2009 Gamache Vintners Cabernet Sauvignon

2014 Cosa Obra Sauvignon Blanc Hummingbird Hill Vineyard

2010 Jacob Franklin Petite Sirah Hayne Vineyard

2014 Ledge Grenache Blanc G2 Vineyard

2011 Waters Interlude

2015 Château de Cornemps Bordeaux Rosé

 

 

 

2009 Gamache Vintners Cabernet Sauvignon – $21.24

This wine was poured at a recent tasting at the local Total Wine of wines from the Pacific Northwest.  It’s pretty unusual to be able to buy a wine with a few years of bottle age for just a touch over $20.  This is from Washington state’s Columbia Valley.

 

The wine is a dark ruby color.  The very satisfying nose has cherries, cedar, plums, tobacco, crushed stone minerals, dry earth, baking spices, dark bittersweet chocolate, and licorice.  This has medium to full body with moderate tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate plums, cherries, minerals and cedar come through quickly on the front end with tobacco and baking spices coming in later.  The finish has nice length with dark chocolate and licorice providing good depth.  There is a touch of extra oak showing in places but it’s not really a distraction.  This is in a prime drinking window right now and should hold for at least a couple years.  This was very easy to drink and it has superb balance.  This has 14.8% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

2014 Cosa Obra Sauvignon Blanc Hummingbird Hill Vineyard – $20

This wine is 100% Sauvignon Blanc, Clone 1 and Sauvignon Musqué from the Hummingbird Hill Vineyard on the Sonoma Coast.  The vineyard is maintained to produce only 2.5 to 4 tons per acre.  After a 21 day fermentation in temperature controlled stainless steel, the wine was moved to neutral French oak barrels to help round out the flavors.  There were 369 cases produced.

 

This is a very light, pale yellow with a slight green tint.  The crisp and refreshing nose has green apples, lemongrass, grapefruit zest, crushed stone minerals and a touch of melon.  This has medium body with crisp acidity and perhaps just a trace of residual sweetness.  On the palate this has tart green apples and grapefruit zest on the front end with lemongrass and minerals coming in later.  The finish has good length with just a hint of melon joining the grapefruit zest.  This is very tasty even though it could use a bit more complexity.  The trace of residual sweetness does a great job of buffering the tart grapefruit zest acidity.  This is an easy wine to sip on a hot, sunny day.  This has 14.2% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2010 Jacob Franklin (Elyse) Petite Sirah Hayne Vineyard – $32.00

This was a very easy buy from Last Bottle, one of my favorite grapes, from a top notch vineyard, from one of my go-to wineries.  This was another “steal” from Last Bottle wines, my favorite “flash” wine site.  If you use the provided link and sign up, you get an immediate $10 credit and I get a credit if/when you make a purchase.  Check them out, they have awesome deals and their Marathons are always something special.

 

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)

 

 

 

2014 Ledge Grenache Blanc G2 Vineyard – $18.75

I’ve been a big fan of the wines produced by Mark Adams for a few years.  I received a sample of his initial release of Syrah a few years ago and immediately jumped on their mailing list.

 

This wine comes from the G2 Vineyard in the Willow Creek AVA.  This is 100% Grenache Blanc fermented and aged in stainless steel.  Less than 200 cases were produced.

 

The wine is a light yellow color with a slight green tint.  The captivating nose has apples, lemon zest, crushed stone minerals, melon, peach pit, pineapple and leafy green herbs.  This has a medium body with nice acidity and a hint of lingering sweetness.  On the palate apples, minerals and peach pit come through on the front end with pineapple and green herbs coming in later.  The finish has very good length with mouthwatering lemon zest providing nice depth.  This has nice balance between the creamy mouth feel, citrusy acidity and just a touch of sweetness to compliment the other elements.  This is perfect with a light meal on a sunny day.  This has 13.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

2011 Waters Interlude – $16.98

The grapes for this wine come from Stone Tree, Seven Hills, Cold Creek and Old Stones vineyards.  The wine was aged in 20% new French oak and 80% neutral French oak.  There were 1,550 cases of wine produced.  I should note, I bought the wine at a great price from Garagiste Wine, the suggested price for the wine is $28.

 

This is a blend of 61% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Malbec and 11% Petit Verdot from Washington.  The wine is a deep ruby to maroon color.  The very expressive nose has cherries, cassis, stony minerals, eucalyptus, licorice, freshly ground espresso beans, dried leafy herbs, cocoa powder and dried earth.  This has medium to full body with moderate tannins and nice acidity.  On the palate ripe cherries and berries hit first with minerals and espresso beans quickly joining in.  The finish has nice length with dried herbs, cocoa powder, dried earth and a hint of eucalyptus entering the picture.  This is drinking very nicely right now and should hold for a few years.  I wouldn’t want to stash this in the back of the cellar, enjoy this one over the next few of years.  This has 14.1% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2015 Château de Cornemps Bordeaux Rosé – $10.78

This is a blend of Merlot and Cabernet from near Saint-Emilion.

 

The wine is a fairly deep pink salmon color.  The appealing nose has strawberries, cherries, minerals, orange blossoms and subtle underbrush.  This has medium body with nice acidity and seems to be totally dry.  On the palate bright red fruit and minerals jump out on the front end with orange blossoms coming in on the back end.  The finish has nice length with a touch of underbrush entering the picture.  This is easy drinking but could use a bit more complexity.  For the price this is a nice week day pink wine to enjoy on a sunny day.  This has 13.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with an agglomerated 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!

 

 

2009 Villa Creek Avenger

2010 Jacob Franklin Petite Sirah Hayne Vineyard

2013 Bedrock Wine Co. Albarino Abrente

2010 Carlisle Syrah Papa’s Block

2011 Bedrock Wine Co. Zinfandel Old Vine

2014 McCay Cellars Syrah Abba Vineyard

 

 

 

2009 Villa Creek Avenger – $33.60

Avenger is my favorite wine being produced by Villa Creek.  This vintage is a blend of 70% Syrah, 15% Mourvedre and 15% Grenache from the Luna Matta, James Berry and Denner Vineyards in Paso Robles.

 

The wine is a deep purple color.  The open and exuberant nose has blackberries, chalky minerals, baking spices, dried leafy herbs, white pepper, vanilla beans, blueberries and a touch of underbrush.  The wine has a full body with moderate ripe tannins and nice acidity.  The wine is rich and lush on the palate with blackberries, minerals and white pepper jumping out first, followed closely by dried herbs and baking spices.  The finish has nice length with vanilla and a touch of underbrush entering the picture.  This is not a lithe and nuanced wine, more of a baseball bat to the back of your head.  The wine has 15.0% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork with a wax covering.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

2010 Jacob Franklin Petite Sirah Hayne Vineyard – $32.00

This was a very easy buy from Last Bottle, one of my favorite grapes, from a top notch vineyard, from one of my go-to wineries.  This was another “steal” from Last Bottle wines, my favorite “flash” wine site.  If you use the provided link and sign up, you get an immediate $10 credit and I get a credit if/when you make a purchase.  Check them out, they have awesome deals and their Marathons are always something special.

 

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)

 

 

 

2013 Bedrock Wine Co. Albarino Abrente – $22.00

This  was the 5th vintage of this wine made by Michael Havens (the first person to make Albarino in the New World) and Morgan Twain-Peterson.  The wine comes from two sites in the far southern part of Napa Valley.  This vintage consists of almost 60% grapes from the Watson Vineyard, which is planted in limestone.  The fruit from this vineyard adds density and perfume.  This was fermented and aged in stainless steel tank, with no malolactic.

 

The wine is a nice straw yellow color.  The invigorating nose has ripe apple, dusty minerals, lemon zest, white peach, under ripe melon and orange blossoms.  This has light to medium body with crisp acidity.  On the palate apples, lemon zest and white peach take control on the front end with minerals and orange blossoms coming in later.  The finish has nice length with a bit of melon joining the apples and lemon zest.  This has great citrusy acidity with enough apple and peach to balance the tartness.  This has 13% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a twist off closure.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2010 Carlisle Syrah Papa’s Block – $38.00

This wine was not bottled in the 2009 vintage.  Most of the fruit in the previous vintage was lost due to heavy rains on October 13th.  The little fruit that was harvested went into the winery’s Sonoma County Syrah.  Thankfully the vineyard rebounded for the 2010 vintage.  For this vintage, two-thirds of the fruit was destemmed, the remainder was whole-cluster.  The wine was fermented with indigenous yeast.  The wine was aged in all French oak with 26% being new. A total of 410 cases were produced.

 

The wine is a deep maroon color.  The vivid and bold nose is full of crushed blackberries, hot asphalt, black plums, licorice, warm baking spices, black cherries and a hint of eucalyptus.  This has a full body with moderate tannins and nice acidity.  Waves of berries and plums are joined with spice and asphalt on the front end with black cherries coming in later.  The finish has good length with a hint of eucalyptus providing nice depth.  This is a big and bold wine that needs to be paired with a hearty meal.  This has 15.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

2011 Bedrock Wine Co. Zinfandel Old Vine – $22.00

This wine is a blend of grapes mainly from the late ripening Stellwagen Vineyard as well as Casa Santinamaria which was originally slated for a vineyard designated bottling.  The remainder of the wine includes grapes from the terraced Los Chamizal Vineyard, some younger vine fruit from Rossi Ranch in Kenwood, a few barrels of Monte Rosso Zinfandel, and a bit of old-vine Carignane and Mourvedre from the winery’s Bedrock Vineyard.

 

The wine is a deep garnet color.  The inviting nose has brambly berries, black pepper, baking spices, black cherries, dry underbrush and wild flowers.  This has medium to full body with moderate tannins and good acidity.  On the palate brambly berries, black cherries, black pepper abd baking spices grab control on the front end with underbrush and a nice floral note coming in later.  The finish has nice length with berries and spice dominating.  Not as complex as earlier vintages but that’s a result of the vintage.  This is very tasty and would be a great pairing with a wide range of food.  This has 14.8% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2014 McCay Cellars Syrah Abba Vineyard – $28.00

The fruit for this wine comes from the meticulously maintained Abba Vineyard owned and farmed by Phil Abba.  The vineyard is on the east side of the Mokelumne River AVA.  The winery also produces a top notch Grenache from this vineyard.  Both are well worth tracking down.

 

I tasted this wine in the vineyard with Phil Abba and winery owner/winemaker Mike McCay in late September and loved this wine.  As soon as we returned to the Lodi Wine Visitor Center, I added a couple bottles to a case I was having shipped home.

 

The wine is a deep maroon color.  The enticing nose has blackberries, scorched earth, dusty minerals, baking spices, blueberries, dried wildflowers and white pepper.  This has medium to full body with moderate tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate blackberries, minerals, baking spice and scorched earth grab your attention quickly on the front end with white pepper and blueberries coming in later.  The finish has great length with a nice dried floral note providing depth.  For such a young wine, this tastes great today but if you can keep your hands off it, some cellar time will be rewarded.  This is a top notch Syrah!  This has 14.7% alcohol 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!

 

 

2011 Elyse Zinfandel Korte Ranch

2008 Stefania Haut Tubee

2012 Cosa Obra Proprietor’s Blend

2009 Big Basin Vineyards Homestead

2010 Jacob Franklin Petite Sirah Hayne Vineyard

2014 Diora Pinot Noir La Petite Grace

2008 Westerhold Family Vineyards Syrah Westerhold Vineyard

2009 Girard Petite Sirah

2011 Cornerstone Cellars Pinot Noir

2007 Copain Syrah Brosseau Vineyard

 

 

 

2011 Elyse Zinfandel Korte Ranch – $15.82

This wine has 14.4% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

The wine is a deep ruby color.  The inviting nose has blackberries, cracked black peppercorns, dusty minerals, cherries, espresso beans, dark chocolate, dry underbrush, eucalyptus and wild flowers.  This has medium body with moderate tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate berries, minerals and black peppercorns take control on the front end with dark chocolate and espresso beans coming in on the back end.  The finish has decent length with a touch of eucalyptus and a floral note adding depth.  This isn’t a big, overly rips style of Zin, this is actually very well mannered and nuanced.  This has nice balance and should drink well through the end of the decade.  (91 pts)

 

 

2008 Stefania Haut Tubee – $20.00

This is a blend of 37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Syrah, 15% Merlot, 10% Zinfandel, 2% Grenache and trace amounts of Mourvedre, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Pinot Gris.  The wine is named after the owner’s hot tub in their back yard.  There were 108 cases of the wine produced.  The grapes used in this red blend change dramatically every vintage based on what is available to make this tasty blend.

 

The wine has 13.8% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

The wine is a medium to dark ruby red color with some lightening at the edge.  The nose is open and inviting with cassis, cedar, cherries, white pepper, plums, candied violets, dark chocolate, dried herbs, vanilla, and some earthiness.  This has medium body, soft to moderate tannins and good acidity.  This is much brighter on the palate than I expected with tart cherries, plums and white pepper up front.  On the back end spicy oak, dried herbs and plums come into focus.  The finish has decent length with dark chocolate and some earthiness creeping into the picture.  This is just about as good as it gets for a $20 California blend.  Drink over the next year, maybe two.  (90 pts)

 

 

2012 Cosa Obra Proprietor’s Blend – $25.60

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

 

This is a deep garnet color.  The slightly shy nose has blackberries, cherries, bacon fat, potpourri, licorice and scorched earth.  This has medium to full body with moderate tannins and nice acidity.  This is much more open and expressive on the palate with spicy berries, grilled meat, cherries and stony minerals taking control on the front end with licorice and scorched earth coming in later.  The finish has nice length with the fruit and meaty elements co-mingling nicely.  This tastes nice now but will improve with some cellar time allowing the “baby fat” to integrate and become a bit less prominent.  (90 pts)

 

 

2009 Big Basin Vineyards Homestead – $29.00

As I’ve said in the past, I think Big Basin is one big score from one of the big wine reviewing periodicals away from appearing everyone’s radar.  I’ve been a big fan of Big Basin’s Syrah wines and blends for a few years.  I would highly recommend checking them out.  This is a blend of 46% Grenache, 43% Syrah, and 11% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Santa Cruz Mountains in California.

 

Winery history

Big Basin Vineyards was founded in 1998 in the Santa Cruz Mountains next to Big Basin Redwoods State Park, with a new winery building completed in 2003.  Proprietor and wine maker Bradley Brown sources his wines from three Estate Vineyards – Rattlesnake Rock, Old Corral Block and Homestead Block.  All of the Estate vineyards are planted to Alban Selections on steep hillsides with mudstone and shale soils – 7 acres of Syrah, 2 acres of Grenache and 1 acre of Roussanne – and are farmed organically.  Additionally, Bradley works closely with Coastview Vineyard located at 2400 ft on a mountain top in the Gabilan Mountains overlooking the Salinas Valley and Monterey Bay (several miles due south of Mt. Harlan).  He has contracted with the vineyard to purchase Syrah planted in 1998 and to bud over certain sections of the vineyard to Pinot Noir and Grenache (in 2008) and plant a new block to an Alban selection of Syrah.  This vineyard is also farmed organically and managed according to Bradley’s direction.  Beginning in 2006, Big Basin started making Pinot Noir sourced from the Santa Cruz Mountains.  As of 2009, Big Basin is making three different single vineyard Pinots from the Santa Cruz Mountains (Alfaro Family, Lester Family and Woodruff Family Vineyards), plus the Pinot from Coastview Vineyard in the Gabilan Mountains.

 

Best known for Syrah, but also makes Pinot Noirs and blends.

 

Much more information is available at:  http://bigbasinvineyards.com/

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep ruby to maroon color.  The open and inviting nose has cherries, black raspberries, roasted herbs, dusty minerals, licorice, earthy underbrush, violets, white pepper and a touch of wood smoke.  This has medium to full body, fairly solid, ripe tannins and good acidity.  The palate shows nice spicy fruit with roasted herbs, pepper, with spicy oak adding depth and filling out the palate.  The finish is fairly long with smoky, roasted herbs and fruit slowly fading.  One of the more “civilized” wines I’ve had from Bradley Brown’s Big Basin.  I’m glad I have a few more to enjoy over the next few years.  (92 pts)

 

 

2010 Jacob Franklin Petite Sirah Hayne Vineyard – $32.00

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

 

My Tasting Note

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.  (93 pts)

 

 

2014 Diora Pinot Noir La Petite Grace – $31.99

The wine has 14.5% alcohol.  The bottle is sealed with a natural cork with a thick was coating the cork and next of the bottle.  The wax may look nice but it was tough cutting it off to pull the cork.

 

The wine is a deep garnet to maroon color.  The sensuous nose has black cherries, underbrush, baking spices, crushed stones, eucalyptus and violets.  This has medium body with soft to moderate ripe tannins and nice acidity.  On the palate black berries, underbrush and crushed stones steal the show on the front end with a nice floral note coming in later.  The finish has nice length with cherries and minerals carrying the load.  Not much complexity at this time but some time in the cellar may help, nonetheless this already easy to drink and is very tasty.  (89 pts)

 

 

2008 Westerhold Family Vineyards Syrah Westerhold Vineyard – $42.00

This is a wine I originally tried due to Russell Bevan being the winemaker.  It absolutely blew me away.  I quickly ordered more and put the word out on Twitter.  I suggested to Jeb Dunnuck that he should track down a bottle to try, he then gave it 95+ on his The Rhone Report.  A wine store owner friend from Napa (yes, you Carrie) bought some for the store based on my recommendation, and had to restock since it became very popular.  I’m not sure the status of the winery’s mailing list, but I’d recommend checking to see if it is still open.  The winery now also produces a Pinot Noir.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark purple color.  The spellbinding nose has blackberries, licorice, baking spices, cedar, black pepper, road tar, dried wildflowers, crushed stone minerals and scorched earth.  This has a full body with moderate to solid tannins and good acidity.  This has nice tart berries, black pepper, spicy oak and minerals up front with a dried floral note and some scorched earth coming in on the back end.  The has very nice length on the finish until the tannins and acidity kick in.  This is tasty but really could use some additional cellar time to help the finish open up and fill out.  (93 pts)

 

 

2009 Girard Petite Sirah – $17.09

This has been a long time favorite of mine.  My consumption has declined over the last few vintages as the price escalated.  My local store loaded up and offered the wine at a killer price via their e-mail list, so I had to “back up the truck”.

 

This has 14.5% alcohol and is sealed with an agglomerated cork

 

Winery History

Thirty years after first planting its vineyards, Girard continues to produce wines reflecting the quality that has made Napa Valley the most famous New World wine-growing region in the world. Napa Valley’s rise to fame was punctuated by a renaissance that began at the same time Girard was setting down its own roots.

 

As it has been in the past, Girard’s goal is to highlight the flavors of Napa Valley and its rich, ripe grapes. A small portion of the winery’s portfolio also comes from grapes grown in Sonoma’s upscale Russian River Valley, where cool weather offers ideal conditions for Chardonnay.

 

With the right grapes from the right locations, Girard offers a lineup that features both power and finesse–key words in California wine.

 

For more information, check out their website by clicking here.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark purple color.  The outstanding nose has blackberries, black pepper, smoke, caramel, wild flowers, cherries, dark chocolate, earthy underbrush, and vanilla.  This has medium to full body, moderate to solid tannins and good acidity.  On the palate the berries, pepper and vanilla leap out first with some nice earthiness and a floral element coming in on the back end.  The finish has nice length with some dark bittersweet chocolate entering the picture.  (90 pts)

 

 

2011 Cornerstone Cellars Pinot Noir – $16.87

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

 

The wine is a bright ruby red color.  The appealing nose has cherries, raspberries, warm baking spices, white pepper, dry underbrush, wild flowers and vanilla.  This has medium body with soft to moderate tannins and good acidity.  On the palate cherries, baking spices and white pepper take charge early with dry underbrush and raspberries coming in later.  The finish has nice length with vanilla joining the spices and cherries.  This was better after being opened for an hour or two.  Drink now with some air or let it sleep another year and drink it through the end of the decade.  (91 pts)

 

 

2007 Copain Syrah Brosseau Vineyard – $45.00

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

 

The wine is a dark ruby red color.  The intriguing nose has blackberries, mint, black peppercorns, dusty minerals, dark roast coffee beans, licorice and dried violets.  This has medium to full body with moderate tannins and good acidity.  On the palate the berries, minerals and dark roast coffee immediately take control, slowly allowing black pepper and a minty note to slip through on the back end.  The finish has very nice length with a dried floral note providing depth.  This is drinking very nicely today and should hold for at least another couple of years.  (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 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!