2014 La Clarine Farm Syrah Sumu Kaw Vineyard

2015 Domaines Arnaud Cuvee Finesse South of France Rosé

2014 Two Hands Shiraz Angels Share

2013 La Crema Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

2012 Casey Flat Ranch Capay Valley

2012 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir Clos Pepe Vineyard

 

 

 

2014 La Clarine Farm Syrah Sumu Kaw Vineyard – $25

This wine comes from a ridgetop vineyard at an elevation of 3000′ planted in volcanic loam soil.  The grapes were harvested in two passes to ensure good ripeness.  After 100% “foot crushing” of the whole clusters, the wine was fermented in open top vats.

 

The wine is a medium garnet color.  The open and giving nose has blackberries, crushed stones, scorched earth, dark roast coffee beans, plums, white pepper, Asian spices and potpourri.  This has medium body with soft tannins and tart acidity.  On the palate tart berries, minerals and plums come through on the front end with white pepper, scorched earth and tart cherries coming in later.  The finish has nice length with dark roast coffee beans and Asian spice providing some depth.  This is lacking some richness and body on the back end and finish, perhaps another year in the cellar will allow the wine to fill out and put on some weight.  This starts out promising but comes up a bit short at this time.  Give this one another year or two in the cellar.  This has 14.3% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a twist off closure.  (86 pts)

 

 

 

2015 Domaines Arnaud Cuvee Finesse South of France Rosé – $10.19

I can’t find any information on this wine.  This may be a special one time offering with very limited distribution.

 

The wine is a light pink salmon color.  The bright and refreshing nose has strawberries, cherries, crushed stones, white pepper, melon and a touch of green herbs.  This has light to medium body with crisp acidity and seems to be almost totally dry.  On the palate tart cherries, strawberries and minerals jump out immediately with melon and white pepper coming through later.  The finish has decent length with a hint of green leafy herbs and lime zest providing some depth.  The great acidity makes this a perfect companion to a lighter dinner preferably in a sunny location on a warm day.  This has 12.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with an agglomerated cork.  (87 pts)

 

 

 

2014 Two Hands Shiraz Angels Share – $22.99

Two Hands wines are a “house favorite” around here.  Unfortunately the prices have rapidly increased, almost to the point the “Garden Series” wines are now special occasion wines.  This wine is still fairly reasonably priced as log as you shop around.  The price I paid is several dollars below the usual price for this wine.  Its a good value at this price, but for over $30 the value starts to get a bit iffy.

 

The wine is a deep garnet color.  The hypnotic nose has blackberries, plums, white pepper, crushed stone minerals, charred wood, dark chocolate, baking spices, wild flowers and dried herbs.  This has a full body with moderate ripe tannins and nice acidity.  On the palate crushed berries, minerals, baking spices and white pepper quickly take control with wild flowers and charred wood coming in later.  The finish has nice length with dark chocolate and a floral note providing depth.  This is a big, rich Shiraz that doesn’t offer a lot of complexity but is loaded with fruit and spice.  This has 14.8% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a twist off closure.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2013 La Crema Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast – $16.99

This 100% Pinot Noir is sourced from several vineyards in the Sonoma Coast region.  The coastal region’s boundary begins at the Mendocino County border, continues along the western coastal edge of Sonoma County through the mouth of the Russian River Valley; and extends to the Los Carneros region on the southern Sonoma/Napa border.

 

The wine is a light to medium ruby color.  The expressive nose has cherries, baking spices, minerals, raspberries, underbrush, white pepper, slight herbal note and cola.  This has a medium body, soft to moderate ripe tannins and decent acidity.  On the palate tart cherries, spice and minerals carry the majority of the load.  There is good length on the finish with some earthiness entering the picture.  This doesn’t offer much in the complexity department but it is a tasty week night pinot.  This wine has 13.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with an agglomerated cork.  (88 pts)

 

 

 

2012 Casey Flat Ranch Capay Valley – $11.50

It was a sad day when I heard the winery closed their doors.  The only saving grace was that Last Bottle Wines swooped in and bout everything that had.  Besides the bottled wines (like this one) they also bought the barrels that were aging at the winery.  Being able to stock up at great prices will allow me to follow the wines in the coming years.

 

This wine is a blend of 75% Syrah and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon.

 

The wine is a deep maroon color.  The very open and inviting nose has blackberries, crushed stone minerals, dark roasted coffee beans, dark chocolate, scorched earth, cassis, baking spices, cedar and dried violets.  This has medium to full body with moderate to solid tannins and very nice acidity.  The mouth filling palate has spicy blackberries, minerals and dark roast coffee on the front end with scorched earth, cassis and dark chocolate coming in later.  The finish has good length with cedar, baking spices and a dried floral note providing great depth.  This was an absolute steal from Last Bottle.  I would have been happy to get this wine for triple the price.  I will enjoy following this wine over the next several years.  This has 14.8% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  This has 14.8% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2012 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir Clos Pepe Vineyard – $46

This wine is a blend of three Pinot Noir clones, 115, 667, 777.  The wine was aged for 10 months in 100% French oak, 33% new.

 

The wine is a dark ruby red color.  The voluptuous nose is full of black cherries, plums, flinty minerals, black tea leaves, dried wildflowers, blueberries, white pepper and dry earth.  This has a full body with moderate silky tannins and nice acidity.  On the palate waves of fruit and white pepper quickly take control with tea leaves and dried flowers coming in later.  The finish has very good length with blueberries and dry earth providing great depth.  As always, Brian provides his unique interpretation of the Pinot Noir grape.  I know his style turns off some of the purists, but personally, I love his wines…in moderation.  This has 14.8% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a twist off closure.  (93 pts)

 

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

Connect with me

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

 

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

 

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

 

Cheers!

 

 

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

All rights reserved.

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

Breaking news from Klout:

 

 

Cliff’s Wine Picks mentions or other posts

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

 

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

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

 

2010 Domaine Tour Saint-Michel Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Tour du Lion

2013 Bella Grace Zinfandel Amador County

2012 Rudius Fion Bainise

2013 La Crema Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

2014 Domaine de Poulvarel Costières-de-Nîmes

2013 Miner Family Grenache Sierra Foothills

 

 

 

2010 Domaine Tour Saint-Michel Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Tour du Lion – $22.80

This wine was purchased from Last Bottle Wine, an internet based “flash sell” site that offers one wine a day until it sells out.  More information and a link to join the e-mail list with a $10 credit is below.

 

This family (and currently woman owned) estate is now in its’ third generation and has grown to now include about 100 acres, 86 in Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

 

The wine is a nice maroon color.  The very impressive nose has kirsch, strawberries, garrigue, leather, white pepper, scorched earth and wildflowers.  This has medium body with moderate to solid tannins and very good acidity.  On the palate nice upfront fruit is joined by garrigue and white pepper with leather and scorched earth coming in later.  The finish has great length with wildflowers coming in.  This tastes great now with some air but some cellar time will be greatly rewarded.  In this youthful time in the wine’s evolution, it is rugged with some power still buried, give it another year in the cellar and drink over the following decade.  This has 14.0% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (93 pts)

 

 

 

2013 Bella Grace Zinfandel Estate Grown Amador County – $20.00

Bella Grace currently grows 20 acres of grapes in their sustainably farmed Estate vineyards.  I have tried several of their wines and all have been very good.  The winery produces red, white and even a sparkling wine.  Besides Zinfandel, the winery also grows Primitivo, Vermentino, Roussanne, Grenache, Grenache Blanc, Syrah, Petite Sirah and Mourvedre.

 

The wine is a deep garnet color.  The inviting nose has brambly berries, plums, stony minerals, scorched earth, baking spices, white pepper, cherries and dried flowers.  This has medium body with moderate tannins and good acidity.  Berries, plums and minerals coat the palate on the front end with white pepper and scorched earth coming in on the back end.  The finish has nice length with a dried floral note and a touch of dark chocolate adding nice depth.  This is a nice, well mannered, balanced Zin that is not overly ripe with high alcohol.  This is a winery that deserves some attention.  This wine has 14.3% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a twist off cap.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2012 Rudius Fion Bainise – $22.70

This wine was purchased from Last Bottle Wine, an internet based “flash sell” site that offers one wine a day until it sells out.  More information and a link to join the e-mail list with a $10 credit is below.

 

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)

 

 

 

2013 La Crema Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast – $15.97

This 100% Pinot Noir is sourced from several vineyards in the Sonoma Coast region.  The coastal region’s boundary begins at the Mendocino County border, continues along the western coastal edge of Sonoma County through the mouth of the Russian River Valley; and extends to the Los Carneros region on the southern Sonoma/Napa border.

 

The wine is a light to medium ruby color.  The expressive nose has cherries, baking spices, minerals, raspberries, underbrush, white pepper, slight herbal note and cola.  This has a medium body, soft to moderate ripe tannins and nice acidity.  On the palate tart cherries, spice and minerals carry the majority of the load.  There is good length on the finish with some earthiness entering the picture.  This wine has 13.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with an agglomerated cork.  (88 pts)

 

 

 

2014 Domaine de Poulvarel Costières-de-Nîmes – $10.00

This wine was purchased from Last Bottle Wine, an internet based “flash sell” site that offers one wine a day until it sells out.  More information and a link to join the e-mail list with a $10 credit is below.

 

This wine is a blend of 40% Grenache Blanc, 30 % Roussanne and 30% Viognier.

 

The wine is a light yellow with a slight green tint.  The refreshing nose has tart apples, crushed stone minerals, lemon zest, leafy herbs, white flowers, lime zest and a hint of white pepper.  This has medium body with very nice acidity.  Tart apples, lemon zest and minerals quickly grab your attention on the palate with leafy herbs and white pepper coming in later.  The mouthwatering finish has good length with lime zest and a nice floral note entering the picture.  This is a nice white Rhone to enjoy with a light meal on a sunny day or to serve as an aperitif.  This has 13.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with an agglomerated cork.  (89 pts)

 

 

 

2013 Miner Family Grenache Sierra Foothills – $16.79

This wine was purchased from Last Bottle Wine, an internet based “flash sell” site that offers one wine a day until it sells out.  More information and a link to join the e-mail list with a $10 credit is below.

 

This 100% Grenache comes from grapes grown in Naggiar Vineyard in the Sierra Foothills.  Even though this is a single vineyard wine, it is not labeled as such.  Grabbed this wine since I knew of Naggiar Vineyard since another winery I like, Elyse, produced a couple wines from this vineyard.

 

The wine is a light to medium ruby red color.  The expressive nose has cherries, white pepper, crushed stone minerals, roasted leafy herbs, baking spices, scorched earth and a touch of licorice.  This is barely medium body with moderate tannins and good acidity.  On the palate cherries, baking spices, white pepper and minerals take control on the front end with roasted herbs and scorched earth coming in later.  The finish has nice length with cherries, spices and minerals providing good persistence.  This is a lighter bodied Grenache that would go well with just about anything.  This has 14.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (89 pts)

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

Connect with me

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

 

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

 

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

 

Cheers!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 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 La Crema Chardonnay Monterey

2012 La Crema Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

 

 

La Crema – The right wine makes the party

 

 

Overview

I was lucky to be selected in an online tasting of wines from La Crema Winery that was sponsored by Snooth.  This event featured four wines from La Crema.  There was two Chardonnay wines and two Pinot Noirs.  In both cases the wines were the winery’s Monterey and Sonoma Coast appellation wines.

 

I want to thank La Crema and especially Gregory Dal Piaz of Snooth for allowing me to participate in this event.

 

 

 

 The Winery

For more than 30 years, La Crema has explored California’s coastal appellations, a voyage of varietals that started here at our estate in the foggy vineyards of the Russian River Valley.  On our journey, we have found exciting cool-climate vineyards north in the rugged hills of Mendocino, and south along the wind-swept slopes of Los Carneros.  Most recently, our exploration has taken us to the wind-swept hillside vineyards of Monterey.  Centered always on the dual lens of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, we look for one unifying factor at these exceptional sites: coastal wind and fog that allow the grapes ripen slowly on the vine, developing intensely complex aromas and flavors while retaining firm acid structure.

 

Naturally, our winemaking team seeks to express the essence of the terroir in our wines, capturing the unique personality and flavor profile of the vineyards.  Elizabeth Grant-Douglas infuses our winemaking regime with a highly personal touch that combines the best of traditional Burgundian winemaking techniques with a contemporary California style.

 

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

 

 

 

Snooth

Snooth is a community for wine lovers.

 

Whether one is just a beginner, or a total pro, Snooth offers its 1 million+ users countless opportunities to learn, taste, share and shop in the world of wine.

 

Members are able to interact with wineries, stores, fellow wine lovers, and wine professionals from all over the globe with Snooth’s daily newsletters, wine search, social forums and interactive media tools.

 

Since its launch in June 2007, Snooth has become one of the world’s largest and most comprehensive online wine destinations, featuring millions of price listings and wine reviews.  Snooth also powers wine & food pairings for major sites including Epicurious.com (Conde Nast) and myRecipes.com (Time Inc).

 

Why drink alone? Grab a glass and join the fun!

 

There is a ton of great information available on the Snooth website.

 

 

My line up

Even though there were four wines discussed at this online chat, everyone received just two of the wines.  Here is my line up for the event:

 

 

 

2012 La Crema Chardonnay Monterey – SRP $20

This 100% Chardonnay uses grapes from various vineyards in the Monterey region.  The vineyards of Monterey are defined by persistent ocean winds that are funneled down a 90-mile-long valley running north to south between the Santa Lucia and Gabilan Mountains.

 

The bottle is sealed with a Diam cork, which is made from pieces of shredded cork that is compressed and molded into shape.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a light golden yellow color.  The nose has apples, pears, crème brulee, baking spices, minerals, lemon zest, orange blossom and pineapple.  On the palate the wine has a creamy texture with nice acidity and a medium body.  On the palate apples, vanilla, spice and lemon zest steal the show.  The finish is a touch short but flavorful.  (87 pts)

 

 

2012 La Crema Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast – SRP $25

This 100% Pinot Noir is sourced from several vineyards in the Sonoma Coast region.  The coastal region’s boundary begins at the Mendocino County border, continues along the western coastal edge of Sonoma County through the mouth of the Russian River Valley; and extends to the Los Carneros region on the southern Sonoma/Napa

border.

 

The wine has 13.9% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a light to medium ruby color.  The expressive nose has cherries, baking spices, minerals, raspberries, slight herbal note and cola.  This has a medium body, soft to moderate ripe tannins and nice acidity.  On the palate tart cherries, spice and minerals carry the majority of the load.  There is good length on the finish with some earthiness coming into the picture.  (88 pts)

 

 

Conclusion

These wines are made in an easy drinking style that will appeal to most wine drinkers and would be perfect for a party.  The wines have lower acidity which would make them a good choice where the wine won’t be expected to take center stage, but instead serve as a means of getting people to socialize over appetizers or casual meals.

 

 

 

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!