2012 Cairdean Vineyards Merlot

Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Champagne Brut

1993 Schwaab-Kiebel Erdener Treppchen Riesling Auslese Fuder #9

2004 Delamotte Champagne Blanc de Blancs Millésimé

2008 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection

 

 

 

2012 Cairdean Vineyards Merlot – $16.00

This wine was purchased from Last Bottle Wines.  Information on the site including a $10 credit for joining is below.

 

This winery changed their name from Cairdean to Brasswood Napa Valley.  That was the reason Last Bottle Wines was able to sell this wine at such an incredible price.

 

The wine is a deep maroon color.  The inviting nose has black cherries, white pepper, vanilla, dusty minerals, cedar, eucalyptus, baking spices, dark chocolate and a touch of blueberry.  This has medium body with moderate to solid tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate black cherries, baking spices, minerals and white pepper take control on the front end with eucalyptus, dark chocolate and vanilla coming in later.  The finish has good length with spicy cedar and a hint of blueberry providing good depth.  This tastes great now but some cellar time will be rewarded.  This has 14.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (93 pts)

 

 

Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Champagne Brut – $45.99

One of the most popular “special occasion” Champagnes in the marketplace.

 

This is a pale straw yellow color with several persistent streams of pinpoint sized bubbles.  The appealing and festive nose has apples, lemon zest, minerals, fresh baked yeasty bread, orange blossoms and white peach.  This has light body with big effervescence and crisp acidity.  On the palate apples, lemon zest, minerals and orange blossoms come in on the front end with yeasty bread and white peach coming in later.  The finish has very good length with crisp, mouthwatering lemony acidity leaving you quickly reaching for another sip.  This has 12.0% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a standard Champagne cork.  (90 pts)

 

 

1993 Schwaab-Kiebel Erdener Treppchen Riesling Auslese Fuder #9 – $19.70

I have a special place in my heart for a well aged German Riesling.  In their youth these wines may seem disjointed with plenty of residual sugar and an overload of acidity.  Over time in the cellar everything comes together, the sugar and acidity evolve into a rich, silky wine that is so easy to drink they can get addictive.

 

The wine is a bright yellow color with a slight golden tint.  The fresh and vibrant nose has apples, flinty minerals, orange blossoms, honey, lychee nuts, white peach and just a hint of petrol.  This has medium to full body with great acidity and nice lingering sweetness.  On the palate apples, minerals, honey and lychee nuts jump out quickly on the front end with orange blossoms and white peach coming in later.  The finish is long and lingering with a hint of petrol.  This is rich and luxurious, a wonderful bottle of wine that does not taste 23 years old.  I have no idea how long this will hold in the cellar but I am not in any hurry to open my remaining bottles.  This has 8% alcohol and the bottle was sealed with a pristine natural cork.  (95 pts)

 

 

2004 Delamotte Champagne Blanc de Blancs Millésimé – $59.29

This wine was purchased from Last Bottle Wines.  Information on the site including a $10 credit for joining is below.

 

The wine is a light yellow color with a slight green tint with very persistent pinpoint sized bubbles.  The festive nose has apples, lemon zest, wet stone minerals, roasted nuts and white flowers.  This has great acidity with nice effervescence.  Tart apples, minerals and lemon zest quickly greet the palate with roasted nuts and white flowers coming in later.  The mouthwatering finish has great length with the lemony acidity causing you to quickly reach for another sip.  No hurry with this one, it will last for several years.  Great job!  This has 12% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a standard Champagne cork.  (94 pts)

 

 

2008 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection – $91.04

One of the original “cult” Napa Cabernet wines.  There are a lot of people who have to grab every vintage as soon as it is released.  This wine has been produced in every vintage since 1975 except 1977, 1993 and 1996 when the wine was not produced.

 

This was the first vintage of this wine to not be 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, this includes 14% Merlot.  The grapes for this wine do not come from a single vineyard like a lot of winery’s top end releases.  This is a blend of grapes from Rutherford 32%, Atlas Peak 15%, Oak Knoll 14%, St Helena 9% and Yountville 6%.  The remaining 24% come from “lesser known” areas in the Napa Valley.

 

The wine is a deep, dark purple color.  The open and inviting nose has cassis, baking spices, fresh ground dark roast coffee, dried herbs, dusty minerals, cherry, dark chocolate, vanilla and a touch of eucalyptus.  This has a full body with moderate to solid, ripe tannins and good acidity.  The wine is rich and plush on the palate with loads of crushed berries, baking spices, and dark chocolate.  There are dried herbs and cherries coming in on the back end filling out the palate and adding depth.  The finish is long and rich with a bit of vanilla creeping in as well a some eucalyptus and dark chocolate.  This is delicious right now but with all the richness, I don’t know if this will be one to hold long term. I’d advise enjoying over the next few years.  This has 15.4% alcohol and 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!