Purple Lips Wine Log

Wilson Vineyards Chenin Blanc-Viognier, Clarksburg 2006

2007-09-25T23:43:00.000-04:00

I have enjoyed this wine for a number of years but this is the first time I will be reviewing it. Wilson Vineyards has been reviewed a couple of time on my blog, mainly their Petite Sirah (I am a sucker for a good Petite). This blend of Chenin blanc and Viognier is quite nice and reminds me of the Pine Ridge Chenin-Viognier which also comes from the Wilson vineyards. This wine has a nice bright and vibrant color to it and shows tropical fruit and honeysuckle on the nose with tart green apple aroma peaking through. The palate switches things up a bit giving some sweeter peach and pear flavors with a cream component and finishes slightly off-dry but with a good balance of acidity. I see this wine as a great fall season food wine. I am thinking of Thanksgiving turkey and ham already.

Overall, I like this new vintage and at $10 it's a great value.

I give it a B+.

Bordeaux Results at Last!!!

2007-09-25T19:22:00.001-04:00

We had our taste-off for our wining wines in the Bordeaux series and what an exciting tasting it was! As a recap, we had four tastings with each tasting representing an appellation in Bordeaux the winning wines for each appellation went through a final taste-off and we now have a favorite Bordeaux in our tasting group.

First lets meet the final contestants; From St. Emilion and our first tasting in the Bordeaux series we had Chateau Faugeres, 2004, for $24. From the 2nd tasting of Pulliac we had Carruades de Lafite, 2002 for $40. And from our Lalande de Pomerol/Pomerol tasting we have Chateau de Bel-Air, Les Pensees, 2003, Lalande de Pomerol for $20. And last but not Least from our Pessac-Leognan tasting we had Chateau Cruzeau, 2003 bought for a steal at $14!

And the winner is.................

1st: Chateau Cruzeau, Pessac-Leognan, 2003 for $14!!!!!
2nd: Carruades de Lafite, Pulliac, 2002, $45
3rd: Chateau Faugeres, St. Emilion, 2004, $24
4th: Chateau Bel-Air, Les Pensees, Lalande de Pomerol, 2003, $20

Stay tuned for our next series of tastings where we will be focusing on Pinot Noir from Oregon, California, Burgundy, and New Zealand!

Bordeaux Series Part IV: Pessac-Leognan

2007-08-19T12:04:00.000-04:00

This is the last region we visit for the Bordeaux Series. In the next tasting we will be comparing the winners from each region. So check back to see who wins, St. Emillion, Pauillac, Pomerol, or Pessac-Leognan.

Pessac Leognan is in the Graves region, south of Bordeaux city. Graves is named for its soil which is very gravelly. The soils also have distinctive tiny white quartz pebbles that are found in all the best vineyards. It is also the only part of Bordeaux where red and white wines are made in almost all its chateaux and the vineyards of this region were the first of Bordeaux to be known internationally. The earliest records show casks of wine from Graves shipped to England in the early 12th century. By the 16th century one Chateau became the leader in quality and prestige in the region; Chateau Haut Brion. Haut Brion was so great that it is the only Graves wine to be included in the 1855 Classification. The red wines are typicall of the left bank being dominated by Cabernet although they do use more Merlot here than other left bank appellations.

Pessac Leognan is considered the best region in the Graves and is home to Haut Brion. It lies on the edge of the city of Bordeaux which has swallowed all but the best vineyards up for its suburbs. The appellation was only named in 1987, and used to be called "Hautes Graves". Pessac-Legonan encompasses 10 small communes, the biggest being Pessac and Leognan. Classification of Chateaux was last done in 1959 with a simple "yes" or "no" mark given. 16 Chateaux were included. A new classification has been expected for a number of years.

All wines were tasted blind and rated. The lowest score wins. In this tasting we had 7 wines with 8 judges.

1st with 20pts: Cht. de Cruzeau, 2003. $25

This wine started out with a strong malo-lactic buttery character but gradually became more fruit driven give strawberry creamsicle and jam. On the palate it was very nice and full bodied. Silky smooth with a long finish, good firm body covering the whole palate but a silkiness that set it a part from the other wines. Very nice value.

2nd with 24pts: Cht. Les Hauts de Smith, 2002. $28

Ripe, jammy cherry, with cracked pepper and mineral quality on the nose. Also showed some floral aromas after some time in the glass. The palate was full and soft. Velvety on the finish with some soft tannins. A very nice wine, and good value.

3rd with 27pts: Domaine de Chevalier, 2002. $36

Showing a lot of pepper, spiciness, BBQed sweet bell peppers and damp earth and smokey oak show as well. After being opened for an hour the wine showed much more fruit but continued with a pepperiness that the other wines did not keep. The palate was nice and big with a long soft finish. The pepper and spice stuck around on the palate accentuated by alcohol. A big fat wine.

4th with 29pts: Cht. Tour Leognan, 2002. $22

5th with 33pts: Cht. La Manieu, Graves, 2005. $12

6/7th with 45pts: Cht. La Louvier, 2001. $35

6/7th with 45pts: Cht. Carbonnieux, 1996. $30

Bordeaux Series Part III: Pomerol

2007-08-18T18:53:00.000-04:00

Sorry it took so long for me to get this one out. The Pomerol tasting went awesome, we had a bunch of great wines and it was very difficult to pick our favorites. Pomerol is a typical right bank region with its wines being dominated by Merlot. Merlot is suited to the gravel and clay soils as well as the cooler temperatures compared to the left bank. Cabernet is rarely used in Pomerol so they tend to be softer wines and do not have to age for 20 years just to make them palatable. So if you are in a restaurant and can't find an older vintage Bordeaux on the menu, go for a Pomerol.
Pomerol is the only Bordeaux appellation that does not have and official classification system. It is a region with small family "farmhouse" Chateaux compared to the Medoc. History has pegged Pomerol as a lower class wine region and it was left out of the 1855 Classification but are now producing some of the best wines in all of Bordeaux. Pomerol sits on a slight slope next to St. Emilion with varying soil types. The Southwest part of the region has more sand and the Northeast has more gravel. Mid-way up the slope is considered the best growing area having a combination of soils. The most famous, most expensive, and most sought-after wine from Pomerol is Petrus, unfortunately it did not show up in our tasting.

When we got to buying wines I realized that Pomerols were a bit more pricey that our group was accustomed to so I told everyone that if they could not find a Pomerol in their price range to go ahead and buy a Lalande de Pomerol which is a similar appellation right next to Pomerol the main difference being that it has sandier soil and less gravel. The outcome was interesting.
The wines we taste are tasted blind and ranked, the lowest score wins. In this tasting we had 9 people scoring and 6 wines.

1st with 22 points: Cht. de Bel Air, 2003, Les Pensees, Lalande de Pomerol. $21

Aromas of cherry, cream and molasses, with some wet cedar. On the palate it is soft with a good acidity. The alcohol shows itself, warming things up with a nice long finish. Other people wrote that they liked the because it was more subtle and balanced.

2nd with 25 points: Cht. Pomeaux, 1998, $50

100% Merlot, this wine ended up being my favorite. On the nose it started out with lots of Chocolate, licorice, vanilla, coconut, put all together in a nice Almond Joy package. As it opened up the fruit became more prevalent with ripe cherry being in the forefront. The palate started off a bit weak but got better and fuller bodied with some bread and triple cream brie. A very nice wine that may have been better if opened a couple years ago.

3rd with 29 points: Cht. Tournefeuille, 2003, Lalande de Pomerol. $26

70% Merlot, 30% Cab Franc. We had two people bring this wine so I tossed both of them in to see how the group would rate them and they came in 3rd and 4th. The nose of this wine showed more strawberry and other red fruits, with some sweet perfume. It got more floral as it opened up. On the palate we all found it a bit tannic and astringent but a good long finish and big body helped to give a couple of high rankings.

4th with 32 points: Cht. Tournefeuille, 2003, Lalande de Pomerol. $26

5th with 37 points: Cht. Gazin, 2001. $60, 85% Merlot, 10% Cab, 5% Cab Franc.

6th with 40 points: Cht. De Sales, 1996. $25 on special

Lyeth Meritage, 2004 Sonoma County

2007-08-06T18:13:00.000-04:00

I had this Meritage a while ago and just recently found my notes on it. It wasn't bad and I have not had a Meritage wine on the blog for a long time. A Meritage is a Bordeaux blend from the States, so mainly Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are used but the other varieties allowed are Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot and Malbec or for whites, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and Sauvignon Vert (a.k.a. Muscadelle). The Meritage Association was started in 1988 and Lyeth was one of the founding members. This Meritage is 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 10% Malbec, and 2% Cabernet Franc.

Color: Deep red, very red, almost like a red juiced grape of the Teinturier varieties. Probably not used though.

Nose: Lots of red fruits, ripe, cherry liqueur, hint of cocoa and orange. Sweet cedar aromas come too with some slight bell pepper.

Palate: Clean tart finish, a bit flabby on the mid palate though. The flavor finishes a bit quick but that acidity is good and lingers reminding me that my glass is not yet empty. So I go back for more.

Overall: The nose is a bit deceiving, it made me think I was going to have a bigger wine on the palate, but I still enjoyed the wine. I bought it for $10 and at that price I would definitely buy it again but I see it more often around $15, I don't know if I would pay the extra fiver for round two. I give the wine a B-.

Pauillac! Bordeaux Series Part II

2007-07-26T22:22:00.000-04:00

In our last Bordeaux tasting we visited Pauillac. I wanted to give this region a go because it is considered by many as the top of Bordeaux in quality. Three of the Five Premier Crus are from here, Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Latour, and Mouton Rothschild. We had five excellent wines from the region all very different. Pauillac is made up of larger land holdings than other Bordeaux appellations. This gives us wines that through the course of the growing season ,wine making, and final blending, show a broader range in aromas, flavors and even styles compared to other regions. I found these wines differed from each other far more than the St. Emillion wines.

1st with 21 pts. Chateau Carruades de Lafite, 2002 , ~$40

This was a great wine, very new world in style compared to the others, Lots of fruit up front but also showed some crayon, chocolate, and floral characters. As the wine opened up I found an intriguing licorice and mint character developing. Definitely more fruit driven but good structure. The wine showed a polished character that many of the others didn't have. This may be because it is the second label of the famous Chateau Lafite Rothschild. The person who brought this wine got it at an incredible $22. Another person brought the same wine and paid $45, this is more in tune with what I have found online and other retail stores. Definitely one to look out for. A great value!

2nd with 25pts. Chateau Grand Puy Lacoste, Grand Cru Classe, 1999, ~$40

Another great wine but completely different. This was more old world in style and showed it's age very well. Showing some brick red edges on the glass and the nose showed some leather and stink from the bottle but opened up to some beautiful cocoa dust, tobacco, bacon and pepper flavors all wrapped in a blanket of cherry tart. The body was still oozing a velvety texture and flavors of sour cherries, white chocolate and sweet tobacco. The finish was nice and smooth and as long as the everlasting gobstopper. I loved it and rated it #1. It was definitely opened at the right time and maybe even 6 months past its prime.

3rd with 26pts. Chateau Clerc Milon, 2003, ~$45

Right behind 2nd place, this wine brought floral characters of rose petal and violets, sweet alcohol came through on the nose making the wine seem even more ripe, may be because of the very warm 2003 vintage. The palate was nice and full with a long finish. Lot of big tannin and a juicy, jammy mouthfeal, very well balanced.

4th with 34pts. Chateau Gran Puy Lacoste- Lacoste Borie, 2004~$30

5th with 39pts. Chateau d'Armailhac, 2004~$30

6th with 44pts. Chateau Pontet Canet, 1998 ~$40

San Simeon Pinot Noir, Monterey 2005

2007-07-25T20:48:00.000-04:00

This is another great value from San Antonio Winery out of Los Angeles. Yeah, I said the City of Angels, and they actually celebrating their 90th anniversary. Not many other wineries in CA can claim that! I reviewed another of their wines, the 2002 Heritage, which you can see by clicking here. As with the Heritage this is a very good wine with good value. Another great offering from San Antonio Winery. This Pinot comes from vineyards in the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA, and Arroyo Seco AVA, both nice cool climate Pinot Areas and the wine spent 10 months in French oak barrels.

Color: Bright, crisp color, violet hues with deep purple core.

Nose: A tickle from some of the 14.1% alcohol but has a good pinot nose and a good dose of red fruits, dark cherry, strawberry, and sweet clove come to mind. As it opened up the oak became more prevalent but still gave loads and loads of fruit.

Palate: Nice acidity and fruit up front with a warm finish. Ripe fruit prevails but a bit weak on the mid palate. The finish follows with some nice raspberry jam flavors and brought a helping of "I want more".

Overall: A good wine and excellent value at $18. One of the better Pinot Noirs out there under $20. The problem is availability. The wines are hard to find outside of California but if you live in the right state, you can buy them online at the San Antionio Web Site.

Molly Dooker, Two Left Feet, 2006

2007-07-20T22:41:00.000-04:00

Molly Dooker is THE hot brand from Australia right now. It is produced by Sarah and Sparky Marquis of the famous Marquis-Phillips brand. There are a number of wines under the Molly Dooker label including Merlot, Shiraz, and Verdelho. They all carry interesting titles and labels like this blend, Two Left Feet. It is made up of 68% Shiraz, 17% Merlot, and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and the ABV is a whopping 16%. The back label explains that "Molly Dooker" is an Aussie term for a lefty, and apparently both Sarah and Sparky are Molly Dookers. Maybe they also have Two Left Feet.

Color: Very Dark, deep purple core, dark crisp edges, tall thick legs rising up the glass.

Nose: Chocolate, coconut, cherry cola, cotton candy, very sweet, warming alcohol.

Palate: Sweet alcohol, big juicy body that covers the whole palate, good spicy and long finish.

Overall: I think that this is a very exciting wine. I really love these full bodied, high alcohol reds from down under. I can't say that they have a place at every dinner table, maybe only with a big steak from the grill, but I can really enjoy this wine on its own. The wine just goes and goes saturating my taste buds with ripe fruit flavor. This wine was $20 at Whole Foods and I think it is a great value. Due to popularity it may be hard to find so grab it while you can. I give it an A!

St. Emilion Winetasting, Part 1 of the Bordeaux Series

2007-07-11T21:57:00.000-04:00

Our first tasting in the Bordeaux series was St. Emilion. The town of St. Emilion is one of the most beautiful towns in the Bordeaux region if not all of Europe! I was there in 2003 and fell in love with the picturesque village surrounded by vineyards on all sides. St. Emilion sits on top of a hill with a large steeple in the center and a church underground beneath the steeple. Pretty cool. There are probably more wine shops per capita that any place on earth and there are even more little cafes and bistros. It is all rather touristy but you can't help but get caught up in the romance that is St. Emilion.

The main grapes used in St. Emilion in order of importance are Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Because of the temperate climate of the Atlantic Ocean, St. Emilion and the lower right bank stays cooler longer compared to the rest of Bordeaux. This is why Merlot, being an earlier ripening grape, is more dominant. Only in the warmest years does Cabernet Sauvignon ripen enough to be of use in the higher quality wines. The other factor that sets St. Emilion apart form the rest of the right bank is its heavy limestone and clay soil giving St. Emilion a bit more power to age than some of its neighboring appellations.

I will also quickly mention classifications in St. Emilion. They are different than the Medoc Classifications and I think are a bit better. Basically there are three levels: 1er Grand Crue Classes (split into A and B categories), Grand Cru Classes, and Crue Classes. For a good look at all of them click here. One of the things that I really like about the St. Emilion classification is that the wineries get re-classified every 10 years unlike the great Bordeaux Classification which has only changed once since 1855.

Okay, enough of the lecturing, lets get to the wines. We tasted 5 different wines and they are listed below in their group ranking. We tasted the wines blind, each of us ranking each wine 1-5. I added the scores at the end and first place was given to the wine with the lowest score.

1st with 25pts. Chateau Faugeres, 2004, $35

Very dark in color with a beautiful nose and a nice full body with a long finish. The nose showed lots of earthy truffle aromas straight from the pour and opened up to more dark red fruits. the Alcohol was prevalent although balanced well with the weight of the wine. Overall, a very nice bottle of wine that was finished faster than the others.

2nd with 28pts. Chateau LaCours, 2004, $15

Lots of fruit coming out of the glass with a good oak and dyacital, buttery character. The palate was left a bit flat but had some strong tannin on the finish and a good acidity.

3rd with 29pts. Chateau LaCours, 2003, $22

Not too much of a surprise here except I thought the '03 would come first. But both were similar wines but I think this one had riper fruit characters. Strong cherry and strawberry notes came through and the palate again had a good strong finish although leaving a to be desired on the mid-palate.

4th with 30pts. Chateau Sinard, 1995, $25
5th with 31pts. Cheval Brun, 2003, $30

So, the tasting went well, we had a good time and learned a little bit too. Look for the next in the series as we tackle Pauillac from the Left Bank!

Bordeaux Winetasting Series

2007-07-11T19:58:00.000-04:00

The old tasting group has started up again with a bang! We are doing a series of tastings focusing on Bordeaux and exploring some of the regional differences that it has to offer. We started off with St. Emilion and will eventually move through Pauillac, Pomeral and Graves. The winners of each region will be tasted against each other in a final Bordeaux tasting. By doing this we hope to learn more about each region and how they differ from each other and even come up with a favorite Bordeaux sub-appellation.

Bordeaux Basics (Click Here to view map)

Bordeaux is the largest "fine wine" producer in the world and provides a standard of quality that many winemakers around the world try to emulate. The whole region is dedicated to wine from vineyards to restaurants, hotels, and tourism. All Bordeaux reds must be made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot, and Malbec. Carmenere is also allowed but almost never used because since Phylloxera it has rarely been replanted.

Bordeaux is split in to 3 regions by the Dardogne and Garonne rivers: The Right Bank, Left Bank, and Entre Deux Mers (between two seas). The whole of Bordeaux has 37 controlled appellations each defined by their differences in soil and climate, the main components of Terrior.

Rocking Horse Zinfandel, 2001 Monte Rosso Vineyard, Sonoma County

2007-02-20T19:30:00.000-05:00

This Zin was reccomended to me by a friend of mine and I was eager to try it. Monte Rosso Vineyard is famous for the Zins and Cabs that it produces from its red volcanic soils. The vineyard is 249 acres and sits on the hillside of Moon Mountain in Sonoma. 115 acres is Cab, 75.5 Zin, and the rest is Merlot, Syrah, Petite Verdot, Malbec, Petite Sirah, Semillon, and Folle Blance. The elevation varies from 700 to 1240 ft which keeps it above the fog line. It also gets cooling breezes from the San Pablo Bay. There are 13 wineries that source from the vineyard including Sbragia, Rosenblum Cellars, Arrowwood, Louis M. Martini, Rancho Zabaco (Gallo), and Robert Biale and ofcourse Rocking Horse.

Rocking Horse is made at a custom crush facility in Napa so that the wines can remain affordable according to the owners Jeff and Nancy Doran, who plan on building a winery when they reach 10,000 cases. They are currently at 8000 cases producing Napa Cab and Merlot, and the Monte Rosso Zin. This Zin was ages for 24 Months in French Oak.

Color: Dark red, clean opaque, thin legs creaping up the side of the glass immediatly as it is poured. (High Alcohol. 15.9%)

Nose: Beautiful nose. Some floral lavender with licorice and Eucalypt characters and lots of dark berries and cherry. The oak shows vanilla, spice and sweet tobacco. As the wine opens up more chocolate is prevalent and reminding me of chocolate covered cherries and sweet marzipan.

Palate: The wine started out a bit too soft but with the help of a steak kept getting bigger and more full bodied. Oak on the finish and soft tannins. Long fruity finish with the alcohol warming but well balanced. The wines acidity is getting softer showing its 6 years but still strong enough to keep that fruit lively. Doesn't have a really hot brambly zin flavor that I often find. It is more elegant.

Overall: I really liked this Zin and it kept getting better and better. Even though it was almost 16% alcohol it had a nice elegance to it, maybe because of its age. I do think that if drunk this time last year the palate would have been a bit fuller bodied. I can't wait to try the 2002 when it becomes available in GA. For the $16 I paid for this wine it is a great value. I give it a B+

Bueno!, Malbec-Cabernet, Mendoza, Argentina

2007-02-06T21:25:00.000-05:00

This is a new wine that is hitting the Atlanta area to meet some of the demand for affordable reds form South America. I met Keith who happens to be the person bringing it into the U.S. and decided why not give it a try. The wine is 60% Malbec and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, it is non-vintage, and only cost me $6.00. Bueno! describes the wine well. It has a lot of fruit on the nose and palate. The wine finishes quickly leaving some warming alcohol but not overpowering. It is a light bodied wine and easily paired with food. I had it with a big bowl of Spaghetti with meat sauce. Not Bad, a definite good value for $6.00.

I give it a B.

Zenato, Ripassa Valpolicella Speriore 2003

2007-02-06T20:28:00.000-05:00

Wow! Great Wine! I bought this wine for $25 and went back to buy another couple of bottles. This is a real value. It comes from the Valpolicella region around Verona Italy. At least 70% of the wine is Corvina according to DOC law and also includes the lesser known Rondinella grapes. The region also produces potent Amarone wines that are higher in alcohol and made from partially dried grapes. This wine is in the Ripasso style which means that the wine is re-fermented on the pressed grape skins giving the wine more body and concentration of flavors.

Color: Very dark, long thick legs with a dark burgundy edge.

Nose: Beautiful raspberry and blueberry notes combined with a strong chocolate mocha aroma. The presence of oak is noticeable giving wafts of vanilla and hazelnuts.

Palate: Big body covering the whole palate, soft tannin with a good acidity giving a long finish lasting well over a minute. The finish also brings more tart fruits and a hint of oak.

Overall: Great wine. I had this with a lamb roast and it complimented it beautifully. I don't think this wine will peak for another 5 years.

I give it an A.

San Antonio Winery, 2002 Heritage

2007-01-28T18:24:00.000-05:00

Well, this was an interesting find. The San Antonio Winery is located in Los Angeles, California and is one of the last wineries still producing there. The winery started in 1917 and now has a fine restaurant and wine shop attached. This wine is a blend of Rhone grapes from the Central coast. The make up is Syrah, Petite Sirah, Mourvedre, and Grenache. The Syrah came from Monterey and all the other grapes came from Paso Robles. I was a bit sceptical about a wine made in Los Angeles, but upon opening the bottle I was very pleasantly surprised.

Color: This wine is dark, you can't see through it, and as soon as it hits the glass, it starts coating everything in its dark purple color, the edges are softening a bit giving a slight brick hue but again, the color is phenomenal.
Nose: Right out of the bottle there is some awesome chocolate/mocha and toasty vanilla notes and after a half hour this turns into some real jammy dark fruit characters. Kirsch, and dark cherry aromas and stewed fruit abound with a smokey backdrop.
Palate: Full bodied, the blend covers every bit of my tongue. The tannins are soft and the finish is long. A sweet vanilla coffee flavor lingers for minutes after the swallow.
Overall: I really loved this wine. It retails for $25 but unfortunately it is only found in the Los Angeles area. You can order the wine off of their website of just give them a call. Nice job San Antonio Winery! I give it an A.

75 Wine Cellars, 2004 Amber Knolls Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.

2007-01-28T17:54:00.000-05:00

This wine was recommended to me by a local wine steward who said it the next big cab. The 75 Wine Co. was started by the Beckstoffer family who moved to the Napa Valley in 1975. They have been growers for many high end wineries in Napa and Sonoma since there arrival to the area and this is their first offering under their own label and it is from their Amber Knolls Vineyard in Lake County, just North and East of Napa.

Color: It is on the light side, sharp edges showing its youth.

Nose: Lots of young red fruits, strawberries, cherries, and a hint of vanilla. After about a half hour the fruit dries up and leaves you with more vanilla and some toasty oak nuances.

Palate: Pretty light body, finishes quickly but leaves some tannin on the back. I get a lot of the vanilla and smokey characters but not much more. I am a bit disappointed.

Overall: The wine steward said that he loved this wine and it's the next big thing. It IS a tasty wine but I paid $20 for it. I feel like I can find some much better values for less. If the wine was $10 I would give it a B, but I am going to have to give it a B-.

Alsace! Pierre Sparr Pinot Blanc

2006-11-13T20:08:00.000-05:00

Okay, so what IS the difference between Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris, or Grigio? The difference is they are two completely different varietals. Pinot Grigio/blanc is famous as the easily found white from Italy even though more Pinot Blanc is grown there. Pinot blanc is actually a mutated for of Piont Grigio and usually provides more substance in the glass when it comes to flavor and body. Some of the best Pinot Blancs (all subjective of course) are grown in the Alsace region of France or the Alto Adige region in Northern Italy. I enjoyed this Pierre Sparr Reserve Pinot Blanc from Alsace's 2004 Vintage tonight with some Salmon. It was fantastic. The wine has a bright golden hue in the glass with aromas of peach, pear, and sweet citrus, something like tangerine. On the palate it is nice and big, touching every tastebud and giving a sense of thicker viscosity. There does seem to be a bit of residual sugar but not a whole lot. The acidity is sharp, helping the finish. It actually reminds me a lot of an unoaked Chardonnay form a cooler climate. Anyway, its a good drop, cost me about $12.00 and well worth it. Oh, the Salmon turned out great. Hard to ruin Salmon. Overall, I give the wine an A-.

Monterra = Good Value

2006-11-10T22:44:00.000-05:00

2004 Monterra Cabernet Sauvignon
80% Cabernet, 15% Merlot, 5% Petite Sirah
Tonight I got home and just felt like having a glass of something red and a fruity with some tannin. I pulled out this $10.00 Cabernet and it fit the bill perfectly. It is by Monterra Winery and the grapes come from the cooler climate of Monterey County. Monterra is actually a sub-winery of the well established, lower shelf king, Delicato. I have to admit that even though I didn't want to, I prejudged this wine knowing that is a was Delicato Product. I am not saying that Delicato makes bad wine, but I think that it does belong on the bottom shelf. So I opened the Monterra Cabernet with this in mind and what?.... I was impressed with how much fruit character I got and the sufficient tannin to help keep it moving through the palate to the finish. No, it is not a perfect example of a true Cabernet Sauvingon but for the mood that I was in, it was.... perfect.

Color: Opaque ruby color with sharp clear edges showing it's heavy alcohol relative to the weight of the wine.
Nose: Very fruit driven with jammy strawberry and cherry characters. There is some oak influence showing cocoa and tobacco aromas along with cloves and a hint of earthiness.
palate: In the mouth this wine is pretty light with lots of fruit and a decent amount of tannin on the finish. The acidity is good and keeping the wine lively and helping to prolong the finish on such a light Cab. It kinda leaves a hole in the middle of the palate which is usually remedied by adding Merlot into the blend but it didn't work as well this time.
Overall: I can't complain, for $10.00 this is a good wine that I would not be afraid of buying again. It is clean, very pleasing after a long day of work and I like the gobs of fruit. CHEERS! I give it a B

A couple good Beers!

2006-09-11T23:26:00.000-04:00

I enjoyed these two high gravity beers a couple nights ago. You would normally thing that two beers are pretty manageable but being that one was 10% and over a pint and the other was 7.4% alcohol and a full pints worth, I was pretty toasty by the end of the two rounds.

I tried them both together so as to get a better comparison between the two with out the effects of the alcohol to obscure my thoughts. Below are a review of both.

Weihenstephaner Korbinian Doppelbock, 16.9 fl oz, 7.4% alc.
~ $6.00
I preferred this one, it was very tasty and at 7.4% alcohol, it wasn't nuts to drink the whole bottle at one sitting. Being a dopplebock it follows a bit different rules of fermentation. From what I understand it is slow in preparation of the wort and mash, boiling in segments giving it a more carmelized character and then having a slow fermentation adding to its intense flavor. It literally translates to "double bock" although it is not twice as strong as a bock beer it is stronger. the style was originally produced by monkes to provide themselves nutrients during their winter fasting months and then comercialized by the famous Pauliner Brewery in Munich in 1780 which called it "Salvator" and it is still called the same today. From what I have seen, most dopplebocks have the same "ator" ending in their names although this Weihenstephaner does not. So how about the beer?
Color: Dark brown, kind of dark roast coffee color.
Aroma: Sweet barley and roasted chestnuts and burnt sugar.
Palate: Lively, small bubbles, clean, some yeasty, marmite taste on the finish.
overall: A

St. Bernardus Abt 12, Belgian Abbey Ale, Watou, 10% Alc, 1Pt 9.4 FL OZ.
This was a really nice beer too but it was just a little too sweet for me. It was also a bigger bottle so it was harder to finish(not too hard though =). This was a bit more expensive, somewhere around $8.00, but was well worth it for a good beer drinking evening.
Color: Dark chocolate, coffee
Aroma: banana, fudge, hickory.
Palate: Sweet, thick, more bubbles, burnt toast.
overall: A-

Again, my apologies for not being able to include the labels.

A couple quick reviews on good wines.

2006-09-06T21:52:00.000-04:00

(Note: Blogger is having trouble at the moment, I can't upload a pic of these labels, I will try to get them on in the near future, sorry for the inconvenience.)

I have been told in the past that I review wins that are hard to find so now every time I review a wine that I know is hard to find I will post another that is easy to find with it. Here we go, two quick reviews:

Heringer Estates 2004 Chardonnay, Clarksburg
This one is hard to find. For those of you who do not know yet, I am from Clarksburg and love to write about wines from the appellation. It is a growing appellation in the Sacramento River Delta that opens into the San Francisco Bay. Because of its location the region receives a great evening breeze that comes up from the SF bay like clockwork during the warm summer months. It is considered a warmer region but because of the cooling effect from the delta breeze it can still make some spectacular wines. It is the home of Bogle Vineyards and mainly known for Petite Sirah and dry Chenin Blanc but the region is also making great efforts with Merlot and Chardonnay as well. I think that this is probably the best Chardonnay that I have tasted from the region.
Color: Nice and clean, bright straw yellow. Not browning at all.
Aroma: Awesome pear and apricot with some pink grapefruit. A subtle hint of oak. I love this style of Chard. Not overdone with the oak giving a lot of varietal character. Great job by the winemaker. Someday maybe this will become the standard for good Chardonnay instead of tooth picks and buttered toast.
Palate: Long finish with good balance and acidity. A lot of fruit on the mid palate with a hint of sweetness on the finish probably from the 14.5% alcohol.
Overall: Love it, although many people would rather have the heavily oaked style, I prefer this fruit driven Chardonnay. I give it an A.

Geyser Peak 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley $15
This is a good value Cab from a region that I am beginning to prefer over Napa. Alexander Valley is just over the Mountains from the famed Napa Valley. They are, in my mind, producing much more approachable cabs. Lets put it this way, Silver Oak has a Napa Cab and an Alexander Valley Cab (about $20 cheaper). If I was to choose any vintage within the last three years to have with dinner it would be the Alexander Valley Cab. If I was going to buy one to age for 10 to 15 years, I would choose the Napa Cab.
Color: Nice and dark. Clean, bright edges showing thick legs.
Aroma: Cherry pie with sweet spice, clove and licorice. Cedar and vanilla come through from the barrel.
Palate: Full bodied, more voluptuous, soft, a tinge of sweetness on the take. Covers the whole palate with good long finish. The two of us finished the bottle easily over some country-style ribs with Larrupin' Sauce (from Humbolt Co., CA).
Overall: This is a great Cab to take to a dinner party and everyone will love. It is very "Safe", there is nothing wrong with it, very approachable, and very new world. Not a lot of tannin that will turn some of the lighter eaters off. I have enjoyed better Cabs from the region but for the price I will buy it again. I actually bought this on sale for $11.99. I give it a B.

Aging Whites

2006-09-01T18:40:00.000-04:00

How many of you have been down the wine aisle at the grocery store and seen those dusty, old whites of four or five vintages ago just sitting there sadly untouched? There are many of those lonely whites out there and honestly, some of them should stay there rather than going into your shopping cart. But some, a select few, are rare gems, true diamonds in the rough. I found one recently, a 2002 Sonoma County Sauvingon Blanc from Simi. 2002 is not that old but it is for being on a grocery store shelf. So how do you know which ones are the good ones? It's a lot of luck but there are a few things you can do to increase your odds. Look at the wine. If it's heavily browned don't buy it. A little golden hue to the wine isn't bad but you don't want the extreme. If the wine is in brown glass, check it against another wine of the same varietal and same color glass. Also, don't buy anything with floaties, or a hazy character. Another good tip is to check the cork. Make sure it is flush with the top of the bottle. The most important things to remember in aging white wines are the cork and acidity. A white needs to have a good cork in it otherwise too much oxygen transfer will cause the browning we do not want. The acidity is important because as the wine ages the acid drops and the wine can become flabby.

So how was this wine you ask? It was great! Sauvingon Blanc naturally has good acidity and upon opening the bottle I found the cork in excellent condition.
Color: Slight golden or hay color and clear.
Aroma: Pear, Mango, and hazelnuts with a leathery quality. The first two characters are from the varietal, the second two are from aging.
Palate: Great acidity and a long finish. Lots of fruit on the body with a good tartness.
Overall: As a Sauvingon Blanc its just okay, but as a cheap find on the lonely white shelf I enjoyed it very much. I give it a B+

A great Spanish red to get the blog going again

2006-08-20T16:06:00.000-04:00

LUDOVICIOUS
I know, I know, I have not posted in a very long time. Since my last post I switched jobs and am now working for a distributor make more money but working plenty more as well. The other night Ana and I enjoyed this awesome Spanish Red that I picked up at the Tower Package Store down the road. I enjoyed it so much that I just had to put it on this blog. The wine retails for about $13.00 and is imported to the states by Ole Imports, a company started by two college students in 1999. What was I doing in college? Probably drinking some of there wines.

Ludovicus is from the Terra Alta Region of Pinol, Spain. It is made up of 35% Garnacha, 30% Tempranillo, 25% Syrah and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. It has a nice dark cherry color with nice aromas of cherries, licorice, tobacco and pencil box and the palate is well structured with a long finish. A great blend and an excellent value. I give it an A

A Great Summer White

2006-06-25T00:03:00.000-04:00

Here is a great summer white that I had recently. Let me introduce you to Las Brisas. She is from the Rueda region of Spain's 2004 vintage, and loves warm weather. She offers a wonderful dry, crisp acidity with flavors of pink grapefruit, green apple, pear, and a slight grassiness from the Sauvignon Blanc portion of the blend; the rest being made up of Verdejo. You can find this wine for under $10.00 and its a great choice if you want to try something new to cut through the humidity here in the South.
Cheers!

A nice beer to change things up!

2006-06-19T23:17:00.000-04:00

At work I have been ordering in some new beers from a new distributor and have been having a great time trying some out on my very thirsty palate. It's always good to get away from the wine for a bit and get back to some good, tasty beer. I have a whole range of beers now from St Peter's Brewery in Suffolk, England and decided to go with this Old-Style Porter first. It's a good solid porter with some good smoky characters but a great refreshingly light finish. It reminds me of drinking Guinness in in Ireland. Guinness never tastes better than it does in Dublin where it is born from the river Liffey. It is crisp and very thirst quenching, like this St Peter's Porter. I enjoyed it very much and felt that the $3.99 I paid for the cool pint-size flask shaped bottle was a great deal.
I give it an A.

Edna Valley 2004 Chardonnay, Paragon, San Luis Obispo County

2006-06-19T22:32:00.000-04:00

I realized after two nights of drinking red wines with what was clearly white wine affair, I needed to get some more whites in my wine rack. I went out and picked up some whites that were all under $10.00 and this was one of them. We enjoyed it with some chicken pasta a couple of nights ago. Try this recipe!

Color: Pale-straw yellow, still looks vibrant, long thin legs showing its high, 14% alcohol.
Nose: Some melon and peach aromas are pilfering through the intense coconut, vanilla and American oak.
Palate: The wine sits nice on the front palate and then gets hot and spicy on the way down from the high alcohol. It clearly has gone through malo-lactic fermentation because of the strong diacetyl, buttery character but the acidity is still sharp helping the wine to linger for a while.
Overall: A nice wine, normally $12.99 here in GA, I think it is a decent buy on sale under $10.00. The alcohol makes it a bit hot and makes it less food friendly than I would like but it has a good amount of buttery oak which makes it appealing to most California Chardonnay consumers. The above recipe should pair nicely though. I give it a B-

A new Corkscrew

2006-06-12T23:15:00.000-04:00

I found this new Corkscrew a while back. It is from the Canard Rouge from France. Very well made and very stylish. A good Fathers Day gift if it's not too late. It's a nice stainless steel design that screws in on itself to become nice and small, great to slip into your pocket on your way to a party, or the park, or even the beach. Check out there site here.

Off to the "RICH COAST"

2006-06-12T22:33:00.000-04:00

My Brother and his wife will be going to Costa Rica for a while. Check out their blog to learn why they are going. They will be there a while doing some good stuff. Hopefully they will be able to get there hands on some good vino while they are there. I just found out that travelers arriving in Costa Rica can bring in 500 cigarettes or 500 grams of tobacco and three liters of wine or spirits. So stock up guys! That should last about a week. Hey you even though you don't smoke you should take the cigs to trade other travelers who have wine =).

Cheers and Good luck Philip and Shannon!

Great new wine info site

2006-06-12T22:24:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone, here is a good wine-education site. It is called Wine Compass and it has all sorts of useful wine information including weird varietals and appellation info too. Check it out.

BV Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, 2001

2006-06-10T23:45:00.000-04:00

BV has made a mark for itself by making a wine for every occasion and for every palate. I have enjoyed their value-oriented "BV Coastal" wines and have even been able to enjoy their flagship Georges De Latour Private Reserve Cab. They know how to make a wine that showcases true varietal character as well as terroir without breaking the bank.

I bought this Cab for $12.99 on sale from $16.99. I have to say, for $12.99 in GA I am pretty pleased.
Color: Good and dark with some hints of age. It just about to hit its mid-40's in human terms. Not old, but just fealing it a bit in the knees.
Nose: Good fruit backbone showing black cherry and plum. Vanilla mocha comes through with a hint of herbaciousness.
Palate: Nice structure with a long finish. Tannins still sticking around after five years but the mid palate is falling apart slightly. Still, very tasty and a great value.
I give it a B

Fonty's Pool Pinot Noir, 2004, Pemberton

2006-06-04T16:35:00.000-04:00

I enjoyed this wine last week at a tasting put on by one of my distributors. It retails for about $18.00. When the rep came to me with the wine I was not expecting much in the way of a good Pinot. I mean, Australia doesn't really have a name for elegant wines of Burgundian style. However, I was pleasantly corrected in my thinking by this wine. Fonty's Pool is from Pemberton in Western Australia, all the way across the country from where they make those ultra-ripe high alcohol fruit bombs. That's basically like expecting the same wine coming from California and New York. Anyway, this wine made my head turn. For $18.99 in Georgia I enjoyed it more than many of the $30-$40 Pinots I have had. It is more on the Burgundian side of Pinot Noir thanks to the winemaker Ely Jarvis. It is a joint venture of a famous WA Winery, Cape Mentelle where Ely also works. The color is a dark cherry red. Aromas of forest floor, mushroom, and an undertone of ripe strawberry fill the glass and the wine sits nice and full on the palate with a solid, long finish. It has become one of my favorite Pinot Noirs in the Set and its from AUSTRALIA!
I give it a A.

Petite Sirah, its the purple in Purple Lips

2006-05-26T00:20:00.000-04:00

(*Still unable to attach pictures, sorry)
The theme for my tasting group this last week was Petite Sirah, one of my favorite Varietals. It's what I was drinking when I came up with the name of this blog. Don't be fooled by its name(a.k.a. Duriff), there is nothing petite about this varietal. It got its name because it has smaller berries than its father in the Rhone Valley, Syrah(Petite Sirah is a cross between Peloursin and Syrah). These smaller berries, however, provide a larger skin to juice ratio giving the resulting wine more color and unless made properly a whole lot of chalky tannin. These qualities made Petite Sirah a perfect blender for Syrah in the Rhone and Zinfandel in California. For a quick history of the varietal from the Petite Sirah Advocate group, "P.S. I Love You", click here.
I love Petite Sirah because it is a varietal that is very friendly to today's average consumer who might like it for it's fruit forward, to-die-for aromas but it is also interesting and complex enough for those real winos who need some depth in their glass. In our group, we tasted eight Petite Sirahs, all of them from California where most varietal Petite Sirah is grown, although I hear that Argentina has quite a lot of acreage planted to Petite Sirah too. The top four finishers are listed below with tasting notes.

1. Guenoc, North Coast, 2002
This Petite got first place overall with 5 people out of 8 giving putting it in the number one spot. What set this Petite apart from the rest was the palate. Not too harsh and full bodied. Soft tannin covers not just the back of the palate as the varietal is meant to do, but also the front and mid palate too. Aromas of mocha, sweet vanilla and Christmas pudding showcase the oak aging accompanied by the ripe plum and raisin varietal character with some hints of fresh mint and peppercorn. Good acidity follows the smooth palate with a nice long finish. It’s a crowd pleaser and at about $17.00 it’s a great value if you are a Petite Sirah fan.

2. Bogle, Clarksburg, 2004
We were surprised to see this wine end up so high in the ranks because of its fantastic price. $9.00 should be enough to by this wine and at that price why not get two? The nose offered up plenty of ripe Petite characters with a hint of saw dust and cedar. The body on this was comparable to the Guenoc with nice soft tannins giving way to a long finish. This is a well made wine at a fantastic price point, it’s Bogle’s forte.

3. David Bruce, Central Coast, 2004
One of the bigger names in Petite Sirah, this wine was also very ripe giving a sweet cotton candy aroma on the nose supported by the usual jammy berry fruit. The palate also showed its ripeness with a bit of a weak mid palate but with good tannin on the finish. Honestly, I expected a bit more from this wine since the price tag is $25.00. The group liked it more than I did.

4. Vinum “Pets”, Clarksburg, Wilson Vineyard, 2004
This is a popular sell and I liked it more than the group as a whole did. They source all the fruit from Wilson Vineyards in Clarksburg and give a portion of the proceeds to their local animal shelter. There is a cool dog the label that belongs to the Viticulturalist, Ken Wilson. Back to the wine. I liked this one because it was a bit different on the nose. I got a lot of ripe tangerine, geranium, and a candied fruit character not unlike Wine Gums, one of my favorite English candies. The mid palate wasn’t all there but of course the tannin caught up to the wine on the back of the palate. The long finish left me thinking of creamy strawberry and those Wine Gums. It’s a $14.00 wine here in GA but I know it sells for around $10 in CA.

5. Wilson Vineyards, Clarksburg, 2003- $10.00 *Previous Post*
6. Parducci, Mendocino County, 2003- $10.00
7. Jewel, California, 2003- $10.00
8. McManis, California, 2003- $13.00 (Unfortunately this wine was corked.)

Moon Mountain Vineyard, 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County

2006-05-18T23:07:00.000-04:00

I have heard a lot of hype about this wine and its big brother, the Moon Mountain Reserve. This winery has been around for a while but has only came into its own under the Chalone Wine Group a few years ago and now since last years acquisition, the Diagio Wine Group. The label just changed to the one shown but the Website still shows the old label. I am having some trouble with the site and can't get the label onto the post, my apologies.

Color: Dark Bing cherry color, showing slight aging on the edge of the glass and very clean and opaque.

Nose: Very enjoyable. Nice leather and damp earth aromas. Kind of like how the farm smells just after a quick rain shower settles the dust. Mocha and vanilla flavors marry with a tart berry character, something like boysenberry. As the wine opens up however, the fun aromas give away to a strong chemical aroma something like nail-polish or rubbing alcohol.

Palate: Pretty non-descript, week mid-palate and a good amount of tannin on the back palate and a lingering finish showcasing the wines cooler-climate acidity.

Overall: I like this wine a lot for its value, at $13 it’s a good buy. From the nose I was expecting a bit more on the palate, but I guess I will have to go out and buy the Reserve to get the whole bang.

Root :1 Cabernet Sauvignon, Maipo Valley, Chile 2003

2006-05-09T23:31:00.000-04:00

Here's a fun wine. I have to admit the package totally sold me on this wine. I sell it for $9.99 but the package is fantastic and makes it look like it's a $30 bottle of wine. I can't say that the wine lived up to its casing but it is still a good value for under $10.00. It is called Root 1 because it came from grapes on their own rootstock, not grafted due to Phylloxera. Does that in itself make it a better wine? Who knows, the verdict is still out.

Color: Dark burgundy, bright crisp edges, no sign of aging.
Nose: Lacking the earthy slatiness that I have come to appreciate in Chilean Cabs. Riper fruit with some licorice and clove spice undertones. The evening after opening more chocolate and damp earth came through.
Palate: Covers the palate well, long finish, almost has a slight sweetness going on but it may just be alcohol. Very new world in style, and why not. It is what it is and it's very drinkable. Don't plan on aging long though.
Overall: I like it, plus points for staying under $10.00 with a great package, oh, and real cork too. I give it a B+

Domaine LaFage, Vine De Pays, Cotes Catalanes, 2004

2006-05-01T19:31:00.000-04:00

~$10.00
This is a great summer sipper from the South of France in the Catalan region which is on the Spanish border in the Western Languedoc. The winemaker is Jean-Marc LaFage who is famous for making great blends from the traditional grapes of Southern France and Spain. He worked with Eric Solomon to bring us Las Rocas Garnacha from Spain, a great wine too. Lets dissect the label. Domain LaFage is the name of the winery and Cote Est at the top mean literally means eastern slopes. At the bottom you can see "Vin de Pays" often shortened to VdP, this is the designation for "table wine" however in the Languedoc-Roussillon region where this wine comes from, many great wines are coming out with this designation. By labeling there wine with VdP, winemakers can have a lot more freedom in winemaking and grape growing, rather than following strict rules traditionally followed by everyone in the region.

This wine is made up of 45% Grenache Blanc, 48% Grenache Gris, and 7% Macabeo. All of these varieties on there own, I have found in readings, do not make very exciting wines and all have there part in blends. Macabeo brings acidity and doesn't oxidize easily. Both Grenaches bring more fruit and weight to the wine.

This wine is fresh, clean, and very enjoyable even after its been open for a day or too. You will find a nose full of citrus, floral, and apricot/peach aromas with a well balanced and full palate. The finish is crisp and again, clean. It's a new summer favorite.
I give it a B+

The Wonderful World Of Gallo!

2006-04-24T20:24:00.000-04:00

I was recently at a tasting for work, yes it's terribly taxing, and was surprised to find out that all of the wines at the tasting were under the long reaching umbrella of Gallo's portfolio (we're talking about the big colorful beach umbrellas not the little one's for a rainy day). Many people don't realize how many popular wines on the grocery store shelves are owned or partly owned, by the company that is the E & J Gallo Winery. Please don't take this the wrong way, I am not bringing this out into the open to make my readers see how vast and controlling this company is in the wine industry. But I won't hide the fact that I did feel rather duped in thinking that some of these wines were from independent family owened wineries. I wonder if you knew that all the wines below are in Gallo's portfolio of wines? These are only some of the mid shelf wines.

So now that it's all out in the open, I just want to commend Gallo for making so many great wines, many of which are much more than just quaffable. Below are a couple of reviews from wines that I got to take home after the tasting and have opened in the past couple of nights.

Rancho Zabaco, Sonoma Heritage Vines Zinfandel, 2003
This was one of my favorites at the tasting. It retails for around $15.00 in Georgia and at that price its still a good valued Zin. One thing that Gallo can do well is blend. 82% of this wine is Zin from all over Sonoma County, 11% Petite Sirah (a common companion to Zin) from Sonoma and Paso Robles, 3% Tempranillo from Paso Robles, and 2% Syrah from Sonoma. All of these wines have come together from across California to make a blend that is very welcoming to the palate with soft acidity, medium alcohol for a Zin (14.2%), and a nice thick body that covers the whole palate and slides all the way down your throat in a long finish as if it's saying "C'mon, you know you want more". All of these things make this wine great with food or just to have on its own while typing up a post for your blog. Now, mind you, I have had better Zins and there are things that are lacking in this one. This wine doesn't shout out to me "I am Zinfandel from California in all of my splendor". It's just a good Zin. If given to me blind, I may have a hard time guessing what wine it is. But that is why Gallo excels in this price range. They make wines that are fantastic value and always pleasing to almost any consumer.
In this wine you will find a soft tannin core with strong aromas of cherry and strawberry KoolAid, with hints of tobacco. The acidity is there but soft on the palate, it's not puckering. There is none of the hot spicy heat that you find on a lot of California Zins with their 15% and higher alcohol that make them difficult to pair with almost any entree. A good, solid, clean, immensely enjoyable wine. I give it an A-.

Da Vinci 2004 Chianti
This wine retails for around $10.00, a great price for a decent Chianti. It's of course, another Gallo wine and a great table wine. You may think that Gallo is just trying to make a buck off of the upcoming movie, "The DaVinci Code" but they actually purchased this winery well before the book became popular and the winery has been in existence far longer. DaVinci has a few different tiers in their portfolio, this one is the lowest. Now, does it taste like a normal Chianti? No not really. Does it please the palate and make you think "wow, what a great wine for $10, yes. The answer to that question is always yes when we're talking about a Gallo product. Chianti usually has a dusty quality that some people dislike. You will not find that in this wine (Chianti Snobs Need Not Apply/Drink). This wine is made to distribute in vast quantities for the American consumer. For that reason it is an old world wine with a new world flare. It is made from the same grapes as other Chianti,(Sangiovese, with some Cab and Merlot) but it is much riper in style, left on the vine longer, and made to drink now. You will find lots of fruit forward characters, strawberry and plum come to mind with a decent structure and not a whole lot of tannin. It is true to cheaper Italian wine style in that it is very food friendly with sharp acidity and a somewhat lower alcohol at 13%. Great with tomato based sauces.
I give it a B.

A Great New Website for Winos

2006-04-23T15:09:00.000-04:00

I found a link to this great new website from another wine blog called Fermentation. The California Wine Web will keep you updated on the world of wine in the Golden State. It gives lots of wine reviews and has a great searching tool to find reviewed wines. I think its a great site, check it out.

Solaris 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

2006-04-18T22:04:00.000-04:00

Here is a wine that was given to me by a distributor. I know why he gave it to me. It's one of those wines you keep around to take to a party or give to someone to make them feel special. I have read some good stuff about the Solaris Pinot Noir but I have to say that this wine didn't fair too well in my palate.

Color: Translucent, burgundy-purple, very clean.
Nose: Dusty cherry, berry characters with some tobacco aromas. The wine doesn't change munch after being open for thirty minutes.
Palate: Quick Finish, lots of tannin, a bit harsh and a bitter kick. Decent acidity but the mid-palate is gone. Nothing there.
Overall: I didn't like this wine much and for the ultimate test, I gave some to Ana (she'll drink anything) and without me saying a thing she said "What did you bring home this time? This isn't very good", Then she finished the glass. She's not a lush, she's just a good Irish lass that can't leave a full glass. =)
I give it a C+

Montes Alpha, 2002 Syrah, Colchagua Valley, Apalta Vineyard

2006-04-18T21:42:00.000-04:00

I pulled this wine off the rack because I have been drinking a lot of white lately and needed to give my tastebuds something heavier.

Color: Dark purple with browning edges.
Nose: Ripe berry characters with walnuts and a dark chocolate bouquet and peppercorns.
Palate: Very ripe, over-extracted, lots of tannin.
Overall: This wine is falling apart early. The fruit in the nose is nice but the tell-tale sign of not holding its age is in the mouth. The tannin is sticking around but the body and flavors are diminished. This is common with overly ripe wines that are popular among today's consumers. The wine would have been better a year ago perhaps. I give it a B.
(sorry for the bad quality of the picture)

Here's one for all you Pinot Lovers

2006-04-10T18:25:00.000-04:00

I have a back-log of bottles to write about so I thought I would pick my favorite Pinot Noirs that I have had recently and write about them. The first two are from a Pinot tasting my group did and the last one was a special bottle I opened while my mom was in town. All great bottles of wine.

MacMurry Ranch Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, 2004.
$15.00 (cheaper in CA)

This was a great wine, I chose it as 1st in our Pinot Tasting. It's a typical Sonoma Pinot Noir with lots of Cherry fruit but it has a complexity that puts it above the rest.

Color: Deep garnet, red color. This wine and the 1st place wine overall (see below) both had a darker, richer color than the other pinots in the tasting.
Nose: As I said above, the typical Cherry aroma with strawberry and and a tart rhubarb character combined with an earthy dusty character. The oak showed through in well integrated vanilla and spice characters, not an overly toasted character that you can get from some poorer made pinots.
Palate: Like other Pinots from the region this is a big one in the mouth. Covers the whole palate and lingers long enough to have a drunken conversation and then recall what you were just swishing in your mouth. The tannin is noticeable but not overextracted. The finish is smooth and isn't too hot. The alcohol is 13.5% and the wine holds up to it well. Some Pinot Noir producers mistake the varietal for Zinfandel pump out 15% alcohol Pinots that are flabby and taste like cherry cough syrup. Thats a no-no. Pinot should have a finesse that makes it food friendly social.
Overall: Great wine A- excellent value, will go well with anything off the BBQ, try chicken, or Salmon, and lighter meats like my favorite, lamb.

RVTZ Cellars, 2004, Maison Grand Cru, Russian River Valley, Pinot Noir.
$18.00

I rated this Pinot lower than the rest of the group mainly because its spicy kick from the 14.5% alcohol but it came it 1st for the whole group. It was a very good wine.

Color: Also very dark, typical of a good pinot from the Russian River Valley.
Nose: Beautiful. Cherry, floral violets and rose petals, vanilla and a pipe tobacco, very much a California Pinot.
Palate: Its a biggy with a long finish too. Like I said, a bit too hot on the finish for me but it has smooth tannins and a nice viscosity.
Overall: I had this wine at 2nd place behind the MacMurray Ranch but the group loved it. I think more because of the riper characters. I really liked too and give it an A-, if it had a little less EtOH, I would give it an A.

720 Wine Cellars, Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon, 2003
$18.00

This wine is a bit harder to find. I got it from a friend up in Corvallis Oregon, after a night of drinking some great Pinot Noirs. This one was one of my favorites. The case production is minute, winery is bare-bones, and you can taste every bit of it in the wine. If you are interested in this wine you can buy it online or by phone from Avalon wine shop in Corvallis, ask for Chris, tell him David sent you.

Color: Dark, holding up well with a few years under it. Not necessarily as dark as a Pinot from Sonoma but not the light washy color either.
Nose: Amazing. I put this wine in a decanter and it changed every twenty minutes. It was awesome. IT started out very ripe; cherry, strawberry, raspberry, sweet vanilla. Then as it got some air it started getting more interesting. The earthy-mushroom notes that I love in Oregon Pinot started coming through backed up by oak and vanilla spice.
Palate: This wine never stopped. It kept delivering on the palate too. Soft tannins were plentiful, giving a long smooth finish. Alcohol is at 14% and the wine backs it all up well. The acidity was great and made it very food friendly. I had it with shepherds Pie made with minced lamb.
Overall: One of the best Pinots I have had in a long time. If the winery keeps it up, its wines will start to cost much more than $18.00. Excellent value. A+

Cheers!

Is there light at the end of the tunnel for Georgia and Moldova?

2006-04-06T19:56:00.000-04:00

I read in the New York Times today a very interesting article regarding wine in Georgia and Moldova. Apparently last week Russia banned wines from Georgia and Moldova to be sold in Grocery Stores. This “Wine Blockade” does not make Russia look good in the face of the World Trade Organization which they are trying to join. Putting up a trade block on the main export from two of your old satellite countries may not be the best way to get into the WTO. Georgia and Especially Moldova have a fairly large wine industry supported mainly by domestic consumption as well as export to Russia. This wine blockade is leaving some producers baffled and looking for a reason. But what if some good can come out of all of this? What if their surplus (wine that would have been sent to Russia) is exported to the U.S. or other world markets? With surplus comes cheaper prices which may be the tool that these two countries need to break into the bigger markets. I for one would like to see any wines from Eastern European Countries, they are a hard find right now. This may change things, time will tell.

Wine Blogging Wednesday #19, Rhone Varietals

2006-03-08T22:47:00.000-05:00

This WBW we're are giving our reviews on Rhone Varietals. I chose an Eric Solomon Selection that I am enjoying. If you follow my blog you can see I have a liking for his imports from Spain. His wines always seem to hit the excellent value mark for me.

Marco Real, 2001 Garnacha, Navarra, Spain
~$10.00

This wine has a nice dark color with some signs of aging on the edges. Out of the bottle it has a funky nose that blows off with some aeration. After about a half hour the wine exudes berry fruit and violet aromas. The finish is long and tannins are ripe, leaving a slight bitter coffee taste in the mouth that makes it even better with a zesty tomato based pasta sauce. I like this wine a lot and give it a B for good value. I believe it can be found in many outlets for under $10.00.

Raymond 2001 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, St Helena

2006-03-06T22:26:00.000-05:00

This was a phenomenal wine. I got to take an opened bottle home after an industry tasting and after two days it was amazing. An opened bottle can give you a glimpse at what the wine will age into and this one showed great promise. The nose showed vanilla, cedar, and pencil shavings from the barrel and good varietal character of violets, potpourri, and leather with dark berry undertowns. In the mouth the tannins were soft and gave a long rich finish with a coffee mocha aftertaste. All of this wrapped up in a beautiful, deep, garnet purple makes me give it an A. The price at about ~$35 isn't too bad for a St. Helena Cab either.

Yes, this is the Napa Valley Label not the St. Helena label, which is the wine that I had. Its the best that I could do.

Wednesday Winetasting- Spanish Reds

2006-02-26T23:05:00.000-05:00

I may have mentioned before that I am in a winetasting group. We meet on Wednesdays, the tastings are themed, and we rate the wines to see which ones were favored by the group. The bottles are bagged and everyone has a glass for each wine; there are usually 5 or 6. These types of tastings are great because they are so educational and it allows you to discuss as a group what you like and dislike in a wine.
Last Wednesdays theme was Spanish Reds and we had some really good wines to think about. We tasted 5 wines from four regions in Spain. They are listed below in the order that they were favored by the group. This week we actually had a tie for first place.

Riscal, Rottlan, Vilosell, Sierra Cantabria, & Juan Gill

#1 Vilosell, Costers Del Segre Red Wine, 2003. $13.00
This wine is another Eric Solomon Selection, whose imports I am finding on my dinner table with increasing regularity. I am not sure what varietals make up this wine and it is the first that I have had from the Segre region. The wine was very ripe with chocolate and coconut aromas. Soft tannins and a long finish made this wine a favorite for 3 of the 6 tasters.

#1 Bodegas Juan Gill, 100% Monastrell, Jumilla, 2003. $14.00
This is a great wine made from Monastrell a.k.a. Mourvedre in France. Also a very ripe wine with a bit higher alcohol. It had a thickness to it that made it linger on the palate and a floral, perfume aroma that provided complexity against the ripe cherry, strawberry characters. A string of "2nds" and no bad scores made this a favorite among the group.

#3 Marques De Riscal, 2000 Reserva, Rioja, $17.00
Marques De Riscal is a fairly famous name from Rioja. This wine was showing some age to it with some oxidative and leathery characters to go with some sweet tart and blueberry flavors. "Minty" was used to describe by more than one taster and many noted its tart acidity on the palate.

#4 Sierra Cantabria Crianza, 2001, Rioja, $17.00
This wasn't the best example of a Rioja. It had some chemical sulfur lingering around dusty characters. On the palate, a week, water finish was noted with a bitter aftertaste. Some liked its earthy, herbacious quality and likened it to Mushrooms.

#5 Rotllan Torra, Reserva 2000, Priorat, $17.00
Out of Six tasters, five gave this the lowest rating, the other gave it the second lowest rating. Notes of Peanut Butter, cigar, and smoke showed themselves in the glass at first but then opened up to more favorable characters like cherry tobacco, plum, and grape candy. I think in the end this wine didn't offend nearly as much but first impressions mean the most I guess.

I have to say that looking back at all of these wines, I wouldn't mind having a go at them again. None of them were unpleasant to drink but there has to be a top and a bottom. On their own, 4 and 5 may have been stars around some lamb or pork at the dinner table. That is what is so interesting about these tastings. You may bring your favorite wine and bag it, and rate it last among other favorites.

The winos: Adam, Ryan, Catherine, Adam, & Ana (sorry the picture is so bad guys)

David Bruce 2003 Central Coast Pinot Noir

2006-02-20T21:09:00.000-05:00

We had "the Bruce" with Lamb on Valentines Day. It was awesome. It kept on giving more and more complexity through two hours of dinner, desert, and then ....... Olympic Ice Skating. Her idea of a romantic evening, it was okay though because I got to polish off this wine while watching.

Color: Dark color, sign of a good Dijon clone.
Nose: Very nice, full of the cherry, strawberry ripeness typical of the New World style. It also had a nice amount of oak, not too much to be overwhelm the rest of the wine. The wine also opens up to more Burgundian aromas of mushrooms, damp earth, and some barnyard character.
Palate: The wine is vibrant on the palate showing a lot of its fruit with a smooth long finish. It kept me wanting more.
Overall:I wish I had another bottle to drink right now. My mouth is watering just writing about it. I give it an A, a Pinot like this under $20 is hard to find.

Marco Real 2003 Tempranillo, Navarra, Spain

2006-02-12T20:12:00.000-05:00

I have been drinking quite a few Spanish wines lately and many of them have been Eric Solomon Selections. Eric Solomon has imported many excellent value Spanish labels into the states such as Ercavio, Las Rocas, and Alba Liza. Navarra used to be a big Rose region until new regulations in the 80's allowed for more popular varietals to be planted. The region is now putting out some great Cabs and Merlots as well as Rioja style wines being mainly Tempranillo and Grenache blends.

Color: Beautiful dark ruby color. Darker than many of the Tempranillos I have had.
Nose: Ripe cherry and orange flavors with a crushed geranium character. With some glass time the wine opens up to some more spicy characters of white pepper and clove.
Palate: The wine is a bit disappointing in "la boca". The tanins are there, but not a whole lot more. It has a really bitter finish, definitely a food wine. Maybe some salty "Jamon" to balance it out.
Overall: There must be some Grenache blended in to beef up the wine a bit, maybe a bit too much. I missed some of the real Tempranillo varietal character in this wine and being an Eric Solomon selection at about $10.00 I have to admit, I expected more. C+

Chateau Haut-Beausejour, Saint Estephe, 2001 Cru Bourgeois ~ $20.00

2006-02-07T23:18:00.000-05:00

So what does it all mean? Haut Beausejour is the winery, Saint Estephe is the appellation, "Cru Bourgeois" is a classification used in the Medoc region of Bordeaux. For a good read on classifications in Medoc click here , and for all of Bordeaux,click here . The label also announces "Mis en Boutelle Au Chateau" That's French Speak for Estate Bottled, or "we bottled this here wine at our digs"

St. Estephe is a sub appellation on the left bank of the Gironde Estuary in the greater appellation of Bordeaux. The region is mostly made up of smaller, family owned vineyards and wineries. It has a mixture of gravel soils with outcrops of limestone known as calcaire de St-Estephe. These outcrops are considered the prime locations for growing Cabernet Sauvignon which is the main component in the St Estephe blend. The rest of the blend is usually made up of, in order of importance, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot.

So how is it you ask? I enjoyed it very much.
Color: Dark, purple-red, with hints of aging on the edges.
Nose: Leather, violets, and damp earth give way to a sweeter, cedar and tobacco note with time in the glass.
Palate: Soft tanins with a long finish, slightly lacking in the midpalate but its a good balanced blend with lively acidity.
Overall: This wine is a great food wine and paired well with my cream of bacon and mushroom pasta. I give it a B

2003 Argyle Pinot Noir, Oregon

2006-02-01T22:05:00.000-05:00

Sorry I have not posted in a while, computer was not feeling too well, but its all fixed now. This was one of my good buys from the store that was closing down. It normally retails for about $20. It comes with a nice stelvin screw cap that I like because I don't have to worry about a falty cork to ruin my purchase.

Color: A nice ruby purple, dark for a Pinot Noir.
Nose: Wow, this is a big Pinot. Its not as Burgundian as a lot of the Oregon Pinots can be, its missing the "barnyard" earthiness. But its got a great strawberry/cherry thing going on with a floral note that picks up as it opens up in the glass.
Palate: Nice, well rounded, missing a step on the mid-palate but gives a nice long, smooth finish. Flavors of red berries stick around on the palate with soft tannins joining the mix.
Overall: I really enjoyed this wine a lot but I couldn't help missing the typical Oregonian "Pinot Funk". It's that funky, rubber tire, earthy aroma. I know it's not good to expect it in every Pinot from Oregon but it is something that I have experienced in many, and I missed it. It made the wine more Californian, and more mainstreem, its easy to like, nothing risky about the winemaking, its an easy sell. Its a good wine, easy to drink, easy to like, but missing the the "cherry on top". I give it a B.

2006-01-19T22:39:00.000-05:00

d'Arenberg, McLaren Vale, The Hermit Crab 2004 Viognier Marsanne
~$16.00

You gotta love the Aussies and their blends. This blend is supposed to be the counterpart to the famous Shiraz-Grenache from the same label. I got this wine from a friend and decided to have it last night with some Thai. It didn't pair too well with dinner because it was just too big and hot. The alcohol is a whopping 14.5% and you can feel all of it. I am glad I made my notes before dinner. High alcohol wines just don't go with spicy foods.

Color: golden straw
Nose: This wine has a good amount of oak on the nose, and a sharp mineral note. Honeysuckle and orange also make a presence as the wine opens up more.
Palate: This is one of those wines that tingle on your palate when you leave it sitting there for a few seconds. While the alcohol is doing backflips on your tongue, the other thing you notice is a good amount of acidity which makes the wine a bit more refreshing to drink. The oak comes through in the finish and length is nice and long.
Overall: This wine is not really my style but I know a lot of people come into my store looking for a wine just like this. It definitely has its place on the shelf with the rest of the aussie blends.

Check this Out!

2006-01-18T21:11:00.000-05:00

So I found the "best blonde joke ever" , and I thought that my you all would enjoy it. It takes a while for some to understand, but once you do, it is really quite funny.

Cheers!

What does it take to get an "A" grade?

2006-01-12T21:19:00.000-05:00

There is a reason why I brake my reviews up into three categories: Color, Nose, and Palate. To me these are the factors that best showcase a great wine. If the wine I am drinking does not have an acceptable color, then it goes down a notch. If the nose on the wine shows some off aromas like sulfer, vegative characters, or heaven forbid, vinegar characters, it will lose quite a few points in my book. And most import the palate. I used to be more of a nose kind of a guy. The nose did it for me. But after a while, you understand that a wine can have a great nose but if the palate doesn't do it for you, it is sooo disapointing. That's what happened tonight.

Barons De Rothschild Pauillac, Reserve Speciale, 2001

I bought this wine along with 21 other bottles from a shop that's closing down. I sell it at my shop for $22 and bought it marked down for $13. Being from the Pauillac region of Bordeaux, the wine is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon although varying amounts of Merlot, Cab Franc, and Petite Verdot are also allowed. The wine has a wonderful nose full of leather and berries at first then opens to something like a greenhouse garden of flowers. Very nice. The palate is a bit weak with a quick finish but good acidity. We found that when we got into are meal of Cottage Pie, it was much more enjoyable on the palate working with other flavors. Overall, its a good wine, I am glad a paid $13 instead of $22 though. I give it a B-

2006-01-07T23:38:00.000-05:00

Purple Lips Trivia!

The first person to answer the following question correctly will receive a coffee table book of Napa Valley Wineries via U.S. Postal.

What are the 13 grape varieties allowed in Chateauneuf-du-Pape?

Contest will run until January 14th, if no one wins, a post of the answer and other interesting details of the region will follow.

d.o.

2006-01-07T23:22:00.000-05:00

Here's a Quicky.

Rosenblum Cellars California Zinfandel Vintners Cuvee XXVIII
~$10.00

I decided to give this a try because I have heard many good things about Rosenblum and their "Rockpile Zinfandel" made the top 100 for W.S. What a great value wine. For only $10 you get a full bodied Zin with lots of powerful berry fruit and a smokey note. It has a long finish and a pretty good balance between body, tannin, and acidity

I give it a B+ for value

2006-01-05T00:30:00.000-05:00

McManis Pinot Grigio, 2004, California
~$9.00

I got this wine from one of my distributors today and I thank him kindly, It was a great wine. I made a nice rice and chicken dinner with a sauce of orange peel and and tarragon and it went great with the wine. The wine maker is none other than Jeff Runquist who made the #1 wine of the 2005 San Francisco chronicle wine tasting(Petite Sirah, Salman Vineyard, Clarksburg appellation).

Color: Light straw color with a brilliance
Nose: It has a nice creamy orange character with tropical flavors and an interesting aroma of candied banana. This is usually a yeast characteristic from a warm and happy fermentation.
Palate: Soft acidity with and a viscosity covering the palate and a citrus, lemon drop character on the way down.
Overall: I am not a connoisseur of Pinot Grigio but this was great especially for the price I paid for it(nothing) but also a great value at $9.00. I give it a B+, there's lots of it around.

2006-01-02T21:57:00.000-05:00

Wine blogging Wednesday #17

Since this is my first WBW, I will explain to my readers what it entails. Every month or so one wine blogger picks a WBW theme and everyone chooses a wine that fits the theme and posts it for discussion. Its a great idea and helps people learn what's out there in the world of wine. The current theme is New Zealand Reds brought to us by The Cork Dork where you can check out other entries too. The wine I have chosen is a Pinot Noir from the Central Otago region. I know, not very imaginative, but the wine makes up for it.

Rowland, Central Otago Pinot Noir, Wild Thyme Vineyard, 2003
~$25.00

I cooked up some pork chops and mushrooms to serve with this wine and they paired beautifully. Pinot Noir is tough for me because I think that you have to spend a fair amount of money to get anything interesting so because of my budget I usually get disappointed with the varietal although this wine was awesome for $25 and reminded me why I love Pinot Noir when I can find a nice one.
Color: Dark ruby purple with clean sharp edges.
Nose: Classic New World Pinot Noir up front, with some earthy old world lingering after it opens up a bit. Strong cherry and pipe tobacco and lots of ripe fruit and slight crushed pepper aroma with sweet oak. After about a half hour some darker aromas of damp earth and mushrooms came into the mix with a little kick of ground anise.
Palate: Smooth tannin, not too extracted, with some spice on the way down. Very balanced and mouthfilling with the sweet oak and coffee liqueur adding viscosity to the mix.
Overall: I really, really, really, enjoyed this wine over the course of our meal and afterwards the wine changed, providing new flavors to think about. It is a talking wine that kept conversation at the table and not wandering to the TV, office, or other anti-social behavior. This kind of wine makes tasting with others a lot of fun. I give it an A.

2006-01-01T21:00:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a great New Years and you all got home safe not driving through traffic circles like someone in my neighborhood did. I had a long day at work and decided to stay home for the evening and then Ana convinced me to at least take her out to dinner which was ok except that the cheapest glass of wine was a KJ Chardonnay at $9 per glass, that's ridiculous. I decided to enjoy my water and enjoy the wine when we got home. So, we got home, watched a couple of movies and waited for the New Year to come and then danced to John Lennon singing Imagine. What wonderful words to bring in 2006 with. If only they would be realized by 2007.

Roederer Estate, Anderson Valley Brut
~$20.00

Anderson Valley is the place for Sparkling Wine according to Louis Roederer which is why he built a winery there to add to his portfolio of Champagne houses in France.

Color: Nice crisp straw color with fine bubbles dispersing evenly.
Nose: Green apple and grapefruit
Palate: Obviously bubbly, with lots of acidity that became a bit much by the end of the bottle.
Overall: If you can't tell from the above notes, I had a lot to drink last night and didn't write any notes down. Also, I am not the connoisseur of sparkling wines. I tend to think that the bubbles take a lot of the interesting flavors away. Anyhow, I did enjoy the evening with this wine and the price isn't bad either. I give it a B

So what did you drink last night? I would love to hear about what Sparkling or Champagne you had in the comments section of this blog.

2005-12-29T23:52:00.000-05:00

2001 Stuhlmuller Vineyards Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley
~$30.00

This Cab was recommended by Josh, one of the distributors that I work with. He said that it was one of the best valued Cabernet Sauvignons in the store so naturally I had to give it a shot. Honestly, he wasn't far from the truth. If this Cab had Napa Valley on the label instead of Alexander Valley it would be priced higher and be placed in the locked viewing case. I am starting to see a trend in exceptional value coming from Alexander Valley. Just over the mountain from upper Napa Valley, it produces some fantastic Cab and Chardonnay that compete well against its more famous neighbor.

Color: Rich, dark red-purple, aided by the 6% Petite Verdot included in the wine. Had nice legs and the edges are still crisp with no signs of early aging.

Nose: Cherry, and dark plums come to mind with a herbacious potpourri character. The wine opens up in the glass to cedar, clove and licorice type aromas and a hint of damp earth.

Palate: Nice even smoothness throughout the palate. Soft tannins and sweet oak give the wine a full body with more spice on the finish.

Overall: Great wine. Try it with the heavier meat dishes. I give it an A

2005-12-26T22:53:00.000-05:00

Arte Forma 2002 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Recas, Romania
~ $10.00

I went to the Dekalb County Farmers Market last Friday and found a wonderful young lady from Romania, in the wine department who was excited to show me a few wines. She said, "This is a wine from Romania, where I am from. You should try it!". Now picture a young beautiful woman with an accent, asking you to try a different wine from her country, would you say no? I didn't either. It was $10.00 and we were having pizza that night so it sounded good to me. The womans name was Luciana Fota and she has a distribution company called Rhapsody Wines. This was one of her wines along with another four or five varietals in the same line. All of the wines had beautiful labels by Austrian artis, Gustav Klimt. (If you check out the connecting link, you will not be disapointed.)

Romania have been growing grapes for centuries like the rest of Europe but got a swift kick in the 1960's from government sponsorship and now are the 5th largest wine producing country in Europe. Unfortunately most of their wine is drunk locally and is difficult to find outside of the motherland. 3/4 of the wine is white, mainly from local varieties such as Feteasca Alba and Feteasca Regala. International varieties have become more popular recently and quality has increased. This wine is from Recas and is probably the best red wine I have had from Eastern Europe. I think that it's time to start exploring the east as these wines become more and more accessible in the west.

Color: Dark cherry red color with nice clean edges showing youth and ageability
Aroma: Interesting herbacious, rosemary aromas from the start, then opening up to damp earth, mocha, chocolate, and pencil shavings.
Palate: Light, smooth tannin and good acidity with cherry and cranberry flavors on the way down. The wine covers the palate evenly not leaving an empty space in the center.

Overall: Easy drinking, exceptional value, and goes great with pizza. B+

2005-12-23T21:56:00.000-05:00

Gluwien! What is that?

This past week I opened two bottles of wine that I disliked enough to leave 3/4 full on top of the fridge. I told Ana that we could use them as cooking wine but then I had a great idea. Gluwien! Or simply put, mulled wine. It's a great holiday drink or if you're in Germany it's enjoyed all winter long. I was in Heidelberg Germany 3 years ago the first time I had Gluwien and I was hooked. It is very simple to make and is great to have at holiday parties as an alcoholic substitute for cider. The recipe I have is as follows:

1/2 gallon of red wine
1 cup of orange juice
1/4 cup of sugar
about 2 cups of mulling spices.

Put it all together in a pot and simmer for about 20 minutes then serve hot in a mug. It's that simple. Its a rough recipe, play with it if you like, you really can't go wrong. Oh, by the way, you would have to boil the mixture for an incredibly long time to get all of the alcohol out. This winter drink still packs a punch.

Enjoy! A+

2005-12-20T23:54:00.000-05:00

Campo Viejo, Tempranillo, Reserva 1999. Rioja ~$14.00

Ahhh....... Spain, home to beautiful Spanish women, tapas y canas, and the Tempranillo grape. I have had some good times in Spain and was fortunate enough to work at a winery in the Ribero de Duero region which ment working with my favorite Spanish grape, Tempranillo. I found that there is a strong rivalry between Ribero de Duero and Rioja. They say that Rioja is where the tourists and the money goes but all the good wine comes from the tall plateaus of the RdD. Of course, I am biased but I do agree. There are fantastic crianzas and reservas from Rioja but the RdD is where the biggest, and in my opinion, the best wines of Spain are coming from.
Anyhow, I am off track. I do still like Rioja and I enjoyed this wine as a light easy drinking red. It is lighter in body and structure than other Tempranillos I have had but it is smooth and a good food wine when paired with lighter meet, and poultry dishes.

Color: The edges are pretty brown, with an orangy-purple core. This is from so much barrel aging. A reserva is supposed to be aged in barrel for two years before bottling and then two more years in bottle before being released. No doubt the barrels were a couple of years old and were not topped very regularly. But this isn't bad winemaking, it's just the style of the region. I found barrels in Spain that were 20 years old, holding new vintage wine. Its just what they do so don't look for much oak character in this wine. Oh by the way, due to the tumultuous history of Spain and France, it is customary that Tempranillo is aged in American oak.

Nose: Aromas of sweet orange liqueur, and cracked pepper corns. Pretty subdued but it does smell like a Tempranillo.

Palate: Very light, no tannin, low acidity and a quick finish. Some boiled pepper flavors kicking around.

Overall: It is not an unpleasant wine, its just not a very interesting or complex wine. I have had some better Tempranillos. I think Rioja blends offer a better value.

I give it a B-

Here's a Quicky

2005-12-18T17:14:00.000-05:00

Ruffino Chianti, 2004, DOCG
~$10.00

Italian Chianti is really a hit or miss, especially in this price range. The DOCG is supposed to designate a certain quality standard but it is loosely observed. This wine was a miss, although Ruffino does make some nicer Chianti in a higher price bracket.

It is a very light wine, almost looks like a Pinot Noir, and has a bit of the Chianti earth in the nose and thats about it. Hardly any body and no tannin. I am saving the bottle for some much needed cooking wine. (I never have any around, it all gets drunk.)

2005-12-14T22:22:00.000-05:00

Wilson Vineyards 2003 Petite Sirah
~$10.00

I wanted to do another post about the Wilson Vineyards Petite Sirah since they have their new 2003 vintage out and it is different enough from the 2001 that I think it deserves its own write up. The new vintage, being younger, shows its youth in the complexity of aromas it is showing. The tannins are still there, as they should be in any Petite Sirah, but they are softer than the previous vintage and cover the whole palate as well.

Color: The color is great. Dark purple although not the same inky purple as the 2001

Nose: Strong plum and tree fruit with a floral note as well. There is also a creamy chocolate orange aroma that makes its presence known after about 20 minutes in the glass.

Palate: Wow, sweet up front with a good coating of soft tannin and viscous alcohol. The finish leaves spicy licorice and roasted coffee beans on the back of the palate.

Overall: I like this wine a lot and think that it is a good representation of the complexity that Petite Sirah can offer.

I give it a A-

2005-12-11T13:41:00.000-05:00

2003 Juan Gil, Jumilla Red Wine, Spain
~$14.00

This was another birthday wine that I had with dinner. It is 100% Monastrell, more commonly known as Mourvedre. History says that the grape actually originated from Jumilla, Spain but it didn't become popular until the French started using it in their blends so it is now more commonly known by its French name. Robert Parker scored it at 91 points and at $14 its a real bargain.

Color: Dark inky purple with fine ruby red edges.

Nose: Dusty chocolate and leather characters with a complex tar aroma and a core of black currants and some other dark exotic fruit that I can't put a name to. It has a very intriguing bouquet that changes over time. To me that is a real sign of quality, it's not a one dimensional wine.

Palate: Big well structured tannin, full-bodied and hot alcohol on the finish. The tannin pops up everywhere on the palate but the flavor of the wine skips the mid-palate. You get loads of ripe tree fruit flavors up front with hot and spicy flavors from the 14.8% alcohol on the back but the mid palate just picks up a layer of tannin that makes your tongue tingle.

Overall: This was really tasty but it is better on its own than with food. The high alcohol makes it really spicy with any dish you try and serve it with but after dinner we finished the bottle because it tasted too good to put in the fridge.

I give it an A-

2005-12-11T12:55:00.000-05:00

Palazzo Della Torre, Veronese 2000, Allegrini, Italy
~ $16.00

I drank this wine the other night on my birthday after a friend let me choose any wine from his modest collection and it was a great choice. Later I found out that it was actually made the top 100 in the Wine Spectator, 2004. It was #65. It is a Valpolicella blend of Corvina (70%), Rondinella (25%) and Sangiovese (5%). A note for the label, Allegrini is the producer or winery and Palazzo Della Torre is the vineyard that the grapes came from and Veronese (Verona) is the appellation that the vineyard is located in.

Color: Dark Ruby with edges becoming orange from age.

Nose: Strong aromas of dark chocolate, leather, and tobacco with a core of dark fruits that open up as the wine sits in the glass. There is a mineral earthiness and mushroom character that lingers in the background as well.

Palate: The wine is well rounded on the palate with integrated tannins and a full jammy flavor. The wine does have a rather quick finish to it and leaves you wondering where it went. It is so strong up front and then feels weak as it leaves.

Overall: It is a very good wine, it looks like it is aging fairly quickly which may be because Corvina is such a light wine and the Rondinella gives the wine strength in tannin and mouthfeel. Overall it is a great wine to drink now or keep for another couple of years.

I give it a B+

2005-12-07T19:56:00.000-05:00

Gnarly Head Old Vine Zinfandel, 2004, Lodi
~$10.00

This wine has a great label doesn’t it? (It looks better on a bottle.) Unfortunately, the greatness stops there. Zinfandel is one of my favorite varieties and say what you will about its history, I call California its home. Back in Italy they call it Primativo, in Croatia, Plavac Mali, but not until California made Zinfandel popular did we hear about these other names. The grape may have originated in Eastern Europe but like the people this country was built upon, it immigrated to the U.S. and called it home. It first landed in New York, passing Ellis Island and everyone else trying to "get in” and ended up on the tables of Manhattan as an eating grape but didn’t do well because of the seeds. Then the gold rush hit and swarms headed west to California and some brought the grape with them, planting it all over the sierra foothills and parts of the Central Valley and Sonoma. So now we have old vines of Zinfandel pushing past the century mark throughout California. These old vines produce concentrated aromas and are so popular that the “Old Vines” are becoming younger and younger. There is no legislation or certification that says how old vines have to be in order to be called “Old Vines” so we are now finding more and more Zins with this popular distinction. So what is old? Who knows?

Back to this Zinfandel. It doesn’t really say how old the vines were that made this wine but it does have a nice story on the back label about the guy who started the winery in Manteca CA of all places. It says he went to Lodi and saw some of the old vines that were over 80 years old and he thought “Wow what gnarly heads” describing the old head trained vines that were all twisted and “gnarled”. So he was inspired to start a winery and make “Old Vine” Zinfandel but it doesn’t say how old the vines were that he made his wine from. So again, what is old? Who knows?

Color: Wine has brick red edges with a ruby translucent core

Nose: Smoky bacon with cherries, tobacco, some dustiness too. The wine doesn’t open up too much either, very one dimensional.

Palate: Vegative and peppery with a medium body and a quick finish with hot alcohol and bitter tannin.

Overall: I didn’t like this one too much, can you tell. I’ll blame the above rant on the wine. I give it a C-

2005-12-01T23:41:00.000-05:00

Timbuktu Big Block Red, 2004 South Australia Red Wine
$9.99

I got this wine from work because everyone keeps talking about it and I had not tried it yet. It was great. Excellent value. In typical Aussie fashion, they export a red blend that is ripe and full of flavorful and sporting a label that verges on tacky. But we're Americans, we love tacky. One of the best sellers right now at my store is a wine with a picture of Elvis in a Santa hat on the label. So why not this one? The Australian wine industry knows what they are doing and they are doing it well. The funny thing is, you can't buy this wine in Australia, you can't buy yellow tail in Australia and there are probably many others too. Most of Australia's wine is drunk outside of their country. If only we were that good at selling wine.

So, back to Timbuktu; Its a blend of five different varieties with of course, Shiraz being one of them:
39% Cabernet, 27% Petit Verdot, 24% Shiraz, 6% Merlot, and 4% Malbec

Color: Deep Purple with sharp violet edges. It's young

Nose: Ultra ripe, spiced plum, blueberries, and cherry pie. After 15 minutes it becomes more herbacious. The ripe fruit dissolves to lavender and rosemary notes with a "strong" hint of crushed peppercorns.

Palate: Big and juicy on the palate and covers every tastebud (thats from all the different varieties in there). Its a bit spicy and hot but is so big, almost syrupy, that the heat doesn't last long. The tannins are relatively silent in this one. You kind of feel them in your teeth, like they just want to let you know that they are along for the ride but they sit in the back seat and try to stay out of the rearview mirror.

I give it a B++
(p.s. you should be able to buy this wine at Cost Plus World Market)

2005-12-01T23:10:00.000-05:00

Wilson Vineyards 2003 Merlot

Another wine from Wilson Vineyards, the Merlot. You get a lot of bang for your buck with this merlot. I think it is retailing for somewhere around $10.00.

Color: Very clean, young, cherry- red edges with a dark Burgundy core.

Nose: Like I said, its a lighter merlot but very ripe flavors like plum, tobacco and sweet red bell pepper. Aromas of pencil shavings and American oak also come into play. After the wine sits in the glass for a while it opens up to more floral notes, something like violets I think. It is definitely not one of the early picked unripe Merlots that tickles your nose with vegetative mercaptans.

Palate: The palate is clean with good acidity. The midpalate is a little weak but the tannins leave their mark on the back of your tongue and keep the wine lingering.

Overall: The wine drinks easily and is very versatile with food. The alcohol is 14.7% but the wine isn't hot and goes down smooth. I enjoyed this Merlot with a dinner of stuffed eggplant and shrimp. It went nicely.

I give it a B+

2005-11-28T20:07:00.000-05:00

Wilson Vineyards 2001 Petite Sirah
$9.99
(Label at right is from '99 vintage, 2001 is a bit different)

I really like this Petite Sirah. It's a good valued big red that fits the big meaty meals from the BBQ or the frying pan. Wilson Vineyards is a family operation form Clarksburg and they are producing fantastic wines of great value. Other highlights from them are the 2003 Merlot(tasting notes will soon follow), 2003 Petite Sirah, and their Late Harvest Chenin Blanc,Isabella.

Color: The color is typical of a Petite Sirah, inky purple, although the edges are turning brick red from a little oxidation. It's okay, it's okay, it just means that maybe it should be drunk sooner rather than later.

Nose: The nose on this Petite reminds me of an Aussie red. It has a strong fruit forward strawberry jam aroma with sweet rhubarb. Subtle notes of licorice and Crayola crayon also come into play to bring some more complexity. It does have some aromas of aging, a little acetaldehyde but not enough to disappoint.

Palate: The wine has good acidity making it cut through the oils of the sausage and fried potatoes I ate with it. Petite Sirah typically has a lot of tannin and this one does. The tannins are chewy and concentrate on the midpalate. The wine is balanced well on the palate with the acidity matching the tannin well so that it lingers on the back of your tastebuds for a long time.

Overall: Well, overall I really like this wine.... right now. At this moment in the wines life, everything seems to be melded together and working in the wines favor. But... I think the wine is aging too fast. The tannin is going to be strong for years and the acidity is not going to dissipate any time soon. So, that leaves the rest; the nose and the color. I think that after a couple more years the fruit forward aromas in this wine will fall away and the color will get lighter and lighter. But again, it is very drinkable now.

I give it a B

2005-11-26T12:02:00.000-05:00

Wolf Blass Yellow Label, South Australia, 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon
$10.99

I had this wine on Thanksgiving and I probably should have waited. It was too big and tannic to go with the Turkey but on its own it was not too bad.

Color: Dark purple with sharp bright edges, no sign of early oxidation.

Nose: Nice, damp earth, leather notes backed by stone fruit of ripe cherry and plum. After a while the wine opens up to chocolate, coffee and slight mint aromas.

Palate: Could use a lot more aging. There are a lot of seed tannins (a sign of rough fruit handling) roughing up your palate and the wine finishes very quickly. There is a lot of acidity that accentuates the tannin. The alcohol is 13.5% which is very modest for an Aussie red, and as far as mouthfeel, the alcohol really sits on the sidelines.

Overall: I really like the nose on this wine but the palate seems really unbalanced and chaotic to me. Maybe with a few years in the bottle it will mellow out and be more enjoyable, but at this price wine should be made for drinking now.

I give it a B-

2005-11-16T14:06:00.000-05:00

Quivira 2002 Syrah, Wine Creek Ranch
~$24.00

I pulled this wine from my collection last night to have with dinner and we were very pleased. It is drinking great right now and I wouldn't hold it too much longer. It is showing some signs of accelerated aging but again, it is fantastic right now. Unfortunately I made an awesome Thai dish that didn't go with the wine at all, it was too spicy, but I just had water with dinner and the wine for dessert.

Color: Nice color but showing aging already. The edges are turning a brick red surrounding a dark purple/burgundy core.

Nose: The nose is phenomenal, we sat at the table for 30 minutes just talking about the nose and how it changes. It starts with jammy cherry and rose petal notes from the bottle and then opens up to chocolate, sweet tobacco, cracked pepper corns, and coffee aromas after sitting in the glass for a while. It is a wine that changes quickly as it oxidizes in the glass and gives you more and more to go back to. I had a good time smelling this one.

Palate: This wine is very well balanced. It doesn't leave you puckered with acidity but has enough to cut through the viscosity and tannins of the wine on the palate. The wine covers the whole palate and tannins are soft and lingering. It is a big wine that you continue to feel and taste for a long time.

Overall: I like this wine a lot. Keep it for steak night or at least something from the grill. I would try and drink the whole bottle at the time of opening because it will oxidize quickly. If you can't drink it all, put it in the fridge and then let it warm to room temp. before opening it again.

I give it an A-

2005-11-15T12:08:00.000-05:00

Stephen Vincent, 2002 Crimson, California
$11.99
(Sorry, no label)

This is a wine that I poured at a tasting last Saturday at Sherlocks Wine Merchants, and it was the favorite of the pouring. It is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah but it is a lighter style with good acidity and soft tannins. It will go great with the Thanksgiving ham and fixins. It is drinking great now and may benefit from a couple more years of aging to drop the acidity a bit but I would drink it within the next 5 years.

Color: The wine has nice color, a bit light for a Cab-Syrah blend, do I dare say it has a Crimson color as its name suggests? Its color is a nice red violet with crisp young edges.

Nose: Strong berry fruit characters of cherry and strawberry. The fruit gives way to coffee liqueur and a violets with some dried floral or potpourri notes.

Palate: The tartness of the wine comes through quickly and then diminishes leaving a sweet rhubarb taste. The mouthfeel is good with soft tannins covering the midpalate aswell as leaving a long finish.

Overall: I like this wine for its simpleness and food friendly attitude. The winemaker obviously tried to make a wine that was not showey and just a simple red wine to have with food and enjoy with people. He/She succedded beautifully and you can't beat the price.

I give it a B

2005-11-14T15:02:00.000-05:00

Rawson's Retreat, Cabernet Sauvignon, South Eastern Australia, Vintage 2004. From Penfolds.
~$10.00
(label to right is from 2003, 2004 is a bit different)
My first post will be about this wonderful and well priced wine. These are the types of wine that I look forward to finding and putting in this blog, excellent quality and exceptional value. Rawson's Retreat is a work horse for Penfolds being one of their bigger volume wines but it's value is unaffected. It is a reflection of the true Aussie style with ultra ripe notes, like their Shiraz, but being cab, it still has a nice soft tannin core. This is an easy drinking wine that is drinking nicely now and will go well with just about anything you serve on the Thanksgiving table but it will also benefit from a few more years of cellaring.

Color: Beautiful, dark ruby red with sharp purple edges and viscous legs.
Nose: This is a true aussie cab with the fruit forward cherry and strawberry but it has
nice dusty leather notes and hints of white pepper and mint.

Palate: Lots of tart acidity and a bit week in the mid-palate but with food it becomes much nicer. Tannins are soft helping to give the wine nice body. I had it with a tomato based shrimp pasta (it was excellent) and the acidity of the tomatoes balanced with the wines acidity and made the wine taste sweeter, they paired together very well. The wine is labeled at %14 alcohol but is smooth and not burning.

Overall: The wine on its own leaves you wanting more on the palate but with food it becomes nicer, for the price you can not ask for more on the nose and color is fantastic.

I give it a B+