Cliff's Wine Picks

 

2007 Diebolt-Vallois Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut

2012 Groth Cabernet Sauvignon

2013 Hook & Ladder Station 10

2012 Loring Wine Company Cabernet Sauvignon Blend

2012 Bedrock Wine Co. Heritage Compagni Portis

2010 Tamarack Cellars Firehouse Red

 

 

 

2007 Diebolt-Vallois Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut – $45.45

Another Last Bottle purchase.  More info on the site and a link to join their e-mail list (with a nice credit) is below.

 

This 100% Chardonnay is only produced when the quality of the grapes is good enough.  It looks like that happened only 6 times since 1999.

 

The wine is a light straw yellow color with a very persistent, steady stream of pinpoint sized bubbles.  The very appealing nose has pears, lemon curd, yeasty bread, white peach, minerals, shaved almonds and orange blossoms.  This has light body with great effervescence and tart acidity.  On the palate tart pears, lemon curd and minerals quickly take control eventually allowing yeasty bread, white peach and shaved almonds to enter the picture on the back end.  The finish has great length with zippy lemon zest leaving your mouth watering for another sip.  This tastes great now but I don’t plan on opening another bottle for a few years.  I think some cellar time will allow the acidity to integrate and additional nuances to develop.  This has 12.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a standard Champagne cork.  (94 pts)

 

 

 

2012 Groth Cabernet Sauvignon – $45.00

Another Last Bottle purchase.  More info on the site and a link to join their e-mail list (with a nice credit) is below.

 

This vintage is a blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Merlot that were harvested from September 28 to October 26.  After fermentation, the wine was aged in French oak barrels for 22 months, 65% new.

 

The wine is a deep violet color.  The elegant nose has cassis, tobacco, baking spices, dusty minerals, violets, cedar, cherries and licorice.  This has medium body with moderate to solid tannins and very good acidity.  On the palate cassis, spicy oak, dusty minerals and baking spices jump out on the front end with tobacco and cherries coming in later.  The finish has nice length with violets and licorice providing some depth.  This needs a bit of time in the cellar to add some weight and fill out on the palate.  This is very nice now but I think the best days are a couple years down the road.  This has 14.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

2013 Hook & Ladder Station 10 – $14.90

Another Last Bottle purchase.  More info on the site and a link to join their e-mail list (with a nice credit) is below.

 

This Russian River Valley Red is a blend of 59% Zinfandel, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Petite Sirah, 4% Carignane and 1% Alicante Bouschet.

 

The wine is a deep garnet color.  The inviting nose has blackberries, licorice, crushed stone minerals, dark chocolate, dry underbrush, black cherries, dried wild flowers, black peppercorns, baking spices and a touch of cedar.  This has medium to full body with moderate tannins and good acidity.  On the palate blackberries, baking spices, minerals and dark chocolate take control early with black cherries and dry earth coming in later.  The finish has good length with black peppercorns and a dried floral note providing nice depth.  This is an easy drinking, much more civilized version of The Prisoner.  This has 14.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with an agglomerated cork.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2012 Loring Wine Company Cabernet Sauvignon Blend – $16.50

This wine is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Mourvedre from Paso Robles.  I bought this as a pre-release from the winery, so the price I paid is no longer available.

 

The wine is a deep ruby red color.  The stunning nose has cassis, licorice, earthy underbrush, black cherries, dried herbs, cedar, stony minerals, tobacco, dark chocolate and dried flowers.  This has medium to full body, moderate ripe tannins and nice acidity.  On the palate, juicy berries and spicy oak jump out first with dried herbs, cherries and minerals coming in on the back end.  The finish has nice length with a nice earthy element and chocolate coming into the picture adding some complexity.  Not a wine made to stash in the cellar but to open and enjoy over the next couple of years.  A great value for under $20.  This wine has 14.9% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a twist off cap.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2012 Bedrock Wine Co. Heritage Compagni Portis – $25.00

This wine is a field blend consisting of about a dozen different varietals including Gewurtzraminer, Trousseau Gris, Riesling, Roter Veltliner, Chardonnay and a few others from a vineyard planted in 1954.  This is how wines used to be made before people wanted to see a specific grape on the label.

 

The wine is a bright yellow color.  The exotic nose has apples, lychee, white peach, pear, stony minerals, petrol, honeysuckle, orange blossoms and melon.  This has medium body with nice acidity.  This is rich and luxurious on the palate with nice white orchard fruit, orange blossoms, minerals and lychee nuts on the front end with honeysuckle and a touch of lime zest coming in later.  The finish has very nice length with a touch of melon and white peach providing great depth.  This was much smoother and richer as it warmed up a bit, don’t serve this one too cold, just a brief chill in the refrigerator will be perfect.  This has 14.2% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2010 Tamarack Cellars Firehouse Red – $13.77

This is a perennial house favorite and best buy.  The blend changes every vintage, but the quality is always in the bottle.  This is always a blend of several grapes that always seems to work.

 

This vintage is a blend of 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Syrah, 12% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 4% Malbec, 4% Sangiovese, 2% Zinfandel, 1% Petit Verdot, and 1% Carmenere.

 

This is a fairly deep ruby to maroon color.  The pleasant nose has blackberries, dark chocolate, minerals, cherries, baking spices, dried herbs, and earthy underbrush.  This has medium body with soft tannins and good acidity.  Nice, juicy, spicy fruit hits the palate first with some dark chocolate and earthiness coming in on the back end.  This has decent length on the finish which is showing a touch of oak.  For under $15 this is a keeper.  The bottle is sealed with an agglomerated cork, I could not see the alcohol percentage on the label.  Before you ask, I checked before I even had a sip of the wine.  I think this wine is reaching the end of the line, kill this one off in the next year.  (89 pts)

 

 

 

 

I am a big fan of the “Flash Wine Sale” site Last Bottle.  You probably noticed some of the wines in this post were purchased from the site.  All of these wines were purchased at a big discount.  I highly recommend getting on their e-mail list.  Like most of the flash sale sites, they offer one wine per day until it sells out.  They also have a couple two-day marathons during the year.  Last Bottle is a great site to buy special wines at prices low enough to open any day of the week.

 

If you sign up using this link you will get a $10 credit that can be used on your first purchase.  I will also get a credit if you make a purchase.

 

Other than getting a credit as explained above, I have no financial interest in the site.  After you are on the list, you can also get the same credit by introducing friends to Last Bottle.

 

 

 

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.

 

I post a lot more pictures and pairing suggestions on my Instagram account, consider joining me at https://www.instagram.com/cbbrown3/

 

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 2016 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 always check out the sale and close out items when in a store.  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!

 

 

2013 McCay Cellars Grenache Abba Vineyard

2015 Acquiesce Grenache Blanc Lodi

2013 Turley Zinfandel Kirschenmann

2013 Mettler Family Vineyards Zinfandel Old Vine Epicenter

2015 Azienda Bologna Cinsault a’Campo Old Vine Rose

2014 Acquiesce Roussanne

2014 Oak Farm Vineyards Barbera

2014 Macchia Zinfandel Mischievous Old Vine

2014 Bokisch Vineyards Albariño Terra Alta Vineyard

 

 

 

These are mostly wines that I purchased, a few were samples that were provided to me.  I have the samples clearly stated as samples.  Some were from my cellar, some were purchased during my recent tour of Lodi and some were purchased after I returned.  I write about wines but I am also a collector and wine consumer.  I may write about some wines that are provided to me but I buy the wines I want to drink.  Here are some of the wines from Lodi that are now part of my cellar.

 

This is my second post on Lodi Wines.  If you missed my previous post, it is available by clicking here.

 

 

 

2013 McCay Cellars Grenache Abba Vineyard – $25.60

Michael McCay and his family moved to Lodi in the mid 1980s.  He started making wine in 1994 and launched McCay Cellars in 2007.

 

This is 100% Grenache that utilized a “native yeast” fermentation and that was aged in neutral oak.  A total of 178 cases were produced.

 

Much more information is on the winery’s website.

 

The wine is a light, translucent ruby red color.  The entrancing nose has raspberries, crushed stone minerals, warm baking spices, plums, white pepper, dry underbrush, fresh flowers and charred wood.  This has medium to full body with medium tannins and great acidity.  On the palate tart berries, white pepper, minerals and under ripe plums quickly grab your attention with baking spices and a nice floral note coming in later.  The finish has very good length with tart cherries and charred wood providing nice depth.  This is on the young side but already tastes great.  This has good balance and is not on the highly extracted/over ripe side of the line.  An outstanding effort!  This tastes more like a Rhone wine than one from the new world.  This has 14.2% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (93 pts)

 

 

 

2015 Acquiesce Grenache Blanc Lodi – $19.20

Susan Tipton is the Owner/Winemaker for Acquiesce Winery.  The winery’s vines were sourced from the famous French Châteauneuf du Pape estate, Château de Beaucastel.  The winery produces almost all white wines with only one exception, a delicious rosé.  These are all small batch, hard to find wines.  The best sources for Susan’s wines are direct from the winery or from the Lodi Wine & Visitor Center.  See below for info on the Center.

 

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

 

The wine is a pale yellow with a slight green tint.  The captivating nose has apples, melons, leafy herbs, orange blossoms, white peach, dusty minerals, lemon zest and a hint of roasted nuts.  This has medium body with a creamy texture and crisp acidity.  On the palate apples, under ripe melons, minerals and leafy herbs jump out quickly on the front end with orange blossoms slipping in on the back end.  The finish has good length with lemon zest and a nice, slightly bitter roasted nut element adding nice depth.  This is easy to sip and shows great balance and complexity.  Another great, crisp white wine from Lodi.  This has 13.5% alcohol and the stylish bottle is closed with an agglomerated cork.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2013 Turley Zinfandel Kirschenmann – $32.00

If you have not been living under a rock for the last couple of decades, you should know Turley Winery.  Turley is one of the first “cult” wineries in California.  The wines are mainly sold via a mailing list but I have seen some of the wines in retail stores.  A lot of people are surprised to know Turley produces a wine from Lodi.  It really shouldn’t come as too big of a surprise since this vineyard that was originally planted in 1915 is now owned by Tegan and Olivia Passalacqua.  Tegan is the winemaker for Turley.

 

The wine is a deep purple color.  The nose doesn’t lead you to think Zinfandel, this has raspberries, plums, scorched earth, dried herbs, dusty minerals, baking spices, violets and vanilla.  This has a full body with moderate tannins and decent acidity.  Berries, plums, scorched earth and minerals quickly coat your palate with baking spices and vanilla coming in later.  The finish has good length with a touch of black pepper and dried leafy herbs providing depth.  This may not be easily identifiable as a Zinfandel, but it easy to recognize the wine as being very tasty and enjoyable.  I wouldn’t stash this one away for more than another couple of years.  This has 15.2% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (90pts)

 

 

 

2013 Mettler Family Vineyards Zinfandel Old Vine Epicenter – SRP $19.99

This was a sample provided by the winery, Lodi Wine & Visitor Center and Calhoun & Company.

 

The Mettler Family is one of the oldest farming families in the region.  The Mettlers have roots in the wine industry dating back to the 1770s and they have been growing wine grapes in the Lodi appellation since the late 1800s when their first Lodi vineyards were planted.

 

This is a blend of 85% Zinfandel, 10% Petite Sirah, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon.  The wine was aged for 18 months in 70% American and 30% French oak; 60% new barrels.  There were 7,186 cases produced.

 

Much more information on their history and wines is available on their website.

 

The wine is a deep maroon color.  The big and bold nose has blackberries, dark chocolate, toasty oak, black peppercorns, licorice, tobacco, cola, dusty minerals and dried leafy herbs.  This has a full body with moderate ripe tannins and decent acidity.  On the palate crushed berries, dark chocolate and toasty oak quickly take control on the front end with tobacco, black pepper and dusty minerals coming in on the back end.  The finish has nice length with dried herbs and dark chocolate providing nice balance to the rich berries.  This is a big, rich and bold Zinfandel that pushes the ripeness and demands hearty food.  This has 15.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (89 pts)

 

 

 

2015 Azienda Bologna Cinsault a’Campo Old Vine Rosé – $14.40

I couldn’t find much information on the winery online.  I assume I’m just looking in the wrong places.

 

The wine is a light pink salmon color.  The soft and laid back nose has cherries, strawberries, stony minerals, orange blossoms, white peach and lemongrass.  This has light to medium body with crisp acidity and seems to be totally dry.  On the palate bright red fruit, minerals and white peach jump out on the front end with lemongrass and orange blossoms coming in later.  The finish has very nice length with mineral and red fruit.  The is a very flavorful and balanced rosé that pairs nicely with a light meal but also excels sipping on its’ own on a sunny day.  This has 13.0% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with an agglomerated cork.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2014 Acquiesce Roussanne – $21.60

Acquiesce Winery is Lodi’s only winery that is dedicated to white wines, though they do produce an occasional rosé.  If you visit their website and check out the wines they produce, the first thing you’ll notice is that all their wines are made with the traditional Rhone grapes.  No chardonnay or sauvignon blanc wines here.  Instead, you will find Roussanne, Viognier, Picpoul Blanc and Grenache Blanc.  The second thing you’ll notice is their bottles.  Again, they are different and distinctive.

 

There is nothing wrong about being predictable other than being predictable and boring.  I love wineries that think outside the box and are distinctive.  Being different and distinctive is only a good thing if you are good at it, and Acquiesce excels at what they do.

 

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

 

The wine is a light yellow color.  The exotic nose has apples, melons, banana, orange blossoms, spice and wet stones.  This has medium body with nice acidity.  On the palate this creamy textured wine has tart apples, melons and spice on the front end with orange blossoms and citrus zest coming in on the back end.  The finish has very nice length with stony minerals providing depth.  This would be perfect with a light lunch on a sunny day.  This has 13.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with an agglomerated cork.  (89 pts)

 

 

 

2014 Oak Farm Vineyards Barbera – SRP $25

This was a sample provided by the winery, Lodi Wine & Visitor Center and Calhoun & Company.

 

When I visited Lodi with a group of fellow bloggers in late September, one of the highlights was a tasting of Lodi produced Barbera wines.  These were all high quality, distinctive wines with considerable merit.  Oak Farm was one of the wines we tasted and I looked forward to being able to spend an evening with a bottle of their wine.

 

Oak Farm Vineyards is a beautiful winery that specializes in small lot/premium wines.  If you ever make it to the region, I highly encourage a visit.  A visit with Dan Panella the Owner/Winemaker and Chad Joseph the Head Winemaker will be an informative and tasty experience.  More information is available on their website.

 

The wine is a deep garnet red color.  The very inviting nose has black cherries, crushed stone minerals, dry underbrush, warm baking spices and dead wood embers.  This has medium to full body with soft tannins and great acidity.  On the palate cherries, spice and minerals jump out on the front end with underbrush and charred wood coming in on the back end.  The finish has good length with the cherries and spice lingering nicely.  This has great balance and it very easy to enjoy.  I really liked this wine, a great job!  This has 14.9% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2014 Macchia Zinfandel Mischievous Old Vine – $18.38

In Italian, “Macchia” means “the spot”.  After a visit to the winery, especially their tasting area, you will agree.

 

Macchia is owned by the husband and wife team of Tim and Lani Holdener.  The winery started operations in 2001 using grapes they sourced from California’s premium vineyards.  The winery specializes in Zinfandels, they produce 7 or more different Zins.  They also produce some very nice wines from Italian varietals.  Tim is one of the “characters” in the region.  He always seems to be smiling and have a joke or gag ready.  The first time I met him, he was walking around on the dusty road we were having a tasting wearing a “tuxedo T-shirt”.  Much more information on the winery is, of course, available on their website.

 

A potential source for Macchia wines is Total Wine.  I know my local store carries a few of their wines, including this one.

 

The wine is a deep garnet color.  The open and bold nose has blackberries, baking spices, black pepper, licorice, scorched earth, dried wildflowers, plums, dusty minerals, cherries and vanilla bean.  This has a full body with moderate ripe tannins and nice acidity.  On the palate blackberries, black pepper, scorched earth and baking spices quickly take control with plums and vanilla coming in later.  The finish has nice length with cherries and a dried floral note providing good depth.  This is big and rich with plenty of fruit and enough savory elements to provide some complexity and depth.  I wouldn’t stash this one in the back of the cellar, I’d probably open this one over the next two to three years or the alcohol may start poking through.  This has 15.7% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2014 Bokisch Vineyards Albariño Terra Alta Vineyard – $16.20

I was a fan of Bokisch wines before I met Marcus Bokisch and visited the winery.  Afterwards, my love and appreciation went up even more.  Marcus is one of the most knowledgeable and well spoken people I have ever met.  If you ever make it to Lodi, Bokisch is a “must stop”.  If Marcus is there, ask him about “fairy shrimp and vernal pools”.   Marcus and Winemaker Elyse Egan Perry are a top notch team producing world class wines.

 

Much more information, including recipes from Liz Bokisch, is available on their website.

 

The wine is a light yellow color.  The very appealing nose has apples, orange blossoms, lime zest, crushed stone minerals and a hint of white pepper.  This has light to medium body with crisp acidity.  On the palate tart apples, lime zest and orange blossoms quickly grab your attention with minerals and orange zest coming in on the back end.  The finish has very nice length with just a hint of white pepper adding nice depth before the mouthwatering citrusy acidity forces another sip.  This has great balance and is a world-class Albariño.  I really like this wine.  This has 12.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with an agglomerated cork.  (93 pts)

 

 

 

Conclusion and recommendations

These are all wines made with pride by families that either grow their own grapes of buy them from “friends”.  The over riding thing I learned during my visit is this region performs like one big team.  Everyone from the grape growers to the winery owners are equals when it comes to producing these world class wines.

 

 

If you want to plan a trip to Lodi, which I highly recommend, your first step should be to visit the Lodi Wine Site.  If you find yourself in Lodi and want to sip some wine, buy some wine or look for recommendations, I encourage you to visit them at:

Lodi Wine & Visitor Center

2545 West Turner Road

Lodi, CA 95242

Phone: (209) 367-4727

Email: lwwc@lodiwine.com

 

This is also a great place to buy Lodi wines.  They have an extensive inventory of wines that you can have shipped to your home.

 

 

 

 

 

Lodi Information

Lodi is just east of San Francisco and has provided grapes for producers all over the world since the 1800’s.  The Lodi area has provided grapes for producers all over the world for decades, and many families in Lodi have been growing grapes for six and seven generations.  Today, there are approximately 85 wineries and tasting rooms, over 750 growers and more than 100,000 acres planted to vineyards.  The wines we tasted commemorate the heritage of Lodi and are not only exquisite, but tell a narrative.

 

It is a well-known fact that Lodi is predominantly a red wine region, proudly holding the self-proclaimed title of “Zinfandel Capital of the World”.  What is lesser known is that Lodi’s unique Mediterranean climate allows for over 75 different varietals to thrive.

 

Tons of great and useful information is available on the Wines of Lodi, LOCA website.  I highly encourage you to read about the area by clicking here.  You can also follow Lodi on Twitter at @Lodi_Wine.

 

 

Lodi Green Program

The Lodi Rules for Sustainable Winegrowing is California’s first 3rd party-certified sustainable winegrowing program.  Originally launched in 2005, over the past two years the program went through and extensive review to update and make standards more rigorous.

 

The Lodi Rules takes a comprehensive approach to farming that goes beyond just pest management to promote practices that enhance biodiversity, water and air quality, soil health, and employee and community well-being.  This allows us to produce higher quality wines more reflective of the places and people that grow them.  It gives you the opportunity to promote responsible farming by enjoying the great wines from these vineyards.

 

When you drink a certified sustainably grown Lodi wine, you are supporting a farmer, a vintner, and a community that embraces its responsibility to take care of the environment.

 

Visit the Lodi Certified Green site for more information on the region’s sustainable winegrowing.

 

 

 

 

Calhoun & Company enjoys a diverse portfolio of wine and spirits clients. From family owned to corporate managed, luxury to everyday priced, small lot wines to nationally distributed, Napa to Oporto, we thrive on the varied media opportunities each of these categories presents. We are exceptionally proud of the breadth and depth of our practice, as illustrated by this partial list of brands we have worked with over the past 13 years.  For more information, visit their website.

 

 

 

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 2017 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 always check out the sale and close out items when in a store.  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!

 

 

2013 Methymnaeos Chidiriotiko Orange Wine Greece

2006 Shafer Relentless

2014 Prisoner Wine Company Saldo

2011 Outpost Grenache Howell Mountain

2008 Big Basin Vineyards Mandala Syrah

Locations WA-4

 

 

 

2013 Methymnaeos Chidiriotiko Orange Wine Greece

The winery is the only one in the world making wine from the almost extinct Chidiriotiko grape.  Even though Orange wines are usually made from white grapes, this is a pale colored red grape.  The winery produces a white, red and this orange wine from the grape.

An “orange” wine is produced by fermenting white grapes on their skins similar to the production of a red wine.  The light colored skins give the wine a bright orange tint after going through fermentation.  As I noted above, in this case, the grapes used were a light, pale red but the results were the same.

The wine is a bright, clear orange color.  The mysterious nose has cherries, minerals, orange zest, white flowers and a hint of nuttiness.  This has an oily texture with soft tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate cherry skin, minerals and orange zest jump out on the front end with a floral note and a hit of roasted nuts coming in later.  The finish has nice length with minerals and cherry skins lingering nicely.  This is an obscure grape and a different style of wine that work nicely.  If you ever have the opportunity to try an “orange wine” think of it as a lighter red wine serving wise.  This tastes better at cellar temperature or a touch warmer.  This has 14.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a man made Nomacorc.  (89 pts)

 

 

2006 Shafer Relentless – $42.74

This vintage is a blend of 84% Syrah and 16% Petite Sirah.

 

The wine is a deep, dark, inky purple color.  The exotic and enticing nose has blackberries, fresh ground espresso beans, crushed stone minerals, dark chocolate, melted licorice, black pepper, smoke, black cherries, tar, and violets.  This is full bodied with solid tannins and good acidity.  On the palate there are layers of fruit and savory elements that thoroughly coat your mouth, like the wine’s name, the flavors are “relentless”.  The finish is fairly long and again is loaded with flavor.  Not a lot of subtlety here, just massive amounts of flavors that are held in check by the outstanding tannic backbone and acidity.  This is in a great drinking window and will hold for several years.  This has 14.9% alcohol and is sealed with a natural cork.  (93 pts)

 

 

2014 Prisoner Wine Company Saldo – $22.99

From the producer – “The word “Saldo” is of Latin origin often referring to “from here and there” or in this case, representing our sourcing of Zinfandel from regions “here and there” across Northern California.”

 

The wine is a deep purple color.  The big and bold nose has blackberries, plums, baking spices, plums, espresso beans and scorched earth.  This has a full body with moderate ripe tannins and decent acidity.  Layers of fruit and spice quickly coat your palate with scorched earth and espresso beans coming in on the back end.  The finish has nice length with the fruit and spice continuing the assault on your palate.  Not a lot of complexity but this fruit bomb has enough savory notes to keep it from getting boring.  This has 15.9% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (87 pts)

 

 

2011 Outpost Grenache Howell Mountain – $36.59

This wine was purchased from Last Bottle Wines.  My favorite “flash sale” site on the web.  More information and a discount on your first purchase is below.

 

This wine comes from a vineyard 2,200 feet above the Napa Valley floor.  Thomas Rivers Brown produced 171 cases of this 100% Grenache.  The wine was aged in 100% one to five year old French oak barrels.

 

The wine is a light, bright ruby color.  The intoxicating nose has strawberries, dry earth, rocky minerals, white pepper, raspberries, baking spices and wildflowers.  This has medium body with moderate tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate red fruit, minerals and white pepper push out to the front quickly with baking spices and dry earth coming in later.  On the lingering finish the savory notes take the lead with the fruit providing nice background sweetness.  This isn’t your normal fruit driven California Grenache, but it’s also not really Southern Rhone like either.  Maybe the best description would be Rhone-esque with richer upfront fruit.  This is a hard one to give a drinking window, it should be in its prime, but there still seems to be some depth and oomph buried in the background.  I plan on holding off opening another bottle for a year or two.  This has 14.1% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (93 pts)

 

 

2008 Big Basin Vineyards Mandala Syrah – $35.00

Total production was 8 barrels.  This is a blend of 88% Syrah, 8% Grenache and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon.

 

The wine is a deep ruby to maroon color.  The big and bold nose is full of blackberries, blueberries, baking spices, dying wood embers, dark chocolate, dried violets and dusty minerals.  This has a full body with moderate to solid tannins and good acidity.  On the palate layers of fruit, spice and minerals jump out on the front end with wood embers and dark chocolate coming in later.  The finish has great length with a nice dried floral note adding some depth.  This is a big, bold and rich wine that needs a hearty meal.  This is now in a prime drinking window that should last another 4 or 5 years.  What this wine lacks in subtlety it makes up for in taste.  This has 15.8% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (90 pts)

 

 

Locations WA-4 – $20.00

This wine was purchased from Last Bottle Wines.  My favorite “flash sale” site on the web.  More information and a discount on your first purchase is below.

 

Even though this is a “non-vintage” wine, most, if not all the grapes, were from the 2014 vintage.  This is a blend of Syrah, Merlot and Petit Sirah that was barrel aged 10 months in French and American oak barrels.

 

The owner and winemaker for Locations is Dave Phinney, better known for his esteemed Orin Swift wines.  The idea behind this label was “what can we do if we break the rules and blend grapes from regions that are normally not blended together”?  Why not make a wine blending grapes from both Bordeaux and the Rhone and throw in some from Roussillon?  The original concept has expanded to now include unique blends from different states in the US.  Besides the normal states, I noticed a Texas blend is now being produced.

 

The wine is a deep purple color.  The enticing nose has blackberries, blueberries, dry underbrush, white pepper, dark chocolate, dried wildflowers, warm baking spices and a hint of crushed stones.  This has a full body with moderate ripe tannins and nice acidity.  On the palate dark fruit, spice and underbrush quickly grab control with white pepper, dark chocolate and crushed stone minerals coming in on the back end.  The finish has good length with a dried floral note providing nice depth.  This isn’t a wine to stash away in the cellar, open it over the next 4 to 5 years and enjoy the layers of fruit and spice the wine readily offers up.  This has 15.0% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

I am a big fan of the “Flash Wine Sale” site Last Bottle.  You probably noticed some of the wines in this post were purchased from the site.  All of these wines were purchased at a big discount.  I highly recommend getting on their e-mail list.  Like most of the flash sale sites, they offer one wine per day until it sells out.  They also have a couple two-day marathons during the year.  Last Bottle is a great site to buy special wines at prices low enough to open any day of the week.

 

If you sign up using this link you will get a $10 credit that can be used on your first purchase.  I will also get a credit if you make a purchase.

 

Other than getting a credit as explained above, I have no financial interest in the site.  After you are on the list, you can also get the same credit by introducing friends to Last Bottle.

 

 

 

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.

 

I post a lot more pictures and pairing suggestions on my Instagram account, consider joining me at https://www.instagram.com/cbbrown3/

 

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 2017 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 always check out the sale and close out items when in a store.  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!

 

 

2015 Château d’Esclans Rock Angel

2015 Château Sainte Marguerite Côtes de Provence La Symphonie

2015 Hecht & Bannier Côtes de Provence Rosé

2015 Domaine Saint Aix Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence Rosé

2015 Domaine de la Sangliere Côtes de Provence Cuvée Spéciale

 

(All wines were free samples provided for review purposes by Wines of Provence and Calhoun & Company.)

 

 

When I was approached to sample and review some rosé wines from Provence, I almost broke my fingers to respond too quickly.  This was an easy question, I love these wines.  I always have at least a case of Provence rosés in my cellar.  A nice rosé isn’t just for a hot summer day, they are outstanding the entire year.  If you are not familiar with the rosés from the area, I highly encourage you to check them out.  The wines below are a great starting point, but the fun is finding the one that will become your “house rosé”.

 

Don’t expect a sweet White Zinfandel style of wine, these are usually bone dry and are perfect with a lighter meal or a perfect to serve as guests arrive for a party or just conversation.

 

 

 

For centuries, dry rosé wine has been a staple in the south of France, where it is embraced as the best lunchtime, seaside, and all-occasion wine. Particularly in the coastal Provence region, the heart of the world’s dry rosé production, a passion for dry pink permeates the culture. Provençal citizens know from centuries of wine growing history that vin rosé pairs with all the foods they like, any time of year. In fact, French rosé outsells white wine in France.

 

Provence, the site of France’s oldest vineyards, is the world’s largest wine region specializing in rosé. The region has a rich rosé tradition, and winemakers today are the beneficiaries of the region’s collective knowledge and time-honored techniques. Since rosé is a delicate wine and one of the most difficult to produce with success, these long-established traditions remain entirely relevant. The area’s deep-rooted rosé culture goes a long way toward explaining why the world’s best rosés still come from Provence.

 

Much more information on the region, the wineries and their wines is available on their website.

 

See below for a link to a free download of a recipe book full of great food to serve with these wines.

 

 

Here is the line up of wines for this post:

 

2015 Château d’Esclans Rock Angel – SRP $35

This wine is a blend of Grenache and Vermentino (Rolle).  After a manual harvest the grapes go through a manual and optical sorting.  This wine is 50% stainless steel fermented 50% crafted in oak barrels. Temperature controlled.

 

The wine is a bright salmon pink color.  The crisp and clean nose has strawberries, cherries, crushed stone minerals, white peach, leafy herbs and orange blossoms.  This has medium body with crisp acidity.  On the palate bright bruit, minerals and leafy herbs jump out first with white peach and orange blossoms coming in later.  The finish has great length with juicy citrusy acidity.  This is a step or two above your normal Rosé.  This has 14.0% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (93 pts)

 

 

2015 Château Sainte Marguerite Côtes de Provence La Symphonie – SRP $18

This is a blend of 40% Grenache, 40% Cinsault and 20% Syrah.  The grapes were both mechanically and manually harvested, with the majority being harvested mechanically.  This organic wine went through a cold skin contact maceration before pressing and a temperature controlled vinification.  The wine was aged in vats on fine lees before being fined and filtered before bottling.

 

The wine is a bright salmon pink color.  The refreshing nose has strawberries, cherries, stony minerals, melon, orange blossoms and citrus zest.  This has light to medium body with crisp acidity.  This is dry on the palate with strawberries, minerals and cherries on the front end with melon and orange blossoms coming in later.  The finish has nice length with a touch of citrus zest leading you to grab another sip.  This would be great with a light meal on the deck or patio on a sunny day or as something to sip before a festive meal with friends.  This has 12.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a man made stopper.  (90 pts)

 

 

2015 Hecht & Bannier Côtes de Provence Rosé – SRP $18.00

This is a blend of 45% Grenache, 40% Cinsault and 15% Syrah.  The grapes are harvested between 3:00 AM and 9:00 AM to avoid oxidation and to preserve the fresh characteristics.  The grapes are kept below 50F° for sorting and destemming to preserve the light color.  Vinification is mainly in stainless steel with frequent batonnage until bottling.

 

The wine is a bright salmon pink color.  The fresh and inviting nose has cherries, strawberries, wet stone minerals, white peach, orange zest, fennel and anise.  This has light to medium body with good acidity and just a hint of lingering sweetness.  On the palate strawberry, cherry and minerals quickly take control with white peach and fennel coming in later.  The long finish adds orange zest and a hint of anise.  This is a crisp wine with just enough sweetness to add a bit of weight and make it extremely easy to sip.  This would be great on a sunny day sitting on the patio or deck.  This has 13.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a glass stopper.  (90 pts)

 

 

2015 Domaine Saint Aix Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence Rosé – SRP $15.00

This wine is a blend of 60% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 20% Cinsault.  Only the best grapes were harvested under optimal weather conditions to ensure perfect balance between the sugar and acidity.  When the grapes reached the cellar it was still the cool morning ensuring the retention of all the fruit flavors, minerality and freshness.

 

The wine is a light salmon color.  The nose reminds me of Spring full of strawberries, white flowers, white peach, crushed stones and a hint of leafy herb.  This has light to medium body with crisp acidity and perhaps just a touch of sweetness.  On the palate strawberries, minerals and white peach jump out immediately with a nice floral note and a touch of leafy herb coming in on the back end.  The finish has great length with nice, mouthwatering acidity leading you to grab another sip.  A wonderful rosé to pair with a light meal or to sip on its own on a sunny day.  This has 13.0% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a man made closure.  (91 pts)

 

 

2015 Domaine de la Sangliere Côtes de Provence Cuvée Spéciale – SRP $15.00

This wine is a blend of 60% Grenache and 40% Cinsault.

 

The wine is a light salmon pink color.  The enticing nose has cherries, strawberries, white peach, orange blossoms, sea breeze, stony minerals and a hint of leafy herbs.  This has medium body with good acidity and just of hint of lingering sweetness.  Nice red fruit, minerals, orange blossoms and a slight saline element quickly coat your palate with white peach coming in later.  The finish has very good length with a subtle herbal note providing depth.  This is extremely easy to drink and would be perfect with a lighter meal on a sunny day or as an aperitif before a festive dinner.  This has 13.0% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a man made “cork”.  (90 pts)

 

 

Conclusion

These wines are perfect for a nice sunny day but they are also without peer any time of the year.  These wines are very food friendly with a wide range of foods.  Any serious wine consumer should have a few stashed away for any special occasion, like a Tuesday evening.  The wines are available everywhere at very wallet friendly prices, some under $10.

 

Since you’ve read this far, I wanted to point out a download full of delicious recipes perfect with these wines from their website.  Click here to download.

 

 

 

Calhoun & Company enjoys a diverse portfolio of wine and spirits clients. From family owned to corporate managed, luxury to everyday priced, small lot wines to nationally distributed, Napa to Oporto, we thrive on the varied media opportunities each of these categories presents. We are exceptionally proud of the breadth and depth of our practice, as illustrated by this partial list of brands we have worked with over the past 13 years.  For more information, visit their website.

 

 

 

 

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.

 

I post a lot more pictures and pairing suggestions on my Instagram account, consider joining me at https://www.instagram.com/cbbrown3/

 

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 2017 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 always check out the sale and close out items when in a store.  Wines purchased direct from a winery do not include any shipping charges.  None of the prices include the sales tax.

 

 

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

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

 

2011 Pierre Amadieu Gigondas Romane Machotte

2011 Terre di Talamo Morellino di Scansano Tempo Riserva

2010 Villa Creek Avenger

2015 River Road Vineyards Pinot Noir Sonoma County

Paul Bara Champagne Grand Cru Brut Réserve

2012 BellaGrace Vineyards Grenache

 

 

 

2011 Pierre Amadieu Gigondas Romane Machotte – $21.99

This wine is a blend of 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah.  The wine is aged for 12 months in two year old barrels and oak casks.

 

The wine is a deep ruby to maroon color.  The very inviting nose has blackberries, raspberries, dusty minerals, dried herbs, white pepper, scorched earth and dried wild flowers.  This has medium to full body with moderate tannins and very good acidity.  On the palate berries, minerals and white pepper jump out on the front end with dried herbs and scorched earth coming in later.  The finish has nice length with a dried floral note providing adding depth.  This is drinking very nicely right now and it should hold through at least the end of the decade.  I really liked this one.  This has 14.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a man made closure.  (91 pts)

 

 

2011 Terre di Talamo Morellino di Scansano Tempo Riserva – $14.84

This is a wine I always keep in the cellar for pizza and pasta nights.  I always grab a few bottles when I visit the local Total Wine when I can get it for under $15 with any frequent buyer sales or coupons.

 

The wine is a light ruby red color.  The very enjoyable nose has cherries, dusty minerals, dry underbrush, spices, white pepper and wild flowers.  This has medium body with moderate tannins and very good acidity.  On the palate cherries, minerals and spics jump out quickly with underbrush and white pepper coming in later.  The finish has very nice length with a floral note providing depth.  This is very food friendly and young.  This will improve with some cellar time and last for a decade.  This has 14.0% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (91 pts)

 

 

2010 Villa Creek Avenger – $36.00

This wine is a blend of 60% Syrah, 30% Mourvedre and 10% Grenache.  There were 400 cases produced.

 

Some technical stuff from the winery:

Avenger is always Syrah based, but this wine is reminiscent of some of the first vintages of Avenger with its higher percentage of Mourvèdre.  Luna Matta Syrah is the backbone of this vintage.  Mourvèdre grapes come from Denner, James Berry and Luna Matta.  The Syrah was fermented 50% whole cluster and aged in 30% new French barriques.  The Mourvèdre was fermented without stems and aged in second fill French puncheons.  The Denner Grenache was destemmed and aged in neutral puncheons.

 

The wine is a deep garnet color.  The inviting nose is full of crushed berries, white pepper, crushed stone minerals, underbrush, licorice, baking spices, black cherries and wild flowers.  This has a full body with moderate tanning and nice acidity.  On the palate the crushed berries, white pepper and crushed stones grab hold and take control early with cherries, baking spices and earthy underbrush slipping in on the back end.  The finish is long and nicely layered.  The 15.2% alcohol is buried behind the wall of berries and spice and doesn’t poke through at any time.  This is drinking very nicely now with some air but will last in the cellar through the end of the decade, probably longer.  This has 15.2% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a wax covered natural cork.  (93 pts)

 

 

2015 River Road Vineyards Pinot Noir Sonoma County – $14.44

The wine is a bright ruby red color.  The interesting nose has black cherries, forest floor, eucalyptus, white pepper, roasted leafy herbs, cranberries and chalky minerals.  This has medium body with moderate tannins and good acidity.  On the palate cherries, forest floor, white pepper and roasted herbs pop out on the front end with cranberries and minerals coming in on the back end.  The finish has nice length with a hint of eucalyptus providing some depth.  At this time the wine doesn’t show a lot of complexity, perhaps some cellar time will allow some depth and complexity to develop.  None the less, this is a nice Pinot for under $15.  This has 13.3% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a twist off closure.  (87 pts)

 

 

Paul Bara Champagne Grand Cru Brut Réserve – $29.29

This was picked up at a Last Bottle Marathon, always a great source for special wines at every day prices.  See below for information on the site and a discount on your first purchase.

 

I can’t find, with 100% confidence, the exact blend of grapes for this wine but it appears to be 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay.  I should note, I have even seen this noted as 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir.  This means, your guess is as good as mine.

 

This is a light golden straw color with a steady stream of pinpoint sized, persistent bubbles.  The festive nose has tart apples, lemon zest, stony minerals, toasted yeasty bread, orange blossoms, white peach and a hint of berries.  This has light to medium body with great effervescence, crisp acidity and just a touch of sweetness.  On the palate apples, minerals, orange blossoms and lemon zest quickly take control with a hint of white peach and berries slipping in on the back end.  The finish has good length and is crisp and clean thanks to lemony acidity.  This is a joy to sip on its’ own or with a light meal.  This has 12.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a standard Champagne cork.  (92 pts)

 

 

2012 BellaGrace Vineyards Grenache – $17.50

This is one of my favorite “new wineries”.  They are well worth your time to check them out on their website.

 

The wine is a garnet red color.  The inviting nose has cherries, white pepper, dusty minerals, licorice, baking spices, scorched earth and dried herbs.  This has medium body with moderate to solid tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate mineral laden cherries, white pepper and baking spices grab hold immediately with scorched earth coming in on the back end.  The finish has good length with dried herbs, white pepper and minerals pushing the fruit into the background…in a good way.  This tastes very good today and should hold through the end of the decade.  This has very good balance and it will pair nicely with a variety of meals.  This has 14.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

 

I am a big fan of the “Flash Wine Sale” site Last Bottle.  You probably noticed some of the wines in this post were purchased from the site.  All of these wines were purchased at a big discount.  I highly recommend getting on their e-mail list.  Like most of the flash sale sites, they offer one wine per day until it sells out.  They also have a couple two-day marathons during the year.  Last Bottle is a great site to buy special wines at prices low enough to open any day of the week.

 

If you sign up using this link you will get a $10 credit that can be used on your first purchase.  I will also get a credit if you make a purchase.

 

Other than getting a credit as explained above, I have no financial interest in the site.  After you are on the list, you can also get the same credit by introducing friends to Last Bottle.

 

 

 

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.

 

I post a lot more pictures and pairing suggestions on my Instagram account, consider joining me at https://www.instagram.com/cbbrown3/

 

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 2017 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 always check out the sale and close out items when in a store.  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 Calera Pinot Noir Mills Vineyard

2005 Copain Syrah Harrison Clarke

2006 Oliverhill Winery Shiraz Jimmy Section

2015 Loring Wine Company Dornfelder Huber Vineyard

2015 Daou Vineyards The Pessimist

2013 Conn Creek Herrick Red

 

 

 

2009 Calera Pinot Noir Mills Vineyard – $46.64

The wine is a nice garnet color.  The inviting nose has black cherries, forest floor, chalky minerals, white pepper, eucalyptus, raspberries and a dried floral note.  This has medium body with moderate tannins and very good acidity.  On the palate cherries, minerals, white pepper and forest floor grab control immediately with raspberries coming in on the back end.  The finish has great length with a dried floral note joining the cherries, minerals and forest floor.  This shows excellent balance and is a pleasure to drink.  This has 14.9% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  For the wine geeks, the back label challenges Ridge for the most informative label in the business.  (94 pts)

 

 

 

2005 Copain Syrah Harrison Clarke – $40.00

The wine is a fairly deep ruby red color.  The appealing nose has blackberries, crushed stone minerals, briny black olives, white pepper, wood embers, freshly ground espresso beans, vanilla and dark chocolate.  This has a full body with moderate tannins and good acidity.  On the palate blackberries, minerals, black olives and wood embers jump out on the front end with espresso beans, vanilla and white pepper coming in later.  The finish has good length with dark chocolate and a floral note providing nice depth.  To me, this was one of Copain’s lower rung vineyards, normally overshadowed by several others.  This has 14.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2006 Oliverhill Winery Shiraz Jimmy Section – $19.00

This is one of my wife’s all-time favorite wines.  How much does she like it?  Per Cellar Tracker I bought a total of 33 bottles, and his will be the 32nd bottle we’ve opened since December 2009.  It will be hard to let her know it’s all gone when the last bottle gets cracked open.  I should add I like this wine as well.  I still do not understand how it was such a slow mover at the local wine store.  This is part of my last case which only cost me $19.00, a bottle.  A steal based on the $35 release price.

 

The wine is a deep, inky purple color.  The very inviting nose is full of blackberries, black pepper, vanilla, smoldering charcoal, licorice, leather, blueberries,  dry earth, wild flowers and dark chocolate.  This is fairly full bodied with solid, ripe tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate the wine gives a big blast of ripe, juicy berries with spicy oak and black pepper adding nice savory elements.  The finish has very good length with blueberries, dark chocolate and a nice floral note providing great depth.  This is a big, bold and ripe wine that pushes the ripeness but does not cross over into the sweet or syrupy level.  This has 15.5% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a twist off closure.  (93 pts)

 

 

 

2015 Loring Wine Company Dornfelder Huber Vineyard – $36.66

And now for something totally different, a Dornfelder wine from California.

 

The wine is a deep, dark purple color, almost black.  The impressive nose is full of blackberries, blueberries, dry underbrush, baking spices, chalky minerals and a hint of road tar.  This has a full body with moderate ripe tannins and nice acidity.  On the palate this tastes like a warm berry pie with subtle earthiness and minerals coming in on the back end.  The finish is full of berries and spice with a hint of road tar.  This is a very unique wine from a “different” grape.  Though it lacks in the complexity department, there is no lack of flavor and overall taste.  I wouldn’t sit on this one for an extended time, enjoy this one over the next few years.  This has 14.3% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with the standard Loring twist off closure.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2015 Daou Vineyards The Pessimist – $18.99

This is a blend of 37% Syrah, 31% Petite Sirah, 27% Zinfandel, 4% Tannat and 1% Grenache.

 

The wine is an inky purple color.  The big and bold nose is full of crushed blackberries, blueberries, baking spices, vanilla, toasty oak, crushed stone minerals and scorched earth.  This has a full body with moderate ripe tannins and nice acidity.  This is big and lush on the palate with blackberries, blueberries, spicy oak and vanilla up front with minerals and dried earthy elements coming in later.  The finish has good length with baking spices and berries carrying the majority of the load.  This may be lacking in complexity but it is full throttle on the fruit and spice.  I wouldn’t sit on this for an extended period of time, enjoy this one over the next few years.  This has 15.2% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

2013 Conn Creek Herrick Red – $15.99

This is a blend of 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Syrah, 6% Merlot, 6% Malbec, 4% Primitivo from the Napa Valley

 

The wine is a deep maroon color.  The easy going nose has cassis, blueberries, dark chocolate, plums, caramel, dry underbrush, vanilla bean and flinty minerals.  This has a full body with soft to moderate ripe tannins and decent acidity.  This is rich and velvety on the palate with a big fruit presence on the front end.  The back end provides some nice savory notes to keep the fruit from getting boring with dark chocolate and flinty minerals.  The finish has decent length and like the palate is fruit driven.  This isn’t built to age and lacks complexity but that doesn’t stop it from being very tasty.  This would be best served with appetizer platters to friends gathered for conversation and not to geek-out over the wine.  This has 14.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (88 pts)

 

 

 

 

I am a big fan of the “Flash Wine Sale” site Last Bottle.  You probably noticed some of the wines in this post were purchased from the site.  All of these wines were purchased at a big discount.  I highly recommend getting on their e-mail list.  Like most of the flash sale sites, they offer one wine per day until it sells out.  They also have a couple two-day marathons during the year.  Last Bottle is a great site to buy special wines at prices low enough to open any day of the week.

 

If you sign up using this link you will get a $10 credit that can be used on your first purchase.  I will also get a credit if you make a purchase.

 

Other than getting a credit as explained above, I have no financial interest in the site.  After you are on the list, you can also get the same credit by introducing friends to Last Bottle.

 

 

 

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.

 

I post a lot more pictures and pairing suggestions on my Instagram account, consider joining me at https://www.instagram.com/cbbrown3/

 

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 2017 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 always check out the sale and close out items when in a store.  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!

 

2008 Rhys Alesia Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

2011 Januik Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley

Domaine Chandon Brut Classic

2012 Bedrock Wine Co. Sauvignon Blanc Kick Ranch

2010 Ehlers Estate Cabernet Franc St. Helena

 

 

 

2008 Rhys Alesia Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast – $28.00

I’ve been on the Rhys mailing list for a few years.  A lot of people knock the wines because they don’t taste great upon release.  Rhys wines require a few years in the cellar to smooth out and open up.  That said, their Alesia wines, which are made from purchased grapes, though also needing some time in the cellar, seem to be ready to drink a couple years earlier.  I grabbed several bottles of this wine when it was offered on their e-mail release.  This is my last bottle and every bottle has been better than the previous bottle…always a good sign.

 

The wine is a nice ruby red color.  The sexy nose has strawberries, raspberries, cola, baking spices, underbrush, minerals, cherries, dried flowers and a slight herbal note.  The wine has medium body with soft tannins and very good acidity.  The very complex palate has layers of fruit, spice, and earthy elements that slowly reveal themselves with each sip, with the nice cleansing acidity evident at all times.  The finish is fairly long and the mouthwatering acidity is ever present.  This is very food friendly and civilized.  There is no excess weight or overly extracted notes evident on the wine.  This is in a very good drinking window and should hold for another year or two.  This has 13.9% alcohol and is sealed with a natural cork.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2011 Januik Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley – $25.00

This vintage is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Malbec.  The grapes are sourced from a short list of vineyards the winery considers to be among the best in the state including Ciel du Cheval, Red Heaven, Red Mountain, Weinbau and Shaw vineyards.

 

The wine is a deep ruby red color.  The very appealing nose has cassis, dried herbs, minerals, cedar, baking spices, cherries and a hint of dark bittersweet chocolate.  This has a medium body with moderate tannins and very good acidity.  On the palate rich fruit and spice lead off with minerals and dried herbs coming in on the back end.  The finish has good length with cherries, spice and a touch of dark chocolate lingering nicely.  This is drinking very nicely today and should continue doing so for at least a few more years.  This was a steal for $25.  This has 14.4% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

Domaine Chandon Brut Classic – $15.49

This is a blend of traditional Champagne varieties, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier from multiple cool-climate vineyards.

 

The wine is a light golden yellow color with a steady stream of pinpoint sized bubbles.  The slightly shy nose has tart green apples, lemon zest, yeasty bread and a slight saline note.  This has light body with decent acidity and a touch of sweetness.  On the palate apples, lemon zest and a slight nutty element come through quickly.  The finish has decent length with lemon zest acidity and a slight lingering sweetness.  This is drinkable but not the most memorable or complex bottle of sparkling wine you will find.  This has 12.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a standard Champagne stopper.  (87 pts)

 

 

 

2012 Bedrock Wine Co. Sauvignon Blanc Kick Ranch – $22.00

This wine is from the Rincon Valley in Sonoma County.  The wine is fermented using native yeasts entirely in barrels, with 5% being new Acacia wood.

 

The wine is a bright straw yellow color.  The open and expressive nose has apples, gooseberry, spice, lemon zest, orange blossoms, minerals, light leafy herbal notes and a hint of roasted nuts.  This has medium body with crisp acidity.  On the palate tart apples, spice, slate minerals and gooseberry jump out on the front end with orange blossoms and a slight herbal note coming in on the back end.  The finish has good length with orange blossoms and tart lemon zest leaving your mouth watering for another sip.  This is drinking wonderfully today and it should hold for another year or two.  This has 14.1% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2010 Ehlers Estate Cabernet Franc St. Helena – $39.99

This is 100% Cabernet Franc from 100% CCOF certified organic, 100% Demeter Certified Biodynamic estate vineyards.  The wine was aged in 100% French oak, 50% new.  There were 597 cases of wine produced.

 

The wine is a deep maroon color.  The stunning nose has blackberries, cassis, dusty minerals, dried herbs, tobacco, violets, cedar, underbrush and baking spices.  This has medium to full body, moderate to solid tannins and very good acidity.  On the palate fruit, minerals and spices jump out first with a floral note and subtle earthiness coming in later.  The finish has very good length with a touch of cedar and dried leafy herbs joining the nice lingering fruit.  This is on the young side but already showing very well.  I look forward to following the wine’s evolution over the next decade.  This wine has 14.5% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (94 pts)

 

 

 

 

 

I am a big fan of the “Flash Wine Sale” site Last Bottle.  You probably noticed some of the wines in this post were purchased from the site.  All of these wines were purchased at a big discount.  I highly recommend getting on their e-mail list.  Like most of the flash sale sites, they offer one wine per day until it sells out.  They also have a couple two-day marathons during the year.  Last Bottle is a great site to buy special wines at prices low enough to open any day of the week.

 

If you sign up using this link you will get a $10 credit that can be used on your first purchase.  I will also get a credit if you make a purchase.

 

Other than getting a credit as explained above, I have no financial interest in the site.  After you are on the list, you can also get the same credit by introducing friends to Last Bottle.

 

 

 

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.

 

I post a lot more pictures and pairing suggestions on my Instagram account, consider joining me at https://www.instagram.com/cbbrown3/

 

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 2017 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 always check out the sale and close out items when in a store.  Wines purchased direct from a winery do not include any shipping charges.  None of the prices include the sales tax.

 

 

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

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

 

2011 Loring Wine Company Grenache Russell Family Vineyard

2010 Sandler Wine Company Grenache Chalone Boer Vineyard

2012 Ledge Tempranillo Los Topos

2010 Jacob Franklin Petite Sirah Hayne Vineyard

2012 Ledge Garnacha Los Topos

2009 Vincent Arroyo Tempranillo

2008 Villa del Monte Merlot Moon Vineyard

2008 Villa Creek Garnacha Denner Vineyard

 

 

 

2011 Loring Wine Company Grenache Russell Family Vineyard – $39.67

This was a no-brainer buy for me.  I love Brian Loring’s wines and Grenache is one of my favorite grapes.  The price of admission was a touch steep for a total unknown, but I had to grab some.

 

Winery history

My philosophy on making wine is that the fruit is EVERYTHING.  What happens in the vineyard determines the quality of the wine – I can’t make it better – I can only screw it up!  That’s why I’m extremely picky when choosing vineyards to buy grapes from.  Not only am I looking for the right soil, micro-climate, and clones, I’m also looking for a grower with the same passion and dedication to producing great wine that I have.  In other words, a total Pinot Freak!  My part in the vineyard equation is to throw heaping piles of money at the vineyard owners (so that they can limit yields and still make a profit) and then stay out of the way!  Since most, if not all of the growers keep some fruit to make their own wine, I tell them to farm my acre(s) the same way they do theirs – since they’ll obviously be doing whatever is necessary to get the best possible fruit.  One of the most important decisions made in the vineyard is when to pick.  Some people go by the numbers (brix, pH, TA, etc) and some go by taste.  Once again, I trust the decision to the vineyard people.  The day they pick the fruit for their wine is the day I’m there with a truck to pick mine.  Given this approach, the wine that I produce is as much a reflection of the vineyard owner as it is of my winemaking skills.  I figure that I’m extending the concept of terroir a bit to include the vineyard owner/manager… but it seems to make sense to me.  The added benefit is that I’ll be producing a wide variety of Pinots.  It’d be boring if everything I made tasted the same.

 

The wine is a deep garnet color.  The exotic and inviting nose has black cherries, black raspberries, white pepper, chocolate, crushed rocks, dried herbs, Asian spices, forest floor, and a touch of eucalyptus.  This has medium to full body, moderate ripe tannins, and good acidity.  The palate features ripe, juicy cherries and berries, minerals, spice, chocolate and some earthiness.  The finish has nice length with dried herbs and white pepper adding some kick to the chocolate and fruit.  This is a ripe and rich style of wine but it doesn’t carry excess weight and is not syrupy.  This will never be mistaken as a Rhone wine, but it is outstanding in its own right.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2010 Sandler Wine Company Grenache Chalone Boer Vineyard

Sandler Wine Company is the personal label of ever-present consulting winemaker, Ed Kurtzman.  Sandler Wine Company is devoted to small bottlings of Pinot Noir, Syrah, Zinfandel and Grenache, from some of Ed’s favorite vineyard and grower sources.  Production of most wines very seldom exceeds 100 cases and in some cases don’t even reach 25 cases.  This is a highly recommended mailing list to check out if you want very reasonably priced, small production wines.

 

For more information, checkout their website.

 

The wine is a nice, bright ruby red color.  The civilized and refined nose has raspberries, minerals, warm baking spices, mint, cherries, wild flowers, and a touch of earthiness.  This has medium body, moderate tannins, and very good acidity.  On the palate the fruit and spice grab hold initially, eventually allowing a touch of mint, earthiness, and a floral note to come through.  The finish has nice length with mint and cherries carrying the load.  This is very good now, but will be much better in another year or two.  This has 14.3% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2012 Ledge Tempranillo Los Topos – $18.75

This is a limited production, 100% Tempranillo sourced from premium Paso Robles Vineyards.

 

The wine is a deep garnet color.  The enticing nose has black cherries, white pepper, dry underbrush, baking spices, crushed stone minerals, dried leafy herbs, wild flowers and licorice.  This has a full body with moderate tannins and nice acidity.  Black cherries, white pepper and crushed stones immediately grab hold of your palate with dried herbs and underbrush coming in on the back end.  The finish has nice length with licorice and a floral note entering the picture.  This will probably age and maybe even improve in the cellar but this is very hard to resist.  One of the better Tempranillo wines coming out of California.  This has 15.2% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a twist off closure.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2010 Jacob Franklin Petite Sirah Hayne Vineyard – $32.00

This was another very easy buy, one of my favorite grapes, from a top notch vineyard, from one of my go-to wineries.

 

The wine is a deep purple color.  The inviting nose is full of crushed blackberries, dusty minerals, violets, blueberries, white pepper, road tar, dried violets and vanilla bean.  This has medium to full body with moderate tannins and very nice acidity.  For a Hayne Vineyard Petite Sirah this is bright and lively on your palate with crushed berries, minerals and white pepper hitting on the front end and blueberries, vanilla and dried violets coming in later.  The finish has very nice length with berries and white pepper seeming to linger forever.  This is on the young side but very easy to enjoy even at this stage in its development.  This has 13.6% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2012 Ledge Garnacha Los Topos – $18.75

This is 100% Grenache from Paso Robles.

 

The wine is a bright ruby red color.  The inviting nose has cherries, baking spices, licorice, white pepper, crushed stones, dried leafy herbs, raspberries and dried flowers.  This has medium to full body with moderate tannins and nice acidity.  Tart cherries, white pepper and crushed stones jump out quickly on the front end with baking spices and licorice coming in later.  The finish has nice length with dried herbs and dried flowers joining the cherries and white pepper.  This is already very tasty but will probably improve with a year in the cellar.  This has 15.0% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a twist off cap.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2009 Vincent Arroyo Tempranillo – $25.20

I’ve joined the Vincent Arroyo mailing list with the 2000 vintage.  I was hooked after our first visit to the winery.  I was fortunate enough to get in on a sale of their library wines so I have had the wines from as far back as the 1995 vintage.  If you ever make it to the Calistoga area, I highly recommend a stop at Vincent Arroyo.  They generally have a couple bottles open but the highlight is the barrel tasting.  You have the opportunity to pre-order the exact wines you sample from the barrel.

 

Winery history

Walking into the Vincent Arroyo Winery, one gets the sense that it has been here forever.  Is it just the comfortable atmosphere of a big barn full of oak wine barrels that lends to the sense of permanence?  Vincent Arroyo, himself, may feel like he has been here forever, as well.  He left behind a career as a mechanical engineer in the Silicon Valley during the early 70’s and headed to Calistoga, at the northern tip of the Napa Valley.  He felt much more at home close to the land, being able to see and taste the fruits of his labors.

 

The purchase of the 23 acres of the Greenwood Ranch property in 1974 began the evolution of what is seen today, 85 acres cultivating 9 different wine grape varietals.  Vince has always been a farmer at heart, taking care of the land to produce the best that it can.  He began to transform the Greenwood Ranch by ripping out existing prune trees and unhealthy vines and planting new vineyards.  For many years, he did it all alone, the tractor work, cellar work and a one-man sales force.  Originally he made just a few hundred cases of his favorites, Petite Sirah and Cabernet, selling the majority of the grape tonnage to other Napa wineries.  Today, he produces over 8,000 cases of seven different varietals.

 

More information is available at: http://www.vincentarroyo.com/

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a fairly dark ruby red color.  The slightly reserved nose has black cherries, warm baking spices, licorice, earthy underbrush, wild flowers, dried herbs, and cedar.  This has medium body, moderate tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate the wine shows cherries with a touch of spicy oak up front with some dried herbs and earthiness coming in on the back end.  The finish is a touch short but again has nice spicy cherries.  This doesn’t offer a lot in the complexity department but it is tasty.  A worthy entry in the Napa Valley Tempranillo category, which doesn’t have many competitors.  (88 pts)

 

 

 

2008 Villa del Monte Merlot Moon Vineyard – SRP $33

This was a sample provided by the winery for review purposes.

 

The wine is a deep ruby to maroon color.  The inviting nose has blackberries, cherries, cedar, baking spices, mint, freshly ground coffee beans, dark bittersweet chocolate and dried violets.  This has medium body with moderate tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate tart fruit, spice and coffee beans jump out on the front end with cedar and a touch of mint coming in later.  The finish has nice length with dark chocolate and dried flowers adding nice depth.  This is drinking very nicely today but will hold for the remainder of the decade, maybe longer.  A solid effort!  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2008 Villa Creek Garnacha Denner Vineyard – $29.75

The wine is a bright ruby red color.  The sensuous nose has plums, cherries, baking spices, roasted herbs, scorched earth, white pepper, violets, crushed stones and a hint of eucalyptus.  This has medium to full body with moderate tannins and good acidity.  On the palate sweet cherries, white pepper, scorched earth and crushed stones jump out quickly with roasted herbs and spices coming in later.  The finish has good length with a touch of eucalyptus providing extra depth.  A few years in the cellar have been very kind to this wine.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

 

I am a big fan of the “Flash Wine Sale” site Last Bottle.  I highly recommend getting on their e-mail list.  Like most of the flash sale sites, they offer one wine per day until it sells out.  They also have a couple two-day marathons during the year.  Last Bottle is a great site to buy special wines at prices low enough to open any day of the week.

 

If you sign up using this link you will get a $10 credit that can be used on your first purchase.  I will also get a credit if you make a purchase.

 

Other than getting a credit as explained above, I have no financial interest in the site.  After you are on the list, you can also get the same credit by introducing friends to Last Bottle.

 

 

 

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.

 

I post a lot more pictures and pairing suggestions on my Instagram account, consider joining me at https://www.instagram.com/cbbrown3/

 

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 2017 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 always check out the sale and close out items when in a store.  Wines purchased direct from a winery do not include any shipping charges.  None of the prices include the sales tax.

 

 

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

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

 

2012 Cairdean Vineyards Merlot

Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Champagne Brut

1993 Schwaab-Kiebel Erdener Treppchen Riesling Auslese Fuder #9

2004 Delamotte Champagne Blanc de Blancs Millésimé

2008 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection

 

 

 

2012 Cairdean Vineyards Merlot – $16.00

This wine was purchased from Last Bottle Wines.  Information on the site including a $10 credit for joining is below.

 

This winery changed their name from Cairdean to Brasswood Napa Valley.  That was the reason Last Bottle Wines was able to sell this wine at such an incredible price.

 

The wine is a deep maroon color.  The inviting nose has black cherries, white pepper, vanilla, dusty minerals, cedar, eucalyptus, baking spices, dark chocolate and a touch of blueberry.  This has medium body with moderate to solid tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate black cherries, baking spices, minerals and white pepper take control on the front end with eucalyptus, dark chocolate and vanilla coming in later.  The finish has good length with spicy cedar and a hint of blueberry providing good depth.  This tastes great now but some cellar time will be rewarded.  This has 14.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (93 pts)

 

 

Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Champagne Brut – $45.99

One of the most popular “special occasion” Champagnes in the marketplace.

 

This is a pale straw yellow color with several persistent streams of pinpoint sized bubbles.  The appealing and festive nose has apples, lemon zest, minerals, fresh baked yeasty bread, orange blossoms and white peach.  This has light body with big effervescence and crisp acidity.  On the palate apples, lemon zest, minerals and orange blossoms come in on the front end with yeasty bread and white peach coming in later.  The finish has very good length with crisp, mouthwatering lemony acidity leaving you quickly reaching for another sip.  This has 12.0% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a standard Champagne cork.  (90 pts)

 

 

1993 Schwaab-Kiebel Erdener Treppchen Riesling Auslese Fuder #9 – $19.70

I have a special place in my heart for a well aged German Riesling.  In their youth these wines may seem disjointed with plenty of residual sugar and an overload of acidity.  Over time in the cellar everything comes together, the sugar and acidity evolve into a rich, silky wine that is so easy to drink they can get addictive.

 

The wine is a bright yellow color with a slight golden tint.  The fresh and vibrant nose has apples, flinty minerals, orange blossoms, honey, lychee nuts, white peach and just a hint of petrol.  This has medium to full body with great acidity and nice lingering sweetness.  On the palate apples, minerals, honey and lychee nuts jump out quickly on the front end with orange blossoms and white peach coming in later.  The finish is long and lingering with a hint of petrol.  This is rich and luxurious, a wonderful bottle of wine that does not taste 23 years old.  I have no idea how long this will hold in the cellar but I am not in any hurry to open my remaining bottles.  This has 8% alcohol and the bottle was sealed with a pristine natural cork.  (95 pts)

 

 

2004 Delamotte Champagne Blanc de Blancs Millésimé – $59.29

This wine was purchased from Last Bottle Wines.  Information on the site including a $10 credit for joining is below.

 

The wine is a light yellow color with a slight green tint with very persistent pinpoint sized bubbles.  The festive nose has apples, lemon zest, wet stone minerals, roasted nuts and white flowers.  This has great acidity with nice effervescence.  Tart apples, minerals and lemon zest quickly greet the palate with roasted nuts and white flowers coming in later.  The mouthwatering finish has great length with the lemony acidity causing you to quickly reach for another sip.  No hurry with this one, it will last for several years.  Great job!  This has 12% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a standard Champagne cork.  (94 pts)

 

 

2008 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection – $91.04

One of the original “cult” Napa Cabernet wines.  There are a lot of people who have to grab every vintage as soon as it is released.  This wine has been produced in every vintage since 1975 except 1977, 1993 and 1996 when the wine was not produced.

 

This was the first vintage of this wine to not be 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, this includes 14% Merlot.  The grapes for this wine do not come from a single vineyard like a lot of winery’s top end releases.  This is a blend of grapes from Rutherford 32%, Atlas Peak 15%, Oak Knoll 14%, St Helena 9% and Yountville 6%.  The remaining 24% come from “lesser known” areas in the Napa Valley.

 

The wine is a deep, dark purple color.  The open and inviting nose has cassis, baking spices, fresh ground dark roast coffee, dried herbs, dusty minerals, cherry, dark chocolate, vanilla and a touch of eucalyptus.  This has a full body with moderate to solid, ripe tannins and good acidity.  The wine is rich and plush on the palate with loads of crushed berries, baking spices, and dark chocolate.  There are dried herbs and cherries coming in on the back end filling out the palate and adding depth.  The finish is long and rich with a bit of vanilla creeping in as well a some eucalyptus and dark chocolate.  This is delicious right now but with all the richness, I don’t know if this will be one to hold long term. I’d advise enjoying over the next few years.  This has 15.4% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (93 pts)

 

 

 

 

 

I am a big fan of the “Flash Wine Sale” site Last Bottle.  You probably noticed some of the wines in this post were purchased from the site.  All of these wines were purchased at a big discount.  I highly recommend getting on their e-mail list.  Like most of the flash sale sites, they offer one wine per day until it sells out.  They also have a couple two-day marathons during the year.  Last Bottle is a great site to buy special wines at prices low enough to open any day of the week.

 

If you sign up using this link you will get a $10 credit that can be used on your first purchase.  I will also get a credit if you make a purchase.

 

Other than getting a credit as explained above, I have no financial interest in the site.  After you are on the list, you can also get the same credit by introducing friends to Last Bottle.

 

 

 

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.

 

I post a lot more pictures and pairing suggestions on my Instagram account, consider joining me at https://www.instagram.com/cbbrown3/

 

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 2017 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 always check out the sale and close out items when in a store.  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 Caitlin’s Cuvee Paso Robles

2011 Mark Herold Wines Flux

2008 Duckhorn Vineyards Cabernet Franc Estate Grown Patzimaro Vineyard Napa Valley

2011 Carlisle Zinfandel Carlisle Vineyard

2008 Villa Creek Mas de Maha

2015 Macchia Petite Sirah Dubious

 

 

 

2010 Treasure Hunter Caitlin’s Cuvee Paso Robles – $18.59

There isn’t much information available on this wine.  I do know it is a Bordeaux blend but I don’t know the exact blend.  I do know the winemaker is Mark Adams from One Time Spaceman and his own winery, Ledge.

 

The wine is a deep purple color.  The exotic nose has cassis, blackberries, roasted herbs, baking spices, cherries, dry underbrush, wild flowers and a hint of cedar.  This has medium body with soft to moderate tannins and nice acidity.  On the palate cassis, blackberries, roasted herbs and baking spices grab your attention quickly with cherries and underbrush coming in on the back end.  The finish has nice length with a floral note and a touch of cedar providing extra depth.  This isn’t one to stash away, I’d drink this one in the next year or two and enjoy the upfront fruit.  This has 15.0% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (89 pts)

 

 

2011 Mark Herold Wines Flux – $15.40

This wine was purchased from the “flash sell” site, Last Bottle.  More information and a credit for signing up is lower in this post.

 

This wine is a Grenache based blend with some Syrah and Mourvedre included in the blend.

 

The wine is garnet red color.  The enticing nose has black cherries, warm baking spices, raspberries, scorched earth, dusty minerals, roasted leafy herbs and wildflowers.  This has medium to full body with moderate tannins and good acidity.  On the palate black cherries, baking spices and minerals jump out first with raspberries and roasted herbs coming in later.  The finish has nice length with scorched earth and a floral note entering the picture.  This is an easy drinking and tasty wine.  I wouldn’t stash this away for an extended time, open this one in the next couple of years.  This has 14.7% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (91 pts)

 

 

2008 Duckhorn Vineyards Cabernet Franc Estate Grown Patzimaro Vineyard Napa Valley – $38.75

This wine was purchased from the “flash sell” site, Last Bottle.  More information and a credit for signing up is lower in this post.

 

This wine is a blend of 84% Cabernet Franc and 16% Cabernet Sauvignon.  The wine was aged in 100% new French oak Chateau-style 60 gallon barrels.

 

The wine is a deep ruby red color.  The enjoyable nose has cassis, cedar, dusty minerals, roasted herbs, baking spices, cherries, white pepper and a touch of dark chocolate.  This has medium body with moderate to solid tannins and very good acidity.  On the palate cassis, cedar, minerals and baking spices jump out quickly with roasted herbs and white pepper coming in on the back end.  The finish has decent length with cedar and dark chocolate providing depth.  The only negative is the herbs turn a touch green on the finish.  All in all, a very good wine with a piece of juicy meat hot off the grill.  This has 14.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (89 pts)

 

 

2011 Carlisle Zinfandel Carlisle Vineyard – $38.50

This wine is a blend of 87% Zinfandel and 13% Mixed Black Varieties (Alicante Bouschet, Petite Sirah, Grand Noir, Peloursin, Trousseau noir, Tempranillo, Muscadelle, Malvasia, Muscat, and over 30 other varieties).  The vineyard was planted in 1927.  The winery has undertaken the time consuming job of identifying the variety of every one of the 6000 vines in the vineyard.

 

The wine is a deep purple color.  The intoxicating nose has brambly berries, black peppercorns, licorice, warm baking spices, pencil shavings, stony minerals, black cherries, scorched earth and violets.  This has a full body with moderate to solid tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate waves of dark fruit, minerals, baking spices and pencil shavings immediately grab your attention with black pepper and scorched earth coming in on the back end.  The finish has good length with licorice and violets providing great depth.  This is a rich, lush and powerful Zinfandel that has great balance.  There is no hurry with this wine, it will drink very nicely through at least the end of the decade, probably even longer.  This has 15.7% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (94 pts)

 

 

2008 Villa Creek Mas de Maha – $29.75

This is a blend of 60% Tempranillo, 20% Grenache, 10% Mourvedre and 10% Carignan from Paso Robles.

 

The wine is a deep purple color.  The spellbinding nose has raspberries, black cherries, crushed stone minerals, dried herbs, vanilla, wildflowers, baking spices, plums and dry earth.  This has a full body with moderate tannins and good acidity.  On the palate red and black fruit, minerals and baking spices immediately grab your attention with vanilla, dried herbs and plums coming in later.  The lingering finish adds a nice floral note and some subtle earthiness.  This is at a great stage in its’ evolution, it is big and powerful with no rough edges and displays great balance.  I really enjoyed this wine and the cellar time has been rewarded.  This has 15.2% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a twist off closure.  (94 pts)

 

 

2015 Macchia Petite Sirah Dubious – $24.99

This wine is a blend of grapes from both Lodi and Amador County, so it carries the “California” appellation on the label.

 

The wine is a deep, dark purple color.  The luxurious nose is full of blackberries, wood embers, black pepper, vanilla, blueberries, scorched earth, wildflowers and crushed stone minerals.  This has a full body with moderate tannins and nice acidity.  On the palate blackberries, wood embers, black pepper and vanilla quickly take control with blueberries, minerals and scorched earth coming in later.  The finish has nice length with a big floral note joining the fruit to provide nice richness.  This probably won’t be one to stash away for some extended cellar time, open this one in the next few years and enjoy the upfront fruit.  This has 14.9% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

 

 

I am a big fan of the “Flash Wine Sale” site Last Bottle.  You probably noticed some of the wines in this post were purchased from the site.  All of these wines were purchased at a big discount.  I highly recommend getting on their e-mail list.  Like most of the flash sale sites, they offer one wine per day until it sells out.  They also have a couple two-day marathons during the year.  Last Bottle is a great site to buy special wines at prices low enough to open any day of the week.

 

If you sign up using this link you will get a $10 credit that can be used on your first purchase.  I will also get a credit if you make a purchase.

 

Other than getting a credit as explained above, I have no financial interest in the site.  After you are on the list, you can also get the same credit by introducing friends to Last Bottle.

 

 

 

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.

 

I post a lot more pictures and pairing suggestions on my Instagram account, consider joining me at https://www.instagram.com/cbbrown3/

 

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 2016 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 always check out the sale and close out items when in a store.  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!