2008 Rosenblum Cellars Zinfandel Rockpile Road Vineyard

2011 Delas Frères Côtes du Rhône Saint-Esprit

N.V. Locations F-2

2010 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills

2009 Waterbrook Cabernet Sauvignon

2011 Villa Creek “White”

2007 Villa Creek Avenger

N.V. Moët & Chandon Champagne Brut Impérial

 

 

 

2008 Rosenblum Cellars Zinfandel Rockpile Road Vineyard – $15.04

Like a lot of people, Rosenblum was my favorite Zinfandel producer for several years.  After the sale of the winery, the wines have suffered.  I don’t know if this was due to loss of the main people in the operation, bad luck, or more likely the desire of the purchases to cash in on the name quickly and recoup the cost of their investment.

 

I’ve really enjoyed wines produced from the Rockpile area for a few years and actively hunted them down.  The local wine store brought this wine in and offered it at a great price via their weekly e-mail offers.  I grabbed a case.  Unfortunately, the wine has been a disappointment the few times I’ve tried it.  One last chance to see if another years in the cellar has helped.

 

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

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep maroon color.  The fairly straight forward nose has brambly berries, vanilla, black pepper, dark bittersweet chocolate, camphor, and spicy oak.  This has medium to full body, moderate tannins, and good acidity.  On the palate the wine seems a touch thin and driven by the oak related elements with sweet berries coming in from the sides providing needed sweetness.  The finish is a touch short and again highlights the spicy oak and sweet berries.  For a Rosenblum wine, especially one from Rockpile, this could use a bit more extraction and depth.  A decent week night Zin to be consumed over the next couple of years.  (87 pts)

 

 

 

2011 Delas Frères Côtes du Rhône Saint-Esprit – $10.99

This is a 50/50 blend of Syrah and Grenache.

 

This has 14% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep ruby color.  The inviting nose has crushed berries, stony minerals, smoke, cherry pits, licorice and dried flowers.  This has medium body, moderate silky tannins and good acidity.  Crushed berries and minerals coat the palate on the front end with smoke and cherry pits coming in later.  The finish has nice length with more smoke and a dried floral note adding depth.  Not as rustic as some Côtes du Rhône wines, much smoother and easy going.  Probably not one to sit on for too long, enjoy this one over the next year or two.  (89 pts)

 

 

 

N.V. Locations F-2 – $15.38

Even though this is labeled as non vintage, all the grapes are from 2012. This is a blend of Grenache, Syrah and assorted Bordeaux varietals from various regions in France.

 

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

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep dark ruby to purple color.  The very open nose has blackberries, currants, dried herbs, licorice, charred wood and dried flowers.  This has a fairly full body with moderate ripe tannins and decent acidity.  On the palate an overload of ripe fruit and spicy oak jump out first with licorice and dried herbs slipping into the picture on the back end.  The finish has good length and is very fruit driven.  This doesn’t offer much complexity but that doesn’t make it any less tasty.  This would be a big hit at a party with a platter of meats and cheeses.  (89 pts)

 

 

 

2010 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills – $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 14.8% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a twist off closure.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a fairly deep ruby red color.  The very enticing nose has raspberries, cherries, baking spices, cola, and some nice earthiness.  This has medium body, moderate tannins, and good acidity.  On the palate the wine is rich but reigned in and it stays in focus.  The finish is fairly long with a nice blend of fruit and savory elements.  This shows nice balance and the closing acidity provides very nice lift.  This is a great value for the price.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2009 Waterbrook Cabernet Sauvignon – $9.49

This is one of the better, value priced, Cabernets out there.  This won’t rock your world, but it is generally a very nice, varietally correct, dry, structured, Cabernet that can be found for under $10.

 

This has 13.5% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with an agglomerated cork.

 

Winery history

 

Waterbrook Winery was founded in 1984 by Eric and Janet Rindal and is located in Washington State’s lovely Walla Walla Valley.

 

Waterbrook continues to be one of the Walla Walla Valley’s largest producers of premium Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Melange wines.  Production is around 35,000 cases a year.  Waterbrook was selected by the editors of Wine Spectator as one of 50 great producers every wine lover should know for smart buys.  The tasting room in downtown Walla Walla pairs fine wine with fine art, providing a destination point of distinctive style.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a medium to deep ruby red color.  The very nice nose features plums, cassis, dried herbs, earthy elements, baking spices, minerals, and cherries.  This has a medium body with soft tannins and good acidity.  There is a nice mix of savory and fruity elements on the palate with the savory elements up front and the fruit coming in on the back end.  Decent length on the finish which again has nice fruit, but the savory elements carry the load.  A very nice change of pace if you are tired of fruit forward California Cabernets.  (89 pts)

 

 

 

2011 Villa Creek “White” – $20.80

This is one of my favorite White California Rhone Ranger wines.  This is a blend of 70% stainless steel fermented Grenache Blanc and 30% James Berry Vineyard Roussanne that was fermented in concrete and neutral oak.

 

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

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a light golden yellow color.  The light and summery nose has melon, peach pit, minerals, white flowers, orange zest and a touch of spice.  This dry wine has medium body and very nice acidity.  On the palate melon and apricot flavors occupy the front end with some building minerality and citrus coming in on the back end.  The finish has very nice length with minerals and some spice seeming to linger forever.  This tastes very good now and will last in the cellar for a couple more years.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2007 Villa Creek Avenger – $35.00

As anyone who has followed me on Twitter or read this blog for very long knows, Villa Creek is one on my top 5 favorite wineries.  Of all the wines offered by the winery, vintage after vintage, The Avenger is my favorite wine they produce.  This is a blend of 75% Syrah, 15% Mourvedre and 10% Grenache.

 

This has 14.7% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a twist off closure.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark maroon color.  The absolutely stunning nose has blackberries, cherries, minerals, eucalyptus, violets, Asian spices, licorice, and a touch of earthiness.  This has medium to full body, moderate ripe tannins, and good acidity.  This delivers a mouthful of juicy berries and spice up front with minerals, eucalyptus, and some earthiness kicking in on the back end.  The finish is fairly long with nice lingering sweet fruit, spice, and minerals.  (92 pts)

 

 

We paired the Avenger with a personal favorite meal from our prior life living in Texas, Chicken Fried Steak.  If properly prepared, the meat is tender and juicy with a the breading adding nice flavor and texture.  The cream gravy provides nice richness.

 

 

 

N.V. Moët & Chandon Champagne Brut Impérial – $36.99

This is roughly a blend of 40% Pinot Noir, 35% Pinot Meunier and 25% Chardonnay.

 

This has 12% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork Champagne stopper.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a light golden straw color with very persistent, pinpoint bubbles.  The very inviting nose has baked apples, pears, lemon zest, fresh baked bread and a touch or nuttiness.  This has a light body with considerable effervescence, tart citrusy acidity and is just about bone dry.  On the palate baked apple with nutmeg and cinnamon pops out first with yeasty notes and lemon zest coming in later.  The finish is crisp with a touch of nuttiness joining the yeasty notes and lemon zest.  This is very easy to sip while just sitting back and relaxing.  (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 2014 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 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 Rosenblum Cellars Zinfandel Rockpile Road Vineyard

2009 Girard Petite Sirah

2008 Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Prologue

2007 Big Basin Vineyards Syrah Coastview Vineyard

 

 

 

2008 Rosenblum Cellars Zinfandel Rockpile Road Vineyard – $15.04

There was a period of time, not that long ago, when Rosenblum Cellars was on top of the wine world.  As it always seems to happen, a successful, smaller winery gets enticed into selling to a large corporation.  To me, the transition has net been a smooth one.  Perhaps it was a cost cutting move to recoup the money paid or just the transition to a new winemaking team, the quality has slipped noticeably.  Hopefully the corporation can right the ship and get the line back to the previous level of quality.  Time will tell.

 

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

 

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 under appreciated 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 maroon color.  The fairly straight forward nose has brambly berries, vanilla, black pepper, dark bittersweet chocolate, camphor, and spicy oak.  This has medium to full body, moderate tannins, and good acidity.  On the palate the wine seems a touch thin and driven by the oak related elements with sweet berries coming in from the sides providing needed sweetness.  The finish is a touch short and again highlights the spicy oak and sweet berries.  For a Rosenblum wine, this could use a bit more extraction and depth.  This is a decent week night Zin to be consumed over the next couple of years.  (87 pts)

 

 

 

 2009 Girard Petite Sirah – $17.09

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

 

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

 

Winery History

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark purple color.  The outstanding nose has blackberries, black pepper, smoke, caramel, wild flowers, cherries, dark chocolate, earthy underbrush, and vanilla.  This has medium to full body, moderate to solid tannins and good acidity.  On the palate the berries, pepper, and vanilla leap out first with some nice earthiness and a floral element coming in on the back end.  The finish has nice length with some dark bittersweet chocolate entering the picture.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

 2008 Anderson’s Conn Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Prologue – $17.09

As with a lot of wines, even though it is labeled as a Cabernet Sauvignon, it is actually a blend of blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Cabernet Franc.

 

This is the “entry level” Cabernet from Anderson’s Conn Valley.  This wine is usually available for under $25.  The other Cabs produced by the winery are generally two to three times that price.

 

This has 14.4% alcohol and is sealed with an agglomerated cork.

 

Winery History

Since 1983 we have been family owned and operated by the Anderson’s, and since our first release in 1987, Conn Valley Vineyards has been dedicated to producing world class wines. Our 40 acre Estate is located just south of Howell Mountain in Conn Valley. When you visit, we provide a personal and highly educational experience. Located just 3 miles or 10 minutes east of downtown Saint Helena, you’ll feel worlds away from the hustle and bustle of busy tasting rooms. Come get a slice of Napa use to be, meet the owners and wine team, and most importantly taste fantastic wines in our cave.

 

Visit the Anderson’s Conn Valley site for more information.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a fairly dark ruby to purple color.  The fairly typical nose has cassis, baking spices, tobacco, dried herbs, cedar, and dark bittersweet chocolate.  This has medium body, moderate to solid tannins and good acidity.  The palate has nice berry, spicy oak and dried herbs.  The finish has nice length but is dominated by the oak with the fruit buried in the background.  Nice for under $20 but it does show too much oak at this time.  I don’t think the wine has enough body and extraction to be able to absorb the excess oak.  (89 pts)

 

 

2007 Big Basin Vineyards Syrah Coastview Vineyard – $43.00

For the last few years I’ve felt Big Basin was one of the wineries to keep an eye on.  I think they are one big score away from popping onto most wine drinker’s radar.  Could they become the next Saxum?  In my opinion, the sky is the limit for this winery.

 

This wine is from a 2600 foot mountaintop vineyard in the Gabilan Mountains with decomposed granite and limestone soils.

 

The wine has 15.7% alcohol and is sealed with a natural cork.

 

Winery history

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

 

Much more information is available on their website.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark purple color.  The stunning nose is full of crushed blackberries, smoke, plums, dark chocolate, vanilla, minerals, black pepper, creosote, eucalyptus, Asian spices and violets.  This full bodied wine has fairly solid tannins and good acidity.  On the palate smoke, berries and plums hit hard slowly giving way to black pepper and vanilla with some building minerality and vanilla coming in on the back end.  The long, luxurious finish has a nice mix of the fruit and savory elements with minerals closing the show.  This still seems to be on the young side but this intense gem shines even today with some air.  (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 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!