Each week I pick out one wine to highlight as my wine of the week.  This wine may be an outstanding wine, a great value or just something very interesting.

 

 

 “Adams offers a bridge between Paso’s lavish ways and a more cerebral effort”

Jon Bonne – “A Guide to the Producers and Wines Behind A Revolution in Taste”

Ledge Vineyards is a winery that appeared on my radar over a year ago.  I “met” the owner/winemaker, Mark Adams, via Twitter and after exchanging tweets about wine, he sent me a bottle of his 2009 vintage of this wine to sample.  It was a stunning bottle of wine, I needed more.  Unfortunately, that vintage was sold out.  I quickly joined their mailing list and waited for the upcoming release of the next vintage.  I also let my Twitter followers know this was a winery to check out before it was too late. I know at several of my “friends” signed up.  When the wine was released, I quickly ordered a nice stash of wine.  This vintage is now sold out.  Hopefully I helped play a part in the wine’s popularity.  I’m sure the praise and high scores the wine received from Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator helped, but I found them first.

 

The owner/winemaker is Mark Adams.  Mark is also the assistant winemaker for another outstanding Paso Robles winery, Saxum.  The San Francisco Chronicle and Jon Bonné in particular recently named Mark in column called “Winemakers to Watch 2014”.  Click here to read the story.

 

 

The Winery

The Adams Ranch is in the Willow Creek region on the west side of Paso Robles and rests on a plateau with the SantaLuciaMountains as a backdrop, with a steep drop to Vineyard Drive in the foreground. The vineyard is almost entirely Syrah, with some Grenache and Mourvedre peppered in. We expand every year at a snail’s pace, with 25 dry farmed acres as the ultimate goal. The vines are own rooted and reared in the home nursery after pruning each year. Once established, the vines are dry farmed, field-blended and co-fermented using only native yeasts and are aged in neutral oak barrels.

 

 

 

2010 Ledge Syrah Adams Ranch Vineyard – SRP $55

Ledge Vineyards is the winery owned by the One Time Spaceman, Mark Adams.  I was lucky enough to secure a sample of the 2009 vintage of this wine from Mark.  After two sips of the wine, I immediately joined the mailing list.  After securing my spot on the list, I started telling everyone who would listen to get on the list.  If you didn’t hear or heed my earlier advice, you still have time; the 2011 vintage is still available.

 

For more information, order wine, or to join the mailing list, click here.

 

This wine has 14.5% abv and is sealed with a natural cork and wax coating.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep purple color.  The very inviting nose has blackberries, minerals, smoke, raspberries, eucalyptus, black pepper, violets, roasted herbs, and a touch of dark bittersweet chocolate.  This has medium to full body, moderate ripe tannins and good acidity.  On the palate this is rich and plush with nice layers of fruit, spice and minerals.  The finish is very long with rich fruit, spice, minerals and a floral note seeming to hand on forever.  This is on the young side but already a stunning wine.  This will be a nice one to follow over the next decade, maybe even longer.  (94 pts)

 

 

Connect with me

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

 

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

 

Cheers!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 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!

 

 

 

2010 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands

2008 Core Grenache Reserve Santa Barbara Highlands Vineyard

2005 Torbreck Shiraz The Struie

2009 One Time Spaceman Reserve Airspace James Berry Vineyard

2003 Cosentino Winery Legends Meritage

 

 

 

2010 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands – $25.00

In my opinion, the Loring appellation wines are some of the best bargains out there when it comes to quality California Pinot Noir.  The Loring appellation wines are, at least to me, dialed down a notch compared to their single vineyard siblings.  This and the lower prices, under $25 make them a nice way to kick up a week night dinner several notches without breaking the bank.

 

This has 14.7% alcohol and is closed via a Stelvin+ screw cap.

 

Winery history

My name is Brian Loring and my obsession is Pinot Noir.  OK, I’m also pretty crazy about Champagne, but that’s another story.  While in college, I worked at a wine shop in Hollywood (Victor’s), where one of the owners was a Burgundy fanatic.  So, my very first experiences with Pinot Noir were from producers like Domaine Dujac, Henri Jayer, and DRC.  Needless to say, I found subsequent tasting safaris into the domestic Pinot Noir jungle less than satisfying.  It wasn’t until I literally stumbled into Calera (I tripped over a case of their wine in the store room) that I found a California Pinot Noir that I could love.  But it would be quite a while before I found someone else that lived up to the standard that Josh Jensen had established.  I eventually came to understand and enjoy Pinots from Williams Selyem, Chalone, and Sanford, but I really got excited about California Pinot Noir when I met Norm Beko from Cottonwood Canyon at an Orange County Wine Society tasting.

 

For more information, to buy wine, or to join the mailing list, visit their website.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a ruby red color.  The alluring nose has raspberries, warm baring spices, cola, cherries, wild flowers, plums, eucalyptus, and some earthiness.  This has medium body, soft tannins, and good acidity.  On the palate the baking spices and fruit jump out and take hold slowly allowing a touch of eucalyptus and earthiness to break through on the back end.  The finish has good length and adds some minerality to the fruit and spice.  (91 pts)

 

 

2008 Core Grenache Reserve Santa Barbara Highlands – $20.59

The regular 2008 Core Santa Barbara Grenache found a spot on my Top 10 QPR Wines of 2012.   The reserve adds a fair amount of savory/spicy elements leaving it nicely positioned somewhere between a normal California Grenache and their French Rhone brethren.

 

Core is quickly becoming one of my “go to” wineries when I want something a little different.  Dave Corey is making several straight varietal wines that are outstanding, but he also shines with his blends.   I’ve been a big fan of the wines Dave Corey produces for quite a while.  These highly expressive wines are top notch and very reasonably priced.  I highly recommend tracking down some Core wines and settling in for a couple hours of pleasure.

 

This has 14.9% alcohol and is sealed with a natural cork.

 

Winery history

Dave Corey’s educational background includes a bachelor’s degree in Biology from San Jose State University and a master’s degree in Entomology and Plant Physiology from Kansas State University, which was completed in 1995.

 

Prior to entering the wine industry in 1996, Dave worked in Salinas and the Central Valley in agricultural fields including cole crops, cotton, almonds, citrus, walnuts, kiwi, table grapes, apples and stone fruit.  His first position in the wine industry was as a Pest Control Advisor with Cambria Winery and Vineyards and later at Kendall-Jackson Vineyards of Santa Barbara County.

 

Dave left Kendall Jackson Vineyards in 1999 to begin Vital Vines, a viticultural company providing technical support for vineyard property owners, vineyard managers and winemaking personnel in the promotion of sustainable agriculture.  He has worked with clients that include Laetitia, Barnwood, Beckman, Melville, Stolpman, Gainey, Zaca Mesa, Sea Smoke, Le Bon Climat, Sine Qua Non, Rideau, Carhartt, Rusack, Westerly, Fiddlestix, Vogelzang, Andrew Murray, Evergreen, Arita Hills and Royal Oaks.

 

With a major commitment and a second mortgage, Dave gradually decreased his vineyard consulting work to focus on vineyard sourcing, winemaking duties and winery direct sales for CORE wine company which he started in 2001 with his wife, Becky.  Dave passionately continues working in the same capacity today in addition to several new wine projects with family members.  He can also be found pouring wine for customers at the CORE wine company tasting room in Old Orcutt, California.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a light to medium ruby red, much lighter at the edge. The very nice nose has cherries, dried herbs, black raspberries, baking spices, black pepper, and a touch of licorice. This has a medium body with fairly solid, ripe tannins and very good acidity. On the palate this initially tastes like cherry pie, then the dried herbs and more spice kick in adding depth and balancing out the fruity elements. This has very nice length with the spicy cherries and dried herbs very slowly fading. This is a very nice California Grenache that may not appeal to someone looking for a Southern Rhone styled wine, but for the rest, this will have considerable appeal.  (91 pts)

 

 

2005 Torbreck Shiraz The Struie – $37.99

I’ve been a fan of some of the lower end Torbreck wines for a number of years first getting hooked on a bottle of their Woodcutter Shiraz a number of years ago.

 

When the local wine store brought in this wine and put it on the shelf at a great price, I had to grab several bottles.  I had one not long after purchase and decided this need some extended cellar time.  It’s been well over 4 years, so it’s time to see how it is progressing.

 

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

 

The Winery

Torbreck Vintners was founded by David Powell in 1994.  The roots go back to 1992 when Dave, who was then working at Rockford, began to discover and clean up a few sections of dry-grown old vines.

 

Much more information on this prestigious winery is available on their website.

 

The Wine

This 100% Shiraz is a blend of grapes from Eden Valley (46 year old vines) & Barossa Valley (64-110 year old vines).

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark ruby to purple color.  The stunning nose has blackberries, cherry, violets, smoke, Asian spices, minerals black pepper, black brined olives, dark bittersweet chocolate and licorice.  This has medium to full body, moderate tannins and good acidity.  On the palate the spicy berries and black pepper lead things off with minerals and a floral note coming in on the back end.  The finish is very long with a nice mix of fruit and savory elements.  This is a perfectly balanced Barossa Shiraz.  (94 pts)

 

 

We paired the Torbreck Shiraz with a family favorite on a cool, rainy, Fall day, some Chicken Fried Steak with mashed potatoes all covered in a creamy gravy.  It’s nothing fancy but delicious.

 

 

 

2009 One Time Spaceman Reserve Airspace James Berry Vineyard – $49.39

I’m not really having much luck finding the break down of the blend used in this wine.  I’m sure it’s out there somewhere but I haven’t found it.  I guess all you really need to know is the grapes came from Saxum’s James Berry Vineyard.  The winemaker should know what to do with the grapes since his “day job” is Saxum’s Assistant Winemaker.

 

The winemaker and One Time Spaceman is Mark Adams, a rising star in my opinion.  Besides the One Time Spaceman label, he has another label called Ledge.  I recommend doing a Google search for them and joining the mailing list.  Mark is also the assistant winemaker for a small Paso Robles winery you may have heard of, Saxum.  In his spare time, he is also a musician.  Check out his latest offering, Panjanatan, I know it’s available on Amazon, that’s where I bought it, and probably other places as well.

 

The wine has 15.5% alcohol and is closed with a natural cork and sealed by a nice wax coating.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep maroon color.  The enticing nose has cherries, blackberries, minerals, dried herbs, licorice, roasted herbs, meat juices, baking spices, dark chocolate and violets.  This has a full body, solid tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate the fruit and spices are joined by solid minerality up front with herbs and chocolate coming in on the back end.  The finish has nice length but gets a bit thin and ragged, with the tannins getting a bit chalky and drying.  This is very young and should improve with some cellar time, for the time being, let this one sleep since it doesn’t provide a lot of drinking pleasure at this time.  (86 pts now, check in again in a couple years for an accurate read)

 

 

2003 Cosentino Winery Legends Meritage – $29.99

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

 

The “Legends” wine was a joint project between Mitch Cosentino and Larry Bird.  This wine is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc using grapes sourced from various vineyards in Oakville, St. Helena, and Carneros.

 

This has 14.4% alcohol and is closed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a medium ruby red color.  The very inviting nose has cherries, cassis, dried herbs, tobacco, minerals, cedar and baking spices.  This has medium body, moderate tannins and good acidity.  Nice spicy fruit and dried herbs great the palate with a touch of cedar coming in late.  The finish has nice length but does lose a bit of oomph.  A very nice wine that is just a touch short of being memorable.  (89 pts)

 

 

Connect with me

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

 

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

 

Cheers!

 

 

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

All rights reserved.

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

Breaking news from Klout:

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

 

 

This is based on a sample supplied to me by the winery

 

 

This is your chance to get in on the ground floor of what may be the next big thing to come out of Paso Robles.  I’ve been a big fan of Mark Adams’ wines for a couple years and they are getting better every vintage.  Between this label, One Time Spaceman, and his other label (with his wife) Ledge, he is just one big score from one of the major wine publications from being a rock star.  Well, his music is very good, but in this case, I’m talking about a wine making rock star.  Jump aboard before this is another one of those wines that is unobtainable, ala Saxum, Carlisle, SQN…etc.

 

The One Time Spaceman wines are available mainly via the retail chain, but I highly recommend checking out Ledge and getting in on the mailing list.

 

Check out Ledge at:

http://ledgevineyards.com/index.php

 

 

More information on the One Time Spaceman wines is available at:

http://spacemanvineyards.com

 

 

 

2009 One Time Spaceman Moon Duck – SRP $28.99

 

My comments

The illustrious winemaker/rocker for this is Mark Adams.  This is just one of the many hats worn by Mark.  For those in Paso Robles, he is equally well know for his music.

 

The Moon duck is a blend of Mourvedre, Syrah, Grenache blend with a splash of Tempranillo, all from small vineyards in the Paso Robles area.  The wine was aged in 100% oak, 50% new French oak, the remainder in neutral oak barriques.  The alcohol is a very well hidden 15.5%, which surprised me, it doesn’t show any heat nor does it show any overly ripe notes.

 

If you’re into scores, Steve Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar gave the previous vintage 90 points.  The current release of Mark’s 2010 Ledge Syrah Adams Ranch Vineyard just received a stellar 92 score from IWC.  It is my understanding, the 2010 Ledge is in short supply and I’d recommend checking them out at http://ledgevineyards.com/index.php.  I can say this since I put my money where my mouth is by grabbing a 6 pack when it was released.

 

 

Winery Tasting Note (Gotta love it)

This wine is a complex, fruit forward GSM Rhone blend crafted in the style that has made Paso Robles famous.  Aged in both new and neutral French oak this wine is out of this world.  The color of this wine is reminiscent of a Red Giant Star in its last phase.  On the nose it shows explosive Astro Berry, Plasma Spice and Cosmic Flower.  On the palate the bright arrogant fruit is held together perfectly by complex Interstellar Dust and a rich Nebula Core.  One Time Spaceman wines are unique, dramatic and boutique blends from some of the best sites in Paso Robles.  Each one is different, produced in small lots and represents an opportunity to try cult wines without the cult wine price.  Get it now before it is gone!  Appellation: Paso Robles  Production: 644 cases

 

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep maroon color.  The very inviting nose features blackberries, dark chocolate, fresh ground espresso, earthy underbrush, baking spices, cherries and dried herbs.  This has medium to full body, solid, ripe tannins, and very good acidity.  On the palate the wine shows spicy, earthy fruit up front with dried herbs, chocolate, and espresso in the background adding considerable depth.  The finish is fairly long with dark chocolate and espresso melding nicely with the spicy berries.  This is still very young and some cellar time will be greatly rewarded.  (92 pts)

 

 

You have to love the fact the wine is 100% Dolphin Safe:

 

 

 

It may not be Rosé weather right now in a lot of the country, but I have had several bottles of the 2011 One Time Spaceman MCA Rosé and it was a very nice fruity wine.  There are a couple reviews of the wine in other postings here.

 

 

An example of some of Mark’s music:

http://www.markadamsusa.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/1.-Bus-Argument-final1.mp3

 

 

More music selections and additional information available at:

http://www.markadamsusa.com/

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

 

2008 One Time Spaceman Moon Duck – $22.79

This is a personal favorite.  This is a blend of 40% Mourvedre, 30% Syrah, 20% Grenache and 10% Tempranillo from Paso Robles.  The winemaker is Mark Adams, also the winemaker at Ledge and assistant winemaker at Saxum.

 

This was pretty much pop and pour.  The wine is a deep, dark, ruby to purple color.  This has an outstanding and expressive nose full of blackberries, smoked meat, black pepper, licorice, cherries, underbrush, dark chocolate, and some nice earthiness.  The wine is fairly full bodied with solid, ripe tannins and nice acidity.  There is nice fruit and spice up front on the palate with layers of additional fruit and savory notes adding tons of depth.  There is a very nice, long, lingering finish full of fruit, spice, and earthy notes.  This is still very young and will reward additional cellar time.  (94 pts)

 

 

 

2007 Core Hard Core – $19.15

Core has been a favorite winery in my house for several years.  I used to be able to stock up on trips to Sam’s or Binny’s when I went to Chicago.  I no longer make that trip, so I get by on a few bottles here and there since it doesn’t make it to Wisconsin.

 

This is a blend of 37% Mourvedre, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Syrah, 4% Grenache from Santa BarbaraCounty on California’s CentralCoast.  I’ve been wanting to try this wine for a while, Jeb Dunnuck from The Rhone Report loved the wine (92+ pts) and JL from WS trashed it (82 pts), my palate generally more closely aligns with Jeb’s, so I have no fear in opening this bottle.

 

The wine is a deep, dark, ruby color.  The captivating nose has black cherry, smoked meat, black pepper, cassis, vanilla, dark chocolate, fresh ground espresso, dried herbs, and a touch of earthiness and cedar.  This is medium to full body with fairly solid, ripe tannins and very nice acidity.  The wine is rich and spicy on the palate with layers of flavors popping in, including nice dark chocolate and espresso grounds elements.  A fairly long finish full of fruit and dark chocolate with some nice, spicy oak and earthiness adding to the enjoyment.  An outstanding effort that will reward additional cellar time.  (93 pts)

 

 

One oddity was that the label says 2007, but the cork is branded with 2008.

 

 

 

 

 2011 One Time Spaceman MCA Rosé – $15.21

Since it was only a couple weeks ago, I’m copying my post from my August 13 – August 16 blog which is still 100% applicable.

 

I’ve had this a couple times and it’s a very nice, easy drinking, fruity Rosé.  It is a bit softer and shows a touch of sweetness.  This is a Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre blend from Paso Robles.  The winemaker, Mark Adams, is a rising star in my opinion.  Besides the One Time Spaceman label, he has another label called Ledge.  I recommend doing a Google search for them and joining the mailing list.  Mark is also the assistant winemaker for a small Paso Robles winery you may have heard of, Saxum.  In his spare time, he is also a musician.  Check out his latest offering, Panjanatan, I know it’s available on Amazon, probably other places as well.

 

The wine is a bright salmon color.  This has watermelon, strawberries, white peaches, white pepper, and a touch of earthiness on the soft and pleasing nose.  This is light to medium body with nice acidity and just a touch of sweetness.  On the palate the wine is full of sweet, juicy red fruit with some citrus kicking in on the backend.  This is a nice, easy drinking Rosé, perfect for a casual dinner on the deck or patio or to sip on a hot day.  (89pts)

 

 

 

2007 Turley Zinfandel Tofanelli Vineyard – $34.00

Smoking up some ribs and hot links for dinner, so a big zinfandel was in order.  I had a hard time selecting between a Turley and one from Carlisle.  It’s been a while since I had a Turley, so it won.  As you can see from the bottle, the Turley fought getting plucked from the wine cellar, but I won.  Actually the scrape comes from the slightly too tight a fit in my wine cellar racking system.  It’s not a big deal to me since I buy my wine to drink, not to resell.

 

I generally like the Turley zins from Tofanelli Vineyard.  They usually show nice minerality and loads of pepper and spice.  The Tofanelli Vineyard is in about 26 acres on Dunaweal Lane, 1 mile south of Calistoga, in the NapaValley.

 

The wine is a fairly deep ruby red color.  There are brambly berries, cherries, minerals, fresh ground black pepper, dark chocolate, ground dark espresso coffee beans, and a touch of earthiness on the very inviting nose.  This is medium to full body with nice, ripe tannins and very nice acidity.  Nice spicy, peppery, fruit on the palate with some dark chocolate and minerals coming in on the back end.  A fairly long finish which highlights the dark chocolate and briary fruit.  This is in a prime drinking window right now, but should hold for a couple of years.  Delicious!  (93 pts)

 

I smoked some ribs for our Sunday dinner.  Dinner was glorious with the ribs, hot links, and my wife’s macaroni salad.

 

Here’s the rack of ribs with the dry rub:

 

I wrapped these in plastic wrap and put them in the refrigerator over night.  This allows the seasoning to be absorbed into the meat.

 

Here’s a picture of the meat platter for dinner:

 

The wine was a perfect pairing with the meat.  Both had nice spice and the tannins had softened in the wine enough to cut through the juicy meat but not clash with the spicy rub I use.

 

 

 

Mailing Lists

 

Jean Edwards Cellars

This is the home of some fantastic NapaValley cabernets at unbelievable prices.  Their latest offer includes their 2009 Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet and the 2009 Seventy Four – Forty One Howell Mountain Cab came out of Friday.  If you can bribe your way onto their pre-release mailing list, these are 25% off the normal, release price.  As a bonus, they also have a Library Release of their first commercial offering, the 2004 Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet.  Visit https://jeanedwardscellars.com/ and tell Karen I sent you.  I have an earlier blog here with a review of the 2009 Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet.

 

Villa Creek Vineyards

Ordering a case from Villa Creek is always a no-brainer decision for me.  Generally, the hard part is trying to keep my order between a case and a case and a half.  This release had two of my favorite wines from Villa Creek, The Avenger and Mas de Maha.  These are both nice blends from Paso Robles.

 

The Avenger is a blend of 50% Syrah, 30% Mourvèdre, 20% Grenache, and the Mas de Maha is a blend of 50% Tempranillo, 25% Grenache, 25% Carignan.

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

Nice Wine Stuff

A Facebook friend, Heidi McLain, has a very nice product and is looking for some startup funding.  The product is the To Your Taste!® Wine Party Kit.  As an incentive to donate, she has some really nice “pledge rewards” for pledges of as little as $25.  Visit https://www.fundable.com/to-your-taste-for-wine-llc?_s=613 to see the marvelous product or even better to assist in the funding effort.  You can also visit the Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/To-Your-Taste-Wine-Party-Kit/34193039949

 

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

 

2007 Wild Hog Vineyard Petite Sirah Cache Creek – $9.50

I bought a case of this wine via an e-mail offer from my local store.  I’m not sure what the suggested price is for this wine, but it has to be well north of $10.00.  It’s been a while since I last had a bottle, but it’s always been your typical Petite Sirah.  By typical, I mean a full bodied wine with lots of dark fruit, pepper, smoke, licorice and solid, chewy tannins.  At under $10, this is a top shelf week night wine.

According to the winery’s website there were 270 cases produced, but what do they know.  They also say this is the last vintage for this wine and I have a case of the 2008 in the cellar.  Oops, I guess 2007 wasn’t the last vintage ever produced.  🙂

The wine is a deep, dark, inky purple color.  There are blackberries, pepper, vanilla, smoke, licorice, fresh cut flowers, eucalyptus, and some cherry on the very nice nose.  This is fairly full bodied with solid, ripe tannins and very nice acidity.  This is big and bold but not over the top on the palate with loads of spicy, peppery berries with just a bit of an herbal note, possibly from stems.  Fairly long finish with the peppery berries front and center. Tastes very nice today and fairly young but I’d probably err on the side of drinking this young, over the next few years for the ripe, spicy fruit.  (90 pts)

 

 

2005 Novy Family Wines Syrah Rosella’s Vineyard – $17.00

It’s been about a year and a half since we last tried this wine.  At that time, I felt the wine could use some additional cellar time.  I think Adam Lee of Novy (and Siduri) makes outstanding, spicy, structured Syrahs that steer clear of their brethren who push the ripeness envelope to the max.  For some reason, I was able to get a few bottles of this wine at an outstanding price direct from the winery and I jumped on the offer.  Novy currently has the third most bottles in my cellars of all wineries.

The wine is a deep, dark, inky purple color.  This has smoked meat, black pepper, blackberries, road tar, soy sauce, earthy underbrush, licorice, citrus zest, and a floral note on the deep, dark, brooding nose.  This is medium to full bodies with solid, ripe tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate the wine shows the smoked meat component with nice spicy berries and some earthiness with a nice citrus element lurking in the background adding considerable interest.  Nice lingering finish with the smoky, peppery berries slowly giving way to soft earthy, meaty notes.  In a great drinking window now, but should hold for at least a few years.  (93 pts)

 

 

2011 Bedrock Wine Co. Casa Santinamaria – $17.50

I’ve been looking forward to trying one of these since they showed up at my door at the end of March.  I love the Bedrock white wines, like I mentioned in my previous blog.  This is from a vineyard that was planted n 1905.  This is a “field blend” comprised of Muscadelle, Chasselas, Zinfandel, Semillon, and even a little bit of Chardonnay.  That wasn’t a mistake, some old vine red Zinfandel grapes from the vineyard are in the blend.  Everything was picked together and whole-cluster pressed into old French oak and stainless steel barrels.  This was fermented with native yeasts and malolactic fermentation was inhibited.

The wine is a bright yellow/straw color.  This has a very intriguing nose with apples, pears, peach, minerals, white pepper, citrus zest, a very nice floral note and just a bit of an herbal note.  This has medium body with crisp acidity and just a hint of lingering sweetness.  This has luscious, juicy fruit on the palate with citrus, herbal notes and a bit of white pepper in the background.  This very unusual blend is very unique and delicious.  This is another winning white wine from Bedrock.  (92 pts)

 

We had the Casa Santinamaria with a simple Bruschetta with fresh from the garden cherry tomatoes, red onions, and basil.  We use Cholula hot sauce and Gouda cheese.  The touch of sweetness kept the hot sauce in check and the acidity cut through the rich cheese and stood up to the tomatoes.  Superb!

 

 

2011 One Time Spaceman MCA Rose – $15.21

I’ve had this a couple times and it’s a very nice, easy drinking, fruity Rosé.  It is a bit softer and shows a touch of sweetness.  This is a Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre blend from Paso Robles.  The winemaker, Mark Adams, is a rising star in my opinion.  Besides the One Time Spaceman label, he has another label called Ledge.  I recommend doing a Google search for them and joining the mailing list.  Mark is also the assistant winemaker for a small Paso Robles winery you may have heard of, Saxum.  In his spare time, he is also a musician.  Check out his latest offering, Panjanatan, I know it’s available on Amazon, probably other places as well.

The wine is a bright salmon color.  This has watermelon, strawberries, white peaches, white pepper, and a touch of earthiness on the soft and pleasing nose.  This is light to medium body with nice acidity and just a touch of sweetness.  On the palate the wine is full of sweet, juicy red fruit with some citrus kicking in on the backend.  This is a nice, easy drinking Rosé, perfect for a casual dinner on the deck or patio or to sip on a hot day.  (89 pts)

 

 

News, Notes, and Questions –

 

Wine Country memories

Here is a shot of me with Richard Graeser of Graeser Winery.  We were barrel tasting two vintages of his Diamond Mountain Cabernet Franc.  I have always loved the wines and Richard was definitely a character.  I hated that the winery went out of business a couple years ago.  Luckily I still have a fair amount of his wine in my cellar, including both vintages we were tasting on this day.

 

One more with Richard and a friend of mine, Dave Schauer.

 

The gang enjoying a glass of Napa’s finest before dinner at Cole’s Chop House in Napa.  With friends Kristin and Dave Schauer and my wife Eva.

 

 

Mailing Lists

 

Big Basin

The next BigBasin release is coming on September 10^th.  I love their big, full bodied red wines created from the Rhone grapes.

 

Loring Wine Co

The latest Loring offer hit the inbox this week.  I’m in for the Pinots, but will be passing on the full blown California Chardonnay offer.  I’m more into crisp, tank fermented, non malolactic Chardonnay wines.  I’m sure Brian’s Chardonnays have a large and devoted following, but I’m not one of them.

 

 

#CabernetDay

Save the Date: August 30, 2012 will be the third annual global celebration of Cabernet.  You have a couple weeks to pick out a bottle to open.  Let us know which wine you choose.  #Cabernet Day

 

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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!