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

 

 

2011 Wente Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc Louis Mel Livermore Valley

2011 Wente Vineyards Riesling Riverbank Arroyo Seco

2012 Wente Vineyards Chardonnay Eric’s Small Lot

2010 Wente Vineyards Merlot Sandstone

 

 

This is from an online wine tasting in conjunction with an upcoming Front Porch Music Series concert.  More information on Wente Vineyards and their concerts is available on their website.

 

 

Wente Vineyards History

Wente Vineyards, founded 130 years ago, is the oldest, continuously operated family owned winery in the country.  The Livermore Valley based facility is owned and managed by the fourth and fifth generations of the family.  The family has approximately 3,000 acres of sustainably farmed vineyards at their disposal.  These grapes are used to create the single grape wines and unique blends the winery has in their diverse portfolio.

 

 

In addition to being a world class winemaker, Karl Wente is also a serious musician.  For this special tasting, Karl will be pairing the wines with up and coming indie bands performing during his Front Porch Music Series.  In a way to support emerging talent, Wente Vineyards holds 3 performances at their property every summer featuring local and up and coming bands.  As a prelude to the second concert on August 3rd, Karl will team up with one of the members of the rockin’ Stone Foxes to discuss music and wine pairings.

 

Note about Stone Foxes: they performed at last year’s music series and based in the region, are big supporters of “homegrown” bands from the Bay Area.  They’ve also performed at the Wente Foundation for Arts Educations Auction.

 

 

The line up of wines for this tasting:

 

 

 

2011 Wente Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc Louis Mel Livermore Valley – SRP $15

This is a tank fermented and aged Sauvignon Blanc from the Estate owned vineyards in the Livermore Valley.  The alcohol in this win is 13%.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a light straw color.  The fresh and crisp nose has nice apple, melon, citrus, minerals, and a slight herbal note.  This has light to medium body with crisp, citrusy acidity.  On the palate the orchard fruit and minerals hit first with a nice grassy component and tart citrus kicking in on the back end.  The juicy finish leans on the minerals, herbal notes, and mouthwatering citrus.  This is a very nice, food friendly glass of wine.  The minerality on the nose is like cold rain hitting hot rocks. (89 pts)

 

 

2011 Wente Vineyards Riesling Riverbank Arroyo Seco – SRP $15

This wine was cold fermented in stainless steel tanks to help highlight the natural fruit flavors in the Riesling grape.  The wine was aged in stainless tanks and there was no malolactic fermentation to help retain the crisp acidity.  The final alcohol is 12%.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a very light straw color with some yellow highlights.  The nose smells like a tropical fruit salad with honey dipped apples, orange blossoms, pineapple, lime zest, grapefruit, minerals, and a nice floral note.  This has medium body, decent acidity, and nice residual sweetness.  On the palate the apples, honey, and lime zest kick off the show with minerals and a touch of mouthwatering grapefruit coming in on the back end.  The finish has nice length and closes with some nice lime and good sweetness.  This would work well with spicy food, but would shine on its own on a warm evening.  (88 pts)

 

 

 

2012 Wente Vineyards Chardonnay Eric’s Small Lot – SRP $25

I’m a big fan of stainless steel tank fermented and aged Chardonnay wines that also did not go through malolactic fermentation.  This process lets the fruit and minerality shine through without oak and buttery notes getting in the way and maintains the food friendly acidity.  The final alcohol level in this wine is 13.7%.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a light yellow to straw color.  The Spring time like nose has apples, pineapples, minerals, orange blossoms, pears, and white peaches.  This has medium body with good acidity.  On the palate the orchard fruit hits first with building minerality and pineapple coming in on the back end.  The finish has nice length and closes with mouthwatering lemon zest.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2010 Wente Vineyards Merlot Sandstone – SRP $18

This Merlot is from the gently sloping vineyards in the southeastern corner of Livermore Valley.  The area generally has warm days and cool nights due to its proximity to the San Francisco Bay.  The wine was fermented in stainless steel tanks before being aged for 16 months in a mix of American, French, Eastern European, and neutral oak barrels.  The final alcohol is 13.5%.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a medium ruby red color.  The very appealing nose had plums, berries, baking spices, vanilla, minerals, and a bit of earthiness.  This has medium body, soft to moderate tannins, and good acidity.  On the palate the wine has a nice mix of fruit and savory elements with some building minerality kicking in on the back end.  The finish has good length with the fruit slowly giving way to minerals and a solid earthiness.  This is a very nice, food friendly, week night Merlot.  (89 pts)

 

 

 

Connect with me

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

 

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

 

Cheers!

 

 

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

All rights reserved.

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

Breaking news from Klout:

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

 

 

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

 

 

An online tasting for the Ninth Annual Wine Industry Symposium.

 

 

2012 Wente Vineyards Chardonnay Morning Fog Livermore Valley

2011 Garnet Pinot Noir Monterey County

2010 Renwood Zinfandel Premier Old Vine

 

 

This online tasting was presented in conjunction with the 9^th annual WITS, Wine Industry Technology Symposium that was going on in Napa.  Stephen Gilberg (@WineTwits) organized the tasting.  I am very thankful and lucky to have been chosen to participate in the tasting.  More information on WineTwits is available on their website.

 

For more information on WITS, visit their website or Facebook page.

 

This line up for the tasting included three wines from areas in California not named Napa or Sonoma.

 

 

 

2012 Wente Vineyards Chardonnay Morning Fog Livermore Valley – SRP $13.00

Every time I sample a wine from the Livermore Valley, I become a bigger fan of the region.  The Livermore Valley is about 35 miles east of San Francisco, north of San Jose.  The region’s proximity to the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay allows cool breezes and coastal fog to cool the area.  The combination of warm days and cool nights help provide ripe fruit with good natural acidity.

 

Half of this wine was barrel fermented in French oak, the rest was fermented in stainless steel tanks.  The wines were aged for 7 months on lees before blending and bottling.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a fairly bright yellow with a slight golden tint.  The very appealing nose has apples, pineapple, creme brulee, baking spices, and orange blossoms.  This has medium body with nice citrusy acidity, and a touch of residual sweetness.  On the palate the apples and spice jump out first with pineapples, vanilla, and a bit of creaminess coming in later and some zippy citrus bringing up the back end.  The finish has nice length with very nice balance between the rich pineapple and crisp citrus driven acidity.

 

This is a nice wine to serve with a light meal on a warm evening or to enjoy on its own with good friends over conversation.

 

More information is available on the winery’s website.

 

 

2011 Garnet Pinot Noir Monterey County Pinot Noir – SRP $14.99

Over the last few years I’m had and enjoyed the very reasonably priced Pinot Noirs coming out of Monterey County.  The better examples have shown ripe fruit and spice with enough acidity to provide ample support.

 

This wine is made from estate grown fruit from the winery’s vineyards near the Santa Lucia Highlands.  The wine was aged for 11 months in 100% French oak, 60% new.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a light to medium ruby red color.  The inviting nose has cherry, baking spices, subtle earthiness, smoke, strawberries, and a hint of pine.  This has medium body, soft silky tannins, and very nice acidity.  On the palate the fruit hits first with a nice spice component.  Some nice earthiness, smoke, and strawberry come in on the back end adding nice depth.  The finish has very good length and a nice pine note adds interest.

 

This is a slightly larger, brawnier style of Pinot Noir with nice fruit and spice but it also has the acidity to make it very food friendly.  This paired nicely with some grilled chicken and pork.  This would also make a nice wine to sip with friends alone or with some appetizers.  This wine is closed with a twist-off cap.

 

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

 

 

2010 Renwood Zinfandel Premier Old Vine – SRP $19.99

Amador County, which is located in California’s Sierra Foothills, generally produces wines that are full bodied with robust fruit and spice.  These are generally higher alcohol offerings but with the body and acidity to remain balanced.

 

This wine is composed of 92.5% Zinfandel, 5.8% Syrah, and 1.7% Souzao.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a nice ruby red color.  The big and outgoing nose is full of crushed berries, warm baking spices, black pepper, dark chocolate, fresh ground dark roast coffee, and some nice earthiness.  This full bodied wine has moderate to solid ripe tannins and good acidity.  On the palate this is a rich blend of berries and spice with a bit of pepper and earthiness coming in on the back end.  For a full bodied zinfandel, this is actually well mannered.  This ripe wine is rich and smooth enough to call for some good, spicy bbq ribs.  This should drink well for the next three to four years.

 

For whatever reason, it’s been a while since I last had a Renwood Zinfandel, but this bottle will put the winery back on my radar.  This was a big, full bodied wine with a solid wall of fruit and spice that concealed the 15.5% alcohol.  The back and was eich and smooth.  This went well with a piece of grilled steak, but the richness calls out for some smoky barbecue.

 

More information is available on the winery’s website.

 

 

Here are the grilled skewers of shrimp, steak, pork, and chicken we had while sampling these wines.  Not shown are grilled mushrooms, squash, and zucchini we also served.

 

 

 

***** 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 from a California Syrah tasting hosted by a friend.  He supplied the first six wines, I provided the last two as a counterpoint to the big, rich, ripe Syrahs we’d be consuming.

 

The first six were to be rated by those in attendance.  Since I only had a couple small tastes of each wine, I will only provide my quick thoughts without a full tasting note or score.  I prefer to spend a few hours with a bottle of wine to give a full assessment.  We knew the wines we’d be tasting, but the wines were decanted and the bottles were hidden until after we had sampled all the wines twice so we could form unbiased opinions.

 

These notes are not meant to look into the future but to provide a snapshot of how they were on this one specific night early in their development.

 

 

 

2009 Torrin Akasha

 

My Impressions

This is a solidly made, full bodied wine that demands a few years in the cellar.  This Paso Robles wine shows the characteristics of a location that gets warm to hot during the day but cools off enough at night to help the wine retain freshness and good acidity.  The wine is deep, dark, inky purple color with loads of black fruit, flowers, smoke, and spice.  This nicely balanced wine has sufficient tannins and acidity to support its size and ripeness level.  On the first pass through the wines this was my favorite, but eventually fell to second.

 

 

 

2010 McPrice Myers Syrah Larner Vineyard

 

My Impressions

As is generally the winery’s style, this was a massive, full bodied, ripe wine.  The wine is from the Santa Ynez Valley on California’s Central Coast.  The wine was an inky purple color with loads of black and blue fruit, licorice, smoke and spices jumping from the glass.  I fairly easily guessed this wine since it really isn’t my preferred style.  It was big and ripe with solid tannins, but to me the relatively lower level of acidity makes it flabby and a touch syrupy.  My least favorite wine of the night and that opinion seemed to be shared by others since the decanter still had a fair amount of wine in it when most of the others had been emptied.

 

 

 

2010 Bedrock Wine Co. Syrah Griffin’s Lair

 

My Impressions

This was another deep, dark, inky wine this time from the Sonoma Coast.  This is a fairly tightly wound beast that barely opened up even after being decanted for 4 to 5 hours.  The fruit did show some cooler climate characteristics like violet and some red cherry but it refused to fully open up.  You could sense the power behind the wall of tannins but this will need a few years in the cellar to live up to its full potential.  This was initially my second choice, but its lack of development led it to fall into my third slot.  I’m glad I have this in my cellar, but I won’t even consider opening a bottle for at least 3 to 4 years. The lack of development over a few hours lead me to correctly guess this was the Bedrock.  Their single vineyard Syrahs need a couple years to come together and open up.

 

 

 

2010 Carlisle Syrah Papa’s Block

 

My Impressions

I feel like a broken record…This Russian River Valley wine was a deep, dark ruby color.  This wine had big berries, pepper, spice, and showed a nice meaty element.  The tannins were fairly solid and with the accompanying acidity provided a solid backbone to easily support the wine’s size.  This wine has very nice balance and opened up very nicely over the course of a couple of hours.  This wine was far and away the most improved wine with additional air.  This was initially my number 3 wine, but upon trying an hour or two later, easily became my wine of the night.  I guessed this was the Carlisle wine immediately after trying it the second time.

 

 

 

2010 Herman Story Syrah White Hawk Vineyard

 

My Impressions

This is another deep, dense, purple wine, this one from Santa Barbara County.  This wine showed nice minerality and dark chocolate notes to go with the solid wall of berries.  There was a load of chewy tannins, but I’d have liked a tad more acidity to help hold the finish together.  This was a well made, full bodied Syrah that was over shadowed by several of the other wines due to its slightly muddled finish.  My number 5 wine based both on the initial taste and a follow up tasting.

 

 

 

2010 Jaffurs Syrah Larner Vineyard

 

My Impressions

This Santa Barbara County wine was a deep, dark, ruby to purple color.  The nose on the wine is outstanding with dark berries, minerals, eucalyptus, and a touch of cherry.  This was another tightly wound wine that never really opened up on the palate.  It was full bodied, had very solid tannins, and good acidity but never did come around.  Of the six wines, this one really needs the most cellar time.  I thought this could have been the Jaffurs, more or less by default by eliminating the other wines.  This was my number 4 wine on this night, but I could tell there was something special waiting to be uncaged.

 

 

 

2009 Anthill Farms Syrah Peters Vineyard

 

My Impressions

This Sonoma Coast Syrah was a deep ruby red color.  The cooler, Sonoma Coast influence was easily noticeable on the nose with a fair amount of cherry coming through as well as white pepper, bacon fat, and stony minerals.  This has more of a medium to full body with fairly solid tannins and very good acidity.  After trying the big bruisers, this almost seemed like a delicate Pinot Noir when I tasted it again after the other wines.

 

 

 

2008 Stefania Syrah Eaglepoint Ranch

 

My Impressions

This Mendocino County Syrah was a deep, dark ruby color.  Besides the requisite dark berries, this had a serious smoked meat element on the nose.  Probably because it was the oldest wine in the tasting, it seemed to be the most civilized and open.  This wine had medium to full body, fairly solid tannins, and very nice acidity.  I’m glad I have a few more bottles to open down the road.

 

 

 

***** 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

 

 

 

 

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 wines were provided by Balzac Communications acting on behalf of Steven Kent and La Rochelle Wineries.

 

 

 

 

These wines were tasted as part of the Steven Kent Wines online Twitter tasting on Friday, February 15th.  The notes that follow were compiled first during the event but modified as needed after retasting the bottles again on Saturday.  As expected a few of the larger red wines showed the most improvement on the second day.  Since these wines are priced on the higher side (but very reasonably, in my opinion) it would be best to allow the big reds considerable air or preferably a few years in the cellar.

 

 

Steven Kent Winery and La Rochelle Winery are part of the Steven Kent Portfolio.  Information is available online for Steven Kent Portfolio, Steven Kent Winery, and La Rochelle Winery.

 

 

 

2011 Steven Kent Lola Ghielmetti Vineyard (SRP $24)

 

This is a blend of 65% Sauvignon Blanc and 35% Semillon from the Ghielmetti Vineyard in Livermore.

 

Each variety was fermented separately in stainless steel tanks after whole cluster pressing.  After four months in tanks, the final blending was performed and aged a few more months in tanks to help marry the flavors.  The wine did not go through malo-lactic fermentation to help maintain the crisp acidity.

 

The final alcohol is 13.9%.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a golden yellow color with a slight green tint.  The fresh and full of Spring nose has apples, citrus zest, minerals, straw, and some spice.  This has a medium body with crisp acidity.  On the palate the tart apples, lime zest, and a touch of white pepper grab center stage.  Even though it is only 35% of the blend it seems to stand out a bit.  This would be perfect for dinner on the deck or patio on a warm day.  (89 pts)

 

 

 

2010 La Rochelle Chardonnay Morelli Lane Dutton Ranch (SRP $65)

 

This 100% Chardonnay was pressed off into stainless steel tanks and allowed to settle for a day or two.  It was then transferred to French oak barrels, 40% new, for fermentation.  The wine underwent malo-lactic fermentation and was aged sur-lie for 18 months in the 40% new French oak.

 

The final alcohol is 14.8%.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep yellow with a slight golden tint.  The very appealing nose has apples, hazelnuts, fresh bread, baking spices, citrus zest, minerals, and a touch of pineapple.  This has medium body and nice acidity.  On the palate the ripe apples, citrus zest, minerals, and spice steal the show.  Watch the serving temperature on this one, it was too bright when a couple degrees cold but became a bit too soft and out of balance when it warmed a bit too much.  (89 pts)

 

 

 

2009 La Rochelle Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands (SRP $38)

 

This wine is 100% Pinot Noir.  The vineyards used are Paraiso (31.3%), Sarmento (31.2%), White Sage (12.5%), Tondre Grapefield (12.5%), and Mission Ranch (12.5%).

 

The wine was aged 31 months in 100% French oak, 40% new and 60% second use.

 

The alcohol is 15.2%.

 

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright ruby red color.  The dark and enticing nose has cherries, earthy underbrush, wood smoke, cola, minerals, warm baking spices, black raspberries, dark chocolate, and a touch orange zest.  This has medium body, ripe, velvety tannins, and very good acidity.  Earthy cherries, baking spices, and minerals grab the palate initially, slowly allowing some cola, black raspberries, and spicy oak to add considerable depth.  The finish has very nice length with earthy fruit and spice slowly fading away.  This is very young and deserves some cellar time to open and fill out.  This improved greatly on the second day.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2009 La Rochelle Pinot Noir Donum Estate Vineyard – (SRP $75)

 

This 100% Pinot Noir from Donum Ranch in the Carneros region was aged 19 months in 100% French oak, 40% new, for 19 months after being destemmed and crushed into 1 3/4 ton open top bins for fermentation.

 

The final alcohol is 14.6%.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a touch lighter than a medium ruby red color.  The very enticing nose has raspberries, dried sage, eucalyptus, cherries, and some earthiness.  This is barely medium body with soft, ripe tannins, and very good acidity.  The palate is dominated by the cherries, raspberries, and spice, but a touch of earthiness creeps in on the back end.  The finish has nice length but it seemed to get a touch thin.  Drinkable now, but I’m sure some time in the cellar will add some complexity and help fill out the finish a bit.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2009 Steven Kent Petit Verdot Ghielmetti – (SRP $50)

 

Petit Verdot is generally used as a blending grape to help add tannins and color to Cabernet Sauvignon wines.  As an experiment, the winery selected their five “best” barrels to bottle and release as a “small lot” offering.  In my opinion, their experiment was a glowing success.

 

This 100% Petit Verdot from the Livermore Valley was aged 18 months in 60% new and 40% second use oak barrels from America and Hungary.  To the winery, the wine aged in the American oak  provided the “most pleasurable combination of structuring elements, flavor/aroma contribution, and forwardness of fruit”.  Total production was only 98 cases.

 

The final alcohol was 14.1%.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark maroon color.  The dark and manly nose has blackberries, cocoa, vanilla, warm baking spices, and some nice earthiness.  This is medium to full body with fairly solid tannins and good acidity.  The velvety palate is headed by dark, spicy, earthy berries, with some cocoa coming in on the back end.  The finish is fairly long and a nice continuation of the palate.  The best straight Petit Verdot I have ever had the pleasure to drink.  This wine was very good on the first day but even better on day two.  Some cellar time will be greatly rewarded.  (93 pts)

 

 

 

2009 Steven Kent Cabernet Sauvignon Home Ranch Vineyard – (SRP $65)

 

The Home Ranch in the Livermore Valley was planted in 1996 and is 2.8 acres.

 

This 100% Cabernet Sauvignon was destemmed and crushed into open top fermenters.  After fermentation, the wine was moved into 100% new American and French oak barrels for 24 months of aging.

 

The final alcohol is 14.2%.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine was a dark ruby to maroon color.  The exotic and very inviting nose has a quick hit of mint accompanied by cassis, dried herbs, smoke, baking spices, minerals, fresh ground espresso, and dark chocolate.  This has medium to full body, solid tannins and good acidity.  The palate was just as inviting as the nose lead me to expect with spicy cassis, mint, and a touch of earthiness leading the way.  The finish was fairly long with a very nice dark, bittersweet chocolate note lingering seemingly forever.  This improved greatly on the second day and deserves some time in the cellar.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

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!

 

 

 

 

 

 

QPR Stands for Quality to Price Ratio.  These are the wines that represented the highest quality and lowest prices.

 

Here are the top QPR wines I had in 2012.  I selected only bottles of wine that I purchased in 2012.  Will all (or any) of these wines be available in your area?  Good question.  The short answer is, all won’t be available, but one or two may be sitting on a shelf, especially the ones I bought towards the end of the year.

 

Instead of using the price I paid, which may have been a close out price, I am using the “Community Average value” from Cellar Tracker.  This means, you may actually find the wine for a lower price.  I just needed a good way to show an actual price.  It would be stupid for me to show a wine with a suggested price of $50, just because I bought one bottle at a blowout for $19.99.

 

The Cellar Tracker “Community average value” can be skewed if there were a lot of bottles bought at a sale price.  That means, I’m sorry if you can find the wine but it is considerably higher than the price I have listed.  There are a lot of factors that could cause the average price to drop below the current cost, volume discounts, special offers, sales, etc.

 

To be in the Top 10, a wine’s “Community Average Value” had to be under $20.  As an added bonus, I included five wines with an average value of $20.00 to $25.00.  Like I mentioned earlier, since the price listed is the “average” price, you may be able to find some of these for under $20.

 

Unfortunately, the average price of a couple wines in my list had their average price creep over $20 in the last week.  Instead of removing them, I left them on the list since with low “ownership” wines, one person paying suggested price can skew the average.

 

 

 

10 – 2009 Brassfield Estate Winery Eruption Volcano Ridge – $13.56

 

My comments

This was a new one for me in 2012.  I bought one bottle, tried it, and had to load up.  I think this one will improve a bit with some cellar time and drink well for a couple of years.

 

My Tasting Note

This was decanted about 2 hours.  The wine is a deep, inky purple color.  Blackberries, Asian spices, licorice, cracked black peppercorns, plums, cherries, eucalyptus, underbrush, cherry, and a hint of smoked meat on the very nice and open nose.  This has medium to full body with fairly solid, ripe tannins and decent acidity.  Loads of spicy fruit on the palate that is not raisiny or syrupy.  Ripe but not overly so, walking the fine line.  Nice length on the finish which does show a bit of spicy oak.  Tasty now, but a bit more cellar time may be rewarded.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

9 – 2011 Villa Creek Pink – $15.10

 

My comments

This is one of my perennial summer Rosé wines.  This one is generally good with a light dinner on a warm day, or just a cool beverage to tame some Summer heat.

 

My Tasting Note

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

 

 

 

8 – 2010 Isole e Olena Chianti Classico – $22.45

 

My comments

This was suggested to me by a friend at my local wine store as one to try.  I did, and as usual, he was right.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a nice, ruby red color.  The very nice and pleasing nose has plums, black cherries, baking spices, underbrush, dried herbs, and fresh flowers.  This is barely medium body with ripe tannins and very good acidity.  The wine is rich and lush on the palate with plenty of acidity holding everything together very nicely.  The finish has very nice length with red fruit, spice, and nice earthiness.  A very nice Chianti Classico, I need to pick up some more.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

7 – 2008 Core Grenache Santa Barbara County – $16.43

 

My comments

A top notch winery, a high quality region, and one of my favorite grapes, how could I not love it?

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a garnet red color.  The very intriguing nose has cherries, Asian spices, plums, dried leafy herbs, meat juices, leather, white pepper, and a touch of earthiness.  This has medium body, moderate, ripe tannins, and very good acidity.  This has solid fruit and spice on the plush and velvety palate.  The palate leans heavily on the tart cherries and Asian spices, but the pepper, plums, and pepper spread out to totally envelope the palate in flavor.  The long, lingering finish echoes the palate with the spicy, cherries and a touch of earthiness seeming to never totally fade.  This is a fantastic value that should find a place in your cellar.  This can be enjoyed over the next 4 to 5 years.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

6 – 2009 Cellers Can Blau Montsant Can Blau – $14.47

 

My comments

I used to drink a ton of this wine, but for some reason, probably price, I moved on to other wines.  My local wine store had this at a great price so I had to grab a few bottles, I’m glad I did since it is as good as ever.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep maroon color.  The very tempting nose features plums, cherries, wood smoke, baking spices, wild flowers, and some dried herbs and cedar.  This has a medium body with fairly solid tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate tart cherries and dried herbs grab the initial spotlight with some spicy oak and baking spices adding nice depth in the background.  The finish has nice length and highlights the savory elements with the fruit in the background.  A very nice, value priced “baby Priorat”.   (91 pts)

 

 

 

5 – 2008 Treasure Hunter Cabernet Franc Catch 22 – $19.33

 

My comments

This is a Negociant that buys excess juice from wineries, sometimes does some blending, bottles it and sells it for a fraction of the price the original winery would have charged.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep maroon color.  The very interesting and inviting nose has blackberries, dried herbs, licorice, black cherry, baking spices, cigar tobacco, dark chocolate, cedar, and some violets.  This has medium body with fairly solid tannins and good acidity.  On the palate the wine shows a fair amount of upfront berries and black cherry with dried herbs and spices, slowly a nice hit of dark chocolate creeps in on the backend.  The finish has decent length and leans more toward the dried herbs and dark chocolate with the fruit playing more of a supporting role in the background.  This is a fantastic, young wine for under $20.  I’m going to try and hold off opening another for a few months, but it will be tough.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

4 – 2011 Bedrock Wine Co. Mourvedre Ode to Lulu Rosé – $18.46

 

My comments

This is another of the Rosé wines I load up on before Summer rolls around.  This one usually has a bit more acidity than the Villa Creek Pink (#9 above).

 

My Tasting Note

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

 

 

 

3 – 2008 Allegrini Palazzo della Torre Veronese IGT – $18.02

 

My comments

This is another wine I used to buy in large volumes but avoided when the price crept up.  The local store featured this for an outstanding price and I ended up getting well over a case to enjoy over the next few years.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep maroon color.  The elegant nose has blackberries, plums, smoke, dried herbs, vanilla, black cherries, wild flowers and minerals.  This is medium body with silky, ripe tannins and decent acidity.  There is nice layered fruit, spice, and dried herbs on the palate with just a touch of earthiness in the background.  This has nice length on the finish which shows spicy berries.  Very nice.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2 – 2011 Bedrock Wine Co. Casa Santinamaria – $17.89

 

My comments

I joined the Bedrock mailing list to get their red wines, but thus far I have preferred their Rosé and whites.  The Bedrock red wines need some cellar time, but their whites, like this one are outstanding and offer fantastic value.  This is composed of Muscadelle, Chasselas, Zinfandel, Semillon, and even a little bit of Chardonnay.

 

My Tasting Note

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

 

 

 

1 – 2007 Core Hard Core – $20.16

 

My comments

This is a blend of 37% Mourvèdre, 33% Cabernet, 26% Syrah and 4% Grenache, and that add up to 100% delicious!  I’m not sure if Dave Corey still has any of this and what his current price is, I was able to load up during a sale on Invino.  This wine is just entering a nice drinking window.  Thankfully I still have some in the cellar to enjoy over the next few years.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark, ruby color.  The captivating nose has black cherry, smoked meat, black pepper, cassis, vanilla, dark chocolate, fresh ground espresso, dried herbs, and a touch of earthiness and cedar.  This is medium to full body with fairly solid, ripe tannins and very nice acidity.  The wine is rich and spicy on the palate with layers of flavors popping in, including nice dark chocolate and espresso grounds elements.  This has a fairly long finish full of fruit and dark chocolate with some nice, spicy oak and earthiness adding to the enjoyment.  This is an outstanding effort that will reward additional cellar time.  (93 pts)

 

 

 

Bonus – Five wines from $20.00 to $25.00

 

 

 

11 – 2007 Core Tempranillo C3 Reserve – $21.40

 

My comments

I’m a big fan of Spanish Tempranillo wines, but other than Villa Creek’s Mas de Maha, which is a blend with a fair amount of Tempranillo, most from California haven’t been noteworthy.  Finally, an outstanding California Tempranillo wine!

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a slightly hazy deep ruby color.  The wine has an exotic and exciting nose full of cherries, black raspberries, well worn leather, earthy underbrush, baking spices, licorice, and dried herbs.  This has a medium body with fairly solid, ripe tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate the wine is loaded with tart cherries, raspberries, and baking spices up front with some earthiness and dried herbs in the background adding nice depth and complexity.   The finish is fairly long and full of juicy fruit and spice that slowly gives way to dried herbs and a touch of earthiness.  This is still very young and with the abundance of fruit, acidity, and tannins, some additional cellar time will be rewarded.  One of the better California Tempranillo wines I’ve had the pleasure to enjoy.  (93 pts)

 

 

 

12 – 2011 Bedrock Wine Co. Sauvignon Blanc Kick Ranch – $22.17

 

My comments

How about that the third Bedrock wine to make my QPR list, and like the two previous entries, it is not a red.  This is the second vintage in a row that this wine was a killer value.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright straw color with glints of green and gold.  This has a fresh and refreshing nose full of apples, white peaches, stony minerals, citrus zest, eucalyptus, fresh cut grass, with a nice floral note.  This is light to medium body with crisp, citrusy, acidity.  This is bright and very lively with the fruit, citrus, and herbal notes taking turns enticing the palate.  The finish is fairly long with the eucalyptus making an appearance to lend a savory element to the fruit and citrus.  No hurry on this one, it should easily last a few years in the cellar, but as soon as you finish a bottle you will be drawn to open another.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

13 – 2010 Helioterra Pinot Noir Willamette Valley – $22.89

 

My comments

This was another new find for me in 2012.  I bought a few bottles of Helioterra wine based on a recommendation during a “Berserkers Day” event.  If you don’t know what a “Berserker Day” is, visit Wine Berserkers.

 

My Tasting Note

From a bottle that had been opened but not decanted for about 4 hours.  The wine is a very light, transparent ruby color.  This has cherry, wet earth, underbrush, baking spices, and a hint of a soft, herbal note on the soft, delicate, but very inviting nose.  The wine has light to medium body with soft, ripe tannins and very nice acidity.  Nice spicy, earthy cherries on the palate with a very pleasing faint herbal note in the background.  There is decent length on the finish which may fill out with some additional cellar time.  My first exposure to Helioterra, but this will not be my last.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

14 – 2009 Trentadue Winery La Storia “Cuvee 32” – $21.81

 

My comments

This is one of my favorite “Super Tuscan” wines coming out of California.  A “Super Tuscan” is generally a wine from Tuscany that had a non Italian grape blended with the native Sangiovese.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a medium to deep garnet color, much lighter at the edge.  On very enticing nose there are cherries, raspberries, earthy underbrush, dried herbs, baking spices, licorice, blackberries, black pepper, and violets.  The wine has medium body with fairly solid, ripe tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate the wine is full of tart, spicy, fruit with nice earthy elements and some pepper adding depth and complexity.  The finish is fairly long and features tart, juicy cherries, licorice, and some earthiness.  This is a very nice “Super Tuscan” from California.  Tastes fantastic today, but this will last in the cellar for up to five years.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

15 – 2009 Girard Petite Sirah – $24.00

 

My comments

This is another favorite in just about every vintage.  Girard is just about as consistent with this grape as any winery in the world.  They always seem to put out an exceptional Petite Sirah at a great price.

 

My Tasting Note

This was decanted for about an hour. The wine is a deep, dark purple color. There are blackberries, black pepper, smoke, licorice, dark chocolate, dried herbs, underbrush, and some earthiness on the dark and pleasing nose.  This is medium to full body with fairly solid, ripe tannins and very nice acidity.  There is a lot of fruit and spice on the palate with just a bit of earthiness coming in on the back end with dark chocolate and black pepper.  Nice length on the finish where the dark chocolate really kicks into high gear.  This is very young but already very nice.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

 

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!

 

 

 

 

 

Here are the top wines I sampled or drank in 2012.  It was a hard task since I had tasting notes on over 500 wines this year.  As an added bonus, I included my next 10 wines, but since they aren’t ranked, I’ll  still call this my Top 10.

 

I set a couple of rules going in, the same winery couldn’t have more than one wine in the top 10 and could not have more than 2 in the top 20.  This only came into play for one wine, causing a bottle to fall from the top 10 to the “number 11 to 20” list.  Sorry Carlisle.

 

Unfortunately, since most of the wines I open have been in my cellar for a number of years, most of these wines are not available to purchase today.  Some are probably available on the auction sites, like WineBid.  If you are interested in any specific wine, let me know and I can help you track down a bottle.

 

 

 

10 – 2001 Elyse Cabernet Sauvignon Morisoli Vineyard

 

My comments

This is perennially one of my favorite Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons.  The Elyse Morisoli Cab generally needs a few years in the cellar to fully open up and reveal all of its layers.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a very nice, deep ruby color, showing absolutely no sign of age.  The outstanding nose has cassis, smoke, well worn leather, fresh ground coffee, dark chocolate, dried herbs, tobacco, and a faint hint of cedar.  This is medium bodied with nice, ripe, integrated tannins and very nice acidity.  The wine is very civilized and refined on the palate with a nice fruit to savory balance.  The finish is long and full of cassis, dried herbs, and dark chocolate.  Very food friendly, but I’m very much enjoying a post dinner glass.  This can easily rest in the cellar for a few more years, but it is stunning today.  (94 pts)

 

 

9 – 2007 Westerhold Family Vineyards Syrah Westerhold Vineyard

 

My comments

This was a new find for me early in the year.  I bought a few bottle based purely on the fact Russell Bevan was the winemaker.  As soon as I had a couple sips, I was online stocking up.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep maroon color.  The irresistible nose has blackberries, smoked meat, black pepper, charcoal, dried herbs, melted licorice, baking spices, and a hint of violets.  This is fairly full body with solid, ripe tannins and very good acidity.  This is lush and ripe on the palate but not really pushing the ripeness to the edge.  The palate shows nice peppery berries, licorice, and some smoked meat with baking spices and dried herbs in the background.  The finish is very long and highlights the fruit initially but as the fruit slowly fades, the savory elements keep going.  Still extremely young but already outstanding.  (95 pts)

 

 

 

8 – 2004 Bodegas AAlto Ribera del Duero AAlto

 

My comments

I’ve been a big fan of this Ribera del Duero wine for several years.  It took some cellar time but this outstanding vintage is just now coming out of its shell.

 

My Tasting Note

Decanted about 2.5 hrs.  Deep maroon color.  Blackberry liqueur, licorice, earthy underbrush, cedar, dried herbs, dark chocolate, and dark roasted coffee on the very open and inviting nose.  Medium to full body with solid tannins and very nice acidity.  Loads of spicy, sweet fruit on the palate with no over ripe notes.  Long finish again full of spicy fruit.  This will improve , perhaps quite a bit, with some additional cellar time but it is outstanding now with a couple hours of air.  Delicious!  (95 pts)

 

 

 

7 – 2002 Shafer Relentless

 

My comments

Another perennial favorite.  With the current vintage’s number one ranking in the Wine Spectator Top 100 wines, I’m sure more people will come to appreciate this gem.

 

My Tasting Note

Deep, dark maroon color.  Blackberries, smoked meat, black pepper, licorice, Asian spices, vanilla, dark chocolate, and fresh ground coffee on the very inviting and exotic nose.  Medium to full body with fairly solid, ripe tannins and nice acidity.  A big hit of berries on the palate then waves of savory elements grab the palate.  Long, lingering finish with the spicy berries giving way to the dark chocolate and espresso.  Outstanding!  (95 pts)

 

 

 

6 – 2007 Saxum James Berry Vineyard

 

My comments

I’ve been a big fan since back when some of the major wine magazines hated this wine.  This vintage was not only named the number 1, Wine of the Year by Wine Spectator but was bestowed very high scores by just about everyone who rates wines.  In my opinion, it is outstanding but will benefit from some additional cellar time.

 

My Tasting Note

I decanted the wine for a couple hours before tasting.  The wine is a deep, dark ruby color.  The wine has an exotic nose full of blackberries, blueberries, Asian spices, smoky incense, potpourri, black cherries, minerals, cola, earthy underbrush and a touch of alcohol.  This is fairly full bodied with solid, ripe tannins and bright acidity.  On the palate the wine reveals itself in layers.  First there is a solid hit of fruit with slowly building Asian spices.  As the fruit begins to fade, some nice earthy elements slowly start to build, later a bit of dark chocolate starts to take over.  The alcohol note on the nose is not noticeable on the palate or the long finish.  100 pts?  Wine of the Year?  I don’t know if I’d go that far at this point in its evolution, but there is still considerable upside.  (95 pts)

 

 

 

5 – 2003 Carlisle Two Acres

 

My comments

This is another wine that tastes great upon release, but some cellar time is greatly rewarded.  For all their early richness, Carlisle wines are balanced enough to improve in the cellar.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, saturated maroon color with a touch of bricking at the edge.  The very pleasing and inviting nose features blackberries, licorice, tree bark, leather, meat juices, dried herbs, violets, and a touch of Asian spices.  The wine is fairly full bodied with nice, ripe tannins and good acidity.  On the palate there are nice, spicy berries with just a touch of earthiness and a hit of dark chocolate.  Even though the nose and palate are top notch, the finish is probably the best part of the wine.  The finish is very long and loaded with berries, chocolate, dried herbs, and earthiness with just a bit of a meaty element.  The length is incredible!  There are absolutely no rough edges or any overly dominant taste or aromas in this wine.  This wine is in a perfect drinking window, if I had more I’d recommend drinking over the next year or two.  (95 pts)

 

 

 

4 – 2008 Melville Pinot Noir Carrie’s

 

My comments

This is a wine I grabbed off the shelf at my local wine store to try down the road.  Now I wish I had opened it as soon as I got home so I could have stocked up.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep ruby color.  An intoxicating nose with earthy underbrush, black cherry, raspberry, baking spices, vanilla, melted licorice, and violets.  This has medium body with ripe tannins and very good acidity.  Rich and plush on the palate with fantastic, earthy, spicy, fruit that slowly transforms to reveal a new nuance every couple of seconds.  The finish never really seems to dissipate, seemingly lingering forever.   One of the absolute best young California Pinot Noirs I have had the good fortune to enjoy.  Absolutely stunning!  (95 pts)

 

 

 

3 – 2003 Turley Petite Sirah Hayne Vineyard

 

My comments

For a long time, one of the upper echelon Petite Sirahs from California.  Over the years other wineries have been able to duplicate Turley’s “formula” when it comes to Zinfandels, but no one has been able to replicate the power and finesse Turley generates from this Hayne Vineyard masterpiece.

 

My Tasting Note

Decanted an hour.  Deep, dark, inky maroon color.  An outstanding nose of blackberries, pepper, melted licorice, baking spices, dark chocolate, fresh ground espresso, with some vanilla, blueberry, and violets.  Full bodied with solid, ripe tannins and very nice acidity.  Rich and spicy on the palate with loads of dark fruit, pepper, and spice.  Ripe tannins grab the palate coating it with velvety plushness.  Long finish that just seems to go on and on, very slowly fading.  One of the best Petite Sirahs I have ever had.  This is still quite young but very drinkable now with some air.  I’ll hold onto my other bottle for a special occasion.  (95 pts)

 

 

 

2 – 2004 Jean Edwards Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Stagecoach Vineyard

 

My comments

Jean Edwards Cellars was another new find for me in 2012.  In this case, my thanks goes to Twitter for leading me to this winery and the wonderful owners.  Check them out on the internet, you can probably still get in on this action before the winery catches on in a big way making the wine extremely hard to get.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a fairly deep ruby to garnet color.  The sensuous nose features cassis, cedar, tobacco, dried herbs, smoke, well worn leather, black cherry, and just a touch of earthiness.  This has medium body with nice, ripe tannins and very good acidity.  The wine is rich and velvety on the palate with dried herb laced berries and cherries up front and nice savory notes and spicy oak adding considerable depth and complexity.  The long finish adds a touch of dark chocolate and earthiness to the fruit and dried herbs.  The wine is in a perfect drinking window with absolutely no rough edges or over powering elements, but it should hold for at least a few more years if not longer.  I’ll hold my remaining bottle for another couple years.  (95 pts)

 

 

 

1 – 2007 Villa Creek High Road The Long Path James Berry Vineyard

 

My comments

I’ve been buying and very much enjoying the wines from Villa Creek for several years.  This bottle, from a great vintage, and the magical James Berry Vineyard has propelled this wine to the top of my list for the year.  I wish I had bought more of this but my couple bottles will have to make due.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark maroon color.  The nose on this wine is absolutely incredible with blackberries, intense stony minerals, violets, smoke, briny olives, blueberries, and dark, bittersweet chocolate with just a hint of earthiness.  This is medium to full body with fairly solid, ripe tannins and very nice acidity.  Like the nose, the palate on this wine is incredible, loaded with spicy, smoky, mineral laden berries with olives and dark chocolate in the background adding depth and complexity.  The finish is very long, never seeming to end with spicy berries and just a bit of earthiness seeming to last forever.  In a perfect world, this would be cellar worthy for a decade, but realistically it will be next to impossible to resist for more than a year or two in my cellar.  (96 pts)

 

 

 

Number 11 to 20 by winery

 

 

2007 Big Basin Vineyards Odeon Black Ridge Vineyard

This was decanted for about 3 hours.   The wine is a deep, dark, purple color.  The very deep and interesting nose had cassis, blackberries, black cherries, baking spices, licorice, fresh ground espresso, dark chocolate, dried herbs, minerals, and some toasty oak.  This is full bodied with a nice tannic backbone and good acidity.  The wine explodes on your palate coating it with spicy fruit, dark chocolate, and dried herbs.  There is a some nice, spicy oak providing some background “seasoning”.  The wine has a long, lingering finish with just enough toast oak to add interest without over powering the fruit and dried herbs.  This is a big, ripe, rich wine that perfectly conceals the alcohol.  This wine has years of life ahead of it, but it is delicious today with some air.  (94 pts)

 

2006 Carlisle Zinfandel Carlisle Vineyard

Decanted about an hour.  Deep, dark maroon color.  Brambly berries, melted licorice, black pepper, smoke, dark chocolate, with a bit of vanilla on the fantastic nose.  Full bodied with solid, ripe tannins and very nice acidity.  Big, ripe, and bold on the palate with loads of juicy, peppery berries.  Long, spicy finish.  Wine still tastes young and has youthful tannins and very nice acidity, this could cellar for several more years.  This is an absolutely stunning zinfandel, one of the best I have ever had. and I think it will still improve with some additional cellar time.  (95 pts)

 

2005 Clos du Mont Olivet Chateauneuf-du-Pape

Decanted about 2 hours.  Deep, dark ruby color with just a touch of lightening at the edge.  Black cherries, raspberries, loads of minerality, dried herbs, spices, scorched earth, a bit of underbrush, black pepper, and meat juices on the rich and luxurious nose.  Medium body with solid but silky tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate the wine is rich, smooth, and velvety with no jagged edges or off notes, it just envelopes the palate with spicy, earthy fruit.  Long, lingering finish.  This may be very young, but with some air it is a knock out.  Top rate and at under $30 a QPR masterpiece!  (94 pts)

 

2003 Corison Cabernet Sauvignon

Decanted about an hour.  Deep, saturated ruby color.  Cassis, cherry, licorice, worn leather, cocoa, dried herbs, smoke, tobacco, and just a bit of cedar on the slightly reserved nose.  Medium body with fairly solid but ripe tannins and very nice acidity.  Much more expressive on the palate than on the nose, everything seems to be turned up a notch, with the rich and spicy fruit leading the way.  Nice dried herbs are in the background with a bit of dark chocolate coming in on the backend.  Long finish with the dried herbs and dark chocolate seeming to last forever.  I think the nose will open up with another year or two in the cellar.  Very nice now, probably even better in a year or two.  (94 pts)

 

2007 Jacob Franklin Mon Chou #50 Napa Valley

Pretty much pop and pour due to a different wine being corked.  The wine is a deep ruby to maroon color.  The fantastic nose has cassis, dried herbs, licorice, baking spices, cherries, cigar box, smoke, and minerals.  This had medium body with fairly solid, ripe tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate the wine shows very nice spicy fruit full of dried herbs and a touch of licorice.  The wine has a long, lingering finish full of sweet berries, spices, and the dried herbs.  This is the real deal, with no rough edges.  This wine is very highly recommended.  (94 pts)

 

2005 Jaffurs Petite Sirah Thompson Vineyard

The wine is a very dark purple color, almost black.  The very inviting nose has blackberries, blueberries, white pepper, baking spices, melted licorice, violets, and some dark chocolate.  This is medium to full bodied with solid, ripe tannins and very good acidity.  Ripe, juicy, spicy berries dominate the palate with some very nice licorice and dark chocolate coming through on the backend.  The bright acidity and tannins keep the wine in check and actually makes it seem a bit lighter in body than the 15.8% alcohol lead me to expect.  The wine has a long finish with the juicy berries and spices slowly fading.  The alcohol is surprisingly well hidden with just a touch peeking through on the finish.  An outstanding Petite Sirah that is drinking perfectly today but with enough acidity and tannins to easily cellar for several more years.  (94 pts)

 

2010 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir “The Three”

Decanted about 2 hours.  Deep ruby red color.  Black cherries, blackberries, baking spices, white pepper, underbrush, and vanilla on the very intriguing nose.  Medium to full body with fairly solid but ripe and silky tannins and very nice acidity.  Big, rich, and spicy on the palate with loads of dark fruit and baking spices.  Very nice length on the finish with the spicy fruit lingering for a long time.  This is not a Pinot for Francophiles, VERY unique.  I would call this hedonistic, even though I absolutely despise that term in a tasting note because it usually denotes an over ripe, sweet, syrupy wine, which this is not.  Not for everyone, and not an everyday wine, but tonight I absolutely loved it.  (94 pts)

 

1988 Schloss Schonborn Erbacher Marcobrunn Riesling Spatlese

The wine is a bright, golden yellow color.  The very pleasing nose has petrol, apples, white peaches, honey, minerals, citrus zest, lime, and some white pepper.  This has light to medium body with crisp 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 has a long, lingering finish full of peach, apples, honey, minerals, and lime.  This actually still tastes young.  (94 pts)

 

2000 Trimbach Riesling Cuvee Frederic Emile

A bright golden yellow color.  Apple, peach, lemon zest, minerals, lime zest, petrol, and a touch of white pepper on the very luxurious nose.  Light to medium body, dry with outstanding acidity.  Tart and tangy white fruit and citrus on the palate with minerals and a bit of white pepper coming in on the back end.  Long finish with mouthwatering citrus and spicy minerals seeming to last forever.  An truly outstanding example of a dry Riesling.  (94 pts)

 

2007 Villa Creek Willow Creek Cuvee

Decanted about an hour.  Deep ruby color.  Cherries, blackberries, white pepper, baking spices, some earthiness, licorice, and nice minerality on the very open and inviting nose.  Medium to full body with solid, ripe tannins and very nice acidity.  Rich fruit and solid peppery spice on the palate with some minerality and earthiness coming in on the back end.  Long finish with the fruit, spice, minerality, and earthiness all lingering seemingly forever.  I love this wine every vintage, but one seems to have that little something extra.  This is special.  (94 pts)

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

 

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!

 

 

We had some of our best friends over for dinner on Saturday, October 27th.  Since they are into good wine as much as we are and it’s been quite a while since we’ve “broken bread” together, I decided to pull out a few special bottles.

 

They were calling for a cold day, so we decided to go with a good, nothing fancy, comfort food, style of dinner, with the wine playing the starring role.

 

I tried to pick wines that were all different but that would fit into the more laid back, easy living dinner we had planned.

 

For me, the hardest part of a dinner party is selecting the wines.  I select every one for a specific reason, even if the reason is that I just want to drink one.

 

 

 

On a sad note, after a lot of good food and wine, we ended up not opening the 2007 Saxum James Berry Vineyard.  My review of the Saxum is in my blog from Oct 26-28.

 

 

 

2010 Bedrock Wine Co. Cuvée Karatas – $28.00

 

My comments

I joined the Bedrock mailing list to get my hands on their red wines, but I am increasing impressed by their white.  I think the Bedrock white wines are some of the best being produced in California.  Across the board they have been outstanding.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a pale, golden yellow color.  The fresh and vibrant nose has melon, white peach, apples, slate, beeswax, flint jasmine, citrus zest, grapefruit, and some white pepper.  This is light to medium bodied with tart, citrusy acidity.  On the palate there is a load of spicy, mineral laden fruit with lemon zest and a healthy splash of grapefruit.  The wine has a long, lingering finish with nice tart grapefruit, lemon zest, and a touch of white pepper.  This is stunning today but will last in the cellar for at least a few years.  (93 pts)

 

 

 

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

 

My comments

This was a special, limited production, bottling of the best of the best from Loring.  I was able to get a three pack of this wine.  It’s not for a Red Burgundy enthusiast, but a more over the top California version of Pinot Noir.

 

My Tasting Note

This is a deep, dark ruby color.  The very inviting nose is full of rich and smoky black cherries, earthy blackberries, minerals, baking spices, white pepper, underbrush, and vanilla.  This has medium to full body with fairly solid, ripe tannins and good acidity.  On the palate the wine is full of rich, spicy fruit with some subtle earthiness in the background.  The finish is fairly long with nice, ripe fruit and lingering spiciness.  This is nothing like a Red Burgundy, but that is not the winery’s goal so it succeeds, in my opinion.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2006 Glaetzer Shiraz Amon-Ra Barossa Valley – $68.74

 

My comments

Year after year, this is one of the bench mark wines from Australia.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark purple color, almost black.  The deep and alluring nose has blackberry, minerals, eucalyptus, baking spices, black cherries, earth, vanilla, licorice, and a nice floral note.  This is medium to full body with solid, ripe tannins and very good acidity.  A bit brighter on the palate than the nose lead me to expect, very ripe but not syrupy or off dry and the acidity and tannins hold everything together.  Very rich and velvety on the palate with layers of flavors that get revealed layer by layer.  The finish is extremely long with the fruit and savory notes seeming to constantly change highlighting a different sensation every couple of seconds.  On of the best wines I’ve ever had, absolutely stunning.  (96 pts)

 

 

 

2008 Myriad Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford – $48.00

 

My comments

Mike Smith is one of the up and coming wine makers in California.  I’m glad I was able to get in on the ground flood of the operation.  The winery also produces a very good Syrah to go with their numerous cabernets.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark ruby color.  On the outstanding nose the wine shows cassis, black cherry, Rutherford dust, minerals, licorice, baking spices, dried herbs, and dark chocolate.  This is fairly full bodied with solid tannins and very good acidity.  The wine has a long, lingering finish with spicy fruit and the dried herbs leading the way.  This is extremely young and will improve with a few more years in the cellar.  (93 pts)

 

 

 

 

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!

 

 

 

Enoree River Vineyards and Winery

Newberry, SC

 

 

During a recent vacation to South Carolina to visit my wife’s family, I discovered a winery only a few miles away and decided we had to stop in for a visit.

 

I wasn’t expecting world class wines but figured it was worth a visit to a small, family owned winery in the middle of South Carolina.  I try to support all wineries since making wine is a life style I wholeheartedly support.

 

They have two classifications for their wines; the more international styled wines are made from juice brought in from Chile.  They also make fruit based wines and wines from grapes grown on site, Muscadine.  Muscadine grapes are native to the Southern United States from Texas to the Carolinas.

 

After accidently driving past the winery and having to make a U-turn, we arrived at the winery and tasting room.  Their new and very nice looking tasting room had shining hardwood floors, the prerequisite tasting bar, and several tables.  We stopped in on a Thursday afternoon and were the only people there.  We were told they get extremely busy on Saturdays.  As expected, their busiest time of the year is the month leading up to Christmas.  Everyone has to have some alcohol to successfully celebrate the holiday season.

 

I believe we were told they are getting ready for their 4^th harvest of their Muscadine grapes.

 

 

On the day we visited, they had 10 wines available for us to taste for a reasonable $5 fee.  We passed on a couple of the sweet Muscadine based wines, but sampled the rest.

 

1 – Sauvignon Blanc – This was made from juice brought in from Chile and it was very representative of the Sauvignon Blancs I’ve had from Chile and Argentina.  The wine had tart citrus with a nice herbal element.

 

2 – Riesling – Again made from juice brought in from Chile.  I have not had a Chilean Riesling, so I didn’t have a reference point for comparison.  The wine had nice tart apple and citrus.  This was made in a slightly off dry style and would be nice on its own or with some spicy food.

 

3 – Carlos (Semi-Dry) – This was a white wine made with the home grown Muscadine grapes.  Even though it is listed s semi-dry, it was very sweet to us.  This lacked the acidity needed to offset the sweetness so it came across as pretty soft.  This was not our style of wine, but I bet it is very popular to the sweet wine drinkers.

 

4 – Carlos (Sweet) – Based on the sweetness of the semi-dry white, we passed on this wine

 

5 – Noble (Semi-Dry) – This was a red wine made from the home grown Muscadine grapes.  Like the Carlos above, it was again very sweet and lacked the offsetting acidity.  This had a more cherry to berry flavor profile.

 

6 – Noble (Sweet) – Once again we passed on this wine because the Semi-Dry was sweet enough for our tastes.

 

7 – Merlot – This is again made with juice brought in from Chile.  The wine also includes a bit of barrel aged Malbec to add some earthiness, dark fruit, and spice.  An easy drinking style of wine, probably very popular for dry wine drinkers at holiday parties.

 

8 – Red Raspberry – A very nice, jammy style of wine full of, you guessed it, red raspberry.  This as well as the other two fruit based wines would probably be a crowd pleaser mixed with some sparking wine.

 

9 – Blackberry – Obviously made with blackberries, this was again off dry but with enough zippy acidity to help offset the sweetness.

 

10 – Apple – As expected, this was once again a sweeter style of wine full of sweet apples.

 

 

Here’s a shot of the vineyards.  I’m sure the rain they received over the last couple of weeks helped bring back the green color.

 

 

 

Here is a slightly closer picture of their vineyard.

 

 

 

Here are some while Muscadine (Carlos) grapes on the vine.

 

 

 

Here are some ripe Muscadine grapes about ready to be picked.

 

 

 

We bought a bottle of their Riesling and a bottle of their Blackberry wine.  The Blackberry will probably be used to make a very interesting Blackberry Cake from the Winery’s Recipe section of their website.  http://www.enoreeriverwinery.com/Recipies.html

 

The price for a tasting or a glass of wine is $5.00, souvenir glasses are $2, and wines cost $13 a bottle.

 

 

 

If you ever find yourself on I-26 North of Columbia, I recommend stopping by for a visit.  They are only about a half mile off the highway.

 

Their website is http://www.enoreeriverwinery.com/

 

 

Cheers!

 

We’re leaving for a vacation to visit my wife’s family in South Carolina on Saturday morning.  To me, the hardest part of any trip is picking wines to take.  I travel a fair amount for work, and unless I have a lengthy layover at a hot airport, in the middle of the day, there’s wine in my luggage.

 

This trip is a little easier since we’ll be driving.  I figure we’ll need seven bottles, one per day.  To be safe, I’ll probably just fill up a mixed case with a couple of whites, a few rosés, and the rest reds.  Since there’s always the possibility of hot weather during the drive, I usually take good, but relatively inexpensive bottles.  I usually slip in at least one better bottle and put it in the passenger section of the car instead of the trunk.

 

How can I know on Wednesday what we’ll want on Sunday?  How about next Friday?  This is another reason, I don’t take the good stuff.  Do I really want a bottle of Saxum in the trunk for 1,000 miles, spend a week in a warm house, then endure another 1,000 miles in the trunk only to end up back in the cool wine cellar.  That has to do more harm than good to the wine.

 

When you travel, do you take wine with you?  If so, how do you choose what to take?

 

The wines I’m taking?  The list isn’t done yet, but so far these will get a free, all expenses paid trip from Wisconsin to South Carolina:

2011 Bedrock Wine Co. Mourvedre Ode to Lulu Rosé
2011 One Time Spaceman MCA Rosé (Paso Robles GSM blend)

2008 Stanley Lambert Chardonnay Pristine (unoaked from Barossa)
2009 Clayhouse Vineyard Cuvée Blanc Red Cedar Vineyard (Paso Robles, white Rhone blend)

2007 Freemark Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon
2008 Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Prologue
2008 Schild Estate Shiraz
2008 Tamarack Cellars Firehouse Red (Washington red blend)

 

Cheers!