2010 King Estate Pinot Gris Signature Collection

2011 Bedrock Wine Co. Sauvignon Blanc Kick Ranch

2008 New Harbor Pinot Noir

 

 

2010 King Estate Pinot Gris Signature Collection – $12.82

The King Estate Pinot Gris is a warm weather favorite in our house.  This wine usually has enough richness to sip on its own on a warm day but also has enough acidity to easily stand up to some of the lighter fare we eat on a warm Summer evening.  With production in the neighborhood of 100,000 cases, this wine can be found just about everywhere.  If you’ve never tried this wine, give it a shot, you’ll be happy you did.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a light, golden straw color with a slight greenish tint. The fresh and inviting nose has apples, minerals, citrus zest, pears, white peaches, and orange blossoms. This has light to medium body and crisp acidity. On the palate this is like apples and pears tossed with citrus zest with some minerals sprinkled on top. The mouthwatering finish has good length and closes with a nice spritz of lime and minerals.  (89 pts)

 

 

 

2011 Bedrock Wine Co. Sauvignon Blanc Kick Ranch – $22.00

I joined the Bedrock mailing list a few years ago to get access to the red wines they were producing.  Even though I really like those reds, I love their white wines.  In my opinion, Morgan Twain-Peterson is currently producing some of the best white wines coming out of California and selling them at killer prices.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright straw color with glints of green and gold. The nose is a fresh and refreshing, full of apples, white peaches, stony minerals, citrus zest, eucalyptus, fresh cut grass, with a nice floral note. This is light to medium body with crisp, citrusy, acidity. This is bright and very lively with the fruit, citrus, and herbal notes taking turns enticing the palate. The finish is fairly long with the eucalyptus making an appearance to lend a savory element to the fruit and citrus. This is in a real nice place right now, but should hold for another year, maybe longer.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2008 New Harbor Pinot Noir – $5.70

It’s another hot and humid day in the upper Midwest.  After a few days of white wines, I was in the mood for a lighter bodied red wine.  I remembered I still had a couple bottles of this wine, and it should be perfect.  In the past this inexpensive gem has been a nice week night Pinot Noir.  We aren’t talking about anything earth moving or monumental, after all, it cost me just a touch over $5.  This is a light bodied, easy drinking, Pinot Noir from New Zealand.  It has a touch of residual sweetness which does nothing more than add a touch of richness on the back end and finish.  The best part is, it works nicely with a slight chill.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a very light ruby red color.  The soft, delicate, and alluring nose has cherries, baking spices, a bit of earthiness, and some plum.  This has light to medium body, soft silky tannins, nice acidity, and a touch of residual sweetness.  On the palate, sweet fruit and spice dominate with just a touch of earthiness coming in on the back end.  The finish is a touch short, but the touch of sweetness adds some nice richness.  This is fairly straight forward, but it still makes a nice week night Pinot Noir for under $6.  This works  nicely with a slight chill, which works out perfectly on a warm day.  (86 pts)

 

 

You can follow me on Twitter for more wine info and 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.

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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!

 

 

 

This is based on wine provided by the winery or another party acting on their behalf.

 

 

An online tasting for the Ninth Annual Wine Industry Symposium.

 

 

2012 Wente Vineyards Chardonnay Morning Fog Livermore Valley

2011 Garnet Pinot Noir Monterey County

2010 Renwood Zinfandel Premier Old Vine

 

 

This online tasting was presented in conjunction with the 9^th annual WITS, Wine Industry Technology Symposium that was going on in Napa.  Stephen Gilberg (@WineTwits) organized the tasting.  I am very thankful and lucky to have been chosen to participate in the tasting.  More information on WineTwits is available on their website.

 

For more information on WITS, visit their website or Facebook page.

 

This line up for the tasting included three wines from areas in California not named Napa or Sonoma.

 

 

 

2012 Wente Vineyards Chardonnay Morning Fog Livermore Valley – SRP $13.00

Every time I sample a wine from the Livermore Valley, I become a bigger fan of the region.  The Livermore Valley is about 35 miles east of San Francisco, north of San Jose.  The region’s proximity to the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay allows cool breezes and coastal fog to cool the area.  The combination of warm days and cool nights help provide ripe fruit with good natural acidity.

 

Half of this wine was barrel fermented in French oak, the rest was fermented in stainless steel tanks.  The wines were aged for 7 months on lees before blending and bottling.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a fairly bright yellow with a slight golden tint.  The very appealing nose has apples, pineapple, creme brulee, baking spices, and orange blossoms.  This has medium body with nice citrusy acidity, and a touch of residual sweetness.  On the palate the apples and spice jump out first with pineapples, vanilla, and a bit of creaminess coming in later and some zippy citrus bringing up the back end.  The finish has nice length with very nice balance between the rich pineapple and crisp citrus driven acidity.

 

This is a nice wine to serve with a light meal on a warm evening or to enjoy on its own with good friends over conversation.

 

More information is available on the winery’s website.

 

 

2011 Garnet Pinot Noir Monterey County Pinot Noir – SRP $14.99

Over the last few years I’m had and enjoyed the very reasonably priced Pinot Noirs coming out of Monterey County.  The better examples have shown ripe fruit and spice with enough acidity to provide ample support.

 

This wine is made from estate grown fruit from the winery’s vineyards near the Santa Lucia Highlands.  The wine was aged for 11 months in 100% French oak, 60% new.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a light to medium ruby red color.  The inviting nose has cherry, baking spices, subtle earthiness, smoke, strawberries, and a hint of pine.  This has medium body, soft silky tannins, and very nice acidity.  On the palate the fruit hits first with a nice spice component.  Some nice earthiness, smoke, and strawberry come in on the back end adding nice depth.  The finish has very good length and a nice pine note adds interest.

 

This is a slightly larger, brawnier style of Pinot Noir with nice fruit and spice but it also has the acidity to make it very food friendly.  This paired nicely with some grilled chicken and pork.  This would also make a nice wine to sip with friends alone or with some appetizers.  This wine is closed with a twist-off cap.

 

Much more information is available on the winery’s website.

 

 

2010 Renwood Zinfandel Premier Old Vine – SRP $19.99

Amador County, which is located in California’s Sierra Foothills, generally produces wines that are full bodied with robust fruit and spice.  These are generally higher alcohol offerings but with the body and acidity to remain balanced.

 

This wine is composed of 92.5% Zinfandel, 5.8% Syrah, and 1.7% Souzao.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a nice ruby red color.  The big and outgoing nose is full of crushed berries, warm baking spices, black pepper, dark chocolate, fresh ground dark roast coffee, and some nice earthiness.  This full bodied wine has moderate to solid ripe tannins and good acidity.  On the palate this is a rich blend of berries and spice with a bit of pepper and earthiness coming in on the back end.  For a full bodied zinfandel, this is actually well mannered.  This ripe wine is rich and smooth enough to call for some good, spicy bbq ribs.  This should drink well for the next three to four years.

 

For whatever reason, it’s been a while since I last had a Renwood Zinfandel, but this bottle will put the winery back on my radar.  This was a big, full bodied wine with a solid wall of fruit and spice that concealed the 15.5% alcohol.  The back and was eich and smooth.  This went well with a piece of grilled steak, but the richness calls out for some smoky barbecue.

 

More information is available on the winery’s website.

 

 

Here are the grilled skewers of shrimp, steak, pork, and chicken we had while sampling these wines.  Not shown are grilled mushrooms, squash, and zucchini we also served.

 

 

 

***** 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!

 

 

 

2011 La Crema Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

2010 Margarethenhof Ayler Kupp Riesling Spätlese

2010 Sandler Wine Company Grenache Boer Vineyard

2009 Borgo Scopeto (Tenuta Caparzo) Borgonero Toscana IGT

2012 Bedrock Wine Co. Mourvedre Ode to Lulu Rosé

2009 Villa Creek Willow Creek Cuvée

 

 

2011 La Crema Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast – $18.99

We had a couple glasses of this wine a few weeks ago at a local restaurant.  When I saw it on the shelf at the local wines store, I had to grab a couple bottles.  I didn’t take notes on the wine at the restaurant, but I remembered it having nice red fruit and some subtle earthiness.  It will be nice spending a bit of time with a bottle to see how it performs over the course of an evening.  This is a nice, middle of the road, California Pinot Noir.  It’s not a big, overly ripe style of Pinot, but it’s also not a delicate, nuanced version either. 

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright red to ruby color. The very enjoyable nose has cherries, baking spices, strawberry, lilac flowers, and a touch of earthy underbrush. This has medium body, moderate ripe tannins, and very good acidity. Spicy red fruit kicks off the palate with more spice and some earthiness coming in afterwards adding depth. The bright fruit carries no excess weight or overly ripe notes. The finish has decent length and again highlights the spice laden red fruit. This very nice week night Pinot Noir offers great QPR if you can find it for under $20.  (89 pts)

 

 

 

 

2010 Margarethenhof Ayler Kupp Riesling Spätlese – $7.92

This wine was offered by the local wine store via a weekly e-mail offer.  It’s hard for me to pass on a German Riesling, especially one I can get for under $8.00.  As expected, I grabbed a case without even trying it.  I worked at the store for a few hours yesterday, and there was still about a half bottle sitting under the wine bar that had been opened for over 24 hours.  The wine was room temperature so I wasn’t expecting too much when I tried a taste.  I was very pleasantly surprised the wine was outstanding.  I took the bottle home so I could sample it at a better serving temperature.  I also happily took my case home and stashed it in my wine cellar.

 

My Tasting Note

This note is from a bottle that had been opened for over a day and left over night on the counter with the cork stuck back in the bottle.  The wine is a bright golden yellow color.  The very appealing and inviting nose has apples, honey, orange zest, Spring flowers, and a touch of petrol.  This has medium body, a fair amount of residual sugar and very nice, crisp acidity that keeps the sweetness in line.  On the palate the honeyed apples and citrus zest coat the palate but is kept from getting cloying by the citrusy acidity.  The finish is long and again full of apples, honey, and citrus.  If you like an off dry Riesling, this is top notch.  This has marvelous balance that will allow it to easily cellar for several years.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

 

2010 Sandler Wine Company Grenache Boer Vineyard – $25.00

Sandler Wine Company is the personal label of ever-present consulting winemaker, Ed Kurtzman.  Sandler Wine Company is devoted to small bottlings of Pinot Noir, Syrah, Zinfandel and Grenache, from some of Ed’s favorite vineyard and grower sources.  Production of most wines very seldom exceeds 100 cases and in some cases don’t even reach 25 cases.  This is a highly recommended mailing list to check out if you want very reasonably priced, small production wines. 

 

For more information, checkout their website.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a nice, bright ruby red color.  The civilized and refined nose has raspberries, minerals, warm baking spices, mint, cherries, wild flowers, and a touch of earthiness.  This has medium body, fairly solid tannins, and very good acidity.  On the palate the fruit and spice grab hold initially, eventually allowing a touch of mint, earthiness, and a floral note to come through.  The finish has nice length but gets a touch thin.  This needs some cellar time which should allow the back end to flesh out.  This is very good now, but will be much better in another year or two.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

 

2009 Borgo Scopeto (Tenuta Caparzo) Borgonero Toscana IGT – $16.62

I grabbed a six pack of this wine from an e-mail offer by the local wine store based on a very positive recommendation by an Italian wine loving friend.  This “Super Tuscan” is a blend of 60% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Syrah. 

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a medium to deep ruby red color, lighter at the edge. The appealing nose has cherries, warm baking spices, blackberries, white pepper, earthy underbrush, dried herbs, and a touch of dark chocolate. This has medium body, moderate tannins, and very good acidity. Tart, spicy, earthy fruit dominate the palate with dried herbs and some chocolate coming in on the back end. The finish has nice length and is an extension of the palate with just a touch of spicy oak creeping into the picture. For a very young wine, this is drinking very nicely today. This should improve with another year in the cellar and drink well for a few additional years.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

We made up a platter of assorted breaded and fried ravioli with fresh basil and grated parmigiana with some marinara sauce for dipping to go with the  Borgo Scopeto Borgonero.  A salad completed the dinner.  The food and wine pairing was perfect.  The wine has enough acidity to cut through the fried ravioli especially the ones that were stuffed with cheese.  The wine also had enough oomph to stand up to the ones that were stuffed with beef and sausage. 

 

 

 

 

2012 Bedrock Wine Co. Mourvedre Ode to Lulu Rosé – $19.00

This rosé from Bedrock as well as Villa Creek’s offering, form the nucleus of my warm weather  rosé wines.  I mix in a few others I buy at the local store, but these two make up well over 50% of the rosés we drink during the year.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a light pink to salmon color. The fresh and clean nose has strawberries, minerals, white peaches, cherries, and some subtle earthiness. This has light body with crisp acidity and maybe just a touch of residual sugar. Crisp, juicy fruit and minerals dominate the palate with a touch of earthiness in the background. The finish has nice length and leaves a very slightly sweet and crisp final impression. The perfect wine to enjoy on a warm Summer afternoon with or without food.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

 

2009 Villa Creek Willow Creek Cuvée – $33.60

If you check out this blog very often or follow me on Twitter, you already know I’m a big fan of Paso Robles based Villa Creek.  Vintage after vintage produce outstanding blends revolving around the grapes from France’s RhoneValley.  The Willow Creek Cuvée as well as their Avenger are two of my favorite VC wines.  This wine is a blend of 50% Grenache, 30% Mourvedre and 20% Syrah sourced from the Denner and James Berry vineyards.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep ruby color.  The big and bold nose has raspberries, blackberries, minerals, licorice, dried herbs, warm baking spices, cherries, wood smoke, and a bit of earthiness.  This full bodied gem has moderate to solid tannins and good acidity.  On the palate the spicy fruit kicks off the show with minerals and some earthiness waiting in the wings.  The finish is long and layered with nice fruit and savory elements taking turns stealing the show.  This is a touch young but still drinking very nicely with some air.  (92 pts)

 

  

 

I grilled up some beef and chicken fajitas to pair with the Willow Creek.  The wine was able to stand up to the big, bold flavors from the meat.  The only problem was that the mixed peppers had one pepper that was quite hot that clashed with the wine.  Luckily that particular pepper was fairly small and did not appear in too many bites of the fajitas.

 

 

 

  

***** 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!

 

 

 

2009 Domaine André Brunel Côtes du Rhône Villages Cuvée Sabrine

2008 Carlisle Syrah Sonoma County

2007 Elyse Petite Sirah Barrel Select

 

 

2009 Domaine André Brunel Côtes du Rhône Villages Cuvée Sabrine – $9.49

The local store brought some of this in when the distributor was looking to clear out some wines.  I was able to get several bottles of this gem for under $10 a bottle.  I’m glad I grabbed several bottle because this is going to be an outstanding Côtes du Rhône down the road if I can keep my hands off of it.

 

This is a blend of 80% Grenache and 20% Mourvedre.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep violet color. The dark and meaty nose has black cherries, minerals, charred meat, blackberries, licorice, potpourri, and earthy underbrush. This has medium to full body, fairly solid tannins, and good acidity. On the palate the minerals, earth, and fruit flavors slowly give way to meaty elements. The finish has nice length but gets a touch thin. This is still very young and will reward another year or two in the cellar. The time in the cellar should add some complexity and help fill out the finish.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2008 Carlisle Syrah Sonoma County – $19.50

This wine is one of the main reasons the Carlisle mailing list if full, outstanding wines at incredible prices.  I have a feeling I’m opening this on the young side, but I wanted to get a reference point on how the wine is evolving.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep purple color.  The intoxicating nose has crushed blackberries, charred meat, black pepper, potpourri, eucalyptus, and Asian spices.  This has medium to full body, fairly solid tannins, and very nice acidity.  The wine is a bit more restrained on the palate with blackberries, pepper, and spice taking center stage with some dark chocolate and a minty note coming in on the back end.  The finish has decent length but does leave you wanting a bit more.  This is still on the young side and the finish may flesh out a bit more with some cellar time.  For under $20 this is a steal.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2007 Elyse Petite Sirah Barrel Select – $20.83

This appears to be a wine that is not produced every year.  I can only see evidence of it being produced in the 1996, 2006, 2007, and 2010 vintages.  I’ve had the 2006 and 2010 vintages in the past but this will be my first time opening the 2007 vintage.  I bought several bottles direct from the winery in early 2009, but decided to let them sleep for a few years.  I’m looking forward to seeing what is in the bottle.  This has 9% Zinfandel blended in with the Petite Sirah.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a dark, inky maroon color, almost black.  The very expressive nose is full of crushed blackberries, minerals, blueberries, fresh ground dark roast coffee, dark bittersweet chocolate, warm baking spices, and vanilla.  This has medium to full body, solid tannins, and very nice acidity.  On the palate the spicy blackberries and minerals hit first and slowly allow some coffee and chocolate to peak through.  The finish is long and full of berries and dark chocolate with nice spice and coffee adding depth.  This is on the young side but is starting to show some impressive complexity.  I’m sure this will be even better in another couple of years.  This isn’t made in a massively ripe style, the alcohol is a manageable 14.7%.  This will easily last another decade.  (92 pts)

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

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!

 

 

 

2011 Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc

2005 Jacob Franklin Cabernet Sauvignon Hoffman Lane

2009 Trentadue Winery Cuvée 32 40th Anniversary Collector’s Edition

2007 Bonny Doon Vineyard Le Cigare Blanc

2005 Clot de l’Oum Côtes du Roussillon Villages Caramany Saint Bart Vieilles Vignes

 

 

2011 Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc – $15.78

CloudyBay has been my favorite New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc for several years.  When I saw this wine on my local wine store’s shelf and found out the owner/wine maker is Kevin Judd, a decision to grab a few bottles was easy.  Kevin Judd, was the founding wine maker for CloudyBay.  After directing 25 vintages at CloudyBay, Kevin decided it was time to fulfill his life long dream and set his own course.  Greywacke, which opened in 2009, is the culmination of that dream.  After trying a bottle, I had to go back to the store while it was still on sale and stock up.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a very light, pale, straw color. The crisp and clean nose has grapefruit, minerals, lime, lemon zest, white pepper, gooseberry, and a touch of an herbal note. This has a light body with tart citrusy acidity. On the palate tart grapefruit and white pepper lead off with lime and lemon kicking in on the back end. The finish is long and mouthwatering with minerals and an herbal note joining the citrus and white pepper. A stunning wine for a warm afternoon with or without food.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2005 Jacob Franklin Cabernet Sauvignon Hoffman Lane – $35.00

I’ve always felt, even though most wineries make wine with grapes from multiple vineyards, the estate owned vineyard around the tasting room and winery are special.  In most cases, this is the first impression a visitor gets when visiting a winery for the first time.  Wineries spend a little extra time to ensure these grapes look special.  Generally the wines made from these grapes show the extra care that went into the grapes.  To me, this is one of those wines.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep maroon color.  The very appealing nose has cassis, licorice, warm baking spices, eucalyptus, dried herbs, cedar, tobacco, and a touch of smoke.  This has a fairly full body, moderate to solid tannins, and very nice acidity.  On the palate this has a solid wall of fruit and spice up front with dried herbs, toasty oak, and some eucalyptus coming in on the back end.  The finish is fairly long and has a very nice blend of fruit and savory elements.  This has superb balance with no out of place or dominant element.  This is still on the young side and will show well for at least the next several years.  (93 pts)

 

 

 

2009 Trentadue Winery Cuvée 32 40th Anniversary Collector’s Edition – $16.90

We have visited the Alexander Valley based Trentadue Winery a few times in the past and always had a good time and an even better tasting.  This is a long time favorite wine in my house.  The blend varies each vintage, this one is 49% Sangiovese, 27% Merlot, 8% Montepulciano, 8% Malbec, 7% Petite Sirah, and 1% Syrah.  This wine has enough acidity from the Sangiovese to stand up to dishes with tomatoes but the other grapes lend enough body and oomph to stand up to meat.  We like this wine with everything from pasta with meat sauce to Veal Parmesan and baked ziti.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a medium to dark garnet color.  The very inviting nose has cherries, warm baking spices, dried herbs, raspberries, black pepper, wild flowers, some licorice, and a bit of earthiness.  This has medium body, moderate to solid tannins, and good acidity.  On the palate the spicy, peppery fruit jumps out first with dried herbs and earthiness coming in later.  The finish has very nice length with good balance between the fruity and savory elements.  This California version of a “Super Tuscan” is one of the better ones currently being produced.  Enjoy this now or stash it away for a few years.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2007 Bonny Doon Vineyard Le Cigare Blanc – $6.64

I grabbed a few of these on close out at the local wine store in January.  I wanted to try one to see if I should grab some more to last through the upcoming Spring/Summer seasons.  I was a more than a bit leery about buying a six year old wine of unknown provenance.  Those fears were put to rest as soon as I had my first sip.  This is a blend of 64.3% Roussanne and 35.7% Grenache Blanc from the Beeswax Vineyard in Arroyo Seco.  Now that warmer weather has finally settled into the upper Midwest, I’m looking forward to enjoying the half case I was able to grab before it sold out.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a glistening yellow to gold color. The Spring breeze like nose has honeysuckle, beeswax, minerals, apples, lemon zest, white peaches, orange blossoms, and spice. This has light to medium body and very good acidity. On the palate tart apples and pears loaded with stony minerals hit first followed by nice citrusy acidity. The finish is fairly long with a touch of juicy peach adding a little something extra.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

2005 Clot de l’Oum Côtes du Roussillon Villages Caramany Saint Bart Vieilles Vignes – $24.87

I bought this wine from Garagiste Wine in late 2007.  As usual, I didn’t receive the wine until early to mid 2008.  Again, as usual, the slow shipping wasn’t an issue for me since most of the wines I buy from them aren’t purchased for early consumption.  I had a bottle of this early last year and felt it wasn’t really ready to drink.  The longer the bottle was opened, the better the wine drank.  It’s been a years and a half, so I’m eager to see how the passing time has helped this impressive wine.

 

This is an organically grown blend of high altitude old-vine Syrah, Grenache and Carignan.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep violet color.  The nose on this wine is absolutely stunning, probably the best of the year, so far.  The nose is full of black raspberries, cherries, minerals, garrigue, game, mint, dried flowers, licorice, and some earthiness.  This has medium body, moderate to solid tannins, and very good acidity.  The palate has multiple layers of fruit and savory elements that take turns stealing the show.  The finish has very nice length and leans more on the savory elements with the fruit providing some nice background sweetness.  This still seems to be on the young side so I’d give it some air or preferably let it sleep for another couple of years.  (93 pts)

 

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

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!

 

 

 

2011 Myriad Cellars Sémillon McGah Family Vineyard

2011 Treasure Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

2009 Copain Pinot Noir Tous Ensemble

2011 One Time Spaceman MCA Rosé

2008 Turley Zinfandel Ueberroth Vineyard

 

 

2011 Myriad Cellars Sémillon McGah Family Vineyard – $24.00

When Mike Smith, the owner/wine maker of Myriad Cellars sent out an e-mail offer for this wine as well as three others with a total combined production of well under 200 total cases, I was lucky enough to get a small allocation.  This was one of those offers you couldn’t refuse.  There was a total production of only 48 cases of this wine.  How can you pass on a single vineyard, Rutherford Sémillon for $24?  I couldn’t!  In the same offer, I had to also grab a few bottles of their Rutherford sourced Petit Verdot, which had an even lower production of only 22 cases.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright yellow with a golden tint.  The crisp and clean nose has melon, pineapple, lemon zest, toasted almonds, minerals, spices, honey, and a very slight herbal note.  This has medium body, tart citrusy acidity, and a touch of tannins.  On the palate this has rich fruit and minerals up front with a big jolt of citrus coming in to hold everything together very nicely on the midpalate.  The finish has nice length with a touch of an herbal element coming into the picture.  This is drinking nicely, but seems to be on the young end of the drinking window.  This can be enjoyed now or over the next 4 years.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2011 Treasure Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley – $28.49

This is a new purchase from this “négociant’ label.  The “winery” buys excess wine from traditional wineries, bottles it, and turns over their inventory fairly quickly.  The wineries are generally eager to sell off their unwanted wines so Treasure Hunter gets the juice at a VERY big discount.  One of the usual stipulations is that the source of the grapes/wine remains anonymous.  In this case, the name of the original winery was “accidentally” slipped, so I know who supposedly made the wine, but I’m sworn to secrecy.

 

Here is the info from Treasure Hunter’s website:

Occasionally we find a wine that is so special, it deserves it’s own label. This is one of those wines. It is a cult wine from a cult winery it just happens to cost a whole lot less. Lucky you.

 

If the source is accurate, the winery produces two cabernet sauvignons, the least expensive costs north of $100 a bottle.  The other cabernet produced by the winery has a community average cost on Cellar Tracker of well over $300 a bottle.

 

This wine is available for sell on the Treasure Cellars website for $45.00 a bottle, click here for more info.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright ruby red color.  The very inviting nose has cassis, dark bittersweet chocolate, dried herbs, eucalyptus, cherries, minerals, cigar box, and some “Rutherford Dust” (if this is from Rutherford).  This has medium body, fairly solid tannins, and very good acidity.  On the palate big cassis and eucalyptus grab hold eventually allowing cherries, dark chocolate, and some dried herbs enter into the mix.  The finish has very good length with a very slight green herbaceous element creeping in on the back end.  This is extremely young and has a very bright future.  Even at this early stage in its development, the wine has impeccable balance.  I’m sure with some cellar time the slight green element will integrate.  This rating is totally out the window in another couple years.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2009 Copain Pinot Noir Tous Ensemble – $25.00

I’ve slowed down my Copain purchases over the last couple of years, but I’m still a big fan of their “Tous Ensemble” wines.  To me, the Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Rosé all have quality that greatly exceeds their price points.  This has been a consistently good $25 Anderson Valley Pinot that is comparable to $40 or higher wines from the area.

 

This was Copain’s effort to put out a value priced, mid-level, appellation branded level of wines.  The Copain Tous Ensemble line up has grown to now include Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Roussanne, Viognier, and a Rosé.  In my opinion, the Copain Tous Ensemble lineup offers stunning quality for the price.  I’ve had and greatly enjoyed multiple vintages of the Syrah, Pinot Noir, and the Rosé.  I believe these wines have some distribution, I highly recommend grabbing a bottle to sample if you see one on your local wine store’s shelf.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a light to medium ruby red color.  The slightly reserved nose has cherries, baking spices, raspberries, orange zest, minerals, and a bit of earthiness and smoke.  This is barely medium body with soft, silky tannins, and very good acidity.  Much more open and robust on the palate with tart cherries, juicy raspberries, spice and some earthiness taking turns leading the charge.  The finish has decent length with a touch of orange zest and spice lingering nicely.  This is a very nice, nuanced, California Pinot with very good balance.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2011 One Time Spaceman MCA Rosé – $15.21

This bottle is a leftover from last Summer.  I’ve had this several times and it’s a very nice, easy drinking, fruity Rosé.  This is just a touch soft and shows a touch of sweetness, making it a great, easy drinker on a nice, sunny day.  This is a Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre blend from Paso Robles.  The winemaker, Mark Adams, is a rising star in my opinion.  Besides the One Time Spaceman label, he has another label called Ledge.  I recommend doing a Google search for them and joining the mailing list.  Mark is also the assistant winemaker for a small Paso Robles winery you may have heard of, Saxum.  In his spare time, he is also a musician.  Check out his latest offering, Panjanatan, I know it’s available on Amazon, that’s where I bought it, and probably other places as well.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright pinkish salmon color.  The fresh smelling nose has watermelon, strawberries, cherries, white peaches, white pepper, orange zest, and just a hint of earthiness.  This has medium body with nice acidity and just a touch of sweetness.  On the palate, nice red fruit and spice steal the show with a touch of white pepper and orange zest coming in on the back end.  The finish is crisp and clean and has nice length.  This is an easy drinking rosé, perfect for a warm, sunny afternoon.  (89 pts)

 

 

 

2008 Turley Zinfandel Ueberroth Vineyard – $48.00

Ueberroth is my favorite vineyard source for Turley grapes that is not named Hayne.  This vineyard generally yields a big, full bodied wine with loads of pepper and spice.  In a nutshell, this is the type of old vine Zinfandel that put Turley on the map.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark garnet color.  The classic zin nose is full of crushed briary berries, black pepper, minerals, wild flowers, and warm baking spices.  This full bodied wine has moderate ripe tannins and good acidity.  On the palate the pepper dusted berries steal the show with nice building minerality on the back end.  The long, lingering finish again shows a boat load of minerals and peppery berries with a bit of earthiness also coming into the picture.  This carries its 15.9% alcohol and keeps it under wraps with only slight glimpses peaking out every once in a while.  (94 pts)

 

 

 

The evolution of our holiday dinner:

 

A rack of ribs and a beef brisket:

 

Apply a nice coating of a personally prepared dry rub:

 

Wrap the meat in plastic wrap and pop in the fridge for at least 12 hours.

 

Remove meat from the fridge and unwrap.  The dry rub will have drawn out some of the juices in the meat, broken down, and will have soaked into the meat.  Ready for the smoke.

 

After about 7 hours of smoke at about 250 degrees, I wrap the meat in some foil for about 45 minutes to an hour.  This helps the meat “pull back” a bit on the bone.  This makes the ribs a bit easier to handle and admit it, it just looks cool.

 

Here’s a picture of the finished beef brisket:

 

The Turley Zinfandel paired perfectly with this meat.  The big, bold flavors of the zin held up well against the equally big flavors from the meat, dry rub, and smoke.

 

 

 

***** 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!

 

 

 

2008 Treasure Hunter Wines Helen’s Helm

2007 Graeser Cabernet Franc Estate Grown

2004 Bodegas AAlto Ribera delDuero AAlto

 

 

2008 Treasure Hunter Wines Helen’s Helm – $17.52

Treasure Hunter is a “négociant’ label.  The “winery” doesn’t own any vineyards or even a winery.  They buy excess wine from other wineries and either bottle it as is or do some blending and then bottle the finished product.  In most cases Treasure Hunter wines are identical to another, much more expensive, wine in the market place.  During the recent “economic downturn” when a lot of wineries were cutting back on their production, Treasure Hunter was the recipients of some great juice that they sold at killer prices.

 

My Tasting Note

This is a deep, dark maroon color.  The very nice nose has blackberries, minerals, baking spices, charred meat, vanilla, cherries, dark bittersweet chocolate, and some earthiness.  This has a fairly full body, fairly solid tannins, and very good acidity.  On the palate a loads of juicy berries, tart cherries, and minerals hit first with nice spice and a meaty element coming in on the back end.  The finish is long and lingering with some dark chocolate joining the spice and berries.  This is a very impressive wine that drinks several notches above its price point.  (93 pts)

 

 

 

2007 Graeser Cabernet Franc Estate Grown – $33.33

There’s a story behind this bottle of wine.  This is (was) a very small winery on Diamond Mountain in Calistoga.  We had visited the winery several times and enjoyed their wines, especially the Cabernet Franc.  I received an e-mail in January 2010 offering this wine at a nice discount on a case purchase.  The wine wasn’t bottles yet, but was to be bottled in early May and shipped as soon as possible after that time.  Mid May rolled around, and I sent them an e-mail asking if the wine would ship before it got too hot and didn’t receive a response.  I e-mailed and called the winery several times over the next few months with no response.  In September or October, their phone was disconnected and e-mails started bouncing.  A Google search confirmed my worst fears, the winery had entered into bankruptcy.

 

Over the next two years, I continued attempting to track down anyone associated with the winery or whoever purchased their “assets”.

 

Finally in late 2012, I heard back from the former owner, he had finally checked the old e-mail accounts.  After several phone calls and dozens of e-mails, he agreed he owed me my case of wine.  All of the wine at the winery had been seized, but he had been able to slip a few cases out.  He sent me a case from this “private stash”.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a medium ruby red color.  The classic nose has cedar, cassis, tobacco, well worn leather, dried herbs, baking spices, a touch of cherry and some earthiness.  This has medium body, moderate tannins, and very bright acidity.  On the palate the cassis and spicy oak jump to the forefront with dried herbs and some earthiness in the background.  The finish has decent length with cherries and dried herbs coming into the picture.  This lacks a bit of the richness of some earlier vintages and the acidity is fairly prominent at this point in the wine’s development.  Maybe another year or two may help integrate the acidity, but this will never live up to their stunning 1992 and 2002 vintages.  This will appeal more to those with an old world palate than those expecting a big and rich California wine.  (89 pts)

 

 

 

We paired the Cabernet Franc with a lighter dinner on the deck since it was a very nice but slightly cool evening.  We made an herb rubbed pork tenderloin with a creamy tarragon sauce that gets a bit of a kick from grainy Dijon mustard.  We also made one of my favorite Summer sides dishes, a salad made from fresh corn and lima beans.  Maybe not a classic pairing, but it worked very nicely on this occasion.  If you would like either recipe, leave a comment or shoot me an e-mail to cliff@CliffsWinePicks.com.

 

 

 

2004 Bodegas AAlto Ribera del Duero AAlto – $31.67

I have several “friends” who had the great fortune of spending the last week touring parts of Spain on someone else’s dime.  After seeing their pictures, reading their tweets and Facebook posts, and checking out their blogs, I’m in the mood for something from Spain.  I don’t think they visited the Ribera del Duero region, but I wanted something big and burly to go with grilled rib-eyes, so this was the winner.

 

I’ve enjoyed this wine many times over the years.  I have a few older vintages in the cellar, but since I have a nice stash of this vintage, I decided it was time to check in to see how it is coming along.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep maroon, dark color.  The stunning nose has blackberry liqueur, melted licorice, warm baking spices, cedar, dark bittersweet chocolate, some earthy underbrush, and a nice floral note.  This has medium to full body, fairly solid tannins, and good acidity.  On the palate the wine is rich and plush with spicy berries, dark chocolate, and some earthiness.  The finish is long and loaded with spicy fruit and dark chocolate.  This tastes outstanding today, but may get even better with some additional cellar time.  (94 pts)

 

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

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!

 

 

This is based on samples supplied by the winery or another organization on their behalf.

 

2010 Trimbach Riesling

2011 Meyer-Fonné Riesling Reserve

2011 Domaine Ostertag Riesling Vignoble d’E

2011 Domaine Weinbach Riesling Cuvée Théo

 

 

 

 

The Region of Alsace

Tucked into France’s northeastern corner, Alsace follows the Rhine River through its long, thin strip.  The Vosges Mountains protect and provide Alsace with a backdrop for some of France’s most stunning scenery.

 

Central to this landscape of rolling hills and charming timber villages is the renowned Alsace Wine Route (Route des Vins d’Alsace), a 106 mile journey winding through more than 100 wine villages, 19 of which host 26 Michelin-starred restaurants.  Incomparable weather and scenery, delicious eating and drinking, and generous hospitality make Alsace a feast for all the senses.

 

Loads of information on Alsace is available here.

 

 

 

The lineup for the tasting was:

 

 

 

2010 Trimbach Riesling – SRP $20

To me, Trimbach is the torch bearer for Alsace wines.  You can find their wines in just about every decent wine store in the country.

 

The Trimbach family has been producing wine since 1626 and the 13^th generation of the family, Anne, has recently joined the “family business”.  Trimbach usually harvests their grapes in late October.  The grapes are fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks and concrete vats.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a light yellow to straw color.  The fresh and Spring like nose has lemon zest, minerals, apples, candied ginger, steamy slate, orange blossoms, white peach, and a touch of pineapple.  This has fairly light body, very crisp acidity, and is dry.  On the palate mouthwatering lemon and minerals kick off the show with candied ginger and a floral note kicking in on the back end.  The finish is very long with a bit of pineapple adding to the lemon and minerals.  This was better as it warmed and got some air.  This is good now, but will reward a few years in the cellar.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2011 Meyer-Fonné Riesling Reserve – SPR $22

This is another old world winery that has been around for a LONG time.  In this case, the winery was founded in 1732.

 

The winery is increasingly getting into organic farming and does not use synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, or pesticides.  All grapes are hand picked and are fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks or oak barrels using native yeasts.  The wines are aged on their fine lees

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a very light straw color.  The very open and easy going nose has lemon zest, apples, white peaches, minerals, and honeysuckle.  This has light to medium body, good acidity, and just a touch of sweetness.  On the palate this is very fruit driven with apples and citrus up front with minerals and white peach coming in later.  The finish has nice length and again is fruit driven.  This is a touch softer that most dry Rieslings making it seem a touch sweeter.  This fruit driven wine could easily stand alone on a hot afternoon or evening of pair with a spicy dish.  (87 pts)

 

 

 

2011 Domaine Ostertag Riesling Vignoble d’E – SRP $24

This is a relatively new winery that was founded in 1966.

 

This wine is a blend of grapes from 15 different plots in and around the village of Epfig.  This wine is made in a style that showcases the fruit with little regard for terroir.  The grapes are whole cluster pressed via a pneumatic press and fermented using wild yeasts and aged in stainless steel tanks for a year.

 

This wine is Certified Organic.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a very light, pale straw color.  The very nice nose has lemon zest, toast, apples, white flowers, spice, grapefruit, apricots, and minerals.  This has light to medium body, good acidity, and has just a hint of sweetness.  The creamy palate features nice citrus and apples up front with a nice floral note, pices, and minerals coming in on the backend.  The finish has very nice length and again highlights the citrus, apple, and minerals, with a slight saline element coming into play.  This would be a very nice wine to serve to a new comer as an introduction to dry Rieslings.  (89 pts)

 

 

 

2011 Domaine Weinbach Riesling Cuvée Théo – SRP $30

Talk about a winery with some history!  The winery was established in 1612 and the land has been home to vines since at least the year 890.

 

All Domaine Weinbach wines are estate-grown and bottled.  The vineyards have been cultivated organically for 20 years.

 

After gentle pressing the wines are vinified in ancient 1500 to 6000 liter casks using only native yeasts.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a light golden straw color.  The very appealing nose has lemon zest, minerals, anise, white pepper, white peaches, apples, pineapple, lime zest, yeasty bread, and orange blossoms.  This has light to medium body, crisp acidity, and is dry.  Even though this is dry it has nice richness on the palate with a nice mix of fruit and minerals with a very appealing herbal note in the background and a spritz of lime kicking in on the lengthy finish.  Even at the young age, this is already showing nice complexity.  This is one to enjoy now or a few years down the road.  Impressive.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

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

 

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

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

 

 

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!

 

 

2009 JC Cellars Syrah Fess Parker Vineyard

2007 Core Tempranillo C3 Reserve

 

 

This is a much smaller than usual Thursday edition of Cliff’s Wine Picks.  I had online tastings on Monday (3 bottles from Murrieta’s Well) and on Thursday (4 bottles of Rieslings from Alsace).  There are, or will be posts on those events in the next few days.

 

 

 

2009 JC Cellars Syrah Fess Parker Vineyard – $18.99

When the local store brought these in, along with a few other JC Cellars wines and offered them at a killer price, I had to grab a mixed case.  After trying the Roussanne and Petite Sirah from the offer, I grabbed several more bottles.  This will be my first bottle of this wine and I have fairly high expectations.  I loved the Rosenblum wines crafted by Jeff Cohn and have never been disappointed by the ones he has produced under his own label.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep garnet color.  The inviting nose has smoky, earthy berries, dark bittersweet chocolate, minerals, meat juices, black pepper, dried herbs, warm baking spices, and just a touch of road tar.  This has a fairly full body, moderate to full tannins, and good acidity.  On the palate the juicy, smoky berries grab hold, slowly allowing dried herbs, black pepper, and meaty elements to slip through.  The finish has nice length with some earthiness and dark chocolate being added to the mix.  This is still very young but already showing well with some air.  This will be much better down the road.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2007 Core Tempranillo C3 Reserve – $17.06

I’ve been a fan of Dave Corey’s Core Wines since I grabbed a six pack of his 2004 Core Red Blend 163 several years ago.  Those six bottles didn’t last very long in my cellar but over the years I have had the good fortune of being able to grab some bottles either online or when I ventured down to Chicago where the wine was (is?) distributed.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a slightly hazy ruby red color.  The stunning nose has cherries, black raspberries, minerals, Asian spices, worn leather, melted licorice, earthy underbrush, tobacco, and some dried herbs.  This has medium body, moderate ripe tannins, and very nice acidity.  The palate has tart cherries, minerals, and a load of spices up front with dried herbs and slowly building earthiness on the back end.  The long, lingering finish is a continuation of the tart cherries, spice, and earthiness from the palate.  This is on the young side but drinking very nicely today with a bit of air.  An outstanding California Tempranillo.  (93 pts)

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

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!

 

 

This is based on samples supplied by the winery or another organization on their behalf.

 

 

2012 Murrieta’s Well the Whip (White Blend)

2011 Murrieta’s Well Los Tesoros White Meritage

2011 Murrieta’s Well the Spur (Red Blend)

 

 

 

Murrieta’s Well was named after the legendary bandito Joaquin Murrieta.  Joaquin roamed California during the Gold Rush era rounding up wild cattle and horses.  He would then “drive” them down to Mexico to sell to the Mexican Army.  The bubbling artesian well on the site that now is the winery was one of his popular watering spots on his journeys.  More information on this historical location is available on the Historical Marker database.

 

With a deeply rooted history, unsurpassed terroir and rich winemaking heritage, Murrieta’s Well is one of California’s original treasures.  The 92-acre Estate was originally propagated by Louis Mel in 1883 with vineyard cuttings from Chateau d’Yquem and Chateau Margaux.  During the same era, he built a gravity-flow winery into the hillside adjacent to the property’s artesian well.  In 1990, Philip Wente and Sergio

Traverso realized a lifelong dream to revive the historic property, and since then, the two have been crafting Estate blends that highlight the best attributes of the terroir.

 

Murrieta’s Well is part of Wente Family Estates along with Wente Vineyards and Tamás Estates.  The winery produces approximately 12,000 cases a vintage

 

Much more of the winery’s history and additional information on these wines and others are available on their website.   The winery also has a Wine Club with nice discounts and other benefits.  Additional information is available here.

 

 

The lineup for this tasting:

 

I didn’t know what to expect from these wines since this was a new winery for me.  The White Meritage was a straight forward white Bordeaux blend but the Whip and the Spur were fairly exotic blends, especially The Whip, which is a white blend.

 

All three wines were very good and distinctive and would be a welcome addition to anyone’s dinner table.  The white blend, The Whip, would also make a nice afternoon or evening sipper on a warm day.

 

 

 

2012 Murrieta’s Well the Whip (White Blend) – SRP $19

This wine is an unusual blend of 43% Chardonnay, 15% Gewurztraminer, 13% Sauvignon Blanc, 9% Orange Muscat, 8% Viognier, 5% Pinot Blanc, 4% Semillon, and 3% Muscat Canelli.  The blend for this wine changes every vintage.  This is closed with a screw cap.

 

There were 277 barrels produced of this wine.  The alcohol level in the wine is a low octane 13%, perfect to sip on a warm afternoon.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a pale straw color with some yellow highlights.  This is like a fruit salad in a glass on the nose with melon, apples, orange, spice, honey, white peach, green leafy herbs, figs, and a big floral component.  This has medium body, a touch of sweetness, and nice closing acidity.  This is rich and luscious on the palate with sweet fruit and spice balanced by some nice acidity that kicks in on the back end.  The finish has good length and is a continuation of the balanced fruit, spice, and citrusy acidity from the palate.  I would have liked a touch more acidity but this would be a nice wine to sip on a warm afternoon.  (89 pts)

 

 

 

2011 Murrieta’s Well Los Tesoros White Meritage Livermore Valley – SRP $28

This wine is a blend of 63% Sauvignon Blanc and 37% Semillon.  The wine was fermented in a combination of French and Eastern European oak and was barrel aged for 11 months.

 

This small lot wine is available only at the winery or online.  The final alcohol level is 13.4%.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a light straw color.  The fresh and exciting nose has melons, spice, fresh cut grass, earthy minerals, toast, white pepper, lemon zest, vanilla bean, and a big floral note.  This has medium body, tart acidity, and seems to be bone dry.  On the palate this opens with a big herbal and melon component with minerals, vanilla bean, and a toasty note entering the picture fairly quickly, followed by a jolt of lemony acidity.  This has a long, lingering finish with nice citrus, herbs, and minerals seeming to linger forever.  This was my favorite wine of the tasting and would show well against its French peers.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2011 Murrieta’s Well the Spur (Red Blend) – SRP $25.00

This wine is a blend of 31% Petite Sirah, 29% Petit Verdot, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Malbec, and 5% Cabernet Franc.  Like the Whip, the Spur is closed with a screw cap.

 

Each varietal was fermented in stainless steel tanks and aged for 14 months in a combination of American, French, Eastern European, and neutral oak barrels.

 

There were 425 barrels of the wine produced and the final alcohol level is 13.5%.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a nice ruby red color.  The nose is big, dark, and serious with smoke, loamy earth, berries, black cherries, minerals, plums, black pepper, licorice, dried herbs, and some underbrush.  This has medium body, soft to moderate tannins, and good acidity.  On the palate the berries, smoke, and earthy elements hit first with plums and dried herbs coming in on the back end.  The finish has decent length and closes with a big dash of black pepper.  To me, this seems to need some cellar time.  I think with six months to a year in the cellar the wine will add some weight, the finish will fill out, and some complexity will develop.  At present, this is enjoyable but there seems to be “more under the hood” than it is showing today, give this one 6 months and check back at that time.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

 

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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

 

 

 

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

 

 

Prices noted are the prices I paid at the time of purchase.  I don’t shop around to find the best prices, but my local store is usually VERY competitive.  I generally get case discounts, and since I work there part time, I get a 5% discount.  Wines purchased direct from a winery do not include any shipping charges.  None of the prices include the sales tax.

 

 

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

 

 

 

Cheers!