These reviews are based on samples provided by the winery or organization acting on their behalf.

 

 

2009 Cairdean Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon

2011 Cairdean Vineyards Pinot Noir

 

Cairdean – Scottish Gaelic for friends

 

 

Overview

This was Cairdean Estate’s second venture into the #winechat experience.  My post on their first session is available by ckicking here.

 

This #winechat was like Cairdean’s first, well received effort.  For this week’s version, I was allowed to select two wines from a list of 5 I’d like to sample during the chat.  The previous time, I opted for wines outside of the usual Napa Valley wines and selected a Malbec and a Merlot.  This time I went a bit more main stream and selected a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Pinot Noir.

 

For the record, here were the wines I had to choose from:

2010 Russian River Valley Chardonnay

2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

2011 Carneros Pinot Noir

2011 Oak Knoll Merlot

2011 Napa Valley Rosé

 

 

 

 

The Winery – Their Story

Cairdean Estate is the vision of husband and wife Edwin and Stacia Williams.

 

While working in the software industry on the East Coast outside of Boston, Massachusetts, Stacia developed a strong appreciation and passion for wine.  She made her first vintage in harvest of 2000, shipping in winegrapes from California through a local beer and wine hobby shop.  She met Edwin, an aerospace engineer, shortly after her first vintage.  Edwin being from Fresno, California was immensely interested in her winemaking project and educated her about the world-renowned Enology and Viticulture program at Fresno State.  After years of planning, Edwin and Stacia moved to Fresno with their two children so that Stacia could go back to school and earn a degree in Enology & Viticulture from Fresno State.

 

During Stacia’s time at Fresno State, she and Edwin planned their future together and knew that they wanted to work together and build a family business managing vineyards and making wine.  They had travelled the world together with their children in search of where they would land, but their hearts always belonged to Napa Valley – the first wine country they ever visited as a couple back in the year 2001.

 

After much searching for their home in Napa Valley, it was their elder son Kyle that led them to the quaint town of St. Helena.  He was entering high school and very much wanted to attend the public high school there.  In their searches for land that would allow a quintessential wine country lifestyle, they settled on a beautiful 50 acre parcel right on highway 29 in Saint Helena just north of downtown.

 

After relocating from Fresno to St. Helena in 2010, Edwin and Stacia embraced their vision and created Cairdean Vineyards.  Cairdean is Scottish Gaelic for friends, which reflects their belief that wine is meant to be shared by those held close to your heart.  The Cairdean symbol is a representation of that belief with the four hearts always present and brought together in the center by friendship.

 

Much more information is available on their website by clicking here.

 

 

 

About Winechat

#winechat is a weekly, Twitter based discussion about something dealing with the world of wine.  Generally, each week’s chat session deals with a specific theme and is lead by an “expert” in that area.  This is generally a nice way to learn about a region, winery, type of wine, etc.

 

Mission

What is #WineChat?  Click here to learn more.

 

Description

How do you join #winechat? Using a tool such as Hootsuite, log into your twitter account & follow the #winechat stream. Be sure to include #winechat at the end of each tweet so everyone in the stream can see you!

 

Grab a glass and join in!

 

The #winechat schedule is available on their Facebook page by clicking here.

 

#winechat is hosted by Protocol Wine Studio.  For more information on them, click here.

 

 

There has been a change at the help of #winechat.  Since this chat was organized by Protocol Wine Studio, they are still getting the thanks.  Future #winechat sessions will be hosted by Just the Bottle.

 

 

 

My line up for this event included these two wines I mentioned earlier:

 

 

 

2009 Cairdean Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon – SRP $68.00

This is a true Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon blend.  The fruit came from four very different vineyards and regions in the Napa Valley.  Grapes from Calistoga, Rutherford, Oak Knoll and Coombsville were used in the final blend.  This wine is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, 3% Syrah and 2% Malbec.

 

After fermentation in stainless steel tanks, the wine was aged in French oak barrels, with 50% being new.  The total production was 948 cases.

 

This wine has 14.0% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep ruby color.  The intoxicating nose has cassis, eucalyptus, warm baking spices, cedar, dried herbs, dusty minerals, licorice, tobacco and violets.  This has medium body with moderate to solid tannins and very good acidity.  On the palate tart cassis and dried herbs hit first with minerals and cedar not far behind.  The finish has very good length with violets and spice entering the picture.  (93 pts)

 

 

 

2011 Cairdean Vineyards Pinot Noir – SRP $52.00

This 100% Pinot Noir comes from vineyards in the coolest section of the Napa Valley, Carneros.  Two clones of the Pinot Noir grape was utilized, Martini and 115.  The grapes were harvested at the same time and were whole berry fermented together in an open top stainless steel fermentation tank.  There was a combination of daily pumpovers and punchdowns.  The wine was pressed just prior to dryness and barrel aged sur-lie for seven months.  The wine was then racked and barrel aged for an additional 4 months.  All French oak barrels were used with 50% being new.  There were 408 cases produced.

 

The wine has 15.2% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright ruby red color.  The inviting nose has cherries, smoke, minerals, cranberries, peat moss, dried violets and scorched earth.  This has medium to full body with moderate tannins and good acidity.  Tart, mineral laden fruit jumps out first on the palate with charred wood and cranberries coming in later.  The finish has good length with a floral note and dry earth entering the picture.  This is tasty now but could use some time in the cellar.  (94 pts)

 

 

 

Closing comments

This makes four wines I have very much enjoyed from Cairdean Estate.  I can see a very bright future for this young winery.  If your travels take you to the Napa Valley, I heartily recommend a visit to Cairdean Estate.  After checking out their menu, I would recommend a stop later in the day combined with a meal at their restaurant, The Farmer & The Fox.  The winery tasting room is open until 8:00, so a post tasting meal would work perfectly.

 

 

 

Connect with me

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

 

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

 

Cheers!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 2014 Cliff’s Wine Picks.

All rights reserved.

 

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

Breaking news from Klout:

 

 

Cliff’s Wine Picks mentions or other posts

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

 

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

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

 

Prices noted are the prices I paid at the time of purchase.  I don’t shop around to find the best prices, but 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!

 

 

 

These reviews are based on samples provided by the winery or organization acting on their behalf.

 

 

 

Overview

I was given the opportunity to join in an online tasting of wines from Soléna Estate.  This was a new winery for me, but since I’m becoming more of a fan of the wines coming out of Oregon, I happily participated.

 

 

The Winery

After successful careers in the Oregon wine industry, the husband and wife team of Laurent Montalieu and Danielle Andrus Montalieu purchased an 80-acre estate to commemorate their marriage.  In May 2002, they launched Soléna by releasing their first bottling and, shortly thereafter, opening a tasting room in Carlton.  Soléna is the combination of the Spanish and French words Solana and Solene, celebrating the sun and the moon, and the name that Laurent and Danielle gave to their daughter.

 

Soléna Estate began as a way to explore winemaking with other varietals grown in neighboring appellations while the family’s young Domaine Danielle Laurent vineyard in the Yamhill-Carlton District matured.  In May, 2007, Danielle and Laurent added the spectacular 100-acre Hyland Vineyard in the McMinnville AVA to their estate vineyard holdings.  Today Laurent and Danielle are producing Pinot Noir from their estate vineyards as well as Pinot Gris, Merlot, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Late Harvest Riesling from select sites throughout Oregon and Washington.

 

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

 

 

 

About Winechat

#winechat is a weekly, Twitter based discussion about something dealing with the world of wine.  Generally, each week’s chat session deals with a specific theme and is lead by an “expert” in that area.  This is generally a nice way to learn about a region, winery, type of wine, etc.

 

Mission

What is #WineChat?  Click here to learn more.

 

Description

How do you join #winechat? Using a tool such as Hootsuite, log into your twitter account & follow the #winechat stream. Be sure to include #winechat at the end of each tweet so everyone in the stream can see you!

 

Grab a glass and join in!

 

The #winechat schedule is available on their Facebook page by clicking here.

 

#winechat is hosted by Protocol Wine Studio.  For more information on them, click here.

 

 

 

Here are the wines for this tasting event:

 

 

2013 Soléna Pinot Gris – SRP $20

This wine includes 4% Gewurztraminer blended in with the Pinot Gris.  The grapes for this wine come from several sites throughout the Willamette Valley including: Hyland Vineyard, Guadalupe Vineyard, Olsen Vineyard, Wildewood Vineyard, Elvenglade Vineyard, Bailey Vineyard and Kramer Vineyard.

 

The grapes were fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks to emphasize the naturally fruity character of the Pinot Gris grapes.  Each lot was fermented separately and was later carefully blended to obtain a crisp, refreshing style, capitalizing on the unique variations from each vineyard site.

 

The wine was aged sur lees for extra depth and there was no malolactic fermentation.  A total of 5000 cases of wine was produced.

 

The wine has 13.4% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a namacorc.  This closure was chosen to help preserve freshness.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a light straw color.  The very open and inviting nose has honeysuckle, pear, flinty minerals, vanilla, lychee and orange blossoms.  This has medium body with good acidity and just a hint of lingering sweetness.  On the palate ripe pears, minerals and vanilla jump out first with vanilla and lime zest coming in on the back end.  The finish has good length with a nice floral note entering the picture.  This has a nice creamy texture on the palate.  (89 pts)

 

 

 

2012 Soléna Pinot Noir Grande Cuvée – SRP $25

This 100% Pinot Noir uses grapes from a variety of appellations.  We selected premium vineyard sites throughout the Willamette Valley, including Angela (Yamhill-Carlton), Thistle (Dundee Hills), Zena Crown (Eola-Amity Hills), Kalita (Yamhill-Carlton) and Monk’s Gate (Yamhill-Carlton).  All of the vineyard sites embrace viticultural practices that reduce or eliminate the use of pesticides which can have a negative impact on the soil’s health.  The vineyard sites were closely monitored to ensure the maximum quality of fruit.  Harvest decisions were made based on fruit flavors and sugars.

 

After fermentation the wine was barrel aged for 10 months in 20% new French oak barrels.  This wine is treated the same way their vineyard designated wines.  There were 6200 cases of this wine produced.

 

The wine has 13.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a nomacorc closure.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a medium ruby red color.  The soothing nose has black cherries, raspberries, earthy underbrush, violets and warm baking spices.  This has medium body with soft to moderate tannins and good acidity.  On the palate dark fruit and earthiness coat the palate slowly allowing some violets to slip into the picture.  The finish has decent length with the earthy elements and spice carrying the load.  I’d like a little more zip on the finish but other wise this is very tasty.  (89 pts)

 

 

 

2012 Soléna Pinot Noir Hyland Vineyard – SRP $50

The Hyland Vineyard was purchased by the family and their business partners in May 2007.  The vineyard was planted in the 1970s. and is located in the Coastal Range foothills southwest of McMinnvile.  The 200 acre estate has 120 acres of vines.  The grapes for this wine come from the 47.21 acres of own-rooted, old-growth Pinot Noir.

 

This high elevation vineyard (600’ to 800’) is typically the winery’s last picked, at the end of October.  There is a low yield due to the age of the vines.  The 2012 Hyland Vineyard is a really delicate wine and we keep the new oak limited to enhance the fruit and not cover it.  Hyland Vineyard is one of the oldest planted vineyards in Willamette Valley.  We own the vineyards and therefore, select the best blocks for ourselves.

 

The wine has 13.6% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright, medium ruby red color.  The inviting nose has cherries, baking spices, raspberries, minerals, dried herbs, cola, violets and white pepper.  This is barely medium body with soft to moderate silky tannins and very nice acidity.  The fruit and spice initially coat the palate with minerals and cola coming in on the backend.  The finish has very good length with some dried herbs and white pepper entering the picture.  This could use a year or two in the cellar but shows very good potential.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

2012 Soléna Pinot Noir Domaine Danielle Laurent – SRP $50

In May of 2000 Laurent Montalieu and Danielle Andrus Montalieu purchased an 80 acre estate as their wedding gift to each other and registered with premium nurseries for six different clones of Pinot Noir vines as wedding gifts.  They named the vineyard Domaine Danielle Laurent.

 

According to the winery, DDL is really quite young to taste and needs at least 3 years to start developing its bouquet.  DDL vines are now 14 years old…still babies…teenagers.  The winery has the sheep and goats mowing the rows during winter.

 

This wine has 13.9% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a medium to dark ruby red color.  The intoxicating nose has black cherries, raspberries, stony minerals, sautéed mushrooms, baking spices, violets and a touch of earthy underbrush.  This has medium body moderate silky tannins and very good acidity.  On the palate the fruit and spice jump out first with minerals and a floral note coming in on the back end.  The finish has very good length with some earthiness joining the fruit and spice.  This tastes great with some air but deserves a year or two in the cellar.  (93 pts)

 

 

 

Closing comments

This is another outstanding Oregon winery to add to your list of wineries to visit.  The lower end wines offer fantastic value and the single vineyard Pinot Noirs are stunning but will be better if you allow them time to develop in your cool cellar.

 

 

 

Connect with me

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

 

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

 

Cheers!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 2014 Cliff’s Wine Picks.

All rights reserved.

 

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

Breaking news from Klout:

 

 

Cliff’s Wine Picks mentions or other posts

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

 

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

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

 

Prices noted are the prices I paid at the time of purchase.  I don’t shop around to find the best prices, but 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!

 

 

 

These reviews are based on samples provided by the winery or organization acting on their behalf.

 

 

2010 Cairdean Estate Merlot

2010 Cairdean Estate Malbec

 

 

Cairdean – Scottish Gaelic for friends

 

Overview

This #winechat was a little different than all the previous ones.  For this week’s version, I was allowed to select two wines from a list of 6 that I’d like to sample during the chat.  Even though the Unoaked Napa Valley Chardonnay and Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon caught my eye and initial interest, I decided to slip “outside the box” for my choices.

 

Even though I have a reputation for not liking Merlot, I do like “good” Merlot.  Most of my negative comments on Merlot deal mainly with the once available for a Tuesday evening dinner at home, in the $12 to $20 range, Merlot wines leave me feeling like Miles from Sideways.  A good Merlot from Napa Valley fruit and a small, up and coming winery sounded perfect.  There, the first wine was selected.

 

The next wine that caught my eye was a Napa Valley Malbec.  I’ve had Napa Valley wines with some Malbec in the blend, but I don’t think I’ve ever had a Napa Valley wine starring the Malbec grape.  There, the hard part was over, I had made my choices.

 

For the record, here were the wines I had to choose from:

2011 Napa Valley Unoaked Chardonnay

2010 Russian River Valley Chardonnay

2010 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

2010 Napa Valley Merlot

2010 Napa Valley Malbec

2012 Haley Margaret

 

 

 

 

The Winery – Their Story

Cairdean Estate is the vision of husband and wife Edwin and Stacia Williams.

 

While working in the software industry on the East Coast outside of Boston, Massachusetts, Stacia developed a strong appreciation and passion for wine.  She made her first vintage in harvest of 2000, shipping in winegrapes from California through a local beer and wine hobby shop.  She met Edwin, an aerospace engineer, shortly after her first vintage.  Edwin being from Fresno, California was immensely interested in her winemaking project and educated her about the world-renowned Enology and Viticulture program at Fresno State.  After years of planning, Edwin and Stacia moved to Fresno with their two children so that Stacia could go back to school and earn a degree in Enology & Viticulture from Fresno State.

 

During Stacia’s time at Fresno State, she and Edwin planned their future together and knew that they wanted to work together and build a family business managing vineyards and making wine.  They had travelled the world together with their children in search of where they would land, but their hearts always belonged to Napa Valley – the first wine country they ever visited as a couple back in the year 2001.

 

After much searching for their home in Napa Valley, it was their elder son Kyle that led them to the quaint town of St. Helena.  He was entering high school and very much wanted to attend the public high school there.  In their searches for land that would allow a quintessential wine country lifestyle, they settled on a beautiful 50 acre parcel right on highway 29 in Saint Helena just north of downtown.

 

After relocating from Fresno to St. Helena in 2010, Edwin and Stacia embraced their vision and created Cairdean Vineyards.  Cairdean is Scottish Gaelic for friends, which reflects their belief that wine is meant to be shared by those held close to your heart.  The Cairdean symbol is a representation of that belief with the four hearts always present and brought together in the center by friendship.

 

Much more information is available on their website by clicking here.

 

 

 

 

About Winechat

#winechat is a weekly, Twitter based discussion about something dealing with the world of wine.  Generally, each week’s chat session deals with a specific theme and is lead by an “expert” in that area.  This is generally a nice way to learn about a region, winery, type of wine, etc.

 

Mission

What is #WineChat?  Click here to learn more.

 

Description

How do you join #winechat? Using a tool such as Hootsuite, log into your twitter account & follow the #winechat stream. Be sure to include #winechat at the end of each tweet so everyone in the stream can see you!

 

Grab a glass and join in!

 

The #winechat schedule is available on their Facebook page by clicking here.

 

#winechat is hosted by Protocol Wine Studio.  For more information on them, click here.

 

 

 

My line up for this event included these two wines like I mentioned earlier:

 

 

 

2010 Cairdean Estate Merlot – SRP $42.00

This is a blend of 81% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1.5% Malbec and .5% Petite Verdot

 

Perfectly placed on a south facing slope in Carneros~Napa Valley from a family-run vineyard, this wine comes from a block that consistently produces stellar wines.  The naturally low pH and higher acid from this site makes for a winemaker’s dream in the cellar, and a wine that is both food-friendly and age-worthy.  After blending with some lower acid wines to balance the palate, this wine was bottled without filtration.

 

The wine was aged in 40% new French oak barrels.  There were 492 cases of this wine produced.  This has 14.9% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a fairly deep ruby color.  The sexy and inviting nose has cherries, crushed stone minerals, crushed berries, dark bittersweet chocolate, licorice, mint and blueberry.  This has medium to full body with moderate to solid tannins and very good acidity.  Cherries, berries and minerals coat the palate, eventually allowing dark chocolate and mint to slip into the picture.  The finish is very long and nicely layered with fruit and savory notes taking turns grabbing the spotlight.  This has outstanding balance and will be even better down the road.  This one can easily rest in the cellar for a decade, maybe more.  This is easily one of the better Merlots that I have had in several years.  (94 pts)

 

 

 

2010 Cairdean Estate Malbec – SRP $40.00

This wine is a blend of 87% Malbec and 13% Petite Sirah.

 

This Malbec comes from the Browns Valley area of the Napa Valley from a very small family-owned vineyard.  Only 6 barrels were produced from this site.  This wonderfully fruity varietal is so often overlooked as a single bottling, so it is always a pleasure when one is good enough to make the cut.  A light amount of new oak helps hang on to that fruit and really lets the fruit take center stage.  By blending in a little Petite Sirah we were able to bring more structure to the wine and balance the fruit with present, but not overpowering tannins.

 

The wine was aged in 20% new French oak barrels.  Production was only 173 cases.  The final alcohol is 14.2% by volume, the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a medium to deep ruby red color.  The enticing nose has raspberries, blackberries, dusty minerals, mint, scorched earth, licorice and dried violets.  This has a medium body with soft to moderate tannins and good acidity.  On the palate the red fruits and mint jump out initially with minerals and some darker fruit coming in on the backend.  The finish has good length and isn’t quite as intense as the palate with the flavors leaning a bit more on the savory elements with the fruit providing nice back ground sweetness.  Probably not one to stash in the cellar for the long term, but this will provide a lot of enjoyment over the next 4 to 6 years.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

Closing comments

Even though I only tried the two wines listed above, all of the wines were sampled by other participants.  For other’s descriptions it sounded like every wine in the lineup was outstanding.  I can state for a fact that I was very impressed by this young winery.  The Cairdean Merlot I tasted was truly a world-class wine.  I highly recommend checking out this winery.  If they keep up the quality, they will become a shining star of the Napa Valley.

 

 

 

Connect with me

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

 

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

 

Cheers!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 2014 Cliff’s Wine Picks.

All rights reserved.

 

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

Breaking news from Klout:

 

 

Cliff’s Wine Picks mentions or other posts

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

 

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

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

 

Prices noted are the prices I paid at the time of purchase.  I don’t shop around to find the best prices, but 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!

 

 

 

These reviews are based on samples provided by the winery or organization acting on their behalf.

 

 

2012 Cline Cellars Marsanne Roussanne

2013 Cline Cellars Mourvedre Rosé

2012 Cline Cellars Pinot Noir Cool Climate

 

 

 

Overview

Cline was the guest of honor for the Twitter based #winechat on April 30^th.  I was lucky to be sent the three bottles we will be discussing during the event.  I’ve been a fan of the wines made by Cline for a number of years.  Their wines are generally very reasonably priced and they have great distribution around the country.

 

 

 

The Winery

In the latter part of the 1800s, Oakley, Contra Costa County was a booming farming community with thousands of acres of orchards and healthy vineyards.  Fred Cline’s maternal grandfather, Valeriano Jacuzzi of pump and spa fame, called this place home.  On summer visits to his grandparents, Fred learned both the love of agricultural life and the mysteries of vinifying grapes into wine.  These lessons led Fred to obtain a degree in Agriculture Management from U.C. Davis.  In 1982, with an inheritance from his grandfather, Fred founded Cline Cellars near Oakley, California.  Here, he preserved and restored many ancient vine sites to their rightful reign as premier California wine lands.

 

In 1991, Fred and his wife Nancy relocated the winery from Oakley to the Carneros region of Sonoma County on a historic 350-acre estate with new vineyards and facilities.  While much of the cool Carneros region is planted to Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Merlot, Fred pioneered the planting of Rhône varietals including Syrah, Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne.

 

Much more information on the winery and their wines is available on their website by clicking here.

 

 

 

 

About Winechat

#winechat is a weekly, Twitter based discussion about something dealing with the world of wine.  Generally, each week’s chat session deals with a specific theme and is lead by an “expert” in that area.  This is generally a nice way to learn about a region, winery, type of wine, etc.

 

Mission

What is #WineChat?  Click here to learn more.

 

Description

How do you join #winechat? Using a tool such as Hootsuite, log into your twitter account & follow the #winechat stream. Be sure to include #winechat at the end of each tweet so everyone in the stream can see you!

 

Grab a glass and join in!

 

The #winechat schedule is available on their Facebook page by clicking here.

 

#winechat is hosted by Protocol Wine Studio.  For more information on them, click here.

 

 

 

My line up for this event looked like this:

 

 

 

2012 Cline Cellars Marsanne Roussanne – SRP $22

This wine is a blend of 66% Marsanne and 34% Roussanne.  The Marsanne comes from Cline’s estate vineyard in Sonoma Carneros, the Roussanne comes from their Sonoma Coast vineyard.

 

The grapes were hand-picked and destemmed.  After pressing in a tank press the juice is pumped into a settling tank and chilled at 55 degrees.  The next day the juice is racked to another tank and fermented.  This wine does not receive any oak aging to preserve the fresh and lively fruit character.

 

This wine is not distributed.  It is only available at the winery or via their website.

 

The wine has 14.5% alcohol by volume.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a light straw color.  The fresh smelling nose has ripe apples, peaches, orange zest, minerals, honey, lime zest and white flowers.  The wine has a medium body with decent acidity and just a hint of sweetness.  Rich and ripe fruit quickly coats the palate with a jolt of citrus, spice and minerals grabbing hold on the mid-palate.  The finish has good length with spice, minerals and citrus closing the show.  (88 pts)

 

 

 

2013 Cline Cellars Mourvedre Rosé – SRP $14

This wine is made from 100% Mourvedre grapes from the winery’s Oakley vineyard in Contra Costa County.  The vines in this vineyard are over a century old.

 

This wine is made as a Blanc de Noir or “white of a red grape” in style.  Just after fermentation begins, the wine is pressed to remove the skins.  A small amount of color, flavor and astringent tannins are retained in the juice.  The juice is fermented slowly at a cold temperature to preserve the bright fruit flavors.  Fermentation is halted just before the wine is fully dry to add a touch of sweetness.

 

The wine has 13.5% alcohol by volume and there is .81% residual sugar.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a vivid pink to red color.  The lively nose has cherries, plums, underbrush, minerals and a touch of spice.  This has a medium body with good acidity and a bit of lingering sweetness.  On the palate sweet fruit and minerals pop out first with some earthiness coming in on the back end.  The finish has nice length with the fruit and earthiness closing the show.  This leaves a pleasant, lingering sweetness.  (87 pts)

 

 

 

2012 Cline Cellars Pinot Noir Cool Climate – SRP $18

This 100% Pinot Noir uses grapes from the estate’s vineyards in the Sonoma Coast appellation.  This region is often covered by coastal fog which helps mitigate daytime heat during the growing season.

 

For this wine, the grapes are hand harvested, destemmed and pumped directly into stainless steel fermentation tanks.  The wine is pumped over the cap of grape solids three times a day to help extract additional flavor and color.  After fermentation completes, the wine is pressed off the solids and moved into settling tanks.  After settling, the wine is racked into 35% new French oak barrels for 9 months of aging.

 

The wine has 14.5% alcohol by volume.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright ruby red color.  The very inviting nose has cherries, eucalyptus, vanilla bean, baking spices, earthy underbrush and a nice floral note.  This has medium body with soft to moderate tannins and very good acidity.  On the palate the bright red fruit and spice lead off with eucalyptus and an earthy note coming in later.  The finish has good length with a floral note closing the show.  This is a very good value for under $20.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

Closing comments

Cline always offers wines that are tasty and value priced.  Any time you grab a bottle with Cline on the label you are guaranteed to not be disappointed.

 

 

 

Connect with me

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

 

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

 

Cheers!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 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:

 

 

Cliff’s Wine Picks mentions or other posts

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

 

Snooth

WINES THAT RANG OUR BELL IN MARCH 2014 – Our Favorite Wine Writers Share Their Picks – White wines for spring.

http://www.snooth.com/articles/wines-that-rang-our-bell-in-february-2014-5296/?viewall=1#ixzz2z411esZO

 

Snooth

WINES WE’VE LOVED!  Our Favorite Wine Writers Share Their Picks

http://www.snooth.com/articles/wines-we-yve-loved/?viewall=1#ixzz2yOsinkhN

 

Snooth

OUR FAVORITE REDS FOR SPRING – The Wine Cognoscenti Recommend

http://www.snooth.com/articles/our-favorite-reds-for-spring/?viewall=1#ixzz2xkH0dfSj

 

Snooth

WHAT’S A GREAT GRENACHE? – Our Friendly Wine Experts Share Their Favorites!

http://www.snooth.com/articles/what-ys-a-great-grenache-5209/

 

Snooth

SPRING TIME IS FOR PAIRING – Our Favorite Wine Writers Share Their Picks

http://www.snooth.com/articles/spring-time-is-for-pairing/

 

Balzac

Balzac Communications & Marketing – News & Views

http://balzaccommunications.createsend1.com/t/ViewEmail/y/948F113D27729D90/DF475947E7F379DE2A1BF84ACBDD178B

 

Snooth

WHAT WE’VE BEEN DRINKING – News and Reviews from Around the Blogosphere

http://www.snooth.com/articles/what-we-yve-been-drinking/?viewall=1#ixzz2vy4idw7a

 

Snooth

WINES THAT RANG OUR BELL IN FEBRUARY 2014 – Our Favorite Wine Writers Share Their Picks

http://www.snooth.com/articles/wines-that-rang-our-bell-in-february-2014/?viewall=1#ixzz2vy4DCh5L

 

Crave Local

California Wine Reviews: Cline Cellars and Jacuzzi Family Vineyard

http://www.cravelocal.com/all-favorites/california-wine-reviews-cline-cellars-and-jacuzzi-family-vineyard/

 

Crave Local

Sample Boutique Wines at Affordable Prices with Tastingroom.com

http://www.cravelocal.com/all-favorites/sample-boutique-wines-at-affordable-prices-with-tastingroom-com/

 

 

 

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!

 

 

 

These reviews are based on samples provided by the winery or organization acting on their behalf.

 

 

 

 

Overview

This was the third straight week the Twitter based #winechat had an Oregon winery and one of their Pinot Noirs front and center.  The first two from Lenne Estate and Youngberg Hill were polar opposites.  The Lenne was full of juicy darker fruit and ready to rock whereas the Youngberg Hill was tight with red fruit, spice and minerals and needs some cellar time.  A quick review of the technical aspects of the wine and winery lead me to expect this wine to be somewhere in the middle between the two previous wines.

 

 

The Winery

The Wrigley Family purchased 200 acres of land in 2006 with about 80 acres being suitable for vineyards.  They planted their first Pinot Noir (6 acres), Chardonnay (1+ acres), Riesling (1 acre) and Pinot Gris (1 acre) vines beginning in October of 2008. The first vintage release was 2009, with the “MAC” Cuvée Pinot Noir, McMinnville.

 

J Wrigley Vineyards is an estate vineyard located in the McMinnville AVA of Yamhill County Oregon.  McMinnville is the home of the International Pinot Noir Festival, distinguishing Yamhill County as a contender in the global marketplace for award winning wines.

 

The preferred spelling is J Wrigley, with no period after “J”. As John Wrigley explains, “All our family’s names begin with ‘J’” – John, Jody, Jordan (6), and John Hayes (4). – “That’s our family”.

Regarding the Wrigley name:  As far as he can determine, John Wrigley is not related to the Wrigley gum family.  “They don’t send me Christmas cards,” he quips. “But I’d have to go back to genealogy charts to definitively determine that.”

 

If you are into the geological aspects of vineyards and the terroir, I highly recommend checking out the winery’s website by clicking here.

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

About Winechat

#winechat is a weekly, Twitter based discussion about something dealing with the world of wine.  Generally, each week’s chat session deals with a specific theme and is lead by an “expert” in that area.  This is generally a nice way to learn about a region, winery, type of wine, etc.

 

Mission

What is #WineChat?  Click here to learn more.

 

Description

How do you join #winechat? Using a tool such as Hootsuite, log into your twitter account & follow the #winechat stream. Be sure to include #winechat at the end of each tweet so everyone in the stream can see you!

 

Grab a glass and join in!

 

The #winechat schedule is available on their Facebook page by clicking here.

 

#winechat is hosted by Protocol Wine Studio.  For more information on them, click here.

 

 

 

 

2012 J Wrigley Pinot Noir Proposal Block Estate – SRP $45

There were 250 cases produced of this 100% Pinot Noir.  The wine was aged for 10 months in new French oak barrels before bottling.  This wine has 14.0% alcohol by volume.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright, brilliant red to ruby color.  The sexy nose has raspberries, dusty flint minerals, white pepper, baking spices, cherries, earthy underbrush and mocha.  This has medium body with moderate tannins and very good acidity.  On the palate the raspberries and minerals grab hold initially, slowly allowing white pepper, spices and cherries to slip in with some earthiness coming in on the back end.  The finish is long and nicely layered with bright fruit, minerals and some subtle earthiness.  This is very tasty now but will be better with some cellar time.  This could turn into a real gem in a year or two.  (93 pts)

 

 

Closing comments

This was a very impressive Pinot Noir.  I was very impressed by the streak of minerals that extended from the nose right through the long finish.  This was my first exposure to J Wrigley and I look forward to checking out their other offerings in the future.  Based on the wine chat conversation, I would highly recommend checking out the winery if you ever make it to Oregon wine country.  John loves to talk about the soils in the area and the “terroir” they provide to the finished wine.

 

 

 

Connect with me

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

 

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

 

Cheers!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 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:

 

 

Cliff’s Wine Picks mentions or other posts

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

 

Snooth

WINES THAT RANG OUR BELL IN MARCH 2014 – Our Favorite Wine Writers Share Their Picks – White wines for spring.

http://www.snooth.com/articles/wines-that-rang-our-bell-in-february-2014-5296/?viewall=1#ixzz2z411esZO

 

Snooth

WINES WE’VE LOVED!  Our Favorite Wine Writers Share Their Picks

http://www.snooth.com/articles/wines-we-yve-loved/?viewall=1#ixzz2yOsinkhN

 

Snooth

OUR FAVORITE REDS FOR SPRING – The Wine Cognoscenti Recommend

http://www.snooth.com/articles/our-favorite-reds-for-spring/?viewall=1#ixzz2xkH0dfSj

 

Snooth

WHAT’S A GREAT GRENACHE? – Our Friendly Wine Experts Share Their Favorites!

http://www.snooth.com/articles/what-ys-a-great-grenache-5209/

 

Snooth

SPRING TIME IS FOR PAIRING – Our Favorite Wine Writers Share Their Picks

http://www.snooth.com/articles/spring-time-is-for-pairing/

 

Balzac

Balzac Communications & Marketing – News & Views

http://balzaccommunications.createsend1.com/t/ViewEmail/y/948F113D27729D90/DF475947E7F379DE2A1BF84ACBDD178B

 

Snooth

WHAT WE’VE BEEN DRINKING – News and Reviews from Around the Blogosphere

http://www.snooth.com/articles/what-we-yve-been-drinking/?viewall=1#ixzz2vy4idw7a

 

Snooth

WINES THAT RANG OUR BELL IN FEBRUARY 2014 – Our Favorite Wine Writers Share Their Picks

http://www.snooth.com/articles/wines-that-rang-our-bell-in-february-2014/?viewall=1#ixzz2vy4DCh5L

 

Crave Local

California Wine Reviews: Cline Cellars and Jacuzzi Family Vineyard

http://www.cravelocal.com/all-favorites/california-wine-reviews-cline-cellars-and-jacuzzi-family-vineyard/

 

Crave Local

Sample Boutique Wines at Affordable Prices with Tastingroom.com

http://www.cravelocal.com/all-favorites/sample-boutique-wines-at-affordable-prices-with-tastingroom-com/

 

 

 

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!

 

 

 

These reviews are based on samples provided by the winery or organization acting on their behalf.

 

 

2013 Bodega del Fin del Mundo Malbec Postales

2012 Familia Zuccardi Malbec Serie A Valle de Uco

2012 Argento Malbec

2012 Alamos Malbec

2012 Familia Zuccardi Malbec Santa Julia Reserva

2011 Bodega del Fin del Mundo Malbec Reserva

2011 Bodegas Escorihuela Gascón Malbec Don Miguel Gascón Reserva

2011 Bodega Norton Malbec Privada Mendoza

 

 

Overview

Malbec World Day (MWD) took place for the first time on April 17, 2011, with more than 72 events being held in 45 cities, across 36 countries.

 

The huge international significance which Malbec World Day has accomplished in each of its editions is also thanks to the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Trade of Argentina.Every year, around the world, more than 40 representatives of Argentina play a major role in the impact of Malbec World Day in the international media.

 

On April 17, 2012, in its second year, there were more than 142 events in 68 cities across 43 countries around the world. The key celebrations were held in New York, Washington, Los Angeles and Seattle in USA, Ottawa, Toronto, Victoria and Vancouver in Canada, United Kingdom, Holland, Colombia, Peru, Mexico, Brazil, Costa Rica and Buenos Aires (Argentina).

 

In 2013, 106 events were held in 76 cities across 50 countries. The whole world honored our country’s signature grape.

 

The fourth edition of Malbec World Day, an international celebration dedicated exclusively to the Argentine grape par excellence. The festivities of 2014 praise the musical culture under the slogan: “To the sound of Malbec” (or “Music for Malbec”). From their ancient origins, Bacchanalian parties appealed to the liberation of the senses through sensuality and movement. Therefore, this year we are to through music to enhance the rhythmic quality of our wine. The tempo of Malbec is like your taste: untamed, intense and vigorous.

 

Much more information on the event is available on the Wines of Argentina site by clicking here.

 

 

Malbec – The Grape

While acreage of the Malbec is declining in France, in Argentina the grape is surging and has become a “national variety” of a sort that is uniquely identified with Argentine wine.  The grape was first introduced to the region in the mid 19th century when provincial governor Domingo Faustino Sarmiento instructed the French agronomist Miguel Pouget to bring grapevine cuttings from France to Argentina.  Of the vines that Pouget brought were the very first Malbec vines to be planted in the country.  During the economic turmoil of the 20th century, some plantings of Malbec were pulled out to make way for the jug wine producing varieties of Criolla Grande and Cereza.  But the grape was rediscovered in the late 20th century as the Argentine wine industry shifted its focus to premium wine production for export.  As the Argentine wine industry discovered the unique quality of wine that could be made from the grape, Malbec arose to greater prominence and is today the most widely planted red grape variety in the country.  As of 2003 there were over 50,000 acres (20,000 hectares) of Malbec in Argentina.

 

The grape clusters of Argentine Malbec are different from its French relatives, having smaller berries in tighter, smaller clusters.  This suggests that the cuttings brought over by Pouget and later French immigrants were a unique clone that may have gone extinct in France due to frost and the phylloxera epidemic.  Argentine Malbec wine is characterized by its deep color and intense fruity flavors with a velvety texture.  While it doesn’t have the tannic structure of a French Malbec, being more plush in texture, Argentine Malbecs have shown aging potential similar to their French counterparts.  The Mendoza region is the leading producer of Malbec in Argentina with plantings found throughout the country in places such as La Rioja, Salta, San Juan, Catamarca and Buenos Aires.

(Courtesy of Wikipedia)

 

 

Argentina – The Country

The Argentine wine industry is the fifth largest producer of wine in the world.  Argentine wine, as with some aspects of Argentine cuisine, has its roots in Spain.  During the Spanish colonization of the Americas, vine cuttings were brought to Santiago del Estero in 1557, and the cultivation of the grape and wine production stretched first to neighboring regions, and then to other parts of the country.

 

Historically, Argentine winemakers were traditionally more interested in quantity than quality with the country consuming 90% of the wine it produces (12 gallons/45 liters a year per capita according to 2006 figures).  Until the early 1990s, Argentina produced more wine than any other country outside Europe, though the majority of it was considered unexportable.  However, the desire to increase exports fueled significant advances in quality.  Argentine wines started being exported during the 1990s, and are currently growing in popularity, making it now the largest wine exporter in South America.  The devaluation of the Argentine peso in 2002 further fueled the industry as production costs decreased and tourism significantly increased, giving way to a whole new concept of enotourism in Argentina.

(Courtesy of Wikipedia)

 

 

 

About Winechat

#winechat is a weekly, Twitter based discussion about something dealing with the world of wine.  Generally, each week’s chat session deals with a specific theme and is lead by an “expert” in that area.  This is generally a nice way to learn about a region, winery, type of wine, etc.

 

Mission

What is #WineChat?  Click here to learn more.

 

Description

How do you join #winechat? Using a tool such as Hootsuite, log into your twitter account & follow the #winechat stream. Be sure to include #winechat at the end of each tweet so everyone in the stream can see you!

 

Grab a glass and join in!

 

The #winechat schedule is available on their Facebook page by clicking here.

 

#winechat is hosted by Protocol Wine Studio.  For more information on them, click here.

 

 

 

My lineup for the tasting:

 

 

 

2013 Bodega del Fin del Mundo Malbec Postales

The wine has 14.0% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a plastic stopper.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright ruby red color.  The very appealing nose has blackberries, raspberries, plums, fresh ground coffee, baking spices, candied violets, and earthy underbrush.  This has medium body with soft tannins and decent acidity.  On the palate sweet, juicy berries and spice grab hold and slowly allows a floral note to slip into the picture.  The finish has decent length with a bit of dark chocolate and earthiness coming into play.  This is an easy drinking wine with just a touch of sweetness that would appeal to a lot of wine drinkers especially in a party setting.  (86 pts)

 

 

 

2012 Familia Zuccardi Malbec Serie A Valle de Uco

This wine has 14.0% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with an agglomerated cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a medium ruby to violet color.  The soothing nose has crushed berries, black cherries, plums, licorice, chocolate, vanilla and wild flowers.  This has medium body with soft tannins and decent acidity.  On the palate sweet, juicy fruit and vanilla jump out first with some dark chocolate coming in later.  The finish has good length with a floral note adding some depth.  This wine leaves a sweet final impression which would make it a good choice for a friendly gathering.  (86 pts)

 

 

 

2012 Argento Malbec

This has 13.9% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a twist off cap.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a violet red color.  The open and appealing nose has currants, plums, Asian spices, dark chocolate, underbrush, dried flowers and a touch of smoke.  This has medium body with moderate tannins and good acidity.  The palate has a nice mix of fruit and savory notes with an earthy edge coming in on the back end.  The finish has good length with a solid dark chocolate element and earthiness balancing out the fruit.  This has nice depth.  (88 pts)

 

 

 

2012 Alamos Malbec

The wine has 13.7% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with an agglomerated cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a medium to deep ruby color.  The nose has plums, blackberries, fresh ground espresso and toasty oak.  On the palate the plums jump out first and grudgingly allows some ground espresso to slip through.  The finish is a touch short and is dominated by toasty oak with a touch of fruit in the background providing some needed sweetness.  (85 pts)

 

 

 

2012 Familia Zuccardi Malbec Santa Julia Reserva

This wine has 14.0% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with an agglomerated cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a medium to dark ruby red.  The slightly shy nose eventually offers up black cherry, baking spice, toasted oak and violets.  This has medium body with moderate tannins and good acidity.  This is much more giving on the palate with cherries and spicy oak up front with more spice and nice earthiness coming in on the back end.  The finish has good length with the savory elements carrying the load with the fruit in the background.  This is not a fruit forward wine, the fruit is a supporting character adding nice sweetness.  (88 pts)

 

 

 

2011 Bodega del Fin del Mundo Malbec Reserva

This wine has 14.0% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a nice ruby red color.  The exotic nose has blackberries, flinty minerals, roasted herbs, dark bittersweet chocolate, toasty oak and dried wild flowers.  This has medium body with moderate to full tannins and good acidity.  On the palate mineral laden berries and roasted herbs hit first with dark chocolate and toasty oak coming in later.  The finish has good length with the toasty oak and berries carrying the load.  This would be nice with a piece of juicy meat, hot off the grill.  (88 pts)

 

 

 

2011 Bodegas Escorihuela Gascón Malbec Don Miguel Gascón Reserva

This wine has 14.8% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a medium to dark ruby color.  The slightly different nose has an adhesive tape element to go with crushed blackberries, dark chocolate, minerals and earthy underbrush.  This has a medium to full body with moderate to solid tannins and good acidity.  On the palate the crushed berries and minerals initially take hold with dark chocolate and earthy elements coming in on the back end.  The finish has decent length with a reappearance of the adhesive tape (bret).  The apparent bret element will turn a lot of people off but it’s not that distracting for those of us who thinks it can add an element to a wine in small doses.  That said, this is pushing the limits of my bret tolerance.  (85 pts)

 

I should note, no one else noticed anything wrong with this wine, so the bret issue I encountered could be related to the dreaded “bottle variation”.

 

 

 

2011 Bodega Norton Malbec Privada Mendoza

This wine has 14.8% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a medium to dark ruby color.  The bold nose has crushed berries, game, dark roasted coffee, mocha, vanilla, cherries and potpourri.  This has medium to full body with fairly solid tannins and good acidity.  On the palate spicy oak and fruit grab hold up front with coffee and mocha coming in later.  The finish is fairly long with vanilla and a gamy note coming in.  A solid wine that would go well with a hearty meat dish.  (89 pts)

 

 

 

Closing comments

These wines showed the range of Malbec wines being produced in Argentina.  Some were soft, fruity, easy drinking wines perfect for non-critical sipping with friends.  Other samples were perfect for casual week night dining with family and friends.  Still others were serious wines with a savory edge that would be perfect for the “wine geek” in your life or yourself.

 

 

 

Win an All-inclusive VIP Sonoma Winecation

 

 

 

Underground Cellar is offering you a chance to win an all-inclusive VIP weekend in Sonoma wine country.

 

The winner will get the following with a value of $6,500:

• Weekend getaway for 4 to California’s exclusive Sonoma wine country
• Stay at the luxurious 5,500 sq. ft. Villa Terra Nova Retreat
• Behind-the-scenes private tour of Iron Horse Vineyards, by winemaker David Munskgard
• VIP chef’s dinner at award-winning “the girl and the fig” restaurant
• Rountrip airfare, luxury transportation, and many other surprises!

Click here to enter.   If you win, you can even include me as one of your friends.

Even if you don’t win the grand prize, there is over $3,000 of gift cards with a value of up to $200 to be given away.

 

While you’re there, check out Underground Cellar unique wine selling model.  You can “buy” a lower cost wine and get upgraded to a much more expensive bottle for free.  For example, one of their current offers is $42 for a 2008 Balboa Brioso.  If you buy this wine, you could get “upgraded” to 2007 Stonestreet Monument Ridge Cabernet ($60 value), 2009 Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet ($85 value), 2007 Anderson’s Conn Valley Reserve Cabernet ($130 value), 1994 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon ($150 value), or even a 1985 BR Cohn Cabernet Sauvignon Olive Hill (Helen Turley) with a value of $220.

 

The shipping is also incredible, at 6 bottles, shipping cost $5! Buy 6 more bottles and ship for FREE.

 

 

 

Connect with me

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

 

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

 

Cheers!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 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:

 

 

Cliff’s Wine Picks mentions or other posts

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

 

Snooth

WINES THAT RANG OUR BELL IN MARCH 2014 – Our Favorite Wine Writers Share Their Picks – White wines for spring.

http://www.snooth.com/articles/wines-that-rang-our-bell-in-february-2014-5296/?viewall=1#ixzz2z411esZO

 

Snooth

WINES WE’VE LOVED!  Our Favorite Wine Writers Share Their Picks

http://www.snooth.com/articles/wines-we-yve-loved/?viewall=1#ixzz2yOsinkhN

 

Snooth

OUR FAVORITE REDS FOR SPRING – The Wine Cognoscenti Recommend

http://www.snooth.com/articles/our-favorite-reds-for-spring/?viewall=1#ixzz2xkH0dfSj

 

Snooth

WHAT’S A GREAT GRENACHE? – Our Friendly Wine Experts Share Their Favorites!

http://www.snooth.com/articles/what-ys-a-great-grenache-5209/

 

Snooth

SPRING TIME IS FOR PAIRING – Our Favorite Wine Writers Share Their Picks

http://www.snooth.com/articles/spring-time-is-for-pairing/

 

Balzac

Balzac Communications & Marketing – News & Views

http://balzaccommunications.createsend1.com/t/ViewEmail/y/948F113D27729D90/DF475947E7F379DE2A1BF84ACBDD178B

 

Snooth

WHAT WE’VE BEEN DRINKING – News and Reviews from Around the Blogosphere

http://www.snooth.com/articles/what-we-yve-been-drinking/?viewall=1#ixzz2vy4idw7a

 

Snooth

WINES THAT RANG OUR BELL IN FEBRUARY 2014 – Our Favorite Wine Writers Share Their Picks

http://www.snooth.com/articles/wines-that-rang-our-bell-in-february-2014/?viewall=1#ixzz2vy4DCh5L

 

Crave Local

California Wine Reviews: Cline Cellars and Jacuzzi Family Vineyard

http://www.cravelocal.com/all-favorites/california-wine-reviews-cline-cellars-and-jacuzzi-family-vineyard/

 

Crave Local

Sample Boutique Wines at Affordable Prices with Tastingroom.com

http://www.cravelocal.com/all-favorites/sample-boutique-wines-at-affordable-prices-with-tastingroom-com/

 

 

 

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!

 

 

 

These reviews are based on samples provided by the winery or organization acting on their behalf.

 

 

 

 

Overview

Youngberg Hill is both a winery and an Inn.  If you go to their website, the first thing you’ll notice is the pictures and stories about their inn.  It looks beautiful but I will refrain from commenting about it since this piece is about their wine.  I will say, if you are planning a trip to the Oregon’s wine country, this should be at the top of your list of places to stay.

 

Youngberg Hill uses organic and sustainable practices with the goal of being certified a “Biodynamic” vineyard in a couple of years.  The winery’s vineyards measure 20 acres, divided into four distinct blocks.  Three of the blocks are used for Pinot Noir and one contains Pinot Gris.  All vineyards are dry farmed and well as utilizing the previously mentioned biodynamic practices.

 

 

The Winery

Youngberg Hill was started in 1989 with the noble goal of creating the best wine from the best grapes in every vintage.

 

In 1989, Ken Wright, who saw great potential in the soils of Willamette Valley, planted the vineyards (now known as the Jordan and Natasha blocks) on what was to become known as Youngberg Hill.  Wright, considered to be one of the “gurus” of Oregon wine, exclusively used the fruit from Youngberg for his Panther Creek wines.  In 1996, the first wine to be labeled Youngberg Hill Vineyards was produced.

 

By 2003, Wayne Bailey – the son of an Oakland, Iowa farmer, and with a mechanical engineering degree in tow – bought the property and launched what he describes as his “fifth career”, that of a wine grower and producer.  With the 2013 harvest, Wayne marked his 10th anniversary farming Youngberg.

 

The winery started practicing organic farming in 2003, are LIVE certified, and are moving toward biodynamic farming practices.   They are most interested in sustaining and even improving the quality and balance of the soil naturally.  They believe these practices produce the highest quality fruit possible, while maintaining the integrity of the soils and the rich nourishment they provide to the fruit.

 

In their words – Oregon’s premier wine country estate and one of Wine Spectator’s favorite locations; set on a 50 acre hilltop surrounded by an organic vineyard.  We have an amazing 25 year old vineyard that is farmed organically.  We are well known for producing award winning Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris wines.  As passionate farmers and winemakers we are thrilled to share, educate, and talk wine.  We respect the environment and believe that we can make a difference in how we treat the land and each other every day.  We care for our wine and guests with this same respect and philosophy.   We are proud of our ‘Green’ approach to wine country living and look forward to sharing it with you.

 

 

Much more information on the winey and Inn can be found on their website by clicking here.

 

 

 

 

About Winechat

#winechat is a weekly, Twitter based discussion about something dealing with the world of wine.  Generally, each week’s chat session deals with a specific theme and is lead by an “expert” in that area.  This is generally a nice way to learn about a region, winery, type of wine, etc.

 

Mission

What is #WineChat?  Click here to learn more.

 

Description

How do you join #winechat? Using a tool such as Hootsuite, log into your twitter account & follow the #winechat stream. Be sure to include #winechat at the end of each tweet so everyone in the stream can see you!

 

Grab a glass and join in!

 

The #winechat schedule is available on their Facebook page by clicking here.

 

#winechat is hosted by Protocol Wine Studio.  For more information on them, click here.

 

 

 

 

 

2010 Youngberg Hill Pinot Noir Jordan Block – SRP $40

The four acre Jordan Block is the smaller of the two original block planted in 1989 by Ken Wright.  The Jordan Block is on a steeper slope then the other original block, the Natasha Block.  It is at an altitude of approximately 750 feet on Steiwer soil.  The vines are own-rooted with 60% Pommard and 40% Wadenswil clones.

 

2010 was a cool vintage that fortunately provided a nice “Indian Summer” that allowed the grapes to ripen.  Since the grapes had to “hang” until late October to ripen, birds became a major issue.  The birds liked the winery’s grapes as evidenced by the 30% of the crop they ate.  In most cooler vintages, the wines produced are highly structured but need some cellar time to show their best.  The wine was aged for 10 months in 25% new oak.

 

The wine has 12.9% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a twist off closure.  I should note, the winery’s “technical” notes say the alcohol is 11.95%, but I am using the percentage off of the label.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright ruby color.  The enticing nose has black cherries, minerals, baking spice, violets, anise, and subtle earthiness.   This barely has medium body with moderate tannins and very good acidity.  On the palate the tart fruit, minerals and spice hit first with anise and violets coming in on the back end.  The finish gets a touch lean with some earthiness  coming into the picture to add to the tart fruit and minerals before a slight herbal note slips in.  This is very young and will be better with some cellar time which should allow it to fill out on the back end and fully open up.  (89 pts)

 

 

Closing comments

This wine really needs and deserves a couple years in the cellar for it to fill out on the back end and to open up.  As with most wines produced in cool vintages, patience will be rewarded.  If you drink this now, give it a considerable amount of air.

 

 

 

Win an All-inclusive VIP Sonoma Winecation

 

 

 

Underground Cellar is offering you a chance to win an all-inclusive VIP weekend in Sonoma wine country.

 

The winner will get the following with a value of $6,500:

• Weekend getaway for 4 to California’s exclusive Sonoma wine country
• Stay at the luxurious 5,500 sq. ft. Villa Terra Nova Retreat
• Behind-the-scenes private tour of Iron Horse Vineyards, by winemaker David Munskgard
• VIP chef’s dinner at award-winning “the girl and the fig” restaurant
• Rountrip airfare, luxury transportation, and many other surprises!

Click here to enter.   If you win, you can even include me as one of your friends.

Even if you don’t win the grand prize, there is over $3,000 of gift cards with a value of up to $200 to be given away.

 

While you’re there, check out Underground Cellar unique wine selling model.  You can “buy” a lower cost wine and get upgraded to a much more expensive bottle for free.  For example, one of their current offers is $42 for a 2008 Balboa Brioso.  If you buy this wine, you could get “upgraded” to 2007 Stonestreet Monument Ridge Cabernet ($60 value), 2009 Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet ($85 value), 2007 Anderson’s Conn Valley Reserve Cabernet ($130 value), 1994 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon ($150 value), or even a 1985 BR Cohn Cabernet Sauvignon Olive Hill (Helen Turley) with a value of $220.

 

The shipping is also incredible, at 6 bottles, shipping cost $5! Buy 6 more bottles and ship for FREE.

 

 

 

Connect with me

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

 

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

 

Cheers!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 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:

 

 

Cliff’s Wine Picks mentions or other posts

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

 

Snooth

WINES WE’VE LOVED!  Our Favorite Wine Writers Share Their Picks

http://www.snooth.com/articles/wines-we-yve-loved/?viewall=1#ixzz2yOsinkhN

 

Snooth

OUR FAVORITE REDS FOR SPRING – The Wine Cognoscenti Recommend

http://www.snooth.com/articles/our-favorite-reds-for-spring/?viewall=1#ixzz2xkH0dfSj

 

Snooth

WHAT’S A GREAT GRENACHE? – Our Friendly Wine Experts Share Their Favorites!

http://www.snooth.com/articles/what-ys-a-great-grenache-5209/

 

Snooth

SPRING TIME IS FOR PAIRING – Our Favorite Wine Writers Share Their Picks

http://www.snooth.com/articles/spring-time-is-for-pairing/

 

Balzac

Balzac Communications & Marketing – News & Views

http://balzaccommunications.createsend1.com/t/ViewEmail/y/948F113D27729D90/DF475947E7F379DE2A1BF84ACBDD178B

 

Snooth

WHAT WE’VE BEEN DRINKING – News and Reviews from Around the Blogosphere

http://www.snooth.com/articles/what-we-yve-been-drinking/?viewall=1#ixzz2vy4idw7a

 

Snooth

WINES THAT RANG OUR BELL IN FEBRUARY 2014 – Our Favorite Wine Writers Share Their Picks

http://www.snooth.com/articles/wines-that-rang-our-bell-in-february-2014/?viewall=1#ixzz2vy4DCh5L

 

Crave Local

California Wine Reviews: Cline Cellars and Jacuzzi Family Vineyard

http://www.cravelocal.com/all-favorites/california-wine-reviews-cline-cellars-and-jacuzzi-family-vineyard/

 

Crave Local

Sample Boutique Wines at Affordable Prices with Tastingroom.com

http://www.cravelocal.com/all-favorites/sample-boutique-wines-at-affordable-prices-with-tastingroom-com/

 

 

 

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!

 

 

 

These reviews are based on samples provided by the winery or organization acting on their behalf.

 

 

 

Overview

This will be my first exposure to Lenné.  My appreciation for Oregon Pinot Noir wines has grown steadily over the last few years.  I was pleased to see the winery’s vineyard shares a ridge with one of my favorite Oregon Pinot wineries, Penner-Ash.

 

The Winery

The Lenné history starts in 2000 when Steve and Karen Lutz bought the 21 acre site.  Beginning in 2001, Steve has planted about 15 acres of vines in their steep, south facing vineyard near the town of Yamhill.  The vineyard is dry famed in some of the poorest vineyard soil in the country.  This caused a high mortality rate for the young vines, but in the long run will cause the root systems to dig deep for water and nutrients, resulting in better wine.

 

The winery is named after Karen Lutz’s late father, Lenny.

 

Much more information about the winery, vineyards and people behind this wine is available on their website by clicking here.

 

 

 

 

 

About Winechat

#winechat is a weekly, Twitter based discussion about something dealing with the world of wine.  Generally, each week’s chat session deals with a specific theme and is lead by an “expert” in that area.  This is generally a nice way to learn about a region, winery, type of wine, etc.

 

Mission

What is #WineChat?  Click here to learn more.

 

Description

How do you join #winechat? Using a tool such as Hootsuite, log into your twitter account & follow the #winechat stream. Be sure to include #winechat at the end of each tweet so everyone in the stream can see you!

 

Grab a glass and join in!

 

The #winechat schedule is available on their Facebook page by clicking here.

 

#winechat is hosted by Protocol Wine Studio.  For more information on them, click here.

 

 

 

 

2010 Lenne Estate Pinot Noir Estate – SRP $45

 

The Wine

The grapes for this wine were cold soaked for five days before inoculation after being gently de-stemmed.  The must was fermented at moderate temperatures.  After fermentation, the wine was racked into small French oak barrels, 42% new, and aged for 11 months.  The best barrels were selected to be used for this wine.  There were 225 cases of wine produced and the final alcohol level is 13.6%.  The bottle is sealed with a natural cork with a small circle of hard wax covering the cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a bright red to ruby color.  The striking nose has cherries, blackberries, potpourri, mocha, stony minerals, violets, smoke, eucalyptus and underbrush.   This has medium body with silky tannins and good acidity.  On the palate the sweet fruit and spicy, toasty oak grab hold first with minerals, mocha and earthy elements coming in on the back end.  The finish has very good length with the savory elements and a blast of minerals taking center stage and the fruit providing nice background sweetness.  This is very young but already impressive.  (92 pts)

 

 

Closing comments

This wine needs an hour or two of air to fully open up and show at its best.  Personally, I’d recommend leaving the wine in a cool, dark corner of your cellar for two years.

 

This winery has joined my list of my top 5 Oregon Pinot Noir producers.  The others on that list are Penner-Ash, Soter, Helioterra and Belle Pente.

 

 

 

Win an All-inclusive VIP Sonoma Winecation

 

 

 

Underground Cellar is offering you a chance to win an all-inclusive VIP weekend in Sonoma wine country.

 

The winner will get the following with a value of $6,500:

• Weekend getaway for 4 to California’s exclusive Sonoma wine country
• Stay at the luxurious 5,500 sq. ft. Villa Terra Nova Retreat
• Behind-the-scenes private tour of Iron Horse Vineyards, by winemaker David Munskgard
• VIP chef’s dinner at award-winning “the girl and the fig” restaurant
• Rountrip airfare, luxury transportation, and many other surprises!

Click here to enter.   If you win, you can even include me as one of your friends.

Even if you don’t win the grand prize, there is over $3,000 of gift cards with a value of up to $200 to be given away.

 

While you’re there, check out Underground Cellar unique wine selling model.  You can “buy” a lower cost wine and get upgraded to a much more expensive bottle for free.  For example, one of their current offers is $42 for a 2008 Balboa Brioso.  If you buy this wine, you could get “upgraded” to 2007 Stonestreet Monument Ridge Cabernet ($60 value), 2009 Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet ($85 value), 2007 Anderson’s Conn Valley Reserve Cabernet ($130 value), 1994 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon ($150 value), or even a 1985 BR Cohn Cabernet Sauvignon Olive Hill (Helen Turley) with a value of $220.

 

The shipping is also incredible, at 6 bottles, shipping cost $5! Buy 6 more bottles and ship for FREE.

 

 

 

Connect with me

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

 

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

 

Cheers!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 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:

 

 

Cliff’s Wine Picks mentions or other posts

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

 

Snooth

WINES WE’VE LOVED!  Our Favorite Wine Writers Share Their Picks

http://www.snooth.com/articles/wines-we-yve-loved/?viewall=1#ixzz2yOsinkhN

 

Snooth

OUR FAVORITE REDS FOR SPRING – The Wine Cognoscenti Recommend

http://www.snooth.com/articles/our-favorite-reds-for-spring/?viewall=1#ixzz2xkH0dfSj

 

Snooth

WHAT’S A GREAT GRENACHE? – Our Friendly Wine Experts Share Their Favorites!

http://www.snooth.com/articles/what-ys-a-great-grenache-5209/

 

Snooth

SPRING TIME IS FOR PAIRING – Our Favorite Wine Writers Share Their Picks

http://www.snooth.com/articles/spring-time-is-for-pairing/

 

Balzac

Balzac Communications & Marketing – News & Views

http://balzaccommunications.createsend1.com/t/ViewEmail/y/948F113D27729D90/DF475947E7F379DE2A1BF84ACBDD178B

 

Snooth

WHAT WE’VE BEEN DRINKING – News and Reviews from Around the Blogosphere

http://www.snooth.com/articles/what-we-yve-been-drinking/?viewall=1#ixzz2vy4idw7a

 

Snooth

WINES THAT RANG OUR BELL IN FEBRUARY 2014 – Our Favorite Wine Writers Share Their Picks

http://www.snooth.com/articles/wines-that-rang-our-bell-in-february-2014/?viewall=1#ixzz2vy4DCh5L

 

Crave Local

California Wine Reviews: Cline Cellars and Jacuzzi Family Vineyard

http://www.cravelocal.com/all-favorites/california-wine-reviews-cline-cellars-and-jacuzzi-family-vineyard/

 

Crave Local

Sample Boutique Wines at Affordable Prices with Tastingroom.com

http://www.cravelocal.com/all-favorites/sample-boutique-wines-at-affordable-prices-with-tastingroom-com/

 

 

 

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!

 

 

These reviews are based on samples provided by the winery or organization acting on their behalf.

 

 

 

 

It was my good fortune to be able to participate in an online tasting of wines from Hungary presented by the importer/wholesaler Blue Danube Wine Company via Protocol Wine Company’s Twitter based #winechat.

 

I want to thank Blue Danube for providing these wines for me to sample.

 

 

Blue Danube Wine Company

Blue Danube Wine Company distributes wines as a wholesaler to wine retailers, supermarkets, and better restaurants within California.  Simultaneously, we continue to build a nation-wide network of distributors.

 

As the gateway between East and West, Central Europe has been largely defined by invasion, occupation and alliances despite thousands of years of winemaking.  Blue Danube Wine Company was founded in 2002 by husband and wife team Frank Dietrich and Zsuzsanna Molnar in order to travel to this unique corner of the world and bring its wine culture back to the US market.  Focusing on Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia and Montenegro, our goal is to seek out winemakers who truly capture the character of the land they come from.  Indigenous grapes, winemaking traditions that predate Western Europe, and building meaningful long term relationships are the means to this end.

 

Much more information on the regions Blue Danube covers and their wines is available on their website by clicking here.

  

 

About Hungary

Bisected by the Danube River and a gateway between East and West, Hungary has been largely defined by invasion, occupation or alliances ranging from the Mongolians, Turks, Germans, Austrians, Italians, French, Czechs, Slovaks, Serbs, Croatians and Communist Russia.  Hungarian cuisine, language, and wine culture is the remarkable transformation of these foreign influences into something uniquely their own.  Over the past 2000 years, its continental climate, fertile soil, volcanic terroirs, and native grapes make it the only country in the world to sing about their wine in their National Anthem.  That said, the Communist period that followed World War II focused on quantity over quality and the greatness of the many regional wines were largely forgotten.  Today, only 20 years after the re-establishment of private and family wineries, Hungary is in the midst of a wine renaissance.  The potential of its 22 distinct appellations and breadth of indigenous varieties and traditions of winemaking are only now being truly (re)discovered.

Much more information on The Wines of Hungary is available on Blue Danube’s site by clicking here.

 

 

 

About Winechat

#winechat is a weekly, Twitter based discussion about something dealing with the world of wine.  Generally, each week’s chat deals with a specific theme and is lead by an “expert” in that area.  This is generally a nice way to learn about a region, winery, type of wine, etc.

 

Mission

What is #WineChat?  Click here to learn more.

 

Description

How do you join #winechat? Using a tool such as Hootsuite, log into your twitter account & follow the #winechat stream. Be sure to include #winechat at the end of each tweet so everyone in the stream can see you!

 

Grab a glass and join in!

 

Click here for the current #winechat schedule.

#winechat is hosted by Protocol Wine Studio.  For more information on them, click here.

 

 

 

My Line Up

 

Here is my line up for the evening:

 

 

2011 Eszterbauer Szekszárd Nagyapám – SRP $17.95

 

The Winery

The Eszterbauer family emigrated to southern Hungary from Bavaria is 1746.  The area they chose was south of Budapest and north of Croatia.  Based on latitude, the region is between France’s Bordeaux and the Loire Valley.The black and white photos on the winery’s labels are from the 1930s and show the family in the winery’s cellar and vineyards.  The family owns 8 hectares of vineyards but farms a total of 22 in 7 sites.

 

The Wine

The grape used for this wine is Kadarka.  Never heard of it, you say?  That makes two of us.  This grape has a long history and is popular in Hungary and Bolivia.  The grape is also used in most of the eastern European countries where it also goes by the names Gamza, Cedarka and Skadarska.

 

To me, the grape seemed to be like a combination of Gamay (Beaujolais) and Cabernet Franc (Loire).  The wine had nice fruit, spice and minerals like a good Loire Cab Franc but like a good Cru Beaujolais it could take a slight chill.

 

The fruit for this wine comes from the winery’s oldest vineyards and many feel it is Hungary’s finest Kadarka.  This is a unique red wine that can use a slight chill.

 

This wine has 14.0% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

This wine is a medium ruby red color.  The inviting nose has cherries, black pepper and chalky minerals.  The wine has medium body, soft to moderate tannins and good acidity.  On the palate the wine has nice peppery cherries and spice up front with minerals coming in on the back end.  The finish has nice length with the cherries and pepper carrying the load.  (87 pts)

 

 

 

2011 Bodrog Borműhely Furmint Tokaji Lapis – SRP $21.95

 

The Winery

The Tokaji region in Northeastern Hungary is home to the world’s first appellation system.  Their system was enacted over 100 years before Bordeaux.  Tokaji is so ingrained in Hungarian identity that it’s part of their National Anthem.

 

The wine business in Hungary is caught up in a renewed renaissance.  Private and family ownership of wineries, which was illegal under Communism, has only been re-established over the last 20+ years.

 

 

The Wine

The grape used for this wine is Furmint.  This is also the predominant grape used in the production of Hungary’s highly acclaimed and delicious sweet dessert wine, Tokaji.

 

This wine is not a sweet wine but is almost totally dry.  This wine was an eye opener.  It had very nice richness and opulence with no lingering sweetness.  Crisp, mouthwatering acidity on the finish held everything together nicely and made you want to grab your glass for another sip.

 

This has 12.5% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

This is a nice yellow with straw tint.  The rich smelling nose has peach, vanilla custard, minerals and white pepper.  This has light to medium body and good acidity.  On the palate this is rich and opulent up front with great closing citrusy acidity.  (90 pts)

 

 

 

2011 Fekete Pince Somlovasarhely Somlói Olaszrizling – SRP $24.95

 

The Winery

Somló is Hungary’s smallest appellation and was once an underwater volcano.  The volcano is now dormant but the region is home to Hungary’s steepest and most densely planted vineyards.

 

The winemaking “laws” for the region were very strict.  In 1752, local laws stated that if you were found adding water to wine, expect 25 lashings as the minimum punishment.  If you were found to be labeling wine as Somló but using other fruit sources, you would be banned from making wine permanently and might even have your property confiscated.

 

The owner/winemaker is “The Grand Old Man” of Somló is Fekete Béla.  Since Fekete is now approaching 90 years old, he and his wife Bori decided the 2013 vintage would be their last.

 

The Wine

This is another unique Hungarian wine.  The wine is aged in 1200 liter Hungarian oak casks for two years that are never completely sealed.  The two years of oxygen contact leads to the “nutty” elements the wine shows.

 

This wine has 12.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with an agglomerated cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a light golden yellow color.  The different and interesting nose has a “nutty” element with spices, pear, apples and minerals.  This has medium body with good acidity and a touch of sweetness.  On the palate there is a saline element to go with spices and nuts and minerals and white fruit with some mouthwatering citrus coming in on the back end.  This has good length the citrus, minerals and the saline element leaving you reaching for another sip.  (89 pts)

 

 

 

Closing comments

This was an eye opening experience for me.  All three of these wines were very unique and impossible to easily categorize with other wines available from around the world.  If you are looking for something thought provoking, different and most importantly very tasty, check out Hungarian wines.

 

 

 

Win an All-inclusive VIP Sonoma Winecation

 

 

 

Underground Cellar is offering you a chance to win an all-inclusive VIP weekend in Sonoma wine country.

 

The winner will get the following with a value of $6,500:

• Weekend getaway for 4 to California’s exclusive Sonoma wine country
• Stay at the luxurious 5,500 sq. ft. Villa Terra Nova Retreat
• Behind-the-scenes private tour of Iron Horse Vineyards, by winemaker David Munskgard
• VIP chef’s dinner at award-winning “the girl and the fig” restaurant
• Rountrip airfare, luxury transportation, and many other surprises!

Click here to enter.   If you win, you can even include me as one of your friends.

Even if you don’t win the grand prize, there is over $3,000 of gift cards with a value of up to $200 to be given away.

 

While you’re there, check out Underground Cellar unique wine selling model.  You can “buy” a lower cost wine and get upgraded to a much more expensive bottle for free.  For example, one of their current offers is $42 for a 2008 Balboa Brioso.  If you buy this wine, you could get “upgraded” to 2007 Stonestreet Monument Ridge Cabernet ($60 value), 2009 Caymus Napa Valley Cabernet ($85 value), 2007 Anderson’s Conn Valley Reserve Cabernet ($130 value), 1994 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon ($150 value), or even a 1985 BR Cohn Cabernet Sauvignon Olive Hill (Helen Turley) with a value of $220.

 

The shipping is also incredible, at 6 bottles, shipping cost $5! Buy 6 more bottles and ship for FREE.

 

 

 

Connect with me

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

 

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

 

Cheers!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 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:

 

 

Cliff’s Wine Picks mentions or other posts

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

 

Snooth

WHAT’S A GREAT GRENACHE? – Our Friendly Wine Experts Share Their Favorites!

http://www.snooth.com/articles/what-ys-a-great-grenache-5209/

 

Snooth

SPRING TIME IS FOR PAIRING – Our Favorite Wine Writers Share Their Picks

http://www.snooth.com/articles/spring-time-is-for-pairing/

 

Balzac

Balzac Communications & Marketing – News & Views

http://balzaccommunications.createsend1.com/t/ViewEmail/y/948F113D27729D90/DF475947E7F379DE2A1BF84ACBDD178B

 

Snooth

WHAT WE’VE BEEN DRINKING – News and Reviews from Around the Blogosphere

http://www.snooth.com/articles/what-we-yve-been-drinking/?viewall=1#ixzz2vy4idw7a

 

Snooth

WINES THAT RANG OUR BELL IN FEBRUARY 2014 – Our Favorite Wine Writers Share Their Picks

http://www.snooth.com/articles/wines-that-rang-our-bell-in-february-2014/?viewall=1#ixzz2vy4DCh5L

 

Crave Local

California Wine Reviews: Cline Cellars and Jacuzzi Family Vineyard

http://www.cravelocal.com/all-favorites/california-wine-reviews-cline-cellars-and-jacuzzi-family-vineyard/

 

Crave Local

Sample Boutique Wines at Affordable Prices with Tastingroom.com

http://www.cravelocal.com/all-favorites/sample-boutique-wines-at-affordable-prices-with-tastingroom-com/

 

 

 

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 provided by the winery or organization acting on their behalf.

 

 

2012 Knapp Vineyards Vidal Ice Wine

2012 Boundary Breaks Vineyard Riesling No. 90 Late Harvest

2009 Höpler Pinot Noir Eiswein

 

The Event

I was invited to participate in an online #winechat about Ice wines or as it’s spelled in Germany and Austria, Eiswein.  Of course, since it is a more festive chat if you’re sipping Ice wine while chatting, three bottles were supplied to me to sip and discuss during the event.

 

 

About Ice wine (Eiswein)

Ice wine is a style of dessert wine that is produced from fully ripe grapes that were harvested while frozen on the vines.  This freezing process only affects the water in the grapes.  When the still frozen grapes are crushed, the frozen water stays behind, leaving just a couple drops of highly concentrated sugar and “dissolved solids”.

 

The production of Ice wine is a risky business.  Several things can go wrong and ruin the crop before it can even get picked.  If the grapes rot before they freeze the entire crop is ruined.  Likewise, a winery needs a large enough workforce to be able to pick and process all the grapes before they have a chance to thaw.

 

Since the process requires a good deal of labor in a short period of time and each frozen grape only yields a precious little juice, Ice wines are generally expensive.

 

As should be expected, most true Ice wine comes from countries that “enjoy” a cold and predictable winter.  About 75% of the world’s ice wine comes from Canada and Germany.

 

Some wineries “cheat” and make an ice wine style of wine by freezing their grapes after a normal harvest and processing them like they were harvested frozen.  Even though these wines are similar, they are not true Ice wines.

 

 

 

 

About Winechat

#winechat is a weekly, Twitter based discussion about something dealing with the world of wine.  Generally, each week’s chat deals with a specific theme and is lead by an “expert” in that area.  This is generally a nice way to learn about a region, winery, type of wine, etc.

 

Mission

What is #WineChat?  Click here to learn more.

 

Description

How do you join #winechat? Using a tool such as Hootsuite, log into your twitter account & follow the #winechat stream. Be sure to include #winechat at the end of each tweet so everyone in the stream can see you!

 

Grab a glass and join in!

 

Click here for the current #winechat schedule.

 

 

#winechat is hosted by Protocol Wine Studio.  For more information on them, click here.

 

The line up for the event:

 

 

2012 Knapp Vineyards Vidal Ice Wine – SRP $24.95

Knapp Vineyards was started in 1984.  In 2000 the winery was sold to Gene Pierce and Scott Welliver, the current owners.  The winery produces Rieslings, Gewurztraminers, Lembergers, Chardonnays, Merlots, Sangioveses alongside French-American Hybrids such as Seyval, Baco Noirs, and more.

 

For this Ice Wine, the grapes were picked in the early morning hours of January 3^rd.  Even though the grapes were grown in 2011, the vintage for a wine is the year the grapes were “picked” hence the 2012.

 

This is 100% Vidal Blanc.  There were only 24 cases of wine produced.  This has 12% alcohol and there is 14% residual sugar in the wine.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a light golden straw color.  The rich nose has melons, white peaches, honey, orange zest and minerals.  This has a full body, moderate acidity and has a load of residual sugar.  On the palate the honey, ripe melons and super ripe peaches coat your mouth with syrupy sweetness with some minerals coming in on the back end with some orange zest.  The finish has good length and again is dominated with sweet, ripe fruit.   (90 pts)

 

 

2012 Boundary Breaks Vineyard Riesling No. 90 Late Harvest

Grapes were first planted at Boundary Breaks in 2008.  The winery only produces single vineyard, single clone Riesling.

 

This wine is a late harvest wine, not an ice wine.  This means the grapes were picked very late in the season when the grapes were ultra ripe, but the grapes were not frozen at harvest.

 

This wine is 100% Neustadt Clone #90 Riesling.  This has 14.2% alcohol and there is 12.7% residual sugar in the wine.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a very light yellow straw, almost colorless.  The fresh smelling nose has apples, honey, stony minerals, cantaloupe, vanilla, orange blossoms and a touch of white pepper.  This has a full body with decent acidity and is very sweet.  On the palate ripe apples and orange zest hit first with minerals coming in on the back end.  The finish is fairly long but could use a jolt of acidity.  (88 pts)

 

 

2009 Höpler Pinot Noir Eiswein – SRP $69

The winery is in Breitenbrunn, South East of Vienna on the West bank of LakeNeusiedl.  The wine production is 50% white wine, 45% red wine and 5% sweet.

 

Every 10^th bottle of Austrian wine imported into the United States is from Höpler.

 

This wine made from fully matured grapes which are left on the vine until they reached a temperature of at least -7°C (19.4°F). The water in the grapes forms ice crystals, and after gentle pressing the remaining concentrate is made into an exceptional wine with elegant sweetness balanced by refreshing acidity.  The wine has 11.5% alcohol by volume and the residual sugar is 236.3 g/l.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a light orange with pink highlights.  The rich nose has apricots, dusty minerals, caramel, wild flowers and cherries.  This has a full body with good acidity and nice residual sugar.  On the palate, ripe apricots and caramel jump out first with a touch of orange zest and minerals coming in on the back end.  The finish has very nice length with honey and peaches.  The acidity leaves your mouth watering for another sip.  This tastes very nice today but I’d wager it will be much better with a few years in the cellar.  (93 pts)

 

 

Connect with me

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

 

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

 

Cheers!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 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!