This week was a bit light, wine wise.  We left for vacation on Saturday morning, so we dialed down the wine list a bit.  I selected wine we would like but with an eye towards value priced wines.

 

 

2008 Tamarack Cellars Firehouse Red – $13.29

This wine is usually a house favorite.  This is a kitchen sink blend of 37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Syrah, 16% Merlot, 7% Cab Franc, 3% Malbec, 3% Sangiovese, 3% Petite Verdot, and 1% Carmenere.  This is usually a very nice wine with fantastic QPR when you can find it for under $15.

The wine is a fairly dark ruby color.  On the nose, this has blackberries, charcoal, smoke, vanilla, meat juices, earthy underbrush, some cherries and a faint herbal note.  Medium body with fairly solid, ripe tannins and very nice acidity.  Nice fruit and savory flavors on the palate which carries no extra heavy extraction or over ripe elements.   Decent length on the finish which again, shows no excess weight.  I think this is a wine most Francophiles would enjoy, to me it seems more styled like a French wine than one from California.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2008 Schild Estate Shiraz – $19.00

This was a very highly rated wine that was a major disappointment when tasted not long after release.  This was very disjointed, syrupy, and tart.  After about a year in the cellar it started to come together.  It’s been several months since my last bottle, time to see if the improvement has continued.

 

This bottle was decanted about an hour.  The wine is a deep, dark, maroon color.  There are blackberries, baking spices, licorice, blueberries, vanilla, pepper, bittersweet chocolate, a touch of cherry, and a slight herbal note on the nice nose.  This is medium to full body with fairly solid, ripe tannins and tart acidity.  There is a big blast of up front fruit and spice with dark chocolate and herbal elements in the background.  The finish is again fairly tart with some herbal notes over riding the fruit.  This bottle was again a disappointment.  I will either not touch a bottle for another year or allow for a much longer decant.  (85 pts)

 

This wine was number 7 on the Wine Spectator, Top 100 Wines of 2010.

 

 

 

 

2011 Bedrock Wine Co. Mourvedre Ode to Lulu Rosé – $18.00

We’re on vacation in South Carolina and it’s a very hot and humid day.  That makes it a perfect time to enjoy a nice Rosé, and this wine is guaranteed to be a perfect way to tame the weather.   This is one of my summer Rosé wines we enjoy.

 

A nice, light, pinkish salmon color. Minerals, strawberry, white pepper, melons, orange zest, and a bit of dusty earthiness on the very appealing nose. Light body with crisp acidity. A very dry rose with nice minerality and fruit with the white pepper and citrus making an appearance on the back end. Nice, lingering, mouthwatering finish. The real deal. Even those who like a crisp French Rose will find pleasure in this wine. (92 pts)

 

** Note copied from the July 30, 2012 To August 2, 2012 edition of Cliff’s Wine Picks. **

 

 

 

 

2007 Freemark Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon – $19.00

Freemark Abbey was a winery I used to really like, but they seemed to go through a few off years.  Starting with the 2004 vintage they seemed to change course and put renewed vigor and effort into their wines.  The changes were fairly obvious by what they put in the bottle.  To me, they are once again a good, value priced winery putting out outstanding values.

 

This was decanted about an hour.  The wine is a deep, dark, inky ruby color.  Cassis, cigar box, vanilla, dried herbs, cherry, plum, and just a touch of licorice are on the very nice and inviting nose.  This is medium body with fairly solid but ripe tannins and nice acidity.  There are nice berries and spice on the palate with just a touch of oak peeking through on the backend.  This has nice length on the finish which picks up some dried herbs.  This was an absolute steal at $19.  No hurry, a little more cellar time will be rewarded.  (91 pts)

 

 

2008 Stanley Lambert Chardonnay Pristine – $7.13

One of our favorite, inexpensive white wines.  This is an unoaked Chardonnay from the Barossa Valley in Australia.  This wine doesn’t have the greatest distribution network, but luckily it is available in Wisconsin.  I’ve met the now retired winemaker, Lindsey Stanley multiple times and he is the epitome of every Australian stereo types out there.

 

The wine is a yellow to straw color.  On the nose, this wine has apples, pears, orange blossoms, minerals, and orange zest.  This is light to medium body with crisp acidity.  Nice apples and pears on the palate with the citrus kicking in on the backend with some minerality in the background.  This has a nice finish with the orange zest and minerals lingering and slowly fading.  This is still drinking very nicely and for a low cost Australian Chardonnay, there is no hurry on killing these off.  (90 pts)

 

 

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

I took a bottle of this to a friend’s home not long after it was released and it was a bit hit.  We both wanted to load up, but unfortunately it was sold out at the local store.  Luckily, I had bought 3 bottles, so I still had a couple in the cellar.  Tonight is bottle number two.

 

This is from a bottle that had been opened about two hours, but not decanted.  The wine is a deep, dark ruby to maroon color.  A very nice and appealing nose of cassis, fresh ground espresso, dark chocolate, smoke, dried herbs, and a touch of toasty oak.  Medium body with solid, ripe tannins and very nice acidity.  Nice spicy berries and oak influences on the very expressive palate.  One of the best California Cabs I’ve had for well south of $20.  I assume this has some purchased fruit since it is now designated as North Coast instead of Napa.  For the $17.09 I paid, I wish I had loaded up.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

Mailing Lists

 

 

Jean Edwards Cellars

This is the home of some fantastic Napa Valley cabernets at unbelievable prices.  Their latest offer includes their 2009 Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet and the 2009 Seventy Four – Forty One Howell Mountain Cab came out of Friday.  If you can bribe your way onto their pre-release mailing list, these are 25% off the normal, release price.  As a bonus, they also have a Library Release of their first commercial offering, the 2004 Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet.  Visit https://jeanedwardscellars.com/ and tell Karen I sent you.  I have an earlier blog here with a review of the 2009 Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet.

 

Turley Wine Cellars

Turley’s latest release with a dozen assorted zinfandel and Petite Syrahs (their spelling) came out this week.  Am I the only person who loves a nice zin but just isn’t as enthusiastic over a new Turley release?  I may actually pass this time.

 

 

Keplinger Wines

Their Fall Release will open on Wednesday, September 12th at 8:30am PST.

This offer will include the first half of our 2010 vintage wines, all of which hail from our Sierra Foothills vineyards:

2010 Caldera, El Dorado

2010 Lithic, Amador

2010 Sumo, Amador

 

 

#CabernetDay

Save the Date: August 30, 2012 will be the third annual global celebration of Cabernet.  You have a couple weeks to pick out a bottle to open.  Let us know which wine you choose.  #Cabernet Day

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

Nice Wine Stuff

 

A Facebook friend, Heidi McLain, has a very nice product and is looking for some startup funding.  The product is the To Your Taste!® Wine Party Kit.  As an incentive to donate, she has some really nice “pledge rewards” for pledges of as little as $25.  Visit https://www.fundable.com/to-your-taste-for-wine-llc?_s=613 to see the marvelous product or even better to assist in the funding effort.  You can also visit the Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/To-Your-Taste-Wine-Party-Kit/34193039949

 

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

 

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 end of the week was a bit light, wine wise.  We left for vacation on Saturday morning, so we dialed down the wine list a bit.

 

 

2009 Girard Petite Sirah Napa Valley – $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 was decanted for about an hour. The wine is a deep, dark purple color. There are blackberries, black pepper, smoke, licorice, dark chocolate, dried herbs, underbrush, and some earthiness on the dark and pleasing nose.  This is medium to full body with fairly solid, ripe tannins and very nice acidity.  There is a lot of fruit and spice on the palate with just a bit of earthiness coming in on the back end with dark chocolate and black pepper.  Nice length on the finish where the dark chocolate really kicks into high gear.  This is very young but already very nice.  (91 pts)

 

 

 

2007 JC Cellars Smoke and Mirrors – $15.19

We’ve had this wine a few times over the last several months.  To me, it has always been a bit of a disappointment.  This is a wine that could really use a big injection of tannins and acidity.  As is, I figured this would be a nice wine to sip in a hotel after 800 miles on the road.

 

This is a deep, dark garnet to maroon color. There are blackberries, blueberries, plums, vanilla, black pepper and smoked meat on the nose dark and brooding nose.  The wine is fairly full bodied with solid, ripe tannins and marginal acidity.  This is a bit out of balance on the palate with loads of fruit and tannins but very soft acidity.  This is more of a party/cocktail wine than something to serve with anything more than a cheese/sausage plate.  This is tasty but a bit too flabby.  (86 pts)

 

 

 

2009 Clayhouse Vineyard Cuvée Blanc Red Cedar Vineyard – $22.99

I tried this about a few weeks ago as part of my review of a Super Flight Sampler from TastingRoom.com.  To me, based on the taste, this was a wine I had to buy.  Luckily, the Super Flight Sampler included two pre-paid bottles.  I selected two bottles of this wine.  This is a blend of 40% Grenache Blanc, 40% Rousanne, and 20% Viognier from Paso Robles.

 

The wine is a very pale yellow to straw color, just a step or two about water.  This has a very interesting nose of apples, white peaches, minerals, white pepper, pears, orange zest, and a lively floral note.  The wine is medium body at most with very nice acidity,  The wine is initially has a silky, soft, impact on the palate with the apples, spice, and white peach elements dominating, but then the other hammer drops and white pepper and citrus kick in adding immensely.  A nice, lingering finish with all the elements in perfect harmony.  This is a very interesting California version of a French white Chateauneuf.  I like this wine, a lot!  (92 pts)

 

 

 

Mailing Lists

 

Jean Edwards Cellars

This is the home of some fantastic Napa Valley cabernets at unbelievable prices.  Their latest offer includes their 2009 Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet and the 2009 Seventy Four – Forty One Howell Mountain Cab came out of Friday.  If you can bribe your way onto their pre-release mailing list, these are 25% off the normal, release price.  As a bonus, they also have a Library Release of their first commercial offering, the 2004 Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet.  Visit https://jeanedwardscellars.com/ and tell Karen I sent you.  I have an earlier blog here with a review of the 2009 Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet.

 

 

 

#CabernetDay

Save the Date: August 30, 2012 will be the third annual global celebration of Cabernet.  You have a couple weeks to pick out a bottle to open.  Let us know which wine you choose.  #Cabernet Day

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

Nice Wine Stuff

A Facebook friend, Heidi McLain, has a very nice product and is looking for some startup funding.  The product is the To Your Taste!® Wine Party Kit.  As an incentive to donate, she has some really nice “pledge rewards” for pledges of as little as $25.  Visit https://www.fundable.com/to-your-taste-for-wine-llc?_s=613 to see the marvelous product or even better to assist in the funding effort.  You can also visit the Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/To-Your-Taste-Wine-Party-Kit/34193039949

 

 

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

 

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 Soter Pinot Noir North Valley – $27.00

I had a bottle of this last year and liked it but felt it needed some additional cellar time.  It has been a while since I’ve had an Oregon Pinot Noir, so it seems like a perfect time to open another.  This is the entry level Pinot from Soter so I like to enjoy these while my Mineral Springs Vineyard Pinots from Soter sleep in the cellar.

 

The wine was decanted about two hours.  This is a nice, clear, medium ruby red color.  On the open and very sexy nose there are cherries, baking spices, minerals, fresh wild flowers, and a bit of earthiness.  The wine is barely medium body with nice, ripe tannins and very good acidity.  The wine is very elegant on the palate with nice, spicy, earthy red fruit, spice, and just a hint of an herbal note adding complexity.  There is very nice length on the finish which is again highlighted by the spicy, earthy fruit.  This is very tasty today with some air but will reward some time in the cellar.    (91 pts)

 

 

We paired the Soter Pinot Noir with Fettuccini Alfredo with a grilled chicken breast.  This was a marvelous pairing; the acidity in the Pinot cut through the rich Alfredo sauce and added a nice earthy, spicy element to the meal.  This pairing wouldn’t work with a big, rich, California Pinot Noir, but the one from Oregon was top notch.

 

 

 

2010 Villa Creek “White” – $20.80

I’ve had several past vintages of this wine and have loved them all.  Since all my older vintages are gone, it’s time to crack into my stash of 2010s.  This is a blend consisting of 65% Grenache Blanc, 30% Roussane from the James Berry Vineyard and 5% Picpoul Blanc.

 

The wine is a pale golden yellow color.  This has hot slate like minerals, white peach, pineapple, apple, lemon zest, and a nice floral note on the fresh, like Summer nose.  The wine has medium body with nice crisp acidity.  Initially rich and smooth on the palate with luscious, juicy fruit and minerals then the citrusy acidity kicks in leading a fairly long, mouthwatering finish.  This is an excellent, California version of a Rhone white from France.  This can be enjoyed over the next few years.   (92 pts)

 

 

We had the Villa Creek White with a simple dinner of grilled, large shrimp that were marinated in garlic olive oil with sautéed green beans with onion.  This was a very nice pairing with the acidity in the wine cutting through the rich shrimp.

 

 

 

2008 Foris Gewürztraminer – $12.32

Another nice, Summer dinner on the deck that calls for a crisp, white wine.  I haven’t had one of these for a few months but prior bottles have been very nice.  Even though it is labeled as being dry, it does seem to have just a hint of sweetness which adds a touch of body and depth.

 

The wine is a pale yellowish straw color.  The fresh and exotic smelling nose has lychee, apple, pineapple, orange zest, nice spice, and rose petals.  This is light to medium body with tart acidity and just a hint of sweetness, even though it is labeled as dry.  An almost oily texture on the palate accompanies nice spicy, fruit laced, lychee with come citrus in the background.  The finish shows nice length with the spicy citrus hanging on and slowly dissipating.  This is perfect for dinner on the patio/deck or with spicy Asian cuisine.  (89 pts)

 

 

We had the Gewürztraminer with a nice version of Crab Cakes that I found a while ago.  Instead of frying them, these get baked in muffin tins.  A little chopping, mixing, and throw them in the oven.  This is a healthier alternative and a lot easier.  The recipe for these Muffin-Tin Crab Cakes from Eating Well Magazine is available at http://www.cooking.com/recipes-and-more/RecPrint.aspx?rid=10238

 

 

 

2007 Rock Wall Wine Co. Rock Star Rouge – $4.75

This winery is partially owned by consulting winemaker Kent Rosenblum, his daughter Shauna, and other wine industry veterans. It is located on the former Alameda Naval Air Base.  This wine is a blend of 42% syrah, 37% tempranillo, 21% cinsault.

 

I’m not sure what the release price is of this wine, but I was able to get a case for under $5 a bottle. This is a VERY serious wine so don’t write it off if you see it being cleared out somewhere.

 

The wine is a deep maroon color.  The outstanding nose on this wine has cherries, baking spices, black pepper, blackberries, underbrush, licorice, smoke, vanilla, and some earthiness.  The wine is medium body, has solid, ripe tannins and good acidity.  There is a nice hit of spice and pepper on the palate before the fruit kicks in.  There is decent length on the finish which adds a slight stemmy element and some spicy oak.  I would have liked the stemmy note and oak to have integrated a bit better on the finish, but for under $5, this is an outright QPR superstar.  (88 pts)

 

 

 

Mailing Lists

 

Jean Edwards Cellars

This is the home of some fantastic NapaValley cabernets at unbelievable prices.  Their latest offer includes their 2009 Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet and the 2009 Seventy Four – Forty One Howell Mountain Cab came out of Friday.  If you can bribe your way onto their pre-release mailing list, these are 25% off the normal, release price.  As a bonus, they also have a Library Release of their first commercial offering, the 2004 Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet.  Visit https://jeanedwardscellars.com/ and tell Karen I sent you.  I have an earlier blog here with a review of the 2009 Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet.

 

 

Shane

Two Bennett Valley Syrahs will be released to their mailing list on August 28^th.  Look forward to being offered the 2009 Judge Vineyard and the 2009 Jemrose Vineyard.

 

 

Villa Creek

The Villa Creek Fall release hit the inbox this week.  This is one of the wineries that I take an automatic shipment and add at least enough bottles to get a case or more.  Two of my favorite wines are in this release, Avenger (50% Syrah, 30% Mourvedre, 20% Grenache) and Mas de Maha (50% Tempranillo, 25% Greache, and 25% Carignan).  Add to these two, the 2010 James Berry High Road (40% Grenache, 40% Syrah, 20% Mourvedre) and you have a flavor filled release.  Needless to say, I’m in.

 

 

Big Basin

Big Basin’s Fall release is coming on September 10^th.  This release will include a Syrah, a Pinot Noir, and a Chardonnay.  I have not had a Big Basin Pinot or Chardonnay, but their Syrah wines are big, ripe, and bold.

 

 

 

#CabernetDay

Save the Date: August 30, 2012 will be the third annual global celebration of Cabernet.  You have a couple weeks to pick out a bottle to open.  Let us know which wine you choose.  #Cabernet Day

 

 

 

Nice Wine Stuff

A Facebook friend, Heidi McLain, has a very nice product and is looking for some startup funding.  The product is the To Your Taste!® Wine Party Kit.  As an incentive to donate, she has some really nice “pledge rewards” for pledges of as little as $25.  Visit https://www.fundable.com/to-your-taste-for-wine-llc?_s=613 to see the marvelous product or even better to assist in the funding effort.  You can also visit the Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/To-Your-Taste-Wine-Party-Kit/34193039949

 

 

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

 

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!

 

 

We’re leaving for a vacation to visit my wife’s family in South Carolina on Saturday morning.  To me, the hardest part of any trip is picking wines to take.  I travel a fair amount for work, and unless I have a lengthy layover at a hot airport, in the middle of the day, there’s wine in my luggage.

 

This trip is a little easier since we’ll be driving.  I figure we’ll need seven bottles, one per day.  To be safe, I’ll probably just fill up a mixed case with a couple of whites, a few rosés, and the rest reds.  Since there’s always the possibility of hot weather during the drive, I usually take good, but relatively inexpensive bottles.  I usually slip in at least one better bottle and put it in the passenger section of the car instead of the trunk.

 

How can I know on Wednesday what we’ll want on Sunday?  How about next Friday?  This is another reason, I don’t take the good stuff.  Do I really want a bottle of Saxum in the trunk for 1,000 miles, spend a week in a warm house, then endure another 1,000 miles in the trunk only to end up back in the cool wine cellar.  That has to do more harm than good to the wine.

 

When you travel, do you take wine with you?  If so, how do you choose what to take?

 

The wines I’m taking?  The list isn’t done yet, but so far these will get a free, all expenses paid trip from Wisconsin to South Carolina:

2011 Bedrock Wine Co. Mourvedre Ode to Lulu Rosé
2011 One Time Spaceman MCA Rosé (Paso Robles GSM blend)

2008 Stanley Lambert Chardonnay Pristine (unoaked from Barossa)
2009 Clayhouse Vineyard Cuvée Blanc Red Cedar Vineyard (Paso Robles, white Rhone blend)

2007 Freemark Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon
2008 Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Prologue
2008 Schild Estate Shiraz
2008 Tamarack Cellars Firehouse Red (Washington red blend)

 

Cheers!

 

This is based on a Sample sent to me. 

 

I’ve been looking forward to trying this wine for a couple weeks.  I wanted to give it time to settle down from the shipping to the Midwest from California.  I figured this was the perfect time to open it since the wine was just offered by Jean Edwards Cellars on their pre-release e-mail offer on Friday.  Total production was only 250 cases of this wine.

 

I’ve had past vintages of this wine and its’ quality far exceeded the price point.

 

I decanted the wine for about 5 hours, but it probably could have used more.  The wine is a deep, dark purple color.  The nose on the wine is deep and dark with cassis, black cherry, dried herbs, wood smoke, cedar, Asian spices, vanilla, earthy underbrush, tobacco, dark chocolate, and some violets.  This is medium body with fairly solid, ripe tannins and good acidity.  Nice spicy, forward fruit and spice but with plenty of power and grip on the palate, dark chocolate, cherry, and a bit of oak add dimension and depth.  There is a long, flavorful finish with just a touch of spicy oak popping out.  This tastes very nice now, but a couple of years in the cellar will be greatly rewarded.  It wouldn’t surprise me if this shuts down some what in the next six months, so try early or wait a few years.  (94 pts now, but better in a few years)

 

I highly recommend this wine, and ordered a mixed case from their offer.

 

 

Here is the information from the winery on their offer:

 

2009 Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (750ml) – pre-release

Release price $65

 

Our 2009 cab from Stagecoach is a real gem! As with most cabs from this vineyard, there is a very nice Asian spice element that sits on top of a solid core of delicious black cherry notes, cassis and cola. The nose is very full with dark fruit, tobacco and vanilla. Medium weight – it’s a bit more fruit forward than our 2008 without going over the edge and for such a young cabernet it shows tremendous integration and length. The wine is 98% cabernet sauvignon and 2% petite verdot; aged 22 months in French Oak (50% new/50% one year old barrels). Our 2009 offering provides the supple, round mouth of our 2007 along with the power and fruit structure of our 2008.  We are absolutely in love with this wine and know you will love it too!

 

 

There are two other wines in the latest offer, the 2009 Seventy Four – Forty One Cabernet Sauvignon – HowellMountain and a special “Library Release” of their first commercial offering the 2004 Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.

 

I should add, there are significant discounts for mailing list members off the release price.

 

If you’re interested, visit http://www.jeanedwardscellars.com/ tell Karen, Cliff sent you.  They are also available at wine@jeanedwardscellars.com.

 

 

Cheers!

 

 

2008 McPrice Myers Syrah Les Galets – $28.80

I’ve wanted to try this one since it arrived at my door last April.  This is, as with most McPrice Myers wines, a big boy, weighing in at over 16% alcohol.  The professional and Cellar Tracker reviews sound promising.  As I state every time I have one of these wines, they may not be for daily consumption, but every few weeks I can get into one.  This should be a good match for a Wisconsin dietary staple, some spicy brats.

I’m generally a fan of Mc Price Myers, but some of their wines are too big and ripe even for me.  Wines with this much body and alcohol, to me, absolutely must have solid tannins and more importantly enough acidity to avoid becoming syrupy.  There has to be something to support and give a backbone to a massive wine.

From a bottle that had been opened for 2 hours but not decanted.  Deep, dark purple color, almost black.  This wine has a massive nose full of blackberries, plums, charcoal, minerals, vanilla, charred meat, wildflowers, and spicy oak.  This is a full bodied wine with solid, chewy tannins and good acidity.  This has solid walls of fruit and spice on the palate with some nice earthiness and dark chocolate in the background.  There is a long lingering finish full of dark fruit, spice, and dark chocolate.  This is an outstanding wine that should last several years in the cellar, but I’d probably drink on the young side before the alcohol (16.2%) becomes too noticeable.  (94 pts)

 

Dinner was some fresh, store made “Spicy Packer Brats” from Karl’s Country Market close to my office.  These were a perfect pairing with the McPrice Myers Syrah, in my opinion.  Both were big and bold but complimented each other.

 

 

2003 Domaine du Banneret Châteauneuf-du-Pape – $28.73

I bought a few of these from Garagiste Wine out of Washington a little over five years ago.  So far we’ve only had one bottle and I liked it, so it’s time to check in again to see how it is doing.

The wine is a light to medium ruby red color with a fair amount of bricking.  Worn leather, minerals, dried herbs, cherries, plums, baking spices, earthy underbrush, white pepper, and meat juices are on the very open and inviting nose.  This is medium body with fairly solid tannins and very nice acidity.  More savory than fruity on the palate with the dried herbs and earthy elements in the front and the fruit in the background.  This has a fairly long finish which is again more savory than fruity but seems a touch clipped by the tannins and acidity.  This has very nice balance and could use a bit more cellar time, which will be rewarded.  (93 pts)

 

 

2009 Trentadue Winery La Storia “Cuvée 32” – $17.04

We have visited the AlexanderValley 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.

This was decanted about an hour.  The wine is a fairly deep maroon color, but much lighter at the edge.  There are earthy cherries, blackberries, dried herbs, black pepper, and hints of licorice and wildflowers on the enticing nose.  Medium body with fairly solid but ripe tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate the wine has tart cherries, baking spices, earthy elements, and a slight, satisfying herbal note.  Fairly long finish with spicy, tart cherries out front with some earthiness in the background.  A very nice California version of an Italian “Super Tuscan”.  A few years in the cellar won’t hurt the wine, but probably won’t help too much, drink this young for the tart fruit.  (91 pts)

 

 

2008 Grooner Grüner Veltliner – $9.46

This bottle fell through the cracks.  I had it on my list to drink a year or two ago but never got around to opening it.  Grüner Veltliner, like Riesling, are higher acidity whites that can age pretty well, even the ones from low price points.  I guess today will be a good day to see how this under $10 Austrian white progressed or even survived with three years in the cellar.

This is a very nice pale yellow/green color.  A soft and inviting nose with juicy melons, lemon zest, white pepper, fresh green peas, vanilla, and green herbs.  The wine is light to medium body with tart acidity and just a hint of sweetness.  On the palate the wine has tart citrus, solid herbaceous notes, and some spicy white pepper.  There is a nice lingering finish with the citrus and herbal notes and some spice in the background and just a touch of sweetness adding depth.  This is a very nice Summer sipper, especially for an under $10 wine that sat in the cellar for over three years.  (88 pts)

 

 

Mailing Lists

 

Jean Edwards Cellars

This is the home of some fantastic NapaValley cabernets at unbelievable prices.  Their latest offer includes their 2009 Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet and the 2009 Seventy Four – Forty One Howell Mountain Cab came out of Friday.  If you can bribe your way onto their pre-release mailing list, these are only $48 each.  As a bonus, they also have a Library Release of their first commercial offering, the 2004 Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet.  Visit https://jeanedwardscellars.com/ and tell Karen I sent you.

If you’re interested, we’re having a pre-release 2009 Jean Edwards Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Stagecoach Vineyard with dinner tonight.  Check out my blog tomorrow for my review.

 

Epoch Estate Wines

Epoch’s next release will be hitting the inbox in mid September.  They are moving from the dreaded free-for-all to a guaranteed allocation with a wish list option.  This usually method usually cuts back your maximum bottle quantity but allows you some time to get in your order.  I greatly prefer smaller but guaranteed allocations.  I’ve completely missed some offers due to business travel and how many people can actually spend all day constantly monitoring their e-mail when an offer is due to hit?

 

Rudius Wines

No definite date for the next release but the interesting news is there will be a white wine offering in the future.  There will be a 2011 Rudius Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay in the Spring offering.  The upcoming fall release looks to be Cabernets and Grenache.  I highly recommend getting on Jeff Ames’ mailing list for Rudius.  I also recommend checking out the really nice, updated website which includes new “retrospective” tasting notes on the wines.  The site is http://www.rudiuswines.com/

 

 

#CabernetDay

Save the Date: August 30, 2012 will be the third annual global celebration of Cabernet.  You have a couple weeks to pick out a bottle to open.  Let us know which wine you choose.  #Cabernet Day

 

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

 

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!

 

2007 Wild Hog Vineyard Petite Sirah Cache Creek – $9.50

I bought a case of this wine via an e-mail offer from my local store.  I’m not sure what the suggested price is for this wine, but it has to be well north of $10.00.  It’s been a while since I last had a bottle, but it’s always been your typical Petite Sirah.  By typical, I mean a full bodied wine with lots of dark fruit, pepper, smoke, licorice and solid, chewy tannins.  At under $10, this is a top shelf week night wine.

According to the winery’s website there were 270 cases produced, but what do they know.  They also say this is the last vintage for this wine and I have a case of the 2008 in the cellar.  Oops, I guess 2007 wasn’t the last vintage ever produced.  🙂

The wine is a deep, dark, inky purple color.  There are blackberries, pepper, vanilla, smoke, licorice, fresh cut flowers, eucalyptus, and some cherry on the very nice nose.  This is fairly full bodied with solid, ripe tannins and very nice acidity.  This is big and bold but not over the top on the palate with loads of spicy, peppery berries with just a bit of an herbal note, possibly from stems.  Fairly long finish with the peppery berries front and center. Tastes very nice today and fairly young but I’d probably err on the side of drinking this young, over the next few years for the ripe, spicy fruit.  (90 pts)

 

 

2005 Novy Family Wines Syrah Rosella’s Vineyard – $17.00

It’s been about a year and a half since we last tried this wine.  At that time, I felt the wine could use some additional cellar time.  I think Adam Lee of Novy (and Siduri) makes outstanding, spicy, structured Syrahs that steer clear of their brethren who push the ripeness envelope to the max.  For some reason, I was able to get a few bottles of this wine at an outstanding price direct from the winery and I jumped on the offer.  Novy currently has the third most bottles in my cellars of all wineries.

The wine is a deep, dark, inky purple color.  This has smoked meat, black pepper, blackberries, road tar, soy sauce, earthy underbrush, licorice, citrus zest, and a floral note on the deep, dark, brooding nose.  This is medium to full bodies with solid, ripe tannins and very nice acidity.  On the palate the wine shows the smoked meat component with nice spicy berries and some earthiness with a nice citrus element lurking in the background adding considerable interest.  Nice lingering finish with the smoky, peppery berries slowly giving way to soft earthy, meaty notes.  In a great drinking window now, but should hold for at least a few years.  (93 pts)

 

 

2011 Bedrock Wine Co. Casa Santinamaria – $17.50

I’ve been looking forward to trying one of these since they showed up at my door at the end of March.  I love the Bedrock white wines, like I mentioned in my previous blog.  This is from a vineyard that was planted n 1905.  This is a “field blend” comprised of Muscadelle, Chasselas, Zinfandel, Semillon, and even a little bit of Chardonnay.  That wasn’t a mistake, some old vine red Zinfandel grapes from the vineyard are in the blend.  Everything was picked together and whole-cluster pressed into old French oak and stainless steel barrels.  This was fermented with native yeasts and malolactic fermentation was inhibited.

The wine is a bright yellow/straw color.  This has a very intriguing nose with apples, pears, peach, minerals, white pepper, citrus zest, a very nice floral note and just a bit of an herbal note.  This has medium body with crisp acidity and just a hint of lingering sweetness.  This has luscious, juicy fruit on the palate with citrus, herbal notes and a bit of white pepper in the background.  This very unusual blend is very unique and delicious.  This is another winning white wine from Bedrock.  (92 pts)

 

We had the Casa Santinamaria with a simple Bruschetta with fresh from the garden cherry tomatoes, red onions, and basil.  We use Cholula hot sauce and Gouda cheese.  The touch of sweetness kept the hot sauce in check and the acidity cut through the rich cheese and stood up to the tomatoes.  Superb!

 

 

2011 One Time Spaceman MCA Rose – $15.21

I’ve had this a couple times and it’s a very nice, easy drinking, fruity Rosé.  It is a bit softer and shows a touch of sweetness.  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, probably other places as well.

The wine is a bright salmon color.  This has watermelon, strawberries, white peaches, white pepper, and a touch of earthiness on the soft and pleasing nose.  This is light to medium body with nice acidity and just a touch of sweetness.  On the palate the wine is full of sweet, juicy red fruit with some citrus kicking in on the backend.  This is a nice, easy drinking Rosé, perfect for a casual dinner on the deck or patio or to sip on a hot day.  (89 pts)

 

 

News, Notes, and Questions –

 

Wine Country memories

Here is a shot of me with Richard Graeser of Graeser Winery.  We were barrel tasting two vintages of his Diamond Mountain Cabernet Franc.  I have always loved the wines and Richard was definitely a character.  I hated that the winery went out of business a couple years ago.  Luckily I still have a fair amount of his wine in my cellar, including both vintages we were tasting on this day.

 

One more with Richard and a friend of mine, Dave Schauer.

 

The gang enjoying a glass of Napa’s finest before dinner at Cole’s Chop House in Napa.  With friends Kristin and Dave Schauer and my wife Eva.

 

 

Mailing Lists

 

Big Basin

The next BigBasin release is coming on September 10^th.  I love their big, full bodied red wines created from the Rhone grapes.

 

Loring Wine Co

The latest Loring offer hit the inbox this week.  I’m in for the Pinots, but will be passing on the full blown California Chardonnay offer.  I’m more into crisp, tank fermented, non malolactic Chardonnay wines.  I’m sure Brian’s Chardonnays have a large and devoted following, but I’m not one of them.

 

 

#CabernetDay

Save the Date: August 30, 2012 will be the third annual global celebration of Cabernet.  You have a couple weeks to pick out a bottle to open.  Let us know which wine you choose.  #Cabernet Day

 

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

 

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 Villa Creek Pink – $12.80

This is one of my go-to summer rosé wines.  This usually has a nice mix of fresh fruit and crisp acidity.  There are rosés out there with crisper acidity and others with more fruit, but to me, this strikes a nice middle ground.  This generally pairs well with lighter warm weather meals but will also be welcomed as a sipper on a hot day.  This is a tank fermented, saignee, blend consisting of 70% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre, and 10% Carignan from Paso Robles.

The artwork on the Rosé label was created by the owner’s daughter Camille.  As an added bonus, $2 from each bottle sold goes to Jack’s Helping Hand, a San Luis Obispo, CA charity that meets the needs of ailing and disabled children. Please visit http://www.jackshelpinghand.org/  for more information.

The wine is a very nice looking pinkish salmon color.  The very crisp and clean nose has strawberries, white peaches, cherries, Asian spices, citrus zest, minerals, and a touch of earthiness.  Light to medium body with crisp acidity and just a touch of sweetness makes for a very nice palate on a warm evening.  The palate has nice crisp, sweet fruit and spices with some earthiness lurking in the background.  The finish shows nice length with the fruit and spice slowly giving way to a touch of mouthwatering, citrusy acidity.  A very nice Rosé with or without food.  (91 pts)

 

We paired the Villa Creek Rosé with a “house favorite” dinner, a Stuffed Zucchini with Tomatoes and Jack Cheese.  Well, that’s the name, but the “stuffing” also has potatoes, garlic, onion, and basil.  We use a recipe from “Cook’s Illustrated” magazine.  The crisp acidity, fruit and spice paired very nicely with the dish.  Here’s how the finished dish looked:

 

 

2007 Stolpman Syrah Estate Grown – $19.99

A little something to sip while working at the wine store today.  Need to make sure we don’t suffer from dehydration.  I had a bottle of this last November and felt it needed at least six months in the cellar for the finish to come together and the oak too begin to smooth out.  I want to see how this is coming along.

Deep, dark, inky maroon color. Big and open nose with blackberries, blueberry, smoked meat, fresh ground black pepper, dried herbs, violets, licorice, and earthy elements.  Full body with solid, chewy, ripe tannins and good acidity.  Big, bold and ripe fruit and spice on the palate with some oak popping out in the background.  Fairly long finish filled with the spicy fruit and a touch of excess oak.  This is still young and should improve as the oak more fully integrates.  (91 pts)

 

 

2008 Orin Swift The Prisoner – $29.58

This is usually a family choice when we’re having something a touch spicy that needs a red wine.  Burritos with enchilada sauce and some spicy refried beans meet these requirements.  This is usually a love it or hate it wine.  People who love it, generally go wild for it, those who don’t like it generally look at it as a gloppy mess.  To me, this wine varies heavily by vintage.  In hotter years it tends to be sweet and syrupy, in more moderate years it maintains enough acidity to hold the big fruit, body, and alcohol (15.2%)  in check.

This is big, ripe, full bodied red from Napa and is a blend of 46% Zinfandel, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the balance consisting of Syrah, Petite Sirah, Charbono and Grenache.

Note after bottle was opened about an hour but not decanted.  Deep, dark purple color.  Blackberries, licorice, pepper, smoke, dried herbs, cherry and a touch of alcohol on the very open nose.  Full body with solid, ripe tannins and decent acidity.  Big, bold and ripe with just enough acidity to keep it from being syrupy.  Extreme ripeness but with no raisiny elements.  Enough spice and pepper to add nice complexity.  Long, rich and flavorful finish.  Absolutely nothing subtle about this wine.  Outstanding for what it was meant to be.  (91 pts)

 

Here was our Saturday dinner.  We had beef burritos with enchilada sauce, cheddar jack cheese, fresh lettuce, onions, and my wife’s fresh salsa.  A side of spicy refried beans with some cheese finished off the meal.  The Prisoner ended up being a pretty good pairing with the meal.

 

 

2010 Cupcake Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc – $7.12

We like this on a warm afternoon while we are relaxing on the deck before starting to make dinner.  Always light, crisp, and refreshing with just a touch of sweetness.  A perfect wine in that regards for about $7.

Very light, yellow to straw color. Fresh cut grass, lemon zest, gooseberry, grapefruit, minerals and some apples on the fresh smelling nose. Very light body with crisp, mouthwatering acidity and just a touch of sweetness. Bright and zippy on the palate with the citrus and herbal notes with some minerality. The herbal notes continue into the mouthwatering finish with the citrus turning more towards lime. Finish could be a touch longer, but this is very nice for the price.  (89 pts)

 

 

2007 Villa Creek Garnacha Denner Vineyard – $28.00

Our second Villa Creek wine of the weekend, we like this winery if you didn’t catch that drift.    I’ve had several of these over the last couple of years and everyone has been outstanding.  Generally offers nice earthy red fruit, spicy oak, and a nice pine/evergreen note.

While doing a bit of digging, I noticed the winery used a tasting note of mine from CellarTracker on their site.  http://bit.ly/NYaTJw

From a bottle that had been opened an hour but not decanted.  The wine is a nice deep ruby color.  Cherries, raspberries, cola, licorice, pine resin, baking spices, fresh wild flowers, minerals, white pepper, and a touch of earthiness are on the deep and alluring nose.  This is medium to full body with fairly solid, ripe tannins and very nice acidity.  Nice spicy fruit grabs your palate with savory notes and the pine in the background adding depth.  Fairly long finish with the fruit slowly giving way to a bit of spicy oak.  This still tastes young and has several wonderful years ahead.  (92 pts)

 

We paired the Villa Creek Grenache with a grilled, thick cut, boneless pork loin chop served over a bed of thin, crunchy onion rings and sauteed fresh green beans with some shallot.  It was a delicious pairing.

 

 

News, Notes, and Questions –

 

Wine Buying

Where do you buy your wine?  Supermarket, local wine store, direct from the winery, flash sale sites, large, internet based wine stores, etc.

Personally, I buy about 35% of my wine direct from wineries, 55% from my local wine store, and the remaining 10% mainly older vintages or hard to find wines from WineBid and Garagiste.

 

 

Mailing Lists

 

Loring Wine

One of my “must buy’ mailing lists, Loring Wine, sent out their “save the date” e-mail.  Their next offer goes live on August 15^th and will include Pinot Noirs from Keefer Ranch, Durell, Rosella’s, and Garys’ as well as Chardonnays from Durell and Rosella’s.  Hopefully they will once again be releasing some of the Pinots in 375ml bottles.  These are big favorites of my wife when I’m traveling.  We generally have couple bottles of Loring Pinot Noirs every month.  Highly recommended!

 

Villa Creek

The next release from the Paso Robles based Villa Creek offer goes live on August 21st.  This is one of the few wineries that I take an automatic six bottle shipment.  I usually add at least enough to take it up to a case, but I have been known to get two cases in a shipment.  I absolutely love Villa Creek’s wines and highly recommend them and share bottles with friends.  In my opinion, Villa Creek wines need a few hours of air or preferable a few years in the cellar to come together and to show well.  I’m still slowly drinking my remaining bottles from the 2005 vintage and loving them.

 

Bedrock Wine

Finally placed my order this morning.  I love the generous and guaranteed allocations, not to mention the fantastic wines.  I ended up leaving more on the table than I was originally planning to leave.  That should help people who wishlisted some wine or enable new people to join the list and enjoy the wonderful offerings from Morgan.

 

 

#CabernetDay

Save the Date: August 30, 2012 will be the third annual global celebration of Cabernet.  You have a couple weeks to pick out a bottle to open.  Let us know which wine you choose.  #Cabernet Day

 

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

 

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!

 

2007 Cosentino Winery Cabernet Franc – $9.49

I used to be a big fan of Cosentino Winery but they fell on hard financial times a couple years ago and the winery and name changed hands.  I haven’t had a chance to try their newer releases so I can’t state an opinion of how the new Cosentino is doing.  I hope they are either back on track or at least headed in the right direction.  This was purchased on a blow out sale from my local wine store while the winery/distributor were sorting out their problems.

The wine was decanted for about an hour.  This is a deep ruby color, much lighter at the rim.  On the very nice nose there are blackberries, dried herbs, cedar, licorice, dark chocolate, and some cherry.  The wine has medium body with soft, ripe tannins and very nice acidity.  Nice fruit and dried herbs on the palate with some spicy oak in the background.  Decent length on the finish where the fruit fades fairly quickly but the dried herbs and spicy oak linger for a bit.  This is a nice Cabernet Franc that was an absolute steal at under $10, making it a perfect week night wine.  Not one to age too long, but no big hurry.  (88 pts)

 

 

2006 Carlisle Zinfandel Sonoma County – $16.00

Has there ever been a better $16.00 Zinfandel produced by a major California winery?  Wines like this, at this price point, are the main reason no one drops off of the Carlisle mailing list.  I’ve had this wine several times over the last few years and it has never disappointed.  I’d recommend getting on the mailing list but it is full.  I’m sure the waiting list is even longer since Mike Officer, the owner/winemaker, isn’t going to be increasing his production enough to supply everyone.  Like I stated earlier, very few people drop off of the mailing list allowing new people to join the fun.

This is a deep, dark, opaque ruby to purple color.  Enticing nose with brambly berries, vanilla, black pepper, scorched earth, dark chocolate, melted licorice, a faint floral note, and some eucalyptus.  Fairly full bodied with nice, integrated, ripe tannins and good acidity.  Big, ripe, and mouth filling flavors coat the palate.  The spicy, peppery berries lead the way with vanilla and a bit of oak; some dark chocolate comes in on the back end providing additional depth.  The wine has very nice length on the finish with the peppery berries, chocolate, and some earthy elements lingering.  This is an incredible value at $16, without a doubt one of the best under $20 zinfandels out there.  (93 pts)

 

 

2010 Bedrock Wine Co. Sauvignon Blanc Kick Ranch – $22.00

I’m going to open a bottle of Bedrock wine to celebrate the arrival of their latest e-mail offering.  I haven’t had one of these in almost a year.  I really liked my previous bottles, rating it 91 pts.  It’s looking like a good day for dinner on the deck, which would be perfect with this wine.  I’ll have to see how this pairs with some seared scallops, but I have high expectations.

A light golden straw color.  Apples, lemon zest, peach, fresh cut grass, flinty minerality, grapefruit, and some baking spices on the fresh and clean nose.  Light to medium body with tart, mouthwatering acidity.  Big citrus and herbal elements on the palate.  White fruit and a bit of peach give way to a load of citrus with the herbal notes and minerals coming in on the back end.  Long, lingering finish with the citrus and herbal notes.  An outstanding California Sauvignon Blanc.  (92 pts)

This paired very nicely with a dinner of large seared scallops, with raw, fresh carrots, cauliflower, cucumber, celery, and cherry tomatoes with a spicy, Creole dipping sauce.

 

 

2008 Frimaio Chianti Classico – $18.99

After several weeks of dry weather with above normal temperatures, today is cold and wet.  Light rain and an afternoon temperature of only 62 makes me think of pasta for dinner.  We made a large batch of baked ziti in the Spring and froze some for quick and easy dinners.  Today feels like a baked ziti and garlic bread type of day.  Off to Cellar Tracker to find a nice Italian wine to pair with the ziti.  I chose this wine since I haven’t had one in several months and we had liked it the last time we had a bottle.

Deep ruby to maroon color.  There are cherries, wet earth, raspberries, licorice, dried herbs, blackberries, and a slight floral note on the very fragrant nose.  The wine has medium body with ripe tannins and very nice acidity.  This is bigger and darker than most Chianti Classicos with nice, big fruit, spice, and earth on the palate.  Decent finish with the fruit and tart acidity balancing very nicely, just wish it was a bit longer.  Overall, not your usual lighter bodied sangiovese, but still with the acidity to pair up with a nice meat sauce.  (89 pts)

I bought his during a close out sale at the local wine store, and feel like it was a good bargain for south of $20.  This won’t be mistaken for a high end Chianti Classico, but is perfectly acceptable for a Thursday night dinner.

 

Here’s what dinner looked like, it tasted fantastic.  We generally make a very large batch  of the baked ziti and cut it into 4″ x 4″ cubes once it cools down.  We wrap each chunk individually and freeze them for quick weeknight dinners.  The garlic bread sticks are a store bought, frozen brand we like.  I doctor them up by adding a bit of real butter, garlic powder, and fresh grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

 

 

Quick Question –

Do you have a preferred publication or website to help find information on a new wine or a wine you see mentioned on a website?  Parker’s Wine Advocate, Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, Tanzer’s IWC, RhoneReport, Pinot Report, etc.  I know we all value our own opinion the most, but I’m talking about a wine you’ve never tasted.  How do you decide to pull the trigger on an offer from a flash sale site, or large store’s e-mail offer?

Personally, my order would be in this sequence Steve Tanzer/Josh Raynolds, Jeb Dunnuck’s Rhone Report, Tim Fish from Wine Spectator, Greg Walter’s Pinot Report, a few Cellar Tracker users whose palates I trust, Robert Parker, then the rest.

 

Rants from Manfred Krankl of SQN –

In his latest offer Manfred Krankl, offered up “5 Rants”, any opinions?  Agree or disagree with Manfred on these?  Some of these were fairly long winded and hard to distill down to a sentence or two.

1 – “Yes we are growing fruit in a very hot area, but we have such huge diurnal temperature swings that it balances out and that way we also preserve acidity.”  Do your think hot days and cool nights help make a good wine?  Manfred doesn’t think it does.

2 – ‘Old vines always make better wine than young vines.”  We all know “old vines” or “vieilles vignes” are meaningless, non-regulated terms but do you think wines made from wine from a “lazy-assed” grower and old vines are inherently going to be better than wines made from young vines grown by a “smart, caring, and industrious” grower?

3 – “Our soil is 600 million years old.”  This rant seems to run in a circle but seems to be pointed at a grower in Australia.  A closing comment related to finding a whale bone in the vineyard seems to point to a specific vineyard in Paso Robles.

4 – “Our vineyard is so great because we have such wonderfully well drained soils.”  Manfred feels that “well drained soil” is absolutely meaningless in California since most of the time they get ZERO rain from mid April through September and quite often through October or November.

5 – “Terroir”  This rant is very long winded and hard to paraphrase.  Manfred feels terroir is a term sometimes used to gloss over wine flaws or to highlight a wine without “a fingerprint of its maker.”

To me, most of these “rants” seem to point to a winemaker who makes wine from warm but not hot areas with young vines, in new, valley floor vineyards with the wine maker’s fingerprints all over the finished product, who doesn’t like other wineries getting scores that equal or surpass the ones they receive, and to justify high prices.

 

Bedrock Wine Co. Allocation

This is an outstanding winery and a real challenge.  I joined the mailing list go get Morgan’s big red wines but I’m finding myself being sucked in by his whites.  This is not a put down of the Zinfandel, Syrah, and “Heritage” reds but rather me giving them the credit they deserve with the class of their whites.  I’d love to grab my entire allocation, but I’m going to have to leave some on the table for anyone not offered something they want or for new people to join the list.

 

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

 

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!