2012 Garnet Pinot Noir Monterey County Pinot Noir

2012 Bogle Vineyards Petite Sirah

2011 The Hess Collection Cabernet Sauvignon Hess Select

2009 Tait The Ball Buster

2009 Copain Syrah Tous Ensemble

2009 McPrice Myers Syrah Larner Vineyard

2003 Elyse Cabernet Sauvignon Tietjen Vineyard

 

 

Due to a fast approaching move from Wisconsin to South Carolina, some of the wines have minimal information other than my tasting note.

 

 

2012 Garnet Pinot Noir Monterey County – $13.99

 

The wine has 14.2% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a twist off closure.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright red to ruby color.  The attractive nose has raspberries, baking spices, cherries, hazelnuts, vanilla and subtle earthiness.  This has medium body with soft tannins and very nice acidity.  Tart berries and spice hit first on the palate with vanilla and a nice earthy streak coming in later.  The finish has nice length with tart fruit and spice carrying the load.  This is a very nice Pinot Noir to dress up a week night dinner table.  (89 pts)

 

 

 

2012 Bogle Vineyards Petite Sirah – $9.99

 

The wine has 13.5% alcohol by volume, the bottle is sealed with an agglomerated cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a fairly deep ruby to maroon color.  The inviting nose has blackberries, dark chocolate, black pepper, dried herbs and dried violets.  This has medium body with moderate tannins and nice acidity.  On the palate blackberries and black pepper jump out first with dark chocolate and dried herbs coming in on the back end.  The finish has nice length with a dried floral note entering the picture.  This is a nice, everyday Petite Sirah to enjoy with a weeknight dinner.  (88 pts)

 

 

 

2011 The Hess Collection Cabernet Sauvignon Hess Select – $16.99

 

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

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep ruby color.  The straight forward nose has cassis, cedar, cherries, dusty minerals, licorice and a slight green herbal note.  This has medium body with moderate tannins and good acidity.  On the palate the cassis, cedar and minerals jump out first with some green leafy herbs coming in later.  The finish is a touch short with a noticeable green note.  (85 pts)

 

 

 

2009 Tait The Ball Buster – $13.59

 

This is a blend of 73% Shiraz, 15% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Sauvignon from Australia’s Barossa Valley.

 

This wine has 15.0% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a twist off closure.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep ruby to purple color.  The enticing nose has blackberries, cedar, cherries, vanilla, road tar, dark chocolate and dried wild flowers.  The wine has a full body with moderate tannins and good acidity.  On the palate, tart berries and cherries jump out first with vanilla and cedar coming in later.  The finish has nice length with a dried floral note entering the picture.  (89 pts)

 

 

 

2009 Copain Syrah Tous Ensemble – $20.00

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep purple color.  The very appealing nose has blackberries, melted licorice, smoked meat, stony minerals, black pepper, violets and dried herbs.  This medium bodied wine has moderate tannins and very nice acidity.  Rich berries, minerals and smoked meat jump out first on the palate with pepper and dried herbs coming through later.  The finish has nice length with a nice violet element coming into the picture.  This is in a prime drinking window but should hold for a few years.  An outstanding value.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

2009 McPrice Myers Syrah Larner Vineyard – $30.40

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep purple color.  The nose is full of crushed blackberries, dark chocolate, freshly ground espresso, black pepper, dried violets, vanilla and chalky minerals.  This has a full body with moderate, ripe tannins and decent acidity.  Ripe berries, espresso and dark chocolate coat the palate slowly allowing black pepper and minerals to slip into the picture.  The finish has nice length with vanilla and dried violets coming into play.  Not an every day wine, but you can pull out the beast once in a while for a wild ride.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2003 Elyse Cabernet Sauvignon Tietjen Vineyard – $35.00

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a brilliant ruby red color.  The spellbinding nose has cassis, melted licorice, dried herbs, dusty minerals, cedar, warm baking spices, white pepper and violets.  This has medium body with moderate tannins and very nice acidity.  Rich cassis, minerals and dried herbs grab hold of your palate immediately, slowly allowing spicy oak and baking spices to slip into the picture.  The finish has very nice length with white pepper and a nice floral note emerging.  This has superb balance and is in a great drinking window.  (94 pts)

 

 

 

Connect with me

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

 

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

 

Cheers!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 2014 Cliff’s Wine Picks.

All rights reserved.

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

Breaking news from Klout:

 

 

Cliff’s Wine Picks mentions or other posts

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

 

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

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

 

 

2012 Villa Creek “White”

2007 Anthill Farms Syrah Windsor Oaks Vineyard

2010 Copain Syrah Tous Ensemble

2006 Cosentino Winery The Poet

2010 John Duval Wines Shiraz Entity

2008 Bodega Sottano Malbec Reserva de Familia

 

 

 

2012 Villa Creek “White” – $20.80

This wine is always an easy buy when it’s offered on the Villa Creek release offer.  I should just have a standing order of 6 bottles of this wine and 6 of their “Pink”.  Over the years I’ve turned on a few friends of the great wines offered by the winery.

 

This is a blend of 70% Grenache Blanc and 30% James Berry Vineyard Roussanne.

 

This has 14.2% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a light yellow straw color.  The crisp and refreshing nose has ripe pear, apples, crushed stone minerals, toast, lemon zest, honeysuckle and just a touch of spice.  This has medium body with very nice acidity and a hint of lingering sweetness.  On the palate pears and minerals jump out first with apples, toast and honeysuckle coming in on the back end.  The finish has very nice length with tart lemon zest and a touch of sweetness providing perfect balance.  This is an outstanding value that will drink nicely over the next few years.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2007 Anthill Farms Syrah Windsor Oaks Vineyard – $25.00

Anthill Farms likes to make a “one off” wine.  In 2005, they made a Syrah with grapes from the Windsor Oaks Vineyard that turned out so well, it was quickly made part of their line up.  This is a classic cool climate Syrah that shows tart acidity and good savory elements.  The vineyard is only 10 miles from the coast and the grapes struggle to ripen in this area, resulting in longer “hang times”.  This is not a fruit forward, fruit driven, fruit bomb.

 

This has 13.8% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a dark, inky ruby to purple color.  The very inviting nose has raspberries, blackberries, crushed stone minerals, black pepper, licorice, road tar, dried herbs, scorched earth, dark bittersweet chocolate and dried violets.  This has medium body with moderate to solid tannins and very good acidity.  Bright fruit, pepper and minerals quickly engulf the palate, slowly allowing dried herbs and scorched earth to slip through.  The finish has very nice length with a nice floral note joining the tart fruit, minerals and pepper.  This will easily last in the cellar and possibly improve over the next several years.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2010 Copain Syrah Tous Ensemble – $18.99

This was Copain’s effort to put out a value priced, mid-level, appellation branded level of wines.  The Copain Tous Ensemble line up has grown to now include Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Roussanne, Viognier, and a Rosé.  In my opinion, the Copain Tous Ensemble lineup offers stunning quality for the price.  I’ve had and greatly enjoyed multiple vintages of the Syrah, Pinot Noir, and the Rosé.  I know these wines have some distribution, I bought this one at a local wine store, I highly recommend grabbing a bottle to sample if you see one on your local wine store’s shelf.

 

This has 13.6% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with an agglomerated cork.

 

Winery history

Wells Guthrie discovered early on that his taste in wine gravitated toward Europe in general and France’s Rhône Valley in particular.  So much so, he picked up and moved with his new bride to the region to learn from the best.  For two years, Wells apprenticed for esteemed winemaker and living legend Michel Chapoutier in France’s Rhone Valley.  During that time, Wells was deeply inspired by the traditions and practices of French winemaking, not to mention the European attitude that wine is an essential part of life.  At Copain, he creates wines that are firmly rooted in California, yet with the sensibilities of the European wines that so moved him.  He is as committed to crafting these elegant, nuanced wines as he is to building a legacy that will be passed down to his daughters in the great tradition of European winemakers whose estates have been in the same family for generations.

 

For more information on Copain, visit their website by clicking here.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a fairly deep maroon color.  The very pleasing nose has blackberries, brined olives, dried herbs, smoked meat, raspberry, crushed stone minerals and wildflowers.  This has medium body with moderate tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate brined olives join the berries on the front end with stony minerals and dried herbs coming in later.  The finish has good length with a meaty element and wildflowers joining the show.  This will be easy to enjoy over the next few years.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

2006 Cosentino Winery The Poet – $28.49

Cosentino was a winery we always visited when we were in wine country.  After falling suffering through some hard times, the winery was eventually sold.  I, for one, am hoping the new owners will get the winery back on course.

 

This is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc and 8% Merlot that was barrel aged for 27 months.

 

This wine has 14.9% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with an agglomerated cork.

 

From Mitch Cosentino

On Facebook, I asked Mitch about the origin of the name “The Poet”, here was his response:

Ray Manzarek of the Doors always thought of THE POET as Jim Morrison.  Others have thought it was me.  In actuality it was one of four wines in the “Rare Art” series (POET, NOVELIST, SCULPTOR, and WINEMASTER) created some 34 years ago.  Each wine was named for the artist who’s approach to their medium was similar to the approach to that particular wine.  The whole story is longer with more detail than I have time or space here.  I am no longer involved in these any more.  They are the creations I miss most.  But the wines live on. I am still making what was inside the bottle under different identities from most of the same vineyards at PureCru Wines.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep ruby to maroon color.  The very appealing nose has cassis, cigar box, dried herbs, licorice, cherries, baking spice, and some minerality.  This has medium body, moderate tannins, and good acidity.  On the palate spicy fruit and toasty oak lead off the show with some cherries and dried herbs coming in on the back end.  The finish has good length and again is supported by the fruit and oak.  This is drinking nicely today as long as a bit of oak doesn’t bother you.  This is not made in a big rich style that has become popular with a lot of California Cabernets and blends, this wine needs food.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

2010 John Duval Wines Shiraz Entity – $33.24

This vintage of Entity includes some Eden Valley Shiraz to help maintain the elegance and style of Entity.  The wine was aged in 100% French oak for 18 months, 36% of which was new.

 

This wine has 14.5% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a twist off cap.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a dark, inky purple color.  The very open and powerful nose has blackberries, baking spices, dark chocolate, vanilla bean, blueberries, white pepper, candied violets and a touch of cedar.  This has medium to full body with moderate to solid tannins and good acidity.  This is a beast on the palate, full of dark berries and spice up front with vanilla bean and dark chocolate coming in later.  The finish is very long with white pepper, candied violets and spicy oak adding considerable depth.  This is drinking very nicely but will improve with some time in the cellar.  Outstanding!  (94 pts)

 

 

 

2008 Bodega Sottano Malbec Reserva de Familia – $16.62

I grabbed several of these based on recommendations from a few people.  I’m a big fan of Malbecs from Argentina.  I generally open one when I’m in the mood for something different.

 

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

 

Winery history

Our family venture, is a Boutique Winery which is only devoted to produce high quality wines.

 

We combine valuable resourses to satisfy discerning palates, sophisticated experts,

who enjoy of a genuine and thousand-year old beverage, but more contemporary than never.

 

CAPACITY

Our production capacity is about 500.000 litres of wine. They are storaged in 25.000, 20.000, 10.000, 5000 and 2500 stainless steel tanks.

This allows a better and thorough quality control.

The select wine is also put in 225 litres barrels of French and American oak.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine a very deep and dark purple to black color.  The outstanding nose has blackberries, freshly sharpened pencil, dark chocolate, fresh ground espresso, dried herbs, and leather.  The wine has medium to full body, fairly solid tannins, and very nice acidity.  The rich and velvety palate has loads of berries and dark chocolate up front with dried herbs and a touch of earthiness coming in on the back end adding a lot of depth.  The finish is fairly long with the chocolate, berries, and dried herbs slowly giving way to a touch of excess oak.  This is still a baby and will greatly reward some cellar time, that said, other than a bit of oak on the finish this is already stunning.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

Connect with me

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

 

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

 

Cheers!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 2014 Cliff’s Wine Picks.

All rights reserved.

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

Breaking news from Klout:

 

 

Cliff’s Wine Picks mentions or other posts

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

 

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

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

 

 

2007 Treasure Hunter Wines Petite Sirah The Sweet Trade

2008 Bedrock Syrah Pleine de Chene Hudson Vineyard North

2007 Copain Syrah Tous Ensemble

 

 

 

2007 Treasure Hunter Wines Petite Sirah The Sweet Trade – $16.90

My comments

I’ve been a big fan of the wines being churned out by this Négociant winery.  This winery owns no vineyards and actually isn’t really a winery, in the normal sense.  They buy “wine” from other wineries that have excess.  Usually the wine is in barrels, but on occasion they buy the wine after it has been bottled.  The winery generally does some blending if needed, bottle the wine, and send it on its way to customers around the country.  For the wine lovers, this generally means getting a quality bottle of wine for far less than it would have cost if it was sold by the original winery.

 

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

 

Winery history

Each Treasure Hunter wine goes through a pain-staking process of examination from our panel of nine called The De-Vine Nine.  Made up of top sommeliers, winemakers and restaurateurs, they are the best of the best and they pour through hundreds of wines before they are deemed worthy.

 

Each wine is a small one-time offering and represents an extraordinary opportunity to drink seminal wines of great importance.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark purple color.  The soft and friendly nose has blackberry jam, baking spices, licorice, violets, dark bittersweet chocolate, white pepper, and a touch of forest floor.  This has medium body, moderate ripe tannins, and nice acidity.  The palate has jammy fruit and spice with a bit of earthiness and oak creeping in on the back end.  The finish has decent length with a touch of dark chocolate entering the picture.  I don’t think this is one to keep for several years in the cellar, open this one over the next few years and enjoy the rich fruit.  (88 pts)

 

 

 

2008 Bedrock Syrah Pleine de Chene Hudson Vineyard North – $39.00

In the 2008 vintage Bedrock treated us with three different styles of wine using Syrah grapes from the Hudson Vineyard in Napa’s Carneros region.

 

Wine #1) Whole Cluster

Fruit from the famous Hudson Vineyard was fermented using 80% whole clusters. The wine was then pressed straight to a neutral 600 Liter Demi-Muid made from French oak where it remained for 20 months. This wine was inspired by the old-school efforts of Clape, Allemand, and Verset.

 

Wine #2) Cofermented

This wine was co-fermented with 5% Viognier and then aged on lees in 100% new oak from particularly finessed and tight-grained barrels for 20 months. Made like new-wave Cote-Rotie, this wine is inspired by the brilliant efforts of Gaillard, Gerin, and the La-Las.

 

Wine #3) This wine, Pleine de Chene

This wine was fermented in new puncheons and barrels. Following completion of fermentation the wine was barreled down to 100% new French oak from particularly high-impact coopers. This is, by far, the most “new world” of the three wines, inspired by new-wave wines of Australia and the Rhone. More oak, more alcohol, more fruit, more everything!

 

As is usually the case, these wines were extremely limited.  For the three wines combined, total production was a measly 230 cases.  Luckily I was able to get a few bottles of each wine.  Last year I had the “Cofermented” version but it was WAY too young to properly evaluate.  I look forward to enjoying these “experiments” over the next several years.

 

This has 15.1% alcohol and is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep ruby color.  The savory nose has blackberries, charred meat, black olives, smoke, licorice, black pepper, bacon, violets, and dark bittersweet chocolate.  This full bodied wine has solid tannins and good acidity.  On the palate berries, pepper, and meat jump out first, slowly allowing smoke and olives to slip through.  The finish is fairly long and leans heavily on the savory elements with the berries in the background providing some needed sweetness.  On the young side but very tasty, even in its youth.  (94 pts)

 

 

2007 Copain Syrah Tous Ensemble – $25.00

This was Copain’s effort to put out a value priced, mid-level, appellation branded level of wines.  The Copain Tous Ensemble line up has grown to now include Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Roussanne, Viognier, and a Rosé.  In my opinion, the Copain Tous Ensemble lineup offers stunning quality for the price.  I’ve had and greatly enjoyed multiple vintages of the Syrah, Pinot Noir, and the Rosé.  I believe these wines have some distribution, I highly recommend grabbing a bottle to sample if you see one on your local wine store’s shelf.

 

This Syrah is a blend of grapes from Alder Springs, Eaglepoint Ranch, Hawks Butte and McDowellValley vineyards in MendocinoCounty.

 

This has 14.2% alcohol and is sealed with a natural cork.

 

Winery history

Wells Guthrie discovered early on that his taste in wine gravitated toward Europe in general and France’s Rhône Valley in particular.  So much so, he picked up and moved with his new bride to the region to learn from the best.  For two years, Wells apprenticed for esteemed winemaker and living legend Michel Chapoutier in France’s Rhone Valley.  During that time, Wells was deeply inspired by the traditions and practices of French winemaking, not to mention the European attitude that wine is an essential part of life. At Copain, he creates wines that are firmly rooted in California, yet with the sensibilities of the European wines that so moved him.  He is as committed to crafting these elegant, nuanced wines as he is to building a legacy that will be passed down to his daughters in the great tradition of European winemakers whose estates have been in the same family for generations.

 

For more information on Copain, visit their website by clicking here.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a nice garnet color.  The easy going and comforting nose has blackberries, red raspberries, minerals, warm baking spices, black pepper, smoked meat, vanilla, and fresh wild flowers.  This has medium body, soft integrated tannins, and very nice acidity.  The palate is lead by mineral laden fruit, black pepper, and a meaty element.  The finish has nice length and adds a touch of dark chocolate.  This is in its prime drinking window and I’d recommend opening this one over the next year.  (90 pts)

 

 

Connect with me

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

 

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

 

Cheers!

 

 

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

All rights reserved.

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

Breaking news from Klout:

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

 

Cheers!