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

 

 

2012 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon 40th Anniversary

 

 

 

 

Overview:

On Saturday June 14^th, Total Wine hosted a live tasting and webcast with Chuck Wagner, his sons and daughter.  They discussed a few of their other labels including Belle Glos, Mer Soleil and Emmolo.  People fortunate enough to live near a Total Wine were able to also taste the wines.  Unfortunately, I do not live near a Total Wine store.  Charles Communications solved the problem by sending me a bottle of the featured wine, the 2012 Caymus 40^th Anniversary Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  This was the last wine to be discussed during the webcast.  Along with other bloggers from around the country, we were to taste and Tweet our opinions and comments.

 

The webcast for the event is available, at least for now, by clicking here.

 

 

About the company:

Caymus is part of the Wagner Family of Wine along with Mer Soleil, Conundrum, Belle Glos and the newest label, Emmolo.  The winery takes the “Family” part of the name very seriously.  This is truly a family business with most of the family involved in some way.  If you check out the webcast I mentioned above, you will meet and hear about most of the family.

 

It’s been over 40 years since the family founded Caymus in the Napa Valley.  The winery produced their first vintage in 1972, a whopping 240 cases.  The wine sold for the paltry sum of $4.50 a bottle.

 

For more information on the Wagner Family of wine, please click here.  For more information on just Caymus, click here.

 

 

 

 

Their Wines in their words

Caymus Vineyards produces two Cabernets Sauvignons – a “Napa Valley” and the venerable “Special Selection”.  Both Cabernet bottlings have aromas and flavors which can only be achieved through “hang time” – a technique which chances the loss of crop if early winter sets in.  Leaving the fruit to “hang” on the vine unusually long develops suppleness, increases color, and matures the tannins of the grapes.  The wines are abundant in textural tannins yet soft as velvet. Crop thinning, allowing measured sunlight to reach the vine’s fruit zone, and waiting for increased ripeness are all part of our viticultural practices.  Caymus Cabernets offer a wide array of aromas and flavors including cocoa, cassis and vanilla.

 

Caymus Special Selection is the flagship wine of the Wagner family and is comprised of the very best barrels of the vintage.  This wine is not produced in difficult years.  Caymus Napa Valley is more representative of a standard Cabernet of Napa Valley, as it is a bit less precocious than the Special Selection, but still delivers big.  Caymus prides itself on producing wines that are as approachable in youth as well at maturity. Both the “Napa Valley” and “Special Selection” Cabernets are produced under the winemaking hand of Chuck Wagner.

 

 

 

 

About Balzac

BALZAC is a marketing communications agency with a no-nonsense approach to combining the strategies and tactics of marketing, public relations, advertising and graphic design to achieve the marketing goals of our clients.

 

The experience, creativity and determination of our staff distinguish BALZAC from our competition. We use these assets to develop and execute cost-effective campaigns which have won international communications awards.

 

The results speak for themselves.

 

The agency is located in Napa, California, and provides services to national, regional, and local companies based in Northern California and throughout the world.

 

For more information on Balzac, please click here.

 

 

 

2012 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon 40th Anniversary

Caymus isn’t a Cabernet for everyone, but who cares.  If there was only one style of wine made in the world, it would get very boring pretty fast.  The winery wants their wine to be big and rich with velvety tannins and for it to be loaded with flavor.  In this regard, this wine is a 100% success.  The winery allows their grapes to “hang” on the vine for an extended period for the tannins to soften and the flavors to fully develop.

 

This special vintage called to a new label, even the cork bears the 40^th Anniversary insignia.  This is a special vintage for a special wine.  This is the only wine to be twice named as Wine Spectator’s “Wine of the Year”.  Is that special enough?

 

This wine has 14.6% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark, inky ruby red color.  The hypnotizing nose has rich cassis, licorice, warm baking spices, dried herbs, tobacco, blackberries, dried violets and dark chocolate.  This has a fairly full body with moderate velvety tannins and slightly soft acidity.  On the palate rich cassis, dark chocolate and spice jump out first with dried herbs and a floral note coming in on the back end.  The finish is extremely long and full of cassis, chocolate, spice and dried herbs.  This is extremely young but already stunning, give it a couple years in the cellar and be prepared to be wowed.  (94 pts)

 

 

 

Closing Thoughts

This was a momentous event to celebrate the 40^th Anniversary of an iconic Napa Valley wine.  The family should be proud of their heritage and the pleasure they have brought to the people who have savored their wines.

 

Speaking about proud, you could easily see the pride in their papa’s eyes when the children talked about their wines.

 

Here’s to a great 40 years, I for one am looking forward to helping you celebrate number 50.

 

Cheers to the Wagner family.

 

 

 

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 2014 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:

 

Click here or on the “Cliff’s Wine Picks On Other Sites” link in the top right corner to see links to other sites that either have my reviews, my thoughts or other posts I have written.

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

 

2009 Carlisle Zinfandel Sonoma County

2010 Benovia Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

2002 Graeser Cabernet Franc Estate Grown

2008 Allegrini Palazzo della Torre Veronese IGT

 

 

 

2009 Carlisle Zinfandel Sonoma County – $18

This wine is generally one of the greatest bargains around.  This is always at top notch Zinfandel that is available off the winery’s mailing list for under $20.  This is one of the reasons it is so hard to get onto the mailing list, no one drops off.

 

If you are on the Carlisle mailing list, congratulations, you are on one of the best lists out there.  If you are not on their mailing list, I highly recommend you upgrade your circle of friends to include someone on the list that shares their good stuff.

 

Now that Carlisle has their own winery and won’t be using outside crush facilities, I look forward to even greater things coming from them in the upcoming years.

 

There were 370 cases of this wine produced.

 

This has 15.2% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep purple color.  The very inviting nose has brambly berries, wood smoke, black pepper, warm baking spices, blueberries, roasted herbs, vanilla and candied violets.  This has a full body with moderate, ripe tannins and good acidity.  Ripe, chewy berries, spice and black pepper coat the palate, slowly allowing roasted herbs and vanilla to slip in on the back end.  The finish is rich and long with a candied violet note entering the picture.  This is big and rich but with enough of a tannic backbone and acidity to hold it together.  That said, I’d drink this in the next couple of years before it loses some of the structure that is currently providing the support.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2010 Benovia Pinot Noir Russian River Valley – $28.49

I’ve never had this wine.  When the local wine store put this on the shelf for a nice price, I had to grab a few bottles.  I paid under $30 a bottle and the average cost on Cellar Tracker is over $40.  That’s only a good deal if you like the wine.

 

This has 14.1% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a medium ruby red color.  The very inviting nose has black cherries, raspberries, dusty minerals, warm baking spices, dried flowers and earthy underbrush.  This has medium body with soft to moderate tannins and crisp acidity.  On the palate the fruit jumps out first with minerals and spice coming in later.  The finish has very good length with a nice floral note and some earthiness coming into the picture to join the lingering spice.  This is an impressive RRV Pinot that comes at a very reasonable price for the quality.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2002 Graeser Cabernet Franc Estate Grown – $27.00

This winery was a long time favorite.  We met the owner, Richard Graeser, when he came to the condo we were staying at to conduct a tasting.  We visited the winery the next day and stopped every time we made it to wine country.  Unfortunately a few years ago they ran into some financial difficulties and he lost the winery.  That also caused me a big problem since I had bought and paid for a case of their 2007 Cabernet Franc but it had not been shipped.  It took me a few years to finally convince the proper people the wine was mine and not part of the estate that was sold.  Thankfully that last vintage is resting in my cellar.

 

This wine has 13.6% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark ruby red color.  The classic nose has cassis, dried herbs, violets, minerals, tobacco, licorice, a touch of cedar and a faint jalapeno pepper note.  This has a medium body with moderate tannins and very good acidity.  On the palate the wine has berries with a real nice overlay of dried herbs up front with a touch of spicy oak coming in on the backend.  This has a fairly long finish with the berries, dried herbs and some minerality.  This is in a very nice drinking window and should hold nicely for a couple more years.  (93 pts)

 

 

 

2008 Allegrini Palazzo della Torre Veronese IGT – $14.24

I had this wine on my list of the Top Value Wines of 2012.  This is still a favorite with week night Italian fare, like tonight’s Veal Parmesan.  I like the extra body and richness imparted by the drying of the grapes but the wine generally retains enough acidity to stand up to the tomato based sauces.  This is also a personal favorite with a nice, meaty pizza.

 

The wine has 13.5% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

Winery history

Allegrini is the leading producer in the Valpolicella Classico area and one of the most highly acclaimed wineries in Italy and throughout the world.  The family’s roots in Valpolicella date back to the 16th century.  Today the winery consists of more than 100 hectares (247 acres) set amongst the rolling hills of the “Classico” appellation.  All wines made under the Allegrini label are produced exclusively from these estate vineyards.  Through research and experimentation over the years, Allegrini has introduced radical innovations in the vineyards, in the grape drying process and in the cellar, with the objective of enhancing the intrinsic quality of Valpolicella.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep maroon color. The very appealing nose has blackberries, smoke, dried herbs, plums, warm baking spices, minerals, vanilla, and dried flowers. The wine has a medium body with soft, ripe tannins and good acidity. The wine is rich and plush on the palate with the spicy berries and dried herbs up front and some earthiness and dark chocolate coming in later. The finish has very nice length with the spicy berries and dried herbs carrying the load. If you can find this for $15 or less, load up, I did.  (92 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 2014 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:

 

Click here or on the “Cliff’s Wine Picks On Other Sites” link in the top right corner to see links to other sites that either have my reviews, my thoughts or other posts I have written.

 

 

 

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.

 

 

N.V. Austin Hope Troublemaker Blend 7

2012 Liberty School Pinot Noir

2010 Treana Red

 

 

 

 

Overview:

I’ve been a fan of the “Rhone Ranger” wines being produced by the winery for a few years.  When I was given the opportunity to sample a few of their “family” of wines, it took about a half second to say, SURE!

 

The Hope Family Wines line-up includes 5 labels, Liberty School, Austin Hope, Treana, Candor and Troublemaker.

 

 

About the company:

The Hope family arrived in Paso Robles in 1978 in search of land and new opportunity.  As they’ve planted vineyards, grown grapes and made wine over the past 30 years, Paso Robles has become a viticulture region of significance, capable of producing world-class wines.  As one of the pioneering families of this distinctive wine community, the Hope family is dedicated to sustainable farming and making wines that are delicious, accessible and memorable.  Still family-owned and operated, Hope Family Wines now makes five individual brands: Liberty School, Treana, Candor, Troublemaker and Austin Hope.

 

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

 

The winery has a fantastic video online.  This “Office” parody involves their Troublemaker wine.  I highly recommend checking it out by clicking here.

 

 

 

Who is Austin Hope?

Austin Hope arrived in Paso Robles in 1978, when his family moved to the small farming town in search of new opportunity.  His parents bought land and planted both vineyards and apple orchards.  He was just eight years old when the grapes came on line in the 1980s and began learning in the vineyards alongside his father, Chuck Hope.

 

In 1995 he graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a degree in fruit science.  Beginning in the 1980s, the Hope family sold Cabernet Sauvignon grapes to Caymus for its Liberty School label, and Austin followed his father’s advice to seek out an opportunity to work with Caymus founder Chuck Wagner.

 

Austin worked with Wagner in Napa, both inside the winery and the administrative offices, learning the nuts and bolts of the wine business from one of California’s most respected producers.  “That was probably my a-ha moment,” says Austin.  “I realized that I not only wanted to grow grapes, but to manage our own label to bring our fruit directly to the market,” he says.

 

The Hope family began producing Liberty School wines and founded Treana in 1996.  After beginning as the assistant winemaker, Austin became winemaker for the Hope portfolio in 1998.   Hope Family Wines now makes Treana, Liberty School, Candor, Troubelmaker and Austin Hope wines.  In 2009, Austin Hope was named “Winemaker of the Year” at the California Mid-State Fair.

 

When he’s not in the lab tasting or on the road promoting his wines, Austin enjoys duck hunting with Spartacus, his Labrador retriever, and staying ahead of the curve on the indie music scene by attending as many rock-n-roll concerts as possible.  He’s also a dedicated dad who enjoys spending time with his two young daughters.

 

 

 

Here is the line up for this tasting:

 

 

 

N.V. Austin Hope Troublemaker Blend 7 – SRP $20

“Wine is best made when a winemaker has choices.  This philosophy is evident in the Troublemaker, a blend crafted from multiple varietals and vintages.  The majority of wine comes from 2012 vintage, with a remaining portion coming from 2011 and 2010.  The younger wine brings forth a youthful vibrancy and freshness while the base vintage (2012) adds complexity and structure that completes the wine.”

 

This wine is a blend of 54% Syrah, 22% Grenache, 13% Mourvedre and 11% Zinfandel.  All the grapes for this wine come from Paso Robles, San Benito County and Santa Ynez in California’s Central Coast region.  There were 34,872 cases produced.

 

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

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep ruby red color.  The intriguing nose has blackberries, baking spices, white pepper, cherries, crushed stone minerals, cocoa powder, earthy underbrush, blueberries and candied violets.  This has medium to full body with soft to moderate tannins and decent acidity.  Spicy berries and white pepper coat the palate, slowly allowing some cherries, minerals and dark chocolate to slip through.  The finish has good length with some earthiness and a candied floral note coming into focus.  This is an easy drinking wine that would be a hit at a friendly gathering.  (88 pts)

 

 

 

2012 Liberty School Pinot Noir – SRP $20

The grapes for this wine come from three different parts of California’s Central Coast.  The primary region is the Arroyo Seco section of Monterey.  This provides the wine with acidity and length.  Grapes also come from the cooler parts of Paso Robles, just east of the Santa Lucia Range.  These grapes enhance the bright berry flavors in the finished wine.  The last grape source area is one of the oldest growing areas in California, Paicines in San Benito County.  This area, east of Monterey is not as heavily influenced by the maritime breezes.  These grapes help balance the final blend and make the wine complete.

 

There were 39,895 cases of this wine produced.  This wine has 13.5% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with an agglomerated cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a medium to dark ruby red color.  The inviting nose has black cherries, warm baking spice, blackberries, tobacco, white pepper, dark chocolate and dried violets.  This has medium body with moderate tannins and good acidity.  On the palate black cherries and baking spice jump out first with white pepper and a floral note coming in later.  The finish has good length with dark chocolate entering the picture.  This is very tasty but doesn’t taste like a typical Pinot Noir.  (89 pts)

 

 

 

2010 Treana Red – SRP $45

This wine is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Syrah.  All the grapes are from Paso Robles.

 

After harvest, vineyard lots were fermented individually in stainless steel tanks for 14 to 20 days.  Extended macerations and carefully managed pump-overs enhanced the extraction of color and tannin.  The varietals were aged separately in French oak barrels, 70% of which are new, for six months.  The initial blend was assembled in summer of 2011 and aged an additional twelve months in barrel.  The wine was racked only twice during its cellar life, with the final racking occurring just prior to bottling.

 

The total production of this wine was 5,330 cases.  The wine has 15.0% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark ruby color.  The enticing nose has cherries, cassis, cola, stony minerals, smoke, Asian spices, wildflowers and a touch of mint.  This has a full body with moderate to solid tannins and good acidity.  On the palate the cherries, minerals and cola jump out first with smoke and spice coming in on the back end.  The finish has good length with a nice floral note and a hint of mint seeping into the picture.  The back end and finish are very powerful indicating a bit of cellar time will be greatly rewarded.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

Closing Thoughts

These wines provided a very nice snapshot of the range of wines Hope Family Wines produces.  All three of these wines were full of lush fruit flavor with ripe, velvety tannins.  These wines will never be mistaken as coming from an “old world” European winery which is a good thing since they are 100% Californian.

 

 

 

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 2014 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:

 

Click here or on the “Cliff’s Wine Picks On Other Sites” link in the top right corner to see links to other sites that either have my reviews, my thoughts or other posts I have written.

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

Overview

Like a lot of people, I love Italian wines.  The so called “Super Tuscan” wines are near the top of my list when it comes to the wines of Italy.  A “Super Tuscan” is simply put, is a wine from Tuscany that uses non-traditional grapes.  By non-traditional, they mean grapes not indigenous to Italy.  This list of non-traditional grapes includes Merlot, Syrah and a multitude of others including in this case, Cabernet Sauvignon.

 

The local wine store brought this wine in several months ago and it immediately caught my eye.  When they put it on sale, I had to grab a few bottles.  The release price of this wine is $65, which makes my under $50 price look even better.

 

I see the wine is available at several web based wine stores around the country.  One store even shows it available for only $45.  Most stores list it at $55 to $65.  A complete list is available via Wine Searcher by clicking here.

 

 

The Winery

The Castello di Bossi winery is the perfect union between innovation and tradition.

 

It consists of six large separate work-areas, each with separate temperature controls.  Despite its size and its up-to-date facilities, it is below ground on two sides and almost invisible.  The fermentation area has new temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks.

 

A timing program automatically controls pump-overs; the must breaks up the cap of skins by gravity flow, aided by a system of plates and chains inside the tank.

 

Following the alcoholic fermentation and after finishing a 20-22-day post-fermentation maceration on the skins, the wine goes unfiltered directly to barrel.  There, the malic acid will be converted and they will mature for about 2 years in the barrel cellar that holds over 1,000 light-toast French oak barrels from the Allier forest.  After this lengthy maturation, the wines are bottle-aged for 12 months at temperatures between 13 and18 C.  Correct temperatures are crucial for us, in that the wines do not undergo filtration.

 

 

Much more on the winery’s history, the winery and the wines is available by clicking here.

 

 

I chose this picture since most wineries show you a picture

of the winery surrounded by healthy, green vines.

It’s not that often you see a picture of the vineyards covered in snow. 

Personally, I love it!

 

 

 

2008 Castello di Bossi Corbaia Toscana IGT – $47.49

This “Super Tuscan” is a blend of 70% Sangiovese and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon.  The grapes for this wine are hand harvested from 35 year old vines.  After a 38 day maceration and fermentation, the wine is aged for 24 months in Barrique.  After bottling, the wine receives an additional 12 months of bottle aging before it is released.

 

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

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a dark ruby red color.  The stunning nose has black cherries, cassis, crushed stone minerals, leather, eucalyptus, roasted herbs, smoke, earthy underbrush and dried flowers.  This has a medium to full body with moderate to solid tannins and very good acidity.  On the palate waves of fruit roll in but are quickly pushed aside by eucalyptus, minerals and roasted herbs.  The finish is extremely long with some earthiness and a floral note joining the party in your mouth.  This is on the young side but is perfect with a juicy steak to help balance out the big tannins.  Enjoy this one over the next decade or two.  (95 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 2014 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:

 

Click here or on the “Cliff’s Wine Picks On Other Sites” link in the top right corner to see links to other sites that either have my reviews, my thoughts or other posts I have written.

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

2009 Bodegas y Vinedos Montecastro Alconte

2007 Bodegas Valdubon Reserva

 

 

 

Overview

I was invited to participate in a Virtual Tasting exploring the wines of Ribera del Duero.  This was perfect for me since I actually prefer this region over the other “famous” Spanish region, Rioja.  New technology and modern techniques, along with respect for tradition, have driven the quality of Ribera del Duero to its highest accomplishments in over two millennia of winemaking history.

 

Snooth’s Editor-in-Chief, Gregory dal Piaz, and Sommelier Roger Kugler led the discussion of Ribera’s rich history and amazing wines.

 

There were four wines to be discussed during the tasting.  Besides the two wines that were sent to me, 2013 Bodegas y Vinedos Monteabellon Avaniel Rose and 2010 Bodegas Montebaco Semele were also enjoyed by other participants.

 

 

 

 

About the region

The Ribera del Duero is about a two hour drive north of Madrid.  Even though wine has been made in the region for over 2000 years, the region did not receive official Denominación de Origen (DO) status until 1982.

 

The area takes its name from the Duero River that cuts through the region.  The region is about 70 miles long and over 20 miles wide and is home over 250 wineries.

 

The main wine grape in the region is Tempranillo which also answers to Tinto del País and Tinto Fino.

 

This is a large, dry area that receives very little rain.  This dry climate forces the vines to dig deep into the ground to find water and nutrients.  This “struggle” reduces the yield but ensures the grapes produced are full of flavor and minerals.  These wines are generally on the rustic side with rugged tannins and good acidity, perfect with a piece of juicy meat hot off the grill.

 

Much more information on the region and wineries is available by clicking here.

 

 

 

 

This presentation and the wines were provided by Greg Dal Piaz and Snooth.

 

Snooth is the world’s most comprehensive wine site, hosts the largest online wine community & features reviews & local prices for millions of wines.

 

Mission

Snooth is a revolutionary web-based social shopping experience that is simplifying how people select, learn about, and purchase their favorite wines.

 

Company Overview

Philip James launched Snooth in 2007 with one goal: to make wine info clear, accessible, and freely available.

The idea for Snooth first came to Philip when he began working in the wine industry and realized just how complex wine was — if even the most seasoned wine collectors could become confused, what hope was there for the casual wine lover?

He realized that the wine industry was hopelessly fragmented — with neither a standardized naming system nor a centralized repository of information — and created Snooth to change all of that.

 

Visit Snooth by by clicking here.

 

 

 

My Line Up

Here is my line up for this online tasting event:

 

 

 

2009 Bodegas y Vinedos Montecastro Alconte

2009 was considered to be a near perfect vintage, comparable in quality to 2004.

 

This was aged for 14 months in a mix of French and American oak.  The total production was 13,345 bottles.  The grapes for this wine came from younger vines.

 

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

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a dark ruby color.  The outstanding nose has plums, blackberries, minerals, licorice, earthy underbrush, dark chocolate, baking spices and white pepper.  This has medium body with moderate to solid tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate, spicy fruit and minerals jump out first with earthy elements and dark chocolate coming out on the back end.  The finish has decent length but does get a touch rustic.  A year in the cellar may help smooth out the back end and perhaps add a bit more oomph on the finish.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2007 Bodegas Valdubon Reserva – $25

2007 was considered to be a lighter, weaker vintage for the region.

 

This wine is 100% Tempranillo (Tinto del Pais).  The total production for the vintage was 35,868 bottles, mine was number 16,974.

 

The wine has 13% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a fairly dark violet color.  The enticing nose has black plums, berries, tobacco, baking spices, minerals and a touch of mint.  This wine is barely medium body with soft to moderate tannins and good acidity.  On the palate, spicy fruit and minerals jump out first with spicy oak coming in later.  The finish has good length with some subtle earthiness entering the picture.  I wouldn’t stash this in the cellar to too long, open the bottle and enjoy it over the next year or two.  (89 pts)

 

 

 

Conclusion

These were both easy to like wines full of character.  Even though 2007 was considered to be a weaker vintage, the Valdubon was very nice.  The Valdubon is nearing the end of its life but the Alconte has a couple years to go before it even reaches its full potential.

 

 

 

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 2014 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:

 

Click here or on the “Cliff’s Wine Picks On Other Sites” link in the top right corner to see links to other sites that either have my reviews, my thoughts or other posts I have written.

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

 

 

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

 

 

2013 Charles Krug Winery (Peter Mondavi Family) Sauvignon Blanc Limited Release Charles Krug Vineyard Estate

2011 Charles Krug Winery (Peter Mondavi Family) Merlot

2011 Charles Krug Winery (Peter Mondavi Family) Family Reserve Generations

2011 Charles Krug Winery (Peter Mondavi Family) Cabernet Sauvignon Family Reserve Howell Mountain

 

 

 

Overview

I had the extreme honor of being selected to participate in an online tasting to celebrate Charles Krug’s 150^th vintage.  This tasting featured three red wines from this monumental vintage.  The tasting also included one white wine, a Sauvignon Blanc from the 2013 vintage.

 

The wines produced still carry the historical Charles Krug name, but also carry the moniker of Peter Mondavi Family.

 

If you would like to view the recorded webcast of the event, please click here.

 

 

 

 

The Winery

The Charles Krug Winery, Napa Valley’s oldest winery, was established by Prussian immigrant Charles Krug in 1861.  In 1943, Italian immigrants Cesare and Rosa Mondavi purchased the historic property, which remains a family-owned winery producing estate-driven Napa Valley wines.  Built on a foundation of family values, hard work and European winemaking tradition, the winery offers a portfolio of Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux-styled wines.  The winery is under the direction of Peter Mondavi Jr., who along with his brother Marc Mondavi, stewards the family business passed to them by their father, legendary Napa Valley wine icon Peter Mondavi Sr., who continues to serve as President and CEO.  The family is now proudly welcoming members of the fourth generation to the business, continuing a legacy started almost 70 years ago and setting a foundation for generations to come.

 

Above all else, Charles Krug Winery is a family winery.  Peter Sr. and his sons Marc and Peter Jr. continue their dedication to producing the finest Bordeaux style wines in the Napa Valley.  To achieve this, they initiated a nine-year, $22 million investment program completed in 2010.  Over 400 of the winery’s 850 prime acres in Napa Valley have been re-planted and state-of-the-art winemaking equipment is now in use.

 

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

 

 

 

The wines for this event were provided to me by Charles Communications.

 

About Charles Communications Associates

CCA is an independent creative marketing firm that employs traditional public relations and new media strategies to assist companies, organizations and non-profits in the creation, development and marketing of interesting and compelling brands.  Recognized as one of the most effective PR firms in the wine industry, we have an exceptional track record of promoting products in the gourmet, natural and organic food and beverage categories, from wine and tea to top shelf spirits and luxury goods.  We consider ourselves fortunate to work with clients who share our philosophy of social responsibility in work and everyday life.

 

For more information, visit the CCA website.

 

 

 

 

The  Wines

Here was the line up for this tasting.

 

 

 

2013 Limited Release Estate Sauvignon Blanc – SRP $35

This wine is 100% Sauvignon Blanc from the winery’s Estate Vineyard.  This was the third release of this “Limited Release” wine.  The total production was only 340 cases.

 

This wine was fermented in stainless steel and aged Sur lie for seven months.

 

The wine has 13.6% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright yellow with a slight green tint.  The lively nose has grapefruit, mint, minerals, spice and a touch of smoke.  This has a medium body with crisp citrusy acidity and just a touch of creaminess.  On the palate tart grapefruit, mint and minerals hit up front with a touch of spice coming in later.  The finish has good length with the mouthwatering grapefruit leading the way.  This is a very nice and serious Sauvignon Blanc.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

2011 Napa Valley Merlot – SRP $25

This wine is a blend of 84% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Sirah, 3% Malbec and 1% Petit Verdot.

 

Due to below average temperatures and late Spring rains the yield was down about 30% from usual and the grapes were harvested in early September instead of the usual mid-August.  The area received a few heat spikes to help ripening.  There was also some rain while the grapes were still on the vines.  The winery performed hand thinning of the leaves and adjusted shoot positioning to provide better sun exposure and to maximize air flow to deter the development of mold.

 

The wine was aged for 18 months in a mix of French and American oak.  The wine has 14.0% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep ruby red color.  The enticing nose has crushed berries, plums, minerals, cocoa powder, vanilla, red currants and a touch of white pepper.  This has a medium body with soft to moderate tannins and good acidity.  On the palate berries, plums, mocha and vanilla hit first with some spicy cedar coming in on the back end.  The finish has good length with a nice kick of spice. One of the best Merlot wines I have tasted in a few years.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2011 Family Reserve ‘Generations’ – SRP $50

This wine is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot, 4% Malbec and 3% Merlot.

 

The first vintage of Generations in 1991 was a blend crafted by Marc Mondavi and was suspect by Peter Mondavi Sr. who was partial to single varietal wines.  Marc demonstrated to his father that a wine of this nature could hold its own against the growing popularity of Cabernet Sauvignon in the Napa Valley.

 

The wine was aged for 20 months in a new French oak.  The wine has 13.9% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep ruby to purple color.  The nose has cassis, blackberries, baking spices, dark chocolate, minerals and jalapeno pepper.  This has medium body and moderate to solid tannins and good acidity.  Spicy berries, mocha and cedar coat the palate with minerals and jalapeno coming in on the back end.  The finish has good length but I wish the jalapeno wasn’t so prominent.  After a couple of hours the jalapeno notes were still present but pushed into the background.  This could use a couple of years in the cellar.  (87 pts)

 

 

 

2011 Family Reserve ‘Howell Mountain’ Cabernet Sauvignon – SRP $75

This wine is a blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec.

 

This is the inaugural release of the Family Reserve Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon.

 

The wine was aged for 19 months in a new French oak.  The wine has 13.7% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a dark ruby red to purple color.  The outstanding nose has cassis, cherries, cedar, mint, dried herbs, baking spices, dark chocolate, black pepper and vanilla.  This has medium body moderate to solid tannins and very nice acidity.  This is nicely layered on the palate with the fruit, spice, dried herbs and oak taking turns strutting their stuff.  The finish has very good length with “chewy” tannins kicking in.  This is a very serious wine that deserves a few years in the cellar.  Ignore this one until the end of the decade if possible.  (93 pts)

 

 

 

Closing comments

If I had to choose one word to describe this line up of wines, it would be “serious”.  These are not easy-drinking wines to open and sip, these are made to accompany a good meal.  Bravo to the Peter Mondavi Family for putting out such an outstanding group of wines.

 

 

 

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 2014 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:

 

Click here or on the “Cliff’s Wine Picks On Other Sites” link in the top right corner to see links to other sites that either have my reviews, my thoughts or other posts I have written.

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

 

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

 

 

 

2013 Domaine du Tariquet Côtes de Gascogne Classic

2012 Domaine Chiroulet Côtes de Gascogne Les Terres Blanches

2010 Producteurs Plaimont Côtes de Saint-Mont Les Bastions

2011 Producteurs Plaimont Côtes de Saint-Mont Tableaux

 

 

 

 

Overview

I was invited by Greg Dal Piaz to participate in a Snooth blogger roundtable tasting of the Wines of Southwest France.  Since this was a region I did not know a lot about, this received a pretty quick, “count me in.”

 

A few days before the tasting, I had to schedule a business trip to visit a couple facilities in Alabama.  I figured, no problem, I can catch the early flight and make it to the hotel in the early afternoon.  Not so fast, the early flight from Atlanta to Birmingham was full.  This meant I wouldn’t be able to make it into Birmingham until the tasting was starting.  Unfortunately, I still had to get my checked luggage, pick up the rental car and drive 45 minutes to the hotel.  Drats!  Once again, not so fast.  I still booked the early flight from Milwaukee to Atlanta, this would give me time to figure out my options during the 5 hour layover.  The problem was magically solved when some open seats on the early flight became available.  Some quick re-ticketing and I made it to the hotel in time to quickly chill my wines in time for the tasting.

 

 

I’m not sure if this will work for everyone or not but the link to a video of our “roundtable” is available by clicking here.  This didn’t work out as originally planned since we were all Google+ Hangout newbies.  The goal was to have everyone online via audio and video but instead we received mainly the “Greg Show” with guest star Fred Dexheimer.  That said, if you want to learn about this region and its wines, I highly recommend checking out the roundtable, it will be an hour well spent.

 

 

 

About the region

Southwest France is a lush, hilly wine region that occupies the corner bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the west, and Spain and the Pyrenees Mountains on the south. The region is home to a string of more than two dozen winemaking appellations whose producers are united by a passion for place. Some of the world’s great grape varieties originated here and many of the area’s lesser-known varieties are grown nowhere else.

 

Inviting, authentic, and brimming with character, the quality wines of Southwest France await your discovery!

 

Tons of information on the region, the Appellations, grapes, etc. is available on their website by clicking here.

 

I highly recommend checking out the site and getting to know more about the region.

 

 

 

This presentation and the wines were provided by Greg Dal Piaz and Snooth.

 

Snooth is the world’s most comprehensive wine site, hosts the largest online wine community & features reviews & local prices for millions of wines.

 

Mission

Snooth is a revolutionary web-based social shopping experience that is simplifying how people select, learn about, and purchase their favorite wines.

 

Company Overview

Philip James launched Snooth in 2007 with one goal: to make wine info clear, accessible, and freely available.

The idea for Snooth first came to Philip when he began working in the wine industry and realized just how complex wine was — if even the most seasoned wine collectors could become confused, what hope was there for the casual wine lover?

He realized that the wine industry was hopelessly fragmented — with neither a standardized naming system nor a centralized repository of information — and created Snooth to change all of that.

 

Visit Snooth by by clicking here.

 

 

 

My Line Up

Here is my line up for this tasting:

 

 

 

2013 Domaine du Tariquet Côtes de Gascogne Classic

This wine is a blend of 45% Ugni Blanc, 35% Columbard, 10% Sauvignon Blanc and 10% Gros Manseng.

 

The wine has 10.5% 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 outstanding nose has apples, pineapples, flinty minerals, melon and a touch of spice.  This has light to medium body with good acidity and just a bit of sweetness.  On the palate rich fruit and minerals coat the palate with a touch of spice coming in later.  The finish has decent length and leaves a bit of lingering sweetness that is nicely balanced with tart, citrusy acidity.  This is an extremely easy drinking bottle of wine for a hot Summer evening.  (88 pts)

 

 

 

2012 Domaine Chiroulet Côtes de Gascogne Les Terres Blanches         

This wine is a blend of Gros Manseng, Sauvignon Blanc and Ugni Blanc.

 

Skin maceration of the Ugni Blanc and the Sauvignon Blanc was utilized.  Long, direct pressing (as in the Champagne region) of the Gros Manseng, was used to extract as much minerality as possible.  Low-temperature fermentation was utilized to retain the wine’s floral taste.  The wine was aged 8 months on fine lees with regular stirring.

 

The wine has 12.5% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with an agglomerated cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a very light, pale yellow color with flecks of green.  The inviting nose has apples, flinty minerals, citrus zest, cantaloupe and white flowers.  This has medium body, crisp acidity and seems totally dry.  On the palate apples and minerals hit first with lime zest coming in on the back end.  The finish has decent length with the minerals leading the way and the fruit providing nice background sweetness.  (89 pts)

 

 

 

2011 Producteurs Plaimont Côtes de Saint-Mont Tableaux – $14

This wine is a blend of 80% Gros Manseng, 15% Petit Courbu and 5% Arrufiac.

 

The wine has 13.0% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with an agglomerated cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright yellow with a slight green tint.  The nose has apples, minerals, roasted nuts, orange blossoms and a touch of smokiness.  The wine has medium body with crisp acidity and seems to be totally dry.  On the palate tart apples and minerals pop out first with a nutty quality coming in on the back end.  The finish has decent length with tart apples and citrus carrying the load until a touch of minerals come into the picture.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2010 Producteurs Plaimont Côtes de Saint-Mont Les Bastions

This wine is a blend of Arrufiac, Petit Courbu, and Gros Manseng.

 

The wine has 13.0% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with an agglomerated cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a nice yellow color with a green tint.  The nose has apples, flinty minerals, melon, white flowers and roasted nuts.  This has medium body with good acidity and just a hint of sweetness.  Apple and minerals kick off the show on the palate with melons and a floral note coming in on the back end.  The finish has nice length with a roasted nut element coming into the picture.  (89 pts)

 

 

 

Conclusion

The specific grapes used in the production of these wines may sound odd and unusual, but the wines are far from odd.  These all had nice up front fruit with solid minerality and crisp, citrusy acidity.  These ranged from the easy drinking, off dry Domaine du Tariquet Côtes de Gascogne Classic to the much more serious Saint-Mont wines.  All the wines are priced well enough that you can grab a case to sip during the hot weather that lies ahead and not break the bank.  I believe all these wines are well under $15 and could be under $10 a bottle if you shop wisely.

 

 

 

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 2014 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:

 

Click here or on the “Cliff’s Wine Picks On Other Sites” link in the top right corner to see links to other sites that either have my reviews, my thoughts or other posts I have written.

 

 

 

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!

 

 

 

2010 Treasure Hunter Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Panjanatan Paso Robles

2010 Reininger Syrah

2010 Franciscan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

2006 Sterling Vineyards Merlot Three Palms Vineyard

 

 

 

2010 Treasure Hunter Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Panjanatan Paso Robles – $19.79

I grabbed several bottles of this wine, since a social media friend, Mark Adams, was the wine maker.  I’m glad I loaded up since the past few bottles have all been very good.  It’s always nice to get a good Cabernet for around $20.  Mark Adams is also the owner/wine maker of Ledge Vineyards and the Assistant Wine Maker for Saxum.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark ruby to maroon color. The deep and dark nose has blackberries, cassis, cedar, dried herbs, minerals, smoke, licorice, baking spices, and violets. This has medium to full body with fairly solid, ripe tannins and good acidity. The wine is rich and velvety on the palate with spicy fruit, dried herbs, and minerals leading the way. The finish is fairly long with nice spicy fruit, dried herbs, and a touch of earthiness. A nice, rich, but not over the top Cabernet from Paso Robles.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2010 Reininger Syrah – $22.96

Even though I had heard of the winery for a few years, I have not had any of their wine.  The local wine store offered this wine in an e-mail only offer at an exceptional price, so I had to grab a six pack.

 

This has 15.0% alcohol and is sealed with a natural cork.

 

The Winery

From 1997 through 2004, REININGER Winery was located in a small but functional facility located at the historic Walla Walla Regional Airport.  The “shack-teau,” as Chuck and Tracy fondly nicknamed it, was originally designated as a WWII Army Air Corp runway “crash house” and “base theater” where old time crooners and classic films entertained troops.

 

In 2003, REININGER Winery purchased seven acres of land, located six miles west of Walla Walla, adjacent to Highway 12, and began renovating two pre-existing potato sheds into a remodeled 15,000 square foot winery, complete with production facility, administrative offices, and a spacious new tasting room.  “We worked closely with architect Jon Campbell to create a modern production facility incorporating rustic design elements,” said Chuck Reininger.  “This resulted in a unique atmosphere for events and entertaining.”

 

In that same year, Chuck and Tracy partnered with Tracy’s brothers, Jay and Cyndi Tucker, and Kelly and Ann Tucker, as well as her parents, Terry and Ronnie Tucker.  Today, Kelly Tucker serves as general manager and oversees sales and marketing.  Jay Tucker functions as tasting room director, plant manager, and grower relations contact.  Terry and Ronnie Tucker, who’ve been actively involved in both vineyard and winery projects since the 1980’s, bring an abundance of guidance and support to the organization.

 

Much more information can be found on the winery’s website.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a dark, inky purple color.  The outstanding nose has blackberries, minerals, white pepper, dried herbs, warm baking spices, blueberries and a touch of cedar.  On the palate the velvety berries and minerals provide a mountain of flavor with white pepper and dried herbs creeping in on the back end.  The finish has very nice length with baking spices joining the party in your mouth.  This is obviously on the young side but it is already outstanding.  (93 pts)

 

 

 

2010 Franciscan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

Franciscan Estate Cabs have always held a nice QPR niche when it came to Napa Valley Cabernets.  To me, Franciscan as well as Buehler offered nice Napa Valley Cabernets at exceptional price points.  Franciscan cabs generally have the quality to have with a nice weekend dinner, but at a price that won’t blow the budget if served with a good week night meal.

 

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

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep ruby to maroon color.  The wine has cassis, plums, fresh ground espresso, dark chocolate, green jalapeño, dried herbs spicy oak and violets with hints of cherry and vanilla on the nose.  This is medium bodied with fairly solid, ripe tannins and it has very nice acidity.  On the palate the spicy berries lead the way with dried herbs and vanilla adding depth and cherries and dark chocolate providing an extra element on the back end.  The finish has good length but shows a touch of excess oak and the green jalapeño makes an appearance.  The oak may integrate better with some cellar time, but I personally would prefer the green jalapeño note to not be present. (88 pts)

 

 

 

2006 Sterling Vineyards Merlot Three Palms Vineyard – $20.89

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

 

This has 14.5% alcohol by volume and is sealed with a natural cork.

 

Winery history

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a medium to dark ruby red color.  The very nice nose has cherry, cedar, melted licorice, plums, baking spices, tobacco, dried herbs, dark roast espresso, dark bittersweet chocolate and a touch of earthiness.  This has medium body, fairly solid tannins, and very nice acidity.  The palate shows no excess weight with nice balance between the fruit and savory elements.  The finish is a touch short and a bit lean but other wise this is a very sound and appealing wine.  This is a steal at $20 but questionable value at $60.  (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 2014 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:

 

Click here or on the “Cliff’s Wine Picks On Other Sites” link in the top right corner to see links to other sites that either have my reviews, my thoughts or other posts I have written.

 

 

 

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 Montes Twins

2011 Montes Cabernet Sauvignon Alpha

 

 

 

About the winery:

Founded in 1988, Viña Montes is the brainchild of Aurelio Montes and Douglas Murray, both veterans of the wine industry.  Along with partners Alfredo Vidaurre and Pedro Grand, they created Viña Montes with the goal of elevating the quality and reputation of Chilean wines – both in Chile and around the world.  In the quarter century since, Viña Montes has played a pivotal role in enhancing awareness, affinity, and acclaim for Chilean wines in more than 100 countries worldwide.  In essence, Viña Montes has become the benchmark for premium Chilean wines.

 

The winery produces 950,000 cases of wine a year under the following “labels”:

Montes Alpha “M” – Ultra-premium Bordeaux-variety blend

Montes Folly – Super-premium, limited-production Syrah

Purple Angel – Super-premium Carménère

Montes Alpha – Label that pioneered Chile’s first “premium” wines

          This label includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Carménère, Chardonnay,   Malbec, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Syrah

Limited Selection – Small-lot wines, limited distribution

          This labels includes Cabernet Sauvignon / Carménère, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc

Montes Classic Series – Value wines, broad distribution

          This label includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Malbec, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc

Montes Cherub – Rosé of Syrah

Montes Twins – Cabernet Sauvignon/Malbec

Montes Late Harvest: Botrytised Gewurztraminer

 

 

 

These wines were provided to me by feast PR.  For more information, check out their site by clicking here.  As of this posting, the site was still under construction.  Information can also be received by e-mailing Jennifer O’Flanagan at jen.oflanagan@feastpr.com.

 

 

 

Here is the line up for this tasting:

 

 

 

2012 Montes Twins – SRP $17

This wine is a blend of 50% Malbec from the Marchigüe vineyard and 50% Cabernet Sauvignon Apalta vineyard.  The yields were 3.6 tons per acre.  After fermentation, 60% of the wine was aged for 10 months in new French oak barrels.

 

The wine has 14.0% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a twist off closure.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark ruby color.  The exotic nose has blackberries, earthy underbrush, fresh ground espresso, vanilla, tomato leaf, dark chocolate and dried wildflowers.  This has medium body with soft to moderate tannins and decent acidity.  On the palate berries, espresso and earthiness jump out first with dark chocolate coming in on the back end.  A slight dried floral note comes through on the decent length finish.  This is a touch soft and seems to have a hint of residual sweetness which means the wine would work in a party setting.  This could use a bit more structure and complexity to reach the next level.  (86 pts)

 

 

 

2011 Montes Cabernet Sauvignon Alpha – SRP $25

This wine is a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot.  After fermentation, the wine was aged for 12 months in a mix of new and used French oak barrels.  The total production was 109,000 cases.

 

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

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep ruby red color.  The nose has cassis, dark chocolate, cedar, mint and a green herbal note.  This has medium body with moderate tannins and good acidity.  On the palate cassis and chocolaty oak grab hold, slowly allowing some earthiness and an herbal note to slip in.  The finish has good length with nice fruit and chocolate along with the lingering green pepper note.  If you don’t mind a green pepper note, you will like this more than I do.  (85 pts)

 

 

 

Closing Thoughts

These are two nicely priced wines that can be easily found for well under the suggested retail price.  The average price I saw for the Twins was under $12.  At that price this can be served at a party without breaking the bank.

 

 

 

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 2014 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:

 

Click here or on the “Cliff’s Wine Picks On Other Sites” link in the top right corner to see links to other sites that either have my reviews, my thoughts or other posts I have written.

 

 

 

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.

 

 

It takes a village to raise a wine

 

 

Overview

I joined the Bedrock mailing list just about as soon as it was created.  Besides making several outstanding wines using grapes from some of the oldest vineyards in the region, they also produce some of the best wines currently coming out of California.

 

The Winery

Bedrock Wine Co. was founded in 2007 by Morgan Twain-Peterson in a 550 square-foot, former chicken coop with 8 foot ceilings and no fermentation space.  After six years of Bedrock being a one-man-show, Morgan was able to talk his best friend, Chris Cottrell, into moving to California from New York to join him.  They now happily have a little more space to move around in but share the same objectives that guided the winery at the start.

 

The winery’s objectives are:

 

To channel the fruit of ancient vines into powerful, elegant, and distinctly Californian wines.

To spread the gospel of Syrah in California by sourcing fruit from great terroirs throughout the North Coast.

To proclaim the greatness of Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon by sparing no expense on wines of uniqueness and personality.

To reclaim rose’ from the excesses of saignee and focus on precision, delicacy, aromatics, and food friendliness.

To make fascinating and quixotic white wines from unique sites and interesting varietals.

To dream big but keep production low!

 

 

Photo courtesy of the Historic Vineyard Society – Click here to vist their site.

 

The Vineyard

Monte Rosso, nestled on the southwest slopes of the Mayacamas Mountains, near the town of Agua Caliente, was originally planted by the Emanuel Goldstein in the early 1880s.  The vineyard fell victim to phylloxera and was replanted in 1890.  Some of his original plantings (Zin, Semillon) still remain.  Louis Martini purchased the property in 1938 and replanted some of the ranch with what is today some of the oldest cabernet sauvignon in the North America.  Martini renamed the vineyard “Monte Rosso” for its mountaintop setting and bright red, volcanic soils.

 

 

 

2010 Bedrock Wine Co. Zinfandel Monte Rosso Vineyard – $38.00

The grapes for this wine actually come from the exact block Morgan’s father, Joel Peterson, used to create his Ravenswood Monte Rosso Zinfandel many years ago.

 

For more information on the winery or to join their mailing list, please click here.

 

This wine has 15.0% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep purple color.  The stunning nose is full of brambly berries, minerals, violets, fresh ground black pepper, toasty oak, vanilla, melted licorice, freshly ground dark roast coffee, and a touch of dark bittersweet chocolate.  This full bodied gem has moderate to solid tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate, layers of fruit, spice, and savory elements take turns engulfing the taste buds, trying to out do each other.  The finish is extremely long and again reveals new layers every few seconds.  This is obviously on the young side and even though it will last in the cellar through the end of the decade, it is absolutely stunning right now.  (95 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 2014 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:

 

Click here or on the “Cliff’s Wine Picks On Other Sites” link in the top right corner to see links to other sites that either have my reviews, my thoughts or other posts I have written.

 

 

 

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!