2011 Elyse Zinfandel Korte Ranch

2008 Stefania Haut Tubee

2012 Cosa Obra Proprietor’s Blend

2009 Big Basin Vineyards Homestead

2010 Jacob Franklin Petite Sirah Hayne Vineyard

2014 Diora Pinot Noir La Petite Grace

2008 Westerhold Family Vineyards Syrah Westerhold Vineyard

2009 Girard Petite Sirah

2011 Cornerstone Cellars Pinot Noir

2007 Copain Syrah Brosseau Vineyard

 

 

 

2011 Elyse Zinfandel Korte Ranch – $15.82

This wine has 14.4% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

The wine is a deep ruby color.  The inviting nose has blackberries, cracked black peppercorns, dusty minerals, cherries, espresso beans, dark chocolate, dry underbrush, eucalyptus and wild flowers.  This has medium body with moderate tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate berries, minerals and black peppercorns take control on the front end with dark chocolate and espresso beans coming in on the back end.  The finish has decent length with a touch of eucalyptus and a floral note adding depth.  This isn’t a big, overly rips style of Zin, this is actually very well mannered and nuanced.  This has nice balance and should drink well through the end of the decade.  (91 pts)

 

 

2008 Stefania Haut Tubee – $20.00

This is a blend of 37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Syrah, 15% Merlot, 10% Zinfandel, 2% Grenache and trace amounts of Mourvedre, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Pinot Gris.  The wine is named after the owner’s hot tub in their back yard.  There were 108 cases of the wine produced.  The grapes used in this red blend change dramatically every vintage based on what is available to make this tasty blend.

 

The wine has 13.8% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

The wine is a medium to dark ruby red color with some lightening at the edge.  The nose is open and inviting with cassis, cedar, cherries, white pepper, plums, candied violets, dark chocolate, dried herbs, vanilla, and some earthiness.  This has medium body, soft to moderate tannins and good acidity.  This is much brighter on the palate than I expected with tart cherries, plums and white pepper up front.  On the back end spicy oak, dried herbs and plums come into focus.  The finish has decent length with dark chocolate and some earthiness creeping into the picture.  This is just about as good as it gets for a $20 California blend.  Drink over the next year, maybe two.  (90 pts)

 

 

2012 Cosa Obra Proprietor’s Blend – $25.60

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

 

This is a deep garnet color.  The slightly shy nose has blackberries, cherries, bacon fat, potpourri, licorice and scorched earth.  This has medium to full body with moderate tannins and nice acidity.  This is much more open and expressive on the palate with spicy berries, grilled meat, cherries and stony minerals taking control on the front end with licorice and scorched earth coming in later.  The finish has nice length with the fruit and meaty elements co-mingling nicely.  This tastes nice now but will improve with some cellar time allowing the “baby fat” to integrate and become a bit less prominent.  (90 pts)

 

 

2009 Big Basin Vineyards Homestead – $29.00

As I’ve said in the past, I think Big Basin is one big score from one of the big wine reviewing periodicals away from appearing everyone’s radar.  I’ve been a big fan of Big Basin’s Syrah wines and blends for a few years.  I would highly recommend checking them out.  This is a blend of 46% Grenache, 43% Syrah, and 11% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Santa Cruz Mountains in California.

 

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.

 

Best known for Syrah, but also makes Pinot Noirs and blends.

 

Much more information is available at:  http://bigbasinvineyards.com/

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep ruby to maroon color.  The open and inviting nose has cherries, black raspberries, roasted herbs, dusty minerals, licorice, earthy underbrush, violets, white pepper and a touch of wood smoke.  This has medium to full body, fairly solid, ripe tannins and good acidity.  The palate shows nice spicy fruit with roasted herbs, pepper, with spicy oak adding depth and filling out the palate.  The finish is fairly long with smoky, roasted herbs and fruit slowly fading.  One of the more “civilized” wines I’ve had from Bradley Brown’s Big Basin.  I’m glad I have a few more to enjoy over the next few years.  (92 pts)

 

 

2010 Jacob Franklin Petite Sirah Hayne Vineyard – $32.00

This wine has 13.6% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep purple color.  The inviting nose is full of crushed blackberries, dusty minerals, violets, blueberries, white pepper, road tar, dried violets and vanilla bean.  This has medium to full body with moderate tannins and very nice acidity.  For a Hayne Vineyard Petite Sirah this is bright and lively on your palate with crushed berries, minerals and white pepper hitting on the front end and blueberries, vanilla and dried violets coming in later.  The finish has very nice length with berries and white pepper seeming to linger forever.  This is on the young side but very easy to enjoy even at this stage in its development.  (93 pts)

 

 

2014 Diora Pinot Noir La Petite Grace – $31.99

The wine has 14.5% alcohol.  The bottle is sealed with a natural cork with a thick was coating the cork and next of the bottle.  The wax may look nice but it was tough cutting it off to pull the cork.

 

The wine is a deep garnet to maroon color.  The sensuous nose has black cherries, underbrush, baking spices, crushed stones, eucalyptus and violets.  This has medium body with soft to moderate ripe tannins and nice acidity.  On the palate black berries, underbrush and crushed stones steal the show on the front end with a nice floral note coming in later.  The finish has nice length with cherries and minerals carrying the load.  Not much complexity at this time but some time in the cellar may help, nonetheless this already easy to drink and is very tasty.  (89 pts)

 

 

2008 Westerhold Family Vineyards Syrah Westerhold Vineyard – $42.00

This is a wine I originally tried due to Russell Bevan being the winemaker.  It absolutely blew me away.  I quickly ordered more and put the word out on Twitter.  I suggested to Jeb Dunnuck that he should track down a bottle to try, he then gave it 95+ on his The Rhone Report.  A wine store owner friend from Napa (yes, you Carrie) bought some for the store based on my recommendation, and had to restock since it became very popular.  I’m not sure the status of the winery’s mailing list, but I’d recommend checking to see if it is still open.  The winery now also produces a Pinot Noir.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark purple color.  The spellbinding nose has blackberries, licorice, baking spices, cedar, black pepper, road tar, dried wildflowers, crushed stone minerals and scorched earth.  This has a full body with moderate to solid tannins and good acidity.  This has nice tart berries, black pepper, spicy oak and minerals up front with a dried floral note and some scorched earth coming in on the back end.  The has very nice length on the finish until the tannins and acidity kick in.  This is tasty but really could use some additional cellar time to help the finish open up and fill out.  (93 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.  (90 pts)

 

 

2011 Cornerstone Cellars Pinot Noir – $16.87

The wine has 13.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

The wine is a bright ruby red color.  The appealing nose has cherries, raspberries, warm baking spices, white pepper, dry underbrush, wild flowers and vanilla.  This has medium body with soft to moderate tannins and good acidity.  On the palate cherries, baking spices and white pepper take charge early with dry underbrush and raspberries coming in later.  The finish has nice length with vanilla joining the spices and cherries.  This was better after being opened for an hour or two.  Drink now with some air or let it sleep another year and drink it through the end of the decade.  (91 pts)

 

 

2007 Copain Syrah Brosseau Vineyard – $45.00

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

 

The wine is a dark ruby red color.  The intriguing nose has blackberries, mint, black peppercorns, dusty minerals, dark roast coffee beans, licorice and dried violets.  This has medium to full body with moderate tannins and good acidity.  On the palate the berries, minerals and dark roast coffee immediately take control, slowly allowing black pepper and a minty note to slip through on the back end.  The finish has very nice length with a dried floral note providing depth.  This is drinking very nicely today and should hold for at least another couple of years.  (92 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 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!

 

2011 Lacuna Wines Proprietary Red Blend

2004 Bodegas y Viñedos Montecastro y Llanahermosa Ribera del Duero

2011 Elyse Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2011 Casey Flat Ranch Open Range

2014 Château de Campuget Costières-de-Nîmes Rosé Tradition de Campuget

2007 Westerhold Family Vineyards Syrah Westerhold Vineyard

 

 

 

2011 Lacuna Wines Proprietary Red Blend – $28.99

Most people probably have not heard of this winery.  I was lucky to hear about it only because the winemaker is Morgan Twain-Peterson from Bedrock Winery.

 

This vintage is the first “official” release for the winery, but I was luck to also be able to get a couple bottles of their 2010 vintage.  It looks like the earlier vintage was pretty much gobbled up by restaurants.

 

This vintage is a blend of 85% Syrah, 4% Petite Sirah, 3% Carignan, 2% Zinfandel, 6% Viognier from old vine and cooler sites in Sonoma County.

 

This has 14.3% alcohol and is sealed with a natural cork.

 

The Winery

Lacuna is a collaborative venture between four partners Aaron, Nick, Pete and Morgan.  Our collective and longstanding passion for wine and food enticed us into the industry.

 

Now, after years of experience in many facets of the business we are happy and excited to offer a wine of our own.  Drawing from elements that have shaped our philosophy and preferences for wines that have origins both near and far we aspired to create a wine that is characteristic of California but also connected to a European tradition of balance and harmony.

 

Our vision took almost ten years to realize as we were engaged in our professions as wine importers, consultants, sommeliers and brand managers.  The process included endless speculation and, at times, utter confusion on how to get there.  Fortunately, the picture came into focus when we met our fourth partner and gifted winemaker, Morgan Twain Peterson.

 

For much more information or to join their mailing list, visit their website.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep garnet to purple color.  The enticing nose has blackberries, crushed stone minerals, smoked meat, dried herbs, dark roast espresso, dying wood embers, bacon fat and violets.  This has medium to full body, moderate to solid tannins and very good acidity.  On the palate the berries and smoked meat hit first with nice dried herbs, cherries, crushed stones and some earthiness coming in later.  The finish is fairly long and nicely layered with the fruit, wood embers and dried herbs seeming to last forever.  For such a young wine, this is drinking very nicely today but it has the balance to last in the cellar for many years.  An outstanding first release.  (94 pts)

 

 

 

2004 Bodegas y Viñedos Montecastro y Llanahermosa Ribera del Duero – $28.73

I was in the mood for something a little different today.  A lot of people prefer a Rioja from Spain, but to me the Ribera del Duero is THE destination for outstanding Spanish wines.

 

I bought several of these a number of years ago and opened one WAY too young.  It was enjoyable but needed a couple more years in the cellar.  It’s time to see if I was able to keep my hands off it long enough.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark ruby color.  The open and inviting nose is full of black cherries, dark bittersweet chocolate, smoke, well worn leather, blackberries, warm baking spices, and violets.  This has medium body, fairly solid tannins and very good acidity.  On the palate spicy berries and cherries fly out of the gate with some building dark chocolate coming in on the back end.  The finish is very long and full of spicy cherries and dark chocolate.  Very tasty today but absolutely no hurry on this one.  (92 pts)

 

 

2011 Elyse Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley – $29.99

This wine is a blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc, 6% Malbec, 5% Petite Sirah, 3% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot from Mitchell, York Creek, Camusi and Lynch Vineyards.  The wine was aged for 18 months in American and French oak (40% new).

 

The wine is a deep ruby red color.  The tempting nose has cassis, baking spices, cedar, dusty minerals, vanilla, raspberries, violets, tobacco and just a hint of an herbal note.  This has medium to full body with moderate to solid tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate spicy cassis, cedar and dusty minerals come on hard on the front end with vanilla and raspberries coming in on the back end.  The finish add a pleasant herbal note and more spice.  This is on the young side and it has the balance to age gracefully but that doesn’t stop it from being very tasty today.  This has 13.8% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (91 pts)

 

 

2011 Casey Flat Ranch Open Range – $8.70

This wine is a blend of 68% Syrah, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Petite Sirah, 6% Mourvedre and 1% Merlot.  The grapes for this wine was bought from various North Coast growers combined with some from the estate vineyards.  A total of 2,954 cases were produced.

 

The wine is a deep purple color.  The inviting nose has blackberries, crushed stones, white pepper, cherries, cocoa powder and roasted leafy herbs.  This has medium to full body with soft to moderate tannins and nice acidity.  This is rich and velvety on the palate with crushed berries, cherries, white pepper and crushed stones hitting first followed by dark chocolate.  The finish has decent length with some roasted herbs coming into play.  This isn’t very complex and isn’t made to age but it is very tasty.  This is an easy drinker to enjoy with a week day meal of by itself with friends.  This has a twist off cap and has 14.8% alcohol.  (88 pts)

 

 

 

2014 Château de Campuget Costières-de-Nîmes Rosé Tradition de Campuget – $12.59

This wine is a blend of 70% Syrah and 30% Grenache Noir.

 

The wine is a bright salmon pink color.  The sexy and inviting nose has cherries, strawberries, dusty minerals, orange blossoms, lemon zest, white pepper and a hint of dry earth.  This has light to medium body with crisp acidity and just a hint of sweetness.  On the palate bright fruit and minerals jump out first, followed by white pepper and orange blossoms.  The long finish adds some subtle earthiness and a cleansing twist of lemon.  This is the essence of Spring in a bottle.  Load up on this one if you see it at a good price.  This has 13.0% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a twist off cap.  (90 pts)

 

 

2007 Westerhold Family Vineyards Syrah Westerhold Vineyard – $42.00

This is a wine I tried due to Russell Bevan being the winemaker.  It absolutely blew me away.  I quickly ordered more and put the word out on Twitter.  I suggested to Jeb Dunnuck that he should track down a bottle to try, he then gave it 95+ on his The Rhone Report.  A wine store owner friend from Napa (yes, you Carrie) bought some for the store based on my recommendation, and had to restock since it became very popular.  I’m not sure the status of the winery’s mailing list, but I’d recommend checking to see if it is still open.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark maroon color.  The intense nose has blackberries, smoked meat, black pepper, charcoal, dark bittersweet chocolate, dried herbs, minerals, melted licorice, baking spices, and a nice floral note.  This has a fairly full body, solid ripe tannins and very good acidity.  This is lush and ripe on the palate but not really pushing the ripeness to the edge.  The palate shows nice peppery berries, licorice, and some smoked meat with baking spices and dried herbs in the background.  The finish is very long and highlights the fruit initially but as the fruit slowly fades, the savory elements keep going.  Still extremely young but already outstanding.  (95 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!