2009 Bedrock Wine Co. Syrah Kick Ranch

2008 Carlisle Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley

2011 Lange Pinot Noir Willamette Valley

2011 Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc

2007 Novy Family Wines Syrah Garys’ Vineyard

 

 

 

2009 Bedrock Wine Co. Syrah Kick Ranch – $30.00

To me, Morgan Twain-Peterson from Bedrock is trying to follow playbook written by Mike Officer at Carlisle.  The playbook is fairly simple, offer outstanding, personality filled wine at good prices.  Though relatively new to the game, Bedrock is following the playbook to perfection.  Bedrock has one upped Carlisle in one regard, besides their outstanding red wines, they put out some of the best white wines being produced at reasonable prices in the state.

 

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

 

Winery history

Bedrock is an itsy-bitsy winery making wine in a converted chicken coop.  Fruit from only the most excellent vineyard sites is hand pitch-forked into the destemmer, fermented in open top redwood and stainless vats using only native yeasts, and are manually basket pressed by winemaker Morgan Twain-Peterson into the sexiest oak from the coldest French forests.

 

The winery’s objectives are:

 

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

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

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

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

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

.  To make California Pinot Noir that ages as well as ’74 Swan.

.  To dream big but keep production low!

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, inky purple color.  The deep and bold nose has blackberries, black plums, fresh ground dark roast coffee, dying wood embers, Asian spices, licorice, dark bittersweet chocolate and dried flowers.  This has a full body with moderate to solid tannins and good acidity.  On the palate spicy berries, plums and ground coffee grab hold and grudgingly allows chocolate and smoke to slip in on the back end.  The finish has very good length with the savory elements pushing the fruit into the background with it provides some nice sweetness.  This is drinking very nicely with some air but has not reached its’ peak.  A couple more years in the cellar and this will be incredible.  (93 pts)

 

 

 

2008 Carlisle Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley – $27.50

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

 

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

 

The grapes for the wine came predominantly from Teldeschi Ranch (planted in 1885) and Mounts Ranch (planted in 1952).  An 11% mix of petite sirah and carignane completed the palate, adding just the right amount of tannin and acidity.  This was aged in French oak, 23% new and bottled unfined and unfiltered.  A total of 292 cases were produced.

 

The wine has 15.2% alcohol and is sealed with a natural cork.

 

Winery history

We are a small Sonoma County winery specializing in the production of old-vine, vineyard designated zinfandels and red Rhone varieties (syrah, grenache, mourvèdre, and petite sirah).  While we like our wines to be bold, rich, and intensely flavored, each reflecting a sense of place, its origins in the vineyard, we also strive to create wines of balance, complexity, and perhaps most importantly, pleasure.

 

Rich.  Lusty.  Hedonistic.  These are some of the descriptors we often hear applied to our wines.  However, we also hear the words elegant, balanced, complex.  Yes, through hard work in the vineyard and winery, we believe you can have it all, the best of both worlds.  Our approach to winemaking is simple, yet difficult.  We prefer to intervene in nature’s process as little as possible but we will leave no stone unturned in our quest to maximize the quality of each wine we produce.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep purple color.  The outstanding nose has black cherry, licorice, brambly berries, wood smoke, black pepper, and dried flowers.  This has a fairly full body, moderate tannins and good acidity.  On the palate the fruit leans more toward cherry with some berries in the back ground with pepper and a smoky element.  The finish has nice length and adds a floral note.  This is in a nice place and should hold for a couple years.  This is very nice.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2011 Lange Pinot Noir Willamette Valley – $12.99

In my ongoing quest to build up a stash of under $15 Pinot Noirs for week night dinners, this is my next candidate.  It looks like I got a great deal on a couple bottles since the average price on Cellar Tracker is almost $10 a bottle higher.  The more I drink Oregon Pinot Noir wines, the more I like them.  They are nice alternatives to the riper, rounder California versions that populate my wine cellar.

 

This has 13.2% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a twist off cap.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a light ruby red color.  The mysterious nose has black cherries, smoke, minerals, earthy underbrush, warm baking spices, dried flowers and just a touch of nice funk.  This is barely medium body with silky tannins and good acidity.  On the palate the spices and cherries jump out first with minerals, smoke and some earthiness coming in on the back end.  The finish has decent length with cherries and spice carrying the load.  This isn’t the most complex Pinot out there but is a winner for under $15.  (89 pts)

 

 

 

2011 Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc – $15.78

Cloudy Bay has been my favorite New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc for several years.  When I saw this wine on my local wine store’s shelf and found out the owner/wine maker is Kevin Judd, a decision to grab a few bottles was easy.  Kevin Judd, was the founding wine maker for Cloudy Bay.  After directing 25 vintages at Cloudy Bay, Kevin decided it was time to fulfill his life long dream and set his own course.  Greywacke, which opened in 2009, is the culmination of that dream.  After trying a bottle, I had to go back to the store while it was still on sale and stock up.

 

This has 13.5% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a twist off closure.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a very light, pale, straw color.  The crisp and clean nose has grapefruit, minerals, lime, lemon zest, white pepper, gooseberry, and a touch of an herbal note.  This has a light body with tart citrusy acidity.  On the palate tart grapefruit and white pepper lead off with lime and lemon kicking in on the back end.  The finish is long and mouthwatering with minerals and an herbal note joining the citrus and white pepper.  A stunning wine for a warm afternoon with or without food.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2007 Novy Family Wines Syrah Garys’ Vineyard – $29.99

This was a very easy wine to buy in bulk, one of my favorite wineries, one of my favorite grapes and one of my favorite vineyards.

 

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

 

Winery history

Our winemaking goal is to produce wines that best capture the distinct flavor and character of a given vineyard site.  To that end, we focus on sites that provide us with exceptional fruit.  We are fanatical in our protection of the vineyard flavor and are determined not to let any overt winemaking components mute the personality of an individual site.

 

In the cellar, we vinifiy each wine separately by block, clone and barrel type in order to maximize the individual components and provide greater complexity to the final blend.  This approach also provides us with much more flexibility in crafting a wine using only the best and most harmonious lots.

 

Given that the majority of our wines are single vineyard offerings, it is critical for us to maintain the site’s individual character in order to provide you with a truly diverse offering of wines.  To that end:

 

• We believe in minimal intervention, “gentle” winemaking.  In other words, we let the wine make itself.  We do not want to do anything to the wine that isn’t absolutely necessary.
• We believe in bottling our wines unfiltered and unfined whenever possible, convinced as we are that fining and filtering strip wines of flavor and character.
• We believe that the best wines express their origins.  Our goal is not to produce the world’s best Syrah or Zinfandel but rather to produce the very best wine from a given site.

 

Much more information on Novy and the wines they produce is available on their website by clicking here.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark ruby to purple color.  The very enticing nose has blackberries, licorice, smoked meat, pepper, baking spices, blueberry, dried herbs, minerals and dark chocolate.  This has medium to full body with solid tannins and very nice acidity.  Spicy fruit with a nice meaty presence grabs hold of your palate with pepper and some earthiness coming in later.  This has a nice lingering finish which again highlights the meaty elements with chocolate and fruit in the background providing nice sweetness.  This is very nice with impressive balance.  (93 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:

 

 

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:

 

Snooth

WINES THAT RANG OUR BELL IN MARCH 2014 – Our Favorite Wine Writers Share Their Picks – White wines for spring.

http://www.snooth.com/articles/wines-that-rang-our-bell-in-february-2014-5296/?viewall=1#ixzz2z411esZO

 

Snooth

WINES WE’VE LOVED!  Our Favorite Wine Writers Share Their Picks

http://www.snooth.com/articles/wines-we-yve-loved/?viewall=1#ixzz2yOsinkhN

 

Snooth

OUR FAVORITE REDS FOR SPRING – The Wine Cognoscenti Recommend

http://www.snooth.com/articles/our-favorite-reds-for-spring/?viewall=1#ixzz2xkH0dfSj

 

Snooth

WHAT’S A GREAT GRENACHE? – Our Friendly Wine Experts Share Their Favorites!

http://www.snooth.com/articles/what-ys-a-great-grenache-5209/

 

Snooth

SPRING TIME IS FOR PAIRING – Our Favorite Wine Writers Share Their Picks

http://www.snooth.com/articles/spring-time-is-for-pairing/

 

Balzac

Balzac Communications & Marketing – News & Views

http://balzaccommunications.createsend1.com/t/ViewEmail/y/948F113D27729D90/DF475947E7F379DE2A1BF84ACBDD178B

 

Snooth

WHAT WE’VE BEEN DRINKING – News and Reviews from Around the Blogosphere

http://www.snooth.com/articles/what-we-yve-been-drinking/?viewall=1#ixzz2vy4idw7a

 

Snooth

WINES THAT RANG OUR BELL IN FEBRUARY 2014 – Our Favorite Wine Writers Share Their Picks

http://www.snooth.com/articles/wines-that-rang-our-bell-in-february-2014/?viewall=1#ixzz2vy4DCh5L

 

Crave Local

California Wine Reviews: Cline Cellars and Jacuzzi Family Vineyard

http://www.cravelocal.com/all-favorites/california-wine-reviews-cline-cellars-and-jacuzzi-family-vineyard/

 

Crave Local

Sample Boutique Wines at Affordable Prices with Tastingroom.com

http://www.cravelocal.com/all-favorites/sample-boutique-wines-at-affordable-prices-with-tastingroom-com/

 

 

 

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!

 

 

 

2011 Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc

2005 Jacob Franklin Cabernet Sauvignon Hoffman Lane

2009 Trentadue Winery Cuvée 32 40th Anniversary Collector’s Edition

2007 Bonny Doon Vineyard Le Cigare Blanc

2005 Clot de l’Oum Côtes du Roussillon Villages Caramany Saint Bart Vieilles Vignes

 

 

2011 Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc – $15.78

CloudyBay has been my favorite New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc for several years.  When I saw this wine on my local wine store’s shelf and found out the owner/wine maker is Kevin Judd, a decision to grab a few bottles was easy.  Kevin Judd, was the founding wine maker for CloudyBay.  After directing 25 vintages at CloudyBay, Kevin decided it was time to fulfill his life long dream and set his own course.  Greywacke, which opened in 2009, is the culmination of that dream.  After trying a bottle, I had to go back to the store while it was still on sale and stock up.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a very light, pale, straw color. The crisp and clean nose has grapefruit, minerals, lime, lemon zest, white pepper, gooseberry, and a touch of an herbal note. This has a light body with tart citrusy acidity. On the palate tart grapefruit and white pepper lead off with lime and lemon kicking in on the back end. The finish is long and mouthwatering with minerals and an herbal note joining the citrus and white pepper. A stunning wine for a warm afternoon with or without food.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2005 Jacob Franklin Cabernet Sauvignon Hoffman Lane – $35.00

I’ve always felt, even though most wineries make wine with grapes from multiple vineyards, the estate owned vineyard around the tasting room and winery are special.  In most cases, this is the first impression a visitor gets when visiting a winery for the first time.  Wineries spend a little extra time to ensure these grapes look special.  Generally the wines made from these grapes show the extra care that went into the grapes.  To me, this is one of those wines.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep maroon color.  The very appealing nose has cassis, licorice, warm baking spices, eucalyptus, dried herbs, cedar, tobacco, and a touch of smoke.  This has a fairly full body, moderate to solid tannins, and very nice acidity.  On the palate this has a solid wall of fruit and spice up front with dried herbs, toasty oak, and some eucalyptus coming in on the back end.  The finish is fairly long and has a very nice blend of fruit and savory elements.  This has superb balance with no out of place or dominant element.  This is still on the young side and will show well for at least the next several years.  (93 pts)

 

 

 

2009 Trentadue Winery Cuvée 32 40th Anniversary Collector’s Edition – $16.90

We have visited the Alexander Valley based Trentadue Winery a few times in the past and always had a good time and an even better tasting.  This is a long time favorite wine in my house.  The blend varies each vintage, this one is 49% Sangiovese, 27% Merlot, 8% Montepulciano, 8% Malbec, 7% Petite Sirah, and 1% Syrah.  This wine has enough acidity from the Sangiovese to stand up to dishes with tomatoes but the other grapes lend enough body and oomph to stand up to meat.  We like this wine with everything from pasta with meat sauce to Veal Parmesan and baked ziti.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a medium to dark garnet color.  The very inviting nose has cherries, warm baking spices, dried herbs, raspberries, black pepper, wild flowers, some licorice, and a bit of earthiness.  This has medium body, moderate to solid tannins, and good acidity.  On the palate the spicy, peppery fruit jumps out first with dried herbs and earthiness coming in later.  The finish has very nice length with good balance between the fruity and savory elements.  This California version of a “Super Tuscan” is one of the better ones currently being produced.  Enjoy this now or stash it away for a few years.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2007 Bonny Doon Vineyard Le Cigare Blanc – $6.64

I grabbed a few of these on close out at the local wine store in January.  I wanted to try one to see if I should grab some more to last through the upcoming Spring/Summer seasons.  I was a more than a bit leery about buying a six year old wine of unknown provenance.  Those fears were put to rest as soon as I had my first sip.  This is a blend of 64.3% Roussanne and 35.7% Grenache Blanc from the Beeswax Vineyard in Arroyo Seco.  Now that warmer weather has finally settled into the upper Midwest, I’m looking forward to enjoying the half case I was able to grab before it sold out.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a glistening yellow to gold color. The Spring breeze like nose has honeysuckle, beeswax, minerals, apples, lemon zest, white peaches, orange blossoms, and spice. This has light to medium body and very good acidity. On the palate tart apples and pears loaded with stony minerals hit first followed by nice citrusy acidity. The finish is fairly long with a touch of juicy peach adding a little something extra.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

2005 Clot de l’Oum Côtes du Roussillon Villages Caramany Saint Bart Vieilles Vignes – $24.87

I bought this wine from Garagiste Wine in late 2007.  As usual, I didn’t receive the wine until early to mid 2008.  Again, as usual, the slow shipping wasn’t an issue for me since most of the wines I buy from them aren’t purchased for early consumption.  I had a bottle of this early last year and felt it wasn’t really ready to drink.  The longer the bottle was opened, the better the wine drank.  It’s been a years and a half, so I’m eager to see how the passing time has helped this impressive wine.

 

This is an organically grown blend of high altitude old-vine Syrah, Grenache and Carignan.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep violet color.  The nose on this wine is absolutely stunning, probably the best of the year, so far.  The nose is full of black raspberries, cherries, minerals, garrigue, game, mint, dried flowers, licorice, and some earthiness.  This has medium body, moderate to solid tannins, and very good acidity.  The palate has multiple layers of fruit and savory elements that take turns stealing the show.  The finish has very nice length and leans more on the savory elements with the fruit providing some nice background sweetness.  This still seems to be on the young side so I’d give it some air or preferably let it sleep for another couple of years.  (93 pts)

 

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

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!

 

 

 

2011 Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc

2007 Villa Creek Avenger

2010 King Estate Pinot Gris Signature Collection

2007 Treasure Hunter Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Kraken

2012 Villa Creek Pink

2009 Domaine de Fondrèche Côtes du Ventoux Cuvée Fayard

2012 New Harbor Sauvignon Blanc

2006 Novy Family Wines Syrah Garys’ Vineyard

 

 

 

2011 Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc – $16.90

Cloudy Bay has been my favorite New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc for several years.  When I saw this wine on my local wine store’s shelf and found out the owner/wine maker is Kevin Judd, a decision to grab a few bottles was easy.  Kevin Judd, was the founding wine maker for Cloudy Bay.  After directing 25 vintages at Cloudy Bay, Kevin decided it was time to fulfill his life long dream and set his own course.  Greywacke, which opened in 2009, is the culmination of that dream.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a very light, pale, straw color.  The crisp and clean nose has grapefruit, minerals, lime, lemon zest, white pepper, gooseberry, and a touch of an herbal note.  This has a light body with tart citrusy acidity.  On the palate tart grapefruit and white pepper lead off with lime and lemon kicking in on the back end.  The finish is long and mouthwatering with minerals and an herbal note joining the citrus and white pepper.  A stunning wine for a warm afternoon with or without food.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2007 Villa Creek Avenger – $35.00

As anyone who has followed me on Twitter or read this blog for very long knows, Villa Creek is one on my top 5 wineries.  Of all the wines offered by the winery, vintage after vintage, The Avenger is my favorite wine they produce.  This is a blend of 75% syrah, 15% mourvedre and 10% grenache.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark maroon color.  The absolutely stunning nose has blackberries, cherries, minerals, eucalyptus, violets, Asian spices, licorice, and a touch of earthiness.  This has medium to full body, moderate ripe tannins, and good acidity.  This delivers a mouthful of juicy berries and spice up front with minerals, eucalyptus, and some earthiness kicking in on the back end.  The finish is fairly long with nice lingering sweet fruit, spice, and minerals.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2010 King Estate Pinot Gris Signature Collection – $12.82

The King Estate Pinot Gris is a warm weather favorite in our house.  This wine usually has enough richness to sip on its’ own on a warm day but also has enough acidity to easily stand up to some of the lighter fare we eat on a warm Summer evening.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a light, golden straw color.  The fresh and inviting nose has apples, minerals, citrus zest, pears, white peaches, and orange blossoms.  This has light to medium body and crisp acidity.  On the palate this is like apples and pears tossed with citrus zest with some minerals sprinkled on top.  The mouthwatering finish has good length and closes with a nice spritz of lime and minerals.  (89 pts)

 

 

 

2007 Treasure Hunter Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Kraken – $23.75

Treasure Hunter is a “négociant’ label.  The “winery” doesn’t own any vineyards or even a winery.  They buy excess wine from other wineries and either bottle it as is or do some blending and then bottle the finished product.  In most cases Treasure Hunter wines are identical to another, much more expensive, wine in the market place.  During the recent “economic downturn” when a lot of wineries were cutting back on their production, Treasure Hunter was the recipients of some great juice that they sold at killer prices.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep ruby color. The outstanding nose has cassis, dried herbs, licorice, cherries, minerals, eucalyptus, baking spices, leather, and some cedar.  This has medium body, fairly solid ripe tannins, and very good acidity.  Nice fruit and spice on the palate with minerals, dried herbs and a bit of earthiness coming in on the backend.  Fairly long finish with the fruit, spice, dried herbs and earthiness all in perfect balance.  A very good Napa Cab no matter the price, but an absolute steal for under $25.  (93 pts)

 

 

 

2012 Villa Creek Pink – $12.80

This wine, along with the Bedrock Rosé, meet most of my Summer rosé requirements.  This is usually a nice, easy drinking, rosé with crisp acidity and just a hit of lingering sweetness.  This is a blend of 70% Grenache and 30% Mourvèdre.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a pink to salmon color.  The fresh and inviting nose has strawberry, cherry, minerals, apples, a touch of orange zest, and a slight herbal note.  This has light body, crisp acidity, and a touch of sweetness.  The palate has tart red fruit, apples, and a distinct streak of minerality.  The finish has nice length with a nice herbal element coming into the picture before some mouthwatering citrus closes the show.  (89 pts)

 

 

 

2009 Domaine de Fondrèche Côtes du Ventoux Cuvée Fayard – $9.49

This is another wine I found on the shelf at the local wine store.  In my opinion, even after several fantastic vintages, the wines from the Southern Rhone represent fantastic values.  One of these days enough people are going to recognize these marvelous wines and cause price increases, until that time, I will be stocking up.  This is a blend of 50% Grenache and the rest Syrah, Mourvedre and Carignan.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep ruby to purple color.  The outstanding nose has blackberries, minerals, cherries, smoke, dried herbs, road tar, vanilla, wild flowers, and a touch of dark chocolate.  This has medium body, moderate tannins, and very nice acidity.  Nice red and black fruit and a load of minerals coat the palate with some dried herbs, chocolate, and a bit of earthiness coming in on the backend.  The finish has decent length again highlighting the mineral laden fruit and subtle earthiness.  This is drinking very nicely today and should provide a lot of good drinking over the next four to six years.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2012 New Harbor Sauvignon Blanc – $8.54

I had to grab a couple bottles of this to try to see if I need to stock up for the Summer.  It’s hard to pass on a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc when you can grab it for under $9.00 a bottle.  I’m not expecting a Cloudy Bay clone, but for about one third the price, I’m looking for something to enjoy with dinner on the deck on a week night.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a very light golden straw color, almost colorless.  The clean and refreshing nose has tart apples, grapefruit, lemon zest, spice, and a solid herbal note.  This has light to medium body with crisp acidity and a bit of residual sweetness.  On the palate the wine highlights both the crisp citrus and herbal elements with a touch of spice in the background and some lingering sweetness.  The finish has decent length and closes with tart, mouthwatering citrus, with some lingering sweetness providing nice richness without getting in the way.  (88 pts)

 

 

 

2006 Novy Family Wines Syrah Garys’ Vineyard – $33.00

I grabbed a half case of this wine upon release, figuring I’d be able to enjoy these over several years.  At least that was the plan, this will be my last bottle from that purchase.  Every bottle of this wine has been outstanding and I’m looking forward to saying goodbye to this old friend this evening.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep purple color.  The exciting nose has blackberries, licorice, baking spices, charred meat, grapefruit zest, black pepper, dried herbs, earthy underbrush, vanilla, and violets.  This has medium body, moderate tannins, and very good acidity.  On the palate spicy berries, pepper, and a twist of grapefruit dominate the front end with dried herbs and meaty elements coming in on the backend.  The finish is very long and flavorful with some earthy elements and the grapefruit zest seeming to last forever.  This is in a very nice drinking window, but there is no hurry on this one, it should last in the cellar for at least a few more years.  (94 pts)

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

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!