, and an occasional recipe or two.  Be warned, I’m also a sports fan and there are occasional Pittsburgh Penguins, Steelers, and Pirates tweets.  I attended the University of South Carolina, so during football season, there will also be some Gamecock posts.

 

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Cheers!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 2013 Cliff’s Wine Picks.

All rights reserved.

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

Breaking news from Klout:

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

 

Cheers!