2013 Casey Flat Ranch Capay Valley

2010 Jaffe Estate Transformation

2015 LangeTwins Sauvignon Blanc Lodi

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

Lucien Albrecht Crémant d’Alsace Chardonnay Tradition Brut Réserve

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

 

 

 

2013 Casey Flat Ranch Capay Valley – $10

This bottle was purchased from Last Bottle wines, my favorite “flash” wine site.  This was actually a “mystery bottle” from one of their marathons.  I bought a case of wine for $10 a bottle and this was one of the bottles.  If you use the provided link and sign up, you get an immediate credit and I get a credit if/when you make a purchase.  Check them out, they have awesome deals and their Marathons are always something special.

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

2010 Jaffe Estate Transformation – $34

This bottle was purchased from Last Bottle wines, my favorite “flash” wine site.  If you use the provided link and sign up, you get an immediate credit and I get a credit if/when you make a purchase.  Check them out, they have awesome deals and their Marathons are always something special.

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

2015 LangeTwins Sauvignon Blanc Lodi – $10

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

 

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

 

 

 

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

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

 

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

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

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

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

 

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

 

 

 

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

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

 

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

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

Connect with me

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

 

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

 

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

 

Cheers!

 

 

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

All rights reserved.

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

Breaking news from Klout:

 

 

Cliff’s Wine Picks mentions or other posts

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

 

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

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

 

2014 La Crema Pinot Noir Monterey

2012 Gabriel Meffre Châteauneuf-du-Pape Laurus

2014 Two Hands Cabernet Sauvignon Sexy Beast

2012 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir Clos Pepe Vineyard

2014 Courtney Benham Pinot Noir Central Coast

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

 

 

 

2014 La Crema Pinot Noir Monterey – $15.99

This is 100% Pinot Noir from the Monterey appellation in California.  After a three day cold soak, the grapes were “punched down” three times a day during fermentation.  After fermentation was completed the wine was aged for 8 months in 100% French oak barrels, 17% being new.  After aging, the barrels were blended and bottled.

 

The wine is a bright ruby red color.  The comforting nose has black cherries, flinty minerals, forest floor, cola, tart red cherries and baking spices.  This has medium body with soft to moderate tannins and good acidity.  On the palate black cherries, minerals and baking spices come out on the front end with forest floor and a touch of cola coming in later.  The finish has nice length with tart cherries providing some needed depth.  Not a lot of complexity but that doesn’t make it less tasty.  This has 13.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with an agglomerated cork.  (88 pts)

 

 

 

2012 Gabriel Meffre Châteauneuf-du-Pape Laurus

This was a gift from friends.  Thanks again Charlie & Kristin!

 

In this vintage, this is a blend of 65% Grenache and 35% Syrah.  The Syrah vines average 40 years and the Grenache vines are 80 years old.  After fermentation, the wine was aged for 17 months in 275 liter barrels.  The barrels were a mix of one, two and three years old.

 

The wine is a deep ruby to maroon color.  The hypnotic nose has blackberries, leather, white pepper, scorched earth, licorice and cocoa powder.  This has medium to full body with moderate tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate blackberries, white pepper and leather come out on the front end with scorched earth, cocoa powder and licorice coming in on the back end.  The finish has very nice length with the savory notes stealing the show.  This is drinking very nicely now but a bit more cellar time will be rewarded.  This has 14.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

2014 Two Hands Cabernet Sauvignon Sexy Beast – $22.99

This is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon from several parcels in Australia’s McLaren Vale region.  The different lots were fermented separately and average 14 days of skin contact.  After fermentation, the wine was aged in 100% French oak barrels with 15% being new Taransaud French oak.

 

The wine is a deep purple color.  The impressive nose has cassis, blackberries, baking spices, roasted herbs, white pepper, licorice, vanilla bean and a touch of cedar.  This has a full body with soft to moderate ripe tannins and decent acidity.  On the palate the fruit and spice grab control immediately with roasted herbs and cedar slipping in later.  The finish has nice length with a touch of vanilla bean coming in.  This is a bit soft so I’d drink this one young.  Not a great vintage for this usually dependable wine.  This has 13.8% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a twist off closure.  (87 pts)

 

 

 

2012 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir Clos Pepe Vineyard – $46.00

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)

 

 

 

2014 Courtney Benham Pinot Noir Central Coast – $16.31

Courtney Benham is a division of Martin Ray Winery.  Courtney Benham Wines are limited release for special offer to their wine club members but obviously some make it into the hands of the Total Wine stores since I can buy these reasonably priced wines at my local store.

 

The wine is a deep ruby red color.  The relaxing nose has black cherries, dry underbrush, white pepper, licorice, Asian spices and wild flowers.  This has medium body with soft to moderate tannins and good acidity.  On the palate black cherries, underbrush and white pepper come through on the front end with spices and a floral note coming in later.  The finish has nice length with a black tea note providing some depth.  This doesn’t offer a lot of complexity but it is an easy to drink Pinot at a very attractive price.  This has 13.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a twist off closure.  (88 pts)

 

 

 

2014 St. Amant Winery Zinfandel Old Vines Mohr-Fry Ranch Vineyard – $16.99

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

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

I am a big fan of the “Flash Wine Sale” site Last Bottle.  You may have 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!

 

 

 

2013 Michael-David Vineyards Petit Verdot Inkblot

2012 Bedrock Wine Co. Zinfandel Kirschenmann

2015 McCay Cellars Rosé

2014 Ironstone Vineyards Cabernet Franc

2014 McCay Cellars Viognier

2015 Acquiesce Grenache Blanc

2015 LangeTwins Sangiovese Rosé

2013 Macchia Zinfandel Mischievous Old Vine

2013 St. Amant Winery Zinfandel Old Vines Mohr-Fry Ranch Vineyard

2012 Harney Lane Zinfandel Old Vine Lizzy James Vineyard

 

 

These are all wines I purchased, none are samples that were provided to me.  Some were from my cellar, some were purchased during my recent tour of Lodi and some were purchased after I returned home.  I may write about wines but I am also a collector and wine consumer.  I may write about some wines that are provided to me but I buy the wines I want to drink.  Here are some of the wines from Lodi that are now part of my cellar.  The prices noted are what I paid without tax or shipping.  Most of the wines were discounted due to case or multi-case purchases, or store related percentage off coupons from Total Wine.

 

Some of the bloggers have already posted blogs on our visit to the area.  I’m sure there will be more posted in the coming weeks, a few will be from me.  For this post, I wanted to highlight a few of the world class wines bearing the Lodi name on the label.

 

 

2013 Michael-David Vineyards Petit Verdot Inkblot – $33.24

This is a wine I tasted during a visit to the winery as part of a group of bloggers with Snooth and the Lodi Wine organization.  I liked it enough to include a few bottles in a case of Lodi wines purchased when I returned back home.  For more information, visit the Michael-David Winery website.

 

This wine has a “touch” of Petite Sirah included with the Petit Verdot.  The grapes for this wine came from Jon Wetmore’s vineyard on the northeast side of Lodi.  This wine is always put into new barrels early in the harvest season due to the high level of tannin, color and concentration.  The wine was aged 19 months in French oak.  This is the first varietal bottling of Petit Verdot by the winery, there are very few other Lodi wineries producing Petit Verdot labeled wines.

 

The wine is a deep, dark maroon color.  The impressive nose has crushed berries, baking spices, licorice, black cherries, dusty minerals, dark chocolate, scorched earth and a touch of cedar.  This full bodied wine has moderate ripe tannins and nice acidity.  On the palate loads of crushed berries, baking spices and dusty minerals grab control on the front end with licorice, black cherries and scorched earth coming in later.  The long finish is full of berries, spice and a touch of cedar.  This is an impressive Petit Verdot.  The wine has 14.8% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (91 pts)

 

 

2012 Bedrock Wine Co. Zinfandel Kirschenmann – $28.00

I have been on the Bedrock mailing list since the inception several years ago.  Bedrock is owned by Morgan Twain-Peterson, son of former Ravenswood owner and Zinfandel visionary, Joel Peterson.

 

This is from a vineyard now owned by Tegan Passalacqua (Turley winemaker) and his wife Olivia.  This is an “own rooted” Zinfandel vineyard that was planted in 1915.  The “own rooted” vines had survived because the soil is very sandy which is a natural deterant to pests and diseases they plague vines in other soil conditions.  The wine is a deep ruby color.  The very inviting nose has brambly berries, cherries, warm baking spices, dusty minerals, black peppercorns, dried leafy herbs, licorice and violets.  This has a medium to full body with moderate ripe tannins and nice acidity.  This is rich and voluptuous on the palate with juicy fruit, minerals, black pepper and dusty minerals on the front end with dried herbs and dry earth coming in later.  The spicy finish has nice length.  This is a very easy Zinfandel to sip and enjoy.  The wine has 14.6% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (94 pts)

 

2015 McCay Cellars Rosé – $16.20

We met Michael MaCay and his Syrah grower Phil Abba and had a “side of the road” tasting at Phil’s Abba Vineyard.  Just like every grower we met you could “feel” Phil’s dedication and pride in the grapes that come out of his vineyard.  I bought this wine as well as McCay Cellars’ Syrah and Grenache wines make from the fruit from Abba Vineyard.  This was fantastic on the side of the hot, dry and dusty road and I could not wait to open a bottle to sip at home.

 

McCay Cellars is owned by Michael McCay.  McCay moved to Lodi in the mid 1980s and started to grow grapes.  He started making wine in 1994 and launched McCay Cellars in 2007.  Much more information is available on the winery, history and most importantly their wines by visiting the McCay Cellars webpage.

 

This wine is mainly Carignane (from 102 year old vines) with Grenache.  The wine was produced with a “native fermentation” in stainless steel.  The wine is a bright salmon color.  The fresh smelling nose has strawberries, peaches, dusty minerals and lime zest.  This has a medium body with good acidity and just a hint of sweetness.  On the palate strawberries and minerals immediately grab your attention with peaches in the background.  The finish has nice length with a hint of lime zest leading you to grab another sip.  This has just a hint of sweetness making it an easy to enjoy companion to a warm day in the sun.  (90 pts)  This has 12.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a twist off cap.

 

 

2014 Ironstone Vineyards Cabernet Franc – $9.49

Ironstone Vineyards is a family owned winery that we visited during our Lodi excursion.  The Kautz family were gracious hosts during the visit.  I enjoyed their entire line-up of value priced wines.  The quality of the wines far exceeded the “low price of admission”.  To me, their Petite Sirah and this Cabernet Franc were the standouts.  I like the wine enough to include a few bottles in the case I bought soon after returning home.  Visit the Ironstone Vineyards website for a ton more information on the winery, family and the wines.

 

This wine is 85% Cabernet Franc and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Alta Mesa and Sloughhouse AVAs in Lodi.  The wine gets a brief 2 month aging in new French oak.  The wine is a medium to dark ruby color.  The very approachable nose has crushed berries, stony minerals, dried leafy herbs, vanilla, cedar and wild flowers.  This has medium body with soft tannins and good acidity.  On the palate juicy berries, vanilla and dried herbs dominate the front end with toasty cedar coming in on the back end.  The fruit laden finish has nice length.  This isn’t a wine to lay down, I’d drink this one on the younger side while the fruit is crisp and fresh.  Open this one with a juicy burger hot off the grill or even better with a platter of cheeses and meats with a few friends.  This wine is a steal if you can find it for around $10.  (90 pts)  This has 13.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with an artificial cork.

 

 

 

2014 McCay Cellars Viognier

Information and links dealing with McCay Cellars is above with my review of their rosé.

 

The wine is a golden straw color.  The inviting nose has apples, peach pits, honey, orange blossoms, dusty minerals, lime zest and lemongrass.  This has medium body with nice acidity and just a hint of lingering sweetness.  Apples, lime zest and peach pits immediately coat your palate with richness, on the back end minerals and lemongrass enter the picture.  The finish has nice length with honey and orange blossoms adding depth.  This is an easy drinking wine that would be a hit with friends.  (90 pts)  This wine has 14.1% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

 

2015 Acquiesce Grenache Blanc – $19.20

I was already familiar with Acquiesce wines before the Lodi trip from earlier tastings.  Acquiesce Winery was not visited on this trip but one of their wines, the 2015 Belle Blanc, was included in an online Snooth Tasting and chat while we were there.  If you want to see the session, it is available online.  I bought this wine as well as their Roussanne while in Lodi and had them shipped back home to me.

 

The wine is a very light golden yellow color.  The fresh and lively nose has green apples, white peach, flinty minerals, pineapple, lemon zest and a hint of spice.  This has medium body with great acidity and it seems to be totally dry.  On the palate tart apples and flinty minerals take control quickly with white peaches, pineapples and spice coming in on the back end.  The finish has good length with mouthwatering lemon zest leaving you reaching for another sip.  Another great example of the white wines made from Rhone grapes that excel in Lodi.  (92 pts)  This has 13.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with an agglomerated cork.

 

 

 

2015 LangeTwins Sangiovese Rosé – $12.00

LangeTwins is another winery we did not visit.  The winery was still well represented, this wine was included in our “Welcome” dinner the day we arrive in Lodi.  I tried a small taste of the wine, took a sip and wanted more.  Needless to say, with a large table full of people, the bottle was empty.  I bought a few bottles of the wine while in Lodi and had them shipped to me back in South Carolina.  More information on LangeTwins Winery is available on their website.

 

This wine is a bright salmon color, a bit darker than a typical rosé.  The refreshing nose has strawberry, cherry, dry earth, stony minerals, orange blossoms and a touch of lime zest.  This has light to medium body with nice acidity and just a hint of sweetness.  On the palate nice fruit and minerals hit first with orange blossoms and a touch of dry earth coming in later.  The finish has nice length with mouthwatering lemon zest providing nice balance to the slight sweetness.  This is not sweet but there is just enough residual sweetness to add some body and keep the fruit at the front.  This is VERY easy to sip while relaxing.  This has 12.0% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a twist off cap.  (90 pts)

 

 

2013 Macchia Zinfandel Mischievous Old Vine – $16.99

This is a bottle from my cellar.  I am fortunate enough to have a local Total Wines and More that carries several Lodi wines.  This wine and the St. Amant covered later in this post are almost always in my cellar.

 

In Italian, Macchia, means “the spot”.  The owner/winemaker for Macchia is ever dapper, Tim Holdener.  I’ll post a picture of Tim in his “tuxedo” shirt in a later post.  We had a great visit to the winery which included tastes of several barrel samples.  Time hosted a “Barbera tasting” that included several wineries in his outdoor tasting area which would be better called a “man cave”.  The area was outstanding.  Again, pictures and tasting notes will be included in a later post.  During the event, when asked about the aging potential of Lodi Barbera wines, Time grabbed a bottle of his 2003 Barbera from his personal stash.  Spoiler alert – it was outstanding.  Much more information is available on the Macchia website.

 

The wine is a deep garnet to maroon color.  The open and inviting nose has brambly berries, warm baking spices, vanilla bean, black cherries, chalky minerals, black peppercorns and dried violets.  This has a fairly full body with moderate tannins and nice acidity.  On the palate brambly berries, spices, black pepper and cherries jump out quickly with vanilla and minerals coming in later.  The finish has good length with a dried floral note providing nice depth.  This is on the young side but already drinking very nicely with some air.  Load up if you can find this one.  The wine has 15.8% alcohol that is well concealed and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (91 pts)

 

 

2013 St. Amant Winery Zinfandel Old Vines Mohr-Fry Ranch Vineyard – $16.99

This is a wine I always have in my cellar from the local Total Wine.

 

During the trip, we had a marvelous tasting of St. Amant wines in Marian’s Vineyard which is part of the Mohr-Fry Ranch with grower Jerry Fry and Stuart Spencer, the winemaker for St. Amant.  The vineyard is well over 100 years old and produces wonderfully rich and concentrated fruit.  I highly recommend visiting St. Amant’s website and reading about the people and wine, but especially about the vineyards that are used by the winery.

 

The wine is a deep purple color.  The enticing nose has brambly berries, charred wood, crushed stone minerals, cracked black peppercorns, baking spices, black cherries, tobacco, earthy underbrush and dried wildflowers.  This has a full body with moderate tannins and nice acidity.  On the palate brambly berries, baking spices, crushed stones and black pepper jump out quickly with black cherries and subtle charred wood coming in on the back end.  The finish has very nice length with a pleasing dried floral note entering the picture.  This could use a bit of time in the cellar but with a bit of air it is already stunning.  Stock up on this one.  (93 pts)  This wine has 14.7% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

 

2012 Harney Lane Zinfandel Old Vine Lizzy James Vineyard

This is another bottle from my personal cellar.

 

We visited Harney Lane Winery during our trip.  The Mettler family has been farming the vineyards for over 100 years.  After many decades selling the grapes, in 2006 the family decided to start making wine.  The grapes for this wine come from the Lizzy James Vineyard that was planted in 1904, making this truly an “old vine” Zinfandel.

 

Our visit to Harney Lane provided us a nice tasting of their wines including barrel samples.  We had to “work” for the samples by doing “punch downs” of their fermenting Petite Sirah.  Thankfully there was no mishaps for those wearing light colored clothes.  Pictures of a few of us doing the punch-downs will be provided in a later post.  Much more information on the winery’s history, family and wines is available on the Harney Lane website.

 

The wine is a deep ruby to maroon color.  The inviting nose has blackberry compote, black peppercorns, crushed stone minerals, warm baking spices, scorched earth, ripe plums and vanilla bean.  This has a full body with moderate ripe tannins and nice acidity.  On the palate jammy berries, black peppercorns, baking spices and crushed stones jump out first with plums and scorched earth coming in on the back end.  The finish has nice length with dark roast coffee entering the picture.  This wine has 15.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (92 pts)

 

 

Conclusion and recommendations

 

Some other wineries that merit your consideration are Bokisch Vineyards, m2 Wines, Borra Vineyards, Markus Wines a sub venture of Borra Vineyards, Oak Farm Vineyards and Mettler Family Vineyards.

 

 

If you want to plan a trip to Lodi, which I highly recommend, your first step should be to visit the Lodi Wine Site.  If you find yourself in Lodi and want to sip some wine, buy some wine or look for recommendations, I encourage you to visit them at:

Lodi Wine & Visitor Center

2545 West Turner Road

Lodi, CA 95242

Phone: (209) 367-4727

Email: lwwc@lodiwine.com

 

This is also a great place to buy Lodi wines.  They have an extensive inventory of wines that you can have shipped to your home.

 

 

 

I was included as part of this blogger trip by Snooth, one of the top wine related sites on the internet.  I highly recommend visiting their site.

 

 

 

Lodi Information

Lodi is just east of San Francisco and has provided grapes for producers all over the world since the 1800’s.  The Lodi area has provided grapes for producers all over the world for decades, and many families in Lodi have been growing grapes for six and seven generations.  Today, there are approximately 85 wineries and tasting rooms, over 750 growers and more than 100,000 acres planted to vineyards.  The wines we tasted commemorate the heritage of Lodi and are not only exquisite, but tell a narrative.

 

It is a well-known fact that Lodi is predominantly a red wine region, proudly holding the self-proclaimed title of “Zinfandel Capital of the World”.  What is lesser known is that Lodi’s unique Mediterranean climate allows for over 75 different varietals to thrive.

 

Tons of great and useful information is available on the Wines of Lodi, LOCA website.  I highly encourage you to read about the area by clicking here.  You can also follow Lodi on Twitter at @Lodi_Wine.

 

 

Lodi Green Program

The Lodi Rules for Sustainable Winegrowing is California’s first 3rd party-certified sustainable winegrowing program.  Originally launched in 2005, over the past two years the program went through and extensive review to update and make standards more rigorous.

 

The Lodi Rules takes a comprehensive approach to farming that goes beyond just pest management to promote practices that enhance biodiversity, water and air quality, soil health, and employee and community well-being.  This allows us to produce higher quality wines more reflective of the places and people that grow them.  It gives you the opportunity to promote responsible farming by enjoying the great wines from these vineyards.

 

When you drink a certified sustainably grown Lodi wine, you are supporting a farmer, a vintner, and a community that embraces its responsibility to take care of the environment.

 

Visit the Lodi Certified Green site for more information on the region’s sustainable winegrowing.

 

 

 

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).

 

Visit Snooth by by clicking here.

 

 

 

Connect with me

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

 

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

 

Cheers!

 

 

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

All rights reserved.

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

Breaking news from Klout:

 

 

Cliff’s Wine Picks mentions or other posts

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

 

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

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

Overview

In the past, I have been lucky enough to be included in a few online tastings featuring wines from some of the small, family owned wineries of Lodi.  During a couple of the events, wines from St. Amant were included in the groups.  The wines caught my attention as wines worthy of being “hunted down”.  A couple weeks ago, I saw this wine on the shelf at a local wine store and immediately grabbed a couple bottles.

 

If your knowledge of wines from Lodi is based on a taste of a large production wine from a giant winery, you owe it to yourself to check out the outstanding wines being produced in a much smaller quantity by the smaller artisan wineries in the region.

 

 

The Winery

St. Amant was founded in 1981 by Tim Spencer and his wife, Barbara St. Amant Spencer.  The couple started out by grafting over two acres of Zinfandel vines to the Portuguese varieties, Avarelhao, BastardoSouzao, Tinta Cao and Touriga Nacional.  Eventually other European grapes were added like Tempranillo and Barbera.

 

In 1992 the winery began working with the Lodi Winegrape Commission to produce single-vineyard, small production wines for them to market the region.  At that point, virtually no Lodi labeled wines were being made and the Commission wanted to showcase the quality of Lodi vineyards by demonstrating their potential with small artisan winemaking.

 

In 1996 after a legal battle with their landlord, the family had to quickly move the winery to a new location.  They found a place in Lodi, and setup shop at the old Guild Winery.  This was a post prohibition era winery, built in the late 1930’s.  It was anything but picturesque, but it was functional, and allowed the family to continue making wines.

 

The winery released their first Lodi “branded” Zinfandel wine in 1997, as they say, the rest is history.

 

It was also at this time the family vineyard was dying of phyloxera.  When the vineyard dies in a winery that makes wine from the grapes they grow, it could be a problem if not a catastrophe.  At that point Tim Spencer worked out a deal with the Lodi Winegrape Commission – if a grower brought them 2 tons of grapes, they would make the wine, give them 25 cases, and keep the balance for themselves.  They had numerous growers take them up on the offer.  One day Jerry Fry showed up with 7 tons of beautiful Old Vine Zinfandel grapes.  Tim didn’t know what to do, he didn’t have the money to pay for the grapes, and they had no idea how the wine would turn out.  Jerry told him not to worry about it, that they would work it out later.  The winery ended up bottling 450 cases of that first vintage.  It won a bunch of awards, sold out quickly, and has since grown to be their most popular wine.

 

Much more information about the winery, family and their wines is available by clicking here.

 

 

From the winery, in their words

Upon entering our winery a visitor once remarked, “Oh! This doesn’t look like a winery.” My dad quickly replied, “There are tanks, barrels, picking bins, and cases of wine. What is a winery supposed to look like?” She replied, “You know, picnic tables, t-shirts, gift items!” He retorted, “Lady! I think you will be much happier visiting somewhere else, and I know I will!”

 

While my father may not have attended the Disney school of customer service, his point was that our winery was built to make wine, not entertain guests with “non-wine” experiences. Our winery was built with the express intent of making the best wines possible. Although we’re housed in an old industrial winery, where the drain tends to be the highest point in the room, we’ve built our winery to produce exceptional quality hand-crafted wines.

 

We make all our wines on site. From crushing to bottling, the wines never leave our control. We do everything by hand, in small lots, and by a few people. This gives us an intimate understanding of each vineyard, each vintage, and each lot of wine so that we can consistently produce original hand-crafted wines.

 

 

The Vineyard (from the winery)

Mohr-Fry Ranch is farmed by our good friends Jerry and Bruce Fry. The father and son team is responsible for managing the family’s diversified farming operation that includes winegrapes and heirloom beans. The family has been farming in California for over 150 years, and their vineyards are the source of our most popular wine – Mohr-Fry Ranch Old Vine Zinfandel.

 

Their home ranch sits directly south of the city of Lodi, on a beautiful 225 acre ranch comprised of 9 separate blocks of own-rooted Old Vine Zinfandel dating back to 1901. We source grapes from multiple vineyard blocks planted between 1901 and 1945. All of them are head-trained and planted on their own roots in very sandy soils. In our opinion, these vineyards produce some of California’s best Zinfandel wines, consistently ripening beautiful grapes.

 

 

This vineyard was one of the first “certified” vineyards under the Lodi Rules for Sustainable Winegrowing.  The Lodi Rules takes a comprehensive approach to address the overall health of the vineyard and ecosystem.  The farming standards go beyond just pest management to promote practices that enhance biodiversity, soil and water health, and employee safety.  For more information, please click here.

 

 

 Jerry and Bruce Fry at the Mohr-Fry Wineyard

  

About Lodi

Lodi is just east of San Francisco and has provided grapes for producers all over the world since the 1800’s.  The Lodi area has provided grapes for producers all over the world for decades, and many families in Lodi have been growing grapes for six and seven generations.  Today, there are approximately 85 wineries and tasting rooms, over 750 growers and more than 100,000 acres planted to vineyards.  The wines we tasted commemorate the heritage of Lodi and are not only exquisite, but tell a narrative.

 

It is a well-known fact that Lodi is predominantly a red wine region, proudly holding the self-proclaimed title of “Zinfandel Capital of the World”.  What is lesser known is that Lodi’s unique Mediterranean climate allows for over 75 different varietals to thrive.

 

Tons of great and useful information is available on the Wines of Lodi, LOCA website.  I highly encourage you to read about the area by clicking here.  You can also follow Lodi on Twitter at @Lodi_Wine.

 

 

Lodi Green Program

The Lodi Rules for Sustainable Winegrowing is California’s first 3rd party-certified sustainable winegrowing program.  Originally launched in 2005, over the past two years the program went through and extensive review to update and make standards more rigorous.

 

The Lodi Rules takes a comprehensive approach to farming that goes beyond just pest management to promote practices that enhance biodiversity, water and air quality, soil health, and employee and community well-being.  This allows us to produce higher quality wines more reflective of the places and people that grow them.  It gives you the opportunity to promote responsible farming by enjoying the great wines from these vineyards.

 

When you drink a certified sustainably grown Lodi wine, you are supporting a farmer, a vintner, and a community that embraces its responsibility to take care of the environment.

 

Visit the Lodi Certified Green site for more information on the region’s sustainable winegrowing.

 

 

 

2012 St. Amant Winery Zinfandel Old Vines Mohr-Fry Ranch Vineyard – $19.99

 

(Even though I paid a bit more at the local store, the suggested retail price for the wine is only $18.  It is available to purchase for $18 on the winery’s website by clicking here.

 

This wine is a blend of 100% Zinfandel that comes from two vineyards planted on Mohr-Fry Ranch.  One vineyard was planted in 1901, the other in 1944.  The head-pruned vines are own-rooted and are situated in the sandy soils just southwest of the city of Lodi.  The vines benefit from the distinctive delta breezes that cool the appellation in the late afternoon and early evening creating an ideal climate for high-quality Zinfandel.

 

The grapes were harvested from September 25th through October 2nd.  The grapes were hand sorted and fermented for 7 days at cool temperature with gentle pumpovers.  The wine was aged for 10 months in 60 gallon American oak barrels, with 25% being new.  A total of 3.068 cases were bottled on July 13, 2013.

 

The wine has 14.9% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a ruby to garnet color.  The enticing nose has brambly berries, warm baking spices, dusty minerals, black pepper, dark bittersweet chocolate, vanilla bean, dried flowers and a touch of subtle earthiness.  This has a fairly full body with soft to moderate tannins and good acidity.  The spicy, brambly berries coat the palate on the front end with dusty minerals, black pepper and dark chocolate coming in later.  The finish has nice length with a nice floral note and subtle earthiness joining the berries and spice.  This is a very easy wine to enjoy now and over the next couple of years.  (91 pts)

 

 

Connect with me

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

 

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

 

Cheers!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 2015 Cliff’s Wine Picks.

All rights reserved.

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

Breaking news from Klout:

 

 

Cliff’s Wine Picks mentions or other posts

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

 

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

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

 

Cheers!