2013 Casey Flat Ranch Capay Valley

2010 Jaffe Estate Transformation

2015 LangeTwins Sauvignon Blanc Lodi

2010 Jean Edwards Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Seventy Four – Forty One Napa Valley

Lucien Albrecht Crémant d’Alsace Chardonnay Tradition Brut Réserve

2014 St. Amant Winery Zinfandel Old Vines Mohr-Fry Ranch Vineyard

 

 

 

2013 Casey Flat Ranch Capay Valley – $10

This bottle was purchased from Last Bottle wines, my favorite “flash” wine site.  This was actually a “mystery bottle” from one of their marathons.  I bought a case of wine for $10 a bottle and this was one of the bottles.  If you use the provided link and sign up, you get an immediate 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.

 

This is a blend of 39% Syrah, 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc and 11% Mourvedre

 

The wine is a deep, dark ruby red color.  The muscular nose has blackberries, scorched earth, dried leafy herbs, dusty minerals, cassis, licorice, baking spices, black cherries and dry underbrush.  This has medium to full body with moderate to solid tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate blackberries, minerals, baking spices and scorched earth pop out on the front end with dried herbs and black cherries coming in later.  The finish has good length with dry underbrush and licorice providing depth.  This is on the young side, the best days are another year or two down the road.  This has 14.8% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2010 Jaffe Estate Transformation – $34

This bottle was purchased from Last Bottle wines, my favorite “flash” wine site.  If you use the provided link and sign up, you get an immediate 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.

 

This is a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Merlot.  I really like Jaffe Estate and get any of their wine I can get my hands on.

 

The wine is a saturated ruby red color.  The open and easy nose has cassis, roasted leafy herbs, black cherries, cedar, tobacco, freshly ground espresso beans, dark chocolate, baking spices and dried violets.  This has medium body with moderate tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate cassis, cedar, baking spices and tobacco grab your attention quickly on the front end with espresso beans, dark chocolate and roasted herbs coming in later.  The finish has nice length with a dried floral note joining the fruit, spice and cedar.  This wine is a big, smooth wine but there are more than enough savory elements to keep it well clear of the fruit bomb category.  This has nice balance and more importantly, it tastes great.  This has 14.7% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2015 LangeTwins Sauvignon Blanc Lodi – $10

I’m a big fan of wines from Lodi.  If your past experiences of Lodi wines are limited to big red wines, especially Zinfandel, I highly recommend checking out their crisp white and rosé wines.  These wine will make you a fan.

 

The wine is a pale yellow color with a very slight green tint.  The crisp and fresh nose has tart apples, dusty minerals, lemongrass, lime zest, under ripe pineapple and a spritz of grapefruit.  This has medium body with crisp acidity and just a hint of residual sweetness.  On the palate tart apples, minerals and lemongrass quickly grab your attention with lime zest and a hint of pineapple coming in later.  The mouthwatering finish has good length with a touch of grapefruit joining the tart apples and minerals.  This would be perfect with a light meal on the deck or patio on a warm, sunny day.  The hint of sweetness would also make this a marvelous way to relax before dinner.  This has 12.8% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a twist off closure.  (89 pts)

 

 

 

2010 Jean Edwards Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Seventy Four – Forty One Napa Valley – SRP $55

Jean Edwards Cellars is one of my favorite Cabernet producers in Napa.  Even though they taste great upon release with some air, they really open up and start strutting their stuff with a couple years in the cellar.  If you aren’t familiar with their wines, check them out online.  The distribution of the wines across the country is growing, so depending on where you are, they may be on the shelf at your local wine store.

 

The wine is a deep ruby red color.  The intense nose has cassis, dusty minerals, cedar, tobacco, white pepper, dry earth, violets, baking spices and licorice.  This has medium to full body with moderate to solid tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate cassis, minerals, tobacco and cedar quickly grab your attention with white pepper and baking spices coming in later.  The finish has very good length with dry earth and violets providing nice depth.  This tastes great today with some air but some additional cellar time will be rewarded.  There is no hurry opening this wine, it will last another decade, probably more.  Another great job from a winery you have to check out.  This has 14.3% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (94 pts)

 

 

 

What is better than a nice Cabernet Sauvignon and a piece of beef?  In this case, I prepared a (boneless) Prime Rib with the Sous-Vide at 127 degrees for about 6 hours and finished it off on a smoking hot grill for about a minute per side.  The finished product was a perfect rare to medium-rare from the edge to the center.  This was only my second use of the Sous Vide but the results were magnificent.

 

 

 

Lucien Albrecht Crémant d’Alsace Chardonnay Tradition Brut Réserve – $19.29

I’ve been a big fan of Albrecht Crémant wines for several years.  Since my local Total Wine carries these wines, there are always a few bottles in my cellar.

 

The wine is a light golden straw color with a steady stream of pinpoint sized bubbles.  The festive nose has tart green apples, freshly baked bread, crushed stone minerals and lemon zest.  This has light to medium body and seems to be almost totally dry with crisp acidity and great inner mouth effervescence.  On the palate tart apples, minerals and yeasty bread quickly grab your attention with lemon zest coming in on the back end.  The finish has nice length.  This isn’t the most complex bubbly out there but for under $20 it’s still very tasty.  I wouldn’t open this for a holiday celebration but for some casual bubbly, it’s a keeper.  This has 12% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a standard Champagne cork.  (88 pts)

 

 

 

2014 St. Amant Winery Zinfandel Old Vines Mohr-Fry Ranch Vineyard – $16.71

I’ve been a fan of St Amant Winery zinfandels for several years.  It was great visiting with the Stuart Spencer, the winemaker for St Amant as well as Jerry Fry, the owner/grower at this vineyard during a trip to Lodi last year.  Even though I’ve loved past vintages of this wine, I think this is their best effort to date.  I’m extremely fortunate to have a Total Wine store in the area that carries this wine so I always have a few bottles in my cellar.  If you live near a Total Wine, I highly recommend grabbing a bottle of this wine on your next shopping trip.

 

The wine is a dark ruby red color.  The very appealing nose has brambly berries, dusty minerals, licorice, black pepper, cherries, charred underbrush, violets and a hint of mint.  This has medium to full body with moderate tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate brambly berries, minerals and black pepper quickly take control with underbrush and cherries slipping through on the back end.  The finish has very good length with a nice floral note and just a hint of mint adding good depth.  This is drinking very nicely now with some air but some cellar time will be rewarded.  This has great balance and is easy to enjoy.  A great effort.  This has 15.5% alcohol, which was a surprise to me, not a trace shows through any where.  The bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (93 pts)

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

Connect with me

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

 

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

 

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

 

Cheers!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 2017 Cliff’s Wine Picks.

All rights reserved.

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

Breaking news from Klout:

 

 

Cliff’s Wine Picks mentions or other posts

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

 

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

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

 

Prices noted are the prices I paid at the time of purchase.  I don’t shop around to find the best prices, but always check out the sale and close out items when in a store.  Wines purchased direct from a winery do not include any shipping charges.  None of the prices include the sales tax.

 

 

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

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

 

2008 Jaffe Estate Transformation

2014 Speedy Creek Sangiovese

2013 Matias Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

2012 Gamble Family Vineyards Heritage Sites

2009 World’s End Cabernet Franc Against The Wind Reserve

2012 Rudius Fion Bainise

 

 

 

I guess I should call this a Last Bottle Wines edition since all the wines this week were purchased from them.

 

 

 

2008 Jaffe Estate Transformation – $32.00

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.  In this case, the wine had a suggested price of $68.

 

This wine is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot from the estate’s St. Helena vineyard.

 

The wine is a deep ruby color.  The inviting nose has blackberries, dark chocolate, crushed stones, black cherries, tobacco, cedar, vanilla, white pepper and dried wild flowers.  This has medium body with moderate to solid tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate blackberries and crushed stone minerals jump out quickly with spicy cedar and black cherries coming in later.  The finish has very nice length with white pepper and dried flowers adding nice depth and interest.  This is drinking very nicely today but there is no hurry with this one.  The wine has 13.8% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (93 pts)

 

 

 

2014 Speedy Creek Sangiovese – $18.79

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.

 

This is mostly Sangiovese with small amounts of estate grown Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot.  This wine was aged for 18 months in French Oak barrels.  This wine has a suggested price of SRP $30, so the Last Bottle price was very good.

 

The wine is a deep ruby color.  The enticing nose has black cherries, earthy underbrush, warm baking spices, crushed stone minerals, licorice and wild flowers.  This has medium body with soft to moderate tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate black cherries, minerals and earthy underbrush jump out on the front end with baking spices and licorice coming in later.  The finish has good length with a floral note providing some extra depth.  This is a nice California Sangiovese.  This has 14.2% alcohol and the bottle is closed with a natural cork.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

2013 Matias Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast – $20

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 grapes for this wine come from the Charles Heintz and Hurst Vineyards in the Russian River Valley.  After fermentation, the wine was aged for 10 months in 100% French oak with 40% being new.  As with most Last Bottle offers, this wine was purchased at a deep discount, the wine has a suggested price of $40.

 

The wine is a deep ruby color.  The inviting nose has cherries, forest floor, violets, tobacco, wood ashes, cranberries and baking spices.  This has medium body with soft to moderate tannins.  On the palate cherries, forest floor and tobacco come through on the front end with wood ashes and cranberries coming in later.  The finish has nice length with a floral note providing some depth.  This is a bit lacking in the complexity department but is a tasty week night Pinot.  This has 13.6% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (88 pts)

 

 

 

2012 Gamble Family Vineyards Heritage Sites – $20

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.

 

This is a blend of 47% Zinfandel, 32% Syrah, 12% Charbono and 9% Petite Sirah from Napa Valley.  The vines are all at least 35 years with most being over 50 years old.  The dry farmed vineyard yields under 2 tons of fruit per acre.  The wine has a suggested price of $35.

 

The wine is a deep, inky purple color.  The expressive nose has blackberries, black pepper, dusty minerals, licorice, wood smoke, road tar, dark chocolate and dried flowers.  This has a full body with moderate ripe tannins and decent acidity.  On the palate blackberries, minerals and black pepper jump out quickly with licorice, dark chocolate and wood smoke coming in later.  The finish has nice length with a dried floral note providing some depth.  This isn’t a wine made to sit on for an extended time, it would be best to open this one in the next couple of years.  This has 14.3% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with an agglomerated cork.  (88 pts)

 

 

 

2009 World’s End Cabernet Franc Against The Wind Reserve – $24.26

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.

 

This Cabernet Franc includes some Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon from various cooler climate vineyards in the Napa Valley.  World’s End is Jonathan Maltus’ Napa Valley project.  Jonathan was part of the original “garage winery” revolution in St. Emilion in the 1990s.  He is the owner of Chateau Teyssier.  This wine had a release price of $45.

 

This wine is deep ruby to maroon.  The inviting nose has blackberries, dark chocolate, baking spices, roasted herbs, mint, tobacco and cedar.  This has medium body with moderate ripe tannins and good acidity.  Spicy berries, baking spices and roasted herbs pop out on the front end with dark chocolate and cedar coming in later.  The finish has good length with a nice minty note entering the picture.  This is drinking very nicely today and it should hold for a few more years.  This has 14.8% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (93 pts)

 

 

 

2012 Rudius Fion Bainise – $22.70

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 decision to purchase this wine from Last Bottle was pretty simple since I had previously purchased the wine directly from the winery upon initial release for $38.  This was an outstanding price for a wine from one of my favorite Napa Valley based wineries.

 

Rudius is generally a mailing list only wine but some bottles do make it to outside sources.  I’ve been a big fan of Jeff Ames’ wines for several years and when a few of the wines showed up on Last Bottle Wines, I had to jump in and load up.  Since I’ve moved to South Carolina, I no longer have direct access to the wines since they don’t ship here.  In the mean time, I was able to purchase several wines in volume that will hold me over for a few years.

 

This is a blend of Bainise a blend of 57% Grenache, 36% Mourvedre and 7% Syrah from Sonoma County.

 

The wine is a bright ruby red color.  The enticing nose has cherries, raspberries, warm baking spices, dry earth, underbrush, minerals, roasted leafy herbs, dark chocolate and wildflowers.  This has medium to full body with moderate tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate red fruit, baking spices, underbrush and dry earth jump out quickly on the front end with roasted herbs and dark chocolate coming in later.  The finish has good length with a nice floral note joining the tart red fruit.  A little more time in the cellar will be rewarded but this tastes nice now with some air.  This is a nice, balanced, nuanced wine, not a powerful brut.  This has 14.8% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

Connect with me

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

 

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

 

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

 

Cheers!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 2017 Cliff’s Wine Picks.

All rights reserved.

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

Breaking news from Klout:

 

 

Cliff’s Wine Picks mentions or other posts

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

 

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

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

 

Prices noted are the prices I paid at the time of purchase.  I don’t shop around to find the best prices, but always check out the sale and close out items when in a store.  Wines purchased direct from a winery do not include any shipping charges.  None of the prices include the sales tax.

 

 

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

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

 

2012 Uvaggio (L’Uvaggio di Giacomo) Vermentino

2012 Carlisle Zinfandel Kirschenmann

2007 Tenuta Caparzo Brunello di Montalcino

2006 Cosentino Winery The Poet

2011 Bibi Graetz Casamatta Bianco Toscana IGT

2010 Jaffe Estate Transformation

2010 Tenuta Carretta Roero Bric Paradiso

 

 

 

2012 Uvaggio (L’Uvaggio di Giacomo) Vermentino – $10.00

This wine was purchased from Last Bottle.  Information on the site and a $10 credit on your first purchase is below.

 

The wine is a very light yellow with a green tint.  The fresh and lively nose has tart green apples, orange blossoms, lemon zest, white peach, lime zest, wet stone minerals and a light herbal note.  This has light to medium body with crisp acidity.  On the palate tart apples, lemon zest and minerals jump out quickly with orange blossoms and a hint of green herbs coming in later.  The lingering finish has a touch of white peach before tart lemon zest leaves your mouth watering for another sip.  This tastes wonderful and would be a great introduction to wine lovers of the white wines coming out of Lodi.  This has 13.0% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with an agglomerated cork.  (91 pts)

 

 

2012 Carlisle Zinfandel Kirschenmann – $28.50

The grapes for this wine come from a vineyard owned by Tegan and Olivia Passalacqua who purchased it in 2012.  The vineyard was planted on 1916 and the soil is composed of nearly pure sand.  This sandy soil means the vines are “own rooted” and not grafted onto the root system of another grapevine since Phylloxera can’t live in sand.  This vineyard is in a cooler section of Lodi, actually cooler than some parts of Napa and Sonoma.

 

The wine is a deep garnet color.  The enticing nose has brambly berries, cherries, dusty minerals, dried violets, white pepper, roasted leafy herbs, dry earth and vanilla beans.  This has medium to full body with soft to moderate tannins and nice acidity.  This is lighter on the palate than your typical zinfandel with berries, cherries and minerals on the front end and violets, roasted herbs and some dry earth coming in later.  The finish has great length with cherries, white pepper and a nice floral note doing most of the work.  This is a more feminine version of the zinfandel grape.  This has 15.3% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (92 pts)

 

 

2007 Tenuta Caparzo Brunello di Montalcino – $28.49

The first vintage of this wine was produced in 1970.  At that time there were only 13 wineries in Montalcino.  This makes Caparzo one of the “historic” wineries in the region.  This 100% Sangiovese is a blend of grapes from four distinctly different vineyards in the region.  After hand-picking the grapes the fermentation is more involved than most other wineries.  During the first two days of fermentation, special attention is paid to the seeds.  Any seed deemed “not ripe enough” are discarded.  This operation utilizes the “cutting edge” technology of the winery’s fermentation tanks.  The temperature controlled fermentation takes 7 days but since the skins are always in great shape the wine is allowed skin contact for an additional 10 to 15 days.  After fermentation the wine is aged for 3 years in the traditional 80 hectoliter Slavonian and 50 hectoliter French oak casks.

 

The wine is a ruby red color with a touch of brick.  The inviting nose has cherries, pencil shavings, dry underbrush, wild flowers, tobacco, black raspberries and baking spices.  This has medium to full body with moderate tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate tart cherries, spices and tobacco come through on the front end with pencil shavings and wild flowers coming in later.  The lingering finish adds dry earth and flowers.  This is drinking very nicely right now and should hold for another 4 to 6 years.  This has 13.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (92 pts)

 

 

2006 Cosentino Winery The Poet – $28.49

This wine is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc and 8% Merlot.  The wine is aged for 36 months in French oak barrels before the 1200 cases were bottled unfined.

 

The wine is a deep ruby to maroon color. The very appealing nose has cassis, cigar box, dried herbs, licorice, cherries, baking spice and dusty minerals. This has medium body with moderate tannins and good acidity. On the palate cassis, toasty oak and baking spices lead off the show with 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 and should for another couple years.  The wine has 14.9% alcohol.  (91 pts)

 

 

2011 Bibi Graetz Casamatta Bianco Toscana IGT – $10.00

This wine was purchased from Last Bottle.  Information on the site and a $10 credit on your first purchase is below.

 

This is a blend of Vermentino, Trebbiano and Muscat.  This wine was included in a “mystery case” I ordered from the winery.  Upon seeing the bottle I was disappointed with its inclusion in the case.  After opening the bottle, my mood increased tremendously and I felt it was a great selection and a steal at only $10.

 

The wine is a golden-yellow color.  The intriguing nose has apples, apricots, flinty minerals, orange blossoms and lemon zest.  This has medium body with decent acidity.  Ripe apples, lemon zest, flinty minerals and apricots coat your palate right off the bat with orange blossoms coming in on the back end.  The finish has nice length with rich fruit and minerals taking control until a hit of tart lemon zest leaves your mouth watering.  This was a nice white wine to go with a good meal.  It could stand on its own or with a small patter of finger food and conversation with friends.  This has 12.0% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a twist off closure.  (89 pts)

 

 

2010 Jaffe Estate Transformation – $34.00

This wine was purchased from Last Bottle.  Information on the site and a $10 credit on your first purchase is below.

 

This is a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Merlot.  I really like Jaffe Estate and get any of their wine I can get my hands on.

 

The wine is a saturated ruby red color.  The open and easy nose has cassis, roasted leafy herbs, black cherries, cedar, tobacco, freshly ground espresso beans, dark chocolate, baking spices and dried violets.  This has medium body with moderate tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate cassis, cedar, baking spices and tobacco grab your attention quickly on the front end with espresso beans, dark chocolate and roasted herbs coming in later.  The finish has nice length with a dried floral note joining the fruit, spice and cedar.  This wine isn’t a big, smooth, fruit driven wine but there are more than enough savory elements to make up for the lower fruit concentration.  This has nice balance and could use a bit of cellar time but it’s great today with something hot and juicy off the grill.  This has 14.7% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (92 pts)

 

 

2010 Tenuta Carretta Roero Bric Paradiso – $19.13

This wine was purchased from Last Bottle.  Information on the site and a $10 credit on your first purchase is below.

 

This wine is 100% Nebbiolo that was aged 18 months in small oak casks before bottling and another 3 months of bottle age before release.

 

The wine is a deep garnet color.  The enticing nose has black cherries, tobacco, wild flowers, dusty minerals, dry underbrush, dark chocolate and baking spices.  This has medium body with moderate to solid tannins and very good acidity.  On the palate tart cherries, minerals and underbrush lead off with wild flowers and baking spices coming in later.  The finish has good length with dark chocolate and more wild flowers providing great depth.  This is on the young side but is already very tasty.  This has 14.0% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

Connect with me

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

 

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

 

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

 

Cheers!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 2016 Cliff’s Wine Picks.

All rights reserved.

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

Breaking news from Klout:

 

 

Cliff’s Wine Picks mentions or other posts

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

 

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

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

 

Prices noted are the prices I paid at the time of purchase.  I don’t shop around to find the best prices, but always check out the sale and close out items when in a store.  Wines purchased direct from a winery do not include any shipping charges.  None of the prices include the sales tax.

 

 

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

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

 

2008 Jaffe Estate Transformation

2010 Novy Family Wines Zinfandel Russian River Valley

2009 Syncline Grenache-Carignan

2010 Turley Zinfandel Juvenile

2009 Bedrock Wine Co. Syrah Pleine de Chene Hudson Vineyard North

 

 

 

2008 Jaffe Estate Transformation – $32.00

This wine is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot from the estate’s St. Helena vineyard.

 

The wine is a deep ruby color.  The inviting nose has blackberries, dark chocolate, crushed stones, black cherries, tobacco, cedar, vanilla, white pepper and dried wild flowers.  This has medium body with moderate to solid tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate blackberries and crushed stone minerals jump out quickly with spicy cedar and black cherries coming in later.  The finish has very nice length with white pepper and dried flowers adding nice depth and interest.  This is drinking very nicely today with a brief decant but there is no hurry with this one.  The wine has 13.8% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (93 pts)

 

 

 

2010 Novy Family Wines Zinfandel Russian River Valley – $18.99

I’ve been a big fan of the Novy/Siduri wines from Adam Lee for several years.  For some reason, their Zinfandels seem to fly under the radar.  Their single vineyard offerings are some of the best values out there, grab one if you happen to see one sitting on a store shelf.

 

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.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a medium ruby red color.  The soothing and inviting nose has brambly berries, black pepper, warm baking spices, licorice, dried herbs, tobacco, dark chocolate and some red raspberries.  This has a fairly full body, moderate to solid tannins, and very good acidity.  Spicy, peppery berries grab the palate initially with dried herbs and dark chocolate coming in on the mid palate.  The finish has decent length highlighted by tart red raspberries.  This has much brighter acidity than your usual California zinfandel, which nicely balances the richness.  With the good tannins and abundant acidity, this should last in the cellar and potentially improve for several years.  The wine has 15.1% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a twist off cap.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

2009 Syncline Grenache-Carignan

If you’ve been reading my posts for more than just a couple of weeks, you’ll see I love just about all wines.  That said, my heart belongs to the grapes from the Rhone region in France.  I think these are some of the most versatile grapes in the world.  These grapes seem to be able to adapt to where ever they are planted and can produce many different styles of wine.  I found this specific wine when a  friend tweeted he had this in his glass one evening.  I was able to track down a few bottles from a store in Washington.  A few days later, they were in my cellar.

 

This is a 50/50 blend of Grenache and Carignan from the Columbia Valley in Washington.  I’ve had a couple bottles of this wine last year, but felt it would be better with a bit of cellar time.  I guess it’s time to check in to see how it’s going.  As an added bonus, the wine is closed with a glass stopper.  In my opinion the best stopper for wines that will be consumed in three to eight years.  I need to see some research before I can extend the top end of that range.  I think these stoppers are a bit too costly to use on wines meant to be consumed not long after release.

 

The wine has 14.2% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a glass stopper.  There were 385 cases produced.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a shade lighter than a medium ruby red color.  The bright and cheerful nose has raspberries, cherries, minerals, baking spices, licorice, wild flowers, and just a touch of underbrush.  This has medium body, moderate to solid tannins and very good acidity. The palate has nice red fruits, spice, and some earthiness with no rough edges. The finish has decent length and again features the red fruit, spice, minerals and a touch of earthiness.  This is drinking very nicely and should remain in a good drinking window for at least another year or two.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

2010 Turley Zinfandel Juvenile – $20.00

The Turley Juvenile Zinfandel is made of young grapes from the old vine vineyards used in the winery’s single vineyard wines.  The winery doesn’t give a definitive age of the younger vines but they do note that a vine can have several years of age and be considered to be young beside 100+ year old vines.

 

The wine has 15.5% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep ruby red color.  The comfortable and familiar nose has brambly berries, black pepper, licorice, wood smoke, black cherries and some baking spice.  This has a full body with moderate ripe tannins and good acidity.  On the palate the spicy, peppery berries lead the way with a bit of smoke and licorice coming in on the back end.  The finish has good length with a touch of spicy oak peeking through.  This doesn’t have a lot of complexity but it is very tasty.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2009 Bedrock Wine Co. Syrah Pleine de Chene Hudson Vineyard North – $39.00

This 100% Syrah is fermented using native yeasts in new French oak puncheons.  The wine is then moved into new French oak barrels for aging.  The wine is a deep maroon color.  The sexy nose is full of crushed blackberries, smoked meat, dead wood embers, crushed stones, dried violets, vanilla beans, road tar and blueberries.  This has medium to full body with moderate tannins and nice acidity.  Blackberries, crushed stones and smoked meat quickly coat your palate slowly allowing wood embers and some road tar to slip through.  The long luxurious finish adds a nice dried violet note.  This wine is fully open and ready to shine over the next few years.   This has 15.1% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (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 2015 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!

 

 

 

 

This is based on wines provided to me by the winery or organization acting on their behalf.

 

 

2008 Jaffe Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Metamorphosis

2009 Jaffe Estate Transformation

 

 

 

 

‘It’s comforting to know that if a giant meteor is ever headed our way, the Jaffes can not only warn us, they can pour us a nice glass of wine while we wait for impact’

 

 

 

Gary and Pam Jaffe

Gary Jaffe’s wine journey started in 1980 when he took a vacation from the family’s insurance business to visit St. Helena.  During the visit, Gary came to a revelation, “I decided I’d live here one day,” he said.  Monthly visits to the area again opened his eyes; he could buy some land for what he was spending on hotels.

 

Gary eventually purchased 8 acres on Pritchard Hill above LakeHennessey.  This gave Gary a place for a cabin and to set up a telescope to watch the stars.  A few years later, he doubled his land holdings and looked to plant grapes.  In 1991, reality set in when it was estimated it would cost $100,000 per acre to plant grapes on the rocky site.

 

Around this same time, Gary took a class on the art of collecting at UCLA where he met his future wife, Pam.  “I decided to collect her,” he quipped. “She’s my kind of art.”

 

Gary and Pam moved to the valley in 1999, with the addition of twin girls into their lives, the distance to town began to diminish the appeal of living at the solitary mountain site.

 

This led Gary and Pam to fine a house on 3 acres of land at the southern edge of the St. Helena appellation, at the edge of the Rutherford Bench.  The site was home to a vineyard with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon that had been planted in the 1970s.  After renovating the house and added an observatory that housed a 16-inch aperture optical telescope, it was time to start the next chapter in their lives…

 

 

 

The Winery

Jaffe Estate Winery produces two estate-grown, relatively low alcohol wines, Transformation is a Bordeaux style blend and Metamorphosis is a Cabernet Sauvignon.  2005 marked the first vintage to be released.  The couple was proud when their wines were added to the highly selective list at Auberge du Soleil.

 

Jaffe Estate wines are on the wine list at several restaurants in the valley.  The wines are also available direct from the winery by clicking here.

 

 

 

The winery has a free newsletter and “The Celestial Set” Wine Club.

 

For more information on Jaffe Estate, you can visit their website, or find them on Twitter or Facebook.

 

 

 

The Line up

Here are the wines for this tasting:

 

 

 

2008 Jaffe Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Metamorphosis – SRP $68

Metamorphosis is a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the estate vineyard in the St. Helena appellation.

 

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

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a medium to deep ruby red color.  The outstanding nose has cassis, baking spices, tobacco, cedar, licorice, cocoa powder, stony minerals, violets, dried herbs and a touch of dry earth.  This has medium body, moderate to full tannins and very good acidity.  On the palate this is a restrained and nicely nuanced wine with no over the top ripeness or layers of oak.  The finish has nice length and balance but at this time the tannins get a bit chalky and course.  Give this one another year or two in the cellar and enjoy over the next decade.  This has great potential.  (93 pts)

 

 

2009 Jaffe Estate Transformation – SRP $68

Transformation is a blend 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Merlot from the estate’s vineyard in St. Helena.

 

The wine has an alcohol level of 14.5%.  The bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright red to ruby color.  With some air, the initially slightly shy nose has cherries, cassis, warm baking spices, cedar, stony minerals, licorice and scorched earth.  This has medium body, moderate ripe tannins and good acidity.  On the palate the up front fruit slowly adds spices, minerals and a touch of earthiness.  The rich and smooth finish has nice length with a floral note entering the picture.  This has very nice balance and could age several years but is delicious today.  (92 pts)

 

 

Closing thoughts

It was refreshing to sample a couple of wines from the Napa Valley with retrained levels of alcohol.  If you missed it above, the 2008 Metamorphosis clocked in at 13.8%.

 

Even though the Transformation is a year younger, it was more open and ready for consumption.  If I had both of these wines in my cellar, I’d consume the 2009 Transformation and save the 2008 Metamorphosis for down the road.  That said, both wines would be outstanding even today, if served with a moist, juicy cut of beef.

 

 

 

Napa Valley Film Festival

Are you interested in attending the Napa Valley Film Festival?  The festival runs from November 13 through 17.

 

Oh, almost forgot, how does attending the event for free sound?  To celebrate being a sponsor of the event, Benchmark Wine Group is giving away a very nice package to one lucky person.  Enter by October 31st for your chance to win.

 

The Napa-based company is offering one lucky winner two Festival Passes to the Napa Valley Film Festival (NVFF), worth a $500 value; two private invitations to the Benchmark Opening Night VIP kick-off party; and exclusive access to the sneak preview screening of ‘August: Osage County’, starring Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts.

 

Benchmark Wine Group will be hosting an exclusive Opening Night VIP kick-off party on Wednesday, November 13 and a winemaker tasting with Todd Alexander of Bryant and Bettina on Friday, November 15.  NVFF Patrons and special guests will be invited to join Benchmark Wine Group at the Michael Holmes Gallery at Riverfront, 606 Main Street, from 8 pm to 10 pm Wednesday to launch the week’s festivities.  Every guest Wednesday will be entered into a raffle for a chance to buy a bottle of 2001 Château Haut-Brion for $1; taste magnums of 1983 Pétrus, 1966 Château Margaux, and 2003 Diamond Creek; and enjoy food catered by Morimoto Napa.

 

For more information, click here.

 

To view the official rules and to enter, click here.

 

A video about the event from my bud, Amy Payne, is available by clicking here.

 

 

 

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!