Cliff's Wine Picks

2007 Cosentino Winery Cabernet Franc – $9.49

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

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

2006 Carlisle Zinfandel Sonoma County – $16.00

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

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

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

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

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

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

2008 Frimaio Chianti Classico – $18.99

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

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

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

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

Quick Question –

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

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

Rants from Manfred Krankl of SQN –

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bedrock Wine Co. Allocation

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

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

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

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

Cheers!

2007 Bodega Numanthia Termes Toro Termes – $16.14

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2007 Trefethen Cabernet Sauvignon Oak Knoll – $47.49

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

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

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

Wine News

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

My theory is two fold:

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

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

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

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

Winery Shout Outs – Wineries to watch out for

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

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

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

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

Cheers!

2010 King Estate Pinot Gris Signature Collection – $12.82

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

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

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

2005 Consilience Syrah Camp 4 Vineyard – $14.24

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wine News:

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

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

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

Surprise news:

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

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

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

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

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

Cheers!

A new concept in wine packaging and marketing

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2010 Colome Torrontes Valle Calchaqui, Argentina – $14.95

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

2010 Trattore Roussanne Dry Creek Valley California – $23.95

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cheers!

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

2009 Bedrock Wine Co. Zinfandel Old Vine – $22.50

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

2008 New Harbor Pinot Noir – $5.70

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

2010 Treasure Hunter Cabernet Sauvignon Panjanatan Paso Robles – $19.79

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

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

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

2009 McPrice Myers Grenache L’Ange Rouge – $30.40

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

2006 Novy Family Wines Nebbiolo Stolpman Vineyard – $19.00

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

2008 Allegrini Palazzo della Torre Veronese IGT – $14.24

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

2010 Cupcake Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc – $7.12

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

2001 Elyse Cabernet Sauvignon Tietjen Vineyard – $35.00

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

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

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