2005 Rosenblum Cellars Petite Sirah Pickett Road Vineyard

1988 Schloss Schönborn Erbacher Marcobrunn Riesling Spätlese

2005 Cuvelier de Los Andes (Clos de los Siete) Grand Vin

2003 Bodegas AAlto Ribera del Duero AAlto

 

 

 

2005 Rosenblum Cellars Petite Sirah Pickett Road Vineyard – $31.04

 

My comments

This wine is from the time when Rosenblum on the label meant there was a very good chance the wine in the bottle would be something special.   I purchased this and several other bottles of Rosenblum wine at a tasting hosted by a local store in a private room at a local restaurant.  Kent Rosenblum was personally pouring at one of the tasting stations.  It was a cold December night, perfect weather to enjoy several Rosenblum wines.

 

Winery history

In 1978, Rosenblum Cellars opened its now-legendary home in Alameda, California; a place known more for its docks and shipyards than for winemaking.  But then again, Kent Rosenblum, “The King of Zin,” always did things a little differently from the status quo.

 

When most of the established wineries in California were focused on their estate-grown wines, Kent chose to explore some of the unrecognized and underappreciated grape-growing areas of Northern California.  He met families who had been growing grapes for generations; dedicated growers passionate about their vineyards, who worked tirelessly to grow the best grapes possible from old vines their families had planted years before.

 

Their efforts showcased the difference between mountainside and valley floor grapes, the importance of soil types and their influence on the taste of a wine.  Kent was fascinated by the character and complexity of the Zin grapes produced by these old vines, and was determined to capture this spirit in a bottle.

 

Kent took grapes back to Alameda and began to make wines, acknowledging the contributions of his friends by placing the vineyard’s name on the bottle.  Working out of a factory building near the docks, Kent and his crew looked more like longshoremen than winemakers.  But the wine they made spoke for itself.

 

Rosenblum Cellars has become one the most-awarded and highly rated California Zinfandel portfolios.  Our head winemaker, John Kane, and his team still travel all over California to find exceptional grapes – working to make bold, delicious wines.  And if you’re ever in the neighborhood, we invite you to come visit us next to the docks in Alameda.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark, inky purple color.  The nose screams, “I am Petite Sirah” with loads of blackberries, blueberries, fresh ground black pepper, melted licorice, warm baking spices, dried herbs, vanilla, wild flowers, crushed stone minerals, dark chocolate, and some earthy underbrush.  This has a full body, solid, ripe tannins, and good acidity.  This is big and rich on the palate with loads of fruit, spice, dark chocolate, and nice earthiness, but with plenty of tannins and good acidity holding everything together very nicely.  The finish is long and again, full of flavor but held together nicely by the wine’s structure.  This will probably still be drinking nicely in a decade, but it is stunning right now.  (93 pts)

 

After I do my notes, I check the major publications to see how my notes compare.  Incredibly, one of the big boys gave a drinking window of “Drink through 2008” for this wine.  In my opinion, they blew it…big time.

 

 

 

1988 Schloss Schönborn Erbacher Marcobrunn Riesling Spätlese – $34.81

 

My comments

We’re real big fans of off-dry German Riesling wines with some age on them.  The overt sweetness and tingly acidity mellow and integrate over time leaving a delicious, food friendly elixir.  These wines are better defined as rich instead of sweet.  Try an aged Riesling with a spicy dish and you will become a fan.

 

Winery history

Schloss Schönborn – famous wines with a long tradition.  Located in the heart of the Rheingau valley, the Domänenweingut Schloss Schönborn has long stood for premium wine culture.

 

Many of the vineyards along the slopes bordering the Rhine River have been part of the Schönborn family estate since 1349, which has been added to continuously since then.  Several top sites were acquired in the 17th and 18th centuries, giving the estate a real boost.  The estate now covers 50 ha, of which 90% are planted with Riesling.  The remaining vineyards feature Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc.  The Schloss Schönborn wine estate is one of the founder members of the Association of German Prädikat Wine Estates (VDP) and has for many years been managing its valuable vineyards in tune with nature.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, golden yellow color.  The very pleasing nose has petrol, apples, white peaches, honey, minerals, citrus zest, lime, and some white pepper. This has light to medium body with crisp acidity and nice sweetness. Very rich and smooth on the palate with most of the overt sugar having been incorporated into the magical elixir. The wine has a long, lingering finish full of peach, apples, honey, minerals, and lime. This may last a few more years in the cellar, but it tastes marvelous right now.  (94 pts)

 

 

 

2005 Cuvelier de Los Andes (Clos de los Siete) Grand Vin – $32.86

 

My comments

When the Cuvelier family of Second Classified Growth, Château Léoville Poyferré decided to expand into Argentina, they started this winery.  Along with their Oenological-consultant, Michael Rolland, this is their version of a new-world Bordeaux styled blend.  This is a blend of 70% Malbec, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Syrah, 7% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot.

 

Winery history

The Cuvelier Los Andes S.A. vineyard was planted in 1999 with a density of 5500 plants per hectare.  Today the vineyard stretches over 55 hectares (136 acres) with 10 hectares still to plant.

 

The main grape variety is Malbec.  We have also planted Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Petit Verdot.  This enables us to create our own blended wines and also contribute to those of Clos de los Siete.  Basking in the warm, dry climate of Mendoza, cooled by the refreshing night air of the Andes, our vines are ideally situated to express the character of their various grape varieties in this stony, alluvial gravel soil.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark, maroon color.  The deep and dark nose has blackberries, earthy underbrush, tree bark, warm baking spices, fresh ground dark roast coffee, smoke, plums, tobacco, and a touch of grilled meat.  This has medium to full body, fairly solid tannins, and very nice acidity.  The palate is dominated by spicy, earthy, dark fruit, with a bit of coffees and meaty elements coming in late.  The finish has very nice length and leans more of the savory elements than the fruit.  This is a powerful and intense wine that demands a piece of juicy meat.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2003 Bodegas AAlto Ribera del Duero AAlto – $33.24

 

My comments

I’ve been a big fan of Aalto for several years.  These are big, tannic beasts in their youth that, with some cellar time, round into very pleasurable bottles of Tempranillo.

 

Winery history

The winery’s website is “under construction” so the following information is from the Drink Ribera site.

 

Aalto was founded in 1999 by Mariano García and Javier Zaccagnini with the aim of making a new wine, based on very old vineyards and Mariano’s expertise.  After 10 years, the winery is considered a leader in Ribera del Duero and has obtained the highest reviews in many tastings.  Top scores include three 98 point-ratings from The Wine Advocate, and twice being named Best Wine of Spain, as selected by Michel Bettane and Thiery Dessauve’s book of the Best 100 Wineries of the World.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep ruby red color.  The very inviting nose has cherries, black raspberries, licorice, Asian spices, plums, scorched earth, violets, vanilla, and a touch of mint.  This has medium to full body, fairly solid tannins, and good acidity.  The palate has nice red fruit, spice, and subtle earthiness, with darker fruit coming in on the backend.  The finish is fairly long with a very nice vanilla element adding to the earthy, spicy, red fruit.  This is drinking nicely now, but there is a definite upside to warrant some additional cellar time.       (93 pts)

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

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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!